Chronicles and the Canon in New Testament Times
In this essay, Harris considers the canonical place and position of the book of Chronicles.
In this essay, Harris considers the canonical place and position of the book of Chronicles.
At the end of some Old Testament books there is an indication that the book is followed by another one that continues its history. For example, 2 Chronicles is followed by Ezra. Joshua and Judges form another example. Harris reflects on the significance of this continuity of the historical books.
How was the Old Testament canon formed? Historic Christianity insists that the Old Testament books were written by divine inspiration. The claim here is that the Scriptures are inherently authoritative because God is the origin, and the church merely recognizes this fact. Harris evaluates different theories about how that process of canon formation took place.
The author surveys some of the earlier works of Karl Barth and ends with the Church Dogmatics for Barth's view on personal and general eschatology.
Is the biblical cosmology dated? Is the Bible by all the scientific discoveries now hopelessly outmoded and outdated so that its teaching is untrue and therefore irrelevant? Harris wants to give an honest perspective on how to interpret Scripture, given the questions about its cosmology.
The function and meaning of the word "Sheol" is important in biblical theology. Its relevance for an understanding of passages like 1 Peter 3:20 and Ephesians 4:8 is indicated. Further, a comparison is made with the New Testament's use of "hades." The meaning of Sheol is explored still more by comparing a number of its occurrences in the Old Testament.