Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Gavin Ortlund examines the earliest surviving Christian canon list from Melito of Sardis and explores why this second-century testimony may provide significant historical support for the Protestant Old Testament canon.

Books Mentioned:
amazon.com/Biblical-Canon-Lists-Early-Christianity/dp/0198792492/truthunitesbo-20

Videos Mentioned:
A Fallible List of Infallible Books?: youtu.be/rRMgYS1Taes?si=FlMHAYjLOBaRTNZY
Did Protestants Remove Books From the Bible?!?: youtu.be/WnzbNkIKwUQ?si=_3_uyZujF-swpqvS

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Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is President of Truth Unites, Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Phoenix Seminary, and Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.

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amazon.com/Why-Christianity-Makes-Sense-Mysteries/dp/0310182204/truthunitesbo-20
amazon.com/What-Means-Be-Protestant-Always-Reforming/dp/B0CNFFP6LK/truthunitesbo-20
amazon.com/Makes-Sense-World-That-Doesnt/dp/1540964094/truthunitesbo-20
amazon.com/Theological-Retrieval-Evangelicals-Need-Future/dp/1433565269/truthunitesbo-20
amazon.com/Finding-Right-Hills-Die-Theological/dp/1433567423/truthunitesbo-20
amazon.com/Retrieving-Augustines-Doctrine-Creation-Controversy/dp/0830853243/truthunitesbo-20

00:00 - Introduction
01:16 - Melito's Canon
03:47 - Esther
04:56 - Wisdom
08:30 - Why This Matters
11:24 - A Jewish or Christian Canon?
20:20 - Summing Up