聖經正典TheCannon Of Scripture

作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 译者: 姚錦榮

摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the Christian Faith》P15 ,更新傳道會出版

按我們一般的概念，聖經是厚厚的一本書，但事實上它是一個包含六十六部獨立作品的小業書。這些獨立書卷被放在一起，形成我們今天所稱的聖經正典（canon）。正典一詞從希臘文而來，含有「量度的竿」、「標準」和「規範」之意。在歷史上，聖經一直是教會信仰和行事的最高權威。

就新約聖經應該包含什麼書卷來說，羅馬天主教和基督教所持的觀點頗為一致，但兩者對舊約聖經應該包含哪些書卷，看法卻截然不同。羅馬天主教接受旁經為正典，但基督教有史以來就不同意這一點（旁經是在舊約與新約聖經之間寫成的書卷）。旁經之所以引起爭論，是源於一個更廣的爭論，就是猶太社區究竟以什麼為他們的正典。旁經末被列入巴勒斯坦的猶太人正典之中，其證據是很充足的。但另一方面，住在埃及的猶太人似乎把旁經列入其希臘文譯本的亞力山大正典中。但最新的證據又顯示這事也有疑點。

有些經文批判學家認為，教會直到第五世紀初，才有一本聖經，其實這是扭曲了正典形成的過程。在最初幾個世紀，教會曾舉行過好幾次會議，平息有關哪些書卷應該納入正典的爭論。第一個新約正典的書目是因為異端分子馬吉安而提出的，他自己編了一個修訂版聖經。教會面對這個異端，不得不正式公布新約書卷的正確目標。

雖然現有的新約書卷其中大多數從成書以來，已明確具有正典的權威性，但還是有幾卷在應否列入正典上引人年議，即希伯來書、雅各書、彼得後書、約翰貳書、約翰叄書、猶大書和啟示錄。

此外也有幾本爭取成為正典的書卷未被納入，這些大多數都是第二世紀諾斯底異端的作品，本來就沒有被人嚴謹地考慮過要列為正典（有些批判學家指稱，這二十七卷是從二千多本候選書目中挑出來的，他們問道：「能夠選出正確的二十七卷書其機會有多大？」但他們顯然忽略了此點）。事實上，只有兩三本沒有被列入正典的教父著作，是曾被人認真考慮過要納入正典的，即革利免一書、黑馬牧人書及十二使徒遺訓。這幾本書未被列入正典的原因，是因為它們非使徒所寫，而且這些書的作者也坦言，他們的權威次於使徒。

有些基督徒對聖經必須在歷史上經過節選感到困擾，他們問道：「我們怎麼知道正典的書目是正確的呢？」傳統羅馬天主教神學訴諸教會絕對無誤的權威，他們視教會為一個創立正典的團體，因此教會擁有聖經同等的權威，但正統基督教並不接受教會絕對無誤之說，他們也不認為正典是教會創立的。羅馬天主教和基督教在不同觀點綜合如下：

羅馬天主教的看法：視正典為絕對無誤的，節選正典的過程也是絕對無誤的正統基督教的看法：未視節選正典的過程為絕對無誤的，但視正典為絕對無誤的。自由派批判學家的看法：視正典的過程都不是絕對無誤的。

基督教相信，神雖然給予特別的照管，以確保列入正典的書卷都是正確的，但祂並沒有就因此視教會為絕對無誤的團體。基督教並不認同羅馬天主教的說法，視正典為教會所創立的。教會只是認明、確定、接受和服從聖經正典而已，教會在議會中對正典所便教會在議會中對正典所使用的字眼是recipimus, 即「我們接受」之意。

這些新約經卷是按何標準取舍的呢？所謂正典的標記，應該包括以下各點：

1. 正典必須是使徒所作，或是由使徒授權寫的。

2. 正典必須是初期教會一開始時便被認定是具有權威性的。

3. 正典的內容必須纊那些無可置疑的書卷之內容和諧一致。

雖然馬丁路德曾一度懷疑過雅各書的正典地位，但他後來也改變了自己的想法。目前新約聖經中的各書卷，沒有一本的正典地位是需要置疑的。

總結

1. 正典一詞是從希臘文而來，有「量度的竿」、「標準」和「規範」之意。正典一詞是用來形容教會所公認的一系列有權威的書卷，視之為神聖的書卷,和信徒信仰和行事的「依據」。

2. 羅馬天主教在基督教所接受的六十六卷經卷外，也接受旁經為權威性的經文。

3. 為了對抗異端，教會發現，有必要宣告哪些經卷是已被承認為有權威的。

4. 正典中有幾卷書備受爭議，即希伯來書、雅各書、彼得後書、約翰貳書、約翰叄書、猶大書和啟示錄； 而今未被納入正典，卻曾一度在考慮之列的書卷有革利免一書、黑馬牧人書及十二使徒遺訓。

5. 教會並非創立正典，只是說明那些帶正典標記，因此在教會中被視為權威性的書卷。

6. 正典的標記包含：（1）為使徒所寫或由他們授權所寫的；（2）在初期教會中已被認明為權威性的著作；及（3）內容必須與那些無可置疑的書卷內容和諧一致。

思考經文：

路廿四44-45；林前十五3-8；提后三16-17；彼后一19-21；彼后三14-16

The Canon of Scripture

We usually think of the Bible as one large book. In reality, it is a small library of sixty-six individual books. Together these books comprise what we call the canon of sacred Scripture. The term canon is derived from a Greek word that means "measuring rod," "standard," or "norm." Historically, the Bible has been the authoritative rule for faith and practice in the church.

With respect to the books included in the New Testament, there is complete agreement between Roman Catholics and Protestants. However, there is strong disagreement between the two groups concerning what should be included in the Old Testament. Roman Catholics consider the books of the Apocrypha as canonical, whereas historic Protestantism does not. (The books of the Apocrypha were written after the Old Testament was completed and before the New Testament was begun.) The debate concerning the Apocrypha focuses on the broader issue of what was considered canonical by the Jewish community. There is strong evidence that the Apocrypha was not included in the Palestinian canon of the Jews. On the other hand, it seems that Jews living in Egypt may have included the Apocrypha (in its Greek translation) in their Alexandrian canon. Recent evidence has surfaced, however, which casts some doubt upon that.

Some critics of the Bible argue that the church didn't have a Bible as such until almost the beginning of the fifth century. But this is a distortion of the whole process of canonical development. The church met in council on several occasions in the early centuries to settle disputes about which books properly belong in the Canon. The first formal canon of the New Testament was created by the heretic Marcion who produced his own expurgated version of the Bible. To combat this heretic, the church found it necessary to declare the exact content of the New Testament.

Although the vast majority of books that are now included in the New Testament clearly functioned with canonical authority from the time they were written, there were a few books whose inclusion in the New Testament canon was disputed. These included Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2and 3 John, Jude, and Revelation.

There were also several books vying for canonical status that were not included. The overwhelming majority of these were spurious works written by second-century Gnostic heretics. These books were never given serious consideration. (This point is missed by critics who allege that over two thousand contenders yielded a list of twenty-seven. Then they ask, "What are the odds that the correct twenty-seven were selected?") In fact, only two or three books that were not included ever had real consideration. These were 1 Clement, The Shepherd of Hermas, and The Didache. These books were not included in the canon of Scripture because they were not written by apostles, and the writers themselves acknowledged that their authority was subordinate to the apostles.

Some Christians are bothered by the fact that there was a historical selection process at all. They are nagged by the question, how do we know that the New Testament canon includes the proper books? Traditional Roman Catholic theology answers this question by appealing to the infallibility of the church. The church is then viewed as "creating" the Canon, thereby having authority equal to Scripture itself. Classical Protestantism denies both that the church is infallible and that the church "created" the Canon. The difference between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism may be summarized as follows:

Roman Catholic view: The Canon is an infallible collection of infallible books. Classical Protestant view: The Canon is a fallible collection of infallible books. Liberal Critical view: The Canon is a fallible collection of fallible books.

Though Protestants believe that God gave special providential care to insure that the proper books be included, He did not thereby render the church itself infallible. Protestants also remind Roman Catholics that the church did not "create" the Canon. The church recognized, acknowledged, received, and submitted to the canon of Scripture. The term the church used in Council was recipimus, "We receive."

By what criteria were books evaluated? The so-called marks of canonicity included the following:

1.         They must have apostolic authorship or endorsement.

2.         They must be received as authoritative by the early church.

3.         They must be in harmony with the books about which there is no doubt.

Though at one stage in his life Martin Luther questioned the canonicity of James, he later changed his mind. There is no serious reason to be the least bit doubtful that the books presently included in the New Testament canon are the proper ones.

1.         The term canon is derived from Greek, and it means "norm" or "standard." Canon is used to describe the authoritative list of books that the church acknowledged as sacred Scripture and thus the "rule" for faith and practice.

2.         In addition to the sixty-six books of the Bible accepted by Protestants, Roman Catholics also accept the Apocrypha as authoritative Scripture.

3.         To combat heresy, the church found it necessary to declare which books had been recognized as authoritative.

4.         There were a few books in the Canon that were a matter of dispute (Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude, and Revelation) and some books that were considered for inclusion that were not admitted to the Canon, including 1 Clement, The Shepherd of Hermas, and The Didache.

5.         The church did not create the Canon but merely recognized the books that bore the marks of canonicity and were therefore authoritative within the church.

6.         The marks of canonicity included: (1) apostolic authorship or endorsement, (2) being recognized as authoritative within the early church, and (3) being in harmony with the books that were undoubtedly part of the Canon.