The New Testament Canon

III. The New Testament Canon

A.    The New Testament is comprised of the writings of the Christ’s Apostles as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”  John 14:26

     "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”  John 16:13-14

B.   Those who held the office of Apostle in the early church claimed equality with the Old Testament prophets.  This authority allowed them to speak and write the very words of God.

1.  Peter encourages his readers to remember “the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.”  2 Peter 3:2

2.      To lie to the Apostles was equivalent to lying to the Holy Spirit and to God.

“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet.  But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’" Acts 5:1-4

C.     The New Testament itself affirms that it is Scripture.

1.      The Apostle Peter clearly affirms that Paul’s epistles are Scripture.

“. . . just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”  2 Peter 3:15-16

The word translated “Scripture” here is the Greek word graphe, a word that is used

fifty-one times in the New Testament and that refers to the Old Testament Scriptures in

every single instance.  Thus, the word used equates Old Testament writings and the

writings of Paul as Scripture.

2.      Paul also connects the New Testament and the Old Testament as Scripture.

            “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.  For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages."1 Timothy 5:17-18

            The first reference Paul uses from Scripture is from Deuteronomy 25:4 while the second 

            is from Luke 10:7.  Thus, Paul is quoting Luke’s Gospel and recognizing it as Scripture.

D.    The Five Characteristics of Scripture

1.      The Authority of Scripture – By this we mean that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.

a.     “All Scripture is inspired by God . . .” 2 Timothy 3:16

b.    “For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”  2 Peter 1:21

c.     “Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet”  Matthew 1:22

d.    “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment.”  1 Corinthians 14:37

e.       These verses, and many others, attribute the source of the Scriptures to God.  He spoke His very words through human agents who spoke and wrote God’s words down as God intended us to receive them.  Therefore, the Scripture is absolutely authoritative as God’s words to us collected as God purposed in the closed canon of Scripture.

2.      The Inerrancy of Scripture – By this we mean that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact.

a.     This definition does not mean that the Bible tells us every fact there is to know about any one subject, but it affirms that what the Bible does say about any subject is true.

b. “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”  Proverbs 30:5

c.   Though sin may taint the words of every man who speaks, God may speak through the agency of men without any error whatsoever because He is God.

d.  "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent;” Numbers 23:19

e.  The Bible can be inerrant and still speak in the ordinary language of everyday speech.

3.  The Clarity of Scripture – By this we mean that the Holy Spirit wrote the Old and New Testaments through men in such a way that they may be understood by ordinary believers.  Everything needed for our salvation and our Christian life and growth are very clearly set forth in Scripture.

a.   Anyone who studies the Bible must admit that some parts of it are easy to understand while other parts seem puzzling.  Faithful study brings clarity.

b.      “. . . just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”  2 Peter 3:15-16

c.    The primary reason for misunderstanding Scripture is poor hermeneutical method. Without proper study technique (Observation, Interpretation, and Application), it is impossible to rightly interpret the Word of God.  

4.    The Necessity of Scripture – By this we mean that the Bible is necessary for knowing the Gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will. 

a.  "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

b.  “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.”  Psalm 119:1

c.    Scripture is not necessary to know that God exists, nor to know something of God’s character or moral laws.

d.  “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”  Romans 1:20

5.    The Sufficiency of Scripture – By this we mean that Scripture contains all the words of God intended His people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting Him perfectly, and for obeying Him perfectly.

a.  This definition means that God considers His Word to be enough for us to live in holy obedience before Him.

b.   “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;  so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:15-17

c.       The Sufficiency of Scripture should:

1.    encourage us to search out God’s Word to know what He says about every doctrine and area of life.

2.      caution us that we are to add nothing to nor take away from Scripture, and that no other writing is of equal value to the Word of God.

3.   declare to us that God does not require us to believe anything about Himself or His redemptive work that is not found in Scripture.

4.    demonstrate to us that no modern revelations from God are to be place on the same level as the authority of Scripture.

5.  remind us that our doctrinal and ethical teaching should emphasize what Scripture emphasizes and teaches.

(Source: Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Zondervan. Grand Rapids. 2000. 1291 pp. $30.99)

The Doctrine of the Word of God and the Old Testament Canon

I.  The Doctrine of the Word of God (Bibliology)

  A.    Definition:  The Canon of Scripture – The word “canon” means “measuring rod.”  In this context then the biblical canon is the complete list of books that belong in the Bible.

    1.      We must not underestimate the importance of this doctrine.  The Words of Scripture are the Words that nourish our spiritual lives.  Therefore, we can echo the words of Moses to the nation of Israel in reference to the Words of God’s law: 

 

“For it is no trifle for you, but it is your life, and thereby you shall live long in the land which you are going over the Jordan to possess” Deuteronomy 32:47.

    2.  To add or subtract from the Word of God would either prevent God’s people from fully obeying Him, or would require of God’s people that which God has not commanded.  Therefore, the precise determination of the extent of the canon is of the utmost importance.

“You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it; that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you”  Deuteronomy 4:2.

II. The Old Testament Canon

  A.  The earliest collection of words from God is the Ten Commandments.  

“When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.”  Exodus 31:18

“Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other.”  Exodus 32:15

  B.     Other Old Testament prophets also added to the canon as instructed by God.

     1.      Joshua

“And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God . . .” Joshua 24:26

    2.      Samuel

“Then Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book and placed it before the LORD . . .” 1 Samuel 10:25

    3.      Jehu

“Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first to last, behold, they are written in the annals of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of  the Kings of Israel.” 2 Chronicles 20:34

    4.      Jeremiah

"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book.”  Jeremiah 30:2

Many more Old Testament prophets were used by God to write His words to His people, and this list is by no means exhaustive.

  C.     The Close of the Old Testament Canon

    1.  The Old Testament canon continued to grow as God spoke through His prophets.  If we date Haggai to 520 B.C., Zechariah to 518 B.C. – with some material added about 480 B.C., and Malachi around 435 B.C., we know that this period coincided with the last books of the Old Testament:  Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ester.

    2.  Jesus and the New Testament authors quote the Old Testament Scriptures as divinely authoritative 295 times, but not once do they cite any statement from the Apocrypha, or any other writings, as having divine authority.  Thus, the New Testament writers agreed that the Old Testament canon, no more and no less, was to be taken as God’s very words.

  D.    What the Old Testament Canon is Not

    1.  The books that comprise the Apocrypha, a collection of Jewish historical books, have never been considered Scripture by the Jews.  The Roman Catholic Church includes the Apocrypha in its Bible.  The Apocrypha includes these non-canonical books:  1 and 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, The Rest of Esther, the Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch (including the Epistle of Jeremiah), the Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, the Prayer of Manasseh, and 1 and 2 Maccabees. 

    2.  These books were not included in Hebrew Scripture, but were included in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament.

    3.  The Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible by Jerome included the Apocrypha, but Jerome himself stated that these books were not “books of the canon,” but merely “books of the church” that provided historical background on the Jewish people.

    4.  At the Council of Trent in 1546 the Roman Catholic Church officially adopted the Apocrypha as part of its Bible.  These books include teaching on prayers for the dead, and justification by faith plus works rather than by faith alone, and other teaching that contradicts Scripture.  In so doing, the RCC upholds that the tradition of the church has the same authority as the Bible.  This teaching was prevalent in the church until the Reformation.  This continues to be their belief today.

 

(Source: Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Zondervan. Grand Rapids. 2000. 1291 pp. $30.99)

Theories of Inspiration

Theories of Inspiration (Bibliology)

1.  Definition:  Inspiration means that the Holy Spirit influenced the writers of Scripture in such a way that rendered their writings an accurate record of the revelation of God as He intended.

 

        a.  The Intuition Theory – makes inspiration largely a high degree of insight by the writers of Scripture.  Thus, the inspiration of Scripture is almost like an artistic ability possessed by the writer.  This view is largely held by left-wing liberalism.

        b.  The Illumination Theory – maintains that there is an influence of the Holy Spirit upon the writers of Scripture, but involves only a heightening of their normal ability.  There is no special revelation of truth or guidance in what is written, but rather an increased sensitivity to discover truth.

        c.  The Dynamic Theory – emphasizes a combination of divine and human influences upon the process of inspiration and the writing of the Bible.  The Spirit of God works by directing the writer to the thoughts or concepts and allowing the writer’s own distinctive personality to come into play in the choice of words and expressions.

        d.  The Verbal Plenary Theory – insists that the Holy Spirit’s influence extends beyond the direction of thoughts to the selection of words used to convey the message.  The work of the Holy Spirit is so intense that each word is the exact word that God wanted used at that point to express the message while still allowing the distinctives of the individual writers to come through in the Scripture.  This view represents a conservative orthodoxy.

        e.  The Dictation Theory – teaches that God actually dictated the Bible to the writers with no regard to the writers’ individual style or personality.

 

(Source: Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Zondervan. Grand Rapids. 2000. 1291 pp. $30.99)

The Doctrine of the Word of God

The Doctrine of the Word of God (Bibliology)

A.     Definition:  “The Word of God” is a phrase used in Scripture to denote several different meanings.  It is important for us to distinguish between these biblical uses as we begin our study of this doctrine.

     1.      The Word of God as a Person:  Jesus Christ

          a.       The Apostle John sees the risen Lord Jesus in Heaven and says, “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”  Revelation 19:13, NASB.

          b.      Similarly, the opening of John’s Gospel we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  John 1:1, NASB.  It is clear that John is speaking of Jesus Christ because in John 1:14 the apostle states, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.”

          c.       While this usage of calling Jesus “the Word” is not common in Scripture, it does indicate that among the members of the Trinity, it is God the Son Who in His Person and His Word has the role of communicating the character of God to man.

     2.      The Word of God as Speech by God Through Personal Address

          a.       Examples of God speaking directly to people on earth are found in Scripture.

          b.      God’s instruction to Adam demonstrates this personal address: 

“The LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.’"  Genesis 2:16-17

          c.       At the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, God spoke from Heaven:

“And behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.’"  Matthew 3:17

     3.      The Word of God as Speech by God Through Human Lips

          a.       Frequently in Scripture, God raises up prophets through whom He speaks.  Although these are human words, spoken by people in their familiar languages, the absolute authority of these words, and their truthfulness, is in no way diminished.  Their words are God’s Words.

          b.      Moses speaking as God’s prophet is a perfect example of God speaking through human lips.

“I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.  It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”  Deuteronomy 18:18-20

          c.       God made a similar statement to the prophet Jeremiah.

“Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”  Jeremiah 1:9

          d.      Thus, God’s words spoken through human lips were to be considered just as authoritative as if it were given through personal address.

     4.      The Word of God as Written Record

          a.       In addition to these other forms of God’s Word, we also find in Scripture several instances in which God’s Words were put in written form.

          b.      We find an example of this in the giving of the ten commandments to Moses:

“When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.”  Exodus 31:18

          c.       Moses was also used later by God to write His holy law:

“It came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete, that Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, ‘Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you.’”  Deuteronomy 31:24-26

          d.      It should be noted that these words are still considered to be God’s Word even though they were written down mostly by men and in normal, human language.  They are authoritative and absolutely true.  To disobey these words is to disobey God Himself.

     5.      The Word of God as Scripture.

          a.       Our study will focus upon the Bible because it is the only form of God’s Word that is available to us for consistent examination. 

          b.      The other forms of God’s Word are not suitable for us to study because . . .

 1.      We cannot hear God’s words of decree and thus cannot study them directly.

             2.      We cannot speak with the Word made flesh in His bodily form because He, Jesus, has ascended to Heaven. 

             3.      God’s words of personal address are uncommon even in Scripture.

             4.      God’s words spoken through human lips ceased to be given when the New Testament canon was completed so this form is also insufficient as a direction for study.

          c.       Therefore, only the Bible is sufficient and profitable to withstand such rigorous, systematic, and academic scrutiny.

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2
 
"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”  Joshua 1:8

 

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” 2 Timothy 3:16

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  Hebrews 4:12

Important Terms from this section: Bibliology, Written Record, Personal Address, Word of God, Decree

(Source:  Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Zondervan. Grand Rapids. 2000. 1291 pp. $30.99)