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The Christian Canon |
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| Abraham sacrificing Isaac | The dove returning to Noah | Moses striking the rock |
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| Holy family's flight into Egypt | The feeding of the 5,000 | Mary recognises Jesus |
| There were many documents produced in the long history of the Jewish people. There was no room for all of them to be treated as special: as being part of sacred scripture. So a process of sifting took place where certain documents presented themselves as special, as being shot through by something holy, as being of particular significance, and gradually a Canon appeared. There never was a defining council to make the tricky choices - it just gradually took shape. There were what we would call 'lobby groups' campaigning to have something included or excluded. You can see that the process was not universally agreed if you look at a copy of a Bible translation sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church. There you will find in the Old Testament seven extra books and some additions to two others. If you have a copy of the Apocrypha from a Protestant source you will find sixteen extra books or parts of books. There were even more documents available to early Christians. At least a dozen gospels were composed. Gradually, however, the New Testament Canon emerged as agreed, though not until the fourth century. One or two books in particular were the subject of considerable debate. The process was remarkable but what they produced was even more remarkable. The startling thing about both Canons is the diversity of the material that is included. In the Old Testament many of the stories are told twice, from different perspectives; many stories are clearly the result of weaving two forms of a story together to make a whole. Documents written by different people offer different approaches and different insights. There are, for instance, two creation stories - the six day creation story and the Adam and Eve story. There is no consistent theological thread running through the Psalms, some are sublime - 23, 51, 139 - some are less so - 83, 97, 109. In the New Testament, the difference between John's gospel and the other three is huge. The letters of Paul show changes in his approach between the early letters to the Thessalonians and his last letter to the Romans. The significance of the death of Jesus is explained quite differently in Hebrews, from the way it is explained by Paul. Many people have wished that the Revelation with its strange and violent imagery had not been written let alone included. There is a very strong positive point being made here. Those who allowed the Canon to contain this variety were very wise. They recognised that there is mystery at the heart of our relationship with God. They recognised that we were liable to be tempted to unworthy thoughts and actions, and provided a wonderful range of ideas and situations which would help us give shape and meaning to our beliefs and help to guide us through the tricky business of living Christ-like lives in our very different world. The variety that lies at the heart of the Canon should encourage us to think through our faith carefully along the patterns it has given us and to live graciously with diversity. Ieuan Johnston
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