Canonicity

Which books belong in the Bible?

Who decided?

Are there some missing books?

Why is the Catholic Bible different from ours?

CanonApocrypha

Pseudepigraphal

Antilegomena

Deuterocanonical

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?

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?

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.

Definition of Terms

• Canon– This word is used in Galatians 6:16– “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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.”

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

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

NT Canon

• Gospels– First in NT– John most important placed last

• Acts

• Romans was considered the most important work of the epistles

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

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

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

The Apocrypha

1 Esdras 2 Esdras

Judith Esther 10:4 – 16:24

Wisdom of Solomon Ecclesiasticus

Baruch Daniel 3:24-90, 13-14

Prayer of Manasseh 1 Maccabees

2 Maccabees Letter of Jeremiah

Tobit

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

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.

Apocrypha - Problems

5. The apocryphal books are not included in any list of OT books within the first four centuries AD.

6. Jerome (347-419) stood solidly for the Hebrew canon and opposed the apocrypha.

7. The books contain some absurdities.8. They contain some errors in geography and

history.9. Inspiration is not claimed by any of the

authors.

Apocrypha - Problems

10.The books were not held as canonical until the Council of Trent in 1546 added them to the canon and condemned anyone who disagreed.

11.They contain no doctrine or prophecy.

12.Most of these books do not mention God.

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.

Conclusions

• 39 Books in the OT

• 27 Books in the NT

• No other writings are:– Inspired of God– Accepted from the beginning

Conclusions

• We have the Word of God– Complete – Inspired – Revealed– Translated into our language

• Our task is to:– Read it– Study it– Obey it