Can Protestants Trust the Canon of Scripture?: A Personal Response Paper

There are many questions surrounding the authenticity of the canon of Scripture. Is it infallible? Is the canon an accurate source of truth? Is it really inspired by God? Although I do not have the time to delve into questions of this sort, I would like to explain why I believe the Protestant canon of Scripture is trustworthy.
2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 states that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” In other words, the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God and is applicable to our lives. The term “divinely inspired” means that every word in the Bible is God’s Word for His people. This gives us confidence that what we have in the Bible is what God wanted us to learn.
When the early church fathers convened to assemble the canon, they used the following qualifiers to determine which books would be considered as part of the canon:
- The writings had to be written by an apostle or a close associate of an apostle
- The writings had to be widely distributed and read in the churches of the time
- The writings had to be quoted by church leaders.

The fathers had chosen these qualifiers so as to preserve the purity of the canon. For example, if one book was not widely read and distributed they asked if the book was applicable to the Christian life. If any book could not pass all three points, it was not accepted into the canon. God chose these qualifications for all of His divinely inspired words that He wanted to be in our Bible.
A way that I personally find comfort in the infallibility of the canon is that, God, in His sovereignty, had already ordained which books would and would not be included in the canon. I like the way the author of the article entitled “How Can Protestants Trust the Canon of Scripture?” phrased it: “Ultimately, it was God who decided what books belonged in the biblical canon. A book of Scripture belonged in the canon from the moment God inspired its writing. It was simply a matter of God convincing his human followers which books should be included in the Bible.” Although the way this author phrased particularly the final sentence may raise a few reformed eyebrows, the concept is still, I believe, valid. God did not just wait for the church fathers to try to put the canon together on their own – with all the mistakes and blunders that, as humans, they most certainly would have made! God had already chosen which books would and would not be included in the canon and simply guided His people in their selection of the books. This fact gives us confidence that every word of the Bible is exactly what God knew we would need for our lives as Christians.
Praise the Lord for His sovereignty over all things! If we do not hold fast to this beloved doctrine we may instead walk in the fear that the Bible as we know it may not be what God intended for us to know. Yet, in His sovereignty, I personally am convinced that everything we have in the Bible is what He wanted us to know about Him.
Works Cited:

“How Can Protestants Trust the Canon of Scripture?” (Author Unknown)
Systematic Theology, pgs. 54 – 69 (Wayne Grudem)
Omnibus II: Church Fathers through the Reformation, pgs. 3 – 12 (Stuart W. Bryan)

Are There Apostles Today?: An Essay

The term “apostle” has been around ever since before the beginning of what we would call the church. Although traditionally used to refer to the twelve apostles that Christ had personally chosen, the term may be acceptable to use even for Christians today. The word apostle is from the Greek word apostolos which means, “one who is sent.” There are many instances in the Bible where the word apostle is mentioned – eighty times in the King James Version.

Until the beginning of the church, the word in its Biblical context referred only to the twelve apostles that were specifically chosen by the Lord while in His human form. With the death of Judas Iscariot, however, the remaining eleven apostles believed it necessary that another man fill the spot, which Judas Iscariot had left vacant. After casting lots, the apostles chose Matthias to become the new twelfth apostle, even though he was not chosen by the Lord while in His physical body.

Another example of an apostle who was chosen by a process other than by Christ in his physical body is that of Paul. Paul was confronted on the road to Damascus by the voice of the Lord and a bright light, which soon led to his conversion. Then, in the introduction of the book to the Romans, Paul writes, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God…” (Romans 1:1), clearly believing that he was an apostle even though he had not had any face-to-face contact with the Lord.

One may argue, however, that Paul, through his confrontation on the road to Damascus, and Matthias, through the Lord’s sovereignty over the outcome of the lots, were indeed chosen directly by the Lord to be called apostles. Even in the examples of people such as James, the Lord’s brother, and Barnabas, who were both referred as apostles in Galatians 1:19 and Acts 14:14, respectively, it is safe to argue that the Lord may have bestowed a similar honor upon them. In the case of James, close fellowship with Christ was likely a daily routine, and, as seen in Acts 9:27, Barnabas already had an established relationship with the apostles and for that reason he may have been considered an apostle himself.

There is no accounting, however, using the previously stated arguments for the following verse written to the Corinthians: “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works” (2 Corinthians 12:12), for Christ never was recorded to visit the city of Corinth, which was about 600 miles away from Jerusalem as the crow flies, and it is unlikely that the Corinthians received any special revelation from the risen Christ in which he ordained them to be apostles. It is also important to note that Paul did not “ordain” any of the Corinthians to be apostles since his missionary to the city of Corinth was not particularly long and scholars are not sure whether or not Paul made a second journey to that city.

So should Christians today be called apostles? This is a question wrought with peril and many implications. The term apostle is traditionally reserved only for those chosen by Christ during His life on the earth and for Paul. The term thus implies religious authority that none today possess. However, by strictly using the definition of the word as our guideline, many people could be “apostles,” though not necessarily apostles of Christ.

By narrowing the definition to include only those who “are sent” and those who meet the requirements of 2 Corinthians 12:12, we may say that missionaries and church planters, and, quite possibly, all Christians under the Great Commission, are apostles. It may be wisest, however, to avoid use of this term because it implies a degree of religious authority that no Christian possesses today.

The Jew and also the Greek: An Essay

This was an essay that I wrote for school about the interactions between the Jews, early Christians, and Gentiles and then also addressing the issue of studying the Bible for devotional purposes verses studying the Bible for historical purposes. I know that it’s a little unpolished but I hope that you enjoy it!

 

The Jews, Gentiles, and the early Christians had many differences that often caused negative interaction between them, these differences primarily being differences of belief and religious practice. Throughout the Old Testament, by making a covenant with the Jews and giving them His law, the Lord set the Jews apart from the Gentile nations. The Jews were commanded to conquer the surrounding nations and not make peace with them unless they were very far away (Deuteronomy 20:10 – 15). On the other side of the same coin, the Lord used the pagan Gentile nations such as Egypt, Babylon, and Rome to conquer His people – usually when they were falling into sin. Thus, to the Jews, the Gentiles were either the hated conquered or the feared conquerors.  When Israel came into peace with the pagan nations, the Jews began to act as the pagans did and the Lord judged the nation of Israel for their sin. Thus, for those reasons, the Jews and the Gentiles almost continually had a strained relationship.

 

The Jews has a mixed response to Christ, and, likewise they had a mixed response to Christians. There were many Jews who wished to kill all the Christians, but there were others heard the word and believed, such as on the day known now as Pentecost, where, “those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” (Acts 2:41, NKJV). In contrast, often the Jews, especially the religious leaders, were so intent on eradicating the Christians that they relied on and/or stirred up the Gentiles to help them in their quest, as in Paul’s trip to the city of Iconium, where “the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.” (Acts 14:2, NKJV)

 

The Christians had been commanded to take the Word to the Jews first, and also to the Greek. Thus, there were many Jewish converts. Surprisingly, the Gentiles came to Christ and to the early Christians for counseling and the Christians were happy to help, as evidenced by the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10, or, in the story of Philip and the eunuch in Acts 8:34 – 35 (NIV), “The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” The Gentiles were often wary of the Christians and treated them with suspicion. When the results of Christian teaching affected their business negatively, however, the Gentiles took strong measures against them, as in the case of Demetrius the Silversmith (Acts 19:23 – 41).

 

Another level at which the early Christians, Jews, and Gentiles differed was their reading of the Scriptures and their reasons for reading the Scriptures. By reading the Scriptures merely as a reliable historical source, one is seeking to gain historical insight on events of the past but is not necessarily reading for the purpose of tracing God’s plan of redemption through history. Reading the Scriptures for devotional purposes, on the other hand, implies studying it with the intent of learning what God has to say to His people. The mere facts of the Bible would have been such a major part of the Jews culture and tradition that it is likely that they already knew a large part of their history through the many feasts they attended and through oral tradition that is so prevalent in the Near and Middle East that Jews would have studied the Bible primarily for “devotional” purposes – for seeking God’s will and revelation through the law and the prophets. The Gentiles, as a whole, would have been unfamiliar with the Scriptures and likely didn’t study the Scriptures at all. Because the early Christians were a mix of converted Jews and Gentiles, many of them Gentiles, they would have studied the Scriptures for both historical and devotional purposes, because they, especially the Gentiles, would be unfamiliar with both the historical and devotional content of this new religion, and, for the Jews, they re-read or were re-taught the Scriptures in light of their new revelation.

 

In short, there were many factors which affected the interaction between the first-century Jews, Christians, and Gentiles. Although a significant amount of the interaction between these groups was negative due to differences of belief and practice, this was not always the case, especially between the early Christians and Gentiles. Like the early church, it is my prayer that we will all have the boldness to proclaim Jesus, crucified and resurrected, to all the world and wherever we go – to the Jew and also to the Gentile.

Summer Camp

Hey everyone!

As you probably know, this week, I’m going to be going to summer camp and I would like all of you, if you want to/are able to/have time to comment on the blog that keeps the world informed of our doings at camp . The address is www.fvbcsummercamp.blogspot.com . Starting sometime tomorrow evening, the blog will be updated and then updated several times throughout the week. So, if you would like to check it regularly and make a few comments here and there it would be a lot of fun!!!!

Thanks so much and I would appreciate your prayers as we leave for a week!

- Nathan

The Great Divorce

I recently revewis’ book, The Great Divorce, for a homework assignment. It’s an interesting read!

The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis, is one of Christianity’s classics. Filled with complex theological and philosophical ideas, this book was likely intended for older readers, but, with parental guidance, would be good for any age to tackle. There are no illustrations in the 128-page edition published by Macmillan Publishing Company.

The Great Divorce is an unusual tale in the first-person. The story follows Lewis as he begins his journey in a dismal, dreary town he later learns is Hell and then catches a bus ride with an ugly, boisterous crowd up to a land he discovers is Heaven. Heaven is a very real place. So real, in fact, that everything that comes from Hell pales in comparison. All the real things in Hell cannot compare with the reality of Heaven that all of the people who took the bus ride became, for all practical purposes, Ghosts. They cannot tread upon the grass without pain because the grass goes completely through them. They cannot lift a leaf off of the ground without great exertion because everything in Heaven is simply much more real then they are. Many Ghosts, however, are so wrapped up with their human, earthly pleasure that they have no desire in their hearts for the joys of Heaven and seek to return to Hell. There are many characters who float in and out of the storyline, such as the many Ghosts and the Spirits who are sent to try to convince the Ghosts to enter the joys of Heaven.

This story is different from many stories for the reason that the book focuses on philosophy and theology over an actual plot line. There are many conflicts between the different Ghosts and the Spirits who are trying to convince them to give up their world pleasures. The climax, however, is rarely reached because the narrative simply states that, as the Ghosts and Spirits walked out of earshot, Lewis never learned whether or not the Spirits actually convinced the ghosts to stay in Heaven. However, there are a few exceptions, which bring much-desired closure or completion to the many plot triangles that Lewis presents.

As with the conflict, there isn’t what could traditionally be called a climax, although the last three pages have somewhat of a great intensity than the rest of the book. When the end of the book is reached, Lewis’ point shines through. While we still have life upon this earth, we must give up our earthly desires so that we may persevere to Heaven.

Lewis was a powerful writer. Lewis had the unique ability to come to terms with your beliefs and with your relationship with God. You may not agree with everything he has to say, but that doesn’t mean you will necessarily enjoy the book less. His books make you examine your heart and your motives and your desires, which every Christian and non-Christian needs from time-to-time. Lewis was firmly grounded in his beliefs and we can only marvel at what God did through him.

Psalm 121

In looking forward to Summer Camp in 34 days, I thought that it would be appropriate to publish one of our Scripture memorization passages: Psalm 121. Apparently we have another one as well, but I don’t know what it is yet. This is a beautiful Psalm and our pastor just preached on it yesterday.

Enjoy!

Psalm 121
A Song of Ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

Idols

Hey, everyone! I’ve decided that it’s about time to do another good post, so here it is: in the form of a question.

It’s easy to see why non-Christians may make idols out of various things, but why do you think that Christians tend to make idols out of things just like non-Christians do? By idols, I mean things that become so important that they take up more of our thought, time, alove, and devotion than Christ.

I’d like to know your thoughts on this subject!

Thanks!

- Nathan

41 Days until Summer Camp 2009!

Noah Today…

I know that this is hardly sanctified, especially the ending, but I thought that you might get a few laughs!

Enjoy!

NOAH TODAY

In the year 2008, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in the United States, and said: “Once again, the earth has become wicked and over -populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good humans.”

He gave Noah the blueprints, saying: “You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights.”

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard – but no Ark.

“Noah!,” He roared, “I’m about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?”

“Forgive me, Lord,” begged Noah, “but things have changed. I needed a building permit. I’ve been arguing with the inspector about the need for a sprinkler system. My neighbors claim that I’ve violated the neighborhood zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height limitations. We had to go to the Development Appeal Board for a decision. Then the Department of Transportation demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark’s move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it. Getting the wood was another problem. There’s a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls – but no go! When I started gathering the animals, an animal rights group sued me. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodations were too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space. Then the EPA ruled that I couldn’t build the Ark until they’d conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood. I’m still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I’m supposed to hire for my building crew. Immigration and Naturalization are checking the green-card status of most of the people who want to work. The trades unions say I can’t use my sons. They insist I have to hire only Union workers with Ark-building experience. To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets, claiming I’m trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species. So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark.

Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, “You mean you’re not going to destroy the world?” “No,” said the Lord. “The GOVERNMENT beat me to it.”

No Scenes of Stately Majesty

Here’s a song that I personally enjoy by Enya’s sister, Moya Brennan, and I thought that it would be appropriate for Easter reflections!

Enjoy!

If that doesn’t work, use this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm8BPyK_PtY&feature=related

1,000!

Hello, everyone!

I promise that another post is soon to be on the way, but I just wanted to say that, like my brother, I, too, have reached 1,000 views! It’s taken awhile, but we’re there! I guess that Ian’s more popular than I am in America, but I have a love of British views (YES!!!)

Thanks so much to all of my regular readers and especially all of you who sign up for my updates!

- Nathan