Inspiration and Canon

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[edit] What Scripture Is and What Is Scripture?

[edit] Inspiration, Understanding, and Interpretation

The foundational truth for all theology is stated in John 1:18

qeo.n ouvdei.j e`w,raken pw,pote\ o` monogenh.j ui`o,j( o` w'n eivj to.n ko,lpon tou/ patro.j evkei/noj evxhgh,sato

Only because Jesus, the Word made man, served as “exegete,” that is, “narrator,” for the Father, is there theology.

Jesus spoke not only during his public ministry in Galilee. He also speaks through the prophets of the Old Testament (1 Peter 1:10-11).

But he also speaks in the apostles of the New Testament (2 Cor. 13:3; 1 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 2:17).

This indeed fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament (Acts 26:22-23).

The ministry of the New Testament is one of Spirit, not of letter; the latter kills, the former makes alive; the former is the Gospel, the latter is the law (Romans 7:6; 2 Cor. 3:16).

Because the Bible is authored by the Spirit of Christ, it is clear; but those who do not have this Spirit will not be able to understand it. Only Christians will understand what the Spirit says because they have the same Spirit. Salvation and understanding go hand in hand; spiritual “enlightenment” comes from God’s Word, the Scriptures, themselves, not from human preparations. The Word makes wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus as it speaks law and gospel. (Psalm 119:105; John 20:30-31; Romans 8:9; 10:17; 15:4; 1 Cor. 2:14; 10:11; 2 Cor. 2:12; 4:3-6; Gal. 3:2; 2 Tim. 3:14-17).

Scripture is therefore to be interpreted by the same Spirit who authored it. Because in the Christians this Spirit is still under siege by the flesh, Scripture is to be interpreted by Scripture.

Scriptural hermeneutic is thus in correspondence to the doctrine of justification: God works alone, but he works through external means.

The clarity of Scripture does not mean that there are no “difficult” passages in it that can and will be misunderstood as the rest of Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16).

Summary: The Scripture is God’s own clear word in writing which has the power to interpret itself.

[edit] The Canon

Christ recognized the threefold Hebrew Canon of the OT (Luke 24:44). But he did not give a list of canonical books (e.g., by purposely quoting from all canonical OT books). Generally speaking, prophetic authorship or prophetic approval of a book, witnessed and handed down by the OT church (Deut. 13), was the main criterion.

The New Testament analogue is the authorship and approval by one of the twelve apostles of Christ (John 14:26; Acts 1:8; 2:22; 2 Cor. 12:12; Hebr. 2:3-4). Here too no absolutely definite canon lists can be provided. According to the decisive testimony of the Early Church, some writings are unanimously received as apostolic (homolegoumena); some are clearly rejected as non-apostolic; others are dubious (antilegomena).

Until the modern age books were received, or rejected, as a whole (not in bits and pieces).

Summary: Every book written by a legitimate prophet, apostle, or evangelist who was attested by God as such to his people is Scriptur