Lesson 4 Complete 1 hr

The Canon of Scripture

How the 66 books were recognized, role of Church, deuterocanonical books, and preservation of Scripture

5,247 words Feb 15, 2026

Lesson 4: the Canon of Scripture

Course: Topic 2 - The Holy Bible
Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Target Audience: Servants and Sunday School Teachers

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, servants will be able to:

Define what "canon" means and why it matters
Explain how the 66 books were recognized as Scripture
Understand the role of the Church in canonization
Teach about the deuterocanonical books (Apocrypha)
Defend the Bible's canon against challenges
Show students why our Bible is complete and trustworthy

Opening Prayer

"O Lord, You who preserved Your Holy Word through the centuries, who guided Your Church to recognize the inspired books, and who protected Scripture from corruption, we thank You. Grant us now wisdom to understand how our Bible came to be. Through the prayers of the apostles and evangelists, the Church Fathers who discerned Your voice, and all who preserved Your Word, hear our prayer. Amen."

Introduction: the Most Important Question

A Life-or-death Decision

Imagine you're stranded on a desert island. You can only take ONE book with you.

Which book would you choose?

Now imagine: What if someone else chose which book you'd take? What if they chose:

A cookbook (but no food)
A phone book (but no phone)
A novel in a language you don't understand

You'd object! "Who gave YOU the authority to decide what I need?!"

The Bible Canon Question

Here's the REAL question:

How do we know which books belong in the Bible?

Who decided?
When did they decide?
Why these 66 books and not others?
What about the books Protestants removed?
What about the "lost gospels" we hear about?

This lesson answers these critical questions!

Part I: What Is "canon"?

The Meaning of Canon

The word "canon" comes from:

Greek: κανών (kanon) = "measuring rod" or "standard"

Hebrew: קָנֶה (qaneh) = "reed" or "measuring stick"

In Scripture:

Carpenters used a canon to measure straight lines
Builders used a canon to ensure walls were level
Merchants used a canon to measure accurate lengths

When applied to the Bible:

"The Canon book is that book that is at the level of the Holy Scripture, that is, at the level of God's Word led by the Holy Spirit." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

Canon = The standard by which we measure truth!

Why "canon" Matters

The canon tells us:

✅ Which books are God's Word (and which are not)
✅ Which books have divine authority (and which are human opinion)
✅ Which books to read in church (and which to avoid)
✅ Which books to base doctrine on (and which to reject)
✅ Which books to trust completely (and which to question)

Without a canon:

Anyone could add their own "gospel"
Heretics could claim their writings are Scripture
The Church would have no standard for truth
Every generation could change what's "Bible"

The canon PROTECTS the integrity of God's Word!

Part Ii: the Old Testament Canon

The Three-part Structure

"The order of the books which is issued currently by the Christian Church was the same order by the Jews of Alexandria. There are 3 portions: 1) The Laws or Torah (the 5 books of Moses)... 2) The prophecies... 3) The rest of the sacred books." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

The Hebrew Bible has THREE sections:

1. TORAH (Law) - 5 books

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
"These used to be kept in the house of the Lord beside the Tabernacle in the Holy of Holies"
Highest authority

2. NEVI'IM (Prophets) - 8 books (in Hebrew counting)

Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings
Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Twelve (Minor Prophets)
"The care of God kept these prophecies all through the years from being lost"

3. KETUVIM (Writings) - 11 books

Wisdom: Psalms, Proverbs, Job
Megillot (5 Scrolls): Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther
Historical: Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles

Total in Hebrew Bible: 24 books (same as our 39, just counted differently)

How the Ot Books Were Collected

"The books of the Old Testaments were originally called 'the books'... In the fourth century, the ultimate name of these books was 'Canonical Books'" (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

The process:

1. Written by prophets (1500 BC - 400 BC)

Moses wrote first (Exodus 34:27)
Malachi wrote last

2. Preserved by priests

Kept beside the Ark of the Covenant
Copied meticulously
Protected during exiles

3. Collected by Ezra (c. 450 BC)

After Babylonian exile
Gathered all sacred writings
Established authoritative collection

4. Recognized by the community

Jews accepted these 39 books
No controversy about which books belonged
Confirmed by usage in synagogues

Jesus Confirmed the Ot Canon

Jesus Himself affirmed the Hebrew Scriptures:

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17)

"Then He said to them, 'These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.' And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures." (Luke 24:44-45)

Notice: Law + Prophets + Psalms = The WHOLE Old Testament!

Jesus never:

Disputed which books were Scripture
Added books to the canon
Removed books from the canon
Questioned the authority of any OT book

Jesus' acceptance = Divine confirmation of the OT canon!

Part Iii: the New Testament Canon

From Oral to Written

"At the beginning, the evangelical message of the Gospel was oral, passing through the Holy Tradition: The apostles preached and people believed and became themselves preachers all over the world. However, they started to feel the need for writing: First, to keep the actions of our Lord Jesus Christ; Second, to answer the questions of the coming generations and those posed by heretics. Accordingly, the apostles started writing." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

Timeline of NT Writing:

AD 50-60: Paul's earliest letters (1 Thessalonians, Galatians, etc.)
AD 60-70: First three Gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke) and Acts
AD 70-90: Later epistles (Hebrews, 1 Peter, James, etc.)
AD 90-100: John's writings (Gospel, letters, Revelation)

All 27 NT books written BEFORE AD 100!

The Criteria for Canonization

"But what is the rule to accept the book as a canon one? 1. For the book to be canonized, its writer has to be a prophet, or an apostle or someone who has a deep relation with the Lord (Mark, Peter, John) 2. Any of the books that are called Canon but do not agree with the real Christian life lived by the disciples who witnessed what has happened during the service of Our Lord Jesus Christ, is rejected by the disciples and apostles themselves who witnessed everything." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

FIVE criteria the Church used:

1. APOSTOLIC AUTHORSHIP

Written by an apostle OR
Written by a close associate of an apostle (Mark with Peter, Luke with Paul)

Examples:

✅ Matthew - Apostle
✅ Mark - Peter's interpreter
✅ Luke - Paul's companion
✅ John - Apostle
✅ Paul - Apostle to Gentiles
✅ Peter - Apostle
✅ James - Brother of the Lord
✅ Jude - Brother of James

2. ORTHODOXY (Correct Teaching)

Agreed with apostolic teaching
Consistent with OT revelation
Centered on Christ

This eliminated:

❌ Gospel of Thomas (Gnostic)
❌ Gospel of Judas (contradicts apostolic witness)
❌ Gospel of Peter (docetic)

3. ANTIQUITY (Written in Apostolic Era)

Written in first century
By eyewitnesses or their associates

4. USAGE (Widely Accepted by Churches)

Read in worship
Used by multiple churches
Recognized across regions

5. INSPIRATION (Evidence of the Holy Spirit)

Transformed lives
Built up the Church
Bore witness to Christ

The Recognition Process

"After the writing of the 27 books of the New Testament, the last of which was the book of Revelation written by Saint John the beloved and written immediately before the end of the first century, those writings were in different places depending on the location of the apostles. After the end of the persecution era of the Jews and pagans, the church, with the grace and protection of our Lord, started to gather those Holy books... Then, the Church reviewed them with intense accuracy and they were protected by the Divine Providence to be in the same wording that is in our hands nowadays." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

The Process:

AD 100-150: Books circulated among churches

Churches shared copies
Letters read in multiple congregations
Gospels copied and distributed

AD 150: Muratorian Canon

"The Muratorian Canon by The archaeologist Muratorian. There is an edition that refers back to the year 150 that includes a list of the books of the New Testament that is identical to the Bible we have now." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

This is CRITICAL! By AD 150 (only 50 years after John died), the 27 books were already recognized!

AD 200-300: Church Fathers quote NT

Origen: "only four canonical Gospels"
Clement of Alexandria: quotes all 27
Irenaeus: defends four Gospels

AD 397: Council of Carthage

"The council of Carthage was held in the year A.D. 397 to review all the books of the New Testament and their canonization. They are the same ones that we now have and they consist of 27 books." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

IMPORTANT: The Council didn't MAKE these books Scripture — it RECOGNIZED what was already Scripture!

Part Iv: the Role of the Church

The Church Received, Not Created

"The Holy Bible is the book of the Church, which we receive through the tradition of the Church. By tradition, our sacred books were canonized, confirming that they were divinely inspired." (Fr. Tadros Malaty)

Three key Church Fathers on this:

Origen (AD 185-254):

"In all these questions we approve of nothing but what the Church approves of, namely only four canonical Gospels."

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 313-386):

"Learn also diligently, and from the Church, what are the books of the Old Testament, and what those of the New."

St. Augustine (AD 354-430):

"For my part, I should not believe the gospel except as moved by the authority of the Catholic Church."

Two Critical Points

POINT #1: The Church did NOT create the canon

Rather:

God inspired the books
The apostles wrote them
The Holy Spirit testified to them
The Church RECOGNIZED them

Analogy: A jeweler doesn't MAKE a diamond precious — he RECOGNIZES its value!

POINT #2: Tradition and Scripture work together

"The Church received the 'word of God' before it was written on paper. She enjoyed its good news and understood the deepest meaning of the word of God by the Holy Spirit through oral tradition, received not only by words but also as a way of life. She received this life more than twenty years before the New Testament began to be written." (Fr. Tadros Malaty)

The relationship:

Oral tradition FIRST (AD 30-50)
Written Scripture (AD 50-100)
Church recognition (AD 100-400)
All guided by the SAME Holy Spirit!

"Thus, the Gospel is not a stranger to tradition, but its first component, for they both declare the 'One Truth' and explain the nature of the Church." (Fr. Tadros Malaty)

Part V: the Deuterocanonical Books (apocrypha)

What Are They?

"The additional canonical books are a group of books in the Old Testament which was found in the Greek Septuagint of the Old Testament... These books were transferred to the various Christian churches, which translated it into various languages." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

The 9 Deuterocanonical Books:

Tobit (14 chapters)
Judith (16 chapters)
The remainder of Esther (7 chapters)
The Wisdom of Solomon (19 chapters)
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) (51 chapters)
Baruch (6 chapters)
The remainder of Daniel (2 chapters) - includes Susanna and Bel
1 Maccabees (16 chapters)
2 Maccabees (15 chapters)

Why the Controversy?

"The Jewish community refused to include these books as books of the Old Testament in a council held in year 100 A.D., because these books were not in the group collected by Ezra the writer." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

Three views:

1. ORTHODOX & CATHOLIC VIEW:

These books ARE canonical
Found in Septuagint (Greek OT used by early Church)
Quoted by Church Fathers
Used in liturgy for centuries

2. PROTESTANT VIEW:

Not in Hebrew canon (after AD 100)
Not quoted by Jesus
Removed in 1500s

3. THE NAMING ISSUE:

"These books were called Apocrypha, because it was also omitted from the Holy Bible issued in the sixteenth century by the Protestant Church. Some Christians called these additional books by the word Apocrypha and naming it in this way is wrong. The word 'Apocrypha' is a Greek word, which means 'hidden', and it is taken to mean 'false or untrue'. However, the additional canonical books are correct and there is no doubt related to them as has been found by both the Catholic and Orthodox Church." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

CRITICAL: Orthodox Church has ALWAYS accepted these books!

Why Orthodox Accept Them

REASON #1: The Septuagint

Greek translation made 250 BC
Included these books
Used by Greek-speaking Jews
Used by the apostles
Used by early Church

REASON #2: Early Church Usage

Church Fathers quoted them as Scripture
Used in worship from beginning
Never questioned until 1500s

REASON #3: Historical Continuity

Orthodox Church preserved them
Never removed them
Part of unbroken tradition

REASON #4: Spiritual Value

Teach wisdom (Sirach)
Show God's providence (Tobit)
Display courage in faith (Judith, Maccabees)
Prepare for Christ

Part Vi: Preservation of the Canon

Ancient Manuscripts

"We have the first editions of the Old and New Testaments that refer back to the fourth and fifth centuries such as: The Vatican edition – and the Alexandrian edition in London. We have 4000 copies that refer back to the fourth and fifth centuries up to when the printing machine was invented in the fifteenth century." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

The manuscript evidence:

CODEX VATICANUS (AD 325-350)

Complete Bible in Greek
In Vatican Library
One of oldest complete Bibles

CODEX ALEXANDRINUS (AD 400-440)

Complete Bible in Greek
In British Library, London
Includes deuterocanonical books

CODEX SINAITICUS (AD 330-360)

Discovered at St. Catherine's Monastery
Complete New Testament
Most of Old Testament

4,000+ manuscripts before printing!

Compare to other ancient works:

Homer's Iliad: 643 manuscripts
Plato: 7 manuscripts
Caesar: 10 manuscripts

The Bible is the BEST preserved ancient document in existence!

Divine Protection

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Matthew 24:35)

Throughout history, attempts to destroy the Bible:

Roman Emperor Diocletian (AD 303):

Ordered all Bibles burned
Christians killed for possessing Scripture
Result: Christianity grew, Bible preserved

Various persecutions:

Medieval restrictions
Communist regimes
Islamic conquests
Modern atheism

Yet the Bible:

Survives every attack
Translated into 3,000+ languages
Most published book in history
Most read book in history

This preservation is MIRACULOUS — evidence of divine protection!

Part Vii: Answering Objections

Objection #1: "the Bible Canon Was Decided by Constantine at Nicaea"

ANSWER: Completely FALSE!

Facts:

Council of Nicaea (AD 325) dealt with the Trinity, NOT the canon
Canon was already recognized by AD 150 (Muratorian Canon)
Constantine had nothing to do with choosing books
The 27 NT books were established long before Constantine

This is a myth popularized by Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" — it has ZERO historical support!

Objection #2: "the Church Removed Books From the Bible"

ANSWER: No, books were never "removed"

Timeline:

Deuterocanonical books in Septuagint: 250 BC
Early Church used them: AD 100-1500
Protestant Reformation removed them: AD 1500s
Orthodox Church NEVER removed them

So who "removed" books?

Not the Orthodox Church — we kept them!
Not the Catholic Church — they kept them!
The Protestants removed them in the 1500s

The Orthodox Bible has been the SAME for 2,000 years!

Objection #3: "what About the Gospel of Thomas and Other 'lost Gospels'?"

ANSWER: They were never "lost" — they were REJECTED!

Why rejected:

1. LATE DATE

Gospel of Thomas: written AD 140-200
Gospel of Judas: written AD 130-170
Gospel of Peter: written AD 150
All written AFTER the apostolic era!

2. HERETICAL CONTENT

Gospel of Thomas: Gnostic (denies physical creation is good)
Gospel of Judas: Judas is hero (contradicts all apostolic witness)
Gospel of Peter: Docetic (denies Christ had real body)

3. NO CHURCH RECOGNITION

Never used in worship
Rejected by ALL Church Fathers
No manuscript tradition
Not found in any ancient Bible

These weren't "lost" — they were KNOWN and REJECTED as forgeries!

Objection #4: "how Do We Know We Have All the Books?"

ANSWER: Multiple evidences confirm completeness

1. APOSTOLIC TESTIMONY

"I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face" (3 John 13-14)
Some things were oral tradition, not written
But what WAS written was preserved

2. DIVINE PROVIDENCE

God promised to preserve His Word (Matthew 24:35)
The Holy Spirit guided the Church (John 16:13)
No inspired book would be lost

3. EARLY CONSENSUS

By AD 150, the 27 NT books were recognized
By AD 397, formally confirmed
No legitimate books "discovered" later

4. INTERNAL COMPLETENESS

OT ends with Malachi (pointing to Christ)
NT begins with Christ's coming
NT ends with Revelation (completion of all things)
The story is COMPLETE!

Part Viii: Practical Implications

Why This Matters for Servants

AS A SERVANT, you need to know the canon because:

1. AUTHORITY

Only canonical books have divine authority
You can say "Thus says the Lord" ONLY about canonical books
Heretics try to add their own "scriptures"

2. TEACHING

Students will ask: "Why these 66 books?"
You must give a solid answer
Weak answers = weak faith

3. DEFENSE

Cults add books (Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses)
Skeptics claim books were "removed"
You must defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15)

4. CONFIDENCE

Knowing the canon gives certainty
You can trust EVERY WORD
No need to question or doubt

Teaching Students About Canon

FOR YOUNG CHILDREN (Ages 5-8):

"God gave us exactly the books we need!"
"The Church kept them safe for us"
Simple, trust-building

FOR YOUTH (Ages 9-12):

Tell the story of how books were collected
Explain apostolic authorship
Show ancient manuscripts (pictures)

FOR TEENS (Ages 13-18):

Address skeptical questions
Explain criteria for canonization
Discuss "lost gospels" honestly
Show evidence and logic

FOR ADULTS:

Full historical detail
Church Fathers' testimonies
Manuscript evidence
Theological implications

Conclusion: a Complete and Trustworthy Bible

What We've Learned

The Canon is:

✅ Complete — All inspired books included, no inspired books missing
✅ Closed — No new books will be added
✅ Correct — Every book belongs, no books wrongly included
✅ Confirmed — By apostles, Church Fathers, councils, and centuries of use
✅ Christ-centered — All 66 books point to Jesus

The Divine-human Partnership

GOD'S PART:

Inspired the authors (2 Timothy 3:16)
Guided the writing
Preserved the manuscripts
Testified through the Holy Spirit

CHURCH'S PART:

Recognized inspired books
Rejected forgeries
Collected and copied
Transmitted faithfully

RESULT: The complete, trustworthy Bible we have today!

Final Word

"Conclusion: The New Testament that we have is a canon scripture and the Church does not recognize any other books in the New Testament. Further, there is no doubt about the writers of the 27 books of the New Testament." (Fr. Rueiss Awad)

We can say with ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE:

The Bible you hold is:

The COMPLETE Word of God
EXACTLY what God intended us to have
PERFECTLY preserved through the centuries
ABSOLUTELY trustworthy in every word

"Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven." (Psalm 119:89)

Reflection Questions

How does knowing the canon formation process strengthen your faith?
What would you say to someone who claims "books were removed from the Bible"?
Why is it important that the Church RECOGNIZED rather than CREATED the canon?
How does the early date of the Muratorian Canon (AD 150) impact your confidence?
What's your response to people who want to include "Gospel of Thomas" or similar books?
How can you teach your students about the deuterocanonical books without causing confusion?
What amazes you most about the Bible's preservation?

Practical Application

This Week:

Examine your Bible — Look at the table of contents, count the 66 books
Share one fact — Tell someone about the Muratorian Canon or Council of Carthage
Read deuterocanonical — Read one chapter from Sirach or Wisdom of Solomon
Memorize key dates — AD 150 (Muratorian), AD 397 (Carthage)
Research one manuscript — Look up Codex Vaticanus or Sinaiticus online

This Month:

Study Church Fathers — Read what Origen, Irenaeus, Augustine said about canon
Compare Bibles — See which version includes deuterocanonical books
Answer objections — Prepare responses to common canon challenges
Teach your class — Share age-appropriate canon information
Visit a resource — Go to Bible museum or view manuscripts online

This Year:

Read all 66 books — Experience the complete canon
Study canonization history — Deep dive into how each book was recognized
Defend the faith — Be ready to answer canon questions confidently
Teach a lesson — Present canon formation to your Sunday School class
Share with others — Help people understand why our Bible is trustworthy

Closing Prayer

"Lord Jesus Christ, the Living Word, we thank You for preserving Your written Word through the centuries. You guided the apostles to write, the Church Fathers to recognize, and the Church to preserve these 66 sacred books. Grant us confidence in Your complete and trustworthy Scripture. May we never doubt a single word, never add to it, never take from it. Through the prayers of the evangelists and all who protected Your Word, hear our prayer. Amen."

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