Introduction to Bible

Table of Contents

Unit 1: Surveying the Bible

Lesson 1: “The Canon and Contents of Scripture”

Unit 2: Translating the Bible

Lesson 1: “What Distinguishes One Bible Version from Another?”

Lesson 2: “The Translation Controversy” (Part 1)

Lesson 3: “The Translation Controversy” (Part 2)

Unit 3: Memorizing the Bible

Lesson 1: “Memorizing Scripture: Just Do It!”

Unit 4: Understanding the Bible

Lesson 1: “The Principles of Bible Study”

Lesson 2: “The Types and Tools of Bible Study”

Lesson 3: “The Procedures of Bible Study”

Unit 5: Teaching the Bible

Lesson 1: “The Tremendous Trust Called Teaching”

Lesson 2: “The Art of Teaching and Preaching”

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptural citations are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Unit 1: Surveying the Bible

Lesson 1: “The Canon and Contents of Scripture”

The Canon of Scripture |

The word “canon” is a transliteration of the Greek word kann, meaning “rule” or “standard” (see Gal 6:16). The books which comprise the canon of Scripture are those which meet the standard--inspiration. Two related words are “canonicity” and “canonization”. Canonicity is the quality a book possesses by virtue of its being inspired. Canonization is the historical process whereby God providentially guided His people to recognize which books bore the marks of canonicity and, consequently, were to be included in the canon, the collection of inspired writings. The books of the Bible were canonical the moment they were written, though they weren’t canonized until later. Man did not determine a book’s inspiration/canonicity; rather, he only recognized such.

How do we know that the 66 books of the Protestant Bible are inspired/canonical, while the extra “Apocryphal” books of the Catholic Bible are not?

The OT Canon

When it comes to the OT, the answer to the foregoing question is an easy one. Consider the following:

1. The NT never quotes an apocryphal book....