CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS can we trust the bible 3

24 Pages·2006·0.27 MB·English

CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS
Can We Trust The Bible Regarding the Canonicity of
the New Testament?
So far……..
• Our Dependency on the New Testament and
it’s reliability as a Historical Document.
• The Evidence of the Early Existence of the
New Testament.
• Archaeological Evidence Supporting the New
Testament as a reliable historical document.
• We Can we trust the Bible regarding it’s
Preservation and Translation.
• We can Trust The Bible Regarding the
Canonicity of the Old Testament?
Canonicity….
• The word "canon" means a rule or standard
for anything.
• For early Christians, it meant the rule of
faith, what is accepted as authoritative
Scripture.
The inclusion of any book into the
canon follows two basic steps...
• Inspiration by God
• God determined the canon by co-authoring
it.
• Recognition by men
• Man recognized what God revealed and
accepted it as the canon.
In regard to Old Testament Canon…
• Christians accept the Hebrew canon as
Scripture
• The Old Testament Apocrypha is not
accepted as Scripture
The canon of the New Testament is more
universally accepted...
• Its 27 books are viewed as Scripture by
both Catholics and Protestants
• Though other books (over 300) have been
proposed by some as Scripture
We want to answer two questions…..
• Did the early church acknowledge its own
canon?
• If so, upon what basis were some writings
accepted and others not?
THE RECOGNITION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
CANON
• THE EARLY CHURCH ADOPTED APOSTOLIC
WRITINGS AS CANONICAL...
• They continued steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine - Ac 2:42; cf. 2 Pe 3:2; Ju 17
• They received their words as the Word of God
- 1 Th 2:13; cf. 1 Co 14:37
• Paul quoted the gospel of Luke as Scripture - 1
Ti 5:18; cf. Lk 10:7
• Paul's letters were designed to be circulated
among the churches - Co 4:16
• Peter equated Paul's letters with "Scripture" - 2
Pe 3:15-16
THE RECOGNITION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
CANON
• THE CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTING A BOOK AS
CANONICAL...
• Written by an apostle (e.g., Matthew, John,
Paul, Peter)
• Written by a close associate of an apostle
(Mark, Luke, James, Jude)
THE RECOGNITION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
CANON
• WHEN AN APOSTOLIC WRITING WAS
CONSIDERED AS SCRIPTURE...
• It was read publicly - e.g., 1 Th 5:27
• It was circulated widely - e.g., Co 4:16; Re
1:11
• Copies of it were collected - e.g., 2 Pe 3:15-16
• It was often quoted in other writings - e.g., 1 Ti
5:18