The question of whether the writers of the New Testament regarded their writings as Scripture is an important one. Scripture refers to the inspired and authoritative Word of God. If the New Testament writings are viewed as Scripture by their authors, it gives them greater weight and authority. Examining New Testament passages can provide insight into how the writers viewed their own writings.
Evidence That the Writers Viewed Their Writings as Scripture
There are several pieces of evidence that indicate the New Testament authors viewed their writings as Scripture:
- Peter refers to Paul’s writings as Scripture: “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). This shows Peter, one of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples, viewed Paul’s letters as bearing the authority of Scripture.
- Paul claims divine authority for his words: “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 14:37). Paul believes he writes with the authority of “the Lord.”
- Paul equates his words with God’s words: “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). He makes no distinction between his words and God’s words.
- John claims divine inspiration for his Revelation: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3). “Prophecy” refers to inspired Scripture.
- Peter claims Paul’s writings are twisted like “other Scriptures”: “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). This indicates a common authority between Paul’s letters and Old Testament Scriptures.
- The writer of Hebrews introduces Old Testament quotes with “It says” or “He says” instead of “Scripture says” or “God says,” blurring the lines between God’s voice and the human author’s. This suggests he views his own writing as similarly authoritative.
These examples indicate the New Testament authors were conscious they were writing authoritative Scripture inspired by God. This doesn’t necessarily mean they knew their writings would one day be canonized. But they claimed divine inspiration and authority for their writings alongside Old Testament Scripture.
Counter-Evidence That the Writers Did Not View Their Writings as Scripture
However, there are also reasons to think the New Testament authors may not have viewed their writings as Scripture:
- No explicit claims: None of the writers straightforwardly claim, “What I am writing now is Scripture.” Their claims of authority are more indirect.
- No self-references: None of the New Testament books refer to any of the other New Testament books as Scripture. The only Old Testament book referred to as Scripture is Isaiah in John 12:38-39.
- Loose/informal style: Books like 1 Corinthians read as occasional letters addressing issues in a specific church. The style is more practical than a “thus saith the Lord” tone of authority.
- Johannine Jesus makes exclusive Scripture claims: Jesus refers to the Old Testament as God’s word and makes categorical statements like “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), potentially leaving no room for new Scripture.
- Paul distinguishes his commands from the Lord’s: “To the rest I say (I, not the Lord)…” (1 Corinthians 7:12). This suggests Paul was conscious of the difference between his advice and Jesus’ authoritative commands.
- Luke distinguishes his “orderly account” from authoritative eyewitness accounts (Luke 1:1-4). This implies he may not have considered his writing as Scripture.
This counter-evidence indicates it’s possible the biblical writers did not consciously intend to write Scripture that would stand alongside the Old Testament as God’s word. They may have viewed themselves simply as apostles teaching the church through occasional letters, memoirs, and apocalyptic visions.
Old Testament Concepts of Scripture and Authority
To better understand the New Testament authors’ perspective, it helps to look at views of Scripture and authority in Judaism. According to Old Testament scholar John Sailhamer:
The OT does not contain a Hebrew word for our modern concept of “authoritative canon” …The focus of OT “scripture” was on … the spoken, acoustic event, not the inscribed text as an object.
This suggests that orally proclaimed prophecy was viewed as authoritative divine revelation, while written texts were not as strictly distinguished as “Scripture.” Validation came through prophetic authority, not a canonical process. New Testament scholar Michael Kruger argues that the early church inherited this perspective:
The early church view of inspiration and authority mirrored that of Judaism in the Second Temple period. For the early church, canonicity was derived from inspiration, not the other way around.
If the New Testament authors held the Jewish view of prophetic inspiration determining authority, they may have believed that their Spirit-inspired proclamation granted their writings authority, rather than a developing concept of Christian Scripture.
A Gradual Recognition of New Testament Writings as Scripture
Given these factors, many scholars conclude that the New Testament writings gained authority and were viewed as “Scripture” in stages, rather than instantly by their authors. Some key factors in this gradual process:
- Appointment of successors to Jesus’ apostles: Living apostles were the ultimate authority in the early church. But as they began to die, successors were appointed, and churches increasingly relied on the written teachings of apostles like Peter and Paul.
- Accumulation and collection of written works: As letters and gospels circulated piecemeal, the fourfold Gospel canon and Paul’s collected letters gained wider recognition by the late 2nd century.
- Growing use in worship and teaching: From the 2nd century onward, there is clear evidence of New Testament writings being read alongside the Old Testament in church gatherings, suggesting they were taking on scriptural authority.
- Citation as authoritative: Church fathers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria increasingly cite the gospels and letters as authoritative sources equal to the Old Testament.
- Canonical lists: In the 4th century, definitive canonical lists begin to appear, like Athanasius’ 39th Festal Letter in 367 AD affirming the 27 books.
So in summary, while the New Testament authors likely understood they wrote with prophetic authority, they may not have classified their writings as “Scripture.” The wider church gradually came to embrace these books as inspired Scripture and authoritative guides for teaching, worship, and doctrine. This formal scriptural authority developed in the 2nd to 4th centuries.
Implications of the New Testament Writings as Scripture
If the early church was right to eventually recognize these writings as Scripture, what are the implications?
- It validates using phrases like “the Bible says” when referring to New Testament teachings.
- We can have confidence that the Bible is our sole inspired authority for Christian faith and practice.
- No other writings can claim to add to Scripture or sit alongside it as God’s word.
- Central tenets of orthodox theology are rooted in New Testament Scripture.
- Scripture must inform Christian ethics and morals rather than changing cultural trends.
- Obeying Scripture is obeying God due to its inspired authority.
- Studying Scripture should be valued in the church, since it is our source of divine revelation.
- Preaching and teaching should faithfully proclaim the meaning of Scripture.
- Bible translation efforts carry great importance, since we need access to God’s word.
In essence, recognizing the New Testament writings as inspired Scripture means the church must submit to them as its highest authority and source for knowing God, salvation, and righteous living. All doctrine, preaching, ethics, and ministry flow from properly understanding and applying this cherished Scripture handed down to us.
Conclusions
In summary, while the evidence is complex:
- New Testament authors likely believed they wrote with prophetic authority for the church.
- They may not have classified their writings as “Scripture” in the technical sense.
- The early church came to embrace these writings as inspired Scripture over the first few centuries.
- Accepting the New Testament writings as Scripture has profound implications for the life of the church.
This important discussion reminds us not to take for granted the divine authority imparted through these ancient texts penned by Christ’s apostles and their associates under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.