Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 9
On the canon, the speaker claims the New Testament was recognized by worldwide consensus (with 21 “undisputed” books early) rather than being “settled by the decisions of the institutional church,” and that no doctrine hinges on the disputed books—how does that reframe the common Catholic/Orthodox argument “the church gave you the Bible,” and what risks does it pose to the way you’ve defended the canon?
Another way to ask: If the New Testament books were recognized by widespread agreement, not decided by church officials, how does that change the claim “the church gave you the Bible,” and what weaknesses might it expose in how you’ve defended the canon?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The speaker reframes “the church gave you the Bible” by arguing the canon’s authority comes from apostolic origin and was recognized by broad Christian consensus, not created by institutional decree. This challenges defenses of the canon that lean too heavily on later councils or centralized authority, and it pushes believers to ground confidence in apostolicity and early reception.
- He states the key claim: “books… derive their authority from the apostles and not from the church.”
- He outlines early agreement: “from the very earliest times… 21 books… consistently considered apostolic… no disagreement.”
- Disputed books: others were debated, but “over time… reached the consensus” on six more.
- He rejects a popular story: “Constantine… Council of Nicaea… absolutely no history of that… did nothing about deciding the canon.”
- He concludes: canon was “not settled by… institutional church, but by the consensus of Christians throughout the world.”
- He adds: “no doctrine actually hinges” on disputed books; apostolic doctrine is in the “21 undisputed books.”