Session 1 Reflection Paper “The term canon originally meant “measuring reed” but devoloped the metaphoral meaning “standard” (compare the literal and metaphoraical meanings of a yardstick). As applied to the New Testament, canon refers to those books accepted by the church as the standard that governs Christian belief and conduct.” (Gundry, R. H.) Until this reading I had not heard of the term canon in biblical sense or everyday liture. I can see where the church would use these to have a more accurate recording of historical events.
Prior to this reading I thought the books in the New Testament were captured as accurately as possible. I find it interesting that some of these books were taught together where others were not seen as a set and so therefore, they were written in a different order than that that we are taught in the New Testament (Gundry, R. H.). Nonetheless, whether these books were written in order and approved/published in order, the hands that wrote it were guided by God himself as Peter 1:21 states ""For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011)." It would have been challenging to add every book to the New Testement because some writings confilcited with the teachings of Jesus. We need to believe that use of canons helped to stop people from stating which books they believed should be in the book usingtheir own beleifs. During the times of the New Testement, there was no prophet and direct words from God for over 400 years, which lead to many false beleifs and teachings
This now opens a question in my mind of the accuracy of the Old Testement. Since the canons where not developed until the New Testement are the chapters in the Old Testement. I will still believe that the writtings we have in regards to the Old Testement are true and factual as
