Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as the New International Version ( NIV ). Ephesians 4:25 reads as follows:
"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body."
The word "canon" is defined as follows: "The word canon comes from the root word reed (English word cane, Hebrew form ganeh, and Greek form kanon). The reed was used as a measuring rod, and came to mean 'standard.' . . . As applied to Scripture, canon means 'an officially accepted list of books.' (Earle, HWGOB, 31)" [ See The NEW EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT, McDOWELL, JOSH, THOMAS NELSON PUBLISHERS, Nashville, Copyright 1999 by Josh D. McDowell, p. 21. ]
The tests for inclusion of books in the canon are as follows:
"1. Was the book written by a prophet of God? 'If it was written by a spokesman for God, then it was the Word of God.'
2. Was the writer confirmed by acts of God? Frequently miracles separated the true prophets from the false ones. 'Moses was given miraculous powers to prove his call of God (Ex. 4:1-9). Elijah triumphed over the false prophets of Baal by a supernatural act (1 Kings 18). Jesus was '"attested to . . . by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him"' (Acts 2:22). . . .'
3. Did the message tell the truth about God? 'God cannot contradict Himself (2 Cor. 1:17-18), nor can He utter what is false (Heb. 6:18). Hence, no book with false claims can be the Word of God. . . .'
4. Does it come with the power of God? '. . . . The presence of God's transforming power was a strong indication that a given book had His stamp of approval.'
5. Was it accepted by the people of God? 'Paul said of the Thessalonians, '"We also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God"' (1 Thessalonians 2:13). For whatever subsequent debate there may have been about a book's place in the canon, the people in the best position to know its prophetic credentials were those who knew the prophet who wrote it. Hence, despite all later debate about the canonicity of some books, the definitive evidence is that which attests to its original acceptance by the contemporary believers.' (Geisler, GIB, 229) When a book was received, collected, read, and used by the people of God as the Word of God, it was regarded as canonical. This practice is often seen in the Bible itself. One instance is when the apostle Peter acknowledges Paul's writings as Scripture on par with Old Testament Scripture. (2 Peter3:16)" [ Ibid., pp. 21, 22. ]
With regard to the word "council," there are two Greek words ( Greek [ 4824 ] and Greek [ 4892 ] ) for that word in the New Testament. Greek word ( Greek [ 4824 ] ) is defined as follows:
". . . advisement; spec. a deliberative body, i.e. the provincial assessors or lay-court. . . ." [ See ABINGDON'S STRONG'S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE, STRONG, JAMES, S.T.D, LL.D., ABINGDON PRESS, NASHVILLE, Copyright, 1890, by JAMES STRONG, MADISON, N.J., ( A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek/New Testament with their Renderings in the King James Version, p. 91. ). ]
Greek word ( Greek [ 4892 ] ) is defined as follows:
". . . a joint session, i.e. (spec.) the Jewish Sanhedrim [ sic ]. . . ." [ Ibid., p. 92. ]
The word "council" does not appear in the context of Acts 15:22-35 ( neither in the NIV, nor in the KJV ( with center-column references ), for example ) and, thus, that word must not be used in this context. Finally, you, the reader, can compare the information in this weblog posting with that of the Thursday, June 12, 2014 entry to get a better understanding regarding why the apocryphal books ( both Old Testament and New Testament ) are not canonical.
If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:
<rewillis1_1@juno.com>
<Russell E. Willis>
NOTE: The Greek word ( Greek [ 1124 ] ) for the word "scriptures," in 2 Peter 3:16 ( KJV; with center-column references, for example ), is defined as follows:
". . . comprehends also the books of the N.T. already begun to be collected into a canon, 2 Pet. iii. 16. . . ." [ See THE NEW THAYER'S GREEK-ENGLISH LEXICON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, Thayer, Joseph Henry, D.D., HENDRICKSON PUBLISHERS, PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS 01961-3473, Copyright 1979, 1981, by Jay P. Green, Sr., p. 121. ]
This note is necessary to clarify the above-given reference to 2 Peter 3:16. Please see the entire definition of the Greek word ( Greek [ 1124 ] ), as shown in the lexicon referenced immediately above. To the best of my ability, I have spoken truthfully ( in writing ) regarding the information in this weblog posting.
