Session 4: The Canon of Scripture

Jun 27, 2024

Session 4: The Canon of Scripture

Lecture Overview

  • Chapter: Chapter 3 of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology
  • Session: 4
  • Topic: Canon of Scripture

Outline and Chronology

  • Resources: Eight-page outline available in the video description.
  • Chronology: Pages 2-8 outline historical events and writings pre-and post-Christ.
    • Key Dates: Before Christ: Pages 2-4
    • Key Dates: After Christ: Pages 5-8

Key Points on Scripture Chronology

  • First Written Book: Job (1520 BC)
  • First NT Books Written: 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians (AD 52)
  • Dating of the Four Gospels: John was one of the last books written in the NT.

Formation of the Canon

  • Complexity: Difficult to succinctly describe how the canon was formed due to numerous events, people, writings, and dates.
  • Key Considerations: Accuracy was critical to validate Scripture as God's Word.

Old and New Testament Criteria

  • Prophecies: Must come to pass to validate as Scripture.
    • ~70% of the Bible was prophetic when written.
    • ~50% of prophecies have been fulfilled.
  • Manuscript Evidence: Dead Sea Scrolls: Significant discovery confirming the accuracy of the Book of Isaiah (only three spelling discrepancies over 1,000 years).
  • Translation Accuracy: High accuracy in manuscript transmission.

Recommended Books

  • Old Testament Documents: