Why the Bible is true

Canonicity

How the Bible came to be may be a better title for this lesson.  First let’s define the word

Canon – Canon comes from the Greek word Kanon literally a measuring rod or standard of measure.  The books of the Bible are called the canon of the Bible.  They are books which have met the standard to be considered authoritative or in other words are divinely inspired by God. 

In approximately 327 A.D. Anathasius uses the word Canon to describe books “accredited as Divine.” [1]  An interesting side note is that Anathasius in his Canon considered the “apocryphal writings” such as the book of “Judith and Tobit” as “an invention of heretics, who write them when they choose…that so…they may find occasion to lead astray the simple.”[2]  What makes this interesting is that the Catholics consider Anathasius a saint, yet their Bible includes the works he counted as heretical. Anathasius lists the same 27 books for the New Testament as the ones we have today.  F.F. Bruce states, “When we speak of the canon of scripture, the word ‘canon’ has a simple meaning. It means the list of books contained in scripture, the list of books recognized as worthy to be included in the sacred writings of a worshipping community. In a Christian context, we might define the word as ‘the list of the writings acknowledged by the Church as documents of the divine revelation.”[3]  “In about the year A. D. 90, the Jewish Council of Jamnia ruled though a process of debate, examination, and canonicity that the Hebrew canon should consist of the thirty-nine books commonly found in such translations as the King James” (Answers to Tough Questions, by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, pg. 37).  These 39 books are the ones we refer to as the Old Testament

The One Who determines what part of the Canon is is not men, but God.  God inspired the writers of the Bible.  II Timothy 3:16 Canonicity is determined by the inspiration of God and not by men.  A paraphrase of Mike Vlach is that canonicity is determined by God, but discovered by man.[4]

In 93 A.D. The historian Josephus mentions our Lord Jesus Christ. “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day.”[5]  Josephus backs up the Biblical accounts of Christ in the Gospels.

Several factors are used when determining which books are definitely part of the canon of the Holy Scriptures.

1. Acceptance by early church or some call it tradition.  The council of Jamnia in 90 A.D. affirmed the same books for the Old Testament that we use in Protestant churches today.  In 327 A.D.  Anathasius affirms the same books we use for the New Testament in Protestant churches.  The early church rejected the apocryphal writings as heretical.  There are other writings such as the ones by Josephus which are parallel or historical writings, which aren’t heretical, but are not the Word of God.  Jerome used the term “apocryphal” to describe the books that were “noncanonical”.  Jerome (340-420 A.D.) translated the Latin Vulgate which later became the basis for the Catholic Bible, yet Jerome didn’t consider the apocrypha part of the canon of Scripture. “Let her avoid all apocryphal writings, and if she is led to read such…let her understand that they are not really written by those to whom they are ascribed, that many faulty elements have been introduced into them.” [6]  Origen, referred to the “uncanonical writings” as the “(Apocrypha)”[7]  Origen goes on to declare “Tobias” (Tobit) “(as also Judith), we ought to notice, the Jews do not use.  They are not even found in the Hebrew Apocrypha.”[8]  “Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome…to have quoted ‘the wisdom of solomon’ only as the sayings of a wise man; not at all as Scripture.”[9]  Was the book accepted, read and gathered together by the Christians of the early church?
2. Recognition as Scripture.  Immediately upon being written the books were recognized as the Bible.  For example, Deuteronomy 31:24-26  The moment Moses finished writing the first five books they were immediately recognized as Scripture.  Joshua finished Deuteronomy upon the death of Moses and also wrote Joshua. Daniel cites Jeremiah in Daniel 9:2.  Peter recognizes Paul’s writings as Scripture in II Peter 3:15,16[10]  Polycarp a disciple of Apostle John quotes the books of Psalms, Isaiah, Matthew, Luke, Acts, Romans, I & II Corinthians, I Peter, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, I Thessalonians, I Timothy, I John, Jude in his “epistle of polycarp to the Philippians.”  [11]  Immediately upon being written they were quoted as Scripture.
3. The Spiritual Authority of the book. Each book of the Bible shows itself to have Spiritual Authority.  God inspired each book and His inspiration is manifested in the book.  Is the book authoritative AKA claim to be God’s Word?
4. Writers of the book. The book must be written by a prophet of God.  In other words, the writer must have been told by God what to write.  The writer is confirmed by acts God did through the writer.  In other words, there is evidence that the writer is in fact inspired by God.  Who wrote the book and is he an Apostle, Prophet, or a Scribe for an Apostle or Prophet?  Does the writer have the inspiration of God?  Is the writer a Christian?  The Word of God is transmitted by those who have the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
5. The message of the book.   The book must explain truths about God.  This isn’t a litmus, because the Antiquities written by Josephus have a few truths about God, but are not inspired.  Just because a book tells a truth about God it isn’t inspired, but all books who are inspired tell truths about God.  Does the book explains truths about God and man?
6. The book must have the power of God.  The book must not only tell truths about God, it must have the power of God.  This lesson has truths about God, but it isn’t inspired, because it lacks the power of God.  Only the Bible has the power of God.  In fact, the Bible is dynamos.  Romans 1:16  Each book not only has the authority, but with this come the power of God.  The distinction between power and authority is only slight.  With the authority of God comes His power.  Is the book dynamic or in other words is the book backed by the power of God?

Conclusion:  The Bible consists of 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books.  No other books have met the canon or standard of books inspired by God.  Chapter divisions and verse divisions are not inspired, but were implemented to make the Bible easier to understand.  Chapter divisions came about in around 1227 and verse divisions came about in around 1557.  In 1560 the Geneva Bible incorporated both chapter and verse divisions.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I & II Samuel, I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah, Malachi.  These books are the canon of the Old Testament.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, I & II Peter, I,II, & III John, Jude, and Revelations.  These books are the canon of the New Testament.

Addendum:  Verses not part of early Greek manuscripts: Matthew 6:13b; Mark 16:9-20; John 7:53-8:11; Acts 8:37. [12]  Since, the early manuscripts do not contain these portions, it would be unwise to base any doctrine or practice on these verses.

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