Who compiled the 73 books of the Bible?

[djbkjdla]

I am wondering why the particular 73 books found in the Bible were the ones chosen to be in the Bible? Also, who found them all and how did they go about compiling this book?

I teach a 7th/8th grade Catholic formation class and I had one of my 7th graders ask these very questions. Can anyone help??

Thanks!

 

[kms123]

newadvent.org/cathen/02543a.htm

The full answer I read recently but have to find that site. This is a start.

 

[kms123]

newadvent.org/cathen/15367a.htm

Which version?

 

[kms123]

I am wondering why the particular 73 books found in the Bible were the ones chosen to be in the Bible? Also, who found them all and how did they go about compiling this book?

I teach a 7th/8th grade Catholic formation class and I had one of my 7th graders ask these very questions. Can anyone help??

Thanks!

 

[MarcoPolo]

I am wondering why the particular 73 books found in the Bible were the ones chosen to be in the Bible? Also, who found them all and how did they go about compiling this book?

I teach a 7th/8th grade Catholic formation class and I had one of my 7th graders ask these very questions. Can anyone help??

Thanks!

If you have time to research it, I highly recommend Gary Michuta’s book “Why Catholic Bibles are Bigger”. But the short answer is the Early Church in it’s councils. I also bet Jimmy Akin has an article on his blog covering this.

 

[NotWorthy]

For the “Cliff Notes” version:

When the council of Hippo met in the 390’s AD, they had around 110 books to consider for the NT Canon. Some of them had been widely considered earlier in the Church’s life - Shepherd of Hermes, St. Clement’s letter to the Corinthians, and various others. Some of the books had not been considered inspired earlier on - the Letter to the Hebrews, Peter’s Epistles, Revelation, etc.

But the local councils of Hippo (circa 393AD) and Carthage (397AD) settled on the Canon that we use today. Pope Innocent in the early 400’s (407?) approved of these decisions.

The OT Canon followed the Greek Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (called the Septuagint) for the most part. There may have been 5 or 6 books in the Septuagint that did not make it into our Canon (3 and 4 Maccabees, a couple of Esdra’s books, and a few more), but the rest of the books were considered part of our OT Canon.

Although there were a few exceptions, Catholics everywhere accepted these Canons as the official Canon. The most notable exception being St. Jerome, who was charged with translations the Greek Scriptures into Latin. Jerome acquiesced to the Pope decision and followed the Church’s Canon for his Latin Vulgate.

That was the Canon that the Church used, although it wasn’t binding, for the next 1100 or so years. Then the Reformation stirred up the Canon controversy, causing the Council of Trent to officially declare that the very same Canons that Hippo and Carthage settled on would be the Catholic Canon. There were no additions to the previous Canons accepted by the Church, as some people may have claimed.

 

[Genesis315]

What NotWorthy said. But don’t forget the local synod of Rome under Pope St. Damasus I in the 300s which also laid down the current canon.

 

[NotWorthy]

What NotWorthy said. But don’t forget the local synod of Rome under Pope St. Damasus I in the 300s which also laid down the current canon.

True, but I rarely hear mention of that synod. I wonder why.

And while it’s on my mind, what’s the difference between a local synod and a local council. Does a synod involve the laity whereas a council doesn’t?

 

[kms123]

I am wondering why the particular 73 books found in the Bible were the ones chosen to be in the Bible? Also, who found them all and how did they go about compiling this book?

I teach a 7th/8th grade Catholic formation class and I had one of my 7th graders ask these very questions. Can anyone help??

Thanks!

Make an assignment out of this.
Maybe they could all research the topic then discuss their findings. They will probably learn other things doing the research.

 

[mercygate]

What everyone else said, but the original question seems to imply that the books were “found” as if they might have been hidden. They were never “lost.”

 

[Mannyfit75]

The Church.

 

[kms123]

The Church.

Of course, the first christians, the Catholic Church, gathered over time.

Even the non-catholic christians know this.

 

[Digitonomy]

Make an assignment out of this.
Maybe they could all research the topic then discuss their findings. They will probably learn other things doing the research.

I think most 7th and 8th graders are not mature enough to delve on their own into a confusing issue like this which has the potential to undermine their faith.

 

[NotWorthy]

I think most 7th and 8th graders are not mature enough to delve on their own into a confusing issue like this which has the potential to undermine their faith.

Especially, ESPECIALLY if they use google to begin their research.

 

[Janet_S]

I am wondering why the particular 73 books found in the Bible were the ones chosen to be in the Bible?

To add to what was written already, we believe the 73 books in our Bible were the books handed on by Christ’s apostles to the Church as part of God’s divine revelation to be read in the liturgy as sacred Scripture.

There have been times throughout Church history when the inspiration of certain books has come into question. At these times, the Magisterium of the Church (guided by the Holy Spirit) would come together and make a decision about the canon of Scripture. The Major Church Pronouncements on the Bible can be found here:
catholicapologetics.org/ap031100.htm

Point out to your students the example set in Acts 15 when the Apostolic Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, settled the first major controversy in the Church. The same method the Apostles used then is still used today and was used to settle the canonicity of Scripture. The Holy Spirit revealed the inspiration of the books of the Bible through the direction of the Magisterium of the Church–the bishops in union with the bishop of Rome.

You might find this online book helpful:
Where We Got the Bible: Our Debt to the Catholic Church
by The Right Rev. HENRY G. GRAHAM,
catholicapologetics.info/…ism/wbible.htm

The Vatican II document, *Dei Verbum: *, explains how we received God’s divine revelation: vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html

The Old Testament: The plan of salvation foretold by the sacred authors, recounted and explained by them, is found as the true word of God in the books of the Old Testament: these books, therefore, written under divine inspiration, remain permanently valuable

.

The New Testament: 18. It is common knowledge that among all the Scriptures, even those of the New Testament, the Gospels have a special preeminence, and rightly so, for they are the principal witness for the life and teaching of the incarnate Word, our savior.

The Church has always and everywhere held and continues to hold that the four Gospels are of apostolic origin. . .

The sacred authors wrote the four Gospels, selecting some things from the many which had been handed on by word of mouth or in writing, reducing some of them to a synthesis, explaining some things in view of the situation of their churches and preserving the form of proclamation but always in such fashion that they told us the honest truth about Jesus.(4) For their intention in writing was that either from their own memory and recollections, or from the witness of those who “themselves from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word” we might know “the truth” concerning those matters about which we have been instructed (see Luke 1:2-4).

1. Besides the four Gospels, the canon of the New Testament also contains the epistles of St. Paul and other apostolic writings, composed under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, by which, according to the wise plan of God, those matters which concern Christ the Lord are confirmed, His true teaching is more and more fully stated, the saving power of the divine work of Christ is preached, the story is told of the beginnings of the Church and its marvelous growth, and its glorious fulfillment is foretold.

For the Lord Jesus was with His apostles as He had promised (see Matt. 28:20) and sent them the advocate Spirit who would lead them into the fullness of truth (see John 16:13)…

SACRED SCRIPTURE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

1. The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table both of God’s word and of Christ’s body. She has always maintained them, and continues to do so, together with sacred tradition, as the supreme rule of faith, since, as inspired by God and committed once and for all to writing, they impart the word of God Himself without change, and make the voice of the Holy Spirit resound in the words of the prophets and Apostles.

Also, you can read the articles about the NT and OT canon in the Catholic Encyclopedia:
newadvent.org/cathen/03267a.htm
newadvent.org/cathen/03274a.htm

 

[djbkjdla]

Well everyone who responded,

Thanks so much for the answers you gave. I now have lots of information to share and the student is ecstatic that I received some answers. We will be going over it this week in class so thanks again for all your help and info.

God bless