Who Had the Authority to Decide the Biblical Canon?
1) Direct answer
God alone. The authority to “decide” Scripture rests with the Author. He spoke His Word through His prophets and apostles, and the Holy Spirit vindicated it. Believers did not make it the Word; they recognized the Word God had already given.
2) Scriptural explanation
- All Scripture is God-breathed, not man-selected (2 Timothy 3:16).
- Holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
- The foundation was laid once for all by apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).
- Jesus identified the Old Testament as Law, Prophets, and Psalms—God’s recognized testimony to Him (Luke 24:44).
- The apostolic testimony was confirmed by God with signs and wonders (Hebrews 2:3–4).
- The Spirit guided the apostles to remember and declare Christ’s words (John 14:26).
- God warns not to add or take away (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18–19).
- The faith was once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).
3) Simple clarifying logic
- If men “decide” what is Scripture, then man is over the Word. But the Bible says God Himself authored it.
- The same Spirit who wrote the Word bore witness to it, and the sheep know His voice (John 10:27).
- The foundation cannot be relaid; once God finished speaking through His commissioned witnesses, we do not add or subtract. That’s why there is a solemn warning at the end of Revelation.
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice… God gave His Word, God vindicated His Word, and God preserves His Word. No human vote can create Scripture. We don’t crown the Bible by our approval; we bow to it because it is God’s voice.
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 1:E-16
As I have already said, this Book (Revelation) is the consummation of the Scriptures. It is even placed exactly right in the canon of Scripture; at the end. Now you can know why it says that anyone who reads or even hears it is blessed. It is the revelation of God that will give you authority over the devil. And you can see why they who would add or take from it would be cursed. It would have to be so, for who can add or take away from the perfect revelation of God and overcome the enemy? It is that simple. There i...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 7:E-8
Two things really struck me with force as I looked into this worship of Cybele. One was the fact that she wore a key like Janus which gave her the same authority as Janus, (key to heaven and earth and the mysteries) and the fact that the worshipers whip themselves until blood spurts from their bodies, which thing is done right today by the Catholics who feel they are suffering like the Lord. E-9The fact that this is the age of the first real break with papal Rome that actually flourished, no doubt caused the Jezebe...
Hebrews, Chapter 7, part 2
57-0922 §17
By the way, while I'm speaking: somebody around this country somewhere, is guilty of writing some cards to move Brother Neville out of this pulpit. You're going to have to settle that with me. That's right. Yes, indeed. Now, I want you... It said something about the deacon board. The deacon board has not one thing to do with that pastor. No, sir! The congregation in full has all the authority. It isn't... A deacon board's just a policeman here in this church, just to keep order and so forth. But when it comes to ru...
A Super Sign
59-1227M §17
Now, the announcements, I guess Brother Neville has already made them. And being home for this week, to pray and to seek the face of the Lord. For, in this coming year, by the help of God, if He will only help me, I want to press the battle harder than I ever did in all my life. And perhaps a great deal of this year will be spent in the foreign fields, and Haiti, and in the islands, and South America, and Africa, and Asia, and India, and up in Scandinavia. And all those is to be decided this week, if the Lord will...