Welcome to the iN ForumTONIGHT’S TOPIC: CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?

Can We Trust the Bible?01.10.16 | Authority, Trustworthiness, & Transmission

Tonight | Canonization, Apocrypha, & Pseudoepigrapha 01.24.16 | Translations and Other Sacred Writings

01.31.16 | Eyewitness Testimony & Authenticity of Originals

A reliable collection of historical documents…

66 Books3 Languages3 Continents1500 Years

1 Cohesive Narrative

The Bible is the best-attested work of the ancient world.

The transmission of texts is trustworthy.

But do we trust the right texts?

I. What is The Canon?II. Criteria For the CanonIII. Development of the CanonIV. Books of the Canon

a. New Testamentb. Old Testament

V. The ApocryphaVI. The PseudoepigraphaVII. Conscious of writing canon?

Canon = standard, or rule

Canonization began immediately & organically.

THE APOSTLE’S WRITINGS WERE:(1) accepted & publicly read,

(2) copied & collected,(3) & circulated.

THE MURATORIAN CANONEarliest canonical list (170 CE)

Includes 22 of the 27 New Testament Books Leaves out Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, and 3 John.Includes Wisdom of Solomon & Apocalypse of Peter.Shepherd of Hermas: good but not be read in church.

QUOTATIONS BY EARLY CHURCH FATHERSClement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Origin,

Justin Martyr, Tertullian, etc.

CODEX BAROCACCIOCanonical list in codex form (206 CE)Includes 64 books (Old & New Testament)

Does not include Esther or Revelation

LIST BY ORIGENA list of the 27 New Testament books (250 CE)

THE FESTAL LETTER OF ATHANASIUSA list of the 27 New Testament books (367 CE)

THE COUNCILS OF HIPPO & CARTHAGE Local councils stamp of approval on 27 booksOf the New Testament in 393 CE and 397 CE

The Canon was received organically by the church in accordance to eyewitness authority and orthodoxy.

Canon CriteriaApostolicity: Eyewitness testimony to Jesus Christ

Orthodoxy: Alignment to theology in accordance with apostolic/eyewitness testimony

Universality: Validated by the global body of Christ

New Testament CanonMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatians EphesiansPhilippiansColossians

1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemon HebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John

3 JohnJudeRevelation

The Antilegomena (BOOKS DISPUTED BY SOME)

HebrewsJames

2nd Peter2nd & 3rd John

JudeRevelation

Old Testament CanonGenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings

1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiah EstherJobPsalms ProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiah

JeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkuk

Zephaniah HaggaiZechariahMalachi

Apocrypha = hidden

Old Testament Apocrypha• Wisdom of Solomon

(ca. 30 BCE)• Ecclesiasticus / Sirach

(ca. 132 BCE)• Tobit (ca. 200 BCE)• Judith (ca. 150 BCE)• 1 Esdras (ca. 150-100 BCE)• 2 Esdras (ca. 100 CE)• 1 Maccabees (ca. 110 BCE)• 2 Maccabees

(ca. 110-70 BCE)• Baruch (ca. 150-50 BCE)

• Letter of Jeremiah (ca. 300 BCE)

• Additions to Esther (ca. 140-130 BCE)

• Prayer of Azariah (ca. 1st Cent BCE)

• Song of Three Children (ca. 1st Cent BCE)

• Susanna (ca. 1st Cent BCE)• Bel and the Dragon

(ca. 1st Cent. BCE) * Prayer of Manasseh

New Testament Apocrypha• Epistle of Pseudo-Barnabas

(ca. 70-79 CE)• Letter of Clement / Epistle

to the Corinthians (ca. 96 CE)

• Shepherd of Hermas (ca. 115-140 CE)

• The Didache (ca. 100-120 CE)

• The Apocalypse of Peter (ca. 150 CE)

• The Acts of Paul and Thecla (ca. 170 CE)

• Epistle to the Laodiceans (ca. 4th Cent. CE)

• Gospel According to the Hebrews (ca. 65-100 CE)

• The Epistle of Polycarp (ca. 108 CE)

• The Seven Epistles of Ignatius (ca. 110 CE)

Pseudoepigrapha = false writings

Old Testament Pseudoepigrapha (200BCE - 200 CE)

• Book of Jubilee• Letter of Aristeas• The Book of Adam & Eve• The Martyrdom of Isaiah • 1 Enoch• 2 Enoch (The Book of the

Secrets of Enoch)• The Testament of the Twelve

Patriarchs• The Sibylline Oracle

• The Assumption of Moses• 2 Baruch• 3 Baruch• 3 Maccabees• 4 Maccabees• Psalms of Solomon

New Testament Pseudoepigrapha• Gospel of Peter

(ca. 2nd Cent. CE)• Gospel of Judas

(ca. 2nd Cent. CE)• Gospel of Philip

(ca. 3rd Cent. CE)• Gospel of Thomas

(ca. 1st Cent. CE)• The Gospel of Pseu-

do-Matthew (ca. 5th Cent. CE)

• Gospel of Nicodemus (ca. 5th Cent. CE)

• Gospel of Joseph the Carpenter (ca. 5th Cent. CE)

• Arabic Gospel of Childhood (ca. 2nd Cent. CE)

• Gospel of Truth (ca. 2nd Cent. CE)

• Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians

• Gospel of the Ebionites (ca. 2nd Cent. CE)

• The Acts of Peter (ca. 2nd Cent. CE)

• The Acts of John (ca. 2nd Cent. CE)

• The Acts of Thomas (ca. 3rd Cent. CE)

• The Lost Epistle to the Corinthians (ca. 3rd Cent. CE)

• The Apocalypse of Peter (ca. 2nd Cent. CE)

• The Apocalypse of Paul (ca. 3rd Cent. CE)

• The Apocalypse of Stephen (ca. 3rd Cent. CE)

The Canon was received organically by the church in accordance to eyewitness authority and orthodoxy.

Conscious of writing canon?1 Thessalonians 2:132 Thessalonians 2:151 Corinthians 14:37-38

Luke 1:1-4Revelation 1:1-3

“It used to be said that the New Testament writers “didn’t think they were writing ‘Scripture.’” That is hard to sustain historically today. The fact that their writings were, in var-ious senses, “occasional”…is not to the point. At precise-ly those points of urgent need (when, for instance, writing Galatians or 2 Corinthians) Paul is most conscious that he is writing as one authorized, by the apostolic call he had received from Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Spirit, to bring life and order to the church by his words.”

- N.T.WrightLeading British New Testament Scholar

MA, BA, DPhil, DD (Oxford)

Historicity & Theology