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Transcript 217A — The Composition of the Bible
HC: Good evening. Welcome to Open Forum.
CALLER: Mr. Camping, I have a question, but I don't know whether it's in your province or not. I've been given an assignment to look up what the Carthage Tribunal did about reaching the verdict of the sixty-six books of the Bible. Do you know anything about that? Do you know any of the details of how it came about that these particular books were selected for the Bible? Do you know anything about that?
HC: First of all, let me rephrase your question. Your question really is, how did it come about that we have the present sixty-six books in the Bible?
In the scriptures themselves we read in Luke 24, for example, where Christ makes reference to the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the writings, or the Psalms. This is Luke 24:44. And so throughout the Bible we find this kind of reference, indicating that our Old Testament, which is the scriptures referred to, has the stamp and seal of approval of Christ Himself.
And so we know that however the Old Testament books were selected, they are the holy scriptures, because we have the commendation of Christ. Now in the New Testament we do not have any evidence within the scriptures as to how they were selected. We do not have any secular evidence that clearly indicates when the books of the New Testament were selected. But we do know this, that by the Second Century there wasn't any question that these were the Holy Canon.
However, we do know this. There are certain limitations, or there is a certain framework in which we have to work in thinking about the books of the New Testament. First of all, we know that any writing that came after the writing of the Revelation, the last book of the Bible, could not be the work of God. We know that, because nothing could be added to it. And since Revelation was written approximately AD 95, we know that any writing after that would not be part of the Bible.
Secondly, we can examine the internal evidence of any writing for the period from, let's say, John the Baptist until AD. 95, and it won't be long before we discover what is the Bible and what is not the Bible.
CALLER: Another thing they were asking about, and which I have to make a report on (because I'm teaching a Bible Study) is how come Christianity changed from the simple form in which Christ had it and in which Paul taught it? How come there was such a turning away, and all the ritualism became part of it? When did that start? Was that the time of Carthage, or was that farther along in time? I know about the Reformation and the Dark Ages and the Apocrypha. But I don't have anything that shows anywhere how Christianity, in the simplistic form which it was and which it is, became so ritualistic. In what year was it, and when did it happen? You know?
HC: The Bible already indicates that before the Bible was completed, there was a watering down of the true Gospel. Paul, for example, warned the church at Galatia, in the Letter to the Galatians, "You have turned away from the true faith, and you have begun to add certain ceremonial laws to your worship."
We find in the 7 churches of Revelation 2 and 3 that there were heresies coming into the church. In other words, the Bible teaches that from the very beginning of the Gospel the seeds of heresy, the seeds of bringing other things in, already was present. And so it isn't surprising, therefore, that we see this multiplied through the centuries that followed.
CALLER: It actually took place in Rome, did it not?
HC: Well, I don't think that it just took place in Rome. I think it took place in many many areas. For example, in II Timothy 3, we read in verse 1, "In the last days there will come times of stress." Now we know from Acts 2:17 and from Hebrews 1:1 that the last days are the whole period beginning with the cross all the way up to Judgment Day.
And it says, "In the last days, men will be lovers of self," and so on. And then finally it says in verse 4, "treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of godliness (or piety) but denying the power of it." Now that is typical, of course, of any liberal church today, or ritualistic church, that has lost the true meaning of the Gospel.
Now II Timothy 4:1-5 indicates that during the last days there will be this running after a gospel or a religion that looks like the true Gospel, but it denies the power of it.
CALLER: This coming away from the original church was a long time ago. And I went through a great big Bible, through the back of it, where they had all the descriptions of Rome and Greece, Athens, all different places. And it tells a lot. But it doesn't give any specific ways in which the church turned from its simple form. Where can I find that information?
HC: Well, I'm not sure that you can find it very clearly demonstrated, because you can't trust the secular record altogether. Again and again the true Gospel, wherever it has its origin in a particular situation, a group of believers begin to gather together, and they begin to faithfully serve the Lord, after a while there are those within that congregation who begin to insist on adding other things. And that's why I suggest that you read about the seven churches.
For example, the church at Ephesus, in Revelation 2:4: "I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love that you had at first." All right. Now the moment you abandon the love you had at first, that leads the way open for another kind of a gospel to enter. And that other kind of a gospel might take a whole variety of forms.
And what the Bible is insisting, therefore, is that this potential has existed all the way from the beginning. Realizing, of course, that the Old Testament church was very ritualistic, in view of the ceremonial laws, therefore it is very easy for a New Testament church to begin to copy some of the ideas from the Old Testament, because that seems to be from the Bible, you see.
CALLER: This is wonderful. Now I've got the 3 chapters in Revelation, and II Timothy 3, Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:1, II Timothy 4:1-5. Now do I look any place else?
HC: Oh, I would look at I Corinthians 5, all of it.
CALLER: You have no idea how I thank you.
HC: I hope this will help you a little bit.
CALLER: I really appreciate your help. Thank you so much.
HC: You're welcome. Good night.