The word “canon” comes from the rule of law that was used to determine if a  book measured up to a standard. It is important to note that the writings of  Scripture were canonical at the moment they were written. Scripture was  Scripture when the pen touched the parchment. This is very important because  Christianity does not start by defining God, or Jesus Christ, or salvation. The  basis of Christianity is found in the authority of Scripture. If we cannot  identify what Scripture is, then we cannot properly distinguish any theological  truth from error.

What measure or standard was used to determine which  books should be classified as Scripture? A key verse to understanding the  process and purpose, and perhaps the timing of the giving of Scripture, is Jude 3 which states that a  Christian’s faith “was once for all entrusted to the saints.” Since our faith is  defined by Scripture, Jude is essentially saying that Scripture was given once  for the benefit of all Christians. Isn’t it wonderful to know that there are no  hidden or lost manuscripts yet to be found, there are no secret books only  familiar to a select few, and there are no people alive who have special  revelation requiring us to trek up a Himalayan mountain in order to be  enlightened? We can be confident that God has not left us without a witness. The  same supernatural power God used to produce His Word has also been used to  preserve it.

Psalm  119:160 states that the entirety of God’s Word is truth. Starting with that  premise, we can compare writings outside the accepted canon of Scripture to see  if they meet the test. As an example, the Bible claims that Jesus Christ is God  (Isaiah  9:6-7; Matthew  1:22-23; John 1:1, 2, 14, 20:28; Acts 16:31,  34; Philippians 2:5-6; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8;  2 Peter  1:1). Yet many extra-biblical texts, claiming to be Scripture, argue that  Jesus is not God. When clear contradictions exist, the established Bible is to  be trusted, leaving the others outside the sphere of Scripture.

In the  early centuries of the church, Christians were sometimes put to death for  possessing copies of Scripture. Because of this persecution, the question soon  came up, “What books are worth dying for?” Some books may have contained sayings  of Jesus, but were they inspired as stated in 2 Timothy  3:16? Church councils played a role in publicly recognizing the canon of  Scripture, but often an individual church or groups of churches recognized a  book as inspired from its writing (e.g., Colossians  4:16; 1  Thessalonians 5:27). Throughout the early centuries of the church, few books  were ever disputed and the list was basically settled by A.D. 303.

When  it came to the Old Testament, three important facts were considered: 1) The New  Testament quotes from or alludes to every Old Testament book but two. 2) Jesus  effectively endorsed the Hebrew canon in Matthew  23:35 when He cited one of the first narratives and one of the last in the  Scriptures of His day. 3) The Jews were meticulous in preserving the Old  Testament Scriptures, and they had few controversies over what parts belong or  do not belong. The Roman Catholic Apocrypha did not measure up and fell outside  the definition of Scripture and has never been accepted by the Jews.

Most questions about which books belong in the Bible dealt with writings from  the time of Christ and forward. The early church had some very specific criteria  in order for books to be considered as part of the New Testament. These  included: Was the book written by someone who was an eyewitness of Jesus Christ?  Did the book pass the “truth test”? (i.e., did it concur with other, already  agreed-upon Scripture?). The New Testament books they accepted back then have  endured the test of time and Christian orthodoxy has embraced these, with little  challenge, for centuries.

Confidence in the acceptance of specific books  dates back to the first century recipients who offered firsthand testimony as to  their authenticity. Furthermore, the end-time subject matter of the book of  Revelation, and the prohibition of adding to the words of the book in Revelation 22:18, argue  strongly that the canon was closed at the time of its writing (c. A.D.  95).

There is an important theological point that should not be missed.  God has used His word for millennia for one primary purpose—to reveal Himself  and communicate to mankind. Ultimately, the church councils did not decide if a  book was Scripture; that was decided when the human author was chosen by God to  write. In order to accomplish the end result, including the preservation of His  Word through the centuries, God guided the early church councils in their  recognition of the canon.

The acquisition of knowledge regarding such  things as the true nature of God, the origin of the universe and life, the  purpose and meaning of life, the wonders of salvation, and future events  (including the destiny of mankind) are beyond the natural observational and  scientific capacity of mankind. The already-delivered Word of God, valued and  personally applied by Christians for centuries, is sufficient to explain to us  everything we need to know of Christ (John 5:18; Acts 18:28; Galatians 3:22; 2 Timothy 3:15) and to  teach us, correct us, and instruct us into all righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).