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The Canonicity of the Old Testament

The Canonicity of the Old Testament. “There is a dwindling number of educated Christians who continue to assert the inerrancy of scripture in all respects.” - E. A. Taylor.

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The Canonicity of the Old Testament

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  1. The Canonicity of the Old Testament

  2. “There is a dwindling number of educated Christians who continue to assert the inerrancy of scripture in all respects.” - E. A. Taylor

  3. “A copy of the sacred volume is handed to you by your minister who says: ‘Take this book; you will find it all-sufficient for your salvation.’ But here a very serious difficulty awaits you at the very threshold of your investigations. What assurance do you have that the book he hands you is the inspired word of God?” - James Cardinal Gibbons (1834-1921), -“The Faith of Our Fathers” (p. 67)

  4. Which Scriptures? +

  5. “It was We who revealed the Law to Moses, therein was guidance and light ... and in their footsteps, We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel, therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him, a guidance and admonition to those who fear Allah. To thee (Mohammed) We sent the Scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety." (Sura 5:47-51).

  6. (Luke 11:49-51) “…the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' "that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, "from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. • We organize the Old Testament books into 5 categories: • Law • Poetry/Wisdom • History • Major Prophets • Minor Prophets

  7. “…from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah…” • The Jews organized the Old Testament books into 3 categories: • Law (Gen. - Deut.) • Prophets • Writings or the Scrolls • Able is the first recorded murder in the first of the historical books of the O.T. (Gen. 4:1-8) • Zachariah is described at 2Ch 24:20-22, the last historical book of the Old Testament

  8. What are the O.T. Scriptures? (Luke 24:25-27) Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (NKJV)

  9. What are the O.T. Scriptures? (Luke 24:44) Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." (NKJV)

  10. Are these books in your Bible? 1 & 2 Esdras Tobit Judith Additions to Esther The wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, or the wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach Baruch The Letter of Jeremiah The Prayer of Azariah and the song of the Three Young Men Susanna Bel and the Dragon The Prayer of Manasseh And 1 & 2 Maccabees

  11. Why not other writings (Apocrypha)? #1 (Amos 8:11) "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD. (NKJV)

  12. Why not other writings (Apocrypha)? • Not one of them were written in the ancient Hebrew language, which was used by the rest of the inspired historians and poets of the Old Testament. • None of the writers lays any claim to inspiration and some of them even disclaim inspiration.

  13. Why not other writings (Apocrypha)? • These books were never acknowledged as sacred Scriptures by the Jews. • These books were never sanctioned by Jesus or are quoted by any of the other inspired writers as scripture. • They were not allowed a place among the scriptures, during the first four centuries of the Christian Church.

  14. Why not other writings (Apocrypha)? • They contain statements which contradict the rest of the Scriptures, but even themselves: • In the two Books of Maccabees, Antiochus Epiphanes is made to die three • Different deaths in three different places.They teach doctrines such as: • Prayers for the dead • Sinless perfection • Immoral practices, such as lying, suicide, assassination and magical incantation. • There is no need for the books because with a few exceptions, they teach very little that is new. • It even goes against the original Catholic tradition.

  15. “As therefore the church reads the books of Judith, Tobit and Maccabees but does not receive them among the canonical scriptures so it also reads these two volumes The Wisdom of Solomon, The Wisdom of Jesus, the Son of Sirach for the edification of the people but not for authority to prove the doctrines of religion.” – St. Jerome

  16. “It is true our History has been written since Artaxerxes very particularly but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers because there hath not been an exact succession of prophets since that time.” - Josephus

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