1 / 35

How did we get from…

How did we get from…. To here…. Buckle your seat belt…. It’s a story that either will upset your faith or affirm your faith!. Tonight… from ancient story to sacred text Next week… preserving and translating the text. The Issues: How were individual books written?

waylon
Download Presentation

How did we get from…

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. How did we get from… To here…

  2. Buckle your seat belt… It’s a story that either will upset your faith or affirm your faith!

  3. Tonight… from ancient story to sacred text Next week… preserving and translating the text

  4. The Issues: • How were individual books written? • How did the books come together in a collection? • Who defined this collection? • Who determined this collection is Scripture? • How were the writings copied and preserved? • How were the writings translated? • Who determines which translation we should use?

  5. A Quick Time Out Canon –from the Greek meaning “measuring stick” Used to define Sacred Scripture by religious groups Scripture – from Latin “scriptus” meaning writing, translation of Greek “graphe” with the same meaning – has taken on technical meaning for people of faith

  6. Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible Torah – the Teaching Nevi’im – the Prophets Ketuvim – the Writings

  7. Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible Torah – the Teaching The result of editors drawing together multiple traditions Most likely finalized after the return to Jerusalem after the Exile (539BCE)

  8. Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible Nevi’im – the Prophets Former prophets – Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings Latter prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Twelve Minor Final version of the latter probably older than former!

  9. Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible Ketuvim – the Writings Poetry, Ezra-Nehemiah, Daniel, Chronicles Drawn from Hebrew tradition, these were the last sections of the OT brought together in current form

  10. Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible History is vague, but appears that by second century BCE, Torah and Nevi’im are considered canon by most rabbis. Between third and first century BCE, the Tanak is translated into Greek, known as the Septuagint (LXX)

  11. Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible Most was written in Hebrew Some later books (Daniel) were written in Aramaic All were translated into Greek (LXX) Most NT references are to LXX

  12. New Testament Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John Acts Letters – Pauline, Catholic, Pastoral Revelation

  13. New Testament Letters of Paul came first I Thessalonians probably earliest written literature of our NT… written around 50 Mark was probably first gospel Most likely written in late 60’s

  14. Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible As copies of Paul’s letters began to circulate, questions began to arise about what makes up canon. Tradition says the Hebrew Bible was fixed at a “Council of Jamnia” in 90 AD. Most scholars refute this.

  15. Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible By the end of the first century AD, Jewish scholars have settled on 24 books for inclusion in canon. Seem to be four criteria for inclusion:

  16. Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible • Written in Hebrew (except Daniel and parts of Ezra) • Used in ritual life of Jewish community (Esther was read at Purim. Judith had no festival) • Spoke to a great religious theme (Song of Solomon was interpreted allegorically) • Written before Ezra (Jonah and Daniel probably were not!)

  17. Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible By end of first century AD, Jews seem to have settled on their definition of canon. Christians are still debating… which books are their sacred writings, and should they include the Hebrew Bible?

  18. Christian Canon Between 50 and 150 AD - multiple documents began to circulate among Christian community Clement of Rome – late first century – knows of Paul’s letters and “words of Jesus” but calls only LXX “graphe” Second Letter of Peter – seems to refer to Paul’s letters as “graphe”

  19. Christian Canon • Marcion • Early second century Christian leader • Didn’t consider Hebrew Bible as Scripture • First major leader to consider Paul’s writings, along with Luke’s gospel “graphe” • Eliminated references to Hebrew Bible from these writings • Considered a heretic, but forced others to define canon

  20. Christian Canon • Irenaeus • Late second century Christian leader • Advances “four gospel” theory based on Ezekiel’s assertion that throne of God had four faces – a bull (Mark), a man (Luke), an eagle (John), and a lion (Matthew) • Other early scholars • Great debate continued concerning books that were considered “graphe”

  21. Christian Canon • Eusebius • Early fourth century leader • Refers to canon as books we currently use except for James, Jude, II Peter, II and III John, Hebrews • Considers some books helpful but not authentic (Acts of Paul, Epistle of Barnabas, the Shepherd…) • Considers some books heretical (Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Thomas…)

  22. Christian Canon • The Vulgate • Latin translation of Scripture authorized by Pope Damasus in 383 AD • Includes our current Protestant Bible along with “Deuterocanonical” works such as Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Maccabees • By the fifth century, this was generally accepted as “canon”

  23. Christian Canon • The Reformation • Until the period of the reformation, Scripture was often held in equal regard to tradition and church pronouncements • Martin Luther • Along with grace, faith, Christ, believed in “Sola Scriptura” • Struggled with Jude, James, Hebrews, Revelation • Removed Deuterocanonical books and called them “Apocrypha” (hidden)

  24. Christian Canon • Protestant Creeds • Westminster Confession, among others, lists 39 OT and 27 NT as canon (same as our current usage) • Although there is no “definitive” listing, these seem to be based on four criteria:

  25. Christian Canon • Apostolic origin – written by first century apostles (Hebrews?) • Universal acceptance – generally accepted by end of fourth century • Liturgical use – historically used in liturgy of church • Consistent message – speaks to common NT themes (James?)

  26. Christian Canon • Roman Catholic Response • Council of Trent in 1546 affirms current RC canon – the Protestant Bible along with seven deuterocanonical books • Eastern Orthodox • Council of Jerusalem in 1672 affirms RC canon with modest differences (inclusion of Psalm 151, divisions of Esdras and Maccabees)

  27. Christian Canon • Is the canon closed? • Officially? -- No • Realistically? – Yes • We question Mormons because they have added to the canon

  28. Presbyterian Affirmations • Westminster Confession (1646), which lists the Books of the Bible we currently use, says: • The authority of the holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or Church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the Author thereof; and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.

  29. Presbyterian Affirmations • It goes on to say: • The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture, is the Scripture itself; and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it may be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.

  30. Presbyterian Affirmations • The Confession of 1967 says: • The one sufficient revelation of God is Jesus Christ, the Word of God incarnate, to whom the Holy Spirit bears unique and authoritative witness through the Holy Scriptures, which are received and obeyed as the word of God written. The Scriptures are not a witness among others, but the witness without parallel. The church has received the books of the Old and New Testaments as prophetic and apostolic testimony in which it hears the word of God and by which its faith and obedience are nourished and regulated.

  31. Presbyterian Affirmations • The Confession of 1967 says: • The New Testament is the recorded testimony of apostles to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, and the sending of the Holy Spirit to the Church. The Old Testament bears witness to God's faithfulness in his covenant with Israel and points the way to the fulfillment of his purpose in Christ. The Old Testament is indispensable to understanding the New, and is not itself fully understood without the New.

  32. Presbyterian Affirmations • At ordination, officers affirm: • Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you? • c. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you lead the people of God?

  33. But Questions Remain!!! • We have no “autographs” of the writings of the authors • The printing press wasn’t used in the west until the fifteenth century • Can we trust the copies of copies of copies? • When they were translated, can we trust the translations? • How do we know which ones are best?

  34. Next Week… Preserving and Translating the Text!

More Related