The Canon of the New Testament: How and When Formed

by Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield

Publisher:

American Sunday-School Union

, 1892

Overview

The Bible is comprised of a collection of books given by God to be the authoritative rule of faith and practice. But where did these books come from? And why does the church elevate the Bible above other books and above other forms of divine revelation? In The Canon of the New Testament: How and When Formed, B. B. Warfield outlines the long and winding process which produced the New Testament canon, including the paradoxical relationship between divine inspiration and human authorship, as well as the process by which the church recognized some books as authoritative and others not. Most importantly, Warfield explains why the New Testament contains the most theologically and historically reliable source of divine revelation.

Product Details

• Title: The Canon of the New Testament: How and When Formed
• Author: B. B. Warfield
• Publisher: The American Sunday School Union
• Publication Date: 1892
• Pages: 12

About Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield

Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield was born in 1851 in Lexington, Kentucky. He studied mathematics and science at Princeton University and graduated in 1871. In 1873, he decided to enroll at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he was taught by Charles Hodge. He graduated from seminary in 1876, and was married shortly thereafter. He traveled to Germany later that year to study under Franz Delitazsch.

After returning to America, Warfield taught at Western Theological Seminary (now Pittsburgh Theological Seminary). In 1881, Warfield co-wrote an article with A. A. Hodge on the inspiration of Scripture—a subject which dominated his scholarly pursuits throughout the remainder of his lifetime. When A. A. Hodge died in 1887, Warfield became professor of Theology at Princeton, where he taught from 1887–1921. History remembers Warfield as one of the last great Princeton Theologians prior to the seminary’s re-organization and the split in the Presbyterian Church. B. B. Warfield died in 1921.

Sample Pages from the Print Edition

Contents

Top Highlights

“The Christian church thus was never without a ‘Bible’ or a ‘canon.’” (Page 4)

“The principle of canonicity was not apostolic authorship, but imposition by the apostles as ‘law.’” (Page 11)

“the earliest churches, the ‘Scriptures’ were not a closed but an increasing ‘canon.’” (Page 5)

“a collection of books given of God to be the authoritative rule of faith and practice” (Page 3)

“from the time of Irenæus down, the church at large had the whole Canon as we now possess it” (Page 10)

Product Details

• Title: The Canon of the New Testament: How and When Formed
• Author: Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield
• Publisher: American Sunday-School Union
• Print Publication Date: 1892
• Logos Release Date: 2008
• Era: era:modern
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. › Canon
• Resource ID: LLS:CANNTWARFIELD
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-01-25T21:45:05Z

About Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield

B. B. Warfield (1851–1921) was a prolific writer, accomplished scholar, and ranks as one of America’s greatest theologians. After studying mathematics and science at Princeton University, he enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1873, where he was taught by Charles Hodge, in order to train for ministry as a Presbyterian minister. He later returned to America and taught at Western Theological Seminary (now Pittsburgh Theological Seminary).

In 1881, Benjamin B. Warfield co-wrote an article with A. A. Hodge on the inspiration of Scripture—a subject which dominated his scholarly pursuits throughout the remainder of his lifetime. When A. A. Hodge died in 1887, Warfield became a professor of theology at Princeton, where he taught from 1887 until 1921.

History remembers Warfield as one of the last great Princeton Theologians prior to the seminary’s re-organization and the split in the Presbyterian Church.

Warfield is known as one of Reformed theology’s most ardent defenders. The foundation to Warfield’s theology was his adherence to Calvinism as supported by the Westminster Confession of Faith and much of his writings are centered on this.

He has authored many books in his lifetime, including The Atonement and Modern Thought in the Classic Studies on the Atonement collection, Westminster Doctrine anent Holy Scripture: Tractates by A. A. Hodge and B. B. Warfield, and the titles included in the B. B. Warfield Collection.