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 hast put unto the ark the testimony which I give unto thee.
and thou hast put unto the ark the testimony which I give unto thee.
And he taketh and putteth the testimony unto the ark, and setteth the staves on the ark, and putteth the mercy-seat on the ark above;
And he taketh and putteth the testimony unto the ark, and setteth the staves on the ark, and putteth the mercy-seat on the ark above;
that Moses commandeth the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, saying,
that Moses commandeth the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, saying, 'Take this Book of the Law, and thou hast set it on the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and it hath been there against thee for a witness;
'Take this Book of the Law, and thou hast set it on the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and it hath been there against thee for a witness;
the book of this law doth not depart out of thy mouth, and thou hast meditated in it by day and by night, so that thou dost observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then thou dost cause thy way to prosper, and then thou dost act wisely.
the book of this law doth not depart out of thy mouth, and thou hast meditated in it by day and by night, so that thou dost observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then thou dost cause thy way to prosper, and then thou dost act wisely.
And Joshua writeth these words in the Book of the Law of God, and taketh a great stone, and raiseth it up there under the oak which is in the sanctuary of Jehovah.
And Joshua writeth these words in the Book of the Law of God, and taketh a great stone, and raiseth it up there under the oak which is in the sanctuary of Jehovah.
And Samuel speaketh unto the people the right of the kingdom, and writeth in a book, and placeth before Jehovah; and Samuel sendeth all the people away, each to his house.
And Samuel speaketh unto the people the right of the kingdom, and writeth in a book, and placeth before Jehovah; and Samuel sendeth all the people away, each to his house.
And Hilkiah the high priest saith unto Shaphan the scribe, 'A book of the law I have found in the house of Jehovah;' and Hilkiah giveth the book unto Shaphan, and he readeth it.
And Hilkiah the high priest saith unto Shaphan the scribe, 'A book of the law I have found in the house of Jehovah;' and Hilkiah giveth the book unto Shaphan, and he readeth it.
To the law and to the testimony! If not, let them say after this manner, 'That there is no dawn to it.'
To the law and to the testimony! If not, let them say after this manner, 'That there is no dawn to it.'
And heard in that day have the deaf the words of a book, And out of thick darkness, and out of darkness, The eyes of the blind do see.
And heard in that day have the deaf the words of a book, And out of thick darkness, and out of darkness, The eyes of the blind do see.
He high places doth inhabit, Strongholds of rock are his high tower, His bread hath been given, his waters stedfast.
He high places doth inhabit, Strongholds of rock are his high tower, His bread hath been given, his waters stedfast.
'Ye search the Writings, because ye think in them to have life age-during, and these are they that are testifying concerning me;
'Ye search the Writings, because ye think in them to have life age-during, and these are they that are testifying concerning me;
and as many as by this rule do walk -- peace upon them, and kindness, and on the Israel of God!
and as many as by this rule do walk -- peace upon them, and kindness, 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; for first, indeed, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God;
and as many as by this rule do walk -- peace upon them, and kindness, and on the Israel of God!
but to what we have come -- by the same rule walk, the same thing think;