The Canon of Scripture

1.Debates, Conundrums, and Essential Principles

1. The thesis of this book - the Bible is self-authenticating
2. The Reformation position
3. Modern Protestant approaches to canon are inadequate
4. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox approaches are inadequate

2.Who May Canonize Scripture?

3.Prophetic Canonization Illustrated in the Old Testament

1. Prophetic canonization illustrated in the Pentateuch
2. Prophetic canonization illustrated in the canon’s expansion

4.Prophetic Canonization Illustrated in the New Testament

1. The New Testament builds on the Old Testament; it does not replace the Old Testament
2. The oral “tradition” (deposit) given from Father to Son, from Son to apostles, and from apostles to prophets and church has exactly the same content as Scripture
3. How this deposit of Christ was written down in canonical books

5.Apocrypha Written Before Christ?

1. All canonical Scripture was considered to be prophetic
2. All prophecy ceased in 400 BC
3. The previous information rules out 100% of the apocrypha of Rome, Eastern Orthodoxy, Coptic, and Ethiopic church
4. Objection - What about the claimed quote of 1 Enoch 1:9 in Jude 1:14-15?

6.Closing of the Canon in AD 70

1. OT predictions of the closing of the New Testament canon
2. All “New Testament” apocrypha and later cultic writings were written after AD 70 and therefore are not canonical
3. Conclusion

7.More on Closing the Canon in AD 70

1. The importance of interpreting the New Testament in light of the Old (Acts 17:11)
2. New Testament passages that say the same thing as Isaiah, Daniel, Zechariah, and Joel

8.Objections Raised by Continuationists

1. The claim that New Testament prophecy is different from Old Testament prophecy refuted
2. Grudem’s exegesis of Ephesians 2-3 refuted
3. Questions raised about the nature of prophecy in Acts 21
4. Questions raised on the daughters who prophesied in verse 9.
5. Questions raised about Agabus.
6. What difference does it make?

9.What About the “Lost Books of the Bible”?

1. Inspiration alone is not the criteria for canonicity
2. God promised that His Providence will preserve every word of His canon in every age
3. God holds us accountable to every word of Scripture
4. God promised to ensure faithful transmission of the text
5. Isolated texts should be seen as suspect

10.The Church Fathers’ Doctrine of Canon

1. The early church’s view of tradition = Sola Scriptura
2. The early church’s view of authority = Sola Scriptura
3. The early church’s view of inerrancy and infallibility = Sola Scriptura
4. The early church held to the sufficiency of Scripture for faith and practice
5. The early church’s view of canon = self-authentication (Sola Scriptura)
6. The majority of the church took a stand against the Apocrypha
7. Church fathers on the connection between prophecy and canon and the definitive closing of the canon
8. Counter-evidence some have raised

Appendix A: The Westminster Divines

Appendix B: Prophets Quoting Prophets as Scripture

1. Joshua
2. 1 Samuel
3. 2 Samuel
4. 1 Kings
5. 2 Kings
6. Ezra
7. Psalms
8. Proverbs
9. Isaiah
10. Jeremiah
11. Daniel
12. Hosea
13. Joel
14. Amos
15. Obadiah
16. Jonah
17. Micah
18. Habakkuk

Appendix C: The Supposed Problem of Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah