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Author Topic: Where did the Bible come from and Who wrote it?
epouraniois
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tools

i figure all are aware of the wonderful program called e-sword. here more:

Scripture analyzer
http://www.scripture4all.org/

Davar Hebrew picture word converter/dictionary
http://davar.faithofgod.net/

Online Resources For Bible Scholars
http://www.ultimasurf.net/bible/bible-scholar-resources.html

HEBREW FONTS
http://www.aarweb.org/fonts/default.asp

HEBREW CALANDAR
http://www.sunspot.noao.edu/PR/answerbook/calendar-main.html#hebrew

http://companionbiblecondensed.com/

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epouraniois
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With the advent of the Dead Sea Scroll findings, if there were any differences between that which is written in the KJV, the sound would forever be going throughout and around the world. Alas, it is not.
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epouraniois
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Ap. 32.

THE 134 PASSAGES WHERE THE SOPHERIM ALTERED "JEHOVAH" TO "ADONAI".

Out of extreme (but mistaken) reverence for the Ineffable Name "Jehovah", the ancient custodians of the Sacred Text substituted in many places "Adonai" (see Ap. 4. viii. 2). These, in the A.V. and R.V., are all printed "Lord". In all these places we have printed it "LORD*", marking the word with an asterisk in addition to the note in the margin, to inform the reader of the fact.

The official list given in the Massorah (§§ 107-15, Ginsburg's edition) contains the 134.

Gen. 18:3, 27, 30, 32; 19:18; 20:4.

Ex. 4:10, 13; 5:22; 15:17; 34:9, 9.

Num. 14:17.

Josh. 7:8.

Judg. 6:15; 13:8.

1Kings 3:10, 15; 22:6.

2Kings 7:6; 19:23.

Isa. 3:17, 18; 4:4; 6:1, 8, 11; 7:14, 10; 8:7; 9:8, 17; 10:12; 11:11; 21:6, 8, 16; 28:2; 29:13; 30:20; 37:24; 38:14, 16; 49:14.

Ezek. 18:25, 29; 21:13; 33:17, 29.

Amos 5:16; 7:7, 8; 9:1.

Zech. 9:4.

Mic. 1:2.

Mal. 1:12, 14.

Ps. 2:4; 16:2; 22:19, 30; 30:8; 35:3, 17, 22; 37:12; 38:9, 15, 22; 39:7; 40:17; 44:23; 51:15; 54:4; 55:9; 57:9; 59:11; 62:12; 66:18; 68:11, 17, 19, 22, 26, 32; 73:20; 77:2, 7; 78:65; 79:12; 86:3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15; 89:49, 50; 90:1, 17; 110:5; 130:2, 3, 6.

Dan. 1:2; 9:3, 4, 7, 9, 15, 16, 17, 19, 19, 19.

Lam. 1:14, 15, 15; 2:1, 2, 5, 7, 18, 19, 20; 3:31, 36, 37, 58.

Ezra 10:3.

Neh. 1:11; 4:14.

Job 28:28.

(See Ginsburg's ed. of The Massorah, §§ 107-115.)

To these may be added the following, where "Elohim" was treated in the same way :--

Where the A.V. has "LORD." --

2Sam. 5:19-25.
2Sam. 6:9-17.

Where in A.V. and R.V. it still appears as "God". It is printed "GOD*" in the Companion Bible.

1Chron. 13:12.
1Chron. 14:10, 11, 14, 16.
1Chron. 16:1.
Ps. 14:1, 2, 5.
Ps. 53:1, 2, 4, 5.

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epouraniois
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34. THE READINGS CALLED SEVERIN.

Josephus tells us (Life, § 75) that Titus brought away with him from Jerusalem the codices (or manuscripts) that were in the Temple. These were among the spoils he took to Rome, and were deposited in the royal palace, about A.D. 70.

About A.D. 220 the Emperor Severus, who built a synagogue in Rome which was called after his name, handed over the codex of the Pentateuch to the Jewish community.

Both codex and synagogue have perished, but a list of thirty-two passages is preserved in the Massorah, wherein this codex differed in letters and words form other codices. There are two lists extant : one (prior to A.D. 1280) in the possession of the Jewish community of Prague, and the other in the Paris National Library (no. 31, folio. 399a). But there are other Severin preserved, which are noted in the margin of this edition.

The following is the complete list. Those that affect the sense and furnish instruction are referred to in the margin, in notes on the passages affected. Some of them relate only to spelling, and have no instruction in them. (For further information see Ginsburg's Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, pp. 409-20.)

1. Gen. 1:31.
2. Gen. 3:21*.
3. Gen. 18:21*.
4. Gen. 24:7*.
5. Gen. 25:33*.
6. Gen. 27:2.
7. Gen. 27:7.
8. Gen. 36:5.
9. Gen. 36:10.
10. Gen. 36:14.
11. Gen. 43:15.
12. Gen. 45:8.
13. Gen. 46:8.
14. Gen. 48:7.
15. Ex. 12:37.
16. Ex. 19:3.
17. Ex. 26:27.
18. Lev. 4:34.
19. Lev. 14:10.
20. Lev. 15:8.
21. Num. 4:3.
22. Num. 15:21.
23. Num. 30:12.
24. Num. 31:12.
25. Num. 36:1.
26. Deut. 1:26.
27. Deut. 1:27.
28. Deut. 3:20.
29. Deut. 22:6.
30. Deut. 29:22.
31. Deut. 29:22.
32. Deut. 32:26.

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epouraniois
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App 30 of the Companion Bible

THE MASSORAH.

Al the oldest and best manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible contain on every page, beside the Text (which is arranged in two or more columns), a varying number of lines of smaller writing, distributed between the upper and lower margins. This smaller writing is called the Massorah Magna or Great Massorah, while that in the side margins between the columns is called the Massorah Parva or Small Massorah.

The illustration given on p. 32 is a reduced facsimile of a Hebrew MS. (16 1/4 inches x 12 3/8), written in a German hand, about the year A.D. 1120.

The small writing in the margins in this particular MS. is seen to occupy seven lines in the lower margin, and four lines in the upper; while in the outer margins and between the three columns is the Massorah Parva.

The word Massorah is from the root masar, to deliver something into the hand of another, so as to commit it to his trust. Hence the name is given to the small writing referred to, because it contains information necessary to those who trust the Sacred Text was committed, so that they might transcribe it, and hand it down correctly.

The Text itself had been fixed before the Massorites were put in charge of it. This had been the work of the Sopherim (from saphar, to count, or number). Their work, under Ezra and Nehemiah, was to set the Text in order after the return from Babylon; and we read of it in Neh. 8:8 (*1) (cp. Ezra 7:6, 11). The men of "the Great Synagogue" completed the work. This work lasted about 110 years, from Nehemiah to Simon the first, 410 - 300 B.C.

The Sopherim were the authorized revisers of the Sacred Text; and, their work being completed, the Massorites were the authorized custodians of it. Their work was to preserve it. The Massorah is called "A Fence to the Scriptures," because it locked all words and letters in their places. It does not contain notes or comments as such, but facts and phenomena. It records the number of times the several letters occur in the various books of the Bible; the number of words, and the middle word; the number of verses, and the middle verse; the number of expressions and combinations of words, &c. All this, not from a perverted ingenuity, but for the set purpose of safeguarding the Sacred Text, and preventing the loss of misplacement of a single letter or word.

This Massorah is not contained in the margins of any one MS. No MS. contains the whole, or even the same part. It is spread over many MSS., and Dr. C. D. Ginsburg has been the first and only scholar who has set himself to collect and collate the whole, copying it from every available MS. in the libraries of many countries. He has published it in three large folio volumes, and only a small number of copies has been printed. These are obtainable only by the original subscribers.

When the Hebrew Text was printed, only the large type in the columns was regarded, and the small type of the Massorah was left, unheeded, in the MSS. from which the Text was taken.

When translators came to the printed Hebrew Text, they were necessarily destitute of the information contained in the Massorah; so that the Revisers as well as the Translators of the Authorized Version carried out their work without any idea of the treasures contained in the Massorah; and therefore, without giving a hint of it to their readers.

This is the first time that an edition of the A.V. has been given containing any of these treasures of the Massorah, that affect so seriously the understanding of the Text. A vast number of the Massoretic notes concern only the orthography, and matters that pertain to the Concordance. But many of those which affect the sense, or throw any additional light on the Sacred Text, are noted in the margin of The Companion Bible.

Some of the important lists of words which are contained in the Massorah are also given, viz. those that have the "extraordinary points" (Ap. 31); the "eighteen emendations" of the Sopherim (see Ap. 33); the 134 passages where they substituted Adonai for Jehovah (see Ap. 32); and the Various Readings called Severin (see Ap. 34). These are given in separate Appendixes; but other words of any importance are preserved in our marginal notes.

Readers of The Companion Bible are put in possession of information denied to former generations of translators, commentators, critics, and general Bible students.

For further information on the Massorah see Dr. Ginsburg's Introduction the the Hebrew Bible, of which only a limited edition was printed; also a small pamphlet on The Massorah published by the King's Printers.

(*1) The Talmud explains that "the book" meant the original text; "distinctly" means explaining it by giving the Chaldee paraphrase; "gave the sense" means the division of words, &c. according to the sense; and "caused them to understand the reading" means to give the traditional pronunciation of the words (which were then without vowel points).

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WKUHilltopper
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quote:
Originally posted by SoftTouch:
quote:
Originally posted by WKUHilltopper:
my personal belief has always been if God is powerful enough to "think" the universe into existence, surely He has the ability to drive His Word into the minds of men to transcribe. To me, that's the only justification I need.

I believe HE "Spoke" it into existence [Wink] but Yes, I agree! AMEN!
LOL! Yes, you're right. He did speak it into existence. Actually I was kinda thinking as I was typing He is so awesome and powerful, He wouldn't even had to do this.
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SoftTouch
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quote:
Originally posted by WKUHilltopper:
my personal belief has always been if God is powerful enough to "think" the universe into existence, surely He has the ability to drive His Word into the minds of men to transcribe. To me, that's the only justification I need.

I believe HE "Spoke" it into existence [Wink] but Yes, I agree! AMEN!

--------------------
Psalm 119:104Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

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epouraniois
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1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

After it became obvious that Israel of the flesh was not going to repent as a nation, each of the NT writers began to write of the kingdom not coming in their lifetimes, and begin issuing warnings, here is one such:


Jud 1:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Jud 1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.


Gnostics believed that reasoning was from God and so they reasoned themselves to be the one with true knowledge.

today we might call it humanism.

these are the same ones who could think no higher of Christ than half man and half God, where many still have problems acknowledginig Christ Jesus being fully man and fully God.


from websters 1828 dictionary

Gnostic
GNOS'TIC, n. nostic. [L. gnosticus; Gr. to know.]

The Gnostics were a sect of philosophers that arose in the first ages of christianity, who pretended they were the only men who had a true knowledge of the christian religion. They formed for themselves a system of theology, agreeable to the philosophy of Pythagoras and Plato, to which they accommodated their interpretations of scripture. They held that all natures, intelligible, intellectual and material, are derived by successive emanations from the infinite fountain of deity. These emanations they called oeons. These doctrines were derived from the oriental philosophy.

GNOS'TIC, a. nostic. Pertaining to the Gnostics or their doctrines.


the jist of Ma. 23, that great ch. of Christ railing mercelessly on the leadership, boils down to the fact that through their rituals and denial of the one who is True, that they were worshiping themselves, hence, it was not His house any longer, He gave them up, saying:

Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Mat 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Mat 23:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

afterwards, they denied Him again during the Acts, and were scattered HARD, murdered HARD, and now gentiles think they are priests and all sort of unBiblical issues arrise from that which Paul preached, and what Paul referred to when saying all in Asia had turned away from him.

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WKUHilltopper
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ST, I'm not sure who you're referring to, but my personal belief has always been if God is powerful enough to "think" the universe into existence, surely He has the ability to drive His Word into the minds of men to transcribe. To me, that's the only justification I need.

If this weren't true, then it brings into question what other parts of the Bible are "wrong". And if there are parts that are wrong, then why bother? I know you get as frustrated with people that tout this as I do--but I see it as nothing more than away to drag people to Hell along with them, whether they realize it or not.

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SoftTouch
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Question: "What are the Gnostic gospels?"

Answer: The Gnostic gospels are writings by early "Christian" Gnostics. After the first century of Christianity, two primary divisions developed - the orthodox and the Gnostics. The orthodox Christians held to books we now have in the Bible and to what is today considered orthodox theology. The Gnostic Christians, if they can truly be described as Christians, held a distinctly different view of the Bible, of Jesus Christ, of salvation - and virtually every other major Christian doctrine. However, they did not have any writings by the apostles to give legitimacy to their beliefs.

That is why and how the Gnostic gospels were created. The Gnostics fraudulently attached the names of famous Christians to their writings, such as the gospel of Thomas, the gospel of Philip, the gospel of Mary, etc. The discovery of the Nag Hammadi library in northern Egypt in 1945 represented a major discovery of Gnostic gospels. These Gnostic gospels are often pointed to as supposed "lost books of the Bible."

So, what are we to make of the Gnostic gospels? Should some or all of them be in the Bible? No, they should not. First, as we pointed out above, the Gnostic gospels are forgeries. The Gnostic gospels were fraudulently written in the names of the apostles in order to give them a legitimacy in the early church. Thankfully, the early church fathers were nearly unanimous in recognizing the Gnostic gospels as promoting false teachings about virtually every key Christian doctrine. There are countless contradictions between the Gnostic gospels and the true Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Gnostic gospels can be a good source to study early Christian heresies, but they should be rejected outright as not belonging in the Bible and not representing the genuine Christian faith.

Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/Gnostic-gospels.html

--------------------
Psalm 119:104Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

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SoftTouch
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Question: "Is the Bible truly God's Word?"

Answer: Our answer to this question will not only determine how we view the Bible and its importance to our lives, but also it will ultimately will have an eternal impact on us. If the Bible is truly God’s Word, then we should cherish it, study it, obey it, and ultimately trust it. If the Bible is the Word of God then to dismiss it is to dismiss God Himself.

The fact that God gave us the Bible is an evidence and illustration of His love for us. The term "revelation" simply means that God communicated to mankind what He is like and how we can have a right relationship with Him. These are things that we could not have known had not God divinely revealed them to us in the Bible. Although God’s revelation of Himself in the Bible was given progressively over approximately 1500 years, it has always contained everything that man needed to know about God in order to have a right relationship with Him. If the Bible is truly the Word of God, then it is the final authority for all matters of faith, religious practice, and morals.

The question we must ask ourselves is how can we know that the Bible is the Word of God and not just a good book? What is unique about the Bible that sets it apart from all other religious books ever written? Is there any evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word? These are the type of questions that must be looked at if we are to seriously examine the biblical claim that the Bible is the very Word of God, divinely inspired, and totally sufficient for all matters of faith and practice.

There can be no doubt about the fact that the Bible does claim to be the very Word of God. This is clearly seen in verses like 2 Timothy 3:15-17, which say, “. . .from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

In order to answer these questions we must look at both the internal and external evidences that the Bible is truly God’s Word. The internal evidences are those things internal to the Bible itself that testify of its divine origin. One of the first internal evidences that the Bible is truly God’s Word is seen in its unity. Even though it is really sixty-six individual books, written on three continents, in three different languages, over a period of approximately 1500 years, by more that 40 authors (who came from many walks of life), the Bible remains one unified book from beginning to end without contradiction. This unity is unique from all other books and is evidence of the divine origin of the words as God moved men in such a way that they recorded His very words.

Another of the internal evidences that indicate the Bible is truly God’s Word is seen in the detailed prophecies contained within its pages. The Bible contains hundreds of detailed prophecies relating to the future of individual nations including Israel, to the future of certain cities, to the future of mankind, and to the coming of one who would be the Messiah, the Savior of not only Israel, but all who would believe in Him. Unlike the prophecies found in other religious books or those done by Nostradamus, the biblical prophecies are extremely detailed and have never failed to come true. There are over three hundred prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament alone. Not only was it foretold where He would be born and what family He would come from, but also how He would die and that He would rise again on the third day. There simply is no logical way to explain the fulfilled prophecies in the Bible other than by divine origin. There is no other religious book with the extent or type of predictive prophecy that the Bible has.

A third internal evidence of the divine origin of the Bible is seen in its unique authority and power. While this evidence is more subjective than the first two internal evidences, it is no less a very powerful testimony of the divine origin of the Bible. The Bible has a unique authority that is unlike any other book ever written. This authority and power are best seen in the way countless lives have been transformed by reading the Bible. Drug addicts have been cured by it, homosexuals have been set free by it, derelicts and deadbeats have been transformed by it, hardened criminals reformed by it, sinners are rebuked by it, and hate has been turned to love by reading it. The Bible does possess a dynamic and transforming power that is only possible because it is truly God’s Word.

Besides the internal evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word there are also external evidences that indicate the Bible is truly the Word of God. One of those evidences is the historicity of the Bible. Because the Bible details historical events its truthfulness and accuracy is subject to verification like any other historical documentation. Through both archaeological evidences and other written documents, the historical accounts of the Bible have been proven time and time again to be accurate and true. In fact all the archaeological and manuscript evidence supporting the Bible makes it the best documented book from the ancient world. The fact that the Bible accurately and truthfully records historically verifiable events is a great indication of its truthfulness when dealing with religious subjects and doctrines and helps substantiate its claim that it is the very Word of God.

Another external evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word is the integrity of the human authors. As mentioned earlier, God used men from many walks of life to record His Words to us. In studying the lives of these men, there is no good reason to believe that they were not honest and sincere men. Examining their lives and the fact that they were willing to die (often excruciating deaths) for what they believed in, it quickly becomes clear that these ordinary yet honest men truly believed that God had spoken to them. The men who wrote the New Testament and many hundreds of other believers (1 Corinthians 15:6) knew the truth of their message because they had seen and spent time with Jesus Christ after He had risen from the dead. The transformation of seeing the Risen Christ had a tremendous impact on these men. They went from hiding in fear, to being willing to die for the message God had revealed to them. Their lives and deaths testify to the fact that the Bible truly is God’s Word.

A final external evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word is the indestructibility of the Bible. Because of its importance and its claim to be the very word of God, the Bible has suffered more vicious attacks and attempts to destroy it than any other book in history. From early Roman Emperors like Diocletian, through communist dictators and on to modern day atheists and agonistics, the Bible has withstood and outlasted all of its attackers and is still the most widely published book in the world today.

Throughout time, skeptics have regarded the Bible as mythological, but archeology has established it as historical. Opponents have attacked its teaching as primitive and outdated, but its moral and legal concepts and teachings have had a positive influence on societies and cultures throughout the world. It continues to be attacked by science, psychology, and political movements and yet remains just as true and relevant today as it was when it was first written. It is a book that has transformed countless lives and cultures throughout the last 2000 years. No matter how its opponents try to attack, destroy, or discredit it, the Bible remains just as strong, just a true, and just as relevant after the attacks as it was before. The accuracy which has been preserved despite every attempt to corrupt, attack, or destroy it, is clear testimony to the fact that the Bible is truly God’s Word. It should not surprise us that no matter how the Bible is attacked, it always comes out unchanged and unscathed. After all, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Mark 13:31). After looking at the evidence one can say without a doubt that “Yes the Bible is truly God’s Word.”

Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-God-Word.html

--------------------
Psalm 119:104Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

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SoftTouch
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We have a new member here who seems to have issues with the Bible being the Inspired (God-Breathed) word of God, and so I'm starting this thread. I am not a great Apologist myself (and so I use articles written by others), but I KNOW we have Brethern here who can shed more Light on this issue. I'll start us off with this:

Question: "How and when was the canon of the Bible put together?"

Answer: The term "canon" is used to describe the books that are divinely inspired and therefore belong in the Bible. The difficult aspect of determining the Biblical canon is that the Bible does not give us a list of the books that belong in the Bible. Determining the canon was a process, first by Jewish rabbis and scholars, and then later by early Christians. Ultimately, it was God who decided what books belonged in the Biblical canon. A book of Scripture belonged in the canon from the moment God inspired its writing. It was simply a matter of God convincing His human followers which books should be included in the Bible.

Compared to the New Testament, there was very little controversy over the canon of the Old Testament. Hebrew believers recognized God’s messengers, and accepted their writings as inspired of God. There was undeniably some debate in regards to the Old Testament canon. However, by 250 A.D. there was nearly universal agreement on the canon of Hebrew Scripture. The only issue that remained was the Apocrypha…with some debate and discussion continuing today. The vast majority of Hebrew scholars considered the Apocrypha to be good historical and religious documents, but not on the same level as the Hebrew Scriptures.

For the New Testament, the process of the recognition and collection began in the first centuries of the Christian church. Very early on, some of the New Testament books were being recognized. Paul considered Luke’s writings to be as authoritative as the Old Testament (1 Timothy 5:18; see also Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7). Peter recognized Paul’s writings as Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). Some of the books of the New Testament were being circulated among the churches (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27). Clement of Rome mentioned at least eight New Testament books (A.D. 95). Ignatius of Antioch acknowledged about seven books (A.D. 115). Polycarp, a disciple of John the Apostle, acknowledged 15 books (A.D. 108). Later, Irenaeus mentioned 21 books (A.D. 185). Hippolytus recognized 22 books (A.D. 170-235). The New Testament books receiving the most controversy were Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, and 3 John. The first “canon” was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in (A.D. 170). The Muratorian Canon included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews, James, and 3 John. In A.D. 363, the Council of Laodicea stated that only the Old Testament (along with the Apocrypha) and the 27 books of the New Testament were to be read in the churches. The Council of Hippo (A.D. 393) and the Council of Carthage (A.D. 397) also affirmed the same 27 books as authoritative.

The councils followed something similar to the following principles to determine whether a New Testament book was truly inspired by the Holy Spirit: 1) Was the author an apostle or have a close connection with an apostle? 2) Is the book being accepted by the Body of Christ at large? 3) Did the book contain consistency of doctrine and orthodox teaching? 4) Did the book bear evidence of high moral and spiritual values that would reflect a work of the Holy Spirit? Again, it is crucial to remember that the church did not determine the canon. No early church council decided on the canon. It was God, and God alone, who determined which books belonged in the Bible. It was simply a matter of God convincing His followers of what He had already decided upon. The human process of collecting the books of the Bible was flawed, but God, in His sovereignty, despite our ignorance and stubbornness, brought the early church to the recognition of the books He had inspired.

Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/canon-Bible.html

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Psalm 119:104Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

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