biblical canon
Wednesday, March 26th, 2008I’ve been doing research on the history of Biblical canon and how the books of our Bible have come to be our books. In particular, I’ve been interested in why Protestants removed specific books, and what criteria was originally used to choose the books. I know a bit here and there, generically, from my Bible class in college, but I don’t know much. Honestly, I haven’t gotten very far or found a ton of unbiased information. (So, if anyone has resources, feel free to share.)
But, hmmm. Here is something I’ve never taken notice to before, even in all the years of Catholic research I’ve done and even in the days when I was totally Catholic-wannabe.
By virtue of this divinely-appointed authority, the Catholic Church determined the canon of Scripture (what books belong in the Bible) at the end of the fourth century. We therefore believe in the Scriptures on the authority of the Catholic Church. After all, nothing in Scripture tells us what Scriptures are inspired, what books belong in the Bible, or that Scripture is the final authority on questions concerning the Christian faith. Instead, the Bible says that the Church, not the Scriptures, is the pinnacle and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15) and the final arbiter on questions of the Christian faith (Matt. 18:17). It is through the teaching authority and Apostolic Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6; 1 Cor. 11:2) of this Church, who is guided by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 16:13), that we know of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and the manifold wisdom of God. (cf. Ephesians 3:10). http://www.scripturecatholic.com/
I knew the Catholic Church believes the Church itself has the same level of authourity as, if not more than, the Bible, and they have this authourity through the teachings of the apostles and elders, and these teachings are still a part of the Church through apostolic succession. However, it never occurred to me to consider that Biblical canon was chosen (over-time) based on this supposed, accepted authourity of the Church. Therefore, one can trust the Bible because of the authourity of the Church, and not simply through faith, as I have always been taught through the Protestant Church. The actual faith would not lie in determining where the Bible stands in and of itself, but determining the authourity of the Church. One could historically trace this Church to Bible times, and have substantial evidence of its authourity. The idea is that the Bible is divine because the Church is divine and the Church is divine because it is the apostles’ and elders’ Church and they are divine. Ergo, potentially more convincing than “blind” faith or circular Bible evidence. It takes the idea of faith to a different level.
I don’t know if that made sense, but it hit me as quite a different picture that I had been thinking. And, it makes me wonder about what the real authourity of the Church really is– regardless of whether this “Church” is the Catholic one, or the generic body of all believers or something else. It makes me wonder if there really is divine authourity, as Protestants accept divine authourity only from the Bible.