How the Bible Came to Us
The Canonization of the OT
Review
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The Bible as the Word of God
The Birth of the Bible
Overview of the OT
Overview of the NT
Introduction to Text Types and the Unity
of the Bible
The Canonization of the OT
• The Jewish people preserved the writings of
the prophets because they believed them to
come directly from God.
• This is standard practice for any major world
religion.
• It is important to note that these books did not
receive their authority because they were
placed in the canon; rather, they were
recognized as having intrinsic authority and
were therefore included in the canon.
– Keep in mind that the various books of the OT
came into being over a period of some 1400
years.
Definition of Canonization
• Canon refers to a collection or list of
books that are accepted as an
authoritative rule of faith and practice.
– The word is derived from a Greek word
(kanw,n) that refers to any type of standard
or guideline.
– The term later came to mean a list of
books which were regarded as
authoritative.
– Some books were more readily accepted
than others.
Designations of the OT Canon
• The earliest reference to the OT as “the
(Most) Holy Scriptures or Writings” (grafa,i)
appears in the works of Philo (c. 20 B.C. –
A.D. 50).
• Josephus, writing about A.D. 90-100, refers to
these works as i`erw/n bi,blwn, “sacred books”
and noted the scrupulous accuracy with
which they were copied.
• It is clear that by NT times the OT canon (“the
Law, the Prophets, and the Writings”) was
established and revered by the Jews, and
subsequently by Christians, as revelation
from God.
Formation of the OT Canon
• There is still a great deal of uncertainty about this
process.
• The earliest transmission of biblical materials was
probably oral.
– At some point they were committed to writing to ensure
accuracy.
– The stone tables containing the Ten Commandments and
the Law of Moses were among the earliest written
documents.
• Daniel 9:2 is one of the earliest references to a
sacred collection of prophetic writings:
– “...in the first year of his [Darius’] reign I, Daniel, observed in
the books the number of the years which was revealed as
the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the
completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy
years.”
Formation of the OT Canon
• There is some evidence that after the
destruction of Solomon’s temple in 586
B.C., there was a new emphasis on the
collection and study of Scripture.
• Jewish tradition recognized that
prophecy had ceased after the ministry
of Malachi in about 400 B.C., yet the
writings of the prophets remained
through the intertestamental period.
Formation of the OT Canon
• “In all its essentials the canon was most
probably complete by about 300 B.C.,
and while discussion concerning certain
component parts was continued well
into the Christian era, the substance of
the canon as it existed a century and a
half after the time of Ezra and
Nehemiah remained unaffected by
these controversies” (R. K. Harrison,
Introduction to the Old Testament, 287).
Two Views of the Canon
• Protestant
– The church recognized
the biblical books as
inspired texts.
– The Bible as God’s Word
created the church.
– The Bible alone is
inspired.
– Revelation has ceased.
– The Apocrypha is not
accepted as inspired.
• Roman Catholic
– The church authorized the
Bible.
– The church created the
Bible.
– The Bible and church
tradition are authoritative.
– Revelation is continuing.
– The Apocrypha is
accepted.
Evidence for a Closed OT Canon
• Evidence for a closed OT canon by the
second century B.C. comes from several
sources:
– The LXX (250 – 100 B.C.) – The earliest extant
mss from the 4th and 5th century do include some
apocryphal books, but these may have been
added to the canonical books.
– Prologue to Ecclesiasticus (132 B.C) – refers to
Hebrew Bible by “the law, the prophets, and the
others that followed them.”
– NT (45 to 95 A.D.) – Jesus uses the common
tripartite division (Luke 24:44). NT writers quote
from almost all of the OT books.
– Josephus, Origen, Jerome, and other external
sources confirm a 22 (or 24) book Hebrew canon
matching the 39 books in our English Bibles.
Continuing Questions Regarding
the OT Canon
• At the Council of Jamnia in A.D. 90, questions
arose regarding the canonicity of five OT
books:
– Ezekiel
• Issues: Ezek 40-48 seemed to contradict the Pentateuch;
temple dimensions did not match up with any historical
temple.
• Resolution: issues were matter of interpretation rather
than inspiration.
– Proverbs
• Issue: Certain proverbs were self-contradictory (e.g.
Prov. 26:4-5).
• Resolution: sometimes it is better to keep silent,
sometimes a fool must be rebuked. Again, interpretation
is the issue, not inspiration.
Continuing Questions Regarding
the OT Canon
– Esther
• Issues: Does not claim to be inspired; nowhere
mentions the name of God; mentions the feast
of Purim, a festival not mentioned in the
Pentateuch.
• Resolution: God’s providence, if not His name,
is very conspicuous in the book. He delivered
His people; ruled canonical.
– Ecclesiastes
• Issues: Man’s wisdom, not God’s; too
pessimistic and skeptical.
• Resolution: remained in the canon, and
rightfully so.
Continuing Questions Regarding
the OT Canon
• Song of Songs
– Issue: graphic description of sexual love.
– Resolution: interpreted allegorically as
God’s love for Israel or Christ’s love for the
Church. Remained in Canon.
Canons for Canonicity
• Though there are no explicit scriptural
statements that provide tests for canonicity,
the following criteria have been suggested for
a book to pass:
– It does not contain contradictions.
– It was written by a prophet or someone recognized
as having divine authority.
– It originated through inspiration from God (“The
word of the Lord came” or “Thus says the Lord”).
– It was recognized and accepted by the Jews as
authoritative material.
Next Time:
The Canonization of the NT