By the end of the 1st century, some letters of Paul were collected and circulated. We know this through references by [[Clement of Rome ]] (c. 95), [[Ignatius of Antioch]] (died 117), and [[Polycarp of Smyrna]] (c. 115). However, these texts weren't usually called [[Holy Scripture |Scripture]] as the [[Septuagint]] was, and they weren't without critics. Certain heretics [[heretic]]s tried to deny the validity of many parts of the [[Canon]], particularly the Pauline epistles. In the late 4th century Epiphanius of Salamis (died 402) Panarion 29 says the Nazarenes had rejected the Pauline epistles; Irenaeus' ''Against Heresies'' 26.2 says the Ebionites rejected him. Acts 21:21 records a rumor that Paul aimed to subvert the [[Old Testament ]] (see Romans 3:8, 31). 2 Peter 3:16 says his letters have been abused by heretics who twist them around "as they do with the other scriptures." In the 2nd and 3rd centuries [[Eusebius of Caesarea|Eusebius]]' ''Ecclesiastical History'' 6.38 stated the Elchasai "made use of texts from every part of the Old Testament and the Gospels; it rejects the Apostle (Paul) entirely"; 4.29.5 says Tatian the Assyrian rejected Paul's Letters and Acts of the Apostles; 6.25 says [[Origen ]] accepted 22 canonical books of the Hebrews plus Maccabees plus the four Gospels [[Gospel]]s but Paul "did not so much as write to all the churches that he taught; and even to those to which he wrote he sent but a few lines."

The Roman Emperor [[Constantine the Great]] (272-337) had a great effect on Orthodox Christianity. With his [[Edict of Milan]] in 313, Christians had more freedom and Church leadership took aggressive public stances. As a result, Church controversies now flared into public schisms[[schism]]s, sometimes with violence. Constantine saw the quelling of religious disorder as the divinely-appointed emperor's duty and called the 314 Council of Arles against the [[Donatism|Donatists]] and the [[First Ecumenical Council]] to settle some of the doctrinal problems seen as plaguing early Christianity. A number of early Christian writings were lost or destroyed during this time.