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Articles > Systematic
Theology > The
Canon of Scripture > Foundation from the Doctrines on the
Bible
Part XXI: Foundation of the Canon from the Doctrines of the Bible
I. The need for a Biblical approach to the Canon
a. If a Christian ought to be Biblically driven in all that
he does and be biblical in his thinking, then the study of the
Canon must be approached biblically.
b. A Christian must pay attention to what Scripture directly
say and what is deduced from Scripture concerning the Canon, when
he begins his studies on the Canon.
i. To gather together what the Bible has to say about itself,
this activity is really, systematic theology.
1. Doctrines are an important foundation for the Canon.
II. Ramification of the self-authorizing Bible (Endnote
1)
a. If the Bible authorizes its own words, then it is God's
own authority that makes a book authoritative to be in Scripture.
i. If it is God's authority that places a book in the Bible,
this means that the books in the Canon are not selected upon
by the authority of any culture or traditions of man. (Endnote
2)
1. To ultimately depend on some kind of list or non-biblical
outside references to produce an 'infallible' list or source
of the Canon is impossible, since only the Bible itself is
infallible.
a. Therefore the canonicity of a book must rest on the
self-authorizing characteristics of the book itself.
b. In order for Scripture to be self-authorizing, it requires
certain doctrines of God's character. (Endnote 3)
i. But these doctrines of God are also foundational for the
Canon.
1. God's Sovereignty- He is in control and will always be
the one to put the proper books in the Bible.
2. God's Omnipotence- God is able to preserve the Bible
despite attempts to rid Christianity and the Bible.
III. Ramification of the self-attesting Word of God (Endnote
4)
a. Since the Word of God requires that God attest to His Words
Himself, this internal evidence of the Bible would be an important
key to the Scripture.
b. As established elsewhere (Endnote 5), when
one encounter the Word of God, one should know immediately, directly
without any further arguments that it is the Word of God.
c. The self-authorizing of the books in the Bible is automatically
self-attested in the text by God himself.
i. To summarize again, God testify inwardly in the text itself
of what are the canonical books simply because the Word of God
has that kind of authority and powerful self-evidence.
IV. Ramification of the Clarity of the Word of God (Endnote
6)
a. The Self-evidencing of the Word of God would testify which
books are God's Word. Contrary to what people might wish or say,
this inward testimony of God in the Bible is clear and not something
that can be rationally and objectively be doubted.
V. Ramification of the Illumination of Scripture (Endnote
7 )
a. Despite the noetic effects sin, since Christians have the
Holy Spirit to illuminate Scripture, which further reinforces
the canonicity of a book in the Bible.
VI. Ramification of the Eternal nature of the Word of God (Endnote
8)
a. Since the Word of God is eternal in nature, the books in
the Bible will always manifest the attributes of the Word of God:
clear, self-evidenced, self-authorized, illuminated for believers
and used by the Spirit to convict sinners.
b. Since the Word of God is eternal, there really can not be
any books lost forever,
VII. CONCLUSION
a. The Christian assurance of the Canon must rest upon God
Himself, and a proper understanding of the Doctrines of the Bible.
b. Doctrines are important in why Christians trust the canon.
Endnotes
- For more on the doctrine concerning the self-authorizing
Word of God, see Part VIII in the Systematic Theology outline
titled, "The
Authority of the Bible Part I: The Self-authorizing Scripture"
- See Part XI in the Systematic Theology outline
titled, "The
Authority of the Bible Part IV: Objections to Culture and Traditions
as authority"
- See Part IX in the Systematic Theology outline
titled, "The
Authority of the Bible Part II: God's Word and God's Character"
- For more on the doctrine concerning the self-attesting
Word of God, see Part XVI in the Systematic Theology outline titled,
"The Self-Attesting
Word of God Part I: Meaning and Philosophical Issues"
and also Part XVII titled, "The
Self-Attesting Word of God Part II: The Biblical Case"
- See Part XVII of the Systematic Theology outlines
titled, "The
Self-Attesting Word of God Part II: The Biblical Case"
- See Part XV of Systematic Theology outline
titled, "The
Doctrine of Biblical Clarity"
- See Part XVIII of Systematic Theology outline
titled, "The
Doctrine of Illumination"
- See Part XIX of the Systematic Theology outline
titled, "The
Eternal Word of God"
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