Can We Trust the Bible: History of Progress Toward Canonization for the OT

History of Progress Toward Canonization for the OT

At the time of Christ, the OT canon included the 39 OT books which are found in today’s English Bible. This is confirmed in the writings of the great Jewish historian Josephus (A.D. 37-95). The compilation of the 39 books is discussed in greater detail in Article 4 of this series.

However, if you were to look at the table of contents of a Hebrew Old Testament, you would notice two differences from today’s English Old Testament. First, the English OT has only 22 books, not 39. The content, though, is identical; it is just that the Hebrew Bible combines certain books. (For example, books such as 1 and 2 Samuel are combined into one, and other smaller books are attached to larger ones.)

A second difference is that the order of the books is rearranged. It is interesting to note that the last book of the Hebrew Bible is not Malachi but Chronicles. With an understanding of this arrangement of books, Erwin Lutzer provides further proof in support of the opening comment of this article.

“Now let me share an incidental proof that Christ’s Bible was the same in content as the Hebrew Old Testament we have today. The first murder in the Old Testament was, of course, when Cain killed Abel; the last murder, according to the Hebrew order of books, was when the prophet Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, was stoned to death in the temple (2 Chronicles 24:20-21). Only now are we prepared to understand the words of Jesus, ‘Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar (Matthew 23:34-35).’ Given the order of the Hebrew Old Testament, Christ gives a sweeping panorama of its entire history. These two murders are ‘bookends’ for the whole of the Hebrew canon. In New Testament terms we would say, ‘From Genesis to Revelation.’ This is further proof that Christ’s Bible was that of the Jewish Hebrew Canon (though arranged differently), as our own Old Testament.” (Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust The Bible, pgs. 169-170)

Skeptics maintain that a group of “old men” (religious scholars} came together in 95 A.D.--the Synod of Jamnia--to decide what books were to be included in the OT. Nothing could be further from the truth! It has already been demonstrated that by the time of Christ, the OT was already compiled and considered to be canonical scripture (see Article 4). Josephus maintains the OT canon had been closed for five centuries. The Synod was a gathering of Jewish scholars who had no authority for Judaism, and they did not add to nor delete from the 39 books already in use.

• Our next article looks at the External Evident Supporting the Reliability of the OT.
• Return to our Introduction Post to see a list of all articles in this series.

The Beatitudes - Happy are those who Suffer (by Stephen Simpson)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (v. 10-11 ESV)

Verses 10 & 11 are best taken together as one Beatitude - the final one. Happy are those who suffer for the sake of righteousness and truth. Again, we must understand how this would have sounded to the Jew sitting there listening to Jesus’ words.  They expected to hear Jesus say, "Your suffering is over!"  Instead, He said, "Rejoice in your persecution."


Here, especially, is where the world does not understand Christianity. The world has tried to eliminate Christianity through suffering and persecution. They tried crucifying the apostles. They beheaded some. They dipped some in tar and set them on fire to provide light for their parties. They burned them at the stake. The persecution continues to this day. Just because we live in America and may not hear about it, does not mean that Christians are not murdered for righteousness’ sake.

I was recently told by one of our missionaries to Mali, that one of the national pastors in Mali has had to flee to the US because there is a price on his head.  Islamic terrorists want him - dead or alive.  We in the US must not be naive. Persecution of Christianity is flourishing throughout the world.  Hundreds of Christians have had to flee Northern Mali.  Churches are being attacked in Nigeria. Spend some time at www.persecution.com and you will see that persecution is spread all around the world. 

But as Christians, we are to rejoice in sufferings and persecutions. What is to be our response to suffering for righteousness’ sake?

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt. 5:12)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.


Other Posts in this series:

1. The Secret to True Happiness
2. Who Was Jesus Speaking To?
3. How Poor Is Your Spirit?
4. What Makes You Mourn?
5. How Meek Are You?
6. Are You Satisfied?
7. Blessed Are the Merciful
8. Do You Have Mixed Motives? 
9. Be a Peacemaker - Preach the Gospel! 

A Closer Look at Operation Christmas Child

About Operation Christmas Child
Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, is a ministry that helps children around the world. It is a way for the body of Christ to bring smiles and laughter to families across the globe while also opening the door to sharing the Gospel and the love of Christ with those who might never otherwise experience it. Since the ministry began in 1993, approximately 100 million shoe boxes have been filled!

How to Give
If God has laid a desire on your heart to give to be a part of this ministry, here is what you need to know:

1. First of all, you need to get either a standard size empty shoe box or a small plastic container. Also, it is important to begin praying for the child who will eventually receive your gift. 
2. The next thing you need to do is to determine whether you would like your gift to be for a girl or a boy as well as the age group of the child: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Next, put the appropriate label on your box. (There is a brochure for Operation Christmas Child at the information desk in the foyer of the church with this information as well as appropriate labels for your box, or you can visit the Operation Christmas Child website to print out any information or labels that you may need.)
3. The third step is to fill the box with gifts that you think will make a child smile! Some gift suggestions made by Operation Christmas Child are: school supplies, toys, hygiene items, or other gifts such as small clothing items, jewelry, or watches and flashlights with extra batteries. You can also enclose a picture of your family as well as a note from yourself to the child. If you include your name and address, the child may write back! Do not include: used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; food, out-of-date candy, or chocolate; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakables; aerosol cans. For more information on what to include or not to include, please refer to the website or brochure.
4. The next step is to include a $7 donation for each box, because shipping shoe boxes overseas is costly. There is a donation envelope attached to the brochures available in the church foyer, or you can print one out from the website.
5. The last thing to do is to place a rubber band around each closed shoe box, drop it off at the church on or before National Collection Week, November 12-19, and continue to pray for the child who will receive your gift! If you are unable to drop your shoe box off at the church, you can mail it to: Samaritan's Purse, 801 Bamboo Rd, Boone, NC 28607.

Now What?

If you have read this, and you are sitting there wondering what to do, start praying about contributing to this ministry! If you have any questions or would like more information, you can visit the Operation Christmas Child website or pick up a brochure in the church foyer.

Can We Trust the Bible: Rejection of the Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament

Among the many reasons for rejecting the Apocryphal books of the Old Testament are: (1) the great Jewish scholars rejected them (Philo, Josephus, and the Jamnia scholars); (2) early biblical scholars (Melito, Origen, Epiphanius, and Jerome) rejected them; (3) early church fathers rejected them; (4) they do not claim inspiration and even, in some cases, disclaims it; (5) they have no predictive prophecy or additional Messianic truth; (6) they contain some unbiblical teachings; (7) large portions of the books are obviously legendary and fictitious; and, (8) historical, chronological, and geographical errors may be found throughout the writings.

With regard to the twelve books which appear as an addition in the Roman Catholic Bible, commonly referred to as The Apocrypha, it was not until 1546 that the Catholic Church decreed these books for inclusion in their canon.  In their book, From God to Us by Norman Geisler and William Nix, they note:  “The action of the Council of Trent was both polemical and prejudicial.  In debates with Luther, the Roman Catholics had quoted the Maccabees in support of prayer for the dead (2 Mac. 12:45-46).  Luther and Protestants following him challenged the canonicity of that book, citing the New Testament, the early church Fathers, and Jewish teachers for support.  The Council of Trent responded to Luther by canonizing the Apocrypha. . . .The decision at Trent did not reflect either a universal or indisputable consent within the Catholic church of the Reformation.  During that very time Cardinal Cajetan, who opposed Luther at Augsburg in 1518, published a Commentary on All the Authentic Historical Books of the Old Testament (1532) which omitted the Apocrypha.  Even before this, Cardinal Ximenes distinguished between the Apocrypha and the Old Testament canon in his Coplutensian Polyglot (1514-1517).  With this data in view, Protestants generally reject the decision of Trent as unfounded.”  (Pages 97-98)

Additionally, in his book How We Got the Bible, Neil Lightfoot makes the following comment on The Apocrypha:  “Objections to these books cannot be overruled by dictatorial authority [i.e., the Catholic Church].  On 8 April 1546 in the fourth session of the Council of Trent, the Roman Catholic Church pronounced the Old Testament Apocrypha [with the exception of certain books] as authoritative and canonical Scripture.  This was done even though in different periods of its own history officials of the Roman Church had been outspoken against the Apocrypha as Scripture.  At that time the Council also decreed that the Latin Vulgate only was to be regarded as authentic Scripture and that ‘holy Mother Church’ alone maintained the right to give the true interpretation of Scripture. . . . Indeed, according to the Council of Trent, the Scriptures are and mean what the church says.  Yet Rome, which in such matters claims infallibility, cannot make the fallible Apocrypha infallible.”  (Pages 169-170)  It is somewhat ironic that the great Roman Catholic biblical scholar Jerome, who translated the Scriptures into the Latin Vulgate, did not recognize The Apocrypha as being of equal authority with the books of the Hebrew canon.

• Our next article will discuss the History of Progress toward Canonization for the OT
      
• Return to our Introduction Post to see a list of all articles in this series.

Do You Shop on Amazon? (by Stephen Simpson)

Have you ever purchased anything on Amazon.com?  Maybe you bought a book or some sheets.  Perhaps you splurged and bought a kindle.  Whatever it was, did you realize that your purchase could have helped support the ministry at FBC?

It is really quite simple.  Amazon has created an affiliate program where websites (like ours) can earn money by promoting Amazon.  In other words, Amazon will send FBC money if we send them paying customers.  The neat thing is that many of us already shop at Amazon.  We have already found out that they often have the lowest prices around and they offer Free Shipping for many of their orders.

How does this work?

Once again, it is really quite simple.  You may have noticed that we have links to Amazon on the sidebar of our blog.  We also place links to items within our blog posts.  For example, all of the links in this post are 'FBC links.'

If you go to Amazon.com through one of our 'FBC links' and complete a purchase, then FBC will earn a commission from your purchase.  If you simply type "www.amazon.com" and then complete your purchase, then FBC will not earn a commission.

Will Amazon.com charge me more for purchasing items this way?

Nope.  Their prices are same regardless of whether FBC earns a commission or not.

Does FBC earn a commission on everything I buy?

Yes!  You can buy dishes, books, laptops, mp3 players, tools, diaper bags, formula, jewelry, exercise equipment, automotive parts, etc.  Think of Amazon as your 'online supercenter!'

How much does FBC earn?

The base earnings rate is 4% and increases as more items are purchased.  

How much has FBC actually earned?

In 2011, we earned $187.78.  So far, in 2012, we have earned $259.33.

So, we encourage you to shop at Amazon through one of our affiliate links.  Your purchases will help support the ministry of FBC.  Leave us a comment if you have any questions about this.

What do you like to purchase from Amazon?

Can We Trust the Bible? The Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament

“The Banned Books of the Bible,” “The Lost Books of the Bible,” --these are just two of the many titles from books and TV programs which refer to books known as “Apocryphal” books. The meaning of “Apocrypha” includes doubtful, hidden, secret, and noncanonical.

Applying the “standards for measure” or “standards of judgment” previously discussed, the following writings were rejected by the ancient Jewish fathers from inclusion into the Old Testament canon:

*Baruch, II Baruch, The Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch
*Bel and the Dragon
*Ecclesiasticus, or the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach
I Enoch, II Enoch, Book of the Secrets of Enoch
**1 Esdras  ***2 Esdras
*Judith
*I Maccabees *II Maccabees **III Maccabees ****IV Maccabees
Pirke Aboth
**Prayer of Manasseh
**Psalm 151
*Susanna
*The Additions to the Book of Daniel (added after Daniel 3:23)
*The Additions to the Book of Esther
The Assumption of Moses
The Book of Adam and Eve
The Book of Jubilee
The Letter of Aristeas
*The Letter of Jeremiah (sometimes incorporated as the last chapter of Baruch)
The Martyrdom of Isaiah
The Psalms of Solomon
The Sibylline Oracles
The Story of Ahikar
The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs
*Tobit
*Wisdom of Solomon

NOTES: 

*These books appear in the Roman Catholic, Greek, and Slavonic Bibles.
**These books appear in the Greek and Slavonic Bibles, but not in the Roman Catholic canon.
***This book appears in the Slavonic Bible and in the Latin Vulgate Appendix.
****This book appears in the Appendix to the Greek Bible.

• Our next article will discuss specific reasons for rejecting the Old Testament Apocrypha
         
• Return to our Introduction Post to see a list of all articles in this series.

A Closer Look at FX Camp 2012

This past summer, FBC held it first-ever FX camp at Camp Gilead.  This massive undertaking was a tremendous success.  Our thanks go to Jonita Barram for putting this photo collection together so that you can get an inside look at this exciting week.

Fifty-two “FX kids” get together at Camp Gilead for the first-ever FX Camp, Aug. 5–9, 2012.

Sean Fielder, director of FX, says, “Let us never say, ‘There is no room, come back later.’ I have learned that if God sends someone our way, it is a divine appointment. Praise God for letting us watch Him save people!”

You Did What?

Gifts from members of Faith Baptist Church paid for 52 students to attend the first FX Camp at Camp Gilead. In addition to room and board, the church paid for special activities, such as zip-line/high ropes and paintball, and providing $20 for each camper to spend at the camp store.

Campers who choose to do the high ropes are bused to Fantasy of Flight for the ropes and zip line. Sometimes they’re a little intimidating.

Riding the zip line is a favorite activity at FX Camp.

FX Campers learn that it takes balance to succeed, and it helps to have a safety harness and trained  helpers—That sounds like life too!

Although about 90 percent of the campers don’t know how to swim, they don life jackets and go out to the trampoline.

Jonathan Fielder rides the “tube” with two campers. He was a junior counselor, working with eight boys, ages 10–12. Derrick, 10, reports: “When I was swimming with him [Jonathan], he always fell off. Two kids fell off. Then one of them went back on the boat. Then after that we had another turn, and I went on the boat.”

Tubing is a favorite lakefront activity. Most of the campers have never been tubing before this week. Jamie Simmons says, “Oh, the screams are just awesome.” Gary Simpson says, “When they get off, they say, ‘I want to go again! I want to go again!’ ”

The waterfront is a busy place!

Kids 12 and older play paintball, a first for many.

Jerrid, 10, describes the camp store: “It’s nice. You can hang out there and talk to your friends that you don’t get to, because they separate the older boys from the younger boys and the boys from the girls.”

Campers react to a live snake, one of the “Creation Critters.”

It’s All about Getting to Know You

Hannah Long, junior counselor to eight girls, ages 7–11, says, “I like to get to know them. They’re really sweet.”

Sara McMahon spent the week at camp, bonding with and loving the campers. 

Shelsetta Douglas, who works with FX girls during the school year, helps in a variety of ways at camp, including securing boys’ life jackets.

Shelsetta’s love for the girls has helped her win several to salvation in Jesus Christ. 

Jocelyn, 10, likes the camp staff “because they’re nice. They help us with stuff that we need help with.” 

“There’s not a lot of kids, so it’s easier to get closer to the kids and talk to them. It’s been really good,” says one of the summer staff.

“Every camper that comes through needs someone to love them, show them that they’re cared for, and to show them the gospel,” says senior counselor Caleb Jones. “That’s what it’s all about. Kids are kids—it doesn’t really matter who they are or where they’re from.”

The Serious Stuff - Every morning, the campers used the S.O.A.P. method

S = Scripture

O = Observation

A = Application

P = Prayer

A camper gets a hand up. Many camp activities foster cooperation and teamwork. 

Christina Acree, Lauren Dyess, Jonathan Fielder, Joseph Fielder, Cody Hancock, and Dakota Hancock lead the campers in praising God. Pastor Chris Elrod held the campers’ attention as he preached from God’s Word, illustrated from his own life, and applied God’s Word to the campers’ lives.

What Was It All For?

Fourteen campers made salvation decisions during FX camp. Many of them came forward in church Aug. 26, indicating a desire to obey the Lord by being baptized. 

Jamie Simmons - photographer

Editors’ notes: This report is a summary. It leaves out a lot, including the names of many of the Faith volunteers—our apologies to them. Also, speakers quoted in a caption do not necessarily appear in the accompanying photo. And last but not least, sincerest thanks to Jamie Simmons, who recorded FX Camp with her camera, and to Hope Olden for the photos taken at Fantasy of Flight.

• Related Post:  Read the Baptist Bulletin report on FX Camp

In My Seat - A Pilot's Story from September 10th - 11th

(originally posted September 8th, 2011)

Sunday is September 11th.  It has been 10 years since the horrific attacks on our country.  If you are like me, you remember exactly where you were when you heard about the attacks.  I was a college student at Bob Jones University and was sitting in chapel when I first learned about the attacks.  I remember walking out of chapel and seeing a girl sitting in the back row.  She was clutching her cell phone, rocking in her seat, and sobbing.  I don't know her story, but I still see that image when I think about September 11th.

This video shares an unbelievable story.  Peter Scheibner, BJU senior cinema student, portrays the compelling testimony of his father, Steve Scheibner, an American Airlines pilot whose life was spared when a more senior pilot bumped him from Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

 

See also:

• 9/11 - A Foreign Perspective (by Pastor Brock)

"Philippians: A Precious Gem of Joy" Sermon Series by Pastor Osborne

Pastor Osborne recently finished a series he started on May 6, 2012 that covered Paul's letter to the Philippians.  We have gathered the links to all of the sermons for your convenience.  We hope this will be a blessing to you!

1. "Philippians - A Precious Gem of Joy" (audio) 
2. "Confidence in God Leads to Joy" Phil. 1:1-11 (audio)
3. "The Pursuit of Happiness" Phil. 1:12-21 (audio)
4. "Pulled in Two Directions" Phil. 1:21-30 (audio)
5. "Examining Christlikeness" Phil. 2:1-11 (audio)
6. "Life's Challenge to Stay in Balance" Phil. 2: 12-18 (audio)
7. "Excellent Friendship - Part 1" Phil. 2:19-30 (audio)
8. "Excellent Friendship - Part 2" Phil. 2:19-30 (audio)
9. "The Great Temptation" Phil. 3:1-11 (audio)
10. "The Patient Discipline of Determination" Phil. 3:12-16 (audio) 
11. "God's Strategy for a Lost World" Phil. 3:17-4:1 (audio)
12. "Analyzing Conflict" Phil. 4:1-3 (audio)
13. "The Universal Addiction" Phil. 4:4-9 (audio)
14. "7 Characteristics of the Mature" Phil. 4:10-19 (audio)
15. "The Doxology" Phil. 4:20-23 (audio) 

This Post Sponsored By:

You Might Be Mature If.... (by Pastor Osborne)

Maturity is becoming increasingly rare.  It is not natural.  It is a choice that we are all faced with.  Pastor Osborne recently preached from Philippians 4 and discussed the topic of maturity.  He defined maturity as

"the process of leaving behind childish habits and consistently moving toward emotional and spiritual adulthood."

He further provided 10 ways in which maturity is expressed.  In other words,

You Might Be Mature If...

1. You are concerned for others more than yourself.
2. You discern the presence of danger before it is obvious and too late to leave or change it.
3. You can express disagreements in a civil, kind, and adult manner.
4. You use knowledge in wise & productive ways.
5. Your goals are accompanied by action.
6. Your compassion & involvement match awareness
7. Your own spiritual growth is pursued privately & corporately.
8. You have the determination to stay committed to a task.
9. You have the courage to change when correction is given.
10. You refuse to blame others for the bad consequences of poor choices.

The Edges of God (by Stephen Simpson)

(Enjoy this post from our archives.  It was originally posted March 3, 2008.)

Have you ever been surprised by Scripture? If you are like me, then you are often surprised by what you read in Scripture. God will bring you to a verse that just totally blows you away. That happened to me recently as I was reading Job 26.

I find Job to be one of the more difficult books of the Bible to read. My mind just has trouble keeping track of all of the 'discourses.' However, chapter 26 jumped out and shocked me. It was totally amazing. In this chapter, Job describes the majesty of God. He begins with,  

"How you have helped him who has no power! How you have saved the arm that has no strength!" (ESV)

Job devotes the entire chapter to this subject. Verse after verse describes how powerful, and mighty, and majestic our God is. Another interesting verse is verse 7,  

"He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing." 

This seems to be a reference to our planet being suspended in space.

But I haven't even reached the best part yet! Job continues on through his discourse and reaches his climax with the last verse.  

"Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him!" 

 The term 'outskirts' is very interesting. It can be translated edges or corners or coasts. The point Job is making is that everything we know about God represents only the very edges of His ways. Everything we hear is but a small whisper.

So, here's the challenge for today. Read and meditate on Job 26. And as you travel through this week, consider the edges of God's majesty. Listen to His thunderings and understand that they are but a whisper.

Before You Pass It On, Check It Out (by Jonita Barram)

I received another one today—one of those compellingly patriotic (or Christian or Republican), staunchly conservative e-mails. The ones that make us feel good about our personal beliefs. But this one, like so many others, wasn’t completely true.

I used to believe that a story coming from an acquaintance or friend must be reliable. But one experience about 15 years ago burst my naivety about e-mails. I had used a story from an e-mail as an illustration in an adult Bible study I was working on. Our retired former boss later read the illustration in the then-published study and let the new boss know the story was fiction. Oops! How embarrassing! That experience taught me to question every story, history lesson, etc. that comes via e-mail and to check out the ones I care about.

If your inbox is piling up with those patriotic (or Christian or Republican), staunchly conservative e-mails, this is for you: Before you pass it on, check it out. I recommend visiting www.snopes.com or www.truthorfiction.com.

Snopes is owned and operated by secular people. When you visit their site, you can type or copy the heading from the e-mail or a key word into the search box. If the particular subject has been addressed, you will find a version of the e-mail you received, a rating (true, false, or mixed), and an explanation. As you read the explanations, you will notice that the author(s) don’t necessarily share our worldview. And that’s why it is helpful to check out the Truth or Fiction site as well. Its owner/operator is a believer and as a Judeo-Christian worldview, but the Snopes site generally addresses more topics.

I’m no expert, just someone who’s “been there, done that” to my own embarrassment and who has learned to check things out before passing them on. I’d like to encourage every other believer to do the same. We, of all people, should not be perpetuating falsehoods and inaccuracies.