The Bible as a source of wisdom and authority (C)
How the Christian biblical canon was established
Canon: Official story line
In Greek, the term canon referred to a measuring rod. It now has two related meanings:
1. Norm: the standard by which we judge something
2. A standardised list
Early christians used a wide range of books to guide their faith; however the Church Fathers
considered that some of these books could be misleading in faith and practice.
For Christians, the ‘canon’ is an official and standardised list of scripture established by the
early church. It is called the Bible.
The Christian claim about the canon
It is a bold claim to call the Bible canon, as the books span nearly 1000 years are written by
dozens of authors in many different languages and encompass a wide variety of literary genres
from historical accounts to poetry and parables.
Most books were included unanimously as the Hebrew Scriptures, the letters of Paul, and the
four Gospels were invaluable to their churches.
There were disagreements on some books as their origins and importance were questioned.
The Jewish Canon
The Jewish Bible isn’t the same as the Christian Old Testament.
Jewish believers don’t see it as ‘old’ - It is God’s eternal revelation to Israel.
Not all Christian Old Testaments are the same, but all Jews agree on the books in the Hebrew
Scriptures.
They are presented in a three fold division:
1. The Law (Torah) - The five books traditionally thought to be written by Moses
2. The Prophets (Nevi’im) - these include the ‘former prophets’, the ‘latter prophets’ and the
12 ‘minor prophets’
3. A diverse set of writings (Kethuvim) - poetry, prophecy and history
Many Jews refer to the Hebrew Bible as TNK (Torah, Nevi’im, and Kethuvim).
How the Christian biblical canon was established
Canon: Official story line
In Greek, the term canon referred to a measuring rod. It now has two related meanings:
1. Norm: the standard by which we judge something
2. A standardised list
Early christians used a wide range of books to guide their faith; however the Church Fathers
considered that some of these books could be misleading in faith and practice.
For Christians, the ‘canon’ is an official and standardised list of scripture established by the
early church. It is called the Bible.
The Christian claim about the canon
It is a bold claim to call the Bible canon, as the books span nearly 1000 years are written by
dozens of authors in many different languages and encompass a wide variety of literary genres
from historical accounts to poetry and parables.
Most books were included unanimously as the Hebrew Scriptures, the letters of Paul, and the
four Gospels were invaluable to their churches.
There were disagreements on some books as their origins and importance were questioned.
The Jewish Canon
The Jewish Bible isn’t the same as the Christian Old Testament.
Jewish believers don’t see it as ‘old’ - It is God’s eternal revelation to Israel.
Not all Christian Old Testaments are the same, but all Jews agree on the books in the Hebrew
Scriptures.
They are presented in a three fold division:
1. The Law (Torah) - The five books traditionally thought to be written by Moses
2. The Prophets (Nevi’im) - these include the ‘former prophets’, the ‘latter prophets’ and the
12 ‘minor prophets’
3. A diverse set of writings (Kethuvim) - poetry, prophecy and history
Many Jews refer to the Hebrew Bible as TNK (Torah, Nevi’im, and Kethuvim).
