Bible Canon

THE BIBLE CANON : M. M. NINAN
Chapter Four
New Testament Canon
The Old Covenant was not complete because the people were afraid to hear all the
commandments of God. Soon they realized that they cannot stand the voice of the Lord
and asked for an intermediary. That intermediary was for a time Moses. But Moses was not
enough.
Dt.18:15-19 "This is what you yourselves asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day
of the Assembly. 'Do not let me hear again' you said, 'the voice of the Lord my God, nor
look any longer on this great fire, or I shall die'; and God said to me, 'All they have spoken
is well said. I will raise up a prophet like yourself for them from their own brothers; I will
put my words into his mouth and he shall tell them all I command him to say."
Hence a fuller revelation became necessary and that required God to appear in person to
talk to the whole world in person. The entire Hebrew religion was built on the promise of
the appearance of this holy intermediary defined at Sinai.
Jn.3:31-34. He who comes from above is above all others. He who is born of the earth is
earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven...speaks God's
own words."
Just as Old Testament authority rely on the objective direct revelation of God to a nation,
New Testament authority flows from the objective direct revelation of God to man in Christ
Jesus. This was a more fuller, final and objective revelation. Validity of all New Testament
Scripture comes from what is given by Jesus directly. It was handed down over a long
period of three and half years in contrast to a few weeks at Sinai. It was once and for all
delivered to the disciples.
Jesus himself did not write any documents. The basic scriptural authority therefore comes
from the primary witnesses and disciples whom Jesus called and appointed – the Apostles.
During the Apostolic Era the Apostles taught the doctrine. Beyond the Apostles there were
other witnesses and disciples. Beyond the Apostolic period the faith was handed down
through discipling through the ages. The Holy Spirit which was given only to the select and
for a particular purpose and for a time in the Old Testament period was now replaced with
the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit within the believers. This provided a permanent
Prophetic office for every believer. But the test of the prophets are to be adhered to. Every
prophecy must be still validated by the faith once delivered to the saints.
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