Transcript Canonicity - Searcher’s Class

Pseudepigraphal
Deuterocanonical
Apocrypha
Canon
Antilegomena
Canonicity
Which books belong in the Bible?
Who decided?
Are there some missing books?
Why is the Catholic Bible different from
ours?
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.
2.
3.
4.
Historical in nature
Seem to be accurate accounts
Appear to be genuine
Contain no major contradictions with
the Bible
5. They contain hints at purgatory and
giving alms to atone for sin
The Apocrypha
1 Esdras
Judith
Wisdom of Solomon
Baruch
Prayer of Manasseh
2 Maccabees
Tobit
2 Esdras
Esther 10:4 – 16:24
Ecclesiasticus
Daniel 3:24-90, 13-14
1 Maccabees
Letter of Jeremiah
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