Important theological terms for the beginners - Part VI || Scripture and Canon || 2025

byKevin Shrestha 3/06/2025 10:15:00 PM

1) Bible: Greek term biblia as a root word meaning simply books

66 Books - 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament

2) Testaments: Old Testament:- Written in Hebrew, Genesis to Malachi (before coming of Christ)

New Testament:- Written in Greek, Matthew to Revelation (after coming of Christ)

Old Testament is the story of a nation, and the New Testament is the story of a Man. The nation was God’s way of bringing the Man—Jesus Christ—into the world.

Greek Septuagint = Old testament translated into Greek, comes from the Latin word for “seventy.” which is number of Jewish scholars as the translators behind the Septuagint, in third and second centuries BC in Alexandria, Egypt

3) Intertestamental period: 400 Years gap period between Malachi and Matthew or Jesus’ appearance,

lasted from the prophet Malachi’s time (about 400 BC) to the preaching of John the Baptist (about AD 25),

during which God was believed to be silent.

The political, religious, and social atmosphere of Israel changed significantly during this period. Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8, and 11

4) Genre: Just as any typical books of the world, the Bible too has distinctive use of writings from wide varieties of literary styles such as Narrative (Gospels), historic (Acts, Ruth, Judges), poetic (Psalms, Proverb, Song of Songs), prophetic (Daniel, Jeremiah), apocalyptic (Revelation), personal letters (Philemon, Timothy, Titus), letters to church (Corinthians). Each of these genres have their own distinctive rules of interpretation. However, all the books of the Bible are miraculously unified in one theme of redemption despite their differences in genres.

5) Translations: These three kinds of translation techniques are used so that readers can have a better Bible study and understanding. word to word (KJV, ESV), meaning to meaning (NIV), paraphrase (MSG, NLT)

6) Canon: The authenticate numbers of books approved and collected to be in Bible that are inspired and authoritative. Bible is complete; no more books are being added to it.

• by A.D. 250 there was nearly universal agreement on the canon of Hebrew Scripture.

• For the New Testament, the process of the recognition and collection began in the first centuries of the Christian church.

• Paul considered Luke’s writings to be as authoritative as the Old Testament (1 Timothy 5:18; see also Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7). Peter recognized Paul’s writings as Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16).

• The New Testament books receiving the most controversy were Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, and 3 John.

• The first “canon” was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in AD 170. The Muratorian Canon included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, and 3 John.

Criteria:

1) Was the author an apostle or have a close connection with an apostle?

2) Is the book being accepted by the body of Christ at large?

3) Did the book contain consistency of doctrine and orthodox teaching?

4) Did the book bear evidence of high moral and spiritual values that would reflect a work of the Holy Spirit?

7) Non-canonical books: Perhaps, secular world might show you some of the stories that would sound associated with the Biblical stories and yet have no space in the Bible itself for e.g. Jesus had romantic relationship with Mary Magdalene. Such contents are actually the part of this category. contains some historical and even religious books which aren't part of inspiration and authority.

7.1) Apocrypha/ deuterocanonical: the books that were written during intertestamental period. Apocrypha means hidden and deuterocanonical means second canon. E.g. The books of the Apocrypha include 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, Prayer of Manasseh, 1 Maccabees, and 2 Maccabees, as well as additions to the books of Esther and Daniel. Israel respected them but never treated as part of the Bible.

Why rejected?

• Not quoted in the New Testament

• Never quoted by Jesus himself

• Rejected by Jewish community

• Early church leaders didn’t affirm them

• Has many false teachings: e.g. use of magic in Tobit 6:5-7; salvation by works in Tobit 4:11; money offered for sins of dead in 2 Maccabees 12:43-45

7.2) Pseudepigrapha:

the books that attempt to imitate Scripture but that were written under false names. written around 200 BC to 300 AD. They have historical errors and also false teachings. E.g. book of Enoch (Jude 1:14-15 is taken from here), Gospel according to Thomas, etc.

7.3) Agrapha: words or quotes attributed to Jesus that aren't recorded directly anywhere in the Gospels. Its authenticity is hence questionable unless supported by other parts of scripture or mentioned by apostolic authority.

First are sayings that are not found in the gospels but are nonetheless attributed to Christ in other parts of the Bible. For example, in Acts 20:35 i.e. Paul says, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Which is not found anywhere in the Gospels but gets its authenticity because both book of Acts and Paul are canonical.

Second are sayings attributed to Christ but which are really just summaries of teachings from the gospels. E.g. Clement of Rome wrote in his first epistle, “For thus He spoke: ‘Be ye merciful, that ye may obtain mercy; forgive, that it may be forgiven to you; as ye do, so shall it be done unto you; as ye judge, so shall ye be judged; as ye are kind, so shall kindness be shown to you; with what measure ye mete, with the same it shall be measured to you’” (chapter 13) which seems to be summarized form of Sermon on the Mount, hence consistent although non-canonical.

Third, supposed sayings of Christ that are at least “harmonious” with Scripture. These are not summaries or paraphrases of what Jesus actually said, but, at the same time, they do not conflict with Scripture. For example, this saying from the Coptic Apocryphal Gospels contains no erroneous doctrine: “Better is a single footstep in My Father’s house than all the wealth of this world.” This is consistent but non-canonical.

Fourth, that includes sayings inconsistent with Scripture and which can therefore be rejected as actual sayings of Jesus. For example, the Gospel According to the Hebrews has Jesus making reference to “my mother the Holy Spirit”—words that are obviously dissimilar with canonical revelation.