Response:

The Bible is clearly the Word of God, according to II Timothy 3:15 (All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable), Acts 1:16 (This Scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake), and II Peter 1:21 (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).

We know that It is Truth, according to John 17:17 (Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy Word is truth) We know that It is pure according to Psalm 119:140 (Thy Word is very pure). It is the basis for our future judgement according to John 12:48 (He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day).

We know that it is the Source of salvation according to Romans 1:16 (For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation), John 5:39 (Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me), II Tim 3:15 (thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation), and Romans 10:17 (Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God).

We know that it is the basis for our life according to Matthew 4:4 (Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God), I Peter 2:2 (As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby), II Peter 1:3-4 (According as His divine power hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature), I Thes 2:13 (when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the Word of God, which effectively worketh also in you that believe), II Tim 3:16-17 (All Scripture...is profitable...that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works), Romans 15:4 (For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope), and I Cor 10:11 (Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition).

The Bible is not to be added to or taken away from, according to Revelation 22:18-19 (If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take his part out of the book of life, and from the things that are written in this book) Deuteronomy 12:32 (What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it), and Proverbs 30:6 (Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar). We know that only God can be trusted to tell the truth, according to Romans 3:4 (Let God be true, and every man a liar). Therefore, I believe it is pretty clear that the Bible is our only Source of Truth, and that nothing can be added to it.

As to the formation of the canon of Scripture, the Old Testament was pretty much put together as it was written and received., We see evidence of this in Exodus 24:3, Joshua 24:26-27, I Sam 10:25, and Daniel 9:2. In Matt 23:35 and Luke 11:51, Christ establishes the extent of the Old Testament canon by speaking of martyrs from "Abel (Genesis 4:8) to Zachariah (II Chron 24:20-21) The Hebrew Old Testament begins with Genesis and ends with Chronicles (all the other books are included, but the order is different), so in effect Christ is including the entire Old Testament in this statement.

As far as the New Testament is concerned, the Scriptures were being circulated as early as 65 A.D. (Col 4:16, Rev 1:11). The canon was being put together before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (II Peter 3:15-16, Jude 17). In about 96 A.D., Clement of Rome quotes from Matthew, Luke, Romans, I Corinthians, Ephesians, I Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, and I John, so they were certainly considered authoritative at that point in time.

It soon became necessary to formalize the canon of Scripture because of heresy. Please note that those involved did not decide what was inspired. As one man put it "Canonicity is determined by God and discovered by man". Through the general use of four tests, (Who was the author? What are the contents? Is this universally accepted by God's people? Does it bear the marks of inspiration?), the canon was formalized.

We do know that in 363, the Synod of Laodicea forbade the reading of non-canonical books. Thus, the canon must have been established by then. The earliest complete listing of the 27 New Testament books was given by Athanasius in a letter written in 367 A.D. The councils at Hippo (393), Carthage (397), and Carthage again (419), reaffirm this list.

By Dr Mark Montgomery Ambassador Baptist Church 1926 Babcock Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15209 (412)477-3210