1. By Simon Kande

2. 1. Introduction 2. The Canonization of the Bible ◦ The OT Canon ◦ The NT Canon 3. The hermeneutical Realities (challenges) 4. Scriptural Authority, Sufficiency and Inerrancy 5. Effects of the word of God in a Christian 6. Practical Steps on individual Scriptural engagement 7. Conclusion

3. Canon means the “Books of the Bible officially recognized by the Christian church as the authentic and true word of God” THE OT CANON Early Christianity was rooted in Judaism - approximately 300 quotes in NT and thousands of allusions.

4.  Earliest collection of written word is the Ten Commandments written by God himself (Ex 31:18, Deut 4:13; 10:4)  Other writers – Moses, Joshua, Samuel and other prophets  End of writing of OT Canon - Haggai - 520, Zechariah 520-518, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther and Malachi -435 - 433BC

5.  Last writing ushered in Inter – testamental period  Septuagint  Apocrypha  Dead Sea Scrolls

6.  Heb 1:1-2 – God’s speech through his son – Culmination of Gods speaking, greatest and final revelation to mankind  2 Peter 1:19 – The author is God by the Holy Spirit  NT Canon consists writing of Christ initial apostles/ those closely related/affirmed by apostles (Paul) or close associates of the apostles (Mark – Apostle Peter, Luke [wrote Luke & Acts] – Apostle Paul and also an eye witness, Jude – Apostle James and brother of Christ and Hebrews).

7. Determination of the NT Canon by early Church 1. Link with the apostles of Jesus/Apostolic endorsement 2. Harmony with the OT and the teaching of Christ/ Consistency 3. General use and acceptance by the wider church as the canon/Acceptance

8.  A.D 367, Thirty-ninth Paschal Letter of Athanasius contained an exact list of the 27 NT books – Eastern Church  A.D 397, Council of Carthage representing all the Churches in the West of Mediterranean, agreed with the eastern Churches on the same list. NB: “the work of the early church was not to bestow divine/ecclesiastical authority upon human writing but to recognize divine authored characteristics of writings that already had such quality” (Grudem 1994:68)

9. 1. God’s faithfulness as the author of Scriptures 2. Historical data on the canonization process 3. The active role of the Holy Spirit as we engage the Scriptures

10.  Divine but in Human form  Divine/clear but many passages ambiguous  Presuppose a literal and historical reading but also figurative & non-historical (e.g. parables)  Objectivity essential but presuppositions inject a degree of subjectivity

11. Key Challenges  Bible composition  Time gap  Cultural distance  Geographical distance  Language distance

12. Source of biblical authority, sufficiency and inerrancy 1. God’s breath/Speech – 1 Timothy 3:16, Genesis 1, Ps 33:6. (Writing – God’s design) 2. Equated to the person of Christ (John 1:1, Rev 19:13) 3. It creates (Gen 1, John 1:3, James 1:18) 4. Living and active – (Hebrews 4:12) 5. True (inerrant - truthful) (Titus 1:2)and without error (infallible) – It is also the Truth (John 17:17) 6. Pure (Ps 12:6), sure (certain) and righteous (Psalms 19:9b) – Reliable and dependable 7. Eternal and permanent (Math 24:35, 1 Peter 1:25, Psalms 119:89)

13. 1. Source of wisdom and clear direction (2 Timothy 3:15, Psalms 119:98) 2. Source of our confidence, courage because it creates FAITH (Isaiah 55:11, Romans 10:17) 3. Gives us victory over sin (Ephesians 5:26, Ps 119:9) 4. Source of victory over all spiritual battles (Sword of the Spirit) 5. Source of blessings & prosperity and gives us victory over curses, poverty and sickness (Psalm 1;1, 119:1, Joshua 1:7, James 1;25, Psalms 19:11 )

14. 1. Crave/desire and treasure the Word (Job 23:12, Psalms 19:10) 2. Know it (Colossians 3:16) 3. Believe, pray and confess it (Hebrews 4:2) 4. Live it out (James 1:22, Mathew 7:24) 5. Tell it out, explain and defend it(1 peter 2:15) 6. Purpose to remain in faith based on the word