Canonical Criteria

Canonical Criteria

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study is to expand the boundaries of our knowledge by exploring some relevant information relating to Canonical Criteria. The Biblical canon is, in Jewish-Christian, the list of texts of the Bible, recognized as inspired by God and therefore sacred, normative for a particular community of believers in regard to faith and morals. The word 'canon' is a transliteration of the Greek word (kanon), which means 'rod'. Canonical Criterion is a term used to indicate the measuring instrument for the length (usually just a straight stick), hence the figurative meaning of rule, prescription, form, pattern. Broadly speaking, there is a significant distinction between the various Christian canons on the one hand, and Jewish on the other, that does not accept the books of the New Testament concerning Jesus. Among the various Christian canons distinctions are limited to the books of the ' Old Testament, there being agreement on the canonicity of all books of the New Testament. About the Gospels in particular, the Christian tradition has never had any doubts in considering only the canonical Matthew , Mark , Luke , John (Witvliet, 2007, p. 47-54). In the next section, the author will examine the elements of the canonical criterion and discuss the implications of the statement, “The canon of the New Testament was closed and should not be opened again” (Papadima, 2011, p. 63-68).

DISCUSSION

Elements of the Canonical Criterion

On what basis the early Church did she founded to distinguish the inspired books of others? We believe that the Holy Spirit has led in this choice, since it depended on the faith of all believers to come. But the Holy Spirit speaks to the intelligence of men to give them discernment. This discernment is exercised taking into account three factors.

The consensus of all churches: the books that were read everywhere and whose authority was recognized in almost all the churches were admitted into the canon. This shows that the authority of the New Testament has imposed itself, before any official statement (Sheeley, 1998, p. 513-522). We noticed that some books of the New Testament were allowed more difficult here and there. But there are exceptions and churches who hesitated were eventually stored in the opinion of many. The reasons for this reluctance are varied: in the case of Jude, II or III Jean Pierre is their brevity that the judge was of little importance. They rarely read in worship, they are less willing to move was a church to another. They have been known later in some cities. The Apocalypse had to its special character to arouse suspicion; he was so different from other books of the New Testament. Where we were not sure that the author was the apostle John, is still reserved for him. It is also because we do not know the author that the Hebrews remained for some outside of the barrel. This brings us to the second criterion (Sheeley, 1998, p. 513-522).

The apostolic character of the books of the New Testament is ...