The New Testament Canon has been so scrutinized that it solidifies its legitimacy in my opinion. Opponents know that acquiescing to the Truth spoken in the word of God means that they come under condemnation. So the best thing for them to do is to point their guns at the way the canon came to be. In today’s post, I will be giving you a condensed version of a six lecture series I watched courtesy of Dr. Michael J. Kruger, in which he critiques the common objections to the canonicity of the New Testament. He articulates sound reasons to believe with confidence that the New Testament is the authentic, true, and inspired Word of God. Before I lay out the summary of what I gathered out of his lecture, let’s define the word canon. When believers in Christ talk about the Bible, we are referring to the collection of the 66 individual books that form the Bible. 39 of those books are considered Old Testament books ( written before the advent of Jesus) and the remaining 27 were written after the ascension of Jesus. The word “canon” originally meant “measuring rule” hence standard. In theology its chief application is to the 66 books received as authoritative and making up what we call today the Bible. The protestant Canon includes the 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament. Today we’ll only address the New Testament Canon.
The Problem of Canon: why is there so much controversy about the New Testament Canon?
In 1945, a shepherd by the name of Muhamad Ali discovered jars as he was digging in the ground for fertilizer in Nag Hammadi , Egypt. And the jars contained 13 books that had 52 individual writings, called today the gnostic gospels. They told stories about Jesus that were radically different from what most Christians have heard. One of the most famous of these books was the gospel of Thomas. And some of the highlights of the gospel of Thomas depict a Jesus who talks about how we can save ourselves by having higher knowledge. And how we can be divine like God. So you can see why these books create polemics and controversies. And the question that many people ask themselves is- how do we know that the Bible that we have today has the right books? That leads me to the next question- What is our perception of the New Testament Canon?
The Definition of Canon: How do we understand it?
Some say the New Testament canon was put together as early as the 1st century, other say 2nd century and still others others say the 4th century. Our definition of the word Canon is very crucial to our understanding of it. The way we understand canon must come from the way the bible defines its content, and we’ll get to that shortly. Right now, we need to look at how people view the canon.
Exclusivity: The New Testament Canon can be defined as the exclusive final list of authoritative books adopted and accepted as inspired by God. If this is how you define the Canon, this definition of doesn’t happen till the 4th or 5th century ( when all the debates are over). It’s a good definition but it has its limitations. Because it seems as if the early church was in the dark prior to that period. But that’s not the case. And it also appears as if the church created the canon, which isn’t true, and we’ll see that. The church simply recognized the canon.
Functional definition: During the second century a.d., the heretic Marcion produced a list of his approved books of the Bible. Marcion held that the Old Testament God was an evil god of wrath, so he eliminated the Old Testament and those places in the New Testament that favorably referred to the God of the Old Testament. To answer Marcion, the church formulated once and for all the list of true books of the Bible. For the most part, the church simply listed the books that had always been recognized as the Word of God. If this is your perception of the Canon, this doesn’t happen till the 2nd century. This definition also has its limitations because it makes the church the creator of the Canon.
Ontological definition: The books God gave His church, looking at it from God’s perspective, from a theological perspective, long before people recognized them. This happens in the first century. The canon was completed when John wrote his last book in about 90 AD.
The three definitions complement one another. The New Testament Canon is more like a process in different stages. It begins with God, from a theological perspective and it is completed when God gives His final revelation to the apostle John. Then after that , we have a series of processes that make the canon official. That is the right way to define the Canon. This leads us to our next point, the reason for the Canon.
Are there reasons for the NT Canon?
Yes because the early Old Testament story was incomplete. God promised a Messiah and Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and the laws given in the Old Testament. The early believers knew that the Old Testament story had to be completed. The Jewish nation was looking and longing for the consolation of Israel. So Jesus finished the story hence the need for a canon that proved that God completed the story. The genealogy provided by Matthew 1 shows that Jesus is the coming Messiah attested by God, hence the need to complete the story. That’s not the only reason. The early church believed that Jesus inaugurated a new covenant. Jesus’ ministry proved that God was establishing a new covenant with His people, and it was actually prophesied about. And Jesus was the one that commenced this new covenant, hence the need for the canon. Because in the Jewish world, there was a strong connection between covenant and written documents. When God made covenants in the OT, He gave books to make them official. Examples of this practice can be found in Exodus 24:7, Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 29. It tells us that covenants were written books. And since Jesus started a new covenant, there would be a necessity for new documents. And finally, the early church believed in the authority given to the apostles, they were God’s emissaries, the same way the prophets were in the Old Testament. Paul even makes it clear 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:14 and the church recognized the words of the apostles as words from God. These reason surely give us strong evidences to believe that the canon was built into the DNA of Christianity. Next we’re going to talk about the date of the Canon.
Date of the Canon:
The Canon started to function as a collection of accepted books by the early church in the 2nd century, right around 200AD. The main reason why people choose this date is because of the church’s early fathers. Many of them had a habit of quoting and utilizing all the four gospels, the epistles of Paul, Hebrews, James, Acts, 1 Peter, 1 and 2 John, and Revelation. One of them, Irenaeus quotes the new testament scriptures over a 1000 times. But this approach treats the Canon as if Irenaeus invented it. But we’ll see that the New Testament Scriptures were already functioning as canon way before Irenaeus. He wasn’t the only one who came under the authority of the canon. The Muratorian Canon, dated about 180 AD contained one of the earliest canonical list. Included in it were the four gospels, the book of Acts, all 13 letters of Paul, Jude, 1 John, 2 John, and Revelation. Another early church fathers, Clement of Alexandria, a contemporary of Irenaeus makes a stunning remark in one of his discourse, and I quote
the books I’ve mentioned to you are the books that have been handed down to the church from the Apostles
in other words, this has been this way for a very long time. We can even go as far back as the predecessors of Irenaeus and see that they also used the same accepted books as inspired by God. Justin Martyr makes a comment in which He said that the four gospels were read in public worship right alongside the Old Testament, and this is happening right around 150AD. I’ll give you a quote from Justin Martyr just to cement this
on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together and the memoirs of the apostles ( the four Gospels) or the Old Testament are read as long as time permits
Another church father, Papias bishop of Hierapolis writes in the early 2nd century, right around 125 AD, and sources all his information from the apostle John. And he mentions the four gospels as well. Another contemporary of Papias, Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, wrote his letters right around 100 AD. His collection of books included the letters of Paul. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna was also another church father who had a collection of Paul’s letters. All this information shows us that the Canon goes further back than scholars have dated it. Can we go even further in the early first century to see if books were already being used as canonical ? Well let’s see what 2 Peter 3:15-16 says
‘15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
Clearly the apostle Peter in his statements, confirms that Paul’s written words are to be considered Scriptural. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15: 3-7
“ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
Paul confirms the account of the other gospels and treat them as Scriptural by saying “what I received I passed on to you. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Ask yourself what Scriptures? The four gospels that describe the death and bodily resurrection of Christ of course. Paul treats them as Scripture. He even quotes Luke’s gospel in 1 timothy 5 :18
18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,”[a] and “The worker deserves his wages”
The first quote “ Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain” is from Deuteronomy 25:4 and the second quote “ The worker deserves his wages” comes from Luke 10:7 7″ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. Paul quotes Luke.
So the Canon was already in existence as early as the first century. Now let’s also address the question of authorship.
Authors of the canonical books of the NT?
Many people believe that when the New Testament writers were writing their books, they were not aware of the fact that they were writing the words of God. That is the most asinine thing that I’ve ever heard. All the authors of the New Testament knew exactly what they were doing and here is the evidence for it. They were given authoritative apostolic credentials, and we’ll see that. Let’s go to Galatians 1:1
1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers and sisters[a] with me,
Paul begins by giving his credentials, let’s see what he says next
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant[b] of Christ.
Paul Called by God
11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.[c] 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Paul clearly knows that he has been appointed by God to preach the gospel and the words that he speaks were given to him by revelation directly from God as indicated in verse 12. Let’s also go to 1 Thessalonians 2:13,
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
Once again Paul’s words are a reflection of how he viewed the letters he was writing to different churches, they were authoritative and inspired by God. Later on in 1 Thessalonians 4 :1-8, Paul says the following,
4 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.[b] The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
I hope you see and recognize the weightiness of Paul’s statements. He is basically saying that the instructions that he has been given the churches were given to him by God Himself, which means that they are the very words of God. Matthew in his Gospel sees himself as continuing the Scriptural narrative, this is why he begins with the genealogy of Jesus. Let’s also listen to how Luke begins his Gospel ,
1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”
Luke basically tells us where he received his information from, the apostles. Luke wasn’t an apostle but he was endorsed by an apostle, and he was endorsed by Paul, who actually quotes him and we already mentioned that. And also listen to what John says in the end of the book of Revelation. Revelation 24:18-19,
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
The writers indeed wrote consciously and knew exactly that they were writing the words of God. The canon existed as early as the first century and people didn’t have to wait for the church to make them authoritative, the church only confirmed what was already considered Scripture. Now we need to talk about the attributes of the Canon in other words, how do we recognize a canonical book when we see it. Is there a mechanism by which we can evaluate a canonical book?
Attributes of the NT Canon
Apostolic origins: were the books written directly by an apostle or endorsed by an apostle. you’ll notice that the gnostic gospels date back to the second century. At that moment, there is really no eyewitnesses left to confirm their authenticity.
Divine qualities: the content of the books confirm or reject the authenticity of their origin. The new testament books accurately support and offer us an exposition of the Old Testament . It is said that the New Testament is in the Old concealed and the Old is the New revealed. And the continuity, unity and harmony offered in both the Old and the New Testament are incredible. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is telling one single story. All the 66 books are converging to the same point. Each author lived in a different era yet the combination of their various words, revelations constitute the whole story. Not only that but the word of God is sharper than any double edged sword that its content causes us to marvel at its beauty. I can go on and on about the divine qualities of the accepted canonical books.
Even with these objective factual evidences , we know that skeptics will always find ways to distort the authenticity, legitimacy of the words of God. Scripture says that the natural man cannot accept the things of God for they are foolishness to him, and that is indeed true. For us who have been set apart by God through His Holy Spirit, we marvel and love the words of God, but for those who are led by the sinful nature ( the adamic nature), the words of God are repulsive. There are only two kinds of people in this world, the saved and the unsaved.
PS: I started Tayibs.com for the sole purpose of exploring difficult questions about the Christian faith that most of us shy away from.All the content generated on this website is thoroughly analyzed prior to being shared. And the site is run solely by myself, your generous support is very much appreciated
My name is Tayib Salami and I started Tayibs.com for the sole purpose of exploring difficult questions about the Christian faith that most of us shy away from. In 2017, I entered a very dark time in my life and it’s only by the grace of the Living God that I’m still alive today. It led me to really go deeper in my faith and consider a myriad of questions that I never thought about asking myself or others before. Welcome and enjoy the ride with me.