How we got the Bible (Canonization)

How we got the Bible – Part 2
The Canonization of the Bible

A.Introduction: What is the meaning of the word canon?

 1. According to the Strong’s Greek Dictionary the word canon comes – From καìνη kanē (a straight reed, that is, rod); a rule (“canon”), that is, (figuratively) a standard (of faith and practice); by implication a boundary, that is, (figuratively) a sphere (of activity): - line, rule.

 2. The word is translated as “rule” in Galatians 6:16 and II Corinthians 10:13.

 3. Over time the word came to mean the standard (or rule) for evaluating (or measuring) what books are inspired and therefore belong to the Bible. The issue of canonization therefore seeks to address the question of what books were produce through the “out breathing” of God.

 4. Note: The Church is not the Mother, Magistrate, Regulator, Judge or Master of the Canon. In contrast, it is the Child, Minister, Recognizer, Witness and Servant of the Canon. The Church is not the Determiner of the canon but it is the Discoverer of it!

 5. The issue is extremely important! See Deuteronomy 32:47.

B.The Old Testament Canon

 1.The Scripture itself bares witness to the development of the canon
  •Exodus 31:18 – God wrote the first Scripture.
  •Deuteronomy 10:4-5 – Moses commanded to preserve God’s writing.
  •Deuteronomy 31:24-26 –God inspires Moses to write and preserve more.
  •Joshua 24:26 – Joshua also added more of God’s word.
  •Other prophets wrote the words of God – I Samuel 10:25; II Chronicles 26:22; Jeremiah 30:2.

 2. The content of the canon grows until the end of the writing process around 430 BC. This is attested to by Jewish sources outside of the Old Testament: -
  
  •I Maccabees 4:45-46 “They thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down, And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them.”

  •Josephus: Against Apion 1:41 “From Artaxerxes to our own times a complete history has been written, but has not been deemed worthy of equal credit with the earlier records, because of the failure of the exact succession of prophets.”

  •Babylonian Talmud: Yomah 9:b “After the latter prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi had died, the Holy Spirit departed from Israel…”

 3. Other reasons for accepting the Old Testament canon: -
  
  •There were no disputes between Jesus and the Jewish leaders over the extent of the canon. It was one of the few things they seemed to have agreed about!

  •There are at least 295 instances where Jesus and the New Testament writers refer to the Old Testament canon in an authoritative sense. (Luke 24:44; Matthew 23:35)

  •No books outside of the Old Testament books are referred to as being authoritative.

  •The earliest record of a list of canonical books that exists today is by Melito, Bishop of Sardis, writing about 170 AD. It lists all the books of the Old Testament except Esther.

  •Another list was made by Athanasius in his Pascal letter around 367 AD. It included all the books of the Bible except Esther.

C.The Old Testament Apocryphal Books

 1.The word “apocrypha” comes from the Greek word which means “hidden or concealed.”

 2.The Apocrypha is a group of books which were added to the Old Testament by the Roman Catholic Church in 1546.

 3.The term Apocrypha was first used by Jerome in the fourth century. Jerome translated the Old Testament into Latin to produce the Latin Vulgate. He also translated the apocryphal books – These were added to the Vulgate after his death.

 4.Why the Apocrypha were not considered canonical books?
  •They contain both historical and geographical inaccuracies.
  •They teach doctrines that are false or encourage practices that are against inspired Scripture.
  •They were not written by prophets of God.
  •They were not quoted as authoritative Scripture by Jesus, the Apostles or any of the New Testament writers.
  •They do not claim for themselves the same kind of authority as the Old Testament writings.
  •They were not regarded as authoritative by the Jews from which they originated. Jewish writers such as Philo, Josephus and the Jewish scholars of Jamnia (AD 90) all wrote against their inclusion.
  •They were rejected by many of the early Church leaders such as Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Athanasius.

 5. These books are view as canonical only by the Roman Catholic Church and this declaration was made at the Council of Trent in 1546. Note that this council was set up to respond to the teachings of Martin Luther who opposed, among other things, prayer for the dead and justification by works – two doctrines supported by some Apocryphal books.

 6. These books were considered ‘books of the church’ but not ‘books of the canon’ and were viewed as helpful and useful for believers to read.

D.The New Testament Canon

 1.What were the reasons for collecting the New Testament Canonical books?
  •According to Justin Martyr (AD 100-165) the “memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets were read, as long as time permitted,” at Sunday morning gatherings.
  •Since they were written by apostles or prophets of God they were viewed as valuable and worthy of preservation.
  •There was a need to know what writings were authoritative due to the rise of heretical teachings e.g. marcion gnosticism (AD 140).
  •The circulation of spurious writings.
  •The need for copies for missions purposes.
  •The edict of Diocletian (AD 303) called for the destruction of Christian writings.

 2. The recognition of the New Testament canon.
  •Earliest record of a list of NT canonical books was by Athanasius (AD 367). It contained all 27 books of the New Testament.
  •Same list was recognized by Jerome (AD 400) and Augustine.
  •There is internal evidence that the Apostles themselves viewed their writings as being authoritative:
   -II Peter 3:2 tells us that God commands us through the Apostles.
   -I Corinthians 14:37 shows that Paul wrote in obedience to God’s command.
   -II Peter 3:15-16 classified Paul’s writing as among Scripture
   -I Timothy 5:17-18 quotes Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7.
  •They were referred to as being authoritative by Justin Martyr (AD 100 – 165), Polycarp (AD 115), Irenaeus (AD 180), Clement of Alexandria (AD 200) and other early Church leaders.
  •Ignatius (AD 50 -115) wrote “I do not wish to command you as Peter and Paul; they were apostles.”
  •The Synod of Hippo (AD 393) recognized the 27 books of the NT as being previously established as canonical.
  •There has been no dispute of canonicity for any of the New Testament books after the Synod of Hippo by Roman Catholics, Protestant, or the Eastern Orthodox Church.

 3. The office of the New Testament Apostle is like the office of the Old Testament Prophet and therefore when they are commanded of God to write they are also instruments of His process of inspiration.

 4. All the books of the New Testament canon were written by an Apostle or someone very close to an Apostle except for Hebrews whose authorship is unknown.

E.The New Testament Apocryphal Books

 1. There were many spurious writings in circulation during the early Church era. Some of these included the following: -
  •The Epistle of Pseudo Barnabas (AD 70-79)
  •The Epistle to the Corinthians (AD 96)
  •Second Epistle of Clement (AD 120-140)
  •Shepherd of Hermas (AD 115-140)
  •Didache (AD 100-120)

 2. Why these writings were rejected: -
  •None enjoyed more than just a temporary or local recognition.
  •No major canon or Church council recognized them as authoritative.
  •Some were popular for a short time due to false attribution to an apostle.
  •Some had doctrinal teachings that were in clear conflict with the Apostles’ teachings. E.g. The Shepherd of Hermas teaches the necessity of penance and that the trinity came to exists only after Christ ascended into heaven.
  •Some contained absurd statements: “…every woman who makes herself a male will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Thomas 114.

F.How do we know we have the right books in the canon of Scripture?

 1.Because of the Faithfulness of God!
  - God loves us. We need His Word. God provides for us by preserving His Word!

 2.Because of the witness of the Holy Spirit.

 3.Through the availability of accurate historical data.

 4.No strong candidate for the addition to the canon exists today and no existing book is disputed!

G.Questions for personal application: