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Bible Studies
THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE
(or why are the Books of the Bible regarded as Holy Scripture
while some other books are not?)
CANON, from the Greek word, means a measuring
rod, rule or an agreed list. It is used for the list of books
which the Chruch acknowledged to be authoritative as the source
of doctrine and ethics.
THE OLD TESTAMENT: Came
in 3 steps or stages:
First, during the reighn of Josiah (622BC) a book was found
in the Temple which the king and his people agreed was a book
of God and authoritative for the nation (2 Chronicles 34).
This was probably Deuteronomy.
In the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (457-444BC) on the return
of the people from exile a need was felt for an authoritative
Word of God and the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible)
was made canonical (Nehemiah 8-10).
Next came the prophets (then counted as Joshua, Judges, Samuel,
Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the 12 Minor Prophets
– minor only in the sense that their books were short!).
Finally (c.200 BC) came other sacred writings, completing
our present Old Testament. This was the Bible Jesus knew and
we have and the Apostles quoted from (Acts 17.2.).
THE NEW TESTAMENT:
Few people could read in NT days so things like the letters
of Paul would be read out in the churches receiving them and
sometimes in others (Colossians 4.16). They might be read
a number of times to settle questions arising. The OT was
read as a lesson and from an early date the Gospels were read
and regarded as authoritative. By 180 AD Irenaeus speaks of
most of our books in the NT as early Christians recognised
God speaking to them through these books. Athanasius (365
AD) gives a list of books that are canonical and believed
to be divine. It is the list we have in our Bibles now and
in the various Church Councils in the years following Athanasius’
list was adopted. Largely books were received if believed
to be written by Apostles or those closely associated with
Apostles.
Some books (like The Didache, The Shepherd of Hermas, The
Epistle of Barnabus and the Epistles of Clement) were regarded
as good or interesting but not Scripture.
It is important to realise that the books of the Bible did
not become authoritative because they were included in the
list of cannon. It was the other way round – they were
included because the Chruch generally already had come to
regard them as divinely inspired.
(As an odd side-thought note that Peter put Paul’s writings
on a par with other Scripture (2 Peter 3.15-16).
THE APOCRYPHA: (The word
means ‘hidden’ or ‘secret’)
This is a collection of books (11 to 16 in number) which appeared
between OT and NT times. The Septuagint (a Greek translation
of the OT made for the Jews in Egypt) included them but the
Hebrew canon did not.
The Roman Catholic Church, in the Council of Trent in 1546
AD declared 11 of the books canonised and they appear in Roman
Catholic Bibles. The Protestant Church agree that they contain
some history and literature value but are not to be accepted
as divine Scripture. Some reasons are:
a) They are never quoted by Jesus or the Apostles
b) They are not part of the ancient Hebrew canon of the OT
c) Most of the early Church regarded them as unispired
d) They are inferior to the canonical books
The books of the Apocrypha are: Historical: 1& 2 Maccabees
and 1 Esdras. Traditional: Susanna, Song of the 3 Holy Childres,
Bel and the Dragon (these 3 are additions to the book of Daniel),
Judith, Tobit and additions to Esther. Prophetic: Baruch and
the Prayer of Manasses. Instructive: The Wisdom of Solomon
and Ecclesiasticus (not to be confused with Ecclesiastes).
Apocalypitic: 2 Esdras. (There were other books, like the
Book of Enoch, which didin’t even make the Apocrypha).
A good reading to finisd with: 2 Timothy
3.15-17.
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