How We Got Our Bible

By James M. Kinnebrew, Ph.D.
Academic Dean, Luther Rice Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia

The Bible relates many instances where God revealed His Word and His will to man in an instant. As glorious and efficient as these revelations were in their situations, the Bible you hold in your hands came about through a slow, purposeful and complex work of God Almighty.

As finite creatures in a perplexing world, we have an inherent need for a word from Heaven. As a loving Father with infinite wisdom, God has met that need. He has done this, in part, through general revelation. We can know all the broad truths of God’s existence, power, benevolence and wisdom when we take note of the universe around us: Psalm 19.106 and Romans 1.18-32. Likewise, we can discern His presence, holiness and justice as well as our own sinfulness by our own conscience: Ecclesiastes 3.11, Proverbs 20.27 and Romans 2.14-16.

Unfortunately, our reasoning powers are not always sufficient to interpret what we see in the world: Psalm 14.1 and Isaiah 55.8-9; and our consciences can be either too scrupulous: 1 Corinthians 8.7 and Romans 14.14-23; or too numb: Titus 1.15. In addition, neither creation nor science conveys the truth we need for our eternal salvation. That revelation is found in the inspired Scripture text of the Bible.

The early Christians recognized the 66 books of the Bible as inspired Scripture. They recognized these books as Scripture; however, they did not make them such. The bible is the only collection of writings universally discerned to bear the marks of God’s Word. We call the entire collection of books the canon, from the Greek kanon meaning measuring rod. They alone are the rule, the measure of correct belief and action.

Jesus gave unreserved sanction to the divine authority of the Scriptures of His day: Matthew 4.4 and 5.17-18; Luke 24.25-27,44; and John 10.35. Those Scriptures included only the 39 books of our Old Testament. See the article on “The Apocryphal Literature” by Mal Couch.

The New Testament canon likewise rests on the authority of Christ Himself. In John 14.25-26 and 16.12-13, Jesus appointed the apostles as His duly authenticated messengers and promised the Holy Spirit would remind them of His teachings: the Gospels; led them into all truth: Acts and the Epistles; and teach them things to come: Revelation. They, in a unique sense, were Christ’s ambassadors: 2 Corinthians 5.20. Of them, He said, “he that hears you, hears Me,” Luke 10.16. Only those books authentically apostolic, not forgeries as referred to in 2 Thessalonians 2.2, or have apostolic sanction like Mark and Luke, can stand up under scrutiny as the very Word of God. So these 66 books, 39 in the Old and 27 in the New Testaments comprise the written Word of God.

When we think of how we got our Bible, we recognize the protecting hand of God in preserving His Word through the ages. The Bible has endured the opposition of pagan emperors, God-less critics and even misguided religionists. It has been banned, burned, slandered and ridiculed…all to no avail. Its survival through unparalleled persecution has been the source of universal amazement. The copy you hold in your hands is a testimony to what God will do to get His Word to mankind to draw them into a saving, eternal relationship with Himself.