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

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