User talk:Biniyam Fikadu Geleta

THE CANON OF THE BIBLE

A. Introduction.

We need to recollect here that the Bible is comprised of sixty six books written by approximately 40 authors over a period of 1600 years.

1. The term “canon,” comes from the Greek word kanèn, kanon, meaning a rule, a standard, hence a measure of authoritative teaching. Compare the use of this same Greek word in Galatians 6:16.

2. The “canon of Scripture” is that recognized and accepted collection of sixty six books of the Bible which conforms to a standard, especially that of being God-breathed or inspired (II Tim. 3:16), and consequently is infallible, that is truthful and without error.

3. To say that the Scriptures are “canonical” is to declare that they have been recognized as the Word of God written, and thus have accepted authority which is unique, that is distinct from all other books.

4. When the Old Testament and New Testament canons were recognized as complete, it was not man determining the parameters of the Word of God, but rather man identifying the Word of God. J. I. Packer illustrates this point well when he writes: The Church no more gave us the New Testament canon than Sir Isaac Newton gave us the force of gravity. God gave us gravity, by His work of creation, and similarly He gave us the New Testament canon, by inspiring the individual books that make it up.

B. The Old Testament Canon of Scripture. 1. After the Babylonian exile concluded during the fifth century B.C. under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, an even greater regard for Scripture resulted, especially on account of the fulfillment of prophecy, such as with Jeremiah 25:11.

2. Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, was written about 450 B.C. when Ezra, a father of the Scribes and one of the most learned men of the Hebrews, was alive.

3. Ezra was probably involved in the identification of the completed Old Testament canon, which was certainly recognized no later than 300 B.C. Following the writing of Malachi, it was the conviction of the Jews, as expressed by inter-testamental writers, that God had ceased to speak directly through trustworthy prophets.

4. The Hebrew Old Testament, or Tanakh, is comprised of twenty four books. (Refer to pages 6-7 for the Christian classification of the Old Testament.) The traditional threefold classification, as inferred in Luke 24:44, is as follows:

a. The Law, or Torah (instruction): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, (5).

b. The Prophets, or Neviim, (8).

(1) Former: Joshua, Judges, I & II Samuel, I & II Kings, (4).

(2) Latter: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve (Minor Prophets), (4). c. The Writings, or Kethuvim, (11). (1) Poetical: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, (3).

(2) Five Scrolls: Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Esther, (5). (3) Historical: Daniel, Ezra & Nehemiah, I & II Chronicles, (3).

C. The extra-canonical books of Judaism. 1. The lost books of the Old Testament.

a. The Old Testament mentions numerous books that are no longer available, such as, the Book of the Wars of the Lord (Num. 21:14); the Book of Jasher (Josh. 10:13); the Book of the Acts of Solomon (I Kings 11:41); the Visions of Iddo the Seer (II Chron. 9:29); the Record of Shemaiah the Prophet (II Chron. 12:15).

b. However, should any of these books be discovered today, they would not be considered as inspired any more than a work of the Cretan philosopher, Epimenedes, which Paul presumably quotes in Titus 1:12. Because Peter, John, and Paul were moved by the Spirit of God to write books that were recognized as canonical, it does not follow that newly discovered writings by these same authors would be similarly recognized.

2. The Apocrypha.

a. The term “apocryphal” means “hidden, legendary, less than true, of doubtful authenticity.”

b. This particular collection of 15 books includes history, poetry, prophecy, romance, and bizarre legend.

c. The Roman Catholic Church accepts the full Apocrypha as canonical, particularly on account of the support which II Maccabees 12:39-45 gives to the doctrine of prayers for the dead. However, along with the uncertainty of the Early Church and Martin Luther’s rejection of the Apocrypha as inspired, Protestantism has unanimously agreed that this body of interesting literature is certainly not canonical, for the following reasons:

(1) The Jews have never accepted the Apocrypha as canonical, even though it so substantially concerns them.

(2) The New Testament, Jesus Christ, and the Apostles, never quote from the Apocrypha.

d. The Church of England accepts the Apocrypha for instruction, but not as inspired of God along with Scripture. For this reason the original King James Version of the Bible included the Apocrypha, though most editions omitted it following 1630.

3. The Pseudepigrapha.

a. This collection of Jewish literature written between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. was never seriously considered for recognition as being canonical. Although the standard collection is comprised of eighteen titles, yet since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, others have come to light.

b. Their imitative, apocalyptic style draws upon the Hebrew canon so that comfort might be obtained by a persecuted people. Titles include, The Book of Adam and Eve; The Martyrdom of Isaiah; The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs; The Assumption of Moses; The Psalms of Solomon; Psalm 151.

D. The New Testament Canon of Scripture.

1. The twenty seven books of the New Testament. These were formally acknowledged at the Council of Hippo in North Africa, 393 A.D., and the Council of Carthage in North Africa, 419 A.D. Both gatherings were under the influence of Augustine. While this may appear to suggest an extended delay, certain facts should be born in mind.

a. Athanasius, the great defender of Jesus Christ as the “God-man,” declared all 27 books of the New Testament to be canonical, c. 367 A.D.

b. Concerning II Peter, probably the most disputed book in the New Testament, B.

B. Warfield declares that there is more evidence for its authenticity than the writings of the Greek historians, Herodotus and Thucydides.8

2. The antilegomena, or disputed books. While the accepted books of the early church numbered approximately twenty during those formative centuries, being called the homologoumena, yet the remaining seven books were, for various reasons, disputed.

a. Hebrews. The chief reason was its anonymity of authorship.

b. James. There was a supposed conflict with Paul’s writings.

c. II Peter. Its style was considered quite different from I Peter.

d. II & III John. These were too personal, without apostolic claims.

e. Jude. In vs. 9, 14-15, reference is possibly made to Pseudepigraphical writings.

f. Revelation. Its apostolicity and millennialism were questioned.

E. The extracanonical books of Christianity.

1. The lost books of the New Testament.

a. From Luke 1:1-4 it would seem that gospels other than the recognized four were in circulation. We do not have access to an earlier letter to Corinth (I Cor. 5:9), or Paul’s letter to the Laodiceans (Col. 4:16). Again, what are the sources of Jude 9, 14-15?

b. However, we repeat that should some of these writings be discovered, they would not be recognized as inspired of God, for there is good reason to believe that the Canon of Scripture is closed (Jude 3).

2. The New Testament Apocrypha.

a. This collection is not fixed. But it does include some writings that were seriously regarded in terms of canonicity as well as containing probable elements of truth.

b. The best known of these writings are, The Epistle of Barnabas; The First and Second Epistles of Clement to Corinth; The Shepherd of Hermas; The Didache, or Teaching of the Twelve; The Apocalypse of Peter; The Acts of Paul and Thecla; The Epistle to the Laodiceans; The Gospel According to the Hebrews; The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians; The Seven Epistles of Ignatius.

3. The New Testament Pseudepigrapha.

a. Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea during early fourth century, described these writings as, “totally absurd and impious.” Geisler and Nix write of them: Virtually no orthodox Father, canon, or council considered these books to be canonical and, so far as the church is concerned, they are primarily of historical value. These books indicate the heretical teaching of gnostic, docetic, and ascetic groups, as well as the exaggerated fancy of religious lore in the early church. b. The Gospel of Thomas is a far more famous example of hundreds of such works. It tells of the infant Jesus making clay sparrows that fly away, of his withering curse of an ungodly lad.

F. The divine ordination and human recognition of the Canon of Scripture.

1. The human recognition of the Canon of Scripture involved rules.

a. Apostolic authority and verification.

b. The rule of faith, that is judgment by known truth.

c. Catholicity, or universal acceptance.

d. Contemporary witness, or proximity to the early church.

e. Internal witness of the Spirit of God.

f. Acceptance in early church worship, such as in lectionaries.

2. The divine ordination of the Canon of Scripture involved God’s sovereign oversight.

a. In II Peter 1:20-21 we are told, “that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved [borne along] by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” If God so superintended the writing of the individual books of the Bible, then it is to be expected that He would likewise superintend the gathering together of those books.

b. In both Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9, Jesus indicates his awareness that these Gospels would be part of the Canon of Scripture. Surely this suggests that he knew of the other books as well. Why would He have such knowledge? Because His Father has sovereignly determined such a Canon.