The Strand Study Bible

LUKE LUKE (1) More Psalms of David (c. 260 BC); (2) Earliest Sibylline Oracles (c. 200 BC); (3) 1 Enoch (c. 180 BC); (4) Jubilees (c. 170 BC); (5) the 12 Patriarchs (c. 160 BC); (6) Letters of Aristeas (c. 150 BC); (7) Apocalypse of Zephaniah (c. 100 BC); (8) Joseph and Aseneth (c. 75 BC); (9) Psalms of Solomon (c. 50 BC); (10) Testament of Job (c. 25 BC); (11) Apocryphon of Ezekiel (c. 1 BC); (12) 2 Enoch (written sometime between the 2nd century BC to 1st century AD); (13) Pseudo-Philo (c. AD 25); (14) Lives of the Prophets (c. AD 50); (15) Life of Adam& Eve (c. AD 60); (16) Ladder of Jacob (c. AD 70); (17) Martyrdom of Isaiah (c. AD 100); (18) Odes of Solomon (c. AD 110); (19) 4 Baruch (c. AD 130); (20) Ascension of Isaiah (c. AD 150); (21) Testament of Jacob (c. AD 200); (22) Jannes and Jambres (c. AD 250); (23) Apocalypse of Elijah (c. AD 270); and (24) Testament of Adam (c. AD 280). The Apocryphal Gospels (50 plus books) (written between 260 BC – AD 280) Some fifty plus apocryphal gospels ( Gnostic Gospels - Colo 2:16 and Acts 15:1 ) are in existence, a few having been preserved in entirety (the Protevangelium of James , the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary , the History of Joseph the Carpenter , the Gospel of Thomas , the Gospel of the Infancy , the Gospel of Nicodemus , the Gospel of Philip , and the Gospel of the Egyptian ), others in fragments (the Leucian Acts , which include the Acts of Paul , John , Andrew , Peter , and Thomas , and the Gospel of Mary ), and only the names are known of yet others. The Apocryphal Epistles (the Epistle of the Apostles , the Epistle to the Laodiceans , 3 Corinthians , excerpts from Paul’s letters (especially Philippians), and the Correspondence of Paul and Seneca ) are not so numerous. Neither were The Apocalypses (the Apocalypse of Peter and the Apocalypse of Paul ). In general, the author of these books concealed their own identity and ascribed their work to an apostle or disciple. The question of the ‘canon’ The question of which books belong in the Bible is called ‘the question of the canon.’ The word “canon” comes from the Greek word kanon, and is akin to the Hebrew word for “reed.” It means “rule” or “measuring rod” and refers to the collection of books, which passed a test of authenticity and authority, and were thus preserved of God ( Psa 12:6-7 and Mt 5:18 ). In the case of the Old Testament, most agree that all 39 books were collected and recognized by the time of Ezra (c. 450 BC). W.H. GriffithThomas in How We Got Our Bible notes: The complete volume is associated by tradition with Ezra, and there is no valid reason for doubting this, especially as it harmonizes with the testimony of the well-informed and representative Jew, Josephus, who, writing in the first century of the Christian Era, said that no book was added to the Jewish Scripture after the time of Malachi. 7 In the case of the New Testament all 27 books were collected and “canonized” by the Council of Carthage in AD 397. Herschel H. Hobbs in Fundamentals Of Our Faith notes: The Bible was not written by its authors with the purpose of forming one book. Yet, gathered together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in its final form after AD 300, it tells one complete story. If one should read the New Testament without a knowledge of the Old Testament, he would ask, “Where is that which went before?” If he should read the Old Testament without knowing the New Testament, he would inquire, “Where is the rest of the story?” 8 The question remains, however, “How was that collection made? And what tests were applied to determine authenticity and authority? And why were some books ‘canonized’ and some not?” Five questions that answer the inquiry: How was that collection made? 1. Was the book written via a prophet (Moses, David, etc.), a leader in Israel (Joshua, Ezra, etc.), or an Apostle (John, Peter, etc.)? * Josephus, the first century Jewish historian (c. AD 95), listed the 39 books of the OT as being authentic and authoritative. *The Council of Jamnia (c. AD 90), comprised of a synod of Jewish leaders, also listed the 39 books of the OT as being authentic and authoritative. *Tertullian (c. AD 200), Bishop of Carthage, recognized a number of NT books as authoritative and was the first to use the expression “New Testament.” *Athanasius of Alexandria published a list of divine books in about AD 367. It contained the 39 books of the OT and the 27 books of the NT Historians claim it is the first listing that matches perfectly with the Bible as we have it today. *Jerome recognized the same 27 books of the NT as being authentic when he translated the Latin Vulgate in about AD 385 *Two North African councils (Hippo in 393 AD and Carthage in AD 397) also officially endorsed the canons of both Testaments and decided that nothing else should be read in the churches. 4. Which books were discovered to be authentic and authoritative via archaeology ? *The Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1947, which dates back to the second century BC, gave us a Hebrew text consisting of all but 1654 2. Was the book given the “stamp of approval” via Christ and the apostles ? 3. Which books were considered authentic and authoritative via historians ?