Radicallybiblical’s Weblog

The Formation of the Bible

        There are several points of note that must be considered before coming to any conclusions about the matter of how we came to have a completed Bible of all and only the 66 books therein.

 The Old Testament

1. As soon as the last book, Malachi, was written, only and all of the 39 books of the Old Testament were all widely accepted as making up, what was then, the Bible.
2. Each Old Testament book was accepted as the Word of God as soon as it was written and/or spoken (Deuteronomy 31:9-13, 24-26; Nehemiah 8:1-8).
3. The copies of the books were accepted as God’s Word (Deuteronomy 17:18-20; Joshua 8:30-35).
4. The people even accepted the books of the Old Testament when they found them after being lost for many years (II Chronicles 34:1-21).
5. Jesus Himself accepted and quoted the Old Testament as the Word of God (Matthew 5:17-18; Luke 24:27, 44-45) – (There is a three-fold division of the Old Testament: The Law written by Moses, the Prophets, and the Wisdom Writings beginning with the largest of books; Psalms.  Sometimes the Old Testament Scriptures were summarized by saying: 1. The Law; or 2. The Law (or Moses) and the Prophets; or 3. The Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms (or Writings).  Here we see that Jesus not only accepted the entire Old Testament (all 39 books) as the Word of God, but that He also stated that it all is really about Him.)

The New Testament

1. The last of the Old Testament books prophesies that there will be more revelation to come as fulfilled in the New Testament (Malachi 3:1; 4:4-6; Matthew 3:1-17; 11:1-19; Mark 1:1-15; Luke 1:5-25, 57-80; 3:1-22).  Therefore, we see that the Old Testament gives way and reason to the New Testament.
2. The New Testament gives clarity, greater understanding, and final fulfillment of many of the Old Testament passages, especially the prophecies.
3. The New Testament quotes the Old Testament hundreds of times.  Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books references the Old Testament book of Isaiah 419 times and the book of Psalms 414 times; and the book of Genesis is referenced 260 times in 21 of the 27 New Testament books.
4. Since Jesus, having all authority (Matthew 7:28-29; 28:18; John 16:30) gave the final word of acceptance on the Old Testament books, it stands to reason that He would also do the same for the New Testament books (John 14:6; 17:17; 18:37; Hebrews 1:1-3a).  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave a prophetic promise to His disciples about the Truth that would come to and through them (John 14:15-17, 25-26; 16:7-15).  Jesus called His apostles and sent them out to tell His Truth under His command, with His authority (Luke 6:13; 9:1-6; 24:44-49; Matthew 16:13-20; 28:16-20; John 20:21; Acts 1:8-9).  Thus, whatever they said and wrote and accepted as the Truth of God, was to be accepted as such.
5. The New Testament writers, who affirmed the Old Testament as the Word of God, also equated their words and writings as the Scriptures of God (II Timothy 3:14-17; I Thessalonians 2:13; II Peter 1:16-21; 3:15-16).
6. Most of the New Testament writers identified their writings as written by themselves (Luke 1:1-4; II Thessalonians 3:17; John 21:24; I John 1:1-4; etc…).
7. All of the New Testament books were written either by the Apostles or by close associates of the Apostles who conferred with the Apostles about their writings.  The Apostle Paul wrote 13 of the 27 New Testament books; the Apostle John wrote 5; the Apostle Peter wrote 2; the Apostle Matthew wrote 1.  Thus, 21 of the 27 New Testament books were written by Apostles.  Mark and Luke were companions of Paul and Peter.  James and Jude were companions with Peter and other Apostles.  And the content and style of the book of Hebrews shows that its writer was either the Apostle Paul or was closely associated with him.
8. The oral teachings of the New Testament were accepted as the Word of God as soon as they were heard by the early Church.  They were spread more widely much faster than the written New Testament.  (I Thessalonians 2:13; Many great scholars agree that the words of I Corinthians 15:1-7 were orally spread and accepted as the Word of God about 3 to 5 years after Jesus died, rose again, and ascended into Heaven).
9. The Church did not make the Bible, but the Bible made the Church.  More accurately put, the authority of the Bible, which existed in Jesus and His Apostles before the Church, founded the Church.  The Church recognizing what God had done, does not mean that the Church did it.  Because it was the Bible (all 66 books) that established the church, the Bible was therefore recognized and fully/finally accepted as God’s Word.
10. We know from extra-Biblical, non-Christian sources that at least most of the Church had apparently acknowledged the entire 66-book Bible before A.D. 144 as the Word of God.  With final and formal recognition coming by the whole Church by A.D. 397.
11. The Church recognized the books that were 1. Written by an Apostle; 2. Written by a close associate of an Apostle; 3. Written in the Apostolic Age (the time before the last Apostle, John, died).; and 4. Accepted by and imposed on the Church/World by the Apostles as the Word of God.
12. The authority given by Jesus to the Apostles determined the books of the Bible, and founded the Church (I Corinthians 3:5-11; 10:8; 13:8-10; Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians 2:19-21; 4:1-16; Galatians 1:1, 11-12; II Peter 1:16-21).
13. When the last of all the Apostles, John, died in the late 90’s, he sealed up and closed the Written Revelation of God (Revelation 22:18-19).
14. Conclusion: Whatever Jesus accepted and imposed on people as the True Word of God was the Word of God.  And since Jesus gave His authority and commission to the Apostles, whatever they accepted and imposed on the world, specifically the Church, as the True Word of God was (and is) the only Word of God.

I’m posting a link to a helpful blog post for leading your family in worship of the Almighty Savior.

Here’s something I got from utilizing the resources that the above link points to:

19th Century Scottish preacher Robert Murray M’Cheyne once said regarding family devotions:

Worship God in your family. – If you do not worship God in your family, you are living in positive sin; you may be quite sure you do not care for the souls of your family. If you neglect to spread a meal for your children to eat, would it not be said that you did not care for their bodies? And if you do not lead your children and servants to the green pastures of God’s Word, and to seek the living water, how plain is it that you do not care for their souls! Do it regularly, morning and evening. It is more needful than your daily food, more needful than your work. How vain and silly all your excuses will appear, when you look back from Hell! Do it fully. Some clip off the psalm, and some the reading of the Word; and so the worship of God is reduced to a mockery. Do it in a spiritual, lively manner, go to it as to a well of salvation.

Click on the picture below to read what it would mean

if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead.

During this holy week (or passion week), it would be good to read the passages of Scripture that correspond to each day in the last week of Jesus’ pre-resurrection life.

Matthew 21-27– Mark 11-15 — Luke 19-23 — John 12-19

To aid in a more complete and clearer understanding, here are some of the more famous and substantial events of the Passion/Holy Week in each of the Gospels :

PALM SUNDAY (So called becasue (more…)