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In what ways does increasing your awareness of how the Old Testament canon was formed inform your understanding of the Old Testament itself?
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8 Replies
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It helps to understand how the books that were chosen to make up the Bible. Some were included in the canon but were not considered relevant enough to be included in the book.
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It it always good to gain knowledge or education about the Bible, its contents and origin. The more information you gain, it equips you to understand how the books of the Bible were put together and how you can have confidence in the scriptures.
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It helps to understand what may have influenced the organization and selection of books, but ultimately God’s will was done by including the works he ordained.
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Knowing how the Old Testament canon was formed gives a sense of the guidance of God not only in inspiring the various writings, but also in leading the religious community to affirm these writings. It also shows that the canon of the Christian’s Old Testament is not an artefact invented by the Christians to support their views of Christ (considered heretical by unbelieving Jews). Their Old Testament is in fact identical to the Hebrew TANAKH, accepted all along by the most traditional Jews. The Christians did not add mythological books that supported their ideas, nor did they remove any books from the TANAKH. Hence it gives me more confidence to accept the Old Testament as inspired.
#Canon
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In understanding the formation of what became the Bible, what the Apocrypha and others, we can reason the authenticity of scripture with those who have doubts. It is very important for us to believe in the assurity of authenticity for our own faith (2 Tim 3:16). I believe God not only directed what was to be written, what was was then accepted as canon, but also the placement of these texts into those caves for our reassurance of faith. God is good.
