We have to know the answer because we appeal to the Bible as the final authority: “The Bible says . . . “ What Piper provides isn’t courtroom-proof, but assurance for our faith.
![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)
In this chapter, he deals with the claims the apostolic writings make for themselves . . .
THE AUTHORITY OF THE APOSTLES COMES FROM JESUS
Jesus Christ has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18; see also Matthew 7:28,29; 11:27; 16:18; 24:35; 25:31,32; Luke 4:35,36; 8:24; John 14:6). Therefore, all apostolic authority derives from him.
Jesus is Lord of all (Acts 10:36). Jesus is God (John 1:1). The words the Old Testament applied to Yahweh, the apostle applies to the risen Jesus (Romans10:11; 1 Corinthians1:31; 2 Corinthians 10:17; Ephesians 4:8; Philippians 2:10).
JESUS, A NEW AND UNIQUE AUTHORITY IN THE WORLD
“Throughout the New Testament, Jesus’ witness is considered divine, true, infallible. He is the Logos who makes known the Father (John 1:18; 17:6), the faithful and true witness (Revelation 1:5; 3:14; cf. Isaiah 55:4), the Amen in whom all the promises of God are ‘Yes’ and ‘amen’ (Revelation 3:14; 2 Corinthians 1:20). There was no guile . . . on his lips (1 Peter 2:22). He is the apostle and high priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:12; 1 Timothy 6:13). He does not speak [from himself] like Satan who is a liar (John 8:44), but God speaks through him (Hebrews 1:2). Jesus was sent by God (John 8:42) and bears witness only to what he has seen or heard (John 3:32). He speaks the words of God (John 3:34; 17:8) and only bears witness to the truth (John 5:33; 18:37). For that reason his witness is true (John 8:14;14:6), confirmed by the witness of God himself (John 5:32,37; 8:18)” (Herman Bavink, Dutch Reformed Theologian of the Free University of Amsterdam; Piper, p. 117). This is the place Jesus held in the minds of the New Testament writers.
JESUS’ AIM TO GOVERN HIS PEOPLE THROUGH SCRIPTURE
“Jesus’ purpose was to spread a movement, in his name and for his glory, to all the peoples of the world (Matthew 28:18-20). He aimed to gather a redeemed people into churches (Matthew 18:17). And he aimed that they would live under the authority of his teaching until the end of the age (Matthew 7:24-27) . . . From the beginning of his ministry Jesus was preparing for the transmission of his authority to his church through authorized spokesmen who would teach with his authority, commit their teachings to writing and leave a body of inspired writings through which Christ would govern his church until his return” (Piper, p. 117,118).
JESUS CHOSE AND PREPARED HIS APOSTLES
“He appointed twelve–designating them apostles–that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14) . . . “ . . . [Father,] I gave them the words you gave me” (John 17:8a).
THEIR WORDS WERE HIS WORDS
“ . . . the way Jesus secured the reliability of the apostles’ representative work was to promise them the special help of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth . . . “ (Piper, p. 120).
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:25,26).
“IN THE SIGHT OF GOD WE SPEAK IN CHRIST”
The apostles spoke, not on their own or of their own ideas, but as men under authority.
“Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God” (2 Corinthians 2:17).
TWELVE FOUNDATIONS
After Judas’ death, he was to be replaced according to the following criteria . . .
“Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection” (Acts 1:21,22).
Their ministry was foundational . . .
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19,20).
PAUL, AN APOSTLE, BY THE COMMAND OF GOD
Paul saw his apostolic authority as given by the Lord himself.
“For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it” (2 Corinthians 10:8).
Paul saw the gospel he preached was foundational and the truth over against all other “gospels”.
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:8-10).
Paul held that he preached, not the word of men, but the word of God.
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
Piper concludes: “Paul claims that in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to send his Spirit to guide the apostles into truth (John 14:25,26), he was inspired by the Spirit to write truth that was essentially on a par with the inspired and authoritative Old Testament Scriptures” (p. 123).
THEIR AUTHORITY STANDS WITH HIS
“The claim of the apostles to speak with unerring truthfulness in Christ by the Holy Spirit is the organic outgrowth of the Old Testament hope and of the incarnation of the Son of God as Jesus the Messiah” (Piper, p. 124).
* * *
We commonly consider people who claim to speak for God nut-jobs. So what to do with these apostles?
Furthermore, they claimed Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled Old Testament messianic prophecies and was (is) the eternal Son of God. From him they believed they derived their authority to write God’s words.
We mustn’t let a casual reading of the New Testament lighten the weight of their claim. Either we believe what they believed or we reject it. They haven’t left us any more-comfortable, middle ground.
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