How the Bible Came Together
Since the DaVinci Code came out a few years ago, many people have talked about how and when the Bible came together. The fancy term for this is the word “canon” which means “standard” or “rule”. When “canon” is used of the Bible, it means the books that the church considers inspired and authoritative for all churches and all time.
Now, although the DaVinci Code casts various doubts on the origin of the Bible, the matter of the Canon of the Bible is not nearly as dubious as skeptics would like to make is sound. The following are some important and compelling points:
The last book of the Bible (Revelation) was written between 94-96 AD. When the early church writings (i.e. from the early church leaders) are examined (some which may have even been written earlier than the book of Revelation) it can be seen that most of the New Testament that we currently use was already considered inspired literature.
In 110 AD, only about 15 years after the Book of Revelation was written, most of the New Testament letters were being used and cited by the church fathers. Indeed, by 115 AD we have evidence that all but two NT letters were being used by the church. It is even possible that those remaining two letters were being used and yet never referred to in written form, or that any written references to them have been lost.
Soon after the New Testament texts were being used, it became apparent to the early church that there needed to be a formal list of which books needed to be preserved, translated by missionaries, died to protect, etc. By 206 AD in the Barococcio Codex, all the New Testament books except for the book of Revelation were included.
No doubt, during these days, individual churches had established lists of specific books they considered inspired. While individual churches may have had their individual lists, a church-wide list was formally ratified by all the Christian churches at the Council of Hippo in 393 AD and again in 397 AD at the Third Council of Carthage.
We need to realize that prior to these councils, it is not as though spurious books were floating around and being used. Rather, baring only a couple of exceptions, no other books were ever considered to be inspired. As for those exceptions, they are not very troubling. Indeed, they were important books for their time and place, but deemed by the larger church to not bear the stamp of inspiration and thus not be disseminated as the inspired documents of the New Covenant, nor to be among the books to be protected, translated and distributed to the world.
Lastly, although we are discussing the course of history and when the church had total agreement on the Canon, still we need to remember that the canon was actually closed by the Lord when the last New Testament book was completed. The church’s recognition of these inspired texts did not make them inspired. What made them inspired was the breath of God. Thus, what we have today is the very breath of God in verbal form (2 Timothy 3:16) preserved to us in our Bibles.
