Contrary to
popular belief, the New Testament canon was not decided by committee, by vote, or by a Roman
Catholic proclamation. It was a far more organic process reflecting the recognition
and acceptance of the books. The accepted books were either directly from
the Apostles or written under their authority (e.g., Mark and Luke), conformed to other Scripture, and received widespread acceptance by the church.
Key to understanding this process is that 1) God sovereignly works through history, 2) Scripture is self-authenticating (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:21), which 3) enables believers with the Holy Spirit to discern (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians
2:12–14). Because of this, we can be confident that no books were mistakenly
excluded or included.
By the end of the
second century, canonical book lists were already being recorded, with most of
the ones we have today already recognized. Some, such as 2 Peter and 3 John, were
debated into the fourth century, reflecting believers’ desire to keep only what was true by cautiously vetting lesser-known books.
Of note is that books
we recognize today as non-biblical (e.g., Shepherd of Hermas) and heretical
(e.g., Gospel of Thomas) were already recognized as such in the second century—they were never considered for inclusion.
Because God
preserved His Word, Christians today do not need to worry about the canon they
have. It is complete and sufficient for life and godliness (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
For the last 200
years, much scholarship has attacked Scripture’s foundation, portraying it as merely the
product of human councils and strong-arm decisions. In that way, it is suggested
that the canon is the suppression of other versions of Christianity in favor of
one particular version.
However, that’s a
distorted view of history. Upon examination, we see a clear chain of authorship,
receipt, and distribution of the inspired books. What was written in the first
century was compared with the Old Testament and verified to be a true extension
of it. They were written by apostles (e.g., Matthew, John, Paul, and Peter), those directly under the apostles’ oversight (e.g., Luke and Mark), or those with a direct relationship with Jesus (e.g., James and Jude). After the apostles, and
as new writings appeared, they were examined in light of the growing body of Scripture
and rejected because they contradicted it, not because they offered a competing
Christian narrative.
Today, we can be
confident that the Bible we have is the complete canon. Each book
carries the mark of divinity, having been written under the inspiration of the
Spirit (2 Peter 1:21) and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), and has been recognized
as such by believers ever since. This also means that it is the only binding
authority over our lives and the only true explanation of the present and the future.
Scholarship has
tried to undermine its accuracy to avoid its conclusions: we are all sinners
(Romans 3:23) born under God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:3) with only one way to
escape His judgment, Jesus (John 14:6). Jesus was not invented in first century
Christianity but is the revelation of the one promised from Genesis 3:15
through David (2 Samuel 7:12–13) to come as Savior of the world (Isaiah 49:6).
The Bible is God's explanation for who He is, how He has been at work, and His plan of salvation—read it today!
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