C. The New Testament

The apostle Peter recognized his unique role as one was chosen by God to pass on the commandments of Jesus and he reminded the believers under his care that his words, and that of the other apostles, were to be considered just as authoritative as those of the Old Testament prophets.

This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, {2} that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. (2 Peter 3:1-2)

Peter also confirmed that the teaching of the apostle Paul, who was not one of the original twelve apostles who walked with Jesus, was to be given this same consideration when he mentions Paul’s writings and says that what Paul wrote has the same weight and authority as all the rest of the Scriptures.

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, {15} and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, {16} as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:14-16)

The apostle Paul confirms his own authority as one chosen by God and tells others that the things he has written to them are the commandments of God.

If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. (1 Corinthians 14:37-38)

The Apostle Paul in another letter, again recognized that his own teaching was not just the word of men but the word of God, and he gave thanks for those who recognized that.

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:3)

Finally, the apostle Paul goes even further explaining that he did not receive instruction concerning the Gospel from other men but he received it by means of a revelation from the Lord.

For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12)

When Peter mentions the wisdom that was given to Paul he is recognizing and affirming this unique place that Paul occupied in God’s plan to speak to us through the apostles in the writing of the New Testament. This would be a good place to remember that Jesus said the Spirit of God would be at work in the apostles teaching them and guiding them into all truth. (John 16:13)

We recognize that not everything in the New Testament was written personally by an Apostle, but we have full confidence that by the providence of God Jesus words, the teaching of the Apostles and the truth of the Gospel have been safely passed down to us in the remainder of the New Testament.

For example, the writer of the book of Hebrews acknowledges that he was part of a group who did not personally walk with Jesus but that they learned from the apostles whose preaching and teaching was confirmed to them by divine signs and miracles.

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. (Hebrews 2:1-4)

We are also encouraged as we read the introduction to the Gospel of Luke, and we have every confidence that God has provided all that we need to know in and through these portions of the New Testament, which were not written by an apostle but were based on eyewitness accounts handed down to them.

In as much as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)

On the next page we will discover why we can also embrace the Old Testament Scriptures as the Word of God in which God has spoken to our world.