How did we get our Bible?

2 Timothy 3:16

 

All who are taught of God understand that Òall scripture is given by inspiration of God,Ó Òfor 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 GhostÓ (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). But how did we get our Bible?

 

            In recent months papists have been running a series of television advertisements stating that the Bible came to us from the Church of Rome. Sadly, most people actually believe that; but nothing could be further from the truth. God did not give us his Word through BabylonÕs whore!

 

            The canon of the Old Testament Scriptures was established by the prophets of God in the Old Testament era, stamped with divine approval by our Lord Jesus Christ himself quoting it as the Word of God (Matthew 4:4-16; 9:15; 11:10; 13:14-15; 15:4; 21:5-42; 22:24-44; 26:31; 27:46; Luke 4:18-19; 20:27; 22:37; 23:46).

 

            The canon of Holy Scripture in the New Testament was determined by the apostles of our Lord. Those divinely ordained and gifted men of God had the same authority and gifts that were possessed by the prophets of the Old Testament (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:14; 1 Peter 1:12). Their inspired writings are the writings of God (1 Corinthians 14:37; 1 Thessalonians 4:2).

 

Knowing that their writings were God breathed, knowing that they wrote by divine inspiration, the LordÕs apostles required that their writings be treated with the same reverence and obedience as the Old Testament Scriptures (1 Thessalonians 5:27; 2 Thessalonians 3:14; Colossians 4:16; Revelation 1:3; 22:18-19; Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32).

 

            Those divinely gifted men knew that it was their writings that were inspired, not themselves. They were but fallible, sinful men, redeemed by blood and saved by grace. And they knew that only specific writings of their pens were by divine inspiration. Their other writings were just the writings of men (1 Corinthians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:2.)

 

            And the apostles recognized one anotherÕs inspired writings as Holy Scripture. The apostle Peter included PaulÕs writings among the things Òcontained in the ScriptureÓ (1 Peter 2:6; 2 Peter 3:16). And Paul referred to the Gospel of Luke as the very Word of God, giving it the same authority and validity as the book of Deuteronomy (1 Timothy 5:18; Luke 10:7; Deuteronomy 25:4).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

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