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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And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony that I shall give thee.
And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony that I shall give thee.
And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and put the staves in the ark, and put the mercy-seat above on the ark.
And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and put the staves in the ark, and put the mercy-seat above on the ark.
that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, saying,
that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it at the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee;
Take this book of the law, and put it at the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee;
This book of the law shall not depart from thy mouth; and thou shalt meditate upon it day and night, that thou mayest take heed to do according to all that is written therein; for then shalt thou have good success in thy ways, and then shalt thou prosper.
This book of the law shall not depart from thy mouth; and thou shalt meditate upon it day and night, that thou mayest take heed to do according to all that is written therein; for then shalt thou have good success in thy ways, and then shalt thou prosper.
And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Jehovah.
And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Jehovah.
And Samuel told the people the right of the kingdom, and wrote it in the book, and laid it before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
And Samuel told the people the right of the kingdom, and wrote it in the book, and laid it before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
And Hilkijah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of Jehovah. And Hilkijah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
And Hilkijah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of Jehovah. And Hilkijah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
To the law and the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, for them there is no daybreak.
To the law and the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, for them there is no daybreak.
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and, out of obscurity and out of darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see;
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and, out of obscurity and out of darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see;
he shall dwell on high, the fortresses of the rocks shall be his high retreat; bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure.
he shall dwell on high, the fortresses of the rocks shall be his high retreat; bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure.
Ye search the scriptures, for ye think that in them ye have life eternal, and they it is which bear witness concerning me;
Ye search the scriptures, for ye think that in them ye have life eternal, and they it is which bear witness concerning me;
And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace upon them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace upon them and mercy, and upon 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 every way: and first, indeed, that to them were entrusted the oracles of God.
And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace upon them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
But whereto we have attained, let us walk in the same steps.