THEOLOGY
I. Theology Defined - Theology is “the study of God and the
relations between God and the universe.”1 Christian Theology is this same study
from a Christian perspective. Christian Theology examines the doctrines
developed by the Christian Church.
THEOLOGY
IV. Canon of Scripture -The word canon comes from a Latin word
meaning “measuring line or rule.”2 The Canon of Scripture refers to those Books
accepted by the Church as being inspired by God. A Book that is a part of the canon
is said to be canonical. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic
Church, and Protestant Churches all consider the books of the Bible accepted in
the Jewish canon to be divinely inspired. Following the destruction of Jerusalem
by the Romans in A.D. 70, a group of Jewish scholars gathered at Jabneh or
Jamnia, a village about thirty miles west of Jerusalem, and from about A.D. 90
to A.D. 100, finalized the Jewish Canon.3 The Christian Church divides the
twenty-four Books of the Jewish canon into thirty-nine Books.
In addition to these thirty-nine Books accepted by the three
branches of the Christian Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman
Catholic Church considers some additional Books to be inspired. These
additional Books are called Apocryphal (from a Greek word meaning hidden or secretive).
The Apocrypha is not accepted in the Jewish canon. The Eastern Orthodox Church considers
all fourteen of the Apocryphal Books found in the Septuagint to be inspired.
The Septuagint is the version of the Old Testament that was translated from
Hebrew to Greek during the third century BC.4 The Roman Catholic Church accepts
eleven Books of the Apocrypha, but considers them to be “deuterocanonical,” or
of secondary importance to the thirty-nine Books.5 The Protestant churches may
consider the Apocrypha to be useful for historical purposes, but the
Protestants do not believe that God inspired the Apocrypha.
In A.D. 367 Athanasius (ca. A.D. 296–373), Bishop of Alexandria,
Egypt, sent a letter at Easter presenting the list of twenty-seven New
Testament Books used widely in the church today. The same canon was approved in
the west by a papal declaration in A.D. 405. In North Africa, this canon was endorsed
at the Synods of Hippo (A.D. 393) and Carthage (A.D. 397). But a council of the
entire
church never approved the canon. While the Eastern Orthodox, Roman
Catholic, and Protestant Churches all agree on the New Testament canon, the
Ethiopian Church has a different canon.6 It is important to know when Scripture
was completed. Although the Jewish Canon (Old Testament) was not in place until
the close of the first century A.D., the Old Testament was completed prior to
its translation in the third century B.C. from Hebrew to the Greek
Septuagint. So the Old Testament prophecies of Christ certainly were written
centuries prior to the incarnation of Christ. These Messianic prophecies were
not written after Jesus lived on earth.
The Books in the New Testament Canon were completed during the
first century A.D. If they had been written hundreds of years later, some
people would claim that they contain legends or errors. But they were written
at a time when many people were alive who had seen Jesus—the greatest man who ever
lived. No doubt these witnesses had vivid memories of the Messiah who spoke
with great wisdom, healed all sorts of illnesses, and even raised the dead.
These witnesses would have disputed the New Testament Books, if the Books had
been false. In fact, the Church has rejected many false books that claim to be
Scriptural. Such false books were written between 200 B.C. and 600 A.D. and are
called The Pseudepigrapha (which means “the false writings”).
In the first century, some people in the church were using the New
Testament Books. But it was not until the fourth century that these Books were
canonized by most of the Christian Church.Consider some tests used by the
Church for determining whether or not to include a Book in the New Testament
Canon.
i. Did an Apostle write it or did someone associated with an
Apostle write it?
ii. Is it Orthodox? Does it agree with the traditional teaching of
Scripture?
iii. Is it applicable universally? Does it apply to the whole
church or merely to some small group?
iv. Does it have the power to renew and sustain Christians?
The main branches of the Christian Church acknowledge that after
the completion of the Old and New Testaments, no new Scripture has been given
from God. Multiplied millions of Christians, guided by the Holy Spirit, agree
on this. Since that time, however, some religious groups have formed, claiming to
be Christian, but presenting a non-orthodox gospel. These religious groups
claim to have new Scriptures that take precedence over the teaching of the Old
and New Testaments. Consider what the
Bible says about such new doctrine:
18) I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this
book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues
described in this book. ( 19) And if anyone takes words away from this book of
prophecy, God will take away from him his
share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are
described in this book. (Rev. 22:18,19 NIV)
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