QUESTION ON THE HISTORY OF THE CANON OF SCRIPTURES

A very old parchment of the Latin Bible showing the First Chapter of the Gospel of John with catechetical art representing St. John writing under the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Anonymous said...

Jeremiah

father abe bible history naman pwede?

hehe pano ba talaga nag simula ang canonization of scriptures?

Thank you po

August 15, 2010 2:00 PM

Fr. Abe, CRS said...

Dear Jeremiah,

Sorry for a very late reply. I had debates and exchanges with Born Agan Pastors recently and some heretics. Here is your question:

[father abe bible history naman pwede?]

PWEDE SIEMPRE.

[hehe pano ba talaga nag simula ang canonization of scriptures?]

You must be aware already that JESUS DIDN'T ORDER HIS DISCIPLES TO WRITE AND DIDN'T ORDER THEM TO GATHER THEIR WRITINGS INTO A BOOK. The Apostles on their part preached and taught orally until they started writing for Pastoral and Kerygmatic reasons. They all died without gathering and compiling their writings into a single book.

Later, the Bishops and theologians of the Catholic Church started classifying and dividing the Books of the Bible for better understanding of the people.

The term Old Testament and New Testament are found in 2 Corinthians 3:6 and 2 Corinthians 3:14.

2 Cor 3:6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a NEW COVENANT; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

2 Cor 3:14 but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the OLD COVENANT the same veil remaineth unlifted; which veil is done away in Christ.

But, St. Paul didn't use those terms for the Divisions of the Books of the Bible. The term Old and New Testament were first applied in the Division of Books by St. Ireneus, Bishop of Lyons [c. 115-202], and he was followed by Catholic theologians and apologists Tertulian of Carthage [c. 160-230] and Origen of Alexandria [c. 185-255].

The Canonization of Sacred Scriptures officially and formally started when POPE ST. DAMASUS I [304-384AD] ordered St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church who was the best Bible scholar of that time, to translate all Sacred Scriptures into one language from Hebrew and Greek [with small portions in Aramaic]. The new translation was in Latin which was the dominant language in the Roman Empire then.

One of the problems met by St. Jerome was the official lists of books to be included because there were some books that were included by some yet rejected by the other local churches. So the Pope called for a special Council in Rome. The Catholic Bishops gathered in the COUNCIL OF ROME in 374AD under the leadership of Pope St. Damasus and they unanimously decreed the 73 Books of the Catholic Bible. It was once again upheld in the COUNCIL OF HIPPO [393AD] and was further affirmed by the COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE [397AD]. Thus, those who codified and canonized the Books of the Bible were the Bishops of the Catholic Church of the 4th Centuuries.

Because of this, St. Jerome was properly guided and was able to finished the task of translation in 405AD. The finished text was called LATINA VULGATA or in English THE VULGATE. It was the first complete Bible ever and the first to be compiled in one, common language. Thus, the term Old Testament and New Testament instead of Covenant because Covenant is Testamentum in Latin.

St. John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople [c. 347-407], is the first person who called the compiled books "BIBLIA" referring to both Old and New Testament [cf. Bruce: The Canon of Scripture, p. 214/ Metzger: The Canon of the New Testament, p. 214. He quoted Suicer for the source]

More than a thousand years later, a heretic with the name of Martin Luther, founded Protestantism. As a manifestation of his rejection of the Authority of the Catholic Church he also rejected the Canon of the Bible of the Church. But the COUNCIL OF TRENT [1546] condemned Luther and affirmed the 73 Books Canon of the Bible declared by the Catholic Church.

August 18, 2010 11:36 AM