Based on revelation from both the Holy Spirit and scripture, God has helped me understand that once the New Covenant arrived, it was no longer “necessary” to write down God-breathed messages in the form of scripture “on paper,” but we are blessed to have it in that form anyway.
For scripture NOW lives in human hearts. For once Pentecost arrived, ALL OF GOD’S PEOPLE could prophecy, and have Spirit led dreams and visions (Acts 2:17) “because” the Spirit holds the words of God “within Himself.”
The Apostle John tells us: “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as “his anointing teaches you about everything,” and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him” (1 Jn 2:27).
The prophet Jeremiah says this about the effect of the New Covenant:
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer 31:31-34).
The day that Jesus bore our sins on the cross, was the day the veil was torn between God and man “so that” His Spirit could now dwell “within humanity” instead of “on paper” in a book.
However, it is true that Jesus’ twelve Apostles, along with Paul and Barnabas, were charged with the “authority” to carry Christ’s messages unto others. These messages came “mostly” by word of mouth, with “some” by letter. Yet God’s plan in the New Covenant never included a “necessity” to record God’s words in written form.
Again, the New Testament did not “require” a written form, but “some” of it ended up in written form.
The majority of the New Testament was an “oral tradition” passed down to the disciples who followed in the footsteps of the original Apostles. And that generation of disciples passed on in oral form what was passed down to them, and so on and so on.
The New Covenant, from the BEGINNING, was in oral form, not written form.
Only After 300+ years of Christianity, did we finally get a New Testament in written form. And only “parts” of the New Testament are written by Apostles, while other parts are written by anonymous authors, and others by Christian’s who had learned from the Apostles or from other Christian’s.
Therefore, to say the entire New Testament is “inspired” is nothing more than a tradition.
However, inspired “statements” are included within the New Testament. And the reason for this is due to the fact that the Holy Spirit was no longer limited to a “book.” For the message of Christ, and His gospel, now flow from one human to another by Spirit filled Christians who pray and seek the Lord with all their heart. And this is why prophecy, visions, and dreams, continue to be spoken to people throughout the world by the Spirit.
God is “still” speaking.
God did not stop speaking at the end of the Bible, as some have been teaching us for centuries.
Therefore, if you ever hear someone say they believe in “sola scriptura,” meaning that the Bible is our “only” authority, reject that message. It is nothing more than a tradition created in the 16th century. For in truth, “some” of the New Testament holds Apostolic authority, while other parts are just Godly Christians, just like you and I, writing for one reason or another.
Below is scriptural evidence showing how the message of Christ, and the New Covenant, has always been passed on by word of mouth
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have “heard” from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching” them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt 20:19-20).
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I “preached” to you, … For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:” (1 Cor 15:1-3).
“What you have learned and received and “heard” and seen in me—practice these things,” (Phil 4:9).
“Do you not remember that when I was still with you “I told you” these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time” (2 Thess 2:5-6)
“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our “spoken word” or by our letter” (2 Thess 2:15)
“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—” (Titus 1:5)
“I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, (this is the ONLY reason Paul is writing instead of speaking) you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God,” (1 Tim 3:15).
When the council of Bishops came together in the late 300’s in order to “create” a group of writings as a “standard,” or Canon, they were not given divine revelation regarding what was and was not inspired scripture. Instead, they carefully read over the multiple groups of Christian literature and used three criteria to “decide” what to include in the Canon. The book had to meet one of these three criteria to be included: 1) Was it written by an Apostle, or 2) was it written by someone very close to an Apostle (i.e., like Luke), or 3) had it been widely read and accepted throughout many of the churches.
Therefore, once “the Bishops” decided what to include, based on these three criteria, the New Testament Canon was created. But the original motive for creating the New Testament was due to the spread of heresy and inconsistent doctrinal teachings within the churches.
So understand, there was no book claiming to be “God-breathed.” Instead, there were “Holy Spirit led/Christ glorifying” teachings found within these books.
But the authority to decide what to include in the Canon came from the united church council. The 27 books of the New Testament did not claim authority themselves as “scripture.”
Therefore, to call the New Testament, “inspired,” is actually a misconception. The term “scripture” belongs to the Old Testament, as the Apostle Paul himself tells us. For he means that the “Old Testament” is inspired when he says that “all scripture is God-breathed” (2 Tim 3:16).
But the New Testament is a “Spiritual Covenant” written on human hearts.
So, the New Testament is “from” God, but the Spirit living “inside of you” is the Spirit who will always lead you into the truth, as long as you are honestly seeking it.
And this is key: When the eternal Word in Heaven descended to earth and took on flesh, the Word no longer dwelt on tablets of stone or paper. Instead, He lives “outside of” a book now.
Finally, for those who have read this and are concerned that if “the Bible” is not my foundation or “center,” but the Holy Spirit is, how will I then stay grounded on the Truth. My answer to this is that the “Person” of Jesus Himself is my center and foundation. For the Spirit always glorifies Jesus. And Jesus always glorifies the Father. And whether it is Genesis or Revelation, Jesus Christ is the center of every book of the Bible. And at the center of Jesus’ heart is the message of the gospel.
And if my message is still unclear, please understand that I am saying that God “has given us” the New Testament in written form, but it is the Spirit Himself who holds the Word of God “within” Himself. For Bible’s can be burned, but the Word of God is eternal. And if there were no New Testament books, the Spirit of Truth, who holds divine truth, would continue to do God’s work in and through us.
Now for why I believe this message should be heard and shared:
It is widely known that the sixteenth chapter of the gospel of Mark was added hundreds of years after the original. Beyond this, you can find biblical scholars who are able to argue that other passages have been added or removed from our Bible since the original writing. However, most of the mistakes that have been discovered in our Bible are the result of the thousands of hand copies done prior to the invention of the printing press.
Here is my point: if it is even “possible” for one word of the Bible to change, then we must stop, step back, and ask: what exactly does it mean that the Bible is “inspired” or “God-breathed.”
After many years of biblical study along with research into the history of our Bible, I have discovered that whatever “inspiration means,” it cannot be something that can be added to, or removed from, the pages of a book.
Therefore, inspiration “must be” spiritual and not material, because God’s Word does not change.
Aletheia: Truth in the Darkness 