Jimmy Akin, an expert in the field of canon of Scripture, discusses the challenge of defining the canon and its implications for Protestants. He explores the need for an infallible authority and the fallibility of our knowledge of the canon.
An infallible authority is necessary for certain knowledge about the canon of scripture, which poses a challenge for Protestants who adhere to Sola Scriptura.
The early church relied on apostolic tradition and the living magisterium in addition to scripture, which provided clarity and guidance for questions about the canon.
Deep dives
The Need for an Infallible Authority
In order to claim certain knowledge about the canon of scripture, an infallible authority is necessary. While some Protestants may accept the fallibility of their knowledge, for many it is unsettling. This becomes even more problematic for Protestants who adhere to Sola Scriptura, as the question of what belongs in scripture becomes crucial. Uncertainty about the canon undermines the foundations of Protestant theology.
The Role of Tradition and Magisterium
The undefined nature of the canon for centuries is attributed to the early church's reliance on apostolic tradition and the church's living magisterium in addition to scripture. Tradition and the magisterium provided clarity and guidance for questions regarding the canon. The need for a defined canon emerged later, as Sola Scriptura became prominent and a precise understanding of the canon's boundaries became essential.
1.
A Fallible Canon? The Challenge to the Church's Infallible Settlement of the Canon
DAY 352
CHALLENGE
“We don’t need the Church to infallibly settle the canon of Scripture; we have a fallible collection of infallible books. Further, the Catholic Church didn’t even attempt to define the canon for centuries.”
DEFENSE
There are several responses to this challenge.
First, if you want to claim we have certain knowledge that all the books included in the canon belong there, then you do need an infallible authority. Although some Protestants have been willing to say our knowledge of the canon is fallible (“a fallible collection of infallible books”), many find this prospect …
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