|
Responses
|
|
|
|
Unquestionably
Accepted
(homologoumena - spoken as one)
This was the majority of books.
|
Always Accepted
•34 of the 39 OT books fit into this category starting with the Law.
• Once accepted as divinely inspired, always accepted.
|
Always Accepted
• 20 of the 27 NT books were not questioned.
• All the church Fathers spoke in favor of their canonicity.
|
|
Accepted
but questioned
(antilegomena - spoken against)
The Old Latin version omitted Hebrews,
James, 1 & 2 Peter.
The Old Syriac Bible omitted 2 Peter,
2 & John, Jude and Revelation
|
Question 5 OT books
• Song of Solomon: too sensual
but really beautiful.
• Ecclesiastes: too pagan
but summary sets standard.
• Proverbs: self-contradictory
(Pr 26:4-5) but it isn't.
• Esther: no use of God's name
but God is very evident.
• Ezekiel: anti-Mosaic
but nothing contradictory
|
Question of 7 NT books
Hebrews: no clear author made the distant Western church suspicious.
James: Western church not certain James was the apostle; doctrinal conflict (justification).
2 Peter: highly debated because of style difference but this is due to the lack of a scribe (1 Pe 5:12).
2,3 John: was doubted because of vagueness of who the ‘elder' was and limited circulation.
Jude: questioned because of reference to Book of Enoch (14-5) which was not inspired.
Revelation:Debated longest because of doctrinal issue of chapter 20 and Montanists misuse of the book. Interestingly, it was one of first books recognized by church Fathers.
• Philemon, 1 Peter and 1 John at times lacked recognition but considered more omitted than disputed.
|
|
Accepted
only
by some
(apocrypha - hidden or doubtful)
|
15 Books of Apocrypha
• The acceptance of the apocrypha is largely due to the inclusion of it by Greek scholars in the Septuagint. Certain church fathers like Augustine accepted them. They have historical value.
• The apocrypha, however, was never accepted authoritative by the Jewish community nor does it claim to be so. Jerome rejected its inspiration.
OT Examples:
1, 2 Maccabees
Tobit
Ecclesiasticus
Prayer of Manasseh
|
11 Books of Apocrypha
• The acceptance of these books by some show their devotional value.
• These books, though, were never accepted as canonical nor did they claim or have the authority of the New Testament books.
NT Examples:
Epistle to Corinthians
Shepherd of Hermas
Ancient Homily
The Didache Teachings
|
|
Rejected
by
all
(pseudepigrapha - false writings)
|
The OT Pseudepigrapha
• These 17+ books were written between 200 BC and 200 AD.
• Although thy often claim to be written by biblical authors, they have been treated as spurious and even heretical at points.
OT Examples:
The Book of Adam and Eve,
Psalm 151,
The Assumption of Moses
|
The NT Pseudepigrapha
• By 9th century there were said to be 280 such books all of which are nearly unanimously rejected.
• They are heretical and most often books of cultic movements such as the Gnostics, Docetists, etc.
NT Examples:
Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Peter
Gospel of Nicodemus
Acts of Paul
Lost Epistle to Corinthians
|
