How the Bible was formed has been a serious matter of debate among Christians and non-Christians. However, we will look at the facts from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
How the Bible Was Formed: Who Decided What Books to Include?
It took more than a millennium before the Bible was formed. The formation of the Christian holy book took the effort of more than a handful of persons, influential councils, and organizations to formulate. Notable among these were the Council of Jamnia, which played a crucial role in the formation of the Hebrew Bible, and early church leaders who championed the canonization of the New Testament.
The books that made up the Bible have imparted to society, changed the way people see the world, and the way people handle relationships with their fellow humans.
However, people round the world have remained inquisitive regarding how the Bible was formed, including asking who made the decision to include the books in the Bible and the books that were not included -(this is mostly known as canonization) a process that took years or even centuries of collaborations, vetting of information such as historical facts, spiritual inspirations and inputs from faith based organizations. All these took place before the Bible was formed.
What Do You Know About The Biblical Canon?
When it comes to the Bible, canon means the authentic (official) books that the Holy Spirit inspired and has been approved for religious purposes. However, in the Greek language, it is written as "kanon," which means a measuring rod.
According to the officially approved Biblical books, the Old Testament has 39 books, while the New Testament has 27 approved books.
The Formation of the Old Testament
1. Early Hebrew Writings (1400-400 B.C.)
Many people believed that between the 15th and 13th centuries B.C, Moses wrote the books of Genesis to Deuteronomy (mostly referred to as Torah).In the books that followed the aforementioned, it is believed that Samuel, Jeremiah, and a host of other prophets wrote them, and the last book to follow was that written by Malachi in 400 B.C. Malachi's book is mostly seen in Judaism as the last prophetic writing.
2. Jewish Canon Development
200 B.C., after the book of Malachi was written, some Alexandrian Jewish groups came together to translate the books of Tobit and Maccabees and many others into Greek from Hebrew, which was the world's official language then. These books are now called the Deuterocanonical books.
The Deuterocanonical books hold significant historical and cultural value, offering insights into Jewish traditions as well as religious themes during that period. In Catholic tradition, these books are considered part of the Bible and are seen as important for understanding the full context of the scriptures.
However, many Protestant traditions do not include these books in their Bibles, reflecting differing views on their canonical status and authority. This difference is a key point of denominational variance, highlighting diverse theological interpretations and ecclesiastical histories.
Following the efforts and inputs of Johanan Zakkai in the 1st century A.D., it did not take long before the Torah, books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs became approved by the Yavneh (Council of Jamnia).
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The Formation of the New Testament
1. The Writings of the Apostles
Between 45 and 95 A.D., Apostle Paul wrote one of the first books of the New Testament. Also, within a space of 30 years (65 - 95 A.D.) Matthew, John, Mark, and Luke had all written the gospels of the New Testament. As the early Christians were gearing up to approve the gospels by 95 A.D. John wrote the book of Revelation.
2. Why Some Books Were Not Included
A lot of books, or in this case writings, were not included for various reasons; for instance, the gospels attributed to Judas and Thomas were excluded because it was said that their books were written (or discovered) centuries after they had gone to meet with their maker. As such, the authenticity of their works could not be proven.
Similarly, the Gospel of Mary and the Shepherd of Hermas were also left out. While the Gospel of Mary offers a unique perspective often associated with Gnostic teachings, it was not widely accepted in the early church. The Shepherd of Hermas, though considered valuable for in-depth spiritual guidance, was ultimately excluded due to uncertainties about its apostolic origin. These exclusions reflect a complex process of discernment and debate in the early Christian community.
The other books were dropped because they could not be linked directly or indirectly to the apostles. Some of these writings were contradictory to the Christian faith or were not widely used at that time, and this necessitated their dropping or exclusion.
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Is the Bible's Formation Still an Important Discussion?
Oh yes, it is still an important discussion. Considering the process, time, and effort it took to discover these books, the preservation involved, and the inspiration from the Holy Spirit, one does not need a soothsayer to understand how important the Bible Formation has been to Christians and the world at large.
However, there have been differing opinions about the authenticity of the Catholic Bible and that of the Protestant. The Catholic Bible includes the Deuterocanonical books, such as Tobit and Maccabees, while the Protestant Bible rejects their inclusion.
It is important to note that the exclusions or inclusions were not done in bad faith; their genuine reasons for either removal or acceptance were based on several key criteria. The main factors considered were apostolic origin, ensuring the texts could be traced to the apostles or their close associates; widespread use, where the texts had to be widely recognized and used in Christian teaching and worship across different communities; and doctrinal consistency, meaning the content needed to align with the established core beliefs of Christianity. These guidelines helped to ensure the integrity and unity of the biblical canon.
In conclusion, those who took their time to discover, translate, and examine the books that made up the Bible did so under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. What would the Christian fate have looked like if not for these books?
