“March By The Same Canon”
Philippians 3
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Not to insult your intelligence but … I’m not talking about the piece of military equipment that hurls death and destruction at the opposing forces. I’m talking about the Canon of Scripture.
My study Bible has a good note on Canonicity:
“The word canon originally meant ‘reed’ (a measuring rule) and came to signify a standard for determining which books were Scripture…. Not all Christian literature of the first century is included in the canon, only that which is inspired. The church at Ephesus was one of the first to collect the books of the New Testament, and it carefully examined them before endorsement (Re. 2:2). As Christians read the Scriptures, they should walk according to their rule.”
Matthew Poole has a good note on Philippians 3:16:
“Let us walk by the same rule: Whether in this metaphorical allusion the apostle borrows his phrase from architects, soldiers, or racers, is not much material.
“Be sure he had an eye to that same rule which was well known to them, and by which he regulated himself, and therefore it was such a canon as really had a Divine stamp upon it, that very canon in exact conformity whereunto God’s Israel might be sure of the best peace. ”
The title of this blog is a fairly accurate expression of verse 16 where it says: “walk by the same rule.” It’s not original with me, but it did strike a chord with me.
The word rule in our passage is the Greek word for canon. I didn’t, for some reason, know that until this morning. The word rule stuck out to me and I thought I’d do some digging. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered it’s the word for canon.
So, why is all this fresh in my head?
Recently I picked up, from the local grocery store’s bookshelf, a NIV Ryrie Study Bible. It is, I believe, an early edition of the NIV — which has had several changes made to it over the various editions which have come out. I scooped it up to leave in my bus and read during my morning break in-between runs.
So now, during my breaks, I’ve been reading in Philippians.
But … it’s frustrating to read how differently, at times, it translates — throughout the whole translation. (I knew this already because I own the 10th Anniversary edition.) It’s different, in part, because it is based upon another family of manuscripts: Alexandrian rather than Antiochian. Most, if not all, modern versions saturating the market use this different family of manuscripts.
We’re talking primarily the New Testament portion of Scripture. However, there is a new “understanding” that believes the manuscripts consistently used for the OT might not be as accurate as thought. And so, we have thrown the OT into the same arena as the NT for reevaluation based upon the “newer and better” manuscripts or discoveries.
I am here to tell you dear brethren … there will be no end to this can of worms, this Pandora’s Box, that has been foisted upon us a far back as the late 1880’s. For one, there’s too much money to be made.
AND SATAN KNOWS THIS.
I’m sure he sits back and laughs because we still haven’t figured out it has been his goal since the Garden to mess with the Word of God. He even tried this tactic on Yeshua. Thank God He’s not as dumb as were are.
With all that said though …
I thank God the American era in which I grew up really only had one Bible. There was no hesitation in holding it up high and proclaiming it to be the Inspired (God-breathed) Inerrant, and Infallible Word of God.
The King James Bible rocked our country and changed, literally, the landscape of the majority of the known world. No new modern version will ever be able hold a candle to it.
My position:
I’m going to stick with the Book that has a proven track record of over 400 years of testing and fruit. Call me simple and naive if you wish but …
It will NEVER be possible for God’s people to “MARCH BY THE SAME CANON” they once rallied around with unquestioning faith like they did with the KJV.
Truly, we haven’t progressed too far from the Garden have we — “Yea, hath God said.” Satan hasn’t even had to change his tactics. He just markets it under a New Version and continues to create doubt in the minds of God’s children.
If you disagree, just think about all I’ve said when you pick up the next revision (s) of the present translation you’re reading.
Have we lost all good common sense …?
I trow so.
(I just checked Wikipedia. It lists 93 English translations of the Bible.)