STUDY GUIDE FOR ADDITIONAL READING ASSIGNMENT 4

The Canon of the Old and New Testaments Ascertained, Archibald Alexander

Sections 3-5

Pages 36-83

REVIEW QUESTIONS

Section 3

1. At what council did the Roman Catholic Church add the Apocryphal books to the list of canonical books?

2.  Were the Apocryphal books included in some ancient versions of the Hebrew Old Testament?

3. According to Alexander, did Christ and the apostles ever quote from the Apocryphal books?

Section 4

1. What did the Council of Laodicea declare about the reading of the Apocryphal books?

2. What was the view of Jerome, the translator of the Latin Vulgate, regarding the Apocryphal books?

3.  What was Augustine's view of the Apocryphal books?

4. What was the view of Thomas Aquinas regarding the Apocryphal books?

Section 5

1.  According to Alexander, are the stories in Apocryphal books reliable?

2. What name did the Jews give to Malachi that would indicate that inspiration ceased with his book until the time of John the Baptist?

3. Were any of the Apocryphal books written by prophets?

4. How does Alexander answer the argument that the Greek Bibles used by the early church fathers contained the Apocryphal books?

5.  Were the Apocryphal books ever read in the ancient churches?

6. What does Alexander argue about how it would affect the Roman Catholic doctrine of the infallibility of the popes and councils of the Church if the Apocrypha is shown to be non-canonical?