Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

Lesson 3 Lesson 3 The CanonThe Canon

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

The Significance of the DoctrineThe Significance of the Doctrine-How do we know what How do we know what belongs to the Bible?belongs to the Bible?-How do we know what How do we know what doesn’t belong?doesn’t belong?

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

A Definition:A Definition:““The canon of Scripture is The canon of Scripture is the list of all the books that the list of all the books that belong in the Bible.”belong in the Bible.”

-Wayne Grudem-Wayne Grudem

The Ten The Ten Commandments Commandments comprised the first authorized collection of divinely inspired writings.

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

Deuteronomy 31:26 Deuteronomy 31:26 Take this book Take this book of the law and place it beside the of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may remain there your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you.as a witness against you.

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

Joshua 24:26 Joshua 24:26 And Joshua And Joshua wrote these words in the book wrote these words in the book of the law of God….of the law of God….

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

Jeremiah 30:2 Jeremiah 30:2 Thus says the Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “Write LORD, the God of Israel, “Write all the words which I have all the words which I have spoken to you in a book.”spoken to you in a book.”

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

1 Macc. 4:45-46 1 Macc. 4:45-46 So they tore down So they tore down the altar and stored the stones in a the altar and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill convenient place on the temple hill until there should come a prophet until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them.to tell what to do with them.

““From Artaxerxes to our own times From Artaxerxes to our own times a complete history has been a complete history has been written, but has not been deemed written, but has not been deemed worthy of equal credit with the worthy of equal credit with the earlier records, because of the earlier records, because of the failure of the exact succession of failure of the exact succession of the prophets.” the prophets.”

Josephus (37 -100 AD)

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

The Old Testament is quoted or The Old Testament is quoted or alluded to some 295 times in the alluded to some 295 times in the New Testament. New Testament.

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

What about What about the the

ApocryphaApocrypha??

What about What about the the

ApocryphaApocrypha??

(1) They do not claim for themselves the (1) They do not claim for themselves the same kind of authority as the Old same kind of authority as the Old Testament writingsTestament writings(2) They were not regarded as God’s (2) They were not regarded as God’s words by the Jewish people from whom words by the Jewish people from whom they originatedthey originated(3) They were not considered to be (3) They were not considered to be Scripture by Jesus or the New Testament Scripture by Jesus or the New Testament authorsauthors(4) They contain teachings inconsistent (4) They contain teachings inconsistent with the rest of the Biblewith the rest of the Bible

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

John 14:26 John 14:26 But the Helper, the But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.remembrance all that I said to you.

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

2 Peter 3:15-16 2 Peter 3:15-16 …our beloved …our beloved brother Paul … wrote to you … which brother Paul … wrote to you … which the untaught and unstable distort, as the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the they do also the rest of the Scriptures….Scriptures….

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

1 Timothy 5:18 1 Timothy 5:18 For the Scripture For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages.""The laborer is worthy of his wages."

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness….righteousness….

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

Other ConsiderationsOther Considerations

AuthorityAuthorityUniversalityUniversalityConsistencyConsistency

Modern ChallengesModern Challenges

-The Gospel of Thomas-The Gospel of Thomas-The Gospel of Judas-The Gospel of Judas-The Gospel of Barnabas-The Gospel of Barnabas-The Gospel of Mary Magdalene-The Gospel of Mary Magdalene-The Shepherd of Hermas-The Shepherd of Hermas-The Epistle of Barnabas-The Epistle of Barnabas

Authority of ScriptureAuthority of Scripture

1. The church councils 1. The church councils recognizedrecognized, , they did not they did not dictatedictate the canon. the canon.2. No one has 2. No one has everever taken the taken the extra-canonical writings seriously.extra-canonical writings seriously.