Episode 124: The Canon of Scripture (Part 1) & Beware of the Leaven of Pharisees & Sadducees (Part 2)

JOEL 2 GENERATION PODCAST

• DEFINING THE TERMS

Canon – a set of texts (also called "books") which a particular Jewish or

Christian religious community regards as part of the Bible. Greek – “rule”,

“measuring stick”

Urtext - In Biblical studies, the Urtext is the theorized original, uniform text of

the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), preceding both the Septuagint (LXX) and

the Masoretic Text (MT). An original or the earliest version of a text.
Vorlage - A Vorlage (from the German for prototype or template) is a prior

version or manifestation of a text under consideration.

Inspiration – All Scripture is “God-breathed”… (2 Tim 3:16)
Inerrancy – The Bible is without error in its original manuscripts

• Our Protestant “Tradition” - 66 Books in the Bile

39 Old Testament Books

27 New Testament Books

• JEWISH CANONS

Masoretic Text (MT) – Rabbis (descendants of the Pharisees) - the Hebrew Bible numbers the

same books as 24. The Hebrew Bible counts Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles as one book

each, and the 12 minor prophets are one book, and also Ezra and Nehemiah form a single

book. This is the same Canon as the 39 Books in Protestant OTs. No Apocrypha

When? AD110-125 – Rabbinic/Talmudic Judaism
Septuagint (LXX) – 52 OT Books (13 more that the MS), OT Apocrypha, Psalms of Solomon –

When? 250BC – 2nd Temple Judaism
Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel) – Testaments of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Essenes/Qumran Community/Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) - Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs (affirm

Enoch!) – DSS contain fragments of 5 of them (Levi, Judah, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin).

• WHAT ABOUT "THE TESTAMENTS OF THE PATRIARCHS"?

ALL Jews believed that all the patriarchs from Adam to Aaron (37+) were prophets that wrote “Testaments ”.

2nd Century - Rabbis believed they were lost. REJECTED – Why??
1600s – Found in an Armenian Orthodox Bible – REJECTED as “too Christian” (see below)
Essenes / Dead Sea Scrolls - Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs – DSS contain fragments of 5 of them (Levi,

Judah, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin).
**Quoted/referenced by Paul in the NT (1 Thes 2:16, Rom 12:18, 21, 2 Cor 7:10 and Eph 5:6)**
Fragments from 8 other “Testaments” of these were found in the DSS. (Enosh, Enoch, Lamech, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Kohath, Amram)

• Christian "Content" in the "Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs"

-Messiah = Son of God

-Messiah is God incarnate

-Levi’s Priesthood ONLY until Messiah comes

-Levi’s ordinances and sacrifices ONLY until Messiah comes

-Messiah born of a virgin

-Messiah will be worshipped

-Messiah will be sinless
-Messiah would die for our sins to reconcile us to God

-The Levites would crucify Messiah

-Messiah would be resurrected

-Messiah would ascend

-Messiah would create a new priesthood

-Veil of Temple would be torn

-Apostle Paul – called from Jews to Gentiles, his writings = inspired

• CHRISTIAN CANONS

-Muratorian Canon (AD 170) – The Apocalypse of Peter

-Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330) – LXX OT – includes OT Apocrypa & Shepherd of Hermas, Epistle of Barnabas (29 NT Books)

-Codex Alexandrinus (AD 400) – 1st and 2nd Clement

-Protestants - 39 OT Books / 27 NT Books = 66 Books / Martin Luther

-Ethiopian Orthodox – OT Apocrypha + 2 Edras, **Book of Enoch** (only one) – 81 books total (35NT, LXX and Enoch) also “Didache - Teaching of the 12 Apostles”, Book of Jubilees

-Armenian Orthodox – Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs

-Catholics & Orthodox – OT Apocrypha (Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Additions to Daniel & Esther)
-Orthodox – add 1 Edras, 3 Maccabees, Prayer of Manasseh (Russian Orthodox – 2 Edras)

• DISPUTED TEXTS (DISAGREEMENTS)

6 Disputed New Testament Books

1. The Didache (or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles)

2. The Shepherd of Hermas

3. The Apocalypse of Peter,

4. The Epistle of Barnabas and

5. The First Epistle(s) of Clement.

6. The Second Epistle of Clement

* EVERY BOOK THAT HAS EVER BEEN CONSIDERED SCRIPTURAL CANON HAS BEEN LISTED ON THE PAST FEW SLIDES

* NEVER the Gnostic Texts!!! (Gospels, Epistles) - i.e. Gospel of Thomas (2nd Century)

*No Roman Catholic Conspiracies!

• PART 2 – BEWARE OF THE LEAVEN

Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6)

• BACKGROUND of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Essenes

-175BC – Antiochus IV Epiphanes conquered Israel – Seleucid Dynasty. Deposed rightful High Priest (Zadok Priesthood ended) – outlawed Jewish religious rituals (i.e. circumcision), desecrated the Temple (slaughtered a pig), ordered Jews to worship Zeus

-166BC – Maccabean Revolt – successful, cleansed Temple, Hanukkah established! Hasmonean Dynasty began ruling.

-153BC – High Priest, Jonathan the Hasmonean – NOT a Zadokite! Hasmoneans had NO TIES to the line of David – so illegitimate priesthood and rulership (kingship)! Later – King Herod

-110BC – Got Rome to recognize the Hasmonean Kingdom – start conquering surrounding peoples, forcing them (Gentiles) to convert to Judaism (especially Gentiles)

• TWO GROUPS FORMED

1. Pharisees - against this forced practice (Oral Torah – Talmud)
2. Sadducees – Hellenized Jews (follow the government) & Sons of Zadok

• THIRD GROUP - THE ESSENES / QUMRAN COMMUNITY

Beliefs/Practices of the Qumran Community / Essenes
- Separated themselves (1st Century “Remnant”)
- Broader Canon - Dead Sea Scrolls - LXX – Apocrypha, Enoch, Testaments
- Temple leadership corrupt (not from the Sons of Zadok/non-Levitical)
- Government corrupt – not from the line of David (i.e. King Herod).
- Change in the calendar – Pharisees and Sadducees followed the pagan lunar calendar. All Jewish rituals were therefore corrupt/unacceptable.
- Solar Calendar predicted the coming of Messiah between 10BC and 4BC.

- Messiah would be God in the flesh

- Two Comings of ONE Messiah – once to die as an atoning sacrifice for sins, 2nd time to judge the world (Melchizedek Document)

- Messiah would “make the dead live” (Messianic Apocalypse)/Matt. 11:5

-Prophecy continued…(No “Cessationism”) - Matthew 11:13 – “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied UNTIL JOHN”

- Were waiting and ready for the Messiah when He came

• WHAT WAS "THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES"?

Beliefs of the Pharisees
- TWO Messiahs – first one only a man to liberate Israel – NOT for the Gentiles!!!
- Accepted both the Pagan Lunar Calendar and the non-Davidic Priesthood (Feasts? Temple?)
- Cessationists – Prophecy ended (400 silent years – from Malachi?)
- Rejected “Testaments of the Patriarchs”
- Oral Torah (“Tradition”) over and against God’s written word (Talmud)
- 2nd Century Rabbis – Narrowed the Canon, Tampered with the OT Text, radically ANTI-CHRIST

• WHAT WAS "THE LEAVEN OF THE SADDUCEES"?

- Stopped believing in the supernatural (angels, afterlife) – Theological liberals

- Accepted the Pagan Lunar Calendar - Capitulation to culture / compromise
- “Romans 13ers” of the 1st Century - Romans 13:1-2 - Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
- Disappeared in history

• MATTHEW 16:1-12

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So, he left them and departed. 5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

• APPLICATION for the Remnant today

What is today’s “teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees”?

1. Believe the prophets!

2. Don’t capitulate to the political – Critical Race Theory (CRT), Cultural Marxism, "Safe & Effective", "Free & Fair Elections"

3. RE-think your idea of Canon – especially in light of the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS)

4. Essenes (1st Century “Remnant”) = the only ones able to discern the “fake news”

5. Essenes recognized and accepted Jesus as the Messiah

6. The Remnant will be “ready and waiting” for the Messiah when He returns