Page 61 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

BIBLE

knew that Paul had given them the WORD OF GOD! Ambrosian Library in Milan, Italy, in 1740. This second-
Consider, also, the words of Peter to the Christians in century list contained all of the books of the New
the first century churches (2 Pe. 3:12). Peter reminded Testament canon (Ibid., p. 60).
the Christians that the commandments of the Apostles Thus the completed Greek New Testament Scriptures
are on par with the Old Testament prophets. Obviously were being circulated and accepted by God’s people
this was something which the Apostles were careful to under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Many of the
teach to all of the churches. They could not have been modernistic textual scholars who write today about
put in remembrance of something which they had not these early centuries deny, or totally overlook, the
already been taught. The Christians of the first century working of the Holy Spirit in the inspiration and
were a close-knit community. It is ridiculous to think canonicity of the New Testament. The Apostles were not
that they did not know these things, that they did not left to their own devices to transcribe the record of
recognize that the Apostles were writing Scripture and Christ, nor were the early Christians left to their own
that they did not ceive the New Testament epistles as devices to recognize which writings were Scripture. The
such. It was left for the modernists of the 19th and 20th words of the New Testament are the words of the Lord
centuries to deny these things and to claim that the Jesus Christ through Holy Spirit inspiration, and the
forming of the New Testament canon was an almost Lord’s sheep know the voice of their Good Shepherd and
haphazard thing which did not occur until centuries can discern His voice from false shepherds (Jn. 10:4-5,
after the Apostles. 27).
Second, we know the Bible contains the complete Fifth, the passages which urge Christians to follow
Word of God because we are told the Faith was ONCE tradition refer to the inspired tradition given by the
delivered to the saints. “Beloved, when I gave all Apostles, not the uninspired traditions of men who have
diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it followed after them. Tradition is used in two ways in the
was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you New Testament. First it refers to apostolic doctrine given
that ye should earnestly contend for THE FAITH WHICH by inspiration (2 Th. 2:15; 3:6). The churches are
WAS ONCE DELIVERED UNTO THE SAINTS” (Jude 3). bound to obey this tradition as it is recorded in the New
This verse refutes the idea that the Christian faith has Testament Scriptures. Second, tradition refers to
been progressively given through the Roman Catholic uninspired teachings which religious teachers attempt to
Church. add to the Word of God and by which they attempt to
Third, a seal was placed on the final chapter of the bind the lives of men (Mt. 15:1-6; Mk. 7:9-13; Col. 2:8).
final book of the Bible, signifying its completion and In this sense, tradition is soundly condemned (Mt. 15:9;
warning every man not to add to or subtract from it (Re. Col. 2:8). We can praise the Lord that He HAS given us
22:18,19). a completed revelation and that we are not dependent
Fourth, the completed canon of Scripture was upon extra-biblical prophecies, visions, voices, tones, or
recognized in the second century. Christian leaders in traditions. In the Bible we have everything the churches
the second century recognized the completed canon of need for faith and practice.
the New Testament and accepted the apostolic writings THE BIBLE’S DIVINED INSPIRATION. It is plenarily
as Holy Scripture on equal authority with the Old (meaning full, complete) inspired—the Bible is from
Testament. Irenaeus (125-192), for example, in his God completely in all its parts. This includes the O.T. (2
writings which still exist, made 1,800 quotations from Ti. 3:16); the Gospels (He. 2:3; also compare 1 Ti. 5:18
the New Testament books and used them “in such a way with Mt. 10:10); and the Apostolic writings (1 Co.
as to imply that they had for some time been considered 2:7-13; 1 Pe. 1:12; 2 Pe. 3:1-2,15-16). It is verbally
as of unquestioned authority” (Herbert Miller, General inspired—the Bible’s words, not just its ideas, came
Biblical Introduction, p. 140). Irenaeus accepted the four from God (1 Co. 2:13; Mt. 5:17-18). The Bible is not a
Gospels, and four only, as Scripture. Clement of record of man’s search for God. Just the opposite; it is
Alexandria (150-217) quotes from and acknowledges the record of God’s search for man (Ge. 3:8-10; Lk.
the four Gospels and most other New Testament books, 19:10; Jn. 6:44). Man, apart from grace, runs from God
calling them “divine Scriptures.” Tertullian (150-220) (Jn. 3:19-20; Ro. 1:28; 3:11; 10:21). Man, in himself,
made 7,200 citations from the New Testament books cannot find God or understand the things of God (1 Co.
and accepted them as Scripture. The Latin Itala 2:6-12). [See Inspiration.]
translation which was made in the second century THE BIBLE’S CENTRAL FIGURE. Jesus Christ (Lk.
“contained all the books that now make up the New 24:27, 44; Jn. 1:45; 5:39; He. 10:7). The Old Testament
Testament” (John Hentz, History of the Lutheran Version, —Christ will come. The Gospels—Christ is here. The
p. 59). A list of New Testament Scriptures dating to the Book of Acts—Christ has come. The Epistles—Christ
latter half of the second century was discovered in the

Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity 61