Faith

Most Christians know that the Bible is God’s word. We are confident that it is God’s message to us. However, we don’t all know how the Bible we read each day came to us. What method or methods did God use to communicate his message to us? How did we get the 66 books in scripture? Was the Bible dictated to one person through a mediator? Is it a progressive revelation given to various people over a period of many years? Or, did we receive it miraculously from God? Who decided that one book was authoritative and another was not?

It’s important that Christians have some understanding of how the Bible was put together. It informs how we read, study, and interpret the Bible. It can also help us to gain confidence when speaking with unbelievers who doubt that the Bible is God’s word. In this article, we will define canonization, learn how the Old and New Testaments were canonized, discuss the deuterocanonical books, address whether or not the canon of scripture should be closed or open, and finally, explain why it’s important that Christians are familiar with canonization.

What does the word Canon mean?

The word “canon” comes from the similar sounding Greek word kanon. It refers to a measuring rod or carpenter’s line. Later on, it grew to describe the standard of what is authoritative scripture and what is not. When we speak of the Biblical canon, we are speaking of the writings that are considered authoritative and inspired by God. These are the writings contained in the Bible that are used for teaching and Christian living.

Who determined what writings would go into the Biblical Canon?

Before I get into this point, I want to clarify something. Canonization is the process by which the believing community determines that a work is already authoritative. It’s like putting an official stamp on something that has already been functioning as authoritative within the Judeo-Christian world. Canonization does not mean that the church can take any random ancient writing and decide if it’s scripture or not. 

How did we get the Old Testament Canon?

The Old Testament Canon is also called the Tanakh. It includes three sections: the Torah, the Nevi’im, and the Kethubim. The Torah contains the first five books of the Tanakh. Christians tend to refer to it as the law. The Nevi’im contains the prophetic books. Finally, the Kethubim contains what is known as the writings and it includes wisdom literature, psalms, and some of the historical books. 

The Jews viewed each of these sections within a hierarchy of authoritativeness. While all of it was considered authoritative, the Torah held the most weight. This is because it is attributed to Moses, the only prophet who met with God face to face (Exodus 33:11). The prophets were responsible for ensuring that the Israelites remained true to the Mosaic covenant. Because of this, their messages were based on the law. Finally, the writings often expressed the themes of the law in poetic ways. 

Scholars believe that the Hebrew Scriptures started to come together during the reigns of David and Solomon around 1000 BC. The Former prophets were written down between 640 and 609 BC and the latter prophets between the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Finally, the Kethubim was completed by 165 BC. 

However, we have evidence that Moses began writing down parts of the Torah during his lifetime. Deuteronomy 31:24 tells us that Moses wrote down the words of the law in a book that was placed at the side of the ark of the covenant. 

The parts of the Torah that were not written down immediately were likely passed down orally. Now, you might ask, wouldn’t that lead to a lot of error? In today’s time, yes. Back then, no. The cultures throughout the Ancient Near East were careful in the way they passed down information. They did not have phones or laptops like we do today, and so, if they wanted information to stay with their community through generations, they had to be careful in how they communicated it. 

The Jews accepted a book as canonical if it…

• Held to the theology of the Torah
• Was considered to be divinely inspired throughout history
• Had widespread use
• Was written in Hebrew

How did we get the New Testament Canon?

The Christian Scripture, or New Testament, includes the Gospels, Historical Books, Pauline letters, General Letters, and Revelation. The early Christians viewed the Hebrew Scriptures, the teaching of Jesus, the words of the Apostles, and any work recognized by the Apostles to be authoritative.

The Gospels were written by Apostles, or individuals closely connected with the Apostles. They are eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. Christians believe that these writings are authoritative because of their direct connection to Christ. 

Next, the letters were also written by Apostles or individuals within the Apostles’ circle. Rather than being seen as just letters, these writings circulated within the church and were used for teaching and instruction.

That being said, some of the standards for canonicity include…

1. Apostolicity – whether or not it can be connected to an apostle
2. Universality – if it is used and respected in all Christian churches
3. Orthodoxy – if it lines up with the teachings of Jesus and the apostles
4. Inspiration – if it is considered by the Christian community to be inspired by God

Related: 5 Must-Have Bible Study Resources for Beginners

How was the Bible put together?

In AD 90, the Council of Jamnia used the above criteria to confirm the already established Hebrew Canon. Now, I know this may raise some questions. How do we know that the council was correct in their confirmation? Well, we have evidence from earlier sources that the canon confirmed at Jamnia was in fact the same canon considered authoritative prior to the council. 

Josephus, the Jewish historian who lived around the time of Christ, mentions that the Hebrew Bible contained 22 books. This is the same number of books we have today in the Hebrew Bible.¹

In Luke 24:44, Jesus mentions the division between the Law, Prophets, and the Writings. This means that before Jamnia, the Jews knew of these divisions. 

Finally, the prologue to the deuterocanonical book Ecclesiasticus also mentions a tripartite canon. 

Missing books in the Bible? What should we do with the deuterocanonical books?

The word deuterocanonical means second canon. Another name for the deuterocanonical books is Apocrypha. A lot of Christians get nervous when they hear the word Apocrypha. However, the books of the Apocrypha are not “bad” or problematic. Though this is the case, they are also not scripture. 

The Deuterocanonical books were written in the intertestamental period, or the time between the closing of the Hebrew Scriptures and the beginning of the New Testament. As I mentioned before, these writings were not considered to be inspired. We know this because they contain theology that contradicts the Torah, they have historical errors, and the books themselves argue that they were not inspired (see 1 Maccabees 9:27 and 2 Baruch 85:3). Instead of viewing these books as scripture, we may use them devotionally or we may use them to help us better understand the New Testament writings (some of the New Testament authors quote or allude to the Apocrypha). 

Related: 5 Important Questions to Ask As You Study The Bible

Why does the Catholic Bible include the Apocrypha?

You may know that protestant bibles do not include the Apocrypha. If so, why do the Catholic Bibles include these books? First, they include these books because they were included in the Septuagint.² These books were originally kept with inspired scripture until they were later separated from protestant Bibles. 

We know that the Jews did not consider these books as inspired and while Catholic and Orthodox groups see them as important, they do not view them as scripture. 

Is the Biblical canon open or closed?

The Biblical canon is closed. In AD 170, the Muratorian Canon accepted most of the New Testament books as canonical. Next, Athanasius published his Festal Letter in AD 367, acknowledging all of the twenty-seven New Testament books without hesitation. Finally, the Council of Carthage met in AD 397 and endorsed Athanasius. This is the same canon that we recognize today.

Why is the canon closed?

Remember that for a work to be considered canonical, it needs to be accepted and widely used among the church. There are no other writings besides the ones we currently consider to be authoritative that are widely used in the church. Next, these writings need to be connected to an apostle in some way. As far as we know, there have been no other writings discovered that closely connect to any apostle. Finally, we don’t know of any other writings considered to be divinely inspired.

There may be other writings that pass the orthodoxy standard but in order for something to be considered canonical, it needs to pass all four standards.

If we go through the criteria for the Hebrew Scriptures, we’ll find that no other writings can pass those standards either.

This is important because there are two Christian cults that claim to have new scripture from God. These are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons. 

However, as enticing as they may seem, these so-called inspired books are not authoritative or inspired by God in any way. 

Related: Why Should We Read the Bible Every Day?

Why should Christians be familiar with the process of canonization? 

Christians should be familiar with the process of canonization so that they know what they are reading and where it came from. Understanding how the Bible was put together helps you gain confidence for Christian living. You know that God is true and so are his words. It’s more plausible to believe that God inspired human words than it is to believe that a book fell from heaven or was dictated by God to a prophet. 

You also begin to realize that the Bible was written within the context of real people. It takes their culture, history, and lives into consideration. When you read something unfamiliar in the Bible, it’s likely because of the cultural distance between our time and the time of the original writers. 

Next, understanding canonization helps you to effectively answer unbelievers’ questions about the inspiration of the Bible. 

Finally, it helps you to address your own questions as well. Christians are not merely following the words of a random ancient book, they are actually following God’s timeless, revealed word.

I hope this article was helpful for you. Feel free to let me know if you have any comments or questions about anything I mentioned in the article.

For Further Reading:

• The Canon of Scripture – FF Bruce
• Chapter 4: The Canon and Translation, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation – Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard

¹ Note: It is 22 and not 39 because in the Hebrew version of the Bible, some books that Christians have separated into two parts are combined and the twelve minor prophets are contained in only one book.  

² The Septuagint is the first translation of the Hebrew Bible. It was translated into Greek in Alexandria, Egypt. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found at Qumran, the Septuagint was found together with the Apocrypha. 

When we think about love, we often think about romantic love between a man and a woman. However, the story of Ruth and Naomi highlights the love, faithfulness, and commitment between daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law. The book of Ruth takes place during the period of the Judges, a time of sin, turmoil, and hardship for Israel. While we often think of the book as a romance between Ruth and Boaz, the story really focuses on Ruth and Naomi. After settling in Moab with her husband and sons, Naomi loses everything and is left with her daughter-in-law, Ruth. We learn a lot about God’s hesed towards his people through Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz who demonstrated incredible faithfulness to God and each other in a time of unfaithfulness and sin in Israel’s history. Keep reading to learn more about God’s hesed love, how it is demonstrated in the book of Ruth, and how we can in turn show this kind of love to others. 

What is Hesed?

Hesed is an interesting word. It does not easily translate into English and is often rendered in different ways in various English translations. For example, the English Standard Version often translates it as favor or steadfast love. On the other hand, the King James Version may translate it as mercy or kindness. 

When we think of God’s hesed, the first word that may come to mind is love. However, hesed is actually a little more specific than the English word love. It can be translated as kindness, loyalty, and goodness. 

One key thing you should know about hesed is that it is much more than a feeling. It carries the idea of commitment, and it sometimes speaks of the undeserved mercy or grace one receives from another. 

For example, in Genesis 39:21, God shows hesed to Joseph and allows the prison guard to act kindly towards him:

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Genesis 39:21 ESV

And in 2 Samuel 9:7, David shows hesed towards Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s grandson in return for Jonathan’s prior kindness to David in protecting him from Saul: 

And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”

2 Samuel 9:7 ESV

Lastly, in 1 Chronicles 16:34, David praises God for his hesed. 

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

1 Chronicles 16:34 ESV

As you can see, God shows hesed to individuals, individuals show hesed towards each other, and God shows hesed towards entire groups of people. 

Naomi and Ruth: What was it like for widows and orphans living in Israel?

Now back to Ruth and Naomi. Earlier I mentioned that Naomi lost everything after moving to Moab with her husband and two sons. They all passed away and she became a widow. Naomi had two daughters-in-law and both were left widows as well. 

After deciding to return to Bethlehem, Naomi urged her daughters-in-law to return to their home. She knew they would be better off if they did. One daughter-in-law returned home but Ruth decided to stay. The two women were incredibly vulnerable as they were both widows living in Israel during the tumultuous period of the Judges. 

In a book looking at the history of Widowhood, Karel Van Der Toorn discusses the underprivileged position of widows in ancient Israel: 

It is true that her underprivileged position elicited commiseration and pity; yet she was also slightly ridiculous. By some people she was not merely mocked at but even abused.

(Karel Van Der Toorn, Between Poverty and the Pyre : Moments in the History of Widowhood, edited by Jan Bremmer, and Den Bosch, Lourens Van, Taylor & Francis Group, 1995.)

The reason why there were so many laws in the Old Testament about helping and supporting widows is because to be a widow in Israel meant that you were without protection and provision. 

Simply put, Naomi and Ruth were walking into an extremely difficult situation. All the men in the family were gone and they were left alone. They had no heir to carry on the family so after they passed away, the family would vanish too. 

However, something really wonderful happens in Ruth and God provides for both of these women in ways that they least expected it. Hint: he did it through the hesed of ordinary people. 

How do we see Hesed in the book of Ruth?

We see God’s hesed on display in the book of Ruth through the loyalty and faithfulness of the individuals in the story. 

Naomi and Ruth

After Naomi urged Ruth and Orpah to return to their homes, this is what Ruth says:

But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Ruth 1:16-17 ESV

I want to make it clear that there was nothing in it for Ruth. In fact, she was walking into a life of potential hardship. There was a famine in Bethlehem-Judah, she was a widow, and she was a foreigner. Not to mention, she was from Moab, and the Israelites and the Moabites didn’t get along very well. 

So what made Ruth decide to stay with Naomi? Hesed. She was committed to her mother-in-law and had no intention of leaving her behind. 

Later on in the book, Naomi shows hesed to Ruth by essentially putting her in the path of her relative, Boaz. As a young widow, Ruth had more of an opportunity to be remarried and have children than Naomi did. Naomi knew that a marriage to Boaz would help Ruth financially and help her have the children she desired (See Ruth 3:1-5).

Boaz and Ruth

Next, Boaz shows great hesed towards Ruth:

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them…

Ruth 2:8-9a ESV

After leaving Moab, Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem right in time for the barley harvest. Ruth ended up gleaning in Boaz’s field. Now, according to the law in Leviticus, landowners were required to leave enough grain for those who were less fortunate (Leviticus 23:22, Leviticus 19:9-10). 

Boaz actually went above and beyond this and instructed his servants to leave extra wheat in the field just so that Ruth could have an abundance of grain! (Ruth 2:15-16)

Why did Boaz show such kindness to Ruth? Because of her kindness to her mother-in-law, Naomi. 

But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

Ruth 2:11-12 ESV

Boaz marries Ruth 

Eventually, Boaz and Ruth get married. It’s not exactly a fairytale marriage. Let me explain why.

There was a practice known as levirate marriage in Ancient Israel. Levirate marriage was a means of providing an heir for a family after a man died without a male child. The man’s brother would marry his widow and their child would become the legal heir of the deceased man. 

There’s another concept known as redemption that we see in Ruth as well. Unfortunately, women could not own property and since all the men in the immediate family had passed away, the land Naomi’s husband owned would have been lost. 

Boaz not only married Ruth, he also acted as her “kinsman-redeemer” and redeemed the inheritance she would have lost. 

As a result, Ruth and Naomi had greater financial stability and potential for an heir to continue the legacy of their family. 

God and Ruth/Naomi

So far in this story, we see many examples of how people have shown hesed to each other. However, I want to point out how God shows hesed towards two marginalized women, Ruth and Naomi.

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son…Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Ruth 4:13, 16-17 ESV

At the end of the story, Ruth gives birth to a son named Obed. Notice the line about the women of the neighborhood. Although Obed was Ruth’s son, they exclaimed that a son was born to Naomi. 

This is significant because an heir provided a lot of protection and security for women. Obed’s birth meant that Naomi would have someone to care for her when she was no longer able to care for herself. Additionally, it meant that the family legacy would not stop even though her sons were gone. The birth of Obed was like a new son being born to Naomi. 

God and Israel… and eventually the whole world

Let’s look at the last few verses of chapter four:

Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

Ruth 4:18-22 ESV

Through two struggling widows — one who was a Gentile and came from a nation Israel despised, God paved the way for Israel to receive a king after his own heart. Obed was an ancestor of king David. 

But beyond this, Obed and David were both ancestors of Jesus, our Messiah and Savior. 

What’s the point? Some takeaways to consider

There are a few key points I want to share from the story of Ruth. It teaches us that…

• God provides for those with nothing
• God cares for the broken and hurting
• God uses ordinary people as a conduit of his blessing 
• God is faithful to do what he says he will do

Now What?

In the book of Ruth, we see God’s faithfulness most clearly through individuals’ kindness towards each other. As I mentioned in the beginning, we often think of love as a romantic connection between two people. However, love is action-based. We are called to love others even when we don’t feel like it and even when there’s nothing in it for ourselves. 

 In closing, I want to leave you with a line from John’s Gospel:

​​By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:35 ESV

Consider showing kindness to someone today. You never know how much they might need it. And you never know how your kindness can help fulfill God’s plan for their life. Let’s be like Ruth, more concerned with how we can support our loved ones than we are about receiving from them. Finally, may our love be more than just words. May it be visible in our actions too.