Sermon Tone Analysis

! *·** Bibliology **·*

*Lecture Sixteen:  The Canon of Scripture*

TH330 Systematic Theology I · Moody Bible Institute · Dr.

Richard M. Weber

 

 

“The canon of Scripture is the list of books that belong in the Bible.”

(Wayne Grudem, /Systematic Theology/, 54)

 

 

“If we are to trust and obey God absolutely we must have a collection of words that we are certain are God’s own words to us.”  (Wayne Grudem, /Systematic Theology/, 54)

 

 

Deut 32:47.

“They are not just idle words for you – they are your life.

By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

*I.

*The Meaning of the Term “Canon”

 

 

A.

Derivation of the Term

 

 

 

kanon (/kanon/ – measuring instrument; i.e., “ruler”)

 

 

 

Gal 6:16.

“Peace and mercy to all who follow this /rule/, even to the Israel of God.” (Cf.

Phil 3:16)

 

 

 

B.

Historical Usage of the Term

 

 

 

 

 

C.

The Meaning of the Term

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*II.

*The Criteria for Canonicity

 

A.

Self-Authentication

 

 

 

“For a book to belong in the canon, it is absolutely necessary that the book have divine authorship.”

(Wayne Grudem, /Systematic Theology/, 62)

 

B.

Decisions of Individuals or Councils

 

 

 

*III.

*The Old Testament Canon

 

 

A.

The Composition of the Old Testament Canon

 

MOSES

 

Deut 31:24-26.

“After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord:  ‘Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God.

There it will remain as a witness against you…”

 

JOSHUA

 

Josh 24:26.

“Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God…”

 

435 bc Malachi latest written book.

B.

Evidence From the Old Testament Itself

 

 

1.

A Number of Old Testament Passages Refer to the Law of Moses As Being Authoritative

 

 

 

Josh 1:7-8.

“[God said], “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

 

 

1 Kings 2:3.

“[O]bserve what the Lord your God requires:  Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses…”

 

 

Cf. 2 Kings 14:6; 2 Kings 21:8; 2 Kings 23:25; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11; Mal 4:4

 

 

 

2.

The Prophets Spoke the Word of God

 

 

Josh 6:26.

“At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath:  ‘Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho…”

 

 

1 Kings 16:34.

“In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho.

He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its bates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, /in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun./”

 

 

 

Daniel 9:2.

“I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.”

Jer 25:11-12.

“This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation…”

 

Cf. 2 Chron 36:22-23 with Ezra 1:1-4.

C.

The Completion of the Old Testament Canon

 

 

 

1.

Malachi 4:5.

“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah /before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come/.”

JOHN THE BAPTIST

 

 

 

 

 

2.

Evidence From 1 Maccabees

 

 

 

 

1 Macc 4:45-46.

“So they tore down the altar and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill /until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them/.”

 

 

1 Macc 9:27.

Speaks of a great distress, “such as had not been since the time that /prophets ceased to appear among them/.”

3.

Evidence From Rabbinic Literature

 

 

 

 

“After the latter prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi had died, the Holy Spirit departed from Israel…”  (/Babylonian Talmud/, Yomah 9b, repeated in Sota 48b, Sanhedrin 11a, and Midrash Rabbah on Song of Songs, 8.9.3)

 

they recognized that the prophets were done…that malachi was the last..

 

 

 

 

4.

Evidence From the Dead Sea Scrolls

 

 

 

 

 

a.

Their Importance

The society of Qumran,

 

 

 

 

 

b.

Their Number

 

325 no in our canon…

 

 

 

 

c.

Their Testimony

 

Many of these writings contain commentaries.

5.

Other Evidence

They were written after 435 BC, awaiting another prophet.

a.

Prologue to Ecclesiasticus

 

 

 

 

 

b.

Philo

40 bc – law prophets hymns precepts

 

 

 

 

c.

Josephus (37-100 A.D.)

 

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

(Josephus, /Against Apion/, 1.41)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

d.

Council of Jamnia (90 A.D.)