How We Got Our Bible: The Canon of Scripture
Topic:
The Old Testament was in put together by the Jewish religious leaders years before Jesus came to earth. The early church accepted the books of the New Testament after passing certain criteria. The accepted collection was called the “canon” of Scripture. The word “canon” means “measuring stick.” There were three main criteria:
1) Did an Apostle or someone with Jesus write it?
2) Was the book consistent with known Scriptures?
3) Did the early church universally accept the book as Scripture?
Check out the following article for more introduction: http://bible.org/seriespage/bible-holy-canon-scripture
Key Questions:
- Why these books?
- How did it get to this list of books?
- Can more books/letters be added to this list?
Application:
Divine Truth:
What are some old beliefs that I need to lay aside and new beliefs I need to adopt:
What are some old behaviors I need to lay aside and new behaviors I need to adopt:
Nurturing Relationships:
How does this truth affect relationships…
…with my spouse (if appropriate):
…with my child/parent:
…with my employer/employee:
…with my friends:
…with my brother/sister:
…with those in authority:
Apostolic Mission:
How does this truth help me in overcoming the enemy’s schemes?
How does this truth help me in pursuing the mission I have in God’s kingdom?
One Thing I Will Do This Week:
Take Home:
1. General outline of how we got the Bible
2. Confident of the 66 books in our Bible
3. Awe of God using humans to accomplish His purpose over time, space, cultures