Writings attributed to the apostles circulated amongst the earliest Christian communities. The Pauline epistles were circulating in collected forms by the end of the 1st century AD. Justin Martyr, in the early 2nd century, mentions the "memoirs of the Apostles," which Christians (Greek: Χριστιανός) called "gospels," and which were considered to be equally as authoritative as the Old Testament. (wikipedia)
Abraham did not recieve a huge amount of information from
God so transmission was probably verbal. This
is ultimately guess work on our part, if there was
written info it may have been lost. No one has any
real way of knowing, it is assumed that is was oral.
During the second century churches were communicating
with one another. These churches were quoting from Paul's
epistles, so obviously they all had access to written forms
of the New Testament letters. This we know.
In 313, the struggles of the Early Church were lessened by the legalisation of Christianity by the Emperor Constantine I. In 380, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire by the decree of the Emperor, which would persist until the fall of the Western Empire, and later, with the Eastern Roman Empire, until the Fall of Constantinople. During this time (the period of the Seven Ecumenical Councils) there were considered five primary sees according to Eusebius: Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria, known as the Pentarchy. (wikipedia)
So the New Testament letters and early forms of the canon were in circulation way before
the Catholic Church had gained any traction as far as authority is concerned.
Abraham did not recieve a huge amount of information from
God so transmission was probably verbal. This
is ultimately guess work on our part, if there was
written info it may have been lost. No one has any
real way of knowing, it is assumed that is was oral.
During the second century churches were communicating
with one another. These churches were quoting from Paul's
epistles, so obviously they all had access to written forms
of the New Testament letters. This we know.
In 313, the struggles of the Early Church were lessened by the legalisation of Christianity by the Emperor Constantine I. In 380, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire by the decree of the Emperor, which would persist until the fall of the Western Empire, and later, with the Eastern Roman Empire, until the Fall of Constantinople. During this time (the period of the Seven Ecumenical Councils) there were considered five primary sees according to Eusebius: Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria, known as the Pentarchy. (wikipedia)
So the New Testament letters and early forms of the canon were in circulation way before
the Catholic Church had gained any traction as far as authority is concerned.