Why these 66 Books

1
Why these 66 Books?

• The Canon of Scripture

2
Canon

• From Greek for rod a straight rod used as a
  rule or standard
• Later series of marks in the rod used as
  standard for measuring length
• ? Canon A series or list of books that are
  the rule or standard of Gods truth
• WCF I2 (1647)lists 66 books All these are
  given by inspiration of God to be the rule of
  faith and life.
• The discussion still continues

3
Why Not These Books?

• Modern Criticism (1970) Need a rational
  criterion by which to establish a canon
• Postmodern criticism (1970 on e.g. DaVinci
  Code) forget what is truewe dont have access
  to that
• But every canon is a tool to suppress other
  voices
• We need to liberate the suppressed others (e.g.
  divine feminine, other Gospels), so their
  voices can be heard

4
History of the term Canon

• Prior to Canon of Scripture, Canon denoted the
  rule of faith
• Rule of faith summary of apostolic teaching,
  e.g. Apostles Creed
• Athanasius, 367, first one to use Canon to
  describe Scripture
• Terms Old Covenant/Testament and New
  Covenant/Testament first used 2nd C. AD
• Concept of a new covenant to which nothing is
  to be added or taken away first appears in a
  letter in 192 AD

5
Muratorian Canon, 180 AD

• No Church Council before 382 (Synod of Rome) to
  define the canon of Scripture
• Instead, there were various lists from various
  places, in response to new writings
• Marcion, early 2nd C. heretic, made a list to
  exclude Jewishness from Christianity
• OT God is evil, wrathful
• NT God is loving, good (sound familiar?)
• Other lists appeared to counter Marcion
• The earliest that survived is the Muratorian
  Canon, dated 180 AD

6
Muratorian Canon, 180 AD

• Included 4 Gospels, Acts, 13 Pauline Epistles,
  Jude, 1 and 2 John, Revelation Apocalypse of
  Peter, Wisdom of Solomon
• These are approved for reading in the churches
• Excluded Letters to Laodiceans and Alexandrians
  (Marcionite forgeries), Shepherd of Hermes (too
  recent)
• These were not to be read publicly in worship
• Likewise Irenaeus, contemporary

7
First Listing of Present NT Canon

• Athanasius, Easter Letter, 367 AD
• Bishop of Alexandria had the responsibility each
  year of writing a letter declaring the date for
  the next years Easter
• In 367 Easter Letter, made list of books to be
  used for reading in the churches included 27
  books we currently have in New Testament
• From then on, these (including the 4 Gospels)
  were recognized as the Canon

8
Who says?

• RC/EO The Church (through bishops,
  patriarchs/popes) defines the canon
• Church
• ?
• Scripture
• Protestant The Church recognizes the canon that
  God defined
• Scripture
• ?
• Church

9
By What Criteria?

• Several options suggested
• Apostolic Authorship
• Public Reading in the Churches
• Christ-centered (Luther)
• But every criteria has difficulty
• Author of Hebrews unknown Jude, James not
  strictly apostolic
• Early churches at times read books later excluded
  (Didache, Shepherd of Hermes)
• Luther devalued Hebrews and James

10
WCF (1647) Chapter 1, Sec. 4

• The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which
  it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not
  upon the testimony of any man, or church but
  wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author
  thereof and therefore it is to be received,
  because it is the Word of God.
• No authority other than the Word itself
• Does the circular reasoning bother you?

11
WCF (1647) Chapter 1, Sec. 5

• We may be moved and induced by the testimony of
  the church to an high and reverent esteem of the
  Holy Scripture. there are many arguments
  whereby it abundantly evidences itself to be the
  Word of God yet notwithstanding, our full
  persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth
  and divine authority thereof, is from the inward
  work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and
  with the Word in our hearts.