Dr. Beckwith, you asked, “Where have I gone wrong in this reasoning?”
http://romereturn.blogspot.com/2010/01/sola-scriptura-and-canon-of-scripture.html
Well, sir, I believe you went wrong in your very first statement, “Because the list of canonical books is itself not found in Scripture…” What you’ve done is set up an artificial criteria (which you already know won’t be met) and basically said that since it isn’t met then it isn’t true. It’s not too much different, for example, than non-Trinitarians arguing that since the word “Trinity” isn’t found in Scripture then the doctrine of the Trinity must not be true.
The Jews already set the Old Testament canon before Christ came and established His church. The same 39 books we use today, no more and no less, were contained in the Jewish Tanakh, just grouped differently. The apostle Paul even said that they were “entrusted with the very words of God” (Rom. 3:2). And Christ did refer to this canon: “All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms concerning Me” (Luke 24:44). Also, Christ and His apostles quoted from 36 of the 39 books (the exceptions being Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs). The Deuterocanonical books, however, recognized by the Roman Catholic Church (Judith, Maccabees, etc.), were not written in Hebrew but in Greek. And not only were they not included in the Jewish canon but were never quoted by Christ or His apostles. Therefore, if the New Testament doesn’t recognize any of the Deuterocanonical books by quoting from them, then they must not be the word of God.
Roman Catholics also construct the same type of artificial criteria for Sola Scriptura; they say if it isn’t explicitly taught in Scripture then it isn’t true. Yet we know the Old Testament is the word of God because Christ endorsed it. And we know the New Testament is the word of God because it was written by those commissioned by Christ. Up to this point we can be confident that the Scriptures, the 66 books of the Bible, are the word of God. Oral tradition, on the other hand, is claimed to be derived from the same source—the apostles—yet clearly contradicts many times what they wrote. So, how can we accept any additional “authority” that contradicts what we already know to be God’s word? The simple fact that it contradicts the known word of God exposes that it is not the word of God. This is why we claim Sola Scriptura!
http://romereturn.blogspot.com/2010/01/sola-scriptura-and-canon-of-scripture.html
Well, sir, I believe you went wrong in your very first statement, “Because the list of canonical books is itself not found in Scripture…” What you’ve done is set up an artificial criteria (which you already know won’t be met) and basically said that since it isn’t met then it isn’t true. It’s not too much different, for example, than non-Trinitarians arguing that since the word “Trinity” isn’t found in Scripture then the doctrine of the Trinity must not be true.
The Jews already set the Old Testament canon before Christ came and established His church. The same 39 books we use today, no more and no less, were contained in the Jewish Tanakh, just grouped differently. The apostle Paul even said that they were “entrusted with the very words of God” (Rom. 3:2). And Christ did refer to this canon: “All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms concerning Me” (Luke 24:44). Also, Christ and His apostles quoted from 36 of the 39 books (the exceptions being Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs). The Deuterocanonical books, however, recognized by the Roman Catholic Church (Judith, Maccabees, etc.), were not written in Hebrew but in Greek. And not only were they not included in the Jewish canon but were never quoted by Christ or His apostles. Therefore, if the New Testament doesn’t recognize any of the Deuterocanonical books by quoting from them, then they must not be the word of God.
Roman Catholics also construct the same type of artificial criteria for Sola Scriptura; they say if it isn’t explicitly taught in Scripture then it isn’t true. Yet we know the Old Testament is the word of God because Christ endorsed it. And we know the New Testament is the word of God because it was written by those commissioned by Christ. Up to this point we can be confident that the Scriptures, the 66 books of the Bible, are the word of God. Oral tradition, on the other hand, is claimed to be derived from the same source—the apostles—yet clearly contradicts many times what they wrote. So, how can we accept any additional “authority” that contradicts what we already know to be God’s word? The simple fact that it contradicts the known word of God exposes that it is not the word of God. This is why we claim Sola Scriptura!
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