Canon Of Scripture Analysis

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This lesson considers two related ideas: the authority of the Scriptures and the Canon of Scripture. We say that the Bible is God’s word to us today, but how did the Bible come into being. Today the Bible has sixty-six books in them. We say that these sixty-six books are the word of God to His church. But there have not always been sixty-six books. In the early days of Israel, there was a time when all that the people of God possessed were the five books of Moses. Other books were then added over time until the Old Testament was complete. In the beginning of the New Testament age, the Bible of the early church was the Word of God in the Old Testament. Over time the Gospels and letters of the apostles were added to the Scriptures. Later, men…show more content…
First, what were the historical processes that led to the church recognizing a certain section of books as God’s Word? Second, is there a theology of the canon? Due to the way the Scriptures were written, it is also important to divide the forming of the canon between the Old Testament and the New Testament. 2. The History of the Canon The history of the canon is complicated. Today we are so used to seeing the Bible in one book that we forget that it came to us in sections and over time. We also forget that there have been disputes as to what is and is not in the canon. 3. The Theology of the Canon The authority of the Scriptures is based on the Son of God. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that God spoke to men in stages, the final stage being the revelation in his Son. He says, Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, (2) but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world (Heb. 1:1,2). The verses tell us that God was speaking in the Old Testament. He did so 1) on many occasions, 2) in a number of ways, and 3) He spoke through the prophets. Although God spoke in the Old Testament the great final revelation of God occurred when He sent His Son. This was the final and complete revelation of…show more content…
We will begin studying how God spoke through the prophets in the Old Testament, and then we will consider how God spoke to us in and through His Son in the New Testament. 3.1. The Old Testament The formation of the Old Testament occurred in stages. The Jews divided the Scriptures into the Law, the prophets, and the writings. We will use the same division to explain how the Old Testament came into being. The foundation of the Old Testament is the Law, the first five books of Moses. The other two sections, the prophets and the writings, both build on the Law. If the Law laid the foundation, then the other aspects are like the walls of the house, they flow and build upon the foundation. The Scripture has one great message, one great theme, and since God is the ultimate author, the Scriptures are one book, and each part builds on the other and develops the same themes and truths. 3.1.1. The Law, the Pentateuch The first stage in the development of the Scriptures was the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses. God spoke to Israel through Moses. God confirmed that Moses was His prophet by many signs and wonders (Deut.
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