The authoritative list of 66 books contained in the Bible is referred to as the canon.1 These books were not selected based on human opinions, preferences, or biases: the canon of Scripture was first revealed by God and then later recognized by man.2
The Canon Was Revealed by God
We can’t know God unless he reveals himself to us (John 3:27), since only God knows the thoughts of God (1 Corinthians 2:6–13). Gratefully, despite our sin, God has revealed himself to us through the words of Scripture.
The canon of Scripture was first revealed by God and then later recognized by man.
According to 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed out by God.” This breathing out of the words of Scripture is often referred to as “inspiration.” Inspiration is the mysterious, supernatural process by which God worked through human authors to reveal divine truth in written form.
So, although Scripture was written down by men, it did not originate with men. Those who penned the words of Scripture were “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
The Canon Was Recognized by Man
Given that the canon was not created by men but rather revealed by God, how did early Christians know which books to recognize as being supernaturally inspired? Here are five fundamental questions that helped determine whether a book should be included in the canon.
1. Was it written by a prophet or apostle of God?
In the Old Testament, men like Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, and Amos were considered prophets. They faithfully proclaimed and wrote down words given to them by God. In the New Testament, authority was associated with the apostles of Jesus.
Jesus promised that the Spirit would guide his apostles— men such as Matthew, John, Peter, and Paul—into the truth and remind them of his teachings (John 14:26; 16:13–14). Not surprisingly, then, the authors of the New Testament letters commonly identified themselves as apostles in the opening of their letters (ex: Romans 1:1).
2. Was it written by someone with a special relationship to a prophet or apostle?
If a book was not written by a prophet or an apostle, then to help ensure its authority, it needed to be written by a close associate of a prophet or an apostle. For example, Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, was not one of the original twelve apostles, but he worked closely alongside the apostle Paul (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11).
3. Does it tell the truth about God?
God’s people examined books, or writings, for both historical accuracy and consistency with what God had revealed about himself in other biblical writings. Canonical writings had to be true and internally consistent in light of the “unchangeable character of his [God’s] purpose” and given that “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:17–18).
4. Does it demonstrate the power of God?
God’s people wanted to see the supernatural effects of a particular book in people’s lives. This kind of demonstration of God’s power attests to a book’s divine authority (Isaiah 55:10–11; 2 Timothy 3:16–17).
5. Was it accepted by the people of God?
While the biblical canon was not officially finalized until the fourth century, that was not the first time God’s people had considered whether particular writings were divinely inspired. The books included in the Bible were often considered authoritative at the time they were spoken and/or written, and their authority was increasingly recognized over the years, decades, and centuries that followed.
Later Old Testament writings treat earlier Old Testament writings as authoritative in both explicit and implicit ways (ex: Malachi 4:4–5). Likewise, the New Testament authors treat the Old Testament writings as the authoritative Word of God (Galatians 3:6). According to Jesus, “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).
The Canon is Complete
Though God continues to speak through his Word for the building up of his church, we should not expect new written revelation today. In fact, Scripture closes with a strong warning against those who would add to, or take away from, God’s words (Revelation 22:18–19). The canon is complete, which means God deemed the 66 books included in our Bibles to be sufficient to carry out his redeeming purposes in and through us (2 Timothy 3:14–17).
- The Roman Catholic Church accepts seven additional books as authoritative and canonical. These books are referred to by Protestants as the Apocrypha. ↵
- This article is adapted from David Platt’s teaching in Secret Church 17, “Scripture and Authority in an Age of Skepticism.” ↵
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
