Understanding the Canon of Scripture
The term "canon" originates from a Greek word meaning "measuring rod" or "rule." In the context of Scripture, it refers to the collection of books that are recognized as divinely inspired and authoritative, serving as the infallible rule of faith and practice for believers. It is crucial to understand that the Church did not create the canon, but rather, under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit, recognized and affirmed those books that God Himself had inspired. The process of canonization was not a series of arbitrary decisions by men, but a gradual, organic acknowledgment of God's revealed Word, preserved throughout history for His people.
The Divine Origin and Preservation of Scripture
The foundation of the canon lies in the biblical doctrine of divine inspiration. The Bible unequivocally declares itself to be God-breathed. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." This means that God superintended the human authors, so that, using their own personalities and literary styles, they recorded precisely what He intended, without error. Furthermore, 2 Peter 1:20-21 clarifies, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
God not only inspired His Word but also promised its preservation. Psalm 12:6-7 declares, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." And Jesus Himself affirmed in Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." This divine commitment to preservation assures us that the Bible we hold today is indeed the very Word of God, faithfully transmitted through the ages.
The Old Testament Canon: A Settled Revelation
The Old Testament canon was firmly established and recognized by the Jewish people long before the time of Christ. Its formation began with Moses, who wrote the first five books, the Pentateuch, under direct divine command. Exodus 17:14 records God saying, "Write this for a memorial in a book." These foundational books were immediately recognized as authoritative and were carefully preserved. Over centuries, subsequent books from the prophets and historical writers were added to this collection, each bearing the mark of divine inspiration and prophetic authority.
By the time of Jesus, the Hebrew canon was a closed collection, consisting of 22 or 24 books (depending on how they were grouped, e.g., 1 & 2 Samuel as one book, all 12 minor prophets as one book), corresponding to our 39 Old Testament books. Jesus Himself affirmed the entirety of the Old Testament canon, referencing its three main divisions in Luke 24:44: "All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." He never challenged or questioned the established canon of His day, nor did He suggest that any books were missing or spurious. The Jewish historian Josephus, writing in the first century A.D., confirmed that the Jews recognized a fixed number of inspired books, and that no one dared to add to or take away from them.
The New Testament Canon: Apostolic Authority and Divine Guidance
The formation of the New Testament canon followed a similar pattern of divine inspiration and human recognition. Jesus Christ commissioned His apostles to carry on His work and teach His truth. He promised them the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth and bring to remembrance all that He had taught them (John 14:26, John 16:13). This apostolic authority was foundational to the New Testament writings. The books were either written by an apostle (e.g., Matthew, John, Paul, Peter) or by someone closely associated with an apostle and under their direct supervision (e.g., Mark, Luke, James, Jude).
These writings were immediately recognized as authoritative by the early churches. For instance, Paul's epistles were circulated among the churches (Colossians 4:16), and Peter recognized Paul's writings as "scriptures" (2 Peter 3:15-16). The early church faced numerous heresies, which necessitated a clear delineation of inspired apostolic writings from false teachings. Over time, the churches, guided by the Holy Spirit, recognized those books that bore the undeniable mark of divine inspiration and apostolic authority. While various church councils (such as Hippo in 393 AD and Carthage in 397 AD) formally affirmed the New Testament canon, they did not create it. Rather, they merely recognized what had already been widely accepted and used as Scripture by the universal church for centuries.
Criteria for Canonicity: Recognizing God's Word
The early church, under divine guidance, applied several key criteria to discern which books truly belonged to the canon:
These criteria were not mechanical rules but principles that guided the Spirit-led recognition process, confirming what God had already inspired and made manifest to His people.
The Apocrypha: Why They Are Not Canonical
The Apocrypha refers to a collection of books written during the intertestamental period (between the Old and New Testaments). While these books are included in some Bibles (e.g., Roman Catholic Bibles), they are not considered canonical by Protestant churches for several critical reasons:
- They were never accepted as canonical by the Jewish people, to whom the Old Testament scriptures were first entrusted (Romans 3:2).
- Jesus and the New Testament authors never quoted from the Apocrypha as Scripture. They frequently quoted from every part of the Old Testament.
- The books themselves do not claim divine inspiration or prophetic authority. Some even contain historical and geographical inaccuracies, as well as theological inconsistencies with the rest of Scripture (e.g., prayer for the dead, salvation by works).
- No early church council, prior to the Council of Trent in the 16th century (a reaction to the Reformation), officially recognized them as canonical. Many prominent Church Fathers explicitly rejected them as Scripture, though some suggested they could be read for edification.
The Apocryphal books lack the internal and external marks of divine inspiration that characterize the true canon of Scripture.
Conclusion: The Completed and Authoritative Word
The canon of Scripture is a completed work, divinely inspired and providentially preserved. There is no expectation of new revelation to be added to the Bible, as warned in Revelation 22:18-19 against adding to or taking away from "the words of the prophecy of this book." The Bible we possess today, consisting of 66 books, is the full and complete revelation of God's will for humanity. It is sufficient for "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3) and makes the man of God "perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:17).
The unity of its message, the power of its words, its historical accuracy, its prophetic fulfillment, and its enduring relevance across cultures and centuries all bear witness to its divine origin. We can trust that the Bible is indeed God's infallible, authoritative, and sufficient Word, a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). It is our privilege and duty to receive it with reverence, study it diligently, and obey it wholeheartedly.