Direct Answer
Modern Christians should recognize, according to Bercot, that their confidence in the New Testament already depends on trusting the discernment and testimony of the early Christians. The transcript suggests that rejecting all extra-biblical authority is inconsistent if one still accepts the New Testament canon.
Support from Transcript
- Bercot says some Christians wrongly imagine that “at the close of the apostolic age, the apostles handed the Church a bound collection of writings called the New Testament.” - He immediately corrects that: “But that’s not what happened.” - Instead, “the early Christian congregations separately collected together the various letters and narrative accounts written by the apostles and disciples.” - “The apostles never told the Church which writings to accept and which to reject.” - The early Christians “had to decide for themselves which writings were genuinely from the apostles and which were not.” - Bercot adds that this “was no easy task,” emphasizing the seriousness of their discernment.
Discussion Follow-ups
The transcript does not spell out a full doctrine of Church authority or divine guidance. It does, however, imply that modern Christians should not casually dismiss the early Church while depending on its testimony for the canon.