Thursday, August 1, 2024

It is the 1st of August 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

 

I have checked with the 1517 corporate offices. They have cleared me for a mailbag episode out of sequence… that’s right- usually, it’s Monday- sometimes you get a whole Saturday of Mailbags, and today- on this, the first of August a special mailbag question as it is apropos to a few recent shows and I think it serves a helpful purpose.

Amanda writes from Cookeville, Tenn- home of college football coach Mack Brown, Duke Blue Devil trying to reinvent himself J.J Redick, and the Byron “Low Tax” Looper, a legislator known for…. No, he murdered someone- way worse story.

Okay, Amanda asked about the various collections of books that make up different Bibles. She knew of the Apocrypha, roughly, but didn’t know that all of the major branches of the faith have slightly different canons—or “official lists of books.”

So she asked, “How do we argue Scripture Alone with someone who has a different set of Scriptures?”

A great question, Amanda. Yes- Sola Scriptura means “scripture alone,” which is our sole head authority (not that we don’t have other, subservient ones). The Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Ethiopian Orthodox all have slightly different numbers of texts in their Bibles. 

This will be an Old Testament issue- the 27 books of the New Testament have a remarkably solid consensus. The “what about the lost gospel of such-and-such stories have largely been examined and shown to be historically dubious.

It’s with the Old Testament that you get those “extra books.” You might remember this is because the Septuagint—the Greek Old Testament—used these books, and so they made their way into some Bibles. It was the Protestants who used the Hebrew Canon with the Old Testament books in the current Protestant Old Testament.

When Jerome put together the Vulgate—the first official Bible—in the late 4th century, he included these extra books. He knew these “extra books” were secondary but still considered them important. Jerome wanted them printed but separately from the other Old Testament texts. They weren’t, but by the time of the Reformation, they would be accepted but with secondary status.

You should read these books! You will glean information about the Ancient Near East and texts revered for centuries… but nothing in there would necessarily change our doctrine- dispute over more New Testament letters could be hazardous…. Not so much with these books.

Let me give you a helpful distinction I learned years ago—there is “the Canon” and then “the Scriptures.” The scriptures are defined for us—they are the words of God—God breathed them for us and our salvation. Cool, what’s a “Canon”? That is the human collection of books they have decided are Scripture.

Are the Canon and Scripture synonymous? I think so. What about some questionable books? Might we read them with caution, knowing they might not be Scripture? Of course.

I think the Ethiopian Canon, with over 70 books, contains some Scripture and some non-Scripture—the same with the Catholic Vulgate—but this is what you would expect someone to believe—that their canon (man-made) matched the Scriptures (divinely breathed words for humanity).

As far as “Sola Scriptura” is concerned, the question is: Is Scripture normative and definitive in a way that no other text is?

“Yes.”

“Do you have the Scriptures?”

“I believe we do”.

“What about those with ‘more Scripture’?”

“We disagree, but as long as that “more” doesn’t obscure the Gospel, we can agree to disagree.” 

So, when it comes to Tobit, Esdras, Maccabees, etc.… the historical argument says that they belong, at best, as good secondary sources but neither Scripture nor Canon. If a church has an authority that makes these decisions, they may do so. The rest of us are allowed to have a little leniency, knowing that a brief sermon or excerpt from the Bible is strong enough to deliver the Holy Spirit.  

It’s tricky, Amanda. And I too have heard the “well, ackshually they can’t agree on a number of texts” and it’s true, but not disqualifying or opposed to our doctrine of sola Scriptura. Thanks for the question and we will be back to your regularly scheduled Friday show tomorrow.

 

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary. Paul is pretty mad in Corinthians this morning, so let’s head to the Psalms.

Yet he commanded the skies above,
    and opened the doors of heaven;

he rained down on them manna to eat,

    and gave them the grain of heaven.

Mortals ate of the bread of angels;

    he sent them food in abundance.

He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,

    and by his power he led out the south wind;

he rained flesh upon them like dust,

    winged birds like the sand of the seas;

he let them fall within their camp,

    all around their dwellings.

And they ate and were well filled,

    for he gave them what they craved. 

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 1st of August 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who informed me yesterday that he is more of a Bladerunner guy but can quote UHF more, as can his children- he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who hasn’t, in fact, wondered if androids dreamt of electric sheep but would like to go down to Uncle Nutzy’s Clubhouse! I’m  Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.