Tangled Up In Blue
Just to play devil's advocate for a moment - and to shift the focus of the discussion a bit - let me ask this: Assuming that certain scriptures are God-breathed, what is our assurance that the
compilation of the bible was divinely inspired? Remember, what we know today as biblical canon was only decided upon after much debate within the early Christian community. And even though the losers in that debate have since been labeled heretics, it's important to ask the question: was it on God's authority that biblical canon was established, or was it decided upon by a temporal authority whose opinions simply happened to win out in the end?
And no, this isn't just a hypothetical question; the debate over whether the so-called
Dueterocanon is canonical or apocryphal highlights the question of the bible's compiler's fallibility.
Is the Old Testament God-breath? For centuries, the Tanakh was taught that its the true Word of God. If you question the word, then you are going to be stuck because you have no faith in it. Its like saying; "What is our assurance that the American history is true?"
The assurance that the New Testament is God-breath is by comparing it to the Old Testament teachings and prophecies. The Tanakh is the first foundation of the Word of God so the New Testament must outline the teachings of the Old Testament. Important thing to remember also is that Christ fulfills the Law (Torah).
I have assurance that the New Testament is God-breath because it fits nicely with the Old Testament, which I believe is the word of God. As for the Apocrypha books, they do not fit Old Testament theology and the Tanakh does not contain them. There are claims that Jesus and the Apostles used/quoted the Apocrypha books, which I will explore later in this week, in another topic.
