M O N D A Y , M A R C H 3 1 , 2 0 0 8

The Hebrew CanonWhile those in the Eastern Orthodox Church claim the Jews once

had a wider canon than they do now, such a statement far exceeds

the actual evidence. Rather, when looking at the evidence, we find

that the early Church, "with regard to the Old Testament",

"appears to have remained in conscious and intentional accord

with the Jewish community”(Ellis). Along with other reasons for

thinking this is the case (which will be covered later), there are

multiple sources that point us in the direction of a canonical list

much like the Protestant and Hebrew Old Testament.

Josephus proves helpful again as he gives his gentile audience

some information on the Hebrew Scriptures. "For we have not an

innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing from and

contradicting one another [as the Greeks have], but only

twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the past times;

which are justly believed to be divine.” Josephus goes on to explain

somewhat the content of these books, their threefold division,

along with the time frame in which they were written. From this

record as well as what can be gathered from other lists, the

content is almost if not exactly what we have in our Protestant

Bibles.

Jubillees, a book widely known in the earlier Christian Church and

reflected in Christian literature in the mid second century,

supports Josephus’ claims. While a significant piece to this

discussion is missing in the Ethiopic text, there are several sixth

century Greek writers and others from the third century who quote

or show that they had access (some independent) to Jubilees. The

quotation itself reads something like, "God, as it says, created (22)

works in the six days, wherefore also there are 22 letters among

the Hebrews and 22 books, and 22 founding fathers from Adam to

Jacob." The number twenty-two has shown up again and, is

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B Y W H O S E A U T H O R I T Y ?" N O W T H E SE J E W S W E R E MO R E N O B L E T H A N T H O SE I N T H E SSA L O N I C A ; T H E Y

R E C E I V E D T H E W O R D W I T H A L L E A G E R N E SS , E X A MI N I N G T H E SC R I P T U R E S D A I L YT O SE E I F T H E SE T H I N G S W E R E SO . " ( A C T S 1 7 : 1 1 )

By Whose Authority?: The Hebrew Canon http://bywhoseauthority.blogspot.com/2008/03/22-books.html

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A B O U T T H I S B L O G

This blog is devoted to addressing

questions of Church authority and

other doctrinal issues surrounding

the Protestant, Eastern Orthodox

and Roman Catholic churches. Our

hope is to foster a charitable and

winsome dialog in the pursuit of

God’s truth.

“We are concerned about Sola

Scriptura for many reasons. But we

affirm it in the final analysis not

because it was the view of the

Reformers, not because we

slavishly revere A.A. Hodge and

B.B. Warfield…We defend it and

express our deep concern for it

because we believe it is the truth.”

-R.C. Sproul

C O N T R I B U T O R S

David N.

Danielle

--paul

Catz206

Nathanael Taylor

J O I N O U R F A C E B O O KN E T W O R K

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Name:By Whose Authority?Topics:Religion, Theology,

By Whose Authority?: The Hebrew Canon http://bywhoseauthority.blogspot.com/2008/03/22-books.html

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By Whose Authority?: The Hebrew Canon http://bywhoseauthority.blogspot.com/2008/03/22-books.html

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