I. The canonical books called Scripture.
A. As such.
1. Names given to these:
a. Holy Scripture (Often: Holy Writ); Scripture means literally: writings; Holy in the sense of Sacred or separate from all other writings.
b. Bible–from the Greek and meaning; books.
c. Testament (or, covenant): the revelation of the will of God for His people.
2. Scripture as “Canon.”
a. The word means that which is straight; a canon is a rod or wooden rule which accurately measures and determines the straightness of a thing.
b. Such is the position of Scripture in the life of the Christian.
1) It determines and sets forth the way in which we must walk.
2) And Scripture determines the correctness or error of our way.
B. The determination of the Canon of Scripture.
1. The Old Testament:
a. This contains 39 books, originally written in Hebrew (except for parts of Ezra, Daniel, and Jeremiah which were written in Chaldee–a similar language to Hebrew).
b. It can be divided into the (1) Pentateuch (5 tools or books), the first five books of Moses; (2) History (12); (3) Poetical (6); (4) Prophetical (four major and 12 minor prophets).
c. The determination of this as part of the Canon of Scripture:
1) Historically, all the O.T. books were collected to form one book by a body of learned Jewish scribes about the year 300 B.C.; others recognize the Jewish “Synod” of Jamnia (about 90 B.C.) as first officially and finally determining the O.T. Canon.
2) More significantly, Jesus and the apostles refer to the Old Testament Scriptures repeatedly and recognize these as God’s infallible Word (cf. Matt. 7:12; Luke 24:25, 27; Acts 28:23; II Tim. 3:15-16).
2. The New Testament:
a. Contains 27 books originally written in Greek.
b. These can be divided into (1) Four gospel accounts; (2) Historical (Acts); (3) 21 epistles; (4) One prophetical.
c. The determination of this part of Scripture as truly Canonical:
1) Historically, these 27 books were soon recognized by the early N.T. church as canonical (though there was dispute concerning some–as II Peter; Revelation), and were offically declared canonical by the Council of Hippo Regius (393 A.D.) and were again ratified by the Synod of Carthage in 397.
2) Some factors leading to the determination of their canonicity:
a) Were they written by the apostles or one closely connected with them?
b) Were they used and received by most of the churches?
c) Do the contents give evidence of its worthiness to be included?
d) Most important: does it reveal evidence of divine inspiration?
3) The Canon, in the final instance, is the work of God:
a) He determined it from all eternity.
b) By His Spirit, He led the church in the determination of the Canon by (1) working in their hearts the certainty that this was the Word of God, and (2) by showing them through the very books themselves that it was His Word.
C. Further information:
1. The principal translations of Scripture: (a) the Septuagint (literally, 70–because this was the number of men engaged in the translations), a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament; (b) The Vulgate (common, or, people’s) Bible–Latin translation by Jerome in 390 A.D. upon which the present R.C. Bible is based; the Dutch “Staten Bibel” of 1637; (d) Luther’s German translation of 1534; (e) English King James Version of 1611; (f) Revised Version in 1885; (g) American Standard Version in 1901.
2. The chapter divisions of the Bible are attributed to Cardinal Hugo of the Middle Ages; the verse divisions by Robert Stephen, a protestant, in the 16th century.
II. Our confession concerning these Canonical Books:
A. We believe this to be the Word of God by faith.
1. Note how this article begins: we believe.
2. This implies that faith only confesses thus concerning the Holy Scriptures.
a. Mere human reason will not lead to a confession that this is God’s Word.
b. But God through the Spirit must work that in us.
B. And we confess that against these nothing can be alleged.
1. This suggests that nothing can be alleged against the inclusion of these 66 books in the Canon of Scripture.
2. But also: nothing can be alleged against the individual books as far as their spiritual content is concerned. It is all the infallible Word of God.
Worksheet
A. Supplementary reading:
1. Luke 16:29-31; Matthew 5:17-18.
2. Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day VII.
3. Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 4.
B. Prooftext to be committed to memory (Proof for inspiration of Scripture): II Tim. 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
C. Questions for study and consideration:
1. Concerning this article:
a. How do you account for the fact that one Bible-book is missing from the list?
b. Is it correct to ascribe Hebrews to Paul as author?
c. What is the meaning of “Paralipomenon”?
d. Why are Ruth and Judges reversed in order?
e. Why does it speak of “first of Ezra”?
2. From what facts does the Westminster Catechism conclude that Scripture is God’s Word?
3. In Luke 16, what do “Moses and the prophets? represent? What does this prove?
4. In Matt. 5:17-18:
a. What are the “law and prophets” of which Jesus speaks?
b. What was the relation of Jesus to the “law and prophets”?
5. How is the knowledge of Scripture related to faith?
6. What must we say of the discussions or arguments regarding the “authorship” of various of the books of Scripture?
7. Which version of the Bible ought we to use? Why?
8. What if another book, written by an apostle, should be discovered? Ought we to add it to the Bible now?
9. What could you say of other “missing” books mentioned in the Bible? (cf. Numbers 21:14; Joshua 10:13; II Chron. 9:29; 12:15; Col. 4:16)