Canon and Divisions

8/12/2019 Canon and Divisions

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CANON AND DIVISIONS

Chua, Fernandez, Joaquin, Kim and Palabay


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1. HOW WAS THE BIBLE CONSTRUCTED?

Passed orallyWritten down on scrolls and codices

Rewritten for distribution and translated

Redaction edited and assembled intocohesive text


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1. HOW WAS THE BIBLE CONSTRUCTED?

Old testament books were mostly writtenby religious priests, kings, prophets, and

judges in the history of Israel

New testament books were mostly writtenby disciplines of Jesus Christ orcontemporary believers


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2. HOW WERE THE AUTHORS SELECTED?

Canonization1) Composition manuscripts were written from either oral

stories and teachings or from scripts2) Community manuscripts were read, circulated and

edited by religious communities3) Criteria different groups accepted different scriptures4) Collection scriptures were compiled in single scrolls,

codices and books *note: the physical manner of

collection also influenced canonical decisions5) Canon a defined group of scriptures in a single

collection accepted by a religious community as The Bible


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3. WHO COMPILED THE BOOKS IN THE BIBLE?

Jewish rabbis

Scholars

Early Christians


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4. WHO ARRANGED THE BOOKS?

Stephen Langton put the modern chapter divisions(commonly used today) intoplace around A.D. 1227The Wycliffe English Bible of 1382 first adapted this chapterpatternAfter the Wycliffe Bible, almost all bible translations followed suit

Nathan, a Jewish rabbi in A.D. 1448 divided the Hebrew OT into verses

Robert Estienne, a.k.a Stephanus

First divided the NT into standard numbered verses in 1555Used Nathans verse divisions for the OTNearly all bible versions followed Stephanus divisions


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5. IN WHAT ORDER ARE THE BOOKS IN THE

BIBLE ARRANGED?

The Order Of Gospels The order of the four gospels, Matthew,

Mark, Luke, and John is known as the

Augustinian order. This is named after the earlyChurch Father, Augustine. Augustine concludedthat the gospels were written in thischronological order Matthew the first andJohn the last. Most modern scholars assumethat Mark was written first.


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5. IN WHAT ORDER ARE THE BOOKS IN THE

BIBLE ARRANGED?

The Order Of The New Testament Letters In the western Church, the letters of Paul are placed

before the general letters. In the eastern Church this isreversed the general letters come before Paul's writings.

The Order Of Paul s Writings The thirteen letters of the Apostle Paul are not ordered

as to when they were written but rather according to theirlength. The Book of Romans is the longest letter that Paul

wrote to the churches while Colossians is the shortest. FirstTimothy is the longest letter that Paul wrote to an individualwhile Philemon is the shortest.


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6. WHY WERE THE OTHER GOSPELS REMOVED

FROM THE BIBLE?

Some almost made the canon:Letter of Clement; The Didache

Some were written too late:First Apology by Justin Martyr

Some were labeled heretical:The Gospel of Thomas (Gnostic manuscript)

Some were not popular enough:The Gospel of the Hebrews


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6. WHY WERE THE OTHER GOSPELS REMOVED

FROM THE BIBLE?

Some were considered outrageous:Infancy Gospel of Thomas

Speaks about a story where Jesus curses a boy and makes him witherup. In the next story, Jesus strikes dead a child who bumped into hisshoulder.

Some were banned (said to contain heresies)Gospel of Judas

Gnostic (Talked about Judas as a hero instead of a traitor)

Some were lost:Many books were lost (ex. The Didache, and The Book of Jasher)

Some were dismissed as merely historical:Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius (essential document for thestudy of church history)


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7. WHY IS THERE A NEW AND OLD TESTAMENT?

The Bible is separated into two, The old and thenew testament. Old Testament recordshappened Before Christ while The NewTestament indicate things that happenedduring Jesus' time and what followed it.


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8. HOW MANY BOOKS SHOULD BE IN EACH

TESTAMENT?

The Bible has a total of 73 books. Roman Catholic OldTestaments follow an ancient Christian Old Testament calledthe Septuagint, which includes all the same books as theJewish Bible, plus seven more (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,Numbers, Deuturonomy, Joshua & Judges).Thus, Roman Catholic Old Testaments have 46 books,including Tobit; Judith, Wisdom; Ecclesiasticus, The Wisdomof Joshua, the Son of Sirach; Baruch; First Maccabees;Second Maccabees; and additions to the books or Danieland Esther whilst the New Testament have 27 books, mainlythe 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) and the acts ofthe apostles till Revelation.


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9. CAN YOU ADD TO THE BIBLE?

Revelation 22:18-19"I warn everyone who hears the words of theprophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them,God will add to him the plagues described inthis book, and if anyone takes away from thewords of the book of this prophecy, God will

take away his share in the tree of life and in theholy city, which are described in this book."


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Proverbs 30:5-6Every word of God proves true;he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.Do not add to his words,lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.


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Matthew 24:24For false christs and false prophets will ariseand perform great signs and wonders, so as tolead astray, if possible, even the elect.


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John 20:30-31The Purpose of This BookNow Jesus did many other signs in thepresence of the disciples, which are not writtenin this book; 31 but these are written so thatyou may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the

Son of God, and that by believing you may havelife in his name.


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Ephesians 2:20Built on the foundation of the apostles andprophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief

cornerstoneMalachi 3:6

For I am the Lord, I do not change


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2 Corinthians 12:3,4And I know that such a person whether in the body orout of the body I do not know; God know was caught

up into Paradise and heard things that are not to betold, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.

Revelation 10:4And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about towrite; but I heard a voice from heaven say, Seal upwhat the seven thunders have said and do not write itdown


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10. WHY DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO END WITH

REVELATIONS?

Biblical chronologyThe Book of Revelations was one of the last to beaccepted among the Biblical canons. Somecommunities did not accept the Book of Revelation(Apocalypse) as Scripture.

Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, also rejected it and forbade it'sreading in public or private as well.Athanasius, Bishop of Alexanderia, accepted it as Scriptureas it is shown in his festal letter of 367 A.D.

Disputes over the canonicity of the Book of Revelationcontributed to divisions in the Eastern Church communities,and some Greek Churches of today do not accept it asSacred Scripture.


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10. WHY DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO END WITH

REVELATIONS?

The Book of Genesis must be the first book ofScripture because it records the beginning ofall created things. In the same manner, theBook of Revelation must stand last because itchronicles the end of all things present as wellas the promise of a new heaven and a new

earth.


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SOURCES:

http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/outside.stm

http://www.catholicevangelism.org/h-canon1.shtml

http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/canons.stm

http://www.bibletruths.net/Archives/BTAR125.htm
http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/outside.stmhttp://www.catholicevangelism.org/h-canon1.shtmlhttp://www.catholicevangelism.org/h-canon1.shtmlhttp://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/canons.stmhttp://www.bibletruths.net/Archives/BTAR125.htmhttp://www.bibletruths.net/Archives/BTAR125.htmhttp://www.bibletruths.net/Archives/BTAR125.htmhttp://www.bibletruths.net/Archives/BTAR125.htmhttp://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/canons.stmhttp://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/canons.stmhttp://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/canons.stmhttp://www.catholicevangelism.org/h-canon1.shtmlhttp://www.catholicevangelism.org/h-canon1.shtmlhttp://www.catholicevangelism.org/h-canon1.shtmlhttp://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/outside.stmhttp://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/outside.stmhttp://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/outside.stm

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Canon and Divisions