The canon of the Scriptures
The Canon of Scripture:
Definition ÿof ÿCanon: ÿCANON is taken from ÿa ÿGreek ÿroot-word (KANON) ÿÿwhich means “a measure”, ÿ”a rule for ÿjudgment”, ÿÿ”an authoritative ÿstandard”. ÿThis word is used in ÿII ÿCorinthians 10:13-16 ÿof the measure or rule of truth which God had given ÿby which ÿall ÿthings are tested. ÿThe word KANON is also ÿused ÿin Galatians ÿ6:16 ÿof the rule by which we walk (ie. ÿby ÿwhich ÿwe measure and direct our lives). ÿThe canon is for us the inspired Word of God which is our final authority in all matters of ÿfaith and practice.
Placement ÿas Canon: ÿWhen did the Biblical books become ÿcanon? The answer the Bible gives is that they became canon as they were written! ÿÿBy ÿthe ÿact of inspiration each ÿBiblical ÿbook ÿwas immediately ÿa ÿrule ÿof ÿtruth. ÿThe authors of ÿthe ÿbooks ÿso regarded ÿthem ÿand spoke of them as the Word of ÿGod ÿ(II ÿPeter 1:21, ÿÿII ÿTimothy 3:16). ÿBelievers never had to wait for ÿthe decision ÿof a church council to tell them that the ÿwritings ÿof Moses ÿwere ÿfrom God, ÿor that the epistles of ÿPaul ÿwere ÿwith certainty ÿthe ÿinspired ÿtruth. ÿÿThere ÿare ÿmany ÿOT ÿand ÿNT references ÿwhere the authors show us that they so recognized one another’s ÿworks as being inspired. ÿThey even show evidence ÿof such confidence in their own writings.
Old ÿTestament ÿCanon: ÿÿFrom the ÿearliest ÿreferences ÿto ÿthe completed Old Testament (Josephus in his CONTRA-APION, ÿÿtractate BABA-BATHRA ÿin ÿthe Talmud, ÿJerome’s testimony, ÿPhilo and ÿNew Testament references) there are no disputes among believers as to what ÿconstituted the canonical books. ÿAs heresies ÿarose ÿsome books ÿwere ÿrejected and Talmudic tractates and the writings ÿof such ÿmen as Josephus defended the accepted collection of ÿbooks. The ÿconfirmation ÿof ÿthe ÿpresent ÿcollection ÿin ÿthe ÿÿQumran documents ÿfurther lends confidence to this ÿconsensus. ÿÿJerome (translator of the Latin Vulgate) translated two of the so called Apocryphal ÿbooks ÿthen refused to do any others because ÿof ÿthe confusion ÿhe ÿwas afraid they would produce. ÿThe church ÿlater added the Latin translations of the apocryphal OT books when ÿthe Vulgate ÿwas ÿpublished. ÿÿEven St. ÿÿAugustine ÿrecognized ÿthe apocryphal ÿbooks ÿas being good books for reading ÿbut ÿrejected them as to their being a rule for faith and practice. ÿThe ÿsame view ÿis common among the other church fathers (Cardinal ÿXimenes of Spain, ÿCardinal Cajetan…). It was not until the Council of Trent ÿ(1546) ÿÿthat the argument about the apocryphal books ÿwas finally settled by the Roman Church. They received the OT and NT books ÿas ÿwe ÿhave ÿthem as canon then ÿagreed ÿto ÿinclude ÿthe apocryphal ÿbooks ÿbut only as recommended reading (sort of ÿlike study-Bible ÿÿfootnotes). ÿÿEven ÿMartin ÿLuther ÿthe ÿÿreformer recommended ÿÿthe ÿreading ÿof ÿthe ÿapocrypha ÿas ÿbeing ÿworthy literature. ÿÿÿHe ÿnever ÿlooked ÿon ÿthem ÿas ÿhaving ÿinspired authority.
NEW ÿTESTAMENT ÿCANON: ÿThe New Testament is not ÿdisputed ÿmuch either ÿamong ÿChristians. ÿThe books we now ÿhave ÿwere ÿalways recognized ÿby ÿthe church and its members. ÿÿThe ÿNew ÿTestament apocryphal ÿbooks have never been considered to be a part of ÿour Bible (just read them and you will see why). ÿIt was only a ÿfew heretics ÿthat ÿargued at times about certain books because ÿthey did ÿnot like what one author or another said. ÿBut it was never the ÿauthority ÿof any church council that ÿgave ÿtrue ÿbelievers confidence ÿabout the Bible. ÿIt was the testimony of ÿthe ÿHoly Spirit ÿbearing ÿwitness with the Word that made them willing ÿto even ÿÿgive ÿtheir ÿlives ÿfor ÿthe ÿpreservation ÿof ÿÿcanonical scripture. ÿÿÿIt ÿÿis ÿtrue ÿthat ÿmany ÿchurch ÿcouncils ÿÿmade pronouncements ÿabout the list of canonical books. ÿBut that was always ÿin response to some specific outside attack ÿby ÿcultists (Apion ÿand others). ÿIt was not because the Christians had ÿany doubts as to what belonged there.
FINAL NOTE: ÿIf we allow the words of church council to stand as a clearing-house of what is true, ÿor if we wait for the judgment of scholars to know what to believe, ÿthen we have looked to some authority ÿabove ÿour ÿBible and we undermine ÿthe ÿfinality ÿthe Scriptures must have in all matters of our lives. ÿThe spirit of the Bereans in Acts 17 ought to be ours. They “received the word with ÿall readiness of mind, ÿand searched the scriptures ÿdaily, whether those things were so.”
Bob Burridge (February 1987)
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