Biblical cannon - The bible as a source of wisdom and authority.

Bible cannon:

• Cannon - measuring rod/standard

• Standardised list of biblical books that are officially recognised

• Not the only books ever written about humanities relationship with god

• Cannon was established from a range of writings.

The Old Testament cannon:

• Torah established first 6th century

• Circulated as an oral tradition

• Written accounts created to support faith whilst in diaspora

• Neviim and kethuvim not complete in Jesus’s lifetime

• Chosen books must support the Torah and be commonly recognised.

Different cannons:

• Not closed when NT constructed - Augustine therefore accepted Septuagint.

• Catholic OT includes deutero-canonical books c from a second cannon

• Protestant OT does not lncljde Apocrypha (unknown/hidden origin)

• Luther raised doubts about their origin.

• Rejected teaching of purgatory contained in them.

The NT cannon:

• 4th century cannon

• Many writings in circulation

• Different Christian groups trusted different cannons.

• Some contained heresy

• Others had dubious authorship

• Books selected based in dates apostolic connection and consistency with Christian faith

• Augustine declared cannon closed in 393 ce

Order of cannon:

• Not chronological

• Based on: story line, importance, authorship.

• Old Testament ends with return from exile and rebuilding the nation.

• Looks forward to Elijah’s return

• New Testament tells the story of Christ and the birth of the church

• Looks forward to the future for believers.

Remember:

• Jesus and the apostles/bible writers only had the Hebrew Scriptures

• Christian messages initially given orally

• Letters were earliest written documents

• Gospels came later

• Revelation is the youngest book

• This is not the order they appear in the bible

• Different orders for the OT depending on whether you are jewish/protestant/catholic,