Why Did Early Christians Prefer the Codex Over the Scroll?

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The written Word of God has traveled across centuries in various formats, ranging from clay tablets and stone inscriptions to parchment scrolls and, ultimately, compact books. By the first century C.E., Hebrew and Greek Scriptures were typically found on scrolls—long sheets of papyrus or parchment rolled for safe storage. Then, in the early Christian era, a remarkable change emerged: believers embraced the codex, a bound set of sheets more akin to modern books, at a time when many in the Roman Empire still favored scrolls. The question arises: why did Christians adopt an innovation that required fresh copying efforts and new production methods? Exploring how and why these earliest followers of Jesus turned from scroll to codex helps illuminate their priorities, the distribution of Scripture, and even the reliability of the biblical text that has come down to present generations.

This discussion addresses key historical, practical, and spiritual motivations behind the codex revolution in early Christian circles. Scriptural references highlight how the codex form aided in fulfilling the commission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), facilitated easier referencing (Acts 17:11), and supported the integrity of God’s Word (Isaiah 40:8). Ultimately, the codex stands as a testament to how believers harnessed available technology to spread the gospel message with greater efficiency and durability than ever before.

Scrolls in the First Century World

Long before the first century C.E., scribes had developed the practice of writing lengthy texts onto scrolls. Hebrew prophets and historians recorded the Scriptures on rolled sheets of papyrus or animal skins stitched together to form single, continuous pieces. These scrolls typically measured up to thirty feet in length, divided into columns for readability. References within the Hebrew Scriptures attest to such scroll usage (Jeremiah 36:2, 23), and the Greek New Testament’s depiction of Jesus opening a scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue aligns with this widespread format (Luke 4:16-20).

Scrolls conferred certain advantages. They were recognized across the Mediterranean world, enabling official and religious texts to circulate in a standard form. Jewish congregations had used scrolls in their services for centuries, storing them in protective containers and carefully unrolling them for each reading. Nevertheless, rolling and unrolling to locate a specific verse took considerable skill. After reading from the desired passage, one typically rolled the scroll shut again. Length constraints might force a single biblical book, such as Isaiah or Jeremiah, to occupy one entire scroll, potentially leaving multi-book anthologies unwieldy.

This universal reliance on scrolls did not preclude innovations. Historians note that some scribes experimented with writing on both sides of the papyrus or with partial folding, but tradition remained strong. Even though scroll usage was entrenched, an epoch-making shift was on the horizon among early Christians, who would soon opt for a bound, leafed format—unusual in the broader Greco-Roman book trade at that time.

The Emergence of the Codex

The codex gradually supplanted the scroll between the first and fourth centuries C.E. Although pockets of the empire stuck with scrolls for legal documents, official decrees, and secular literature, the codex surfaced as a fresh method of assembling written material. The initial impetus came from humble beginnings. In earlier centuries, people had fashioned wooden or wax-coated tablets for note-taking, a practice that influenced the codex concept. By the time of Jesus’ apostles, some used small wax tablets hinged together for everyday writing tasks. Then, papyrus or parchment replaced wax, giving rise to a flexible booklet that could be flipped page by page.

In Latin, the word “codex” originally meant “tree trunk,” stemming from wooden writing tablets. Over time, it evolved to mean a set of written leaves bound along one edge and protected by covers. Pagans and Jews continued relying on scrolls for official or religious manuscripts, but Christians increasingly turned to codices for their Scriptures. This choice was no mere coincidence. The codex offered tangible benefits that addressed the unique needs of a fast-growing spiritual movement.

Why Did Christians Favor the Codex So Early?

The early Christian preference for the codex manifests in discoveries of second-century Greek New Testament manuscripts on papyrus—nearly all are codices rather than scrolls. Meanwhile, second-century pagan literature generally appears on scrolls. Scholars thus point to believers’ distinctive adoption of the codex, which apparently began in the latter part of the first century and exploded in use by the second. Several factors clarify why:

The codex conserved space. Both sides of each sheet could bear writing, an economy seldom achieved with a scroll, which generally displayed text on one side. For believers who wanted to combine multiple books—like the Gospels—into one handy volume, the codex was a fitting choice. Matthew’s Gospel alone might occupy about thirty feet of scroll, Luke about thirty-one, Mark nearly nineteen, and John roughly twenty-four. A single bound codex could place these four accounts together, something nearly impossible in a single scroll of feasible length.

The codex also streamlined referencing. Paul’s letters, for instance, might be stored in one codex, enabling traveling ministers or local elders to consult multiple epistles without rummaging through a trunk of separate scrolls. Evangelizers could swiftly turn from Romans to Ephesians or from 1 Corinthians to Hebrews. In an era when verifying doctrine or defending the faith against critics required quick access to Scripture, the codex’s ease of navigation stood out.

Portability factored in as well. Some early Christian codices were pocket-sized. A preacher who undertook missionary journeys, as the apostle Paul did (Acts 13:4, 5), could carry a codex with him. This convenience must have appealed greatly to those fulfilling Jesus’ commission to make disciples in many lands (Matthew 28:19). Instead of lugging multiple scrolls on foot or by ship, a missionary could tuck a small codex of key verses or an entire Gospel into a traveling pouch.

Finally, cost played a role. Both sides of a sheet meant fewer materials to copy the same body of text. The compactness also reduced the expense of creating protective containers. In short, the codex’s advantages dovetailed neatly with Christians’ desire to spread the good news widely and teach from the Scriptures constantly. John 5:39 references Jesus telling the Jews to “search the Scriptures,” highlighting how essential it was to examine the text thoroughly. The codex brought a new level of convenience to that pursuit.

Scriptural Allusions to Bound Writings?

While the New Testament does not explicitly mention codices, there are intriguing hints at notebooks or writing tablets. Second Timothy 4:13 has Paul asking Timothy to bring “the scrolls, especially the parchments.” Certain scholars note that the underlying Greek word for “parchments” could suggest a different format than typical scrolls, possibly smaller parchment notebooks or codices. If so, Paul might have been referring to partial collections or personal notes, anticipating a transition from scroll to codex.

Even centuries before, the prophet Isaiah was instructed to record a message on a large tablet (Isaiah 8:1). Although that was distinct from a codex, the tradition of writing on more rigid surfaces was old, facilitating acceptance of the next logical step. By the time the Gospels were in wide circulation, the codex’s form might have seemed like a natural extension of earlier note-taking methods, albeit used now for a higher purpose: distributing the Word of God across the Roman Empire.

Early Papyri as Physical Evidence

The remarkable papyrus finds in Egypt have revolutionized our understanding of early Christian manuscripts. Because papyrus demands an arid climate to survive millennia, many biblical fragments remain only from Egyptian sites such as Oxyrhynchus or the Fayum region. Investigators discovered that the earliest Christian biblical papyri, dating to the second century C.E., were predominantly codices, not scrolls. This sets Christian manuscripts apart from a vast trove of secular or pagan texts, which frequently appear on scrolls for centuries longer.

For example, the famous fragment P52—a portion of John’s Gospel from approximately 125–130 C.E.—was part of a codex. Another second-century find, sometimes labeled P64 or P67, containing small portions of Matthew, also came from a codex. This consistent pattern across multiple biblical texts underscores that the codex form was not a sporadic experiment but a recognized norm among Christians. That these codices are the earliest textual witnesses to the Greek New Testament deepens their significance: from nearly the apostolic era onward, believers copied Scripture into bound books more frequently than they did into scrolls.

Did the Codex Help Form the Canon?

The codex might have influenced how believers conceived of which writings were authoritative. By assembling multiple Gospels or epistles in a single bound volume, scribes visually and functionally reinforced the unity of these works as divinely inspired Scripture. For example, the third-century Chester Beatty codex known as P46 includes nine of Paul’s epistles plus Hebrews, implying that the scribe who compiled it recognized Hebrews at the same level as the other Pauline letters. This codex arrangement would make it more difficult to slip in an unaccepted text or remove an accepted one without notice, especially if such codices were distributed widely among congregations.

Reading from a single codex that contained multiple apostolic writings could also facilitate biblical study sessions, worship gatherings, and moral instruction. The codex’s format enabled cross-referencing and reduced the possibility that lesser-known epistles would be overlooked. Over time, repeated usage of these multi-letter codices contributed to a stronger sense that these combined writings formed a cohesive body of Scripture. This material evidence complements textual arguments about the early Christian canon, indicating how a physical format helped unify and preserve apostolic teaching.

Overcoming Scroll Traditions

Scroll usage did not vanish overnight. Jewish synagogues, for instance, continue to use scrolls for reading the Hebrew Scriptures to this day. In the broader Roman Empire, learned circles prized scrolls as venerable instruments for high literature. Many readers found it disconcerting to roll open a text, only to encounter an entirely new layout. Scribes also needed fresh training to produce codices, entailing mastery of folding and stitching sheets of parchment or papyrus, rather than gluing them into a single roll. Yet for Christians, who placed a premium on broad evangelism and comprehensive referencing of Scripture, the advantages of codices swiftly outweighed the inertia of tradition.

The shift gained momentum even though established bookmaking shops specialized in scrolls. In some instances, Christians might have repurposed existing scrolls by cutting them into sheets, binding them in smaller stacked sections. This creative approach helped them produce codices in times or places where normal bookmaking facilities were not available. Over time, once official scribes recognized demand from an expanding Christian community, commercial codex production rose. By the fourth century C.E., the codex format took over across the Roman world, not just for Scripture but for secular literature as well, though certain religious communities remained partial to scrolls for ceremonial reasons.

Durability and Protection

Scrolls were notoriously susceptible to damage from repeated rolling, and edges often frayed or tore. In contrast, codices provided covers that shielded pages from external wear. Pages could be replaced or re-bound if needed, a simpler repair than replacing or re-gluing a segment of a long scroll. Additionally, scribes could insert notes in the margins of codex pages more neatly. If referencing multiple biblical passages, a teacher could quickly turn to each location, preserving the pages better than if they had to unroll lengthy scrolls each time.

That the codex afforded greater longevity ties in with the scriptural guarantee that Jehovah’s Word endures (Isaiah 40:8). Indeed, in modern museums, we see fourth-century codices like Codex Sinaiticus or Codex Vaticanus remain largely intact, testifying to the durability of a well-made bound volume. Meanwhile, earlier parchment codices from the second or third centuries sometimes survive in partial form, with fragments of entire pages still legible. These relics show that believers who handled these codices took care to preserve them for future generations. By adopting a format that better protected the text, they contributed to the accurate preservation of God’s message.

The Reading Culture of Early Christianity

Spiritual Implications of a Practical Innovation

In Luke 8:16, Jesus used the analogy of not covering a lamp with a vessel but placing it on a lampstand so that its light might shine. One might see a parallel in the codex’s emergence. Though it was primarily a technical solution, it also provided a means for believers to shine the light of truth more widely. By removing barriers to Scripture’s daily use—such as the cumbersome process of unrolling scrolls—Christians effectively placed their biblical lamp “on a lampstand,” making it easier for all to consult the Word.

That impetus resonates with the counsel at 1 Peter 2:2, urging Christians to long for “the unadulterated milk belonging to the word,” so that they might grow spiritually. The codex format, by simplifying repeated reading, likely fostered deeper spiritual growth. Families could gather around a codex, turning pages to compare events from the Gospels or references in the apostolic letters. Traveling overseers could carry personal codices containing selected passages or entire biblical sections. The codex, then, functioned as a tool for building up faith communities that took seriously Paul’s exhortation in 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 about the value of all Scripture.

Defending the Faith With Greater Efficiency

The Greek New Testament often depicts believers contending with opponents—some within the congregations, others from outside. Apologists needed to quote large swaths of Scripture to show that Jesus fulfilled messianic prophecies or that Paul’s gospel aligned with the Hebrew Scriptures. Such referencing was simpler when a codex could hold multiple biblical books or relevant cross-references. This convenience helped them “contend for the faith” (Jude 3) effectively. Christian teachers, addressing gatherings in diverse cities, might read from the Gospels, flip to a prophecy in the Septuagint version of Isaiah, then return to a Pauline letter. The codex effectively turned scriptural citation into a swifter, less physically awkward process. That advantage, multiplied across numerous teachers and times, advanced the work of testifying about Christ’s identity and fulfilling the Great Commission.

Early Codex Construction Methods

When analyzing the physical remains of early codices, historians note that the simplest approach was to stack sheets on top of each other and fold them down the middle to form a quire. A single gathering might contain a few sheets, making a handful of leaves. More elaborate codices boasted multiple quires, each folded separately and sewn together. Scribes in Christian communities sometimes produced codices with many leaves, requiring trimming or adjusting to ensure a uniform shape once folded. The text columns might reflect the carryover from scroll layouts. Some codices had two columns per page, reminiscent of how text was arranged in scrolls. Over successive decades, scribes refined the process, establishing comfortable quire sizes of four or five sheets each, leading to eight or ten leaves per quire.

These pages were then written on both sides, saving material costs. Some codices included margin notes or short headings to identify the book’s content. The robust covers often made of wood, sometimes covered in leather, provided a measure of resilience. Whether a small pocket codex or a sizable multi-book volume, the design prioritized longevity and accessibility.

Unifying the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures

Christians also applied the codex format to the Septuagint, a Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures, demonstrating that the older writings carried equal spiritual weight alongside apostolic letters. The evidence is strong that second-century believers circulated the Septuagint in codex form, even while Jewish custom strongly favored scroll usage for the Hebrew Scriptures. By binding the older Hebrew texts and the Greek New Testament in the same codex, believers underscored their continuity. Jesus repeatedly referenced the earlier Scriptures (Matthew 5:17), so it was logical for congregations to read from both Testaments in a single bound compilation. Over time, larger codices emerged that included all or most of the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, illustrating the unity of God’s revealed will.

This bridging of old and new also forestalled attempts to dislocate or diminish the Hebrew texts. A codex that contained the Pentateuch or the Prophets side by side with Christian letters gave a tangible witness to the scriptural basis for Christ’s fulfillment of prophecies. It helped believers heed the apostle Paul’s reminder in Romans 15:4 that “all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction.”

Impact on Modern Readers

While the codex revolution took place many centuries ago, modern readers still benefit from that legacy. Our modern Bibles, though printed with advanced presses on thin paper, replicate the codex’s fundamental shape and function. Page numbering, cross-referencing, and indices likewise mirror the organizational improvements pioneered in the early Christian era. The convenience we enjoy—flipping from an Old Testament prophet to a Greek New Testament letter in seconds—stems from the codex’s inherent advantages. In turn, this fosters the thorough study commended in Acts 17:11, where the Bereans examined the Scriptures daily to verify the truth of Paul’s preaching.

Moreover, the codex reminds believers that the Word of God has always found ways to surmount technological and cultural barriers. Where older traditions or secular tastes hindered adoption, Christians pressed forward, prioritizing the ready dissemination of Scripture. In contemporary times, with digital devices further enhancing convenience, the essential principle endures: leveraging available technology to ensure that the biblical text remains accessible, studied, and accurately preserved.

Conclusion

The early Christian codex stands as a testament to the zeal and foresight of believers in the first and second centuries C.E. Breaking from the common practice of storing literary works in scrolls, they pursued an innovative, page-turning format. Despite the inertia favoring scrolls in Jewish and Greco-Roman environments, Christians perceived that the codex would advance the cause of the good news. Its capacity, economy, ease of referencing, portability, and relative durability all served to spread scriptural truth more widely and preserve it more carefully. Believers carrying codices of Paul’s letters or the Gospels could travel across the empire, “instructing in public and from house to house” (Acts 20:20), fully equipped to cite and explain the Word.

This shift likewise contributed to sustaining the integrity of Scripture. By linking multiple canonical works in unified volumes, it helped define the recognized set of inspired books, fending off spurious additions or omissions. Today, the extant codices from the second and third centuries lend precious insight into the text of the Greek New Testament, bridging the gap between the apostolic writings and more complete manuscripts of later centuries. Indeed, the codex revolution is yet another illustration of Jehovah’s power to guide the preservation of His Word, fulfilling the promise, “The green grass has dried up, the blossom has withered; but as for the word of our God, it will last to time indefinite” (Isaiah 40:8). Modern followers can remain grateful for the diligence, faith, and creativity of early Christians, who recognized how best to house the sacred truths they cherished and proclaimed.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).