Reference: Canon of Scripture
Fausets
(See BIBLE.) The collection of sacred books constituting the Christian church's authoritative RULE (Greek canon) of faith and practice. The word occurs in Ga 6:16; 2Co 10:13-16. The law, i.e. the Pentateuch or five books of Moses, is the groundwork of the whole. The after written sacred books rest on it. The Psalms, divided into five books to correspond with it, begin, "Blessed is the man" whose "delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law will he meditate day and night." In Joshua (Jos 1:8) similarly the Lord saith, "this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night." Moses directed the Levites, "Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God" (De 31:25-26). "The testimony," or Decalogue written by God's finger on the tables of stone, was put into the ark (Ex 25:16; 40:20; 1Ki 8:9).
Hilkiah "found the book of the law in the house of the Lord," where it had lain neglected during the reigns that preceded godly Josiah's reign (2Ki 22:8; 2Ch 34:14), "the law of the Lord by (the hand of) Moses." Joshua under inspiration added his record, "writing these words in the book of the law of God" (Jos 24:26). Samuel further wrote "the manner of the kingdom in a book" (1Sa 10:25). Isaiah (Isa 8:20) as representative of the prophets makes the law the standard of appeal: "to the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." The earlier sacred writings by his time seem to have been gathered into one whole, called "the book of the Lord": "seek ye out of the book of the Lord" (Isa 33:16; 29:18). Just as our Lord saith" Search the Scriptures" (Joh 5:39).
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Inside the ark you are to put the record which I will give you.
Inside the ark you are to put the record which I will give you.
And he took the law and put it inside the ark, and put the rods at its side and the cover over it;
And he took the law and put it inside the ark, and put the rods at its side and the cover over it;
Moses said to the Levites who were responsible for taking up the ark of the Lord's agreement,
Moses said to the Levites who were responsible for taking up the ark of the Lord's agreement, Take this book of the law and put it by the ark of the Lord's agreement, so that it may be a witness against you.
Take this book of the law and put it by the ark of the Lord's agreement, so that it may be a witness against you.
Let this book of the law be ever on your lips and in your thoughts day and night, so that you may keep with care everything in it; then a blessing will be on all your way, and you will do well.
Let this book of the law be ever on your lips and in your thoughts day and night, so that you may keep with care everything in it; then a blessing will be on all your way, and you will do well.
And Joshua put these words on record, writing them in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and put it up there under the oak-tree which was in the holy place of the Lord.
And Joshua put these words on record, writing them in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and put it up there under the oak-tree which was in the holy place of the Lord.
Then Samuel gave the people the laws of the kingdom, writing them in a book which he put in a safe place before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
Then Samuel gave the people the laws of the kingdom, writing them in a book which he put in a safe place before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
Then Hilkiah, the chief priest, said to Shaphan the scribe, I have made discovery of the book of the law in the house of the Lord. So Hilkiah gave it to Shaphan;
Then Hilkiah, the chief priest, said to Shaphan the scribe, I have made discovery of the book of the law in the house of the Lord. So Hilkiah gave it to Shaphan;
Then say to them, Put your faith in the teaching and the witness. ... If they do not say such things. ... For him there is no dawn. ...
Then say to them, Put your faith in the teaching and the witness. ... If they do not say such things. ... For him there is no dawn. ...
And in that day those whose ears are stopped will be hearing the words of the book; and the eyes of the blind will see through the mist and the dark.
And in that day those whose ears are stopped will be hearing the words of the book; and the eyes of the blind will see through the mist and the dark.
He will have a place on high: he will be safely shut in by the high rocks: his bread will be given to him; his waters will be certain.
He will have a place on high: he will be safely shut in by the high rocks: his bread will be given to him; his waters will be certain.
You make search in the holy Writings, in the belief that through them you get eternal life; and it is those Writings which give witness about me.
You make search in the holy Writings, in the belief that through them you get eternal life; and it is those Writings which give witness about me.
And on all who are guided by this rule be peace and mercy, and on the Israel of God.
And on all who are guided by this rule be peace and mercy, and on the Israel of God.
Morish
The word ????? signified a rod or rule by which things were tested. It is thus used by Paul in Ga 6:16; Php 3:16. As to the scriptures the expression refers to what books should be included: thus the 'canon' of scripture is often spoken of, and the books are called 'canonical' or 'uncanonical.' Happily most Christians are not troubled with such questions. In christian simplicity they believe that in the Bible they have nothing but what God caused to be written, and that it contains all that He intended to form a part of His book. Still, as everything is now challenged it may be well to examine the subject a little.
In the first place, the Church of Rome boldly declared that it was only 'the church' that could decide what books were canonical: as early as the Council of Carthage (about A.D. 400) lists of the books were made out, and at the Council of Trent they dogmatically settled what books constituted the scripture. They decided to include the books now known as the APOCRYPHA (q.v.), as may be seen in the Latin Vulgate, which is the version used by that church. Now the scripture informs us that to the Jews were committed the oracles of God, Ro 3:2, and as is well known they most carefully guarded the O.T. scriptures for centuries before there was any christian church. The books were written in the Jews' language
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Much in every way: first of all because the words of God were given to them.
And on all who are guided by this rule be peace and mercy, and on the Israel of God.
Only, as far as we have got, let us be guided by the same rule.