Hebrews 7:26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;
In this final part of our short blog series: "Jesus Christ 1,2,3", we have taken a quick tour of the person and work of Christ. We have used the simple outline of Jesus Christ being One person, having two natures occupying three offices. Today's blog will deal with the three offices in which Jesus Christ is occupying.
As Prophet - He reveals God to His people
Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us that Jesus Christ is the exact radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being. As Prophet He reveals God to His people. By virtue of His glorified humanity He can communicate who God is by the Holy Spirit through the scriptures. By virtue of His Deity, He is the exact picture of who God is and is pointed to by the Holy Spirit through the scriptures.
As Priest - He represents the people before His Heavenly Father
As we saw in the opening verse of today's blog, He is the believer's representative. As our High Priest, He is able to mediate between God and man due to the fact He is both God and man. (1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1-2)
As King, He rules over His people and reigns supreme
By being exalted above the Heavens, Jesus Christ as the Eternal Son reigns over His church and in an inaugurated way, over this world. (Ephesians 2). Once He returns, His Kingdom will manifest as an earthly one for 1,000 years. Then once He hands over all things to His Father, he will ever reign as King over His people. (Revelation 21-22)
How Christ's three-fold offices relate to the Christian life
In this blog site the aim is to provide growing Christian resources for the Christian life that is practical, doctrinal and supernatural. These three traits are the most fundamental way of describing the Christian walk. The Christian life cannot be defined apart from Jesus Christ. When I consider Christ as my King, practically I am to submit myself to Him, doctrinally I acknowledge His claims on my life and supernaturally His Kingdom is a reality operating in my heart and one that is yet to come.
When I consider Christ as my prophet, practically I turn to the scriptures to understand what He has to say, supernaturally I can hear Him through the scriptures and doctrinally build my understanding of Him upon the word of God. Then with Christ being as the believer's High Priest, I practically serve with other saints as a kingdom of priests, representing Christ; supernaturally I seek God through His ministry and doctrinally I know that Christ is the only mediator between God and man. (1 Timothy 2:5)
Welcome to Growing Christian Resources, where you can search over 2,000 resources pertaining to your Christian walk, the explanation and defense of the Christian worldview and links to audio and video resources. Please checkout the New Hope podcast at www.gcrpodcast.wordpress.com and www.newhope-ny.org. For those desiring to dig-deeper into the scriptures, please check out www.biblicalexegete.wordpress.com.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Jesus Christ 1,2,3 - Human and Divine
1 Timothy 3:16a "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh...."
Yesterday we began considering who Jesus Christ is by considering Him as "One Person". We used a simple little phrase to aid us in summarizing who Jesus Christ is: One person, having two natures occupying three offices. Today we want to focus on that second part: namely that Jesus Christ as One Person has "two natures".
What is a nature?
Nature in this discussion refers to how a being expresses its existence. So for instance my dog Rica, has the "nature" of a little dog. She wags her tail a mile a minute, yaps and can dig holes the size of teacups. Her "nature" is how she expresses her existence. I have a "human nature" - I get tired, hungry and can be only in one place at one time. All creatures express their existence in one way - through a "creaturely nature". The Triune God expresses Himself in an infinite, unlimited way or "Divine Nature". By "Divine Nature", we mean that God can be more than one place at one time and that He has no beginning nor end.
Jesus Christ has two ways of expression or "two natures"
As the opening passage of today's blog states: "God was manifest in the flesh". This language of scripture expresses a truth upon which the Christian church of every age has understood Jesus Christ - that He is God and man. We can even see this in the two chief names by which we identify God the Son in human flesh: "Jesus" and "Christ".
As Christ He is Divine
As Christ we recognize that God the Son was selected, and voluntarily entered from all eternity to do the will of The Father. Christ was sent by the Father to be the One who would fully reveal His glory (John 17:4; Psalm 2) and who would come to work redemption (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2). As Christ He is the Messiah of Jewish Prophecy - The Divine Savior who would also rule and reign over His people. (2 Samuel 7:13-16; Psalm 2; 45; 89; 110; Revelation 15:12). Christ Himself spoke of His Divine identity. (John 8:58).
As God, Christ can be everywhere present (John 3:13); He knows all things, including the fulness and depths of the Divine Hidden nature of God - since He Himself shares fully in the Divine Nature with the Father and Holy Spirit. (John 1:1-18) He is all-powerful. (Matthew 28:18). By His resurrection He demonstrated that He is the Living God. (1 Corinthians 15)
As Jesus He became human and still is human
As God the Son, Christ has existed from all eternity as it pertains to His divine nature. However when He entered from eternity into time, He took upon Himself a second way of expressing His Person, a second nature - a human nature. He was both predicted and born of a virgin, in Bethlehem over 2012 years ago. (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2-4; Matthew 1:21; Luke 2) By being named Jesus, He became the human Savior, limiting himself to human weakness without sin. (Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 2:21-24) As a man he could get hungry, be tempted and get tired. As a man He went to the cross and died. His human nature subjected him to living a life of submission to the will of God the Father.
When He resurrected from the dead, He retained a physical, albeit glorified human body. (John 20). When He ascended, He still retains His humanity and is situated at the right hand of God the Father as man who is still God.
Practical considerations for Jesus Christ's two natures
1. When we think of the cross and resurrection
When I speak about Jesus Christ, I need to ask whether I'm referring to Him as it pertains to His Deity, or as it pertains to His humanity. As it touches His humanity, I can say He died on the cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb and was raised on the third day. As it touches His Deity, His work of redemption was of infinite value.
2. When we think of prayer
As man He intercedes and represents me as my elder brother. (Hebrews 2) As God He is able to answer prayer and excercise Sovereignty in answering my prayers.
3. When we think of the second coming
As the New Adam He is the man from heaven whom I am looking for to return to take back the title deed of earth that Satan had stolen from the original man Adam. (Romans 5:11-21; Revelation 5) As Eternal God, He will return to set up the Kingdom which His Father promised Him from all eternity, and of which He will put every enemy under His feet and give all things over to Him. (1 Corinthians 15; 2 Peter 3; Revelation 20-22)
Yesterday we began considering who Jesus Christ is by considering Him as "One Person". We used a simple little phrase to aid us in summarizing who Jesus Christ is: One person, having two natures occupying three offices. Today we want to focus on that second part: namely that Jesus Christ as One Person has "two natures".
What is a nature?
Nature in this discussion refers to how a being expresses its existence. So for instance my dog Rica, has the "nature" of a little dog. She wags her tail a mile a minute, yaps and can dig holes the size of teacups. Her "nature" is how she expresses her existence. I have a "human nature" - I get tired, hungry and can be only in one place at one time. All creatures express their existence in one way - through a "creaturely nature". The Triune God expresses Himself in an infinite, unlimited way or "Divine Nature". By "Divine Nature", we mean that God can be more than one place at one time and that He has no beginning nor end.
Jesus Christ has two ways of expression or "two natures"
As the opening passage of today's blog states: "God was manifest in the flesh". This language of scripture expresses a truth upon which the Christian church of every age has understood Jesus Christ - that He is God and man. We can even see this in the two chief names by which we identify God the Son in human flesh: "Jesus" and "Christ".
As Christ He is Divine
As Christ we recognize that God the Son was selected, and voluntarily entered from all eternity to do the will of The Father. Christ was sent by the Father to be the One who would fully reveal His glory (John 17:4; Psalm 2) and who would come to work redemption (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2). As Christ He is the Messiah of Jewish Prophecy - The Divine Savior who would also rule and reign over His people. (2 Samuel 7:13-16; Psalm 2; 45; 89; 110; Revelation 15:12). Christ Himself spoke of His Divine identity. (John 8:58).
As God, Christ can be everywhere present (John 3:13); He knows all things, including the fulness and depths of the Divine Hidden nature of God - since He Himself shares fully in the Divine Nature with the Father and Holy Spirit. (John 1:1-18) He is all-powerful. (Matthew 28:18). By His resurrection He demonstrated that He is the Living God. (1 Corinthians 15)
As Jesus He became human and still is human
As God the Son, Christ has existed from all eternity as it pertains to His divine nature. However when He entered from eternity into time, He took upon Himself a second way of expressing His Person, a second nature - a human nature. He was both predicted and born of a virgin, in Bethlehem over 2012 years ago. (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2-4; Matthew 1:21; Luke 2) By being named Jesus, He became the human Savior, limiting himself to human weakness without sin. (Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 2:21-24) As a man he could get hungry, be tempted and get tired. As a man He went to the cross and died. His human nature subjected him to living a life of submission to the will of God the Father.
When He resurrected from the dead, He retained a physical, albeit glorified human body. (John 20). When He ascended, He still retains His humanity and is situated at the right hand of God the Father as man who is still God.
Practical considerations for Jesus Christ's two natures
1. When we think of the cross and resurrection
When I speak about Jesus Christ, I need to ask whether I'm referring to Him as it pertains to His Deity, or as it pertains to His humanity. As it touches His humanity, I can say He died on the cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb and was raised on the third day. As it touches His Deity, His work of redemption was of infinite value.
2. When we think of prayer
As man He intercedes and represents me as my elder brother. (Hebrews 2) As God He is able to answer prayer and excercise Sovereignty in answering my prayers.
3. When we think of the second coming
As the New Adam He is the man from heaven whom I am looking for to return to take back the title deed of earth that Satan had stolen from the original man Adam. (Romans 5:11-21; Revelation 5) As Eternal God, He will return to set up the Kingdom which His Father promised Him from all eternity, and of which He will put every enemy under His feet and give all things over to Him. (1 Corinthians 15; 2 Peter 3; Revelation 20-22)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Jesus Christ - 1,2,3 - He is One Person
Matthew 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
The person of Jesus Christ is the most fascinating character of history and eternity. I would like to take today's blog and the next couple of blogs to do a sweeping overview of who exactly Jesus Christ is. I will use a simple device in aiding our remembrance of the essential doctrinal truths of this incredible person Jesus Christ:
He is One Person...having two natures...occupying three offices. Today we will focus on the first, namely what is it about Jesus Christ that makes Him "One" Person.
He is One Person in Co-unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit
As Jesus was praying in His high priestly prayer in John 17:5, He makes this statement: “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." Christ here reveals the Eternal Pre-existent glory and non-ending life He has had with the God the Father from all eternity. The Apostle Paul writes these words in 1 Corinthians 8:6 - "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him."
Why the Person of Christ leads to the understanding of the Trinity
The authority of the scriptures and understanding of the historic Christian Church has been that first there is One God and second, the Deity of Jesus Christ. Both truths are taught in scripture and theologians have come to understand that Christ, being one person, is in Co-unity with the Father. Additionally, Christ is also in Co-union with the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19-20 reveals Christ's command to: "go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name (not names) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." This special co-union between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is known as the Trinity, or the God-head (the Eternal center of undivided life shared by and dwelling in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
He is One Person with a distinct identity
As "Person", Christ is defined by who He is in the Three-fold Co-Union with the Father and Holy Spirit. God the Son has His own distinct identity. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention, has this to say: "The eternal Triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being."
Christ as the second member of the Trinity has these distinct qualities that are rooted within His identity as God the Son:
He reveals the Father. Hebrews 1:3a "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature....". To one of His disciples Jesus says these words in John 14:9 "He who has seen Me has seen the Father".
He regulates creation. Hebrews 1:3b "and upholds all things by the word of His power." Colossians 1:16 explains - "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."
He rules over His church The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul says this in Colossians 1:18 "And he (Christ) is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." We read similar statements in Ephesians 5:23 - "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body."
So Christ is One Person. Tomorrow we will consider what is meant when we say Jesus Christ has two natures.
The person of Jesus Christ is the most fascinating character of history and eternity. I would like to take today's blog and the next couple of blogs to do a sweeping overview of who exactly Jesus Christ is. I will use a simple device in aiding our remembrance of the essential doctrinal truths of this incredible person Jesus Christ:
He is One Person...having two natures...occupying three offices. Today we will focus on the first, namely what is it about Jesus Christ that makes Him "One" Person.
He is One Person in Co-unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit
As Jesus was praying in His high priestly prayer in John 17:5, He makes this statement: “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." Christ here reveals the Eternal Pre-existent glory and non-ending life He has had with the God the Father from all eternity. The Apostle Paul writes these words in 1 Corinthians 8:6 - "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him."
Why the Person of Christ leads to the understanding of the Trinity
The authority of the scriptures and understanding of the historic Christian Church has been that first there is One God and second, the Deity of Jesus Christ. Both truths are taught in scripture and theologians have come to understand that Christ, being one person, is in Co-unity with the Father. Additionally, Christ is also in Co-union with the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19-20 reveals Christ's command to: "go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name (not names) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." This special co-union between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is known as the Trinity, or the God-head (the Eternal center of undivided life shared by and dwelling in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
He is One Person with a distinct identity
As "Person", Christ is defined by who He is in the Three-fold Co-Union with the Father and Holy Spirit. God the Son has His own distinct identity. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention, has this to say: "The eternal Triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being."
Christ as the second member of the Trinity has these distinct qualities that are rooted within His identity as God the Son:
He reveals the Father. Hebrews 1:3a "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature....". To one of His disciples Jesus says these words in John 14:9 "He who has seen Me has seen the Father".
He regulates creation. Hebrews 1:3b "and upholds all things by the word of His power." Colossians 1:16 explains - "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."
He rules over His church The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul says this in Colossians 1:18 "And he (Christ) is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." We read similar statements in Ephesians 5:23 - "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body."
So Christ is One Person. Tomorrow we will consider what is meant when we say Jesus Christ has two natures.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The Book of no errors
Psalm 12:7 The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.
The past several blogs have dealt with the identity and extent of the inspired books that make up the 66 books of the Bible. Like a measuring stick that determines truth, the entire collection of inspired books are we we call "The Canon of Scripture" (the word canon literally means "measuring stick"). But now what makes the 66 books as individual books, as well as a collection, authoritative and binding upon the conscience of every Christian? The nature of biblical authority resides in the concept referred to as "biblical inerrancy".
What do we mean when we say that the Bible is inerrant?
In addition to the verse above, other passages speak to the fact that the scriptures are without error. (Psalm 119:96; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Peter 1:21). Inerrancy simply means that the Bible, in all of its over 31,000 words and 1189 chapters is completely accurate about every matter and doctrine, whether it be scientific, historical, spiritual or literary. The Bible was written by 40 human authors who were specifically graced by God to produce writings without error.
Two important elements of biblical inerrancy
Material Inerrancy
With that said, we must understand two important aspects of inerrancy. The first is what we call "material inerrancy". When the Prophets and Apostles composed the original manuscripts (also called autographs) of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek Manuscripts, the very wording or "material" of the original manuscripts were without error. After those original manuscripts were composed, they were copied, and then copied again.
Over the centuries, we have collected over 800 copies of the Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts and over 5500 manuscripts of the Greek New Testament. As handcopied manuscripts, spelling differences and switching around of word order were inevitable. These small differences, called "textual variants" (or textual differences) have no effect on essential doctrines nor the facts of scripture.
Thankfully the nature of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages can still communicate the same message and content if the ordering of words are slightly different from one manuscript to the next. We have well over 90% certainty of the wording of the original text of the Old Testament and 99% certainty of the exact wording of the original Greek New Testament text, by far the greatest quality of any ancient document.
Formal Inerrancy
With the original manuscripts no longer around, how can we know that the copies and translations today are by authority the inerrant word of God? This is where the second concept, called "formal" inerrancy becomes useful. "Formal" authority refers to the doctrines, teachings and facts communicated by the copies and translations made from the original manuscripts.
The doctrines and teachings of the scriptures have not been lost through the centuries of copying of the manuscripts of the Bible. When Jesus and the Apostles quoted the Old Testament, they were doing so from a Greek Translation called the Septuagint. Their attitude toward the translations and manuscripts of their day demonstrates what we are discussing here. Because the original manuscripts were in the "material" of their original wording inerrant, biblical doctrines and details have been faithfully communicated through the remarkable preservation of the manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments. This is why we can say that the Bibles we have today are by virtue of their authority the inerrant Word of God.
The Practical Value of biblical inerrancy
Reading, studying, teaching and preaching God's word demands an accurate text. What would happen if we discovered errors in matters of doctrinal, historical or scientific truth? It would undermine the Christian faith and the confidence we have in living out the Christian faith. Christian faith derives from scripture and though it. (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23)
It is the Holy Spirit who guides and illluminates the text. (1 John 2:20,27). If I don't have the inerrant word of God, then I won't have an accurate picture and understanding of Christ. Inerrancy is without a doubt still relevant and highly practical, since it describes the nature of the source of biblical Christianity - The Bible.
The past several blogs have dealt with the identity and extent of the inspired books that make up the 66 books of the Bible. Like a measuring stick that determines truth, the entire collection of inspired books are we we call "The Canon of Scripture" (the word canon literally means "measuring stick"). But now what makes the 66 books as individual books, as well as a collection, authoritative and binding upon the conscience of every Christian? The nature of biblical authority resides in the concept referred to as "biblical inerrancy".
What do we mean when we say that the Bible is inerrant?
In addition to the verse above, other passages speak to the fact that the scriptures are without error. (Psalm 119:96; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Peter 1:21). Inerrancy simply means that the Bible, in all of its over 31,000 words and 1189 chapters is completely accurate about every matter and doctrine, whether it be scientific, historical, spiritual or literary. The Bible was written by 40 human authors who were specifically graced by God to produce writings without error.
Two important elements of biblical inerrancy
Material Inerrancy
With that said, we must understand two important aspects of inerrancy. The first is what we call "material inerrancy". When the Prophets and Apostles composed the original manuscripts (also called autographs) of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek Manuscripts, the very wording or "material" of the original manuscripts were without error. After those original manuscripts were composed, they were copied, and then copied again.
Over the centuries, we have collected over 800 copies of the Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts and over 5500 manuscripts of the Greek New Testament. As handcopied manuscripts, spelling differences and switching around of word order were inevitable. These small differences, called "textual variants" (or textual differences) have no effect on essential doctrines nor the facts of scripture.
Thankfully the nature of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages can still communicate the same message and content if the ordering of words are slightly different from one manuscript to the next. We have well over 90% certainty of the wording of the original text of the Old Testament and 99% certainty of the exact wording of the original Greek New Testament text, by far the greatest quality of any ancient document.
Formal Inerrancy
With the original manuscripts no longer around, how can we know that the copies and translations today are by authority the inerrant word of God? This is where the second concept, called "formal" inerrancy becomes useful. "Formal" authority refers to the doctrines, teachings and facts communicated by the copies and translations made from the original manuscripts.
The doctrines and teachings of the scriptures have not been lost through the centuries of copying of the manuscripts of the Bible. When Jesus and the Apostles quoted the Old Testament, they were doing so from a Greek Translation called the Septuagint. Their attitude toward the translations and manuscripts of their day demonstrates what we are discussing here. Because the original manuscripts were in the "material" of their original wording inerrant, biblical doctrines and details have been faithfully communicated through the remarkable preservation of the manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments. This is why we can say that the Bibles we have today are by virtue of their authority the inerrant Word of God.
The Practical Value of biblical inerrancy
Reading, studying, teaching and preaching God's word demands an accurate text. What would happen if we discovered errors in matters of doctrinal, historical or scientific truth? It would undermine the Christian faith and the confidence we have in living out the Christian faith. Christian faith derives from scripture and though it. (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23)
It is the Holy Spirit who guides and illluminates the text. (1 John 2:20,27). If I don't have the inerrant word of God, then I won't have an accurate picture and understanding of Christ. Inerrancy is without a doubt still relevant and highly practical, since it describes the nature of the source of biblical Christianity - The Bible.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Why there are only four gospels
Galatians 1:9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
So-Called Modern Discoveries of "Lost Gospels"
For the past 50 years, and most recently in the past ten years, we have been hearing news reports about the discovery of "Lost Gospels" allegedly written by Jesus' Apostles. Titles such as "The Gospel of Thomas" and most recently "The Gospel of Judas" have been touted as lost works that should had been included in the New Testament.
The time period following the completion of the New Testament books saw an onslaught of forged writings produced under the assumed names of the Apostles. Is it true that we have works that should had been included in the New Testament canon? Or was it immediately recognized by Christians in the early church that the so-called "gospels" that we are hearing about today were nothing more than heretical forgeries?
History's testimony
In the first 300 years of the church a movement arose that threatened to undermine the truth of God's Word. That movement, called "Gnosticism" (nos-ti-sism) taught that salvation was not by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, but rather through a special, mystical knowledge (a gnosis) that was attained through denial of the physical world. Furthermore, these Gnostics emphasized communication with the angelic realm, denied the sufficiency and authority of scripture and denied that Jesus Christ physcially died on the cross.
An early Christian leader by the name of Irenaeus of Lyons, wrote a book called "Against Heresies", wherein he describes the teachings of the Gnostics and their writings. The fact that we have many of these "so-called" gospels in existence today enables us to examine the nature of their teachings.
A quick survey of these "so-called" gospels
Below is a quick survey of the teachings and contents of a few of the Gnostic gospels. Having read these works, I can tell you that they are not even in the same ball-park of authority or quality as our beloved four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) As will be shown, they do not match with the information we find in the four biblical Gospels:
1. Gospel of Thomas - Written almost a century after the Apostles' deaths, Thomas teaches that salvation is through a mystical encounter with Jesus, rather than through faith and trust in His shed blood. It is composed of 114 loose sayings supposedly made by Him. There is not one mention of His crucifixion or His Lordship, teachings that are central to the four Gospels and the New Testament.
2. The Gospel of Peter - This work was written 100 years after the death of the Apostle Peter. Not only was it not written by the Apostle Peter, but the work also suggests that Jesus did not Himself die on the cross, but rather made it appear that He did, and had Judas do it in his place! The Gnostics denied Jesus' physical body, and thus no need for a cross. Clearly this goes against the central teachings of the New Testament.
We could mention other so-called gospels, however their teachings and short-comings clearly demonstrate why they were immediately rejected as scripture. Irenaeus' work "Against Heresies" spells out in detail the work and beliefs of these Gnostics. What makes this resource valuable is that Irenaeus was alive when all of this stuff was being written.
So why only four Gospels, and no more?
By reading the Book of Acts and the early testimonies of Christian leaders following the days of the Apostles, we have a unified testimony of the composition and purpose behind the four Gospels. Matthew was the first Gospel written to communicate to Jews living in Israel that Jesus Christ was their long awaited Messiah and Savior. As you read in Acts 1-8, the church was predominately Jewish and centered in Jerusalem.
As Christianity spread, God called Saul to become Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. From Acts 9-28 we see the Gospel mission becoming more and more focused on the Gentiles. Paul had a close friend named Luke, who was both a medical doctor and historian. History tells us that Luke took down the sermons of Paul and consulted eye-witness testimony of Jesus life in the composition of His Gospel (which he states in his opening in Luke 1:1-4).
When Luke completed his Gospel, the Holy Spirit led the Apostle Peter to preach a series of messages about Jesus' life from the Gospel of Matthew and the newly inspired Gospel of Luke. Mark, his trusted friend, wrote them down under Divine inspiration and the Gospel of Mark was used to verify the details of Luke in comparison to Matthew.
But now what about the emphasis upon the Deity and humanity of Christ? The Apostle John, the same author who wrote Revelation and 1,2,3 John, wrote His Gospel in 95 A.D to supplement the material of the first three Gospels. In John's Gospel we see details of Jesus' ministry in and around Jerusalem, as well as proofs of His deity and affirmations of His humanity.
When taken together, these four Gospels provide a composite and complete picture of Jesus Christ. Nothing more could be said or needed to be said. Out of all the books of the Bible, the Four Gospels have one the strongest cases for being included in the list of inspired books. All we can say is that when compared to the Gnostic Gospels, we discover that the Gnostic gospels are not really gospels at all, but false gospels.
So-Called Modern Discoveries of "Lost Gospels"
For the past 50 years, and most recently in the past ten years, we have been hearing news reports about the discovery of "Lost Gospels" allegedly written by Jesus' Apostles. Titles such as "The Gospel of Thomas" and most recently "The Gospel of Judas" have been touted as lost works that should had been included in the New Testament.
The time period following the completion of the New Testament books saw an onslaught of forged writings produced under the assumed names of the Apostles. Is it true that we have works that should had been included in the New Testament canon? Or was it immediately recognized by Christians in the early church that the so-called "gospels" that we are hearing about today were nothing more than heretical forgeries?
History's testimony
In the first 300 years of the church a movement arose that threatened to undermine the truth of God's Word. That movement, called "Gnosticism" (nos-ti-sism) taught that salvation was not by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, but rather through a special, mystical knowledge (a gnosis) that was attained through denial of the physical world. Furthermore, these Gnostics emphasized communication with the angelic realm, denied the sufficiency and authority of scripture and denied that Jesus Christ physcially died on the cross.
An early Christian leader by the name of Irenaeus of Lyons, wrote a book called "Against Heresies", wherein he describes the teachings of the Gnostics and their writings. The fact that we have many of these "so-called" gospels in existence today enables us to examine the nature of their teachings.
A quick survey of these "so-called" gospels
Below is a quick survey of the teachings and contents of a few of the Gnostic gospels. Having read these works, I can tell you that they are not even in the same ball-park of authority or quality as our beloved four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) As will be shown, they do not match with the information we find in the four biblical Gospels:
1. Gospel of Thomas - Written almost a century after the Apostles' deaths, Thomas teaches that salvation is through a mystical encounter with Jesus, rather than through faith and trust in His shed blood. It is composed of 114 loose sayings supposedly made by Him. There is not one mention of His crucifixion or His Lordship, teachings that are central to the four Gospels and the New Testament.
2. The Gospel of Peter - This work was written 100 years after the death of the Apostle Peter. Not only was it not written by the Apostle Peter, but the work also suggests that Jesus did not Himself die on the cross, but rather made it appear that He did, and had Judas do it in his place! The Gnostics denied Jesus' physical body, and thus no need for a cross. Clearly this goes against the central teachings of the New Testament.
We could mention other so-called gospels, however their teachings and short-comings clearly demonstrate why they were immediately rejected as scripture. Irenaeus' work "Against Heresies" spells out in detail the work and beliefs of these Gnostics. What makes this resource valuable is that Irenaeus was alive when all of this stuff was being written.
So why only four Gospels, and no more?
By reading the Book of Acts and the early testimonies of Christian leaders following the days of the Apostles, we have a unified testimony of the composition and purpose behind the four Gospels. Matthew was the first Gospel written to communicate to Jews living in Israel that Jesus Christ was their long awaited Messiah and Savior. As you read in Acts 1-8, the church was predominately Jewish and centered in Jerusalem.
As Christianity spread, God called Saul to become Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. From Acts 9-28 we see the Gospel mission becoming more and more focused on the Gentiles. Paul had a close friend named Luke, who was both a medical doctor and historian. History tells us that Luke took down the sermons of Paul and consulted eye-witness testimony of Jesus life in the composition of His Gospel (which he states in his opening in Luke 1:1-4).
When Luke completed his Gospel, the Holy Spirit led the Apostle Peter to preach a series of messages about Jesus' life from the Gospel of Matthew and the newly inspired Gospel of Luke. Mark, his trusted friend, wrote them down under Divine inspiration and the Gospel of Mark was used to verify the details of Luke in comparison to Matthew.
But now what about the emphasis upon the Deity and humanity of Christ? The Apostle John, the same author who wrote Revelation and 1,2,3 John, wrote His Gospel in 95 A.D to supplement the material of the first three Gospels. In John's Gospel we see details of Jesus' ministry in and around Jerusalem, as well as proofs of His deity and affirmations of His humanity.
When taken together, these four Gospels provide a composite and complete picture of Jesus Christ. Nothing more could be said or needed to be said. Out of all the books of the Bible, the Four Gospels have one the strongest cases for being included in the list of inspired books. All we can say is that when compared to the Gnostic Gospels, we discover that the Gnostic gospels are not really gospels at all, but false gospels.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Why there are truly no "lost books of the Bible"
Matthew 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
I remember when I first became a Christian I had a relative who had also gotten converted at about the same time as myself. One day my family and I went to his home for a visit, and I noticed a curiously titled book in his collection called "The Lost Books of the Bible". As I began to thumb through that volume, I ran into "The Book of Adam and Eve" and the "Book of Abraham" and other books supposedly written by famous biblical characters.
Not One Inspired Book of the Bible has ever been lost
Some people today are saying that there are other books other than the 66 books that should had made it into our Bibles. Has all the books that God the Holy Spirit inspired made it into the Bible? Are there "lost books" of the Bible? It will be the contention of this blog that due to the nature of these "so-called" lost books, the dates of their composition and their corrupt theology, that we can confidently say that not one inspired book of the Bible has ever been lost.
What are these "so-called" Lost Books of the Bible
We saw yesterday that in the time period between the Old and New Testaments, the Jewish people began to write non-inspired devotional and historical works that collectively are called "The Apocrypha". As one digs more into what the Jewish people were thinking during that time, many curious questions were being asked. Many folks speculated about details not spoken of in the Bible. Thus between 200 B.C to almost 200 A.D the Jews composed a collection of Books under the assumed names of Biblical people.
In the scholarly community the "Lost Books" of the Bible are known by the weird name "Pseudo-pigrapha" (soo-da-pi-grafa), meaning "false-writings". Much like the Apocrypha, this collection of writings were immedately rejected as non-inspired. The number of these books number in the dozens, and below some of their names are mentioned for reference:
1. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs (supposed writings by Jacob's Twelve Sons)
2. The Books of Adam, Eve and Noah (Alleged records written by Adam, Eve and Noah)
3. The Book of Enoch (A long book recording the supposed revelations of the pre-flood prophet Enoch)
4. The Book of Abraham (you guessed it, supposedly written by Abraham)
These books were in a sense, the fiction of their day
Though this may be a poor analogy, it serves to illustrate how the Jewish people may had regarded these works. People were speculating about things in the Bible that they did not understand. What these Pseudo-pigrapha did was to fill in a curiosity gap and an entertainment gap. But even more-so, the people of God had not heard a fresh revelation for 400 years. Thus they began to write these books in an attempt to deal with the pain of God's silence. Unfortunately, by assuming the names of Biblical characters, the Pseudo-pigrapha were written under false pretense.
Though popular in their day, these books were never regarded as inspired by God
By the days of Jesus, the Jews would had been well aware of the existence of these books (much like today's New York Times Best Sellers or popular Christian Authors). However the doctrines being communicated by these books was even more radical than that of the Apocrypha. The extreme figurative language and at times non-sensical nature of these books made it easy to see their counterfeit nature. Furthermore, these books as a collection taught for instance that angels were not just merely created beings, but in some cases could do similar things to God. Also too, claiming to be written by biblical characters, when it was clear in many cases that they were not, demonstrates a lack of regard for the scriptures.
Why there are no "Lost Books of the Bible", just more books of men
As Jesus said in the verse above, not one word of God will ever pass away. Not only did God the Holy Spirit work with the 40 human authors of scripture to produce each and every Bible book, He also guaranteed that not one would be lost. If we were to unearth an alleged book today written by The Apostle Paul, Peter or the Prophet Isaiah, we could say with utmost confidence that the book would be non-inspired. Why? Because God had fixed the number of books He chose to inspire, as well as the time periods in which they were written (Hebrews 1:1-2) God has even guaranteed His people that with the sending of the Holy Spirit, they would have the guidance they need to discern what is the truth of God versus the words of men. (John 16:13) Psalm 119:89 tells us plainly: "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven."
I remember when I first became a Christian I had a relative who had also gotten converted at about the same time as myself. One day my family and I went to his home for a visit, and I noticed a curiously titled book in his collection called "The Lost Books of the Bible". As I began to thumb through that volume, I ran into "The Book of Adam and Eve" and the "Book of Abraham" and other books supposedly written by famous biblical characters.
Not One Inspired Book of the Bible has ever been lost
Some people today are saying that there are other books other than the 66 books that should had made it into our Bibles. Has all the books that God the Holy Spirit inspired made it into the Bible? Are there "lost books" of the Bible? It will be the contention of this blog that due to the nature of these "so-called" lost books, the dates of their composition and their corrupt theology, that we can confidently say that not one inspired book of the Bible has ever been lost.
What are these "so-called" Lost Books of the Bible
We saw yesterday that in the time period between the Old and New Testaments, the Jewish people began to write non-inspired devotional and historical works that collectively are called "The Apocrypha". As one digs more into what the Jewish people were thinking during that time, many curious questions were being asked. Many folks speculated about details not spoken of in the Bible. Thus between 200 B.C to almost 200 A.D the Jews composed a collection of Books under the assumed names of Biblical people.
In the scholarly community the "Lost Books" of the Bible are known by the weird name "Pseudo-pigrapha" (soo-da-pi-grafa), meaning "false-writings". Much like the Apocrypha, this collection of writings were immedately rejected as non-inspired. The number of these books number in the dozens, and below some of their names are mentioned for reference:
1. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs (supposed writings by Jacob's Twelve Sons)
2. The Books of Adam, Eve and Noah (Alleged records written by Adam, Eve and Noah)
3. The Book of Enoch (A long book recording the supposed revelations of the pre-flood prophet Enoch)
4. The Book of Abraham (you guessed it, supposedly written by Abraham)
These books were in a sense, the fiction of their day
Though this may be a poor analogy, it serves to illustrate how the Jewish people may had regarded these works. People were speculating about things in the Bible that they did not understand. What these Pseudo-pigrapha did was to fill in a curiosity gap and an entertainment gap. But even more-so, the people of God had not heard a fresh revelation for 400 years. Thus they began to write these books in an attempt to deal with the pain of God's silence. Unfortunately, by assuming the names of Biblical characters, the Pseudo-pigrapha were written under false pretense.
Though popular in their day, these books were never regarded as inspired by God
By the days of Jesus, the Jews would had been well aware of the existence of these books (much like today's New York Times Best Sellers or popular Christian Authors). However the doctrines being communicated by these books was even more radical than that of the Apocrypha. The extreme figurative language and at times non-sensical nature of these books made it easy to see their counterfeit nature. Furthermore, these books as a collection taught for instance that angels were not just merely created beings, but in some cases could do similar things to God. Also too, claiming to be written by biblical characters, when it was clear in many cases that they were not, demonstrates a lack of regard for the scriptures.
Why there are no "Lost Books of the Bible", just more books of men
As Jesus said in the verse above, not one word of God will ever pass away. Not only did God the Holy Spirit work with the 40 human authors of scripture to produce each and every Bible book, He also guaranteed that not one would be lost. If we were to unearth an alleged book today written by The Apostle Paul, Peter or the Prophet Isaiah, we could say with utmost confidence that the book would be non-inspired. Why? Because God had fixed the number of books He chose to inspire, as well as the time periods in which they were written (Hebrews 1:1-2) God has even guaranteed His people that with the sending of the Holy Spirit, they would have the guidance they need to discern what is the truth of God versus the words of men. (John 16:13) Psalm 119:89 tells us plainly: "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven."
Saturday, January 14, 2012
What are Apocrypha and why they are not scripture?
What are the Apocrypha?
When Malachi penned his book under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 400 years passed until God would once again speak a word to men like Matthew to pen inspired scripture. In between Malachi and Matthew history saw the rise and fall of four major world empires: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. During that period, the Jews wrote 14 non-inspired books of history and devotional reflection that are referred to today as "The Apocrypha". The word "Apocrypha" means "that which is hidden" or "concealed". You have perhaps heard about them or have seen them in a Catholic Bible. For reference sake, the Apocrypha are as follows:
1. 1st Esdras
2. 2nd Esdras
3. Tobit (a fictional account of a Jewish man by the name of Tobit)
4. Judith (an alledged addition to the Book of Daniel)
5. Bel and the Dragon (an alleged addition to the Book of Daniel)
6. The Song of the Three Holy Children (an alleged addtion to the Book of Daniel)
7. Additions to Esther (supposed extra verses for the biblical book of Esther)
8. Susanna
9. 1 Macabbees (historical record of the Jewish opposition to Rome)
10. 2 Macabbees (reflections on Jewish opposition to Rome)
11. Prayer of Mannasseh (supposed prayer of repentance prayed by the biblical King Mannasseh)
12. Wisdom of Solomon (also called Sirach)
13. Book of Baruch (an alledged addition to Jeremiah)
14. Ecclesiasticus (a Jewish Philsophical work trying to prove the Jewish faith from reason)
Just as you would walk into a book store and find many non-inspired books reflecting on the contents of scripture or giving a history of the church, the Apocrypha functioned in much the same way for the Jewish people. Though written by the Jewish people, these 14 books were never accepted as equal or inspired to the Old Testament Books stretching from Genesis to Malachi. As one reviews the history of these 14 books, it is evident as to why they cannot be deemed as inspired scripture like the 66 books of the Bible.
How did the Apocrypha end up in some Bibles?
The world's first Bible translation included the Apocrypha due to their popular use
As the Jewish people came to speak the Greek language, the time came for the need of a Greek translation of the Old Testament. The project of translating the Hebrew Bible into Greek occured from 275 b.c up until almost the time when Jesus came on the scene. The Hebrew Bible continued to be copied and interpreted by the Jewish Rabbi's (Teachers) and Scribes (guys who hand-copy manuscripts), however the vast majority of the Jewish world came to use the Septuagint. The Apocrypha, though not being recognized as inspired scripture, were included in the Greek Old Testament due to their wide use by the Jews. This version of the Old Testament was used by the Early Church, since most of it spoke Greek. Think of our English Bibles that have study notes, maps and Topical indexes. Though not inspired, they have been found to be of wide use among God's people.
The Apocrypha were never acknowledged by the Jews and Early Church as inspired scripture
Jewish Historians such as Josephus in his work "Antiquities of the Jews" and the Greek speaking Jew "Philo" both refer to the Old Testament in their writings. Josephus in particular writes about how the Old Testament books were recognized, accepted and in full use before the close of the Old Testament. In his work, there are listed the documents of the Old Testament that are found in our English Bibles. Interestingly Josephus does not mention the apocrypha, reflecting the widely held Jewish view of the non-inspired nature of the Apocrypha.
The early church also had this same general opinion. Documents such as the Muritorian Canon (composed over 100 years after the death of the Apostles) and the work "The History of the Church" by the church father "Eusebius" (written in the 300's A.D) mention the books of the Old and New Testament as being inspired. Yet the Apocrypha are not included in those lists. The reason why the church came to this conclusion is mainly because we never see the Apocrypha quoted as scripture by the Apostles in the New Testament.
The Roman Catholic Church's continued use and gradual elevation of the Apocrypha
By the 400's A.D the church in the Western Roman Empire was speaking more Latin and less Greek. A man by the name of Jerome translated the Old and New Testament into the Latin Version known as the Vulgate. It would be this Bible that would be used by the Roman Catholic Church for the next 1,000 years. Though Jerome in his writings never acknowledged the Apocrypha as inspired, they were included in his version due to their wide use. The Catholic Church would gradually come to value the Apocrypha more and more over the centuries as it saw the need to justify some of its beliefs not taught in the inspired books of the Bible.
The Roman Catholic Church deems the Apocrypha as equal to scripture in the 1500's
By the days of the sixteenth century (1500's), the Roman Catholic Church was in need of reform, both theologically and morally. In partial response to the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church needed a way of supporting its doctrines that it knew were not in the Bible. Since they already had been using the Apocrypha, the church convened a meeting, The Council of Trent, in the 1500's. It was at that council that the Roman Catholic church declared the Apocrypha to be "equal" to scripture, a "second canon".
For over 1500 years the testimony of the early church and the Jews was that the Apocrypha, though useful in some sense, were not inspired. Yet The Roman Catholic Church ignored that testimony. To this day, in Roman Catholic Bibles, you will find the Apocrypha being referred to as "The Deutro-canonical" books, which simply mean that they are regarded as scripture (by the Roman Catholic Church).
Why the Apocrypha are not included in many Modern Non-Catholic English Bibles
In the 1500's the Church in England broke away from the Catholic Church, under the leading of King Henry VIII. The Church of England, known as the Anglican Church, retained the Apocrypha in the various English translations, including the King James Bible. In all editions of the King James Bible, the Apocrypha were inserted in between Malachi and Matthew until the 1700's. By influence of the Reformation, Christian leaders, especially in America, recognized the original position of the early Christians and Jews, and from the 1800's onward, no edition of the King James Bible included the Apocrypha.
In 1881 English Scholars did the English translation known as the "Authorized Standard Version". This version, as well as most English versions produced today (other than Catholic Bibles and the New Revised Standard Version), do not include the Apocrypha.
Practical Considerations
So how is the Bible believing Christian to regard the Apocrypha? Some of the books, such as 1 Macabbees,, are valuable historical records of what the Jews were dealing with between the Old and New Testaments. 1 Macabees 9:27 reminds us that there was no word from God in the times following Malachi, thus showing how the Apocryphal writers themselves viewed what they were doing - namely non-inspired work. Other Apocryphal books, such as Tobit, teach salvation by works, and provide no value. The Apocrypha as a collection are uneven in their usefulness, and must be cautiously approached or avoided all together.
To know what is authoritative for living the Christian life is crucially important for growing in Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-2 reminds us to crave the pure milk of the word, so that we may grow in our faith. Knowing which books are inspired is important, since only by the written Word of God can anyone be converted to saving faith and grow in Christ. My prayer is that you, dear reader, have found today's blog helpful in understanding the value of knowing God's word, the 66 inspired books.
When Malachi penned his book under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 400 years passed until God would once again speak a word to men like Matthew to pen inspired scripture. In between Malachi and Matthew history saw the rise and fall of four major world empires: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. During that period, the Jews wrote 14 non-inspired books of history and devotional reflection that are referred to today as "The Apocrypha". The word "Apocrypha" means "that which is hidden" or "concealed". You have perhaps heard about them or have seen them in a Catholic Bible. For reference sake, the Apocrypha are as follows:
1. 1st Esdras
2. 2nd Esdras
3. Tobit (a fictional account of a Jewish man by the name of Tobit)
4. Judith (an alledged addition to the Book of Daniel)
5. Bel and the Dragon (an alleged addition to the Book of Daniel)
6. The Song of the Three Holy Children (an alleged addtion to the Book of Daniel)
7. Additions to Esther (supposed extra verses for the biblical book of Esther)
8. Susanna
9. 1 Macabbees (historical record of the Jewish opposition to Rome)
10. 2 Macabbees (reflections on Jewish opposition to Rome)
11. Prayer of Mannasseh (supposed prayer of repentance prayed by the biblical King Mannasseh)
12. Wisdom of Solomon (also called Sirach)
13. Book of Baruch (an alledged addition to Jeremiah)
14. Ecclesiasticus (a Jewish Philsophical work trying to prove the Jewish faith from reason)
Just as you would walk into a book store and find many non-inspired books reflecting on the contents of scripture or giving a history of the church, the Apocrypha functioned in much the same way for the Jewish people. Though written by the Jewish people, these 14 books were never accepted as equal or inspired to the Old Testament Books stretching from Genesis to Malachi. As one reviews the history of these 14 books, it is evident as to why they cannot be deemed as inspired scripture like the 66 books of the Bible.
How did the Apocrypha end up in some Bibles?
The world's first Bible translation included the Apocrypha due to their popular use
As the Jewish people came to speak the Greek language, the time came for the need of a Greek translation of the Old Testament. The project of translating the Hebrew Bible into Greek occured from 275 b.c up until almost the time when Jesus came on the scene. The Hebrew Bible continued to be copied and interpreted by the Jewish Rabbi's (Teachers) and Scribes (guys who hand-copy manuscripts), however the vast majority of the Jewish world came to use the Septuagint. The Apocrypha, though not being recognized as inspired scripture, were included in the Greek Old Testament due to their wide use by the Jews. This version of the Old Testament was used by the Early Church, since most of it spoke Greek. Think of our English Bibles that have study notes, maps and Topical indexes. Though not inspired, they have been found to be of wide use among God's people.
The Apocrypha were never acknowledged by the Jews and Early Church as inspired scripture
Jewish Historians such as Josephus in his work "Antiquities of the Jews" and the Greek speaking Jew "Philo" both refer to the Old Testament in their writings. Josephus in particular writes about how the Old Testament books were recognized, accepted and in full use before the close of the Old Testament. In his work, there are listed the documents of the Old Testament that are found in our English Bibles. Interestingly Josephus does not mention the apocrypha, reflecting the widely held Jewish view of the non-inspired nature of the Apocrypha.
The early church also had this same general opinion. Documents such as the Muritorian Canon (composed over 100 years after the death of the Apostles) and the work "The History of the Church" by the church father "Eusebius" (written in the 300's A.D) mention the books of the Old and New Testament as being inspired. Yet the Apocrypha are not included in those lists. The reason why the church came to this conclusion is mainly because we never see the Apocrypha quoted as scripture by the Apostles in the New Testament.
The Roman Catholic Church's continued use and gradual elevation of the Apocrypha
By the 400's A.D the church in the Western Roman Empire was speaking more Latin and less Greek. A man by the name of Jerome translated the Old and New Testament into the Latin Version known as the Vulgate. It would be this Bible that would be used by the Roman Catholic Church for the next 1,000 years. Though Jerome in his writings never acknowledged the Apocrypha as inspired, they were included in his version due to their wide use. The Catholic Church would gradually come to value the Apocrypha more and more over the centuries as it saw the need to justify some of its beliefs not taught in the inspired books of the Bible.
The Roman Catholic Church deems the Apocrypha as equal to scripture in the 1500's
By the days of the sixteenth century (1500's), the Roman Catholic Church was in need of reform, both theologically and morally. In partial response to the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church needed a way of supporting its doctrines that it knew were not in the Bible. Since they already had been using the Apocrypha, the church convened a meeting, The Council of Trent, in the 1500's. It was at that council that the Roman Catholic church declared the Apocrypha to be "equal" to scripture, a "second canon".
For over 1500 years the testimony of the early church and the Jews was that the Apocrypha, though useful in some sense, were not inspired. Yet The Roman Catholic Church ignored that testimony. To this day, in Roman Catholic Bibles, you will find the Apocrypha being referred to as "The Deutro-canonical" books, which simply mean that they are regarded as scripture (by the Roman Catholic Church).
Why the Apocrypha are not included in many Modern Non-Catholic English Bibles
In the 1500's the Church in England broke away from the Catholic Church, under the leading of King Henry VIII. The Church of England, known as the Anglican Church, retained the Apocrypha in the various English translations, including the King James Bible. In all editions of the King James Bible, the Apocrypha were inserted in between Malachi and Matthew until the 1700's. By influence of the Reformation, Christian leaders, especially in America, recognized the original position of the early Christians and Jews, and from the 1800's onward, no edition of the King James Bible included the Apocrypha.
In 1881 English Scholars did the English translation known as the "Authorized Standard Version". This version, as well as most English versions produced today (other than Catholic Bibles and the New Revised Standard Version), do not include the Apocrypha.
Practical Considerations
So how is the Bible believing Christian to regard the Apocrypha? Some of the books, such as 1 Macabbees,, are valuable historical records of what the Jews were dealing with between the Old and New Testaments. 1 Macabees 9:27 reminds us that there was no word from God in the times following Malachi, thus showing how the Apocryphal writers themselves viewed what they were doing - namely non-inspired work. Other Apocryphal books, such as Tobit, teach salvation by works, and provide no value. The Apocrypha as a collection are uneven in their usefulness, and must be cautiously approached or avoided all together.
To know what is authoritative for living the Christian life is crucially important for growing in Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-2 reminds us to crave the pure milk of the word, so that we may grow in our faith. Knowing which books are inspired is important, since only by the written Word of God can anyone be converted to saving faith and grow in Christ. My prayer is that you, dear reader, have found today's blog helpful in understanding the value of knowing God's word, the 66 inspired books.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)