How Did We Get the Bible?

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How Did We Get the Bible?
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How We Got the Bible

• Lesson Two
• The Formation
• of the New
• Testament

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The Inspiration of Scripture
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Bible Claims of Inspiration
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 316,
17)
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Bible Claims of Inspiration
...No Prophecy of Scripture is of any private
interpretation, for prophecy never came by the
will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 120-21)
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The Nature of Inspiration

• Plenary Full Inspiration. Lat. plenus full.
  All of Scripture is inspired.
• Verbal Inspiration. Every word of Scripture is
  inspired.
• Dynamic Inspiration. Although the the
  personality and environment of the writer was
  allowed to show through - the Holy Spirit held
  absolute control of the outcome.

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The Nature of Inspiration

• Plenary Full Inspiration. Lat. plenus full.
  All of Scripture is inspired.
• Verbal Inspiration. Every word of Scripture is
  inspired.
• Dynamic Inspiration. Although the the
  personality and environment of the writer was
  allowed to show through - the Holy Spirit held
  absolute control of the outcome.

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The Nature of Inspiration

• Plenary Full Inspiration. Lat. plenus full.
  All of Scripture is inspired.
• Verbal Inspiration. Every word of Scripture is
  inspired.
• Dynamic Inspiration. Although the the
  personality and environment of the writer was
  allowed to show through - the Holy Spirit held
  absolute control of the outcome.

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Language in the First Century
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The Language of the Bible

• Hebrew -
  Most of the Old Testament.
• Aramaic - A few passages of the Old Testament
  spoken by Jews in the First Century.
• Koine Common Greek
  - The New Testament.

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The Language of the Bible

• Hebrew -
  Most of the Old Testament.
• Aramaic - A few passages of the Old Testament
  spoken by Jews in the First Century.
• Koine Common Greek
  - The New Testament.

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Jesus His Disciples spoke Aramaic Talitha
cumi Little girl, rise up (Mark 541) Eli,
Eli, lama sabachthani? - My God, My God, why
have You forsaken Me? (Matthew 2746) Abba
Rabboni Mammon Cephas The Only New Testament
Manuscripts in Aramaic (Syriac) are translations
from the Greek.
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The Language of the Bible

• Hebrew -
  Most of the Old Testament.
• Aramaic - A few passages of the Old Testament
  spoken by Jews in the First Century.
• Koine Common Greek
  - The New Testament.

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The Old Testament in Greek

• The Conquest of Alexander the Great brought the
  Greek language to much of the Ancient World.

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The Old Testament in Greek

• The Septuagint (LXX) - translation of the Old
  Testament done before Christ was the Old
  Testament for Greek speaking Jews early
  Christians.

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Koine Greek

• There was a time when the scholars who dealt
  with the original text of the New Testament
  regarded its Greek as a special Holy Ghost
  language, prepared under divine direction for the
  Scripture writers Now it is understood that -
  New Testament Greek is simply a sample of the
  colloquial Greek of the first centuryThe
  inspired writerswrote in the ordinary language
  of the masses
• (Dana Manteys, Manual Grammar of
• New Testament Greek, pp. 9-10)

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Greek Script
Uncials Through 900 AD
Minuscules After 800 AD
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Modern Printed Greek Bible
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Scrolls
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Papyrus
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Parchment
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The Codex
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The Coming of the Messiah
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Messianic Prophecy
The LORD your God will raise up for you a
Prophet like me from your midst, from your
brethren. Him you shall hear. (Deuteronomy
1815)
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Messianic Prophecy
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign
Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,
and shall call His name Immanuel Note
Immanuel means God with Us (Isaiah 714)
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Messianic Prophecy
Know therefore and understand that from the
going forth of the command to restore and build
Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall
be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks... (Daniel
925)
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Jesus ComesForth as the Promised Messiah

• He claims to be the Messiah.

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Jesus the Messiah

• The woman said to Him, I know that
  Messiah is coming (who is called Christ). When He
  comes, He will tell us all things. Jesus said
  to her, I who speak to you am He.
• (John 425-26)

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Jesus ComesForth as the Promised Messiah

• He claims to be the Messiah.
• He accepts other peoples claims that He is the
  Messiah.

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Jesus the Messiah

• Who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter
  answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son
  of the Living God. Jesus answered and said to
  Him, Blessed are you flesh and blood has not
  revealed this to you, but My Father
  who is in heaven.
• (Matthew 1615-17)

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Jesus ComesForth as the Promised Messiah

• He claims to be the Messiah.
• He accepts other peoples claims that He is the
  Messiah.
• He fulfills prophecy pointing to the Messiah.

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Jesus The Prophesied Messiah

• Born in Bethlehem - Taught in Galilee
• (Micah 52 Isaiah 91-2)
• Tribe of Judah - Descendent of David
• (Genesis 4910 Isaiah 97)
• Side Pierced No Broken Bones
• (Zechariah 1210 Psalm 3420)
• Died with Wicked - Buried with Rich
• (Isaiah 539)

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The Great Commission

• Go therefore and make disciples of all the
  nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
  and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching
  them to observe all things that I have commanded
  you...
• (Matthew 2819,20)

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The Spirit of Truth

• However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come,
  He will guide you into all truth
• (John 1613)
• He will teach you all things and bring to your
  remembrance all things that 1 said to you.
• (John 14 26)

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The Apostles Writings

• The things which I write to you are the
  commandments of the Lord.
• (1 Corinthians 1437)

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The Gospels
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The Gospels

• The first four books of the NT relating the life
  of Jesus on Earth.
• Gospel means Good News.
• Written by the Apostles Matthew John and early
  disciples Mark Luke.

Matthew
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Writing of the Gospels
Ca. 60s AD
Mark
Matthew
Luke
John
Ca. 70s AD
Ca. 70s AD
Ca. Late 70s AD
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Writing of the Gospels
Ca. 40-50s AD
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Ca. 70s AD
Ca. 70s AD
Ca. Late 70s AD
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Irenaeus of Lyons ca. 180 AD

• Describes how the Gospels were written
• Matthew among the Hebrews issued a Writing of
  the gospel in their own tongue, while Peter and
  Paul were preaching the gospel at Rome and
  founding the church. After their decease Mark,
  the disciple and interpreter of Peter,

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Irenaeus of Lyons ca. 180 AD

• also handed down to us in writing what Peter
  had preached. Then, Luke, the follower of Paul,
  recorded in a book the gospel as it was preached
  by him. Finally John, the disciple of the
  Lordhimself published the gospel while he was
  residing at Ephesus in Asia.
• (Against Heresies, III.1)

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Irenaeus of Lyons ca. 180 AD

• Speaking of Jesus first disciples says
• They first preached it abroad and then later by
  the will of God handed it down to us in Writings,
  to be the foundation and pillar of our faithFor
  after our Lord had risen from the dead, they were
  clothed with power from on high when the Holy
  Spirit came upon them, they were filled with all
  things and had perfect knowledge.
• (Against Heresies, III.1)

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Man Says This Isnt True!

• B.H. Streeters
• Q Hypothesis
• (Ger. Quelle - source)
• Claims a hypothetical document was written
  before any of the gospels with Jesus sayings.
• Where Matthew Luke differ from
  Mark, Q was the source.
• Luke supposedly follows the order of Q more
  closely than Matthew.

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What Is The Truth?

• Similar wording and order does not show a common
  written source.

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The Holy Spirit is the Common Source
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in my name, He will teach you all
things, and bring to your remembrance all things
that I said to you. (John 1426)
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The Holy Spirit is the Common Source
These things we also speak, not in words which
mans wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit
teaches... (1 Corinthians 213)
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What Is The Truth?

• Similar wording and order does not show a common
  written source.
• Early Christian writers do not speak of a Q
  source.

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Claims of Three Early Writers

• Papias (ca. 120 AD).
• Irenaeus (ca. 150 AD).
• Origen (ca. 210 AD).
• Claim that Matthew, Mark, (Luke John) wrote the
  Gospels themselves

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Origen of Alexandria ca. 210 AD

• In the introduction to his commentary on Matthew
  
• I have learned by tradition that the Gospel
  according to Matthew, who was an Apostle of
  Jesus Christ, was written first The second
  written was that according to Mark, who wrote it
  according to the instruction of Peter, And
  third, was that according to Luke, the Gospel
  commended by Paul, Last of all, that according
  to John..

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Writing of the Gospels
No Q Document?
Ca. 40-50s AD
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Ca. 70s AD
Ca. 70s AD
Ca. Late 70s AD
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Claims of Three Early Writers

• Papias (ca. 120 AD).
• Irenaeus (ca. 150 AD).
• Origen (ca. 210 AD).
• None of them speak of a Q source document!

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Papias of Hierapolis ca. 120 AD

• Only addresses the composition of Matthew Mark,
  and says
• Matthew collected the oracles (Gr. logia) in the
  Hebrew language, and each interpreted them as
  best he could.
• (As quoted in Eusebius Ecclesiastical
  
• History, Bk 3, 39.16)

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The Logia of Jesus

• Papias observation about Matthews connection
  with The Sayings (logia), is naturally understood
  to mean taking down Jesus words as he uttered
  themHis further statement that each one
  translated them as best he could seems to refer
  primarily to the TwelveI cannot see that any
  published book of these sayings is indicated, as
  is often assumed.
• (Edgar J. Goodspeed, Matthew
• Apostle Evangelist, p. 88)

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What Is The Truth?

• Similar wording and order does not show a common
  written source.
• Early Christian writers do not speak of a Q
  source.
• This theory seeks to discredit the Bibles clear
  claims of inspiration.
• There is no evidence for
  this false theory!

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The New Testament Canon
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Books of the New Testament

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
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Books of the New Testament27 Books

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
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Books of the New Testament27 Books

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
Books of History
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Books of the New Testament27 Books

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
The Gospels
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Books of the New Testament27 Books

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
The Gospels The Life of Christ
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Books of the New Testament27 Books

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
The Gospels
Acts of The Apostles
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Books of the New Testament27 Books

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
Volume 1 Life of Christ
Volume 2 History of the Early Church
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Books of the New Testament27 Books

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
Letters to Churches
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Books of the New Testament27 Books

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
Letters to Individuals
66
Books of the New Testament27 Books
General Epistles

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
67
Books of the New Testament27 Books

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1
Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelatio
n
Prophecy
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The Early Churchs Use of New Testament Books
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The New Testament in Early Church Writers

• Preserves the New Testament Text.
• Used in Worship.
• Used as a Source of Authority.

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NT Quotations in Early Church Writers
Indeed, so extensive are these citations that if
all other sources of our knowledge of the text of
the New Testament were destroyed, they would be
sufficient alone for the reconstruction of
practically the entire New Testament (The Text
of the New Testament, Bruce Metzger,
p. 86).
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The New Testament in Early Church Writers

• Preserves the New Testament Text.
• Used in Worship.
• Used as a Source of Authority.

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Justin Martyr ca. 150 AD

• Describing the Lords Supper, mentions -
• For the Apostles, in the memoirs composed by
  them, which are called Gospels, thus handed down
  what was commanded them that Jesus, taking bread
  and having given thanks said, Do this for my
  memorial, this is my body...
• (First Apology, 66)

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Justin Martyr ca. 150 AD

• Describing the worship on the Lords Day -
• And on the day that is called Sunday there is a
  meeting in one place of those who live in cities
  or the country, and the memoirs of the apostles
  or the writings of the prophets are read as long
  as time permits.
• (First Apology, 67)

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The New Testament in Early Church Writers

• Preserves the New Testament Text.
• Used in Worship.
• Used as a Source of Authority.

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Clement of Rome ca. 96 AD

• Writing to the church in Corinth says -
• Take up the epistle of the blessed Paul the
  Apostle. What he wrote to you in the beginning
  of the Gospel? Of a truth he charged you in
  Spirit concerning himself and Cephas and Apollos,
  because that even then ye had made parties.
• (To the Corinthians, 47.1)

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Ignatius of Antioch ca. 100 AD

• Writing to the church in Philadelphia says -
• Taking refuge in the Gospel, as in Jesus flesh,
  and in the Apostles, as in the presbytery of the
  church. And the Prophets,because they
  anticipated the gospel in their preaching and
  hoped for and awaited Him...
• (To the Philadelphians, 5)

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Ignatius of Antioch ca. 100 AD

• Who already reflects apostasy regarding a single
  bishop over a church, writing to the church in
  Philadelphia speaks of his critics as saying -
  
• If I dont find it in the original documents, I
  dont believe it is in the gospel.
• (To the Philadelphians, 8)

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Papias of Hierapolis ca. 120 AD

• Speaking of his own habit of asking anyone who
  had known the Apostles, what they had said, says
• For I did not suppose that information from
  books would help me so much as the word of the
  living and surviving voice
• (As quoted in Eusebius Ecclesiastical
  
• History, Bk 3, 39.16)

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Writings After the New Testament
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Post-New Testament Books

• Many religious works were produced in the period
  after the New Testament. Two important groups
  are
• The Apostolic Fathers
• Gnostic Writings

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The Apostolic Fathers
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The Apostolic Fathers

• A term applied to the earliest Christian writing
  after the New Testament.
• 1 2 Clement Epistle of Barnabas
  Epistles of Ignatius
• Epistles of Polycarp Didache (Teaching
  of the Twelve)
• Shepherd of Hermas
• Some NT manuscripts included some of these works
  (as supplemental texts).
• These works offer insight into church history (
  apostasy) but are not inspired.

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Tertullian of Carthage(ca. 200 AD)

• Critical of The Shepherds allowance of
  forgiveness to adulterers, says that it...
• ...deserved to find a place in the Divine canon
  if it had not been habitually judged by every
  council of Churches (even of your own) among
  apocryphal and false (writings) itself
  adulterous...
• (On Modesty, 10)

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Eusebius of Caesarea(ca. 320 AD)

• Among the rejected writings must be reckoned
  also the Acts of Paul, and the so-called
  Shepherd, and the Apocalypse of Peter, and in
  addition to these the extant epistle of Barnabas,
  and the so-called Teachings of the Apostles...
• (Ecclesiastical History, Bk. 3, 25).

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Eusebius of Caesarea(ca. 320 AD)

• ...of Hermas, to whom the book called The
  Shepherd is ascribed, ... cannot be placed among
  the acknowledged books while by others it is
  considered quite indispensable, especially to
  those who need instruction in the elements of the
  faith. Hence, as we know, it has been publicly
  read in churches, and I have found that some of
  the most ancient writers used it.
• (Ecclesiastical History, Bk. 3, 3).

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The Coming of Apostasy

• Beware of false prophets, who come to you in
  sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravenous
  wolves.
• (Matthew 715)

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The Coming of Apostasy

• For the time will come when they will not endure
  sound doctrine, but according to their own
  desires because they have itching ears

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The Coming of Apostasy

• they will heap up for them-selves teachers and
  they will turn their ears away from the truth and
  be turned aside to fables.
• (1 Timothy 43,4)

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• The fact of Apostasy doesnt change the truth of
  Scripture!

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Gnostic Writings
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Gnostic False Doctrines

• The God of the Old Testament was not the Father
  of Jesus but an Evil God of Warfare and Evil.
• Jesus did not actually come in the flesh but only
  appeared to come in the flesh.
• Biblical villains were heroes (Cain, Judas,
  Sodomites) heroes were villains.

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Tatians Diatessaron

• A harmony of the four Gospels which left out
  the genealogies of Jesus showing His fleshly
  ancestry.
• Widely used by Syriac churches for some time.

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The Gospel of Thomas
Jesus says Condemned be, the flesh that depends
upon the soul. Condemned be the soul that
depends upon the flesh. (112)
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The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
Jesus says There is no sin. It is you who make
sin exist, when you act according to the habits
of your corrupted nature this is where sin
lies. (p. 7, lines 15-19)
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The Gospel of Judas
Jesus tells Judas But you will exceed all of
them. For you will sacrifice the man that
clothes me. (56)
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Irenaeus of Lyons ca. 180 AD

• ...They declare that Judas the traitor was
  thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that
  he alone, knowing the truth as no others did,
  accomplished the mystery of the betrayal by him
  all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus
  thrown into confusion. They produce a fictitious
  history of this kind, which they style the Gospel
  of Judas.
• (Against Heresies, Book 1, 31.1)

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Marcions Heresy
Irenaeus says of Marcion that - ...He mutilates
the Gospel which is according to Luke, removing
all that is written respecting the generation of
the Lord, and setting aside a great deal of the
teaching of the Lord, in which the Lord is
recorded as most clearly confessing that the
Maker of this universe is His Father... In like
manner, too, he dismembered the Epistles of
Paul...
98
Marcions Heresy
... removing all that is said by the apostle
respecting that God who made the world, to the
effect that He is the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and also those passages from the
prophetical writings which the apostle quotes, in
order to teach us that they announced beforehand
the coming of the Lord. He - ...dared openly to
mutilate Scriptures (Against Heresies, Bk 1,
27.2,4)
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Canon Lists Ecumenical Councils
100
Canon Lists

• Canon lists do not reflect a human process of
  choosing what was inspired or not.
• Canon lists are a reflection of personal (or
  collective belief) at a given time.
• Some show sound analysis of Scripture, others do
  not.

101
What Determines What Is Canonical?

• Divine Providence. (God preserves His word).
• Acceptance by the early church.
• Content. (e.g. Epistle of Barnabas cites as fact
  the legend of the Phoenix reborn out of fire).

102
The Preservation of Gods Word
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and
earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no
means pass from the law till all is
fulfilled. (Matthew 518)
103
The Preservation of Gods Word
...All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of
man as the flower of the grass. The grass
withers, And its flower falls away, But the word
of the LORD endures forever... (1 Peter 124-25)
104
What Determined What Was Viewed as Canonical?
What Determined What Was
Viewed as Canonical?

• Divine Providence. (God preserves His word).
• Acceptance by the early church.
• Content. (e.g. Epistle of Barnabas cites as fact
  the legend of the Phoenix reborn out of fire).

105
What Determined What Was Viewed as Canonical?

• Divine Providence. (God preserves His word).
• Acceptance by the early church.
• Content. (e.g. Epistle of Barnabas cites as fact
  the legend of the Phoenix reborn out of fire).

106
The Council of Nicea

• The Council convened by Constantine (the First
  Emperor who believed in Jesus) in 325 AD to
  address the nature of Christ and gnostic
  heresies.
• Falsely said to have decided the NT canon.

107
Did Nicea Decide the Canon?

• Jerome in his preface to his translation
• of the Apocryphal book of Judith says ...
• Among the Jews, the book of
• Judith is considered among the
• apocrypha ... Moreover, since it was written in
  the Chaldean language, it is counted among the
  historical books. But the Nicene Council is
  considered to have counted this book among the
  number of sacred Scriptures...

108
The Synod of Laodicea (343-381)

• Issued this statement -
• ... And these are the books of the New
  Testament Four Gospels, according to Matthew,
  Mark, Luke and John The Acts of the Apostles
  Seven Catholic Epistles, to wit, one of James,
  two of Peter, three of John, one of Jude
  Fourteen Epistles of Paul, one to the Romans, two
  to the Corinthians, one to the Galatians, one to
  the Ephesians, one to the Philippians, one to the
  Colossians, two to the Thessalonians, one to the
  Hebrews, two to Timothy, one to Titus, and one to
  Philemon.
• (Canon 60).

109
The Letter of Athanasius(367 AD)

• ...of the New Testament. These are, the four
  Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
  John. Afterwards, the Acts of the Apostles and
  Epistles (called Catholic), seven, viz. of James,
  one of Peter, two of John, three after these,
  one of Jude. In addition, there are fourteen
  Epistles of Paul, written in this order. The
  first, to the Romans then two to the
  Corinthians after these, to the Galatians next,
  to the Ephesians then to the Philippians then
  to the Colossians after these, two to the
  Thessalonians, and that to the Hebrews and
  again, two to Timothy one to Titus and lastly,
  that to Philemon. And besides, the Revelation of
  John.
• (Festal Letter 39).

110
Was Something Left Out?

• Does the fact that some lists (and mss) contain
  other texts mean that something may have been
  left out of modern Bibles?
• No It simply reflects the fact that some valued
  those texts.
• Some may have viewed these as supplemental.
• Some may have mistakenly taken them as inspired.

111
Did Councils Determine What was in the Bible?

• Councils or declarations of men do not determine
  what is Divine, inspired or authoritative.
• At best, they simply state what is already
  understood to be true.

112
New Testament Reliability
The New Testament Gospels, Epistles Prophecy
(Matthew - Revelation) were complete and viewed
as the inspired word of God by the end of the
First Century. We can be assured that the New
Testament we read in our English Bible is the
complete, accurate and wholly inspired word of
God.
113
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