!

Ii'
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PART II '
The Authority of
the Apostles in the
Formation of the New
Testament Canon
The Delegated AuthoJit)'
of the Apostles
The fundamental fact
about the apostolate is that
the apostles were
specifically called by Christ
to be his authoritative
representatives.! At
every stage of their
ministry; Christ
"stands behind the
testimony of the
apostles. "2 The
apostle was "directly
commissioned by the risen
Lord to be His special
messenger and personal
representative."3 He who
receives the apostle, receives
Christ himself (Matt. 10:40;
John 13:20; Gal. 4:4). The
apostles thus stand in
Christ's place to the church.
They carry his authorit)s
and ground their authority
over the churches in Christ's
calling of them to that office
(Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; 2
Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 1:1;
Col. 1:1) They exist by
virtue of the
commandment,
appointment, and will of
God (1 Tim. 1:1; 2 Tim.
1:1,11). They have received
their ministry directly from
the risen Christ (Acts 20:24;
Rom. 1:5; 1 Cor. 11:23;
Gal. 1:12). The one who
rejects the word of an
apostle will endure greater
judgment than 'will Sodom
and Gomorrah (Matt.
10:14,15). Moule went so
far as to say that "the Twelve
evidently constitutes the
earliest Christian 'canon' or
measuring rod - the
standard by which the
authenticity of the Church's
message was to be guarded,
for the duration of their
lifetime. '>4
The unique inspiration of
the Holy Spirit is at the
heart of the apostolic
ministry and the source of
their infallible,
unquestionable authority in
the church. Jesus himself
possesses a limitless filling
of the Holy Spirit and has
shared of that fullness in an
authoritative, inspirational
sense with his apostles
(LuKe 4:18;]ohn3:34). In
the well-known J ohannine
passages,jesus promises to
16 'i' THE COUNSEL ofChalcedon 'i' April!May, 1998
give the Holy Spirit to the
apostolate in a special way
Oohn 14:26; 15:26,27;
16:13-15). He will guide
them into the truth thereby
enabling them to testify to
Christ and his saving work
(Matt. 10:20). The apostles
are specially chosen to
reveal truths to the church
which have been hidden in
ages past (Eph. 3:5).
"In all the testimony as to
the gift of the Spirit,
it is positively
implied, that it would
at least enable the
Apostles to become
infallible teachers of
the truth. It was not
intended to render
them infallible as men.
When they taught orally or
in writing, it was their
privilege and their bounden
duty to do so under the
direction and guidance of
the Holy Spirit. "5
The form of apostolic
authority is manifold. As
long as they were alive, they
were received as Christl>
special representatives, fully
invested with his authority,
and uniquely inspired.
6
"The words of the apostles,
because of this direct
commission, were placed on
the same level as the words
of the Lord. "7 Paul equates
his preaching with the
preaching oEJesus Christ
canonical authority over the absolutely binding upon the
(Rom. 16:25ff.). He life and doctrine of the life and doctrine of the
commends the
Christian church. church.
lO
Paul maintained
Thessalonians for receiving
The Apostolic Testimony
that his writings, down to
his preaching as the Word
to their own Inspiration
the individual letters used
of God (1 Thess. 2:13).
and Authority
in its composition, were .
Oral tradition handed down
Before considering
directly from the Holy Spirit
from the apostles is
(1 Cor. 2:14). "Not only the
therefore binding upon the
appropriate testimony, it
substance of their teaching,
church and was the
must be remembered that
but also its form of
principle locus of apostolic
what the apostles say on the
expression, was asserted to
authority early in their
binding authority and
be of divine origin.'>ll The
ministries (2 Thess. 3:6).
inspiration of their own
gospel he preached did not
Yet the written Word of the
writings is Christ himself
come from man but
apostle is equally
talking. Everything written
through the revelation of
authoritative (2 Cor. 13:10;
to this point has sought to
Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:11,12).
Col. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27; 2
establish their divine
His preaching was the word
Thess. 2:15; 3:14).
commission from the
of God (1 Thess. 2: 13).
"Apostolic speaking on
Messiah to represent him
Peter views Paul's writings
behalf of Christ was
authoritatively to the
as on par with the inspired
recognized in the church,
church. Their words are
Scriptures of the Old
whether in personal
therefore his words, at least
Testament (2 Pet. 3:15).
utterance or in written
if we are to allow the New
The well-known passage in
form. Both the spoken
Testament any say in the
2 Timothy 3 is not only a
word of an apostle and the
matter. And when we do,
sure indicator that the
letter of an apostle
the testimony is universal
apostles viewed all of the
constituted the word of
and clear. The apostles
Old Testament SCriptures as
Christ."8 Moreover, with
considered their writings
inspired by God, but also
the passing away of the
absolutely binding upon the
that Paul considered his
apostles, the only infallible
church because they were
own teaching to Timothy on
repository of the sacred
the very words of God.
par with that prior
tradition which they
They were the custodians of
revelation (2 Tim. 1:13; 2:2;
received from Christ and
the authoritative gospel
3:14).
handed on to the church is
tradition, and therefore,
The extra-Pauline
:1
the writings they left behind
their written testimony
evidence is equally
, or officially sanctioned for
must be received with all
compelling. Peter writes
;i':
submission.
1
continued use in the that the apostles preached
,
church.
9
Thus, it is to the Contrary to McDonalds the gospel by the Holy
apostolic writings that an claim, the apostles Ghost sent forth from
I
appeal must be made to considered themselves to be heaven (1 Pet. 1:12). John
demonstrate their divine, writing inspired Scripture, testifies at the conclusion of
AprillMay, 199B'I' THE COUNSEL of Cbalcedon '117
his gospel that what he has
issue, as his testimony is The apostles
written is absolutely true absolutely true (John self-consciously wrote and
(John 21:34). "How could 21:24). In Revelation spoke as men chosen by
he know that the sublime 22:18,19,]ohn forbids any Christ to be his unique,
statements in the very first man to add to or take away foundational representative
verses of his gospel were
from what he has 'written, to the Church, under the
true, if he had not penned and pronounces an inspiration of his Holy
them under the guidance of authoritative curse upon all Spirit, and with an authorit
the Spirit; and that his such attempts. Luke equal to his.
13
Hence, Paul
record of the Savior's most identifies adherence to did not hesitate to speak
wonderful and mysterious apostolic doctrine as one of with binding authority on
teachings were accurate, if
the defining marks of a true issues which Christ had nOI
the Spirit had not brought
church (Acts 2:42). The specifically addressed
these things to his
apostles authoritatively during his earthly ministry;
remembrance?"12 The decide the Gentile question but which he found
apostles self-consciously and pen a confession of necessary to resolve in the
spoke and wrote under the faith which is binding upon fulfillment of his
immediate, supernatural all the churches (Acts apostleship (1 Cor. 7:10).
influence of God's Holy
15:23; 16:4). Paul Apostolic writings are to be
Spirit.
commands the Thessalonian read authoritatively in the
Knowing themselves to
church to maintain the churches in the same
be speaking and writing
tradition which they had manner as the Old
under the inspiration of the
received by his letter to Testament Scriptures (Col.
Holy Ghost, the apostles
them (2 Thess. 2:15). He 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27). They
and their writings exercised
pronounces a curse upon are placed side by side with
absolute authority over the
any man or angel who them and designated
life and doctrine of the
would alter the apostolic "Scripture" (1 Tim. 5:18 wi
Christian Church. From
proclamation of the gospel Deut. 25:4 and Luke 10:7).
the following survey of
(Gal. 1:6-9). What he The reason for this is clear:
relevant passages, it can be
writes is the commandment apostolic epistles and
repeatedly seen that their
of the Lord, the sanctioned writings were
authority extends especially
unchallengeable, inseparable from the
, to their writings. John
nonnegotiable standard of authority they possessed as
, .
wrote his gospel with the
truth (1 Cor. 14:37). His the living voices of Christ ir ,
i
signature validates his letter the Church.
1 expressed purpose to make
, .'
and certifies his authority in
known the way of salvation: "Alongside the viva vox
faitl1 in the name of the Son
the churches (1 Cor. 16:21;
by which the oral traditiolli
of God, Jesus Christ (John
Gal. 6:11; Col. 4:18; 2
were conveyed to the
20:30). He writes as one
Thess. 3:17; Phil. 19).
assemblies, his (Pauls)
who has the unquestionable What shall we say then to letters were sent as
right to be heard on this., all the available evidence? extensions of his pastoral
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181' THE COUNSEL of Chalcetlon l' AprillMay, 1998
:'
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and didactic ministry and her to be faithful to Christ at the very time of their
were intended to by obeying their
writing that they were
complement the apostolic commandments. They are
authentic spokesmen for
work which he did in Christ's official spokesmen,
God is what determines the
fulfillment of his God-given with an unquestionable
intrinsic canonicity of their
task. The Pauline letters (as authority delegated directly
writing. It is altogether
we have observed) were from the risen Lord, and
God's Word only if it is
occasioned by the needs of with the promise of the full
God-breathed. We can be
the congregations, yet once inspiration of the Holy
assured that the books
composed and sent, they Spirit to enable them to
under question were
constituted the literary speak and write his Word
received by the church of
deposit of his apostolic without error. They bear a
the apostolic age precisely
influence. Only on this unique, foundational, and
when they had been
assumption can we eA'-plain final authority for the
certified by an apostle as
the authoritativeness of Christian Church as well as
being thus inspired. "16
what he writes, the for the New Testament
The Historical Recognition
eA'-pectancy he cherishes Scriptures. The writings
of the Authority of
that their contents will be they left behind, therefore,
Qlrist and his Apostles
heeded, and the future he contrary to the vociferous
Before drawing some
assures for them by claims of the critics, never
conclusions from the above
requiring that they should became holy books by the
presentation, we should
be preserved and circulated decisions of the church or
note that the early church
among the churches."14 the random selection of
viewed the authority of the
The inspiration and
history; but were recognized
apostles and their writings
authority of the apostles
from the start as the
as the uniquely inspired
thus provides the second
authoritative, inspired
Word of God and binding
aspect of the foundation for
tradition respecting the
upon all the churches. This
an authoritative New
person and work of the
classical position is
Testament canon. In the
Messiah. IS
increasingly denied by Bible
fulfillment of their office, "From this we can derive, scholars. It is maintained
the apostles safeguarded the in tum, the basic principle that the writers of the first
gospel message proclaimed of canonicity for the New few centuries of the
and by Jesus Testament. It is identical to Christian era viewed
Christ, and in t11eir writings that of the Old Testament, themselves as inspired in the
prOvided an inspired, since it narrows down to a same manner as the apostles.
"
permanent record of that matter of divine inspiration. Sundberg, for example,
:
!
tradition for the church in Whether we think of the writes that "in forming the
"
II
all subsequent ages. They prophets of Old Testament canon, the church
i
claim absolute' authOrity times or the apostles and acknowledged and
,
over the doctrine and life of their God-given associates established the Bible as the

the Church, and call upon of the New, the recognition measure or standard of
AprilJMay, 1998'l' THE COUNSEL of Cbalcedon 'l' 19
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inspiration, not as the A few statements from gospels as canonicaP3
totality of it. What concurs the patristic writers will be Tertullian's comments are
with canon is oflike sufficient to verify this reflective of the high view
inspiration; what does not is claim. Clement maintained the fathers maintained of
not of God."17 He gathers that the authoritative apostolic authority and
statements from Clement to foundation for the New provide strong proof that
Origen in order to prove his Testament canon was the the fathers viewed apostolic
thesis, that inspiration person of Christ and the doctrine, communicated
cannot be the test of delegated authority of his both orally and in their
canonicity; because the apostles. "The apostles have
epistles, as proceeding
church fathers wrote of preached the Gospel to us
directly from Christ and
themselves as inspired of from the Lord Jesus Christ;
binding upon all churches.
God. One fundamental Jesus Christ has done so by
Churches are apostolic only
problem with this approach the command of God.
if their teaching
is that it assumes, once Christ therefore was sent
corresponds to that left
again, that the church forth by God, and the
behind by the apostles.
determines the limits of the apostles by ChriSt."21 He
"Now, what that was
canon, and that the New fully maintains the unique
which they preached-in
Testament documents do inspiration of Paul,22
other words, what it was
not carry their OViI]} Polycarp cites the Psalms
which Christ revealed to
authOrity apart from and EpheSians side by side
them-can, as I must here
ecclesiastical recognition. as Scripture. "In the sacred
likewise prescribe, properly
Beyond that, however, in books, as it is said in the
be proved in no other way
; I,
spite of the exaggerated Scriptures, 'Be ye angry and
than by those very churches
manner in which the sin not,' and, 'Let not the
which the apostles founded
church fathers sometimes sun go down upon your
in person, by declaring the
spoke of their own writings, wrath. '" Ignatius clearly
gospel to them directly
they attributed to the distinguishes his personal
themselves, both viva voce,
apostles' writings a unique authority over the churches
as the phrase is, and
, :
authority which their own from that possessed by the
subsequently by their
did not carry.18 They based apostles. In his Letter to the
epistles. If, then, these
!I,
,
their authority and right to Romans, he writes: ''1 do not
things are so, it is in the
i
!
be obeyed upon their order you as did Peter and
same degree manifest that
: ',ii'
"
adherence to apostolic Paul; they were Apostles, I
all doctrine which agrees
00
j'li
doctrine.
19
As Thielman am a convict." Irenaeus
with the apostolic
L ,I;
'.,
wrote, "The apostles were writes that the SCriptures
churches-those molds and
"
uniquely commissioned by were received from the
original sources of the faith .:(
I Jesus, and the early church apostles, that their teaching
must be reckoned for truth,
: I
II
made no mistake in was the pillar and ground of as undoubtedly containing
'!I:
considering them uniquely the Christian faith, and then that which the (said)
i:li
I"
inspired. "20
proceeds to cite all four churches received from the
ii:i
;i!:
iii,
I .
20'1' THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 'I' Apri1JMay, 1998
,
i)
:'1
:::'
".J I:,
apostles, the apostles from
known, they were accepted authority the church
Christ, Christ from God. as God's inspired Word and
ascribed to it. "26 For
Whereas all doctrine must binding upon the life and
various geographical,
be prejudged false which doctrine of the Church.
printing, and circulation
savors of contrariety to the They were accepted as
reasons, instantaneous
truth of the churches and authoritative side by side
recognition of all the twenty
apostles of Christ and God. with the previously existing
seven canonical books of
It remains, then, that we canon of Old Testament
the New Testament was
demonstrate whether this Scriptures.
impossible.
27
It is also
doctrine of ours, of which
"They are conclusive
indisputable that the
we have now given the rule,
evidences rather of the
various heresies which the
has its origin in the
estimation of the New
early church faced directly
tradition of the apostles,
Testament books from the
impacted the full canonical
and whether all other
very beginning as Scripture,
recognition of certain
doctJines do not ipso facto
and of their attachment as
disputed books such as
proceed from all falsehood.
SCripture to the other
Revelation and 2 Peter.
We hold communion with
SCriptures already in hand.
Though the majority of the
the apostolic churches
New Testament documents
The early Christians did not
were received as canonical
because our doctrine is in
then, first form a rival
no respect different from
"canon" of "new books"
by the second century, the
theirs. This is our witness of
which came only gradually
complete canon was not
truth."24
recognized and arranged in
to be accounted as of equal
its final form until 367
Conclusion: Applying divinity and authority with
A.D., when Athanasius
the Apostolic Test the "old books"; they
issued his Festal Epistle.
for Canonicity received new book after
The principle which guided
The above citations
new book from the
the church in her
demonstrate that the early
apostolical circle, as equally
recognition of God's holy
church from the beginning
"Scripture" with the old
. Word was the authority of
received the apostles as the
books, and added them one
Jesus Christ speaking
living voice of Christ in the
by one to the collection of
through his Holy Spirit
Church. Their oral teaching
old books as additional
inspired apostles, and
and written epistles were
Scriptures, until at length
located primarily in the
received as the very Word of
the new books thus added
written epistles they left
!
God and determined the
were numerous enough to
behind. "The New
'J:
standard of orthodoxy for
be looked upon as another
Testament recognizes no
(
the churches. The New
section of the Scriptures. "25
other principle -in addition
:t.
:,(
Testament documents, The complete canon we to that of apostolic authOrity .
'I,

therefore, did not come to now possess was recognized and tradition-that could be
I
be viewed as canonical only by tne church over time. of equal lasting foundation
after a period of slow Yet this process is not "in significance for the
,
growth. Where they were conflict with the special
church."26
I
AprillMay, 1998 'i' TIlE COUNSEL of Cba1cedon '" 21
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In conclusion, we must the canonical authority of frequently arises with
be clear what the apostolic our twenty seven received reference to the canon of
test for canonicity means. books, the church created Scripture: is it closed? That
The test of canonicity is not nothing - "she was is, do we have all the
apostolic authorship for not rendering an account to
revelation God intends for
all canonical books were .herself and others why she
the church to possess? This
written by apostles. Some had from earliest times been
question is perhaps the
of the early fathers confused living by these canonical
most compelling in some
these two issues. This
writings. "31 As Metzger has
circles whenever the issue of
confusion sustained the recently written,
the canon arises. For on the
drive to ascribe disputed
"N either religions nor
one hand, modern critics
books like Hebrews to an
artistic works really gain
have recently suggested that
apostle, thereby ensuring
anything by having an
certain apocryphal books
their inclusion in the
official stamp put on them.
might be added to the
canonical lists. Properly
If, for example, all the
canon if the church came to
speaking, however, "the
academies of music in the
be persuaded of the validity
principle of canonicity was
world were to unite in of their testimony to the
not apostolic authorship,
declaring Bach and Christian faith or their
but imposition by the apostles
Beethoven to be great inspirational value. There
as 'law. "'29
musicians, we should reply; are, m o r e o v e ~ some
"If not actually written by 'Thank you for nothing; we Christians who believe that
one of the Twelve, a Gospel knew that already.' And God is still speaking to the
(to confine our enquiry for . what the musical public can church through various
the moment to this recognize unaided, those prophetic utterances given
categOlY) must at least have with spiritual discernment
to Spirit-filled men. Against
some kind of apostolic in the early Church were
all such interesting
imprimatur: it must be able to recognize in the case
hypothesis, it must be
shown to come from some of their sacred writings
maintained that the New
close associate of an apostle through what Calvin called
Testament canon is closed.
and, if possible, with the the interior witness of the
This conclusion irresistibly
!! :
apostle's express Holy Spirit. This
follows from the biblical
commission. "30
testimonium Spiritus Santi
evidences summarized in
'i'
It is not only the books
intemum, however, does not
this paper. Jesus Christ is
which the apostles
create the authOrity of
the unique individual who
! .
personally left behind that
Scripture (which exists
stands behind the New
I
compose the canonical New
already in its own right),
Testament canon. It bears
Testament, but those which
but is the means by which
witness to his person and
they; as Christs inspired
believers come to
work as the fulfillment of
representatives, sanctioned
acknowledge that
God's redemptive program
for permanent use in the
authority. "32
in history. He committed to
! i: churches. In recognizing A final question his Holy Ghost filled
"
I'
22 'i' TIlE COUNSELofChalcedon 'i' AprillMay, 1998
apostles the writing and
sanctioning of his word
which explains the
significance of his person
and work for all succeeding
generations. With the
passing away of their office,
which the New Testament
teaches was temporary and
foundational in nature,33 the
period of the writing and
compilation of the inspired
Scripture which constitute
the Christian canon has
terminated. The church has
in her completed SCriptures
the authoritative tradition
which she needs to make
her perfect for every good
work. To the extent that
she adheres to them, and
them alone, she maintains
the faith once for all given
. to the saints and functions
as the pillar and ground of
the truth. To suggest that
we need more revelation
from God for today, is to
condemn his final word
given through Jesus Christ
by his apostles as
insufficient. It is also to
question God's providential
preservation of the twenty
seven inspired books to
which the church in every
age has turned to learn of
Jesus and his saving work,
and from which she has
received all necessary life
and light to live for him and
seek his kingdom. And
tragically; it betrays the
modern immaturity of
judgment and lack of
contentment with that
perfect word which Jesus
has graciously left to .his
blood-bought people which
so characterizes our current
period in church history. n
Soli deo glo1ia!
'Herman Ridderbos, Paul: An
Outline of His Theology (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), p. 449.
'Matthew 28: 18-20; Acts 1:8.
Herman Ridderbos, "The Canon
of the New Testament," Revelatlon
and the Bible, ed. Carl F .H. Henry
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1958),
p.194.
3Martin, op. dt., p. 69.
'C.P.D. Moule, The Birth of the
New Testament (London: Adam &
Charles Black, 1962), p. 179.
'T.C.Johnson, "TIle Testimony
of the Apostles to Inspiration,"
The Inspired Word, ed. Arthur
Pierson (New York A.D.F.
Randolph, 1888), p. 181.
'Thielman, op. dt, p. 406.
7Kistemaker,op. cit., p. 7.
'Fisher, op. dt., pp. 76-77.
9Bruce, op. elt., pp. 39-40.
lOMcDonald, op. dt., p. 9.
"Loraine Boettner, TI,e
Inspiration of the SCriptures (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1937), p. 23.
uJolmson, op. dt., p. 182.
13 A. A. Alexander, EvidelJces of
the Authentidty, Inspiration, and
Canonical Authority of the Holy
Scriptures (Philadelphia:
Presbyterian Board of Publication,
1836), p. 238.
"Martin, op. cit., pp. 75-76.
15Kistemaker, op. cit., p. 6.
"Fisher, op. cit., p. 66.
l7Albert C. Sundberg, Jr., "The
Bible Canon and the Christian
Doctrine of Inspiration,"
Interpretation, 29/4 (1975), p.
371.
"R. Laird Harris, Inspiration
and Canonidty of the SCliptures
(Greenville: A Press, 1995), p.
249.
'9Kistemaker, op. cit., p. 7.
200p. cit., p. 406.
2lTo the Corinthians, chap. 42,
in The Anti-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1,
p. 16. Hereafter, ANF.
22Ibid., chap. 47, inANF, vol.
1, p. 18.
23Against Heresies, Book 3,
Chapter 1, in ANF, vol. 1, p. 414.
Han PresCliption Against
. Heretics, ch. 21, in ANF, vol. 3, p.
. 252.
25Warfield, op, dt., pp. 452-3.
2'Ridderbos, op. dt., p. 3.
2
7
Warfield,op. dt., p. 454.
28Ridderbos, op. cit., p. 29.
2OWarfield, op. cit., p. 455.
3OMoule, op. cit., p. 189.
3lGuldenhuys, op. dt., p. 122.
32Metzger, op, cit., p. 288.
33Donald Guthrie, New
Testament Theology (Downers
Grove: Inter-Varsity, 1981), p.
768.
AprillMay, 1998 i' '!HE COUNSEL of Chalcedon i' 23