Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger (12 page)

Damasus I, Pope (366–384) and The Council of Rome
(382)

Around the year AD 382, a list of canonical Scriptures was
compiled that contained the Deuterocanon. This list is identical to the canon
held by Catholics
[289]
and is found in a work called
The Decree of [Pope] Damasus
. Some believe
this
Decree
is a papal pronouncement, while others contend that it was
part of a Decree from the local council of Rome that was held in the same year.
It is impossible to prove or disprove either of these propositions. The
Decree
reads:

Likewise, it has been said: Now indeed we must treat
of the divine Scriptures, what the universal Catholic Church accepts and what
she ought to shun. The order of the Old Testament begins here: Genesis, one
book; Exodus, one book; Leviticus, one book; Numbers, one book; Deuteronomy,
one book; Joshua [Son of] Nave, one book; Judges, one book; Ruth, one book;
Kings, four books [i.e., 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings]; Paralipomenon
[Chronicles], two books; Psalms, one book; Solomon, three books: Proverbs, one
book; Ecclesiastes, one book; Canticle of Canticles, one book; likewise Wisdom,
one book; Ecclesiasticus [Sir], one book. Likewise is the order of the Prophets:
Isaias one book, Jeremias one book...lamentations, Ezechiel one book, Daniel
one book,
Osee...Nahum...Habacuc...Sophonias...Aggeus...Zacharias...Malachias....
Likewise the order of the historical [books]: Job, one book; Tobit, one book;
Esdras, two books; Esther, one book; Judith, one book; Maccabees, two books.
[290]

If
The Decree of [Pope] Damasus
is truly the product
of the Council of Rome, then it would represent the first list of Scripture officially
promulgated by such a council.
[291]
  The Anglican scholar, H.H. Howorth notes:

This pronouncement, as we have seen, does not profess
to enunciate any new views on the matter, but merely to declare what the Universal
Church accepted as Divine Scripture…
[292]

Epiphanius (310–403)

During his youth, Epiphanius joined a monastery in Egypt and
later returned to Palestine, where he founded his own monastery. In AD 367, he
became bishop of Constantia or Salamis on the Island of Cyprus where he reigned
as bishop until his death. He traveled frequently to other countries in order
to combat heresy, especially that heresy of Origenism, which, no doubt, won him
the admiration of Jerome.
[293]
Epiphanius’ works are fraught with confusion and inconsistency. He attempts to
cram his voluminous learning into tightly wound treatises that are often
confused and confusing.

His canon of the Old Testament is a good example of this
confusion. Epiphanius undoubtedly held the twenty-two books of the Hebrew canon
to be inspired Scripture, but his thoughts about the Deuterocanon (particularly
Sirach and Wisdom) are inconsistent, ranging from “doubtful, but useful” to “divine
and authoritative Scripture.”

Protestants frequently list Epiphanius as one who rejected
the Deuterocanon because he compiled three canonical lists that more or
less reflect the Protestant canon. Such apologists often ignore the fact that
these lists do not agree with one another—in content or in order. Sometimes the
Book of Baruch and the letter to Jeremiah are included, but at other times,
they are omitted. One such list includes Sirach and Wisdom as part of the “holy
books” [sacrosanct volumina/hierai biblioi], but other lists exclude them.
[294]
These apologists
would also omit a partial list given in
Adversus Haereses
, 76.5 where
Epiphanius writes:

For if thou were begotten of the Holy Ghost, and
taught by the Apostles and Prophets, this should you do: Examine all the sacred
codices from Genesis to the times of Esther, which are twenty-seven books of
the Old Testament, and are enumerated as twenty-two; then the four Holy Gospel…
the Books of Wisdom, that of Solomon, and of the Son of Sirach,
and
in fine all the books of Scripture
[Gk. divine writings].
[295]

Not all of Epiphanius’ lists are based upon the soundest
reasoning. For example, those found in his
On
Weights and Measures
computes the list of Scripture on the basis of an ecstatic contemplation of the
significance of the number twenty-two. According to Epiphanius, there were
twenty-two works of God in the six days of Creation, twenty-two generations
between Adam and Jacob, twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and
twenty-two books in the Old Testament.
[296]

Epiphanius’ usage of the Deuterocanon speaks much more
clearly than any such flight of fancy. He cites the book of Sirach numerous
times and calls it Scripture.
[297]
Usually such quotes are without qualification.
[298]
Elsewhere,
Epiphanius quotes the book of Wisdom, calling it Scripture as well
[299]
and affirming that
the teaching cited has come from the mouth of the Holy Spirit
[300]
  Wisdom is
also quoted amongst other Protocanonical texts, again without qualification.
[301]
Epiphanius cites
Maccabees with the solemn formula, “It is written.”
[302]
He uses the same formula for the
Deuterocanonical sections of Daniel.
[303]
Baruch, in addition to being included in his “canonical”
lists, is cited as coming from the divine Scriptures.
[304]
Baruch is also quoted without any
distinction or qualification.
[305]

Epiphanius’ view on the Old Testament canon is far from
clear. His comments concerning the Deuterocanonical books are mixed and
conflicting. His sojourn in Palestine no doubt put him in contact with the
rabbis’ view on the canon. If he had any doubts concerning Wisdom and Sirach,
they did not prevent him from using them in a scriptural manner. Epiphanius’
conflicting canons serve only to confuse, rather than clarify, what he actually
believed the Deuterocanon to be.

Theodore of Mopsuestia (ca. 350–428)

Theodore became a monk early at the age of eighteen, later
drifted out of and back into the contemplative life more than once. This
inconstancy and his impetuous character, along with a propensity for an overly
literalistic reading of Scripture, eventually led him into theological error.
He is perhaps best known for his espousal of the Nestorian heresy. Theodore’s
writings eventually suffered condemnation at the Second Council of
Constantinople in 533.

The canon of Scripture also suffered under his hand. Theodore
rejected the Letter of James in the New Testament; and in the Old, appears to
have discarded the books of Job, Song of Songs, and Chronicles, along with the
Deuterocanon.
[306]
 

Theodore’s canon is just that—Theodore’s canon. Like Julius
Africanus, it represents the outworking of his own research and reflects his
own private opinion, not that of his contemporaries. As such, it offers us
little more than an historical curiosity. If there is anything useful at all to
be gleaned from it, Theodore’s canon shows that, in some quarters of the church
in Syria, there may possibly have been confusion about the canon in both the
Protocanonical and Deuterocanonical sections of the Old and New Testaments.

John Chrysostom (347–407)

Born in Antioch, Chrysostom was one of two children of a
high-ranking officer in the Syrian army. About the year AD 367, Chrysostom
underwent a spiritual conversion, and through his Bishop Meletius, he studied
Scripture and was eventually baptized. He was ordained a priest and became
renowned for his sermons, hence, receiving the surname Chrysostom
(“golden-mouthed”). In AD 397, John Chrysostom was consecrated bishop of
Constantinople.

Few contest Chrysostom’s acceptance of the Deuterocanon as
Scripture. He uses Tobit in his work
Concerning Statues
.
[307]
  Baruch is
quoted as an authentic portion of Jeremiah.
[308]
The Deuterocanonical sections of Daniel are
included among a series of quotes from Scripture, without qualification.
[309]
Wisdom is quoted as
divine Scripture.
[310]
Although this prominent Father cannot be shown to have used the other disputed
books, he likely accepted them as Scripture along with the rest.

Ambrose of Milan (ca. 340–397)

Born of a Roman Christian family, Ambrose became bishop of
Milan in AD 374. He mastered the Greek language and was an assiduous student of
Scripture and the writings of the Fathers, particularly Origen and Basil.
Ambrose combated and extinguished the Arian heresy in his diocese and defeated
a short-lived pagan uprising in AD 391. Ambrose’s godliness and humility made a
tremendous impact on Augustine of Hippo.

Ambrose’s acceptance of the Deuterocanon as Scripture is
uncontested; his surviving works leave no serious doubt on the subject. For
example, Ambrose uses Baruch as an authentic part of Jeremiah.
[311]
Tobit is held up as
a model of virtue
[312]
and is used as a prophetic book.
[313]
Judith, Jephthah, Isaac, Moses, and Elisha are all held up
as Christian models.
[314]
Ambrose draws parallels between Judith and Rahab as if they both came from the
same sacred text.
[315]
Wisdom is quoted as Scripture
[316]
and is said to contain the words of the Lord.
[317]
Moreover, Wisdom is
quoted with the solemn formula, “It is written.”
[318]
Sirach is called Scripture.
[319]
The Maccabees are used
as examples of godly courage.
[320]
Second Maccabees is also quoted with the solemn formula, “It
is written.” In an interesting passage, Ambrose places the words of 1 Maccabees
on the lips of a Saint.
[321]
The Deuterocanonical Daniel is also quoted as an authentic part of that
prophetic book.
[322]

Mommsen Catalogue (Cheltenham) (ca. 350–359)

In 1885, Theodor Mommsen discovered a manuscript which contained
a list of Scripture. The manuscript was then housed among the Phillipps
Collection at Chelthenham; therefore, it is sometimes referred to as the
“Cheltenham List.” The author is unknown and the manuscript was probably
composed in North Africa during the middle of the fourth century. The list
contains the following Old Testament books: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers,
Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-4 Kings,
[323]
1-2 Chronicles, Solomon, Job, Tobit, Esther,
Judith, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Twelve Minor Prophets, 1-2
Maccabees.

Ellis believes that “Solomon” in this list is a reference to
the books of Wisdom and Sirach.
[324]
If Baruch is included with the Book of Jeremiah (inclusion
was a common practice), then the Cheltenham list reflects the same contents as
that of the councils of Carthage and Hippo.

Rufinus of Aquileia (345–410)

Born in Concordia in Italy, Rufinus studied in the town of
Aquileia, known for its institutions of higher learning. It was at Aquileia
that Rufinus met Jerome and where they formed a strong friendship. When Jerome
left Aquileia, Rufinus traveled to Egypt where he learned Greek and then to
Palestine where he built a monastery on Mount Olivet. For a time, both Jerome
and Rufinus embraced the teaching of Origen of Alexandria. However, after some
of Origen’s less-than-orthodox ideas came under attack, Jerome abandoned and
turned on his former master, but Rufinus remained faithful. Sadly, the two
former friends became bitter enemies.

Protestant apologists often enlist Rufinus as a Father who
“rejected” the Deuterocanon. They appeal to a list that he gives in his
Symbols
of the Apostles
, which reads:

This then is the Holy Ghost, who in the Old Testament
inspired the Law and the Prophets, in the New the Gospels and the Epistles.
Whence also the Apostle says, ‘All Scripture given by inspiration of God is
profitable for instruction.’
And therefore it seems proper in this
place to enumerate, as we have learnt from the tradition of the Fathers, the
books of the New and of the Old Testament,
which, according to the tradition
of our forefathers, are believed to have been inspired by the Holy Ghost, and
have been handed down to the Churches of Christ.... Of the Old Testament,
therefore, first of all there have been handed down five books of Moses,
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy…and Esther.... These comprise
the books of the Old Testament....
These are the books which the Fathers
have comprised within the Canon, and from which they would have us deduce the
proofs of our faith. But it should be known that there are also other books
which our fathers call not ‘Canonical’ but ‘Ecclesiastical:’
that is to say,
Wisdom, called the Wisdom of Solomon, and another Wisdom, called the Wisdom of
the Son of Syrach, which last-mentioned the Latins called by the general title
Ecclesiasticus, designating not the author of the book, but the character of
the writing. To the same class belong the Book of Tobit, and the Book of
Judith, and the Books of the Maccabees…
all of which they would have read in
the Churches, but not appealed to for the confirmation of doctrine
.
The
other writings they have named “Apocrypha.”
These they would not have read
in the Churches. These are the traditions which the Fathers have handed down to
us, which, as I said, I have thought it opportune to set forth in this place,
for the instruction of those who are being taught the first elements of the
Church and of the Faith, that they may know from what fountains of the Word of
God their draughts must be taken.
[325]

Despite the claims of some, Rufinus does not reject the
Deuterocanon, nor does he classify them as apocrypha. Like Athanasius and
Cyril, rather, Rufinus appears to hold a three-fold division of religious
literature, wherein the Deuteros make up a less-ancient, yet still liturgically
valid subdivision of the Old Testament. The nature of this subdivision can be
better discerned today if we examine the way in which Rufinus himself used the
Deuteros. He speaks of Baruch, for example, as the words of the Prophet
Jeremiah.
[326]
He from
quotes Sirach, calling the book both Scripture and “sacred Scripture.”
[327]
Wisdom is said to
contain a prediction made by a prophet.
[328]
Moreover, Rufinus argues in his
Apology
Against Jerome
that the rejection of the disputed portions of Daniel was
tantamount to cutting them out of sacred Scripture.
[329]
He writes: