Did the Church Exist Before the New Testament?

Yes.

Christianity was already alive before the final New Testament book had been written and long before Christians everywhere possessed a settled 27-book New Testament collection.

The Apostles preached.

People were baptized.

The Eucharist was celebrated.

Churches were established.

Leaders were appointed.

Doctrinal disputes arose.

All of this happened while the New Testament itself was still being written.

Why is this important?

It does not make Scripture less important.

It makes the historical setting of Scripture more important.

The New Testament emerged within the Apostolic Church, not outside it.

How was Christian teaching transmitted?

The New Testament itself speaks of teaching handed on both orally and in writing. Paul tells Christians to hold to traditions they had received and instructs Timothy to entrust received teaching to faithful people capable of teaching others.

See:

• 1 Corinthians 11:2
• 2 Thessalonians 2:15
• 2 Timothy 1:13-14
• 2 Timothy 2:2

Then what role does the Bible have?

For Catholics, Scripture is inspired Word of God.

The question is not whether the Bible is authoritative.

The question is whether Christ intended Scripture alone, detached from Apostolic Tradition and the teaching Church, to function as Christianity's sole infallible rule.

History gives us a way to investigate that claim.

The unavoidable question

If the Church was teaching Christianity before the New Testament canon was complete, what authority was preserving the faith during that period?

Explore Scripture and Tradition →

Who Decided the Books of the Bible? →