Page 101 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

CAMON - CANON

consumed to hydrate the animal, the hump shrinks and CANON (a straight rod or rule). Canon refers to
loses solidity until it falls over. It will return to its testing something by a set rule. First used in the 4th
original shape after the animal drinks its fill and has a century A.D., today it is the term commonly used to
rest. The baby camel doesn’t have a hump until it starts describe the books of the Bible which are regarded as
eating solid food. A camel can drink 25-40 gallons of the pure Word of God. This term is used because the
water in about 15 minutes. This shows how diligent books of the Bible were tested, or measured, before
young Rebecca was (Ge. 24:19-20). being accepted as God’s Word and because the books
CAMON (standing place). Ju. 10:5. are themselves the rule by which truth is tested. The
CAMP. (1) An encampment or stopping place for Lord Jesus Christ promised that the Holy Spirit would
travelers (Ex. 14:19). (2) Apostate religion (He. guide the Christians “into all truth” (Jn. 16:7-15). The
13:13-14). epistle of 1 John also promises that the Holy Spirit will
CAMPHIRE. A thorny shrub with fragrant white guide the believers in the truth. It is the Holy Spirit who
taught the sincere Christians to accept the New
flowers (S.S. 1:14; 4:13). Testament Scripture and to reject everything that was
CANA. The location of Christ’s first miracle. erroneous. Our confidence in this matter is not in men,
Mentioned only three times in the Bible (Jn. 2:1,11; but in God who has given us these promises.
4:46; 21:2). [See Jesus Christ, Wine.] O.T. CANON. “The collecting and recognition of the
CANAAN (subjected). The land God gave to Israel. books of the O.T. took considerable time. Some believe
“Canaan” was a son of Ham (Ge. 10:6-19; 1 Ch. 1:8-16; the process was finished by the time of Ezra, in the 5th
Nu. 13:29; Jos. 11:3). Canaan was the father of the century B.C. References by Josephus (A.D. 95) and in 2
Philistines, the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, Esdras 14 (A.D. 100) indicate that the Hebrew
and the Hivites (1 Ch. 1:8-16; De. 20:16-18). The exact Scriptures then contained the same 39 books as our
nature of Ham’s offense is not known, but all of the O.T. ... Most significant, however, is the statement of the
nations which descended from him were idolatrous and Lord (Lk. 11:51) ... when He accused the scribes of
immoral (Le. 20:10-23). “The nations which God being guilty of slaying all the prophets God had sent
destroyed before Israel were descended from Canaan; Israel from the time of Abel to the time of Zacharias.
and so were the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians, Abel’s death is recorded in Genesis; Zacharias’ in 2 Ch.
who were at length subjugated with dreadful 24:20-21, which is the last book in the Hebrew Bible. ...
destruction by the Greeks and Romans. The Africans Jesus was saying that the Jews’ guilt was recorded from
who have been bought and sold like beasts, were also the beginning to the end of the Hebrew Scriptures. He
his posterity” (Treasury). [See Ham, Israel, Japheth, excluded all of the Apocrypha, all of which was in
Noah, Shem.] existence at that time” (Ryrie).
CANDLESTICK. The seven-lamp candlestick was N.T. CANON. There is no exact record in early church
located in the Tabernacle built by Moses (Ex. 25:31-40; history regarding how the N.T. canon was formed. As
He. 9:2). The lamps were to be kept burning day and we have noted, the Lord Jesus Christ had promised that
night (Le. 24:3-4). The candlestick pictures Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit would guide into all truth, and we know
as the Light of the world (Jn. 8:12; 12:35-36). He gives that is exactly what He did—though we do not know all
light to every man (Jn. 1:4-9), and illumines the things of the details of how this transpired. True believers had
of God to those who are born again (1 Co. 2:14-16). the witness of the Spirit to guide them in knowing
The candlestick also depicts the Holy Spirit who is which books were Holy Scripture and which were not.
representing the Lord Jesus in the world today and Gradually all of the 27 N.T. books were collected and
giving spiritual enlightenment to men (Jn. 16:7-15; 1 recognized by God’s saints.
Co. 2:10-12; 1 Jn. 2:20-27). [See Conscience, Creation, In A.D. 367 Athanasius, a well-known defender of
Holy Spirit, Inspiration.] the faith, published a list of Old and New Testament
CANKER. A cancerous, growing sore (2 Ti. 2:17). books which he said were “handed down and believed
The Lord warns that false teaching, unless rooted out to be divine.” This list contained all of the 27 books
and avoided, will spread like a cancer. Error cannot be which are in our N.T. today. By the 4th century, the
ignored; it must be dealt with biblically and canon of Scripture was settled and the inspiration and
aggressively. [See Doctrine, False Teaching, Separation, was not seriously doubted until the modern era. Though
Timothy.] there are indications that a few of the leaders of the
CANKERWORM. A worm which devours vegetation. Protestant Reformation might have expressed private
God used them to judge Israel (Joe. 1:4; 2:25; Nah. reservations as to the authority of certain of the N.T.
3:15-16). epistles, all of the Reformation confessions of faith
CANNEH (set up, distinguished). Eze. 27:23. upheld the 66 books of the Bible as divine Scripture.

Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity 101