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Question 5
Bercot calls it misguided for Christians to appeal to Josephus on the canon because Josephus (writing ~AD 105) was describing what Jews considered “divine” after rejecting the Septuagint and also rejecting Christian writings; what does this reveal about whose testimony we’re willing to treat as an authority, and why might evangelicals feel safer leaning on a Pharisaic source than on the pre-Luther Christian consensus he describes?
Another way to ask: Why does Bercot say it’s a mistake to use Josephus to decide the Bible’s book list? Why might evangelicals feel safer trusting a Pharisee’s view than the older Christian agreement he talks about?

Direct Answer Bercot argues that quoting Josephus as a Christian authority is inconsistent, because Josephus was reporting Pharisaic Jewish views after Christianity emerged and was also implicitly denying Christian writings as “divine.” This reveals that some Protestants may prefer a seemingly “neutral” Jewish witness that supports their canon over the earlier, broad Christian consensus that included the Apocrypha.

Support from Transcript:

  • He calls it “another often repeated objection” that Josephus listed the same 39 books and notes he used to repeat it without reading Josephus.
  • He dates Josephus’ statement: “Against Appian… written until about A.D. 105,” so not describing “the canon in Jesus’ day.”
  • He says it was after the Pharisees “rejected the Septuagint… part of their larger campaign against Christianity” (linking this to earlier claims).
  • Josephus says “22 books… justly believed to be divine,” not 39.
  • Bercot stresses Josephus doesn’t say OT has 22; he says Jews recognize only 22 “to be divine. Period.”
  • He argues Josephus would have known Christian writings, so he’s saying Christian books “were not divine,” and asks: “why on earth would any Christian quote Josephus as our authority on the canon of Scripture?”
Discussion Follow-ups What makes a source feel “safe” to you—agreement with your tradition, or closeness to apostolic Christianity? How do you weigh Protestant habit against Bercot’s appeal to pre-Luther Christian usage?

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