Episode 87: Which books should be in the Bible – and why?
In this episode Dan and returning guest Jon Davies explore the concept of the ‘canon of scripture,’ the historical debates surrounding the inclusion of various books in the Old and New Testaments, and the influence of early church councils. By highlighting that the gospel message was preached even before the New Testament was written, they emphasize the extensive agreement on core scriptures throughout history. They also discuss how Jesus and His followers viewed these authoritative texts, offering helpful perspectives for anyone grappling with this foundational topic.
Show Notes
The episode begins by talking about the problems with defining the canon of scripture. Christians derive their authority from the Bible, and therefore this is, quite rightly, an emotive and sensitive topic. It can feel threatening to faith if the books of the Bible are questioned. Dan and Jon outline several of the challenges that make a defined ‘table of contents’ difficult, including considering some of the disputed books of both the Old and New Testaments. The questions are not negligible and need sensitive and thoughtful reasoning.
However, Jon provides a helpful strategy for navigating these queries. The disputes over some of these books actually illustrate that there was a lot of care and consideration as to what books should have authority within these early Jewish and Christian communities. The gospel that Jesus and his apostles taught is not reliant on the whole Bible being complete, since it was preached shortly after his resurrection. And even though there are some disagreements with a small number of books in both the Old and New Testaments, the level of agreement on the core canon is very strong, which provides a good basis for trust in Jesus and the gospel.
Episode timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:51 Defining the Canon of Scripture
02:21 The Importance of Canon
04:41 Historical and Modern Challenges
15:17 Old Testament Disputes
18:10 New Testament Disputes
20:28 Considering Hebrews and Revelation
21:59 The Early Church’s Decentralized Structure
23:06 Textual Criticism and Manuscript Variants
24:41 Jesus’ High View of Scripture
27:40 Criteria for New Testament Books
32:48 Early Christian Writings and Church Councils
37:52 Summary and Final Thoughts