Counseling: Faith and Canon

Dear Pastor Lawyer,

Since the church 'recognized' the canon it seems that the canon is not necessarily fixed by God. It seems, as you say, if writings were found in the future they may be included and excluded based on a church council. If this is true and the only requirements are that it be written by an apostle or his companion and be congruent with the 'canon', man is deciding what 'rules' Christians live by. Really, a heretic's 'canon' rejected 2,000 years ago could hold the same argument you put forth couldn't he? He could simply say that all your 'canonical' books are heretical b/c they contain teachings which contradict his 'canon'.

He could say the same exact things you say. Would this make him correct? It makes me feel as if we place a lot of 'faith' in what someone else decided is authoritative. And yes, it brings us back to the same place you began: faith.

Thank you for the help. Rob

Yes, Rob, faith, but it is not faith in faith. In other words, I do not trust in my faith for my salvation or life, but trust in God who is faithful, or, to put it another way, I have faith in a faithful God. I believe that the God who has acted in history countless numbers of times will be faithful to his promises to me and to those around me.

When I view history, I see something remarkable, namely, that not only is God faithful to individuals, but he is also faithful to a community of faith. Those who put their trust in him for their lives gather, and, by proximity to Him, live out a community life together. This is what we call the church; Christ living in individuals who are joined together in him are his body. Consequently, as the church, we are more accurate in our understanding of God and ourselves than we would be if we were a bunch of individuals on our own. The church, not individual scholars, agreed on the canon of Scripture.

Because knowing God produces humility, if a lone man were to come to the church with his own set of “scriptures,” he would submit himself to the church’s understanding of what the Scriptures contain. This is so because the church is not simply a collection of individuals, who are no different from anyone else, but the church is the body of Christ and therefore has the authority of Christ. Christ, through the Church, therefore, has proclaimed which texts are to be included in the canon, and, therefore, everything else is not. The lone man who continues to proclaim something else the word of God is in violation of what has previously been deemed by the church body to be Scripture and is, therefore, a heretic, and should be dealt with as such.

There is a sense in which this always goes back to faith, but again, not faith in faith, but faith in God who has revealed himself, faith lived out, faith coming out our fingertips, what the Bible calls living by faith.

Something else needs to be mentioned here, namely, the factor of truth, for faith in faith is silly and perhaps dangerous, but faith in one who is true and truth is not only not dangerous, but it is right. Is God God? Is Jesus real? Did Jesus live? Did he die? Did he really rise from the dead? Is he truth personified? The answer to all these questions is—Yes!

Since these answers are all in the affirmative, then we are left with dealing with what he said about life and salvation and Hell and death, and that is where we are. Is it all true? Can you place your trust in God? Is he faithful for you? Will he sustain you, protect you, lift you up? Yes!

On the other hand, the Bible has much to say about the consequences of not following/believing/putting your trust in God. Look around you. Are the people you know who are turning their backs on God happy (when they sit alone in their houses)? Is there joy in their families? After going down the road they chose, are they all that they thought they would be? Would you somehow be different? Would turning away from what you know is true in Christ somehow turn out differently in your case? Are you above God? Will you be the only person on the face of the earth or in history whom the truths of the Bible don’t affect (in both directions)?

I know these appear to be rhetorical questions, but they aren’t really because they are questions you need to answer for yourself, for your family, and friends.

My advice to you is to have faith in God, fall into his arms, submit your desires and your feelings to the authority of the one who sent his only son to die for you, live in him who has risen from the dead, let him lift you up, trust in him for your life, and swap burdens with him – give him yours and take his on your shoulders.

I hope this helps,