(Edited)
Because I’m interested to understand the protestant position I’d only want to know if you can clarify us where and when was established the canon of Scriptures that protestants believe.
If you can, also tell us approximate period of time (century or better decade, year, date), and the concrete person or the community who established this canon.
Note that I’m not denying the possibility that protestants had received the assistance of the Holy Spirit to determine the Bible canon. I only want to know when and whom.
A greeting.
It’s clear that as late as the first century, the OT canon was recognized as Inspired Scripture, since the apostle Paul states “ALL Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) which in context of that particular passage Paul was referring to the OT Scriptures. Of course, we also have to take into consideration that Paul is saying that
Scripture is Inspired, or God-breathed. Earlier, in his first epistle to Timothy, Paul quoted Luke 10:7 & referred to it as Scripture, so we know from Paul that Luke’s Gospel is God-breathed Scripture as well. We also know from Peter’s epistle that that ALL of Paul’s epistles are God-breathed, because Peter refers to them as Scripture as well. We also know that Luke wrote Acts which is simply a continuation of Luke’s Gospel that records the history of the apostles & the early Church, so we know that is God-breathed Scripture also. We also know from Luke 1:1-4 that much of his God-breathed Scripture was from other sources. When we examine the synoptic Gospels (Matthew & Mark), much of what is written in Luke is also in Matthew & Mark, which was written prior to Luke’s Gospel. Revelation is self-authoritative Inspiration from Jesus Himself (Revelation 1:1,19). As far as the rest of the NT epistles, they have the exact same godly criteria found in the recognized Inspired Scriptures of both the OT & NT (inerrancy, lack of contradictions, etc) that aren’t found in any other religious or secular text. This is why Catholics, Protestants, & Greek Orthodox all agree on the same 27 books of the NT canon.
As far as the OT canon, unfortunately, because the Greek Septugint was a translation of the OT Hebrew/Aramaic Scriptures, as well as the 7 Apocrypha (ie: “deuterocanonical” books) plus the “additions” to Daniel & Esther, it is “assumed” that because the NT writers quoted from the Septuagint, that that somehow “proves” that the “DC’s” & “additions” are God-breathed as well. However, when we hear from our Lord Jesus Himself, when he refers to the OT Scriptures in Luke 24:44-45, He refers to them as “the Law…and the Prophets…
AND the Psalms.”) Jesus divides the OT Hebrew/Aramaic Scriptures into the THREE-fold “division” because the Psalms was the first OT book listed in this THIRD division of the OT called the “Ketuvim” (“the Writings” - which is why Jesus refers to this THIRD division as "all the Scriptures (or “Writings”) earlier in Luke Ch.24) at “The Great Synagogue” under the leadership of Ezra around 400 B.C., which
closed the OT canon long before the 7 Apocrypha books & “additions” to Esther & Daniel were ever written. Also, as CA Jimmy Akin points out, the OT Scriptures the Pharisees recognized were the Hebrew/Aramaic Scriptures, not the 7 “D/C”/Apocrpyha writings. This is significant because whenever Jesus corrected the Pharisees, He corrected them using their own Scriptures, by quoting them “As it is
written” & “Have you not
read?”, but not the 7 “D/C”/Apocrypha. So, when Paul states "ALL Scripture is Inspired (“GOD-breathed”)(2 Timothy 3:16), he’s referring the Hebrew/Aramaic Scriptures, not the 7 Apocrypha nor the “additions” to Daniel & Esther. You also have to consider when Protestants are accused of “removing” these writings from the Catholic OT because they were in the Septuagint, it also has to be noted that the Catholic church did the SAME THING, because there were
other books in the Septugint that “also” didn’t make the Catholic OT canon as well. But most Catholics don’t hear about that.
Also, the reason they aren’t Inspired, is because unlike the Hebrew/Aramaic OT Scriptures & the NT Greek Scriptures, the 7 Apocrypha & “additions” to Daniel & Esther contain historical and/or theological errors & contradictions that conflict with previous & later Inspired Scripture. So, the comments you hear about why Luther wanted them removed & why St. Jerome didn’t consider them Inspired isn’t the “actual” reason why they aren’t Inspired. And the strawman arguments like “their pastors don’t believe they are so ‘they’ don’t believe they are” are utter nonsense. If you want to know the “real” reason they aren’t, ask a Protestant, not a Catholic who “thinks” they “know” why Protestants don’t. You’ll more than likely not get an accurate answer - just their unfounded “opinion.”
Hope this helps. God bless!
