Is my Bible reliable? Does it contain all the right books?

Does my Bible Contain all the right books? Should I buy a Bible with an Apocrypha? What about the “Lost Gospels”? We need to know which books to respect as inspired by God. Which books should be received as authoritative? –We must know the standard in order to conform our lives to it!

The Canon of Scripture Canon - originally referred to “a reed or measuring rod” –it came to mean “the norm or rule,” –In reference to the Bible, it signifies the collection of writings which are inspired by God and therefore acknowledged to be authoritative and binding on men.

Four Factors Determining Canonicity Inspiration. Is it the work of an inspired apostle or prophet? (2 Peter 3:2; 15-16; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; Ephesians 3:4-5; 1 Corinthians 14:37) Character and quality of the contents. (2 Thess. 2:1-2; Matthew 24:4; Galatians 1:8) Date or timeframe of writing. (1 Corinthians 1:9; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5) Use and acceptance by God’s people. (2 Peter 3:2; 15-16)

What about the Catholic Apocrypha? Of the 15 commonly used apocryphal books… None are included in the Hebrew Old Testament preserved by the Jews. (cf. Romans 3:1-2). They do not claim to be the inspired word of God. Many contain teachings contrary to Biblical books None are on the level of inspired Scripture in quality, style or accuracy. They are not quoted by Jesus or the Apostles Some, although written as history, are fiction. All were rejected from the canon of Scripture by early Christians.

What about the Lost Books of the New Testament? These writings are referred to as the Pseudepigrapha (false writings) –rejected by the vast majority of scholars. They fall into two categories: –Non-canonical but non-heretical books which were quoted by early Christians (i.e. The Didache or The Shepherd of Hermas) –Gnostic writings which were largely ignored by early Christians, except when combating the false doctrines they contained.

A Case Study: The Gospel of Thomas A manuscript of the Gospel of Thomas was discovered in 1945 near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, along with many other Gnostic writings. –Before this discovery, little was known about the Gospel of Thomas. The earliest references to the Gospel of Thomas are by Origen and Hippolytus in the 3rd century who both say that it is heretical. The manuscript discovered at Nag Hammadi dates to around 340 A.D. The Gospel of Thomas was first composed about 140 to 180 A.D. –The Gospel of Thomas purports to contain 114 sayings of Jesus

Early attestations of NT Books Ignatius Polycarp Valentinus Justin Irenaeus Clement Tertullian Muratorian Origen Eusebius Sinaiticus Athanasius Didymus Peshitta Vulgate

Early attestations other works Ignatius Polycarp Valentinus Justin Irenaeus Clement Tertullian Muratorian Origen Eusebius Sinaiticus Athanasius Didymus Peshitta Vulgate

“Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith’s door, And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime; Then looking in, I saw upon the floor, Old hammers, worn with beating years of time. ‘How many anvils have you had,’ said I, ‘To wear and batter all these hammers so?’ ‘Just one,’ said he, and then with twinkling eye, ‘The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.’ “And so, I thought, the Anvil of God’s Word For ages skeptic blows have beat upon; Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard, The Anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone.” —Attributed to John Clifford