They had the Bible, it was just not all collected together under one book cover. All the NT books existed as individual scrolls by 96 AD. They were rolled up scrolls already written to specific areas/ specific churches. Churches in the first 3-4 centuries had the OT and some of the NT until there was time to put them all together.
the individual scrolls were “canon” (criterion, rule, law, standard) as soon as they were written, between 45 AD to 96 AD; most were already written before 70 AD.
Even liberal scholars say that most of the NT was already written by 96 AD, except the more liberal ones think 2 Peter was written in early 2nd Century (100-135 AD) (which you have pointed out many times.) Some think the Pastoral Epistles were written in early 2nd Century, but most are not that radical. Even J. N. D. Kelly, whom you quoted, believed the Pastoral Epistles were written in 65-67 AD.
Beyond that, it is unanimous that they were all individual scrolls sent to different places / churches.
And all the others were written by 96 AD.
Conservative, believing scholars believe all were written by 96 AD, and most before 70 AD.
You said;
Conservative, believing scholars believe all were written by 96 AD, and most before 70 AD
I say;
“scholars believe all were written by 96 AD, and most before 70 AD” Says my Good friend Ken Temple.
You did not answer the question or provide any evidence that the NT books existed in scrolls by 96 AD.
Unlike the Muslim scripture which has evidence right now multiple people reciting the same verses revealed to our prophet over and over in memory to compliment the written ones in prayers and in many occasions like in Ramadan where complete Quran is recited over and over in memory and in prayers and from the written scripture, Christianity has no Bible in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, and no Christian can recite the whole NT in Greek in memory, and even Dr. James White who is supposed to be Greek scholar, find it difficult to read NT Greek from the pages of NT opened in front of him because the Ancient Christians do not have the practice of reciting the whole NT in prayers and in occasions.
Can you recite NT fluently in Greek? At least 5 pages? Well every Muslim can recite at least five pages of the Quran in Arabic and that is the evidence that any arguments by Christians that the Quran has been changed is baseless because Muslim start to pray with the pages of the Quran at the time of prophet Mohammed when he started revelation and it is compulsory for any Muslim and so a new Muslims must learn some portion of the Quran for his prayers. Scholars have to learn Arabic, Science of Hadith, Islamic History, fiq, aqeedah, seerah etc. to be credible scholars.
Proof
Islamic Scholars who are Whites are fluent in Arabic the original language of the Quran and knows what they are talking about. An Arab cannot lie to them about their religion. This habit started from the time of our prophet where his wives and disciples teach Islamic students the whole Quran and everything the prophet taught them and the prophet of course received the divine revelation from God through angel Gabriel. Ziad Ibn Thabit, Ali, Othman, Masud Ibn etc. had memorized the Quran, so any minor argument on the composition of the standard Quran does not mean they have any differences.
This guy is reciting the Quran from memory and we have thousands of Muslims who can recite the whole Quran from memory and the tradition is from the angel to our prophet and from our prophet till today.
Only few NT scholars can speak fluent Greek can not recite it in memory because it is not the tradition of the Christians and the Bible was not available at the time of Jesus because Jesus death was recorded as part of the Bible, so the Bible was not available at the time of Jesus Christ.
Sorry for bringing the Quran in this discussion. I just did it to show evidence which Ken Temple was not able to provide when asked about the Bible except to say “scholars believe” and belief is no evidence. You cannot go to court of law and say you believed some one killed a person. The court will throw your case out unless you provide evidence.
the evidence is there for anyone to research in conservative believing commentaries and NT introductions, such as the one by D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo.
Also, ee Daniel Wallace’s introduction to each book in the NT at www dot bible dot org.
For example, on the Gospel according to Matthew:
“In our solution to the synoptic problem, Matthew and Luke have independently used Mark. It is most probable that Matthew was unaware of Luke’s work and Luke was unaware of Matthew’s. If so, then both were probably written at around the same time. If Luke is dated c. 61-62 CE (see the next section), then Matthew in all probability should be dated similarly.”
J. N. D. Kelly, whom Paul Williams cited, believed 2 Timothy, the last of the apostle Paul’s letters, was written in 65 or 66 AD. So all other of Paul’s letters were before that.
Hebrews was obviously written before 70 Ad, because it describes the temple sacrifices as still going on and the priests as at that time serving in the temple.
James – very early. 45 AD
John, 1, 2, 3 John, Rev. – by 96 AD
Jude 80-96 AD. The faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
so all the NT books were written by 96 AD and existed as individual scrolls.
Didache (70-120 AD), Clement 96 AD, Ignatiius 110 AD, Epistle of Barnabas (70-135 AD), Justin Martry- died, 165 AD, Polycarp, died, 155 AD – quoted from some of them. They are all small letters and works, compared to Tertullian and Irenaeus. (except Justin Martyr’s are fairly long, but he does not seem to know about Paul’s letters, but they are earliest works of Christianity.
(180-200 AD) – Tertullian, and Irenaeus quoted from most of the NT books.
Blogging Theology 
They had the Bible, it was just not all collected together under one book cover. All the NT books existed as individual scrolls by 96 AD. They were rolled up scrolls already written to specific areas/ specific churches. Churches in the first 3-4 centuries had the OT and some of the NT until there was time to put them all together.
So, that above statement is false.
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the individual scrolls were “canon” (criterion, rule, law, standard) as soon as they were written, between 45 AD to 96 AD; most were already written before 70 AD.
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‘All the NT books existed as individual scrolls by 96 AD’
your evidence?
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Even liberal scholars say that most of the NT was already written by 96 AD, except the more liberal ones think 2 Peter was written in early 2nd Century (100-135 AD) (which you have pointed out many times.) Some think the Pastoral Epistles were written in early 2nd Century, but most are not that radical. Even J. N. D. Kelly, whom you quoted, believed the Pastoral Epistles were written in 65-67 AD.
Beyond that, it is unanimous that they were all individual scrolls sent to different places / churches.
And all the others were written by 96 AD.
Conservative, believing scholars believe all were written by 96 AD, and most before 70 AD.
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Ken Temple
You said;
Conservative, believing scholars believe all were written by 96 AD, and most before 70 AD
I say;
“scholars believe all were written by 96 AD, and most before 70 AD” Says my Good friend Ken Temple.
You did not answer the question or provide any evidence that the NT books existed in scrolls by 96 AD.
Unlike the Muslim scripture which has evidence right now multiple people reciting the same verses revealed to our prophet over and over in memory to compliment the written ones in prayers and in many occasions like in Ramadan where complete Quran is recited over and over in memory and in prayers and from the written scripture, Christianity has no Bible in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, and no Christian can recite the whole NT in Greek in memory, and even Dr. James White who is supposed to be Greek scholar, find it difficult to read NT Greek from the pages of NT opened in front of him because the Ancient Christians do not have the practice of reciting the whole NT in prayers and in occasions.
Can you recite NT fluently in Greek? At least 5 pages? Well every Muslim can recite at least five pages of the Quran in Arabic and that is the evidence that any arguments by Christians that the Quran has been changed is baseless because Muslim start to pray with the pages of the Quran at the time of prophet Mohammed when he started revelation and it is compulsory for any Muslim and so a new Muslims must learn some portion of the Quran for his prayers. Scholars have to learn Arabic, Science of Hadith, Islamic History, fiq, aqeedah, seerah etc. to be credible scholars.
Proof
Islamic Scholars who are Whites are fluent in Arabic the original language of the Quran and knows what they are talking about. An Arab cannot lie to them about their religion. This habit started from the time of our prophet where his wives and disciples teach Islamic students the whole Quran and everything the prophet taught them and the prophet of course received the divine revelation from God through angel Gabriel. Ziad Ibn Thabit, Ali, Othman, Masud Ibn etc. had memorized the Quran, so any minor argument on the composition of the standard Quran does not mean they have any differences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLor3HsSGM43YbasT3W2ATvh9O9utrF5eq&v=7rCspL55poA
This guy is reciting the Quran from memory and we have thousands of Muslims who can recite the whole Quran from memory and the tradition is from the angel to our prophet and from our prophet till today.
Only few NT scholars can speak fluent Greek can not recite it in memory because it is not the tradition of the Christians and the Bible was not available at the time of Jesus because Jesus death was recorded as part of the Bible, so the Bible was not available at the time of Jesus Christ.
Sorry for bringing the Quran in this discussion. I just did it to show evidence which Ken Temple was not able to provide when asked about the Bible except to say “scholars believe” and belief is no evidence. You cannot go to court of law and say you believed some one killed a person. The court will throw your case out unless you provide evidence.
Thanks.
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the evidence is there for anyone to research in conservative believing commentaries and NT introductions, such as the one by D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo.
Also, ee Daniel Wallace’s introduction to each book in the NT at www dot bible dot org.
For example, on the Gospel according to Matthew:
“In our solution to the synoptic problem, Matthew and Luke have independently used Mark. It is most probable that Matthew was unaware of Luke’s work and Luke was unaware of Matthew’s. If so, then both were probably written at around the same time. If Luke is dated c. 61-62 CE (see the next section), then Matthew in all probability should be dated similarly.”
J. N. D. Kelly, whom Paul Williams cited, believed 2 Timothy, the last of the apostle Paul’s letters, was written in 65 or 66 AD. So all other of Paul’s letters were before that.
Hebrews was obviously written before 70 Ad, because it describes the temple sacrifices as still going on and the priests as at that time serving in the temple.
James – very early. 45 AD
John, 1, 2, 3 John, Rev. – by 96 AD
Jude 80-96 AD. The faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
so all the NT books were written by 96 AD and existed as individual scrolls.
Didache (70-120 AD), Clement 96 AD, Ignatiius 110 AD, Epistle of Barnabas (70-135 AD), Justin Martry- died, 165 AD, Polycarp, died, 155 AD – quoted from some of them. They are all small letters and works, compared to Tertullian and Irenaeus. (except Justin Martyr’s are fairly long, but he does not seem to know about Paul’s letters, but they are earliest works of Christianity.
(180-200 AD) – Tertullian, and Irenaeus quoted from most of the NT books.
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