The Inspired Word of God and our Canon

by Bryan Carlson

From and apologetics standpoint, there must be a single source of absolute truth in our lives or literally anything goes. If it’s not the Word of God, what is it? The church—the Catholics have come to all sorts of conclusions that contradict (and trump) Scripture; other revelation—the Mormons have created an all-new false religion based off the writing of Joseph Smith (that trump Scripture); the Holy Spirit’s voice—millions of people have justified doctrine and outright sin in the name of hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit that contradicts Scripture. It is of paramount importance to identify what is the source of absolute truth and where that conclusion ultimately leads.

“The New Testament was not self-consciously created by the church, either as a response to external stimuli or as a means to some end but arose naturally and spontaneously from the inner life of early Christianity, above all in contexts of worship and instruction” (Henry Gamble, “The New Testament Canon in Recent Research”).

“What really is remarkable is that, though the fringes of the New Testament canon remained unsettled until the fourth century [Hebrews, James, Jude, 3 John], a high degree of unanimity concerning the basic core of the New Testament [Gospels, Acts, Paul, John, Peter] was attained very early among the diverse and scattered churches not only in the Mediterranean but also over an area extending from western Europe to east Asia” (Bruce Metzger, “The Canon of the New Testament: Origin, Development, and Significance”).

“The councils of the church played little part in deciding what was in the canon of scripture. When councils did speak to the subject, their voice was a ratification of what had already become the common practice of the churches” (Everett Furgeson, “Factors Leading to the Selections and Closure of the New Testament Canon”).

There will be false teachers among you:

• 2 Peter 2:1-3, 17-22: But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 17 These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. 18 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 [h]It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

• 2 Corinthians 11:3: But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

Our amazing Bible:

• 66 books of the Bible: 39 OT; 27 NT

• Written by over 40 authors

• Over a period of more than 1500 years

• On three different continents—Africa, Asia, and Europe

• In three difference languages

• Yet, all tell one unified story of redemption through Jesus Christ

From a human perspective, does it seem odd that God would start the story and not finish it—that He would leave us hanging without hope in the world—that He would tell us to expect a Savior but not tell us who this Savior was or how we could find Him? What kind of author sets the stage, introduces the villain, explains the problem, foreshadows the solution, and then ends the book? Not a very good one. 

All Scripture is God breathed. The Lord selected the writers and guided their writing. These are the things God wanted passed down to us.

The Bible in the Making by Tim Mackie:

https://d2y1pz2y630308.cloudfront.net/12729/documents/2020/1/TBP%20STUDY%20GUIDE.pdf

New Testament canon:

• Luke 1:1-4: Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things [a]accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning [b]were eyewitnesses and [c]servants of the [d]word, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having [e]investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been [f]taught.

• 1 Peter 5:1,8-9,12: Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 [d]But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your [e]brethren who are in the world. 12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother [f](for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 

•  2 Peter 3:14-18: Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 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 (Peter is including Paul’s writings as Scripture), to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

• Colossians 4:14-16: Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also [j]Nympha and the church that is in [k]her house. 16 When [l]this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read [m]my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 

• Galatians 6:16: And those who will [i]walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

• Acts 4:13: Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them [k]as having been with Jesus. (They were teaching and writing the very words of Jesus.)

Jesus’ instructions to teach and write the New Testament:

• Matthew 28:16-20: But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 [e]Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you [f]always, even to the end of the age.”

• Acts 1:4-8: Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for [b]what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized [c]with the Holy Spirit [d]not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

• Luke 24:44-53: Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their [p]minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the [q]Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance [r]for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed [s]in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” 50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple [t]praising God.

• Mark 3:13-14: And He *went up on the mountain and *summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach (and eventually write everything they were given authority to preach).

• John 16:1-15: “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. 2 [a]They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. 3 These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. 4 But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you [b]may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. 5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the [c]Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 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. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore, I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

Jesus’ prayer for His disciples:

• John 17: Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to [a]all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified You on the earth, [b]having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the [c]son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them [d]from [e]the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may [f]believe that You sent Me. 22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected [g]in unity, so that the world may [h]know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 “O righteous Father, [i]although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

His small group of twelve was being trained to carry on the witness and work of Jesus after He was gone. They were given a place of special importance in the furthering of His work (Mark 3:14-15). Thus, He taught them with clarity while often teaching the crowds in parables (Mark 4:34). He sent them as the Father had sent Him (John 20:21) so they would be witnesses of "all these things" (Luke 24:48). Both the Spirit and the apostles would be witnesses for Christ (John 15:26ff; cf. Acts 5:32). He promised to send the Spirit to help them when He left. They would be empowered to bear witness (Acts. 1:4,5,8). The Spirit would give them the right things to say when brought to trial (Matt. 10:19ff). He would remind them of what Jesus had said (John 14:26) and would give them new knowledge (John 16:12ff). These things have I spoken unto you, being [yet] present with you (John 14:25-26). But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The Old Testament points forward to a coming prophet, fulfilled in Christ and recorded in the New Testament:

• Isaiah 53: Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender [a]shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should [b]be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of [c]sorrows and acquainted with [d]grief; and like one from whom men hide their face he was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our [e]griefs He Himself bore, and our [f]sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, [g]Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was [h]pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our [i]well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to [j]fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the [k]living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. 10 But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, [l]putting Him to grief; if [m]He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His [n]offspring, He will prolong His days, and the [o]good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the [p]anguish of His soul, He will see [q]it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out [r]Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.

• Malachi 4:5-6: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 He will [e]restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a [f]curse.”

The OT and the NT are inextricably linked through fulfilled prophesies about Christ:

Jesus’ birth:

• Genesis 12:3/Acts 3:25-26

• Genesis 17:19/Romans 9:6-13

• Genesis 28:14/Luke 3:34

• Genesis 49:10/Luke 3:33

• 2 Samuel 7:12-13/Matthew 1:1

• Isaiah 7:14/Luke 1:35

• Hosea 11:1/Matthew 2:14-15

• Micah 5:2/Matthew 2:4-6

Jesus’ ministry:

• Genesis 3:15/1 John 3:8

• Exodus 12:15/Hebrews 9:14

• Psalm 8:5-6/Hebrews 2:5-9

• Psalm 40:6-8/Hebrews 10:5-10

• Psalm 40:9/Matthew 4:17

• Psalm 78:1-2/Matthew 13:34-35

• Isaiah 6:9-10/Matthew 13:13-15

• Isaiah 8:14/1 Peter 2:7-8

• Isaiah 9:1-2/Matthew 4:12-17

• Isaiah 11:10/John 12:18-21

• Isaiah 35:5-6/Matthew 11:2-6

• Isaiah 40:3-4/John 1:23

• Isaiah 42:1-4/Matthew 12:15-21

• Isaiah 53:3/Luke 4:28-29

• Isaiah 61:1/Luke 4:16-21

• Daniel 7:13-14/Luke 1:31-33

• Daniel 9:24/Daniel 9:25-26/Galatians 1:3-5

• Zechariah 9:9/Matthew 21:8-10

• Zechariah 11:12-13/Matthew 27:6-10

• Malachi 4:5-6/Matthew 11:10-15

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection:

• Exodus 12:21-30/1 Corinthians 5:7

• Exodus 12:46/John 19:31-36

• Leviticus 17:11/Matthew 26:28

• Numbers 21:9/John 3:14-18

• Job 19:23-27/John 5:24-29

• Psalm 22:1/Matthew 27:46

• Psalm 22:8/Matthew 27:42-43

• Psalm 22:15/John 19:28

• Psalm 22:16/John 19:36-37

• Psalm 22:18/John 19:23-24

• Psalm 31:5/Luke 23:46

• Psalm 31:11/Mark 14:50

• Psalm 31:13/Matthew 27:11

• Psalm 38:12-13/Matthew 27:12-14

• Psalm 16:9-11/Acts 2:31

• Psalm 41:9/John 13:18

• Psalm 68:18/Ephesians 4:7-16

• Psalm 69:21/Matthew 27:34

• Psalm 118:17-18/Luke 24:5-7

• Isaiah 25:7-8/1 Corinthians 15:54

• Isaiah 50:3-6/Matthew 27:27-31

• Ezekiel 37:12/Matthew 27:52-53

Jesus and the Church:

• Deuteronomy 18:15-16/John 5:45-47

• 1 Samuel 2:35/Hebrews 2:17

• Psalm 9:7-10/Acts 17:31

• Isaiah 22:22/Revelation 3:7

• Isaiah 44:3/John 16:17

• Jeremiah 31:31/Matthew 26:28

Jesus’ future coming:

• Isaiah: 13:4,8-12; 14:12-15; 24:6,18-23; 33:14; 34:3,9; 51:6; 65:15,16; 66:18

• Ezekiel 37; 38:5,15-22; 39:2,6,11-21

• Daniel 2:42-44; 7:8,13-14,24-25; 8:19,26; 9:26-27; 11:36-44; 12:7,11

• Joel 2:10,12-20,30; 3:15-16,32

• Amos 9:5-8

• Zechariah 11:15-17; 12:1-4,10-14; 13:1-9; 14:2-13

• Malachi 2:1-3; 4:1

• Matthew 16:27

• Matthew 24:3-14, 27, 36-44

• Mark 14:62

• Luke 21:34-36

• John 5:28-29

• John 6:37-40

• John 14:1-3

• Acts 1:10-11

• Acts 17:31

• Colossians 3:4

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

• 1 Thessalonians 5:2

• Titus 2:13

• Hebrews 9:28

• James 5:7

• 2 Peter 3:8-10

• 1 John 3:2-3

• Revelation 1:7

• Revelation 22:20

“Unfortunately, many people don’t appreciate how the Old Testament and the New Testament fit together. Too many Christians accept half an inheritance by being content to embrace merely the new. On the flip side, Jews have an incomplete picture when the embrace only the old. We must not settle for either when both are essential to experience our full inheritance in the Kingdom and fully understand the Messiah” (Rabbi Jason Sobel, “Mysteries of the Messiah”).