The Canonical Church John Stevenson 2016 Upon what

The Canonical Church © John Stevenson, 2016

Upon what do Christian base their beliefs?

Christianity as a Text-Based Religion • Pagan religions were practice-based – Sacrifices – Prayers • Belief was not considered to be important and therefore texts were not important • Judaism was the sole exception • Christianity built on Judaism’s text-based faith

The Greek Kanon KANWN • It had to be unbendable • It had to be dependable as to its straightness

Galatians 6: 16 Those who will walk by this RULE, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

Definition Canonicity is the process by which the books of the Bible were gathered and collected so that they came to be regarded as the standard and norm for Christians.

Canonicity refers to the church’s recognition of the authority of the inspired writings.

Questions on Canonicity • How are we to determine if we have the right books in the Bible? • What about the Apocrypha? • Are there certain books in our Bible which should not be there? • Are we missing some books?

Canon Recognized New Testament 1 The Ancient Church 500 1000 The Medieval Church 1500 2000 The Reformed Church

Canonicity & the Old Testament • The Testimony of Jesus Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. ” (Luke 24: 44).

Canonicity & the Old Testament • The Testimony of Jesus • The Testimony of the Septuagint

The Septuagint Alexandria ● • Translation of Hebrew Bible into Greek • Ptolemy II • Great Library of Alexandria

The Septuagint • 70 Scholars • Entire Old Testament translated • Apocrypha also included

Canonicity & the Old Testament • The Testimony of Jesus • The Testimony of the Septuagint • The Testimony of the New Testament – Full of quotations from the Old Testament – Not a single quotation from the Apocrypha

Canonicity & the Old Testament • • The Testimony of Jesus The Testimony of the Septuagint The Testimony of the New Testament The Testimony of Josephus

Josephus "For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing from and contradicting one another [as the Greeks have], but only twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the past times; which are justly believed to be divine. . . (Contra Apion 1: 8).

Josephus "It is true, our history has been written since Artaxerxes, very peculiarly, but has not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers, because there has not been an exact succession of prophets since that time. " (Contra Apion 1: 8).

Canonicity & the Old Testament • • • The Testimony of Jesus The Testimony of the Septuagint The Testimony of the New Testament The Testimony of Josephus The Testimony of the Apocrypha

• Meaning: “Hidden away” • The Apocrypha speaks of the division of the Scriptures into the Law and the Prophets (Prologue of Sirach 1: 1; 2 nd Maccabees 15: 9; 4 th Maccabees 18: 10). • You do not find the Old Testamentioning this division

• • • 1 st & 2 nd Esdras Tobit Judith Esther Sequel Wisdom of Solomon • Sirach • • • Baruch Additions to Daniel Susanna Bel and the Dragon 1 st & 2 nd Maccabees

The church was born with a completed canon in her hands

The Existence of the Canon = The Recognition of the Canon

Latin Manuscript • Our oldest copy dates to the 7 th Century • Originally written in latter part of 2 nd Century • It is a partial list (starts with Luke, but refers to it as the 3 rd Gospel) • Includes Gospels, Epistles of Paul, John, & Jude

Latin Manuscript • Includes a Book of Wisdom written by friends of Solomon in his honor • Mentions Shepherd of Hermes but says it is written more recently • Mentions apocalypse of John and of Peter, but says the latter not received by all

…the Blessed Apostle Paul himself followed the order of his predecessor, John, and wrote only seven Churches by name. They are in this order: • • Corinthians Ephesians Philippians Colossians • Galatians • Thessalonians • Romans

Besides these there is one to Philemon, and one to Titus, and two to Timothy, in affection and love, but nevertheless regarded as holy in the Catholic Church, in the ordering of churchly discipline.

“There is also circulated one to the Laodiceans and another to the Alexandrians, forged under the name of Paul, in regard to the heresy of Marcion; and there are several others which cannot be received by the Church, for it is not suitable that gall be mixed with honey. ”

“The Shepherd, moreover, was written by Hermas quite recently in our time, in the city of Rome, while he brother, Bishop Pius, sat in the chair of the Church in the city of Rome; and therefore, it too should certainly be read. But it cannot be read publicly to the people in church, for it is neither among the Prophets, whose number is complete to the end of time, nor among the Apostles. ”

Factors Necessitating a New Testament Canon • The Problem of Heretics Marcion’s Canon comprised Luke and ten epistles of Paul minus quotations from the Old Testament

Factors Necessitating a New Testament Canon • The Problem of Heretics • The Presence of other Christian Writings – Didache – Epistles of Ignatius and other church fathers

Factors Necessitating a New Testament Canon • The Problem of Heretics • The Presence of other Christian Writings Irenaeus points to a canon that includes the Shepherd of Hermes, but excludes Hebrews, 2 nd Peter. Philemon, 2 nd & 3 rd John

Factors Necessitating a New Testament Canon • The Problem of Heretics • The Presence of other Christian Writings • The Persecutions against the church and laws against ownership of the Scriptures

Criteria for New Testament Canonicity • Apostolic Authorship • Consistency • Reception by the Churches The church did not make certain books canonical; the church recognized certain books to be canonical

• • • Homologoumena Antilegomena (Books Accepted by all) (Books Questioned by some) Four Gospels Acts Epistles of Paul First Peter First John • • • Hebrews James Second Peter Second & Third John Jude Revelation

363 • Asked that only canonical books be read from the pulpit • Listed all books of our New Testament except Revelation

367 • Lists the 22 books of the Hebrew Scriptures (the same as our 39 books in our Old Testament) • Lists our 27 books of the New Testament

New Testament written Muratorian Canon Apostolic Fathers 1 50 Paul John 100 150 Polycarp Ignatius Marcion 200 Nicaea 250 300 350 Constantine

The Da. Vinci Code • Constantine chose the books of the Bible and ordered other non-canonical books to be burned • Gospels were edited after Council of Nicaea (325) • Gnostic gospels are older than four canonical gospels