The New Testament as Part of the Biblical Canon (TMF:342)

Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Peace to Live By: The New Testament as Part of the Biblical Canon (TMF:342) - Daniel Litton
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       Perhaps even more amazing than this is the fact that all of the Old Testament books were quoted by the New Testament authors, with the exception of Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. As an aside, perhaps the reason for Esther not being quoted is because the book bears the name of a woman, which perhaps would not have been culturally acceptable by many at the time. And perhaps Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon were not included because of the nature of their content. I want to turn now from the Old Testament and take a look at the New Testament, and how it relates to being part of the Canon of Scripture. Books that were accepted into the Canon were said to have the authority of an apostle behind them. In the early church, the 12 Apostles were considered the spiritual leaders of the Church. These apostles were the ones that were originally given the Great Commission, except for Matthias, of course. Jesus also bestowed on these people special supernatural abilities, though some of this special connection to God was shared by others. It is important to note that an apostle did not write every book and New Testament. However, it is said that an apostle must have approved a said book for it to have been included in the Canon. Luke is a good example of a New Testament writer that was not an apostle.