BIBLE AND CANON
Frigge, chapters 1,2
Bible - biblia (GK) - “books”
- a library reflecting “faith that developed and changed over long
periods of time.” (11)
Whose faith?
Ancient Hebrews? Israelites? Jews? Judeans?
(all names for the same people)
For Jews and Christians, the Bible is“revelation” (unveiling)
- it is “God’s self-manifestation through realities of the created
world” (13)
Jewish Bibles - Hebrew Scriptures - written in Hebrew, primarily
Christian Bibles - both Hebrew Scriptures (“Old Testament”) and Newer
(“New”) Testament ( Greek, a little Aramaic)
Testament = Covenant (sacred promise)
Libraries contain collections: What are the collections of writing in the
Bible?
Collections of writings in Bible:
TORAH, NEV’IM, KETHUVIM - What are these?
GOSPELS, ACTS, EPISTLES, REVELATION(APOCALYPTIC) - What are
these?
CANONIZATION - A PROCESS
Canon - kanon ( Greek) - literally, “a reed.” Means “a rule or measure.”
- Both the measure and the result of it (biblical canon)
How did the canon we now have come about?
HEBREW CANON: CRITERIA IMPORTANT IN DISCUSSIONS
1. Conformity to teachings of the Torah
2. Inspiration – the community had to consider the writings to have
been divinely inspired (so nothing believed to have been written after
5th century BCE was considered)
3. Hebrew language – writings had to be composed in Hebrew
4. Widespread usage — those texts recognized as authoritative for the
larger community had already found a general acceptance among a
variety of local communities.
SECOND TESTAMENT
Why might first century believers begun writing?
1. To preserve eye witness accounts of Jesus’ life
2. To record the teachings for future generations (the end of time
hadn’t come)
3. The Christian movement had spread, and groups of believers
encountered problems with which they needed help.
4. As new converts were brought into the faith, the churches needed
a source for their instruction.
CRITERIA THAT INFLUENCED THE EARLY CHURCH IN CONSIDERING
TEXTS FOR INCLUSION IN THEIR CANON
Frigge:
1. APOSTOLICITY - the writings preserved thetradition/teachings of the
apostles
2. ORTHODOXY - teachings in the writing was in line with the faith of
the church
3. WIDESPREAD USAGE OF THE WRITING – the documents were used
by many congregations
Other scholars include:
4.ANTIQUITY – the texts were believed to have been written in the age
of the apostles – when writers would have had contact with the
apostles
5. INSPIRATION - the writing was believed to have been inspired by God