THE CANONS OF THE

BIBLE

BY BERNARD OPINALDO
THIS LECTURE-DISCUSSION AIMS THE
FOLLOWING:

UNDERSTAND THE BASIC UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY AND
DEFINITIONS AND CONCEPTS PROCESS ON HOW THE BIBLE WAS
ABOUT THE CANONICITY OF THE FORMED AS IT IS WAS TODAY AND
BIBLE UNDERSTAND WHY THE CATHOLIC
BIBLE IS BIGGER THAN THE
PROTESTANT BIBLE
THE PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE
TO ASNWER INQUIRIES
REGARDING THE CANONICITY OF
THE BIBLE
(Dei Verbum, 11).
◦ For holy mother Church, relying on the belief of the Apostles (see John
20:31; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-20, 3:15-16), holds that the books of both
the Old and New Testaments in their entirety, with all their parts, are
sacred and canonical because written under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, they have God as their author and have been handed on as such to
the Church herself
HISTORY OF THE BIBLE
• Tanakh – stands for the first letters of the 3 divisions of the Hebrew Bible, namely: Torah
(the Law), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)
• Torah is composed of the first 5 books of the old testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy and is considered closed canon
◦ In Mark McEntire’s Book “Struggling with God: An Introduction to Pentateuch” , the point of
production of the Torah during the Josianic Reform of the late 7th Century BCE (Just before
the Babylonian Exile).
◦ Nevi’im / Navi – Literally in Hebrew,
“Prophets”
• Consists of the prophetic books
• These books were written at around 6th century
BC (Babylonian Exile), and was made canon in
2nd century BC.
◦ Ketuvim, meaning, “Writings”
• These section includes Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song
of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther,
Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, I Chronicles and 2
Chronicles
• Written at around 6th Century BC and was canonized
until around 100AD.
Septuagint – Meaning, “Seventy”, is the translation of the
Hebrew Bible to Greek.

◦ Translated at around 3rd to 2nd Century BCE, it derives its name

from the recorded letter of Aristeas that the Septuagint was
translated at the request of King Ptolemy II Philadelphius by 70
to 72 Jewish scholars (Jewish Encyclopedia.com, 2012).
◦ Because the Septuagint didn't have a standard list or ordering of
books, the included books varied according to collection, with no
clear distinction made between earlier and later works.
Historical Development of the Bible
◦ Marcion’s List (140 AD)
Muratorian Canon (180 AD), Other early biblical canon includes
Bryennios’ List and Melito’s list
200 AD – Rabbis began writing Jewish Religious and Civic law and their
commentaries in it, which later would become the Talmud six centuries
later.
• The Jews eventually refused the deuterocanonical books due to theology
and language – because it was Greek.
• Authorship of the NT was an issue.
210 AD – Origen of Alexandria suggests list of canonical books* with the
omission of the Epistles of James and Jude
(*includes the Old Testament)
◦ 315 AD – Eusebius suggested a catalogue* which is exactly the same with
the modern one except James, Jude, 2 Peter; 2 John, and 3 John; includes
Revelation without dispute.
◦ 315 AD – Athanasius suggested which could have become our present
canon*
◦ 331 AD – Constantine commissioned Eusebius to deliver 50 bibles to
Constantinople, in which Codices Vaticanus and Sinaticus is speculatively
included.
◦ 340 AD – Cyril of Jerusalem suggests the same with Athanasius* except
Revelation
◦ 364 AD – Council of Laodicaea – Revelations is omitted*
◦ 370 AD – Epiphanus of Salamis suggested the same with Athanasius
◦ 375 AD – Gregory, Bishop of Constantinople omits Revelations
◦ 382 AD – Council of Rome under Pope Damasus 1, Complete list*
◦ 382 AD – St. Jerome suggested the same with Athanasius* except that he speaks doubtful the
Epistle of Hebrews
◦ 394 AD – St. Augustine of Hippo, same with Athanasius*
◦ 397 AD – Council of Carthage affirm what the Catholic Bible it is today*
◦ 5th Century AD – Eastern Churches had admitted the same Western Canon
◦ 6th to 9th Century – Masoretic Text was formed and thus
functionally replaced the Hebrew Canon
◦ 1442 AD – Council of Florence, Pope Eugenius IV issued
the "Decretum pro Jacobitis" which contains a complete
list of the books received by the Church as inspired
◦ 1546 AD – Council of Trent, The great constructive Synod
of Trent had put the sacredness and canonicity of the
whole traditional Bible forever beyond the permissibility
of doubt on the part of Catholics.
 FAQs
◦ HOW WAS THE SCRIPTURES SELECTED TO FORM THE CURRENT CANON?
◦ IS IT TRUE THAT THERE’S NO BIBLE WITHOUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?
◦ WHY ARE SOME BOOKS IN THE CATHOLIC BIBLE ARE NOT PRESENT IN THE PROTESTANT BIBLE?
◦ HOW RELIABLE IS THE COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE AS PROOF OF CATHOLICS REGARDING CANONIZATION OF
THE BIBLE?
◦ IS IT TRUE THAT THE DEUTEROCANONICALS WERE ONLY INCLUDED IN THE CATHOLIC CANON DURING
COUNCIL OF TRENT IN 1546?
◦ DOES REVELATION 22:18 DISPUTE THE DEUTEROCANONICAL BOOKS?
◦ IS THE BIBLE CORRUPTED BASED ON MUSLIM’S CLAIMS?
◦ WHY IS SEPTUAGINT IMPORTANT?
◦ IS IT TRUE THAT THE COUNCIL OF JAMNIA EXISTED IN 70-90 AD AND REJECTED THE DEUTEROCANON?
◦ WHY THERE ARE SOME NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE BIBLE?
◦ DID THE SO-CALLED “GREAT SYNAGOGUE” EXISTED AND CLOSED THE OLD TESTAMENT CANON IN 5TH
CENTURY AD, AS LUTHER CLAIMED?