From God to Man

1
From God to Man

• The Story of How We Got the Bible
• Part 3 Formation

2
How We Got the Biblethe earth shall be filled
with the knowledge of Jehovah Isaiah 119

• 1. Revelation
• 2. Inspiration
• 3. Documentation
• 4. Formation
• 5. Preservation
• 6. Translation
• 7. Application
• 8. Propagation

From God
To Man
3
Formation
4
Formation

• Why does the Bible contain the (66) books that it
  does? What/who determined the selection of the
  books?
• Why were other books rejected?
• Does the Bible contain any book that it should
  not?
• Are any books missing?

5
Formation

• The books of the Bible were collected to form a
  canon of scripture canon (from the Greek
  kanon) means a reed (cane) that was used as a
  ruler for measuring then, a standard or rule of
  measurement (Gal. 616 Phil. 316 2 Cor.
  10-13-16)
• The canon of the Bible is the list of divinely
  inspired, authoritative books that are Gods word
  (39 OT books, 27 NT books)

6
Formation

• The question of the canon has long been debated
  from the early centuries A.D. different people
  have formed different lists of what is regarded
  as a genuine, authoritative book of the Bible
• Even the 1st century Samaritans rejected all of
  the OT except the first five books

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Formation

• What makes a book, a book of the Bible? How was a
  book accepted as biblical? Its age? Its
  information? Its acceptability?
• Inherent authority via divine revelation and
  inspiration (2 Tim. 316 2 Pet. 120-21) is what
  makes a book, a book of the Bible? Was/is this
  book the actual revelation of God? Was/is this
  book inspired? (See part 1 of this series.)

8
The 39 Books of the OT Canon( English Bible )
Law (5 books) History (12 books) Poetry (5 books Prophecy (17 books)
Genesis to Deuteronomy Joshua to Esther Job to Song of Sol. Isaiah to Malachi
The arrangement of books in our English bible
is derived from the Latin Vulgate which followed
the order in the Septuagint
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The 39 Books of the OT Canon( Hebrew Bible )
The Law Torah (5 books) The Prophets Neviim (8 books) The Writings Kethubim (11 books)
(Gen. to Deut.) Former (Josh., Judg., Sam., Kings) Latter (Jer., Ezek., Isa., the book of the 12 Hos. Mal.) Poetical ( Psa., Job, Prov.) The Five Rolls (S. of S., Ruth, Lam., Eccl., Esther) Historical (Dan., Ezra-Neh., Chronicles)
10
Formation of the OT Canon

• The 39 OT books were written by several men over
  a period of 1,000 years (c. 1400 400 B.C.)
• There are references in the OT to the book(s)
  of Gods word (Neh. 81ff Isa. 3416 Dan. 92)
• All 39 books of the OT were translated from
  Hebrew to Greek in the Septuagint (c. 280 B.C.)
• Jesus used the same 3-fold division of the OT as
  the OT Jews (Luke 2444)

11
And he said unto them, These are my words which
I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that
all things must needs be fulfilled, which are
written in the law of Moses, and the prophets,
and the psalms, concerning me (Luke 2444)
12
Formation of the OT Canon

• Jesus references, in an indirect way, the first
  and last books of the OT canon as the OT Jews
  reckoned it (Mt. 2335 Lk. 1151 from Abel
  Gen. 43ff to Zachariah 2 Chron. 2419ff)

13
 that upon you may come all the righteous blood
shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the
righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of
Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and
the altar (Matthew 2335)
14
Formation of the OT Canon

• Philo (c. A.D. 30) makes reference to the three
  divisions of the Hebrew Bible Josephus
  (c. A.D. 80-90) makes reference to the 22 books
  of the OT
• The Jewish council of Jamnia (c. A.D. 90)
  recognized all 39 books of the OT as canonical
  (they simply stated what was already understood
  and accepted)

15
The Old Testament Apocrypha

• There are other religious writings from the OT
  period that are not a part of the canon these
  are known as the apocrypha (hidden) books (Gr.
  apokryphos Mk. 422 Lk. 817 Col. 23)
• These books were accepted by some Jews at
  Alexandria and included in the Septuagint

16
The Old Testament Apocrypha

• The OT Apocrypha are included in Catholic Bibles
  (interspersed) because of the early view of
  Augustine and later the Council of Trent (1546)
  also found in some early editions of the KJV
  (kept separate) and some later Protestant bibles
  (NRSV, etc.)

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The Old Testament Apocrypha
Name Date Contents
1 Esdras c. 150-100 B.C. Historical
2 Esdras c. A.D. 100 Prophetic
Tobit c. 200 B.C. Folklore/Romance
Judith c. 150 B.C. Legendary
Add. to Esther c. 140-130 B.C. Legendary
Wis. of Solomon c. A.D. 40 Ethical
Ecclesiasticus c. 132 B.C. Ethical
Baruch c. A.D. 100 Prophetic
Letter - Jeremiah c. A.D. 100 Prophetic
18
The Old Testament Apocrypha
Name Date Contents
Add. to Daniel c. 150 B.C. Legendary
P. of Manasseh c. 150 B.C. Prophetic
1-2 Maccabees c. 50 B.C. Historical






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The Old Testament Apocrypha

• These books were not accepted by OT Jews
• These books were not accepted by Jesus and his
  apostles
• These books were not accepted by Jewish writers
  (Philo, Josephus, etc.) or Christian writers
  (Origin, Iraneus, Tertullian, Athanasius,
  Rufinus, etc.)

20
The Old Testament Apocrypha

• These books often contain historical,
  chronological, and geographic errors as well as
  internal/external contradictions

21
The Old Testament Apocrypha

• These books were recognized among the Greeks and
  later appended to the Septuagint, but with no
  fixed canon continual uncertainty
• These books are given a semi-canonical status
  by the Church of England (to be read for example,
  but not for doctrine)
• These books were pronounced fully authoritative
  for the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent
  (1546)

22
The New Testament Canon
Gospel (4 books) History (1 book) Epistles (21 books) Prophecy (1 book)
Matthew to John Acts Pauline (13) (Rom. Phil.) General (8) (Heb. Jude) Revelation
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Formation of the NT Canon

• The 27 NT books were written by several men over
  a period of 50 years (c. A.D. 45 95)
• Books were written with inherent authority
  (1 Cor. 1437 1 Thess. 213 527
  Rev. 13)
• Books were circulated (Col. 416 Rev. 111)
• Paul quotes from Luke 107 (see Deut. 254) in 1
  Tim. 518 and calls it scripture

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Formation of the NT Canon

• Paul wrote epistles that were grouped with the
  other scriptures (2 Pet. 315-16)
• In A.D. 95, Clement of Rome wrote an uninspired
  letter to the Christians in Corinth and made
  reference to the inspired scriptures (he
  referenced Matthew, Luke, Hebrews, Romans,
  Corinthians, 1 Timothy, Titus, 1 Peter and
  Ephesians)

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Formation of the NT Canon

• Two related questions
• Do we have all that was written by inspired
  writers? No (Lk. 11-2 Col. 416)
• How did NT Christians govern themselves properly
  before all 27 books were collected? They had the
  spiritual gifts of wisdom, faith, knowledge,
  prophecy, and discerning of spirits (1 Cor.
  128-10)

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Formation of the NT Canon
Period 1 1st Cent. Period 2 2nd Cent. Period 3 2nd Cent. Period 4 3rd Cent. Period 5 4th Cent.
Books authorita-tive when written for the original recipients, authenti-cated, then copied (100-150) Books quoted as authorita-tive by Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius Justin Martyr (150-200) Books quoted by Irenaeus Tatian translated into the Syriac and Old Latin (c. 170) Books quoted by Origen collected and separated from other Christian writings Books have final wide-spread reception and recognition by Eusebius Athanasius (c. 367)
Inspiration Recognition Collection
27
Formation of the NT Canon

• The Catholic Church claims to have given us the
  Bible as we know it today
• No one man, group of men, or later Church
  Council made a book authoritative by placing it
  in a list no one by decree gave to or pronounced
  a book as divinely inspired the Bible owes its
  authority to no one individual or group
  individuals only identified the books that were
  already authoritative at the time

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Formation of the NT Canon

• A book is divinely inspired and authoritative the
  moment it is written authority and acceptance
  are two separate things
• Councils (Damascus in 382 Laodicia in 343 Hippo
  in 393 Carthage in 397 Rome in 405) and letters
  (Athanasius in 367) only stated what was already
  understood and accepted they accepted the
  inherent authority of a book

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Formation of the NT Canon

• Why were there discussions at this time about
  which books are Gods word or not?
• Some men, after the 1st century, were claiming
  divine inspiration and latter-day revelation
• Some men, after the 1st century, were teaching
  heretical views about Christ and other erroneous
  doctrines
• The edict of Diocletian (A.D. 303) demanding that
  all religious books of Christianity be destroyed

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Formation of the NT Canon

• What were the questions asked at this time?
• Is the book apostolic, authoritative (1 Cor.
  1437)?
• Is the book inspired (2 Pet. 120-21)?
• Is the book authentic, truthful (Jn. 1426
  1613)?
• Is the book life-changing (Heb. 412)?
• Is the book received among faithful Christians
  (Col. 416)?

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The New Testament Apocrypha

• There are other religious writings from the first
  few centuries A.D. that are not a part of the NT
  canon these are known as the apocrypha
  (hidden, secret) books
• We are hearing more and more today about the
  lost books of the Bible or the lost gospels
  (see the Dan Brown Da Vinci Code book and movie)

32
The New Testament Apocrypha

• It should come as no surprise that there are
  false religious writings circulating in the first
  few centuries A.D. Paul warned that false
  teachers would come with their fables (1
  Tim. 14 47 2 Tim. 43-4 Tit. 114)
• Peter spoke of destructive heresies that would
  come (2 Pet. 21) and John spoke of false
  prophets that would go out into the world (1 Jn.
  41)

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For the time will come when they will not endure
the sound doctrine but, having itching ears,
will heap to themselves teachers after their own
lusts 4 and will turn away their ears from the
truth, and turn aside unto fables
(2 Timothy 43-4)
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The New Testament Apocrypha
Group Date Contents
Gospels G. of Thomas G. of Marcion G. of Basilides G. of Philip 2nd 4th century A.D. Vivid, imaginative, stories of Jesus childhood life
Acts A. of John A. of Andrew A. of Philip A. of Barnabas A. of Simon/Judas 2nd 4th century A.D. Vivid, imaginative, stories of the life death of the apostles
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The New Testament Apocrypha
Group Date Contents
Epistles E. of the Apostles E. of Barnabas E. to Laodiceans E. of Lentulus E. of Titus 2nd 4th century A.D. Traditions about the teachings of early Christianity
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From God to ManFormation
37
Four Results of Formation

• 1. The 39 books of the OT canon provide examples
  for learning (Jn. 539 1 Cor. 1011-12 Rom.
  154 2 Tim. 315 413)

38
Now these things happened unto them by way of
example and they were written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are
come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth
take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 1011-12)
39
Four Results of Formation

• 1. The 39 books of the OT canon provide examples
  for learning (Jn. 539 1 Cor. 1011 Rom. 154
  2 Tim. 315 413)
• 2. The 27 books of the NT canon are the only
  pattern of sound words (2 Thess. 215
  2 Tim. 113)

40
So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the
traditions which ye were taught, whether by word,
or by epistle of ours (2 Thessalonians 215)
41
Four Results of Formation

• 1. The 39 books of the OT canon provide examples
  for learning (Jn. 539 1 Cor. 1011 Rom. 154
  2 Tim. 315 413)
• 2. The 27 books of the NT canon are the only
  pattern of sound words (2 Tim. 113)
• 3. We are to contend earnestly for the faith
  once for all delivered (Jude 3)

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Four Results of Formation

• 4. The books will be opened at the judgment we
  will be judged from them, and from them only
  (Rev. 2011-15)

43
 And I saw a great white throne, and him that
sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the
heaven fled away and there was found no place
for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the
small, standing before the throne and books were
opened and another book was opened, which is the
book of life and the dead were judged out of the
things which were written in the books, according
to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that
were in it and death and Hades gave up the dead
that were in them and they were judged every man
according to their works. And death and Hades
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death, even the lake of fire. And if any
was not found written in the book of life, he was
cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 2011-15)