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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