Why does the Society accept Christendom's "original" Bible canon?

by compound complex 14 years ago 12 Replies latest 14 years ago jw friends

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  compound complex 14 years ago

  Greetings to those who may know.

  I'm reading about the various councils convened in the fourth century A.D. to determine the Bible canon. If my understanding is correct, Constantine was initially in charge, some 24 councils finally got it figured out (hardly) and there were fights over what was in and what was out. Over 200 so-called Gospels were considered and four accepted. Still, there are "Bibles" that are different from one another as to additions and deletions of books, and this within the various denominations.

  If the Bible canon was established by the enemy Christendom, why does the Society use that set of 66 books as a basis for their strident claim that the Word of God is infallible? They say that God is able to preserve his word intact.

  I didn't really know how to ask this and wonder if there's a clear-cut answer.

  Thanks.

  CoCo

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  GOrwell 14 years ago

  If they didn't, they know it would push them too far into the crazy cult status, versus maintaining the quasi-Christian front have now.

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  jwfacts 14 years ago

  There are actually several Bible canons in use today, with differences between the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox canons. The Canons were not even settled by the fourth century, with disputes continuing for the next 1000 years.

  The Watchtower uses the Protestant one, because they are a Protestant offshoot. It would be dangerous for them to change it and choose their own canon, as it would alert the followers that the Bible canon was not chosen by God, and closed with the writings of John.

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  compound complex 14 years ago

  Thank you, GOrwell and jwfacts, for the helpful insight. It's provided me clarity on the question.

  Gratefully,

  CoCo

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  tenyearsafter 14 years ago

  CoCo...that is a great question, and one I have wondered about for years. I have never heard an answer to the question of how the very "councils" that finalized the canon of the Bible as we know it today, could also be the "councils" of the era that affirmed the Trinity and Immortality of the Soul doctrines. How can they be inspired in one endeavour and then promoters of false religious teachings in another?? This has always seemed a contradiction, but I have never heard anyone actually challenge the WTS's position on this...it certainly makes one think!

  TYA

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  wobble 14 years ago

  I believe the WT is totally,and from their point of view wisely, silent on this. And you are spot on 10yrsafter, the trinity was sorted out in 325 (again,not completely) and the bible Canon in 381. ( conflicts about both continue).

  So, the position that the bible JW's use is inerrant, or if not that, that it is in some way the word of god, is laughable.

  Add to this our very own Terry's great point that the manuscripts we translate from are copies of copies of copies made centuries after the originals, and the whole thing becomes a joke.

  As I have said many times, the WT/JW religion is founded on lies, and maintained by lies.

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  blondie 14 years ago

  The WTS feels that the final bible canon was established at the end of the first century around the time the Apostle John died, the last of the 12 apostles.

  *** it-1 p. 467 Chronology ***The exiling of John to the isle of Patmos is generally considered to have taken place during the reign of Emperor Domitian. (Re 1:9) The persecution of Christians reached a peak during his rule (81-96 C.E.), particularly in the last three years. The traditional view is that John was released from exile following Domitian’s death and died in Ephesus about the close of the first century C.E. Thus, by John’s writing his epistles about this time, the Bible canon was completed and the apostolic period came to its close.

  *** it-1 p. 407 Canon ***The canon of the Hebrew Scriptures, therefore, was well fixed by the end of the fifth century B.C.E., containing the same writings that we have today.

  *** g85 12/8 p. 17 The Bible—Do We Have All of It? ***

  Bible

  Canon—AComplete

  Catalog

  Why can Jehovah’s Witnesses be sure that no vital book is missing from the Bible? Because the inspired writings that are "beneficial for teaching" have a set catalog, often called a canon. (2 Timothy 3:16) Originally, the word "canon" referred to a reed used as a measuring rod. The Bible canon came to mean the set of books accepted as genuine, inspired of God and worthy of being used as a straightedge for measuring faith, doctrine, and conduct.

  The official listing for the Hebrew Scriptures (often called the Old Testament) was fixed by the end of the fifth century B.C.E. Jesus Christ and his apostles used only books from this catalog when quoting Scripture. Therefore, Jehovah’s Witnesses follow this same pattern for the Hebrew Scriptures. But what about the so-called New Testament, or the Christian Greek Scriptures?

  Evidence for an authorized listing of writings for the Christian Greek Scriptures began piling up as early as 90-100 C.E. And by the end of the second century, there was no question that the canon of the Christian Greek Scriptures had been closed. There are at least 16 outstanding early catalogs of the Christian Greek Scriptures, from the Muratorian Fragment of 170 C.E. to the Third Council of Carthage of 397 C.E. Additionally, manuscripts of this part of the Bible in the original language (Greek) total more than 5,200. No other ancient document is so well supported. Hence, Jehovah’s Witnesses look upon the Christian Greek Scriptures as being complete. But more evidence than this is needed to satisfy Jehovah’s Witnesses.

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  RHodge6685 14 years ago

  That's one thing I've always wondered! I remember talking about it years ago with my study conductors, and they said that even though Christianity had left the true path, the choosing of the canon of the New Testament (Greek Scriptures) was so very important, that God made absolutely sure that the books were chosen correctly. And that God always found ways to preserve true Christian beliefs throughout the centuries, even if it was among a very select few, and never completely untainted by false beliefs (up until the WT). That answer satisfied me at the time. Now....not so much! I've been out of the WT for 7 years now, and currently consider myself agnostic. I don't believe the Bible is the infallible word of God any longer.

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  PSacramento 14 years ago

  Canonincity was more like agreeing on the books that were widely accepted as opposed to dictating which ones WERE to be accepted.

  And that was really only applicable to the western ( Roman) Church and not the Orthodox or Ethiopian or the many other churchs that were NOT under the influence of the RC.

  The canon accepted by the JW's is base don the protestant reformist canon and NOT the RCC Canon.

  The only difference is in the OT "deutrocanical" and apocryphal books, the NT is the same for the Protestant and RCC and the Othrodox I think.

  The Ethiopian Church holds Enoch as canonical ( Now way the JW's would do that since it makes it clear that there are more than one archangel).

  Personally I like the complete works that include all of them.

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  PSacramento 14 years ago

  In regards to the process of the canon of the NT, one of the best wroks out there is by Bruce Metzger: The Canon of the New testament.

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