Four gospels are 'the only indisputable ones in the church of God under heaven'. Paul 'did not write to all the churches', and 1 Peter and 1 John are acknowledged, while 2 Peter and 2-3 John are doubted by some. On Hebrews: the thoughts are Paul's but the style is not; 'who wrote the epistle, in truth God knows'. Homilies on Joshua 7.1 (Latin, Rufinus) names all 27 books, but Rufinus may have smoothed the text; treat with caution.
Dating
Eusebius quotes Origen's Commentaries on Matthew (c. 244-249) and John (begun c. 231) and his Homilies on Hebrews. The list is Eusebius' selection of excerpts, not Origen's own list.Read the list(opens in a new tab)Eusebius, HE 6.25.3-14
The 27 books
21 accepted · 3 disputed · 3 not mentionedPaul
Hebrews
General letters
Revelation
- Accepted
- Disputed
- Rejected
- Not mentioned
Notes on the books
- Acts (not mentioned): Not mentioned in HE 6.25, but Origen quotes Acts freely elsewhere as Luke's work.
- Romans (accepted): Paul's letters are accepted as a group ('he wrote to all the churches he taught, and even to these but a few lines').
- Hebrews (accepted): Accepted as scripture and as Pauline in thought; authorship explicitly uncertain.
- James (not mentioned): Not in HE 6.25. Elsewhere he cites it as 'the epistle in circulation as James'' (Comm. Jo. 19.23).
- 2 Peter (disputed): 'Peter ... left one acknowledged epistle; perhaps also a second, but this is doubtful.'
- 2 John (disputed): 'Not all consider them genuine.'
- 3 John (disputed): See 2 John.
- Jude (not mentioned): Not in HE 6.25. Elsewhere he cites it, noting that some doubt it (Comm. Matt. 17.30).
- Revelation (accepted): John 'wrote also the Apocalypse'.