The Canon Under FireTwo Falsehoods About the NT Canon

James Patrick Holding

Tekton Apologetics Ministries

http://www.tektonics.org

“Skeptics silenced….rogues refuted.”

Falsehood #1“It was thrown together by (take

your pick)…”

1)Random chance

2)The emperor Constantine

3)The Council of Nicaea

4)Aliens from outer space (OK, I made that one up…)

What is a Canon?

• A canon is a religion’s or organization’s collection of normative, sacred or important books

• Canons are defined by authority (truth) and relevance

Factors in Canonization

• Apostolic authority

• Usage in the churches

• The “rule of faith”

Process of Canonization

• Precedent for a canon

• The words of Jesus start the “canon ball” rolling

• Heretics raised the need for a “canon wall”

Marcion: The Arch-Canonizer• Distanced the God of

the NT from that of the OT

• Created his own “canon”

• Accelerated the canonical process

The Canonization Continues• Gospels and Paul’s

letters as “mini-canons”

• The making of lists

• Candidates considered and discarded

Constantine: The “Evil Emperor”?

Falsehood #2

“The contents are corrupted.”

1)“Books were included that should not have been.”

2)“Books were excluded that should not have been.”

The Facts About The “Fringe”

• 20 of the 27 books were never questioned

• 7 books were examined, then let in:

2 PeterJudeJamesHebrews2, 3 JohnRevelation

Open the Door and Let Us In? • Shepherd of

Hermas

• Epistle of Barnabas

• 1 Clement

• Gospel of the Egyptians

If They Think They Can Do Better…There’s

Always This:

Further Reading

http://www.tektonics.org/lp/ntcanon.html

http://www.tektonics.org/lp/otcanon.html

http://www.tektonics.org/qt/thomasgospel.html

http://www.tektonics.org/garagesale.html