RELIGI0T7S~ ENCYCLOPEDIA
Canon of Scripture
ingBaruch and II Mace. In the first complete edition of the Bible (Zurich, 1530) the Apocrypha
stood at the end. With this agree
5. The the decisions of the other Reformed
Protestant churches: the "Galli can Confession,"
Church. 1559, §§ 3, 4; "Belgic Confession,"
1561, §§4-6; "Thirty-nine Articles," 1562, § 6 (cf. Schaff, Creeds of Christendom, iii.). The Book of Common Prayer contains readings from the Apocrypha and especial recommendation of portions of Wisdom and Sirach. At the Synod of Dort (1618), Gomarus and others raised an animated discussion by demanding the exclusion of the apocryphal Ezra, Tobit, Judith, and Bel and the Dragon from the Bible. This the synod refused to do, although speaking strongly against the Apocrypha. Similarly opposed to them was the Westminster Assembly of Divines, 1647, Confession of Faith, i. 3; the Arminians, Confessio pastorum, qui remonstrantes vocantur, i.
3, 6; the Socinians (Ostorodt, Unterrichtung von den vornehmsten Hauptpunckten der christlichen Religion, Rakau, 1604) and the Mennonites (Johann Bis, Prwcipuorum Christiance fidei articulorum brevis confessio, xxix.) agree with the other Protestants. For history of the relation of the Bible societies to the Apocrypha, see Bible Societies. For the Apocrypha in general, see Apocrypha.
6. The Names of the Old Testament and of Its Chief Divisions : (a) Hebrew. Neh. viii. 8 has the expression Mikra, " Reading," which here must signify the Law. Dan. ix. 2 has Sepherim, "the Books "; Kitebe hakkodesh, "the Holy Writings," is Talmudic. The division into three parts is common in the Talmud, with the names Torah, Nebhiim, and Keihubhim, " Law, Prophets, and Writings," with the abbreviation TNK. Often the whole is embraced in the term Torah. The first part is named also "The Five Fifths of the Law." The first part of the prophetical canon is called " the Former Prophets "; the second part " the Latter Prophets." The third part of the canon is known as " the Writings " and " the Sacred Writings." The Song of Sol., Ruth, Lam., Eccles., and Esther are classed together as Megillot, " Rolls." The second and third parts are often named together as the kabbalah.
(b) Greek. It may be concluded that by the time of the translator of Ecclus. the words " the Books " were in use, since he speaks of " the other [books]," " the rest [of the books]." In the New Testament they are called "the Scripture," "Holy" or "Sacred Writings"; the Pentateuch is called "the Old Covenant " in II Cor. iii. 14. Among the Greek Fathers the following names are used: " The Books of the Old Covenant," " The Sacred (Holy) Writings of the Old Covenant," the " Old Covenant," "the Twenty-two Books of the Old Covenant," " the Covenant Books," and " Law and Prophets."
(c) Latin. Vetus testamentum, translates Hebr. berith, "covenant"; instrumentum , totum instrumentum uiriusque testamenti, vetus scriptura, vetus lex, and veteris legis libri are used. (H. L. Strack.).
II. The Canon of the New Testament. — f~Tne7 Terms TJsed: Alongside the word canon, expressing/ the idea of the collection of scriptures, were used the terms " covenant " (derived from the Old
Testament, Ex. xxiv. 27), " Scripture " or "Scriptures " with the qualifying words "holy," " sacred," " divine," or " of the Lord," also " Law and Gospel," " Prophets and Apostles." The word endiathekos, " contained in the covenant," was opposed to apokryphos, " apocryphal," the former word often containing the meaning "used in public service."
xa. The New Testament, 170-220: Since there are at command no specific reports concerning the origin of the New Testament, an examination of the facts which may throw light upon the problem must be made in order to discover that origin. A starting-point is found in the period of the contest between the Gnostic sects, particularly the Marcionites and the Valentinians, and the orthodox. The Montanistic movement was under way during this period, though it was concerned not so much with the New Testament as with its own objects. The Church had a New Testament already commonly so called, over against the Montanistic contention of a new period of prophecy already opened which was to lead the way to a wider development. The Church regarded the age of revelation as closed with the death of the last surviving apostle and the canon of the New Testament as completed, though discussion still went on as to the inclusion of some books therein. In opposition to Marcion and Montanus the Church had the feeling that it had an inviolable possession in the two Testaments, and the Montanist himself distinguished them from the body of " new prophecy."
Opposed to the gospel which Marcion prepared for his communities, to the Evangelium veritatis used by the Valentinians alongside the four Gospels of the Church, to the discarding 1. The Four of the Johannean Gospel by the Alogi,
Gospels, and to the exclusive use of Matthew or Mark by other parties of the Church, is the statement of Irena3us that the spirit which created the world had given to the Church its gospel in fourfold form {Hcer., III. xi. 8), to violate which was a sin against God's revelation and spirit. The unity of these is asserted in the designation of them as " the Gospel " (in the singular), and in the titles " the Gospel according to Matthew," etc. Clement of Alexandria in his discussion of the origin of the Gospels dealt only with the four. Recollection was soon lost of the fact that a gospel not among the four had striven to be retained in use in public service, and that one of the four had had to win its place among them. But even the Alogi did not deny that the Fourth Gospel belonged to the age of John and had ever since been in the Church. Tatian's preparation for the Syrians of the " Diatessaron " witnesses by its very title to the fact that for an ecclesiastical book of the Gospels no other sources than the four were conceivable. The very permission given by Serapion of Antioch (c. 200) to certain of his parishioners to read a gospel called that of Peter, which he gave without reading the book and through confidence in them, really speaks for the same set of facts, as does the subsequent annulment of the permission. Origen sums up the practise of that period in the saying:
Canon of Scripture