The Authority of the Biblical Canon

Seung-woo Byun

• Publisher: Holypearl
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9791190341745
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christianity

All problems in the Church arise from neglect of the Bible. From the heretics to the orthodox churches, every problem that has arisen in Christianity is a result of confessing only with words that the Bible is the Church's foundation while having failed to truly hold onto this. Thus, the solution to every problem in the Church is to simply return to the Scripture. 1. Heretical entities that have sprung up by adding to or subtracting something from the Bible 2. New theology and liberation theology that devastated the Church 3. Religious pluralism that stripped Christianity even of its identity 4. Apostasy and derailing of the US and European churches that accepted homosexuality 5. Many churches that elevate religious dogma and tradition over the Bible 6. Blind faith in the revelations that historical saints and mystics have received 7. Blind faith in contemporary ecstatic or spiritual experiences Why do these problems arise? They arise from a disbelief in the absolute authority of the Bible or underestimation of it even if they do believe in its authority. So I believe the faith in the ultimate authority of the Bible needs to be restored. However, there is a serious roadblock to believing in the absolute authority of the Bible. The problem is the canonization process. I have been feeling a dire need and a huge burden to provide teaching on the reliability of the canonization process. Why is this topic, which is of little interest to the public, important? It is because, as the saying goes, "A deeply rooted tree will not be shaken." One will not stumble or be shaken to and fro by all kinds of teachings only when he or she stands on the conviction that the 66 books of the Bible constitute the canon.

Chapter 1

How Can We Be Sure That the List of Books the Church Councils Selected Is Indeed Canonical?

First, let me explain the origin of the word “canon.”

The word “canon” derives from the Greek word “kanon,” meaning a measuring stick or a ruler. This word is “kaneh” in Hebrew, which, in the Old Testament, meant a “measuring rod” (Ezek. 40:3). Before its use in the Bible, this word was widely used to refer to a standard or a norm rather than literally a rod or a ruler.4 The usage was expanded to moral areas and came to refer to a logical standard that humans use to weigh the truth or the actual value of certain actions.5

So, early Christians used the word “canon” to mean a “yardstick of faith” or “standardized records,” i.e., the “authoritative Bible.” 6 Hence, “canon” refers to the Old and New Testament books we embrace as biblical standards of our faith and lives.

Note that the authority of the canon, i.e., the Bible, is absolute. There are two reasons for this.

(1) The Bible Is the Word of God

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

All Scripture is “breathed out by God.” So, it has authority. In other words, it is often called “inspired.” What does it mean, then, when it says it is breathed out, i.e., inspired by God?

According to the original text, the word “inspired” means that God “breathed out,” or “breathed into” something. Wayne Grudem’s explanation of this is quite remarkable.

It emphasizes here that all the texts in the Old Testament are God-inspired. The expression that everything was inspired (breathed upon by God) is a metaphorical way of saying that God said it directly. 7

Let me add my own opinion here. On the way to the “Lord’s Embrace Retreat Center,” there is a guesthouse called “Ruah.” In Hebrew, the word “ruah” means “spirit,” “wind,” or “breath.” So, I think this word means “inspiration of the Holy Spirit.” The following Scripture supports this idea.

… knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along (inspired) by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20, 21)

The inspiration of God means nothing other than the ”inspiration of the Holy Spirit.” All Scripture is God-breathed, or Holy Spirit-inspired. That is why it is the Word of God and has paramount authority.

I would like to introduce here a very appealing interpretation of Professor Gi-ho Sung on the phrase “all Scripture is breathed out by God.”

The expression that Scripture is God-inspired means that God’s breath was over the entire Scripture. The phrase ‘breathed out by God’ in the statement ‘All Scripture is breathed out by God’ in 2 Timothy 3:16 is “theópneustos” in its original Greek text, which means that ‘God breathed in life.’

God also breathed life into human beings when He created them. It says, ‘the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature’ (Gen. 2:7). When God’s breath entered the lifeless dust of the ground, it was transformed into a living being. Likewise, the Bible became the living Word of God when God’s breath went into it. Unlike other books, the Bible that God breathed upon has become a living book. Hence, the writer of Hebrews also declares that ‘The Word of God is living and active’ (Heb. 4:12).

The Bible itself, which is the Word of God, is not only alive but also gives life to human beings. That is why Jesus said to the crowd who came to Him, ‘The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life’ (Jn. 6:63). It is the Word of God that gives life to sinners who are born in sin, live in sin, and cannot but be eternally damned. God had Peter write down this truth: “since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God.” (1 Pet. 1:23).8

The Bible is a living book. Also, it is the bread of life. Therefore, we must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Mt. 4:4). We drink in life every time we read the Bible or listen to sermons. So, I encourage you to read the Bible diligently and listen to sermons attentively without ever dozing off.

(2) The Bible Is Perfect

This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (2 Samuel 22:31)

This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (Psalms 18:30)

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. (Psalms 19:7)

God’s Word is perfect. The writer of Psalms rephrased it as follows:

The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. (Psalms 12:6)

Imagine what will happen if silver is put into a furnace and refined as many as seven times. All impurities will be eliminated, and only the silver in its pure form will remain. The Bible is like this. There is no impurity in the Bible. Agur, son of Jakeh, writes thus in the Proverbs:

Every Word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5)

David also wrote in the Psalms:

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (Psalms 119:160)

Wayne Grudem wrote the following about this verse:

When the psalmist says, “The sum of your word is truth; and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever” (Ps. 119:160), he implies that God’s words are not only true individually but also viewed together as a whole. Viewed collectively, their “sum” is also “truth.” Ultimately, there is no internal contradiction either in Scripture or in God’s own thoughts. 9

In the book of Titus, Apostle Paul talked about “God, who never lies” (Tt. 1:2). In Hebrews 6:18, it says, “It is impossible for God to lie.” God cannot lie. Now, the Bible is the Word of God. So, all of the words in the Bible are true. They are the truth. The Bible is infallible and perfect. So, I encourage all of you to firmly believe in the absolute authority of the Bible.

The Bible is the Word of God and is perfect. That is why it became the absolutely authoritative canon. Then, when were the 66 books of the Bible, and especially the 27 books of the New Testament affirmed as the canon? The Letters of Athanasius written for Easter of 367 AD was the Church’s first official decision.10 The Latin Church specifically designated ...

Table of contents

• Prologue
• Chapter 1｜How Can We Be Sure That the List of Books the Church Councils Selected Is Indeed Canonical?
• Chapter 2｜Do 39 Old Testament Canon Books Truly Have Absolute Authority?
• Chapter 3｜Why Do Catholics and Christians Use Different Canons?
• Chapter 4｜Are the 27 New Testament Books Indeed Canonical Books Vested with Absolute Authority?
• Chapter 5｜Is There Any Chance That New Canon Books Might Be Written in the Future?
• Endnote
• About the Author