![A Peculiar Glory: How the Christian Scriptures Reveal Their Complete Truthfulness by [Piper, John]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41Q82%2BbUAKL._SY346_.jpg)
New Authority–the Living Word–Comes into the World
“What opened the way to a new canon of authoritative writings was not the arrival of new spokesmen for God . . . but rather the arrival of God himself” (Piper, p. 52,53). Jesus’ staggering self-claims created a new authority that reached beyond the Hebrew Bible.
In the Sermon On the Mount, for example, Jesus claimed to be the judge of the universe . . .
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:21-23).
Again in the Sermon On the Mount, Jesus explained he’d come not to confirm the Hebrew Scriptures, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17).
“The point is that the divine majesty of the person of Jesus is woven inseparably into every layer of the teachings of Jesus. There is no portrait of Jesus in the New Testament as a merely human teacher of ethics. There is only the Lord of glory. The fulfiller of history. The judge of the universe” (Piper, p. 55).
As a result, the early church recognized Jesus as having authority equal to and beyond the Hebrew Scriptures. The person and teaching of Jesus, therefore, led inevitably to the canon’s expansion. Centuries being governed by their Scriptures, now they’re confronted by the Author. His glory created a new canon.
Jesus’ Preparation for the New Testament Canon
Jesus prepared the church for a new canon by which he would govern the church after he was gone. He’d provide for it through authoritative “apostles” whom he promised to guide by the Holy Spirit. They, in turn, would become the foundation of a new Israel.
Jesus Promises the Spirit of Truth
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:25,26).
“The promise that the Holy Spirit would reveal the glory of Christ alerts us to the way Scriptures would be confirmed in the life of the early church. The light of that glory would shine through the inspired word into the hearts of God’s people and verify the divine origin and character of the Scriptures” (Piper. p. 59).
Paul and the Twelve
Paul, not one of the Twelve (though he authored 13 of the New Testament’s 27 books), claimed to be an apostle “through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” (Galatians 1:1). After some hesitation, the Twelve accepted him as genuine (Galatians 2:7-9).
Paul as a Writer of Scripture
Paul’s claim of authority was rooted in his seeing the actual risen Jesus, who commissioned him as an apostle (Acts 9:1-19). Consequently, he claimed to be inspired by the Spirit in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise . . .
“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:12,13).
A Foundational Authority for All History
“The risen Christ was continuing to shepherd his flock through the mouth of the apostles. He would provide a foundation for the church through their writings so that a canon of writings would emerge that would have the authority of the Lord Jesus till he comes again” (Piper, p. 63).
The New Scriptures
Without canceling its truth, the New Testament completed the Old. Already the writings of the apostles were considered equal in authority with God’s inspired Old Testament writings. For example, here’s Peter’s comment . . .
“[Paul wrote to you] as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16).
Discerning Which Books Were Apostolic
Many writings existed. Which were “inspired”? The key, of course, was which were genuinely apostolic?
Piper writes, ” . . . apostolicity . . . probably means more than ‘written in close association with an apostle.’ What the apostles possessed from the risen Christ through the Holy Spirit was a supernatural spiritual wisdom both to understand things incomprehensible to the ‘natural man’ and to teach them in words ‘taught by the Spirit'” (see 1 Corinthians 2:11-13).
Apostolicity as Supernatural Communication
Apostolicity is “the supernatural transmission of naturally incomprehensible reality to spiritually discerning people” (Piper, p. 64). What was involved was not purely historical process or ecclesiastical selection; but “the process of canonization was governed by the spiritual and supernatural reality of the books and by the spiritual discernment of the church . . . The New Testament books were considered authoritative not because the church declared them to be so, or even because they were written directly by an apostle, but because they were understood to bear the essential apostolic deposit” (Piper, p. 65).
The list of books considered authoritative: Matthew (apostle), Mark (Peter’s interpreter and assistant); Luke & Acts (close associate and partner of Paul); John (apostle); Thirteen letters of Paul (apostle); Hebrews (from Paul’s circles of associates); James (Jesus’ brother closely associated with the original Twelve); 1 & 2 Peter (apostle); 1,2, & 3 John (apostle); Jude (brother of Jesus and James); Revelation (John the apostle).
Compelling Allegiance
Jesus was God in the flesh. He confirmed, fulfilled and superseded Old Testament authority. The New Testament grew organically out of that new authority in the world. He sent his Spirit to assure that the apostles would be led into all truth. They would speak from that authority and the manifestation of his glory would confirm to the church–then and today–that these writings are God’s words.
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A skeptic might ask, “Dr. Piper, aren’t you asking us to trust the truth of the Bible based on what the Bible says? Isn’t that circular reasoning?” Piper might answer, “Good question. But remember, it was the glory of Jesus himself that gave the New Testament its authority. Furthermore, if some other writing successfully marked the New Testament as authoritative, that writing would hold authority over the Bible. Be patient, if you can. I’ll have more to say about this in chapters 8-17.”
Piper’s presentation is compelling. Not only does the New Testament’s authenticity stand on the glory of Jesus Christ. The Spirit also bears witness with my spirit (Romans 8:17) that the the New Testament is true and trustworthy.
We can be assured we hold in our hands the New Testament books the early church held as manifesting the very glory of God in Christ by the Holy Spirit.
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