A%20STUDY%20OF%20THE%20CANON

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A STUDY OF THE CANON

• Which Books Belong In The Bible?

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What does canon mean?

• The word, taken from the Greek, means a rule
  which serves as a measure, or that which is
  measured.
• In the NT the word is used of the territory
  apportioned to Paul for his ministry 2 Cor.
  1013, 15-16 the measure of the rule.
• It also designated the rule of doctrine set forth
  by the apostle Gal. 616 walk by this rule
• A book is canonical to a Jew or Christian,
  which is recognized as the bearer of the
  revelation communicated by the Spirit of God.

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Divine Inspiration Determines Canonicity

• Divine inspiration and canonicity are inseparably
  bound together.
• By definition, the library of 66 books which make
  up the Bible are all inspired of God.
• Why? All Scripture is inspired of God 2 Tim.
  316, 17
• Writings which lacked this element did not belong
  in the Bible, so they were excluded.
• Writings which possessed this quality were
  included in the canon of Scripture.
• No inspired books were excluded no uninspired
  books were included!

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Canon of the Old Testament

• The oracles of God were entrusted to the Jewish
  people Rom. 32.
• Israelites were the jealous guardians of the
  canon of Scripture given into their care John
  539, 45 929-30.

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Josephus on the OT canon

• Josephus Nothing can be better attested than
  the writings authorized among us. In fact, they
  could not be subject to any discord, for only
  that which the prophets wrote ages ago is
  approved among us, as they were taught by the
  very inspiration of God.For we have not an
  innumerable multitude of books among us,
  disagreeing from and contradicting one another,
  but only 22 books, which contain the records of
  all past times which are justly believed to be
  divine (Against Apion I.8.861-862).

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Philo of Alexandria(A Contemporary of the
Apostles)

• The Jews would die ten thousand times rather
  than to permit one single word to be altered of
  their Scriptures (Eusebius, Evangelical
  Preparation 8.6).

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Development of the OT Canon

• Entire Law put into the Holy of Holies beside the
  ark Deut. 3124-26.
• Samuel wrote in a book which he laid up before
  the Lord 1 Sam. 1025.
• Histories of Samuel, David, Nathan and others
  recorded 1 Chron. 2929 2 Chron. 929 1215.
• Daniel read from the books Dan. 92.
• Zechariah cited the earlier prophets 14, 6
  77, 12.

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The Dead Sea Scrolls

• This massive cache of documents arose during the
  period 225 BC to AD 70.
• They include copies of every OT book except
  Esther.
• They also include other books dealing with
  special Essene beliefs and some of the apocryphal
  books Manual of Discipline.
• Only the OT books were considered authoritative
  as Scripture. The Essene writings cite many of
  the OT books as fully authoritative and
  canonical.
• Six copies of Daniel are found among them one
  dates to as early as 110 BC.

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1QHa Col 9 A scroll of prayers and hymns
(hodayot) discovered in Cave 1. These are unlike
the biblical Psalms in form, and express the
religious aspirations of an individual/individuals
at that time. The hymn on this column (lines
1-36) typically thanks God for personal salvation
and election, "You have supported me in steadfast
faithfulness and with your holy spirit you
delighted me" (line 32).
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The Dead Sea Isaiah Scroll shown above preserves
all 66 chapters of the Bible's longest book. 
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Jesus Accepted the Common Jewish Canon of
Inspired Books

• Jesus quoted Deuteronomy more than any other OT
  book, and the Psalms second (45 separate
  quotations!)
• All the books he quoted from are in the OT we use
  today
• Not once did he ever quote from one of the books
  of the Apocrypha or Pseudepigrapha

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Which Books Belong in the Bible?

• The Apocrypha

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The Canon of the OT in the Time of Christ

• The canonical writings, according to Jesus, are
  the Law, Prophets, and Psalms Lk. 2244
• Martyrs of the OT are Abel to Zechariah (Genesis
  to 2 Chronicles) Lk. 1151
• Rabbis at Jamnia in A.D. 90 argued this issue
  but the canon was already established by internal
  evidence of inspiration and historical usage.
  Not accomplished by rabbinic fiat. No formal
  decision was issued and no decree pronounced that
  was binding on synagogues.
• OT apocryphal books existed but were rejected
  because written in the Greek language, or after
  the close of the prophetic period.

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Apocryphal Books

• The 14 apocryphal books were not officially
  recognized by the Roman Catholic church until AD
  1545.
• They were not accepted by Jerome, who made the
  Latin translation Catholics revere today.
• These books never claim to be the Word of God,
  nor the work of prophets.
• Some are interesting and valuable as history but
  they are not inspired and they are not Holy
  Scripture.

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Development of the NT Canon

• Peter speaks of all the epistles of Paul,
  putting them on a plane with the other
  Scriptures (2 Pet. 315-16).
• Paul says the Scripture says and quotes from
  Deut. 254 and Luke 107.
• In Jude 18, he quotes 2 Pet. 33 as authoritative
  and says it is a word from the apostles. 2 Peter
  is the least well attested book in the NT
  Scriptures, some even denying its authenticity!

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Development of the NT Canon

• All of the early Christian writers quote from the
  NT writings, calling them Scripture (Clement of
  Rome Ignatius Polycarp Papias Justin Martyr
  etc.).
• Tertullian (about AD 200) coined the expression
  the New Testament in contrast with the OT,
  acknowledging the same quality of inspiration in
  the Jewish and Christian Scriptures.

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Development of the NT Canon

• Tertullian (AD 200) wrote How happy is this
  Church!She blends the law and prophets with the
  writings of the evangelists and apostles and it
  is thence she refreshes her faithWoe to them who
  add or retrench anything to or from that which is
  written. To wish or believe without the
  Scriptures of the New Testament is to wish or
  believe against them (Prescriptions 36).

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Development of the NT Canon

• Justin Martyr (about AD 148) says in regard to
  the meetings of the early Christians They would
  read either the Memoirs of the apostles or the
  Gospelsalong with the books of the prophets and
  in each assembly, after the reading, the
  president would give an exhortation based on the
  reading (Apology I, 67).
• Within 50 years of the death of the last apostle,
  exact quotations from almost the entire NT are
  found in the writings of the defenders of the
  faith and even in those of heretics.

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Lists of Accepted Books

• The Muratorian Fragment, a list discovered in
  the 18th century by L. Muratori provides a
  partial listing of the books considered
  authoritative in AD 170. (Some scholars date it
  to the 4th century.) Lacks only 5 of our present
  books.
• In the 3rd century Origin names all the NT books,
  but says Hebrews, James, 2 3 John and Jude were
  questioned by some.

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Lists of Accepted Books

• Eusebius of the 4th century names all the NT
  books as we have them today. Says some are
  suspected of not being genuine (James, 2 Peter, 1
  2 John and Jude).
• In 367 Athanasius of Alexandria published a list
  of 27 books exactly as we have them in our Bibles
  today.

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• It is not tedious to speak of the books of
  the NT. These are the four gospels, according to
  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. After these, the
  Acts of the Apostles and the 7 letters of
  apostles, called General, namely of James, one
  of Peter, two of John, three after these, one
  of Jude. In addition there are 14 letters of
  Paul, written in this order Roman, 2 to the
  Corinthians Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
  Colossians two to the Thessalonians Hebrews
  two to Timothy one to Titus and finally, that
  to Philemon. And besides, the Revelation of
  John. These are the fountains of salvation, that
  they who thirst may be satisfied with the living
  words they contain. In these alone is proclaimed
  the doctrine of godliness. Let no one add to
  these, neither let him take away from these
  (Athanasias, Easter Letter, 367 AD).

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Understanding the Process of Canonization

• The church did not produce the Bible the Bible
  produced the church Lk. 811.
• The church did not pass judgment on the Bible
  the Bible passes judgment on the church Jn.
  1247-49.
• Method of distribution Transfer, collect and
  copy.

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Understanding the Process of Canonization

• Method of distribution
• Transfer from one church to another.
• Collect (Gospels, Epistles, etc.)
• Copy from originals copy the copies.
• Some steps described in the NT itself Col. 416
  Eph. 11 1 Pet. 11 2 Pet. 316 Rev. 111.

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Stages of Acceptance of Books

1. Recognition of Scripture Principle NT authors
   affirmed the authority of their writings (2 Pet.
   315, 16 Rev. 2218, 19)
2. Recognition of the Canon Principle there were
   only a limited number of authoritative writings
   not all books claiming authority were apostolic.
3. Recognition of a Closed Canon Lists of accepted
   books were drawn up. Some legitimate books
   questioned.
4. General Recognition of the Closed Canon Reached
   at different times in various geographical areas.
   Spurious and heretical books shut out.

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Tests Applied To Discover Inspired Books

• Does the book claim inspiration?
• Was it written by an Apostle?
• Is the content in keeping with apostolic
  teaching?
• Is it accepted and read by loyal churches?
• Does it have the ring of genuineness? (Gospel
  of Thomas has Jesus make a long beam out of a
  short one changed children into goats and back
  into children etc.).

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Eusebius, Church History 3.25

• Distinguishes between what he calls
• Acknowledged books inspired and authoritative.
• Disputed or spurious books harmless and useful
  for individual study.
• Heretical books dangerous errors taught in them.

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• books put forward by the heretics in the
  name of the apostles, whether containing gospels
  like of Peter, or Thomas, or Mathias or any
  others beyond these or acts like of Andrew or
  John or the other apostles. Concerning these
  books no one in the churches succession of
  writers saw fit to mention. Furthermore, the
  manner of phrasing departs from apostolic custom,
  and the thoughts and tendencies brought forward
  in them are so out of harmony with true orthodoxy
  that they are clearly shown to be the
  imaginations of heretics. Wherefore, they are
  not to be reckoned even among the spurious
  writings but are to be avoided as altogether
  disgusting and ungodly (Eusebius, Church
  History, 3.25).

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NT Apocryphal Books

• Apocryphal (doubted or disputed) books
  circulated widely during the early years of the
  church.
• Sects and cults wrote them some were harmless
  letters by orthodox Christians (1 Clement
  Didache Shepherd of Hermas).
• Each faction had its own canon of books Marcion
  of Romes is most famous (Luke and part of Pauls
  writings).

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NT Apocryphal Books

• Eusebius has a list of rejected books and
  letters used by the heretics and their cults.
• In Christian history there have been a few voices
  raised against individual books Luther opposed
  James and Hebrews.
• These have been isolated voices.
• Modernists in our time deny Peter wrote 2 Peter
  John wrote the Fourth Gospel claim the Johannine
  epistles were penned by an unknown elder, etc.
• But this lack of faith in Gods providential care
  of his Word is a sure mark of modernism.

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The Canon

• The issue of the canon is really a question of
  history and providence.
• It was settled long ago.
• We can trust that it was settled correctly by the
  intrinsic value of the books themselves, since
  they were given by inspiration 2 Tim. 316
• We can trust Gods providence He said he would
  preserve His word 1 Pet. 125