- Much, if not all, of the Old Testament as we know it today was accepted as Scripture in Jesus' day (see Luke 24:44).
- The historical evidence suggests that by the end of the 1st century A.D. the entire Old Testament that we know today was accepted as Scripture.
- The New Testament canon was recognized based on strict criteria: 1) they were books written by a known apostle or an associate of an apostle; 2) they were books in wide circulation throughout the early church; 3) their teachings were consistent with orthodox Christian theology as revealed in other Holy Spirit inspired Scriptures.
- Internal biblical evidence demonstrates that many of our current New Testament books were accepted as Scripture and in wide circulation throughout the early church (see Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27; and 2 Peter 3:15-16).
- Ultimately it was God who brought the canon of Scripture together through the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit at work in God's people.
For more information on the remarkable nature of the Bible, please see Dr. Carlson's CD or MP3 lecture titled, The Bible: God's Word?, available in our online store.