Lutheran Essentials meets in the undercroft of the church on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. You can reach the undercroft by going around to the back parking lot of the church and descending the staircase to the kitchen. Knock on the door if it is closed and some one will let you in. Our current study is on the Canon of Scripture. The book we are using is F. F. Bruce’s “The Canon of Scripture”. If you do not have a copy we are providing them for free. We are also continuing to provide the Book of Concord for free.
The Psalm for this session is Psalm 14. The Small Catechism lesson is the Seventh Commandment.
This week we will begin wrapping up our study on the canon with the twenty first chapter Conclusion: Criteria for Canonicity. We will read the section on the Tests in the Apostolic Age (pg. 255-256) wherein we will discuss how Christ and the apostles saw and authenticated canon. We will then read the section Apostolic Authority (pg. 256-259) and talk about how apostolic authority impacts the canon. We will then read the section Antiquity (pg. 259-260) and discuss how the age of a document impacts its canonicity. We will read the section Orthodoxy (pg. 260-261) and discuss how the orthodoxy of a text impacts its position in canon. We will read the section Catholicity (pg. 261-262) and Traditional Use (pg. 262-263) and talk about how acceptance by the church impacts a text’s canonicity. We will then read the section Inspiration (pg. 263-268) and discuss the topic of inspiration in the light of the canon. Finally we will read the section on Other Issues (pg. 268-269) and talk about the standing of books that did not make it into canon. We will finish this chapter by singing the hymn “The Church’s One Foundation” (LSB 644).
As always new people are always welcome to this study at any point during the class. Please talk to the Pastor, Elders or Paul Edmon if you have any questions.
