Rev. Peter Everett

False Claim: The 27 books of the New Testament were selected as canonical in order to further the Emperor Constantine's political agenda in the fourth century. Moreover, these 27 documents do not fairly represent the early literature about Jesus.

Definition of "Canon" - rule; measuring stick; standard what belongs, what doesn't

The Truth: The 27 books of the New Testament were selected as canonical because they were widely recognized as having been written by the apostles and were clearly in agreement with the churches' already existing "Rule of Faith."

I.Before the New Testament was written, the teachings and core beliefs of the apostles were passed down orally and circulated among the churches.

A.The apostles proclaimed the word of God (I Thessalonians 2:13)
B.There was a set of core beliefs or "Rule of Faith"
(I Corinthians 8:6, 15:3-5; Jude 3; Colossians 1:15-20; Philippians 2:6-11)

II.The oral teachings of the apostles were eventually written down and publicly read as the word of God
(Colossians 4:16; I Thessalonians. 5:27; II Peter 3:15-16; I Timothy 5:18)

III.The standard for determining which books were accepted as authoritative/canonical
A.Written by an apostle or an associate of an apostle
(John 14:26; 16:13-15)
B.Corresponded with the "Rule of Faith"
C.Accepted by the church at large

By 180 A.D., 20 books - ¾ of the New Testament - fully accepted
By 400 A.D., all 27 books of the New Testament fully accepted everywhere

Conclusion: God determined the New Testament Canon
The Church discovered the New Testament Canon