Canonicity

1
Canonicity
Pseudepigraphal
Deuterocanonical
Apocrypha
Antilegomena
Canon

• Which books belong in the Bible?
• Who decided?
• Are there some missing books?
• Why is the Catholic Bible different from ours?

2
Important Study

• How were the books of the Bible collected and
  arranged?
• Who decided if a book was genuine or fake?
• Why were some books rejected?

3
Important Study

• This subject is not often studied.
• Many new terms will be used.
• These issues are at the heart of our faith in the
  Bible as the Word of God.
• Do we have all the books inspired of God? Any
  extras? Any missing?

4
Definition of Terms

• Canon
• A reed, measuring rod
• The standard by which something is measured,
  tested, judged
• In this study the list of books in our Bible
  that measured up, passed the test, were judged to
  be genuine and inspired.

5
Definition of Terms

• Canon
• This word is used in Galatians 616
• Walk according to this rule.
• By the canonicity of the Scriptures is meant
  that, according to certain and fixed standards,
  the books included in them are regarded as parts
  of a complete and divine revelation, which is
  therefore authoritative and binding in relation
  to both faith and practice. Bancroft

6
Definition of Terms

• Canonicity
• The study of how the books of the Bible were
  chosen.
• The study of the standards used and applied.
• Apocrypha
• Hidden, covered, secret
• The books written during the inter-testament
  period
• Considered genuine, not fakes, but uninspired

7
Definition of Terms

• Pseudepigraphal
• Fraudulent writings claiming inspiration
• Deuterocanonical
• The 2nd canon a secondary list of books
• These books meet a 2nd standard
• Antilegomena
• Spoken against, questioned, doubted
• Some NT books were questioned early then accepted

8
Definition of Terms

• OT Canon
• The accepted list of books
• 39 in our Bible
• Arrangement differs, some combined
• NT Canon
• The accepted list of 27 books
• The order will vary, list is constant

9
OT Canon

• Problems
• Written by more than 40 men
• Written over more than 2,000 years
• Copying was expensive and difficult
• First Attempt
• Ezra was the first to gather and list the books
  of the OT
• This was about 425 BC

10
OT Canon

• Settled by 250 BC
• The arrangement was different
• The number was different because some books were
  combined
• All the minor prophets were in one book called
  the Writings of the Twelve
• Josephus
• Jewish historian and writer
• Lived at the time of Christ
• Said that Ezra finalized the list of accepted
  books

11
OT Canon

• Dead Sea Scrolls
• Qumran community made copies of all OT books
  (except Esther)
• Many commentaries were also copied here
• Only books of the OT had a commentary
• Church Fathers
• There were many writers in the first 3 centuries
  of the church
• All accepted the same list that Ezra complied
• Augustine accepted all 39 plus the apocrypha

12
OT Guidelines

• Book must have been written, edited, quoted or
  endorsed by a prophet
• Christ and NT writers quoted or endorsed the book
• NT quotes all but 7 OT books
• Obadiah, Nahum, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon,
  Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah
• Some list only Esther, Ecclesiastes and Song of
  Solomon

13
NT Canon

• Only 8 writers
• Over a 40 year period
• Papyrus made copies easier to make
• Other factors
• ease of travel better roads
• standard language (Greek)
• postal service
• dispersion of Christians

14
NT Guidelines

1. Must have written by an apostle OR
2. Endorsed by an apostle OR
3. Generally accepted by the early Christians OR
4. The author maintained close contact with one or
   more apostles
5. Early Christians believed that the providence of
   God would protect the genuine and reject the
   spurious.

15
Systematic Theology

• Henry C. Theissen, Lectures in Systematic
  Theology, p. 103 Let us remember that this
  non-interference of authority is a valuable topic
  of evidence to the genuineness of our Gospels
  for it thus appears that is was owing to no
  adventitious authority, but by their own weight,
  they crushed all rivals out of existence.

16
NT Canon

• By 120 several lists of NT books were compiled
• All were identical in what was included
• Hebrews was the exception on some lists
• No other books were included on any of these
  lists
• Only the arrangement varied

17
NT Canon

• 2nd and 3rd century councils all accepted this
  list
• The only disagreement was about arrangement of
  the list
• Chronological order
• Value and importance
• Combination is end result

18
NT Canon

• Gospels
• First in NT
• John most important placed last
• Acts
• Romans was considered the most important work of
  the epistles

19
NT Canon

• Some books were questioned early
• Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 3 John, Jude, and
  Revelation
• Antilegomena spoken against
• By 170
• All issues were settled
• All 27 books were accepted
• By 200 the list was universal

20
The Apocrypha

• Word means hidden or covered
• Books were written between 200 BC and 100 AD
• Roman Catholics accept these books
• They are placed between Malachi and Matthew
• Protestants do not accept these books

21
The Apocrypha - Reasons for Accepting

1. Historical in nature
2. Seem to be accurate accounts
3. Appear to be genuine
4. Contain no major contradictions with the Bible
5. They contain hints at purgatory and giving alms
   to atone for sin

22
The Apocrypha

• 1 Esdras 2 Esdras
• Judith Esther 104 1624
• Wisdom of Solomon Ecclesiasticus
• Baruch Daniel 324-90, 13-14
• Prayer of Manasseh 1 Maccabees
• 2 Maccabees Letter of Jeremiah
• Tobit

23
Apocrypha - Problems

• The non-canonical books have many problems within
  themselves.
• They do have historical information that is of
  value to the inter-testament period.
• The origin of many NT customs and ideas were
  developed in this period

24
Apocrypha - Problems

1. Never appeared in the Hebrew canon. The Jews
   never recognized them as part of Scripture.
2. Neither Christ, nor any writer, quoted from them
   or referred to them in the NT.
3. Josephus rejected them.
4. Philo, a Jewish philosopher, quoted from much of
   the OT but never quoted, or even mentioned any of
   the apocryphal books.

25
Apocrypha - Problems

1. The apocryphal books are not included in any list
   of OT books within the first four centuries AD.
2. Jerome (347-419) stood solidly for the Hebrew
   canon and opposed the apocrypha.
3. The books contain some absurdities.
4. They contain some errors in geography and
   history.
5. Inspiration is not claimed by any of the authors.

26
Apocrypha - Problems

1. The books were not held as canonical until the
   Council of Trent in 1546 added them to the canon
   and condemned anyone who disagreed.
2. They contain no doctrine or prophecy.
3. Most of these books do not mention God.

27
The Pseudepigrapha

1. These books claimed inspiration.
2. They were written under false names, claiming to
   be from Peter, Barnabas, Enoch, Thomas, Isaiah,
   and many others.
3. They are clearly not inspired. It is easy to tell
   the difference by a casual reading.

28
Conclusions

• 39 Books in the OT
• 27 Books in the NT
• No other writings are
• Inspired of God
• Accepted from the beginning

29
Conclusions

• We have the Word of God
• Complete Inspired Revealed
• Translated into our language
• Our task is to
• Read it
• Study it
• Obey it