See part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.
As we draw this series to a conclusion, we will consider the pastoral and contemporary relevance for properly understanding the origins, development, and trustworthiness of the New Testament canon.[1] The objective of this series was to demonstrate that the New Testament canon was a concept firmly entrenched in the minds of Christians prior to the fourth century. To accomplish this endeavor, we formulated a thesis that structured the content of what was unpacked over this series’ second, third, and fourth articles. That thesis contained three fundamental premises, each of which corresponded with an article designed to explicate the underpinnings of those premises.
Premise 1– As decreed from eternity past, the canonicity of the New Testament writings was inextricably linked to the redemptive-historical inauguration of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ’s blood (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; Heb. 8:6-13; 9:15).[2]
Premise 2– As decreed from eternity past, the canonicity of the New Testament writings was immediately recognized by the apostles and earliest Christians during its first-century development (1 Thess. 2:13; 1 Tim. 5:18; 2 Pet. 3:16).[3]
Premise 3– As decreed from eternity past, the canonicity of the New Testament writings was progressively received by the universal church over the second, third, and fourth centuries.[4]
Upon expounding the relevant evidence for each of those premises, we have satisfactorily demonstrated that the concept of the New Testament canon was present within the minds of Christians long before the fourth century. With this biblical and historical datum in mind, it’s essential to now transition into why these truths matter in the first place. Said differently, how does the existence of a pre-fourth century concept of the New Testament canon affect Christians living in the twenty-first century? Does it really matter when Christians came to a conceptual realization of the New Testament canon? These are important questions that deserve careful reflection and could surely generate a plethora of proposed responses by laypersons and clergy alike. Nevertheless, for our purposes in this closing article, we will give attention to just one foundational reason why twenty-first century Christians should commit themselves to knowing the historical connotations of the New Testament’s canonical development.
The Trustworthiness of the New Testament Canon is Further Corroborated by a Proper Understanding of its Historical Origins and Development-
In his book, Why Should I Trust the Bible, Timothy Paul Jones persuasively correlates the relationship between understanding how the New Testament canon was established, and why the New Testament canon ought to be trusted in the first place.
The question of whether the Bible should be trusted can’t be answered without considering the question of how these particular books ended up together in the first place. Trusting the Bible means trusting not only the books themselves but also the processes by which the books were gathered together. Unfortunately, many people— including a surprising number of Christians who say they believe the Bible—have completely incorrect ideas about how this library was assembled in the first place. One common solution to this enigma is to declare that, at some point in the first few centuries of Christianity, church leaders gathered together and God told them which books belonged in the Bible. No such gathering ever happened, but the myth is popular nonetheless… Regardless of whether you see the Bible as God’s perfect Word or as a substandard mingling of patriarchal oppression and premodern fairy tales, it isn’t helpful to refuse to reckon with the messy complexities of how these books came together.[5]
The crux of what Jones is delineating in the aforementioned quotation stresses the importance for Christians to be educated on how the New Testament canon was actually received by the early church. Although it is certainly true that the concept of the New Testament canon existed in the minds of first-century Christians, we have also seen in this series that an extensive period elapsed before the church reached unanimity as to how the New Testament canon should be collectively perceived.[6] In echoing the concerns expressed by Jones, it is imperative for Christians to be familiar with the origins and development of the New Testament canon if they are to possess a full-orbed reason for why they can trust the validity of the New Testament writings in the first place. Awareness around this subject will not only enable Christians to know the historical truths undergirding the New Testament canon, but most importantly, it will further confirm the inherent trustworthiness of this portion of Scripture. When Christians are able to behold God’s faithfulness in preserving His Word for His people throughout every generation—even in the messiness of the first 400 years of church history—the only consistent response is to worship their Heavenly Father (Ps. 56:10; 138:1-2).
If Christians continue to adhere to misnomers about the origins and development of the New Testament canon, then they will likely be subject to a “crisis of faith” experience if/when they come face to face with the historical facts. As such, those who have come to a biblically and historically correct understanding of how—and why—the New Testament canon came into being have a fundamental responsibility to educate other brothers/sisters in Christ on these matters as opportunities present themselves. If it be God’s will, may this series of articles be used as a means towards contributing to that weighty cause! Soli Deo Gloria!
[1] For a review of the definition of “canon” that was employed throughout this series, see Footnote 4 in the first article.
[2] The content associated with this premise is found in Article 2 of this series.
[3] The information associated with this premise is recorded in Article 3 of this series.
[4] The data associated with this premise is transcribed in Article 4 of this series.
[5] Timothy P. Jones, Why Should I Trust the Bible? (Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2019), Pages 102 and 107.
[6] The historical contours of the New Testament canon’s development are outlined in Article 4 of this series.
Dewey is a licensed and ordained minister in the Southern Baptist Convention. He was raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is happily married to Beall, and is a proud father of Isabelle Ruth. Dewey played college baseball at Western Texas College, receiving the Associate of Arts degree in General Studies. Following his time at Western Texas College, Dewey would continue as a student-athlete at The Master’s University, earning the Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian Ministries. Upon completion of his undergraduate work, Dewey went on to acquire the Master of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from The Master’s University, as well as the Master of Theology degree in Historical Theology from Campbellsville University. Dewey is currently a doctoral student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, with an emphasis in Christian Worldview and Apologetics. Over the last decade, Dewey has served local churches in a variety of ways, focusing on next generation ministries. He has experience teaching children in AWANA, serving as youth pastor, as well as leading college students and young adults. He is also passionate about personal evangelism, and has led groups in gospel outreaches in cities around the country. To strengthen his service to the church, and in conjunction with his seminary studies, Dewey has participated in several academic fellowships and cohorts. He specializes in the disciplines of apologetics, biblical theology, historical theology, and systematic theology. Dewey is also actively involved with Covenant Confessions—a ministry of Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. Today, Dewey serves as the Associate Pastor of Next Generation and Outreach at Metro East Baptist Church (Wichita, Kansas).
You can follow Dewey on Twitter @SlaveofChrist17
