WHERE DID THE NEW TESTAMENT COME FROM?

A strange question you might say. If the scripture says in 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work, then we assume that the New Testament came from God.

Whilst I understand that this is one answer, we need to look a bit deeper into the question.

Just think, if we want to know about salvation, sanctification, justification or a 101 other topics what do we do? Most of the time we refer to scripture and other writers who have written a fuller explanation of the topic.

Now go back to the New Testament Church. They didn’t have a bible. They had the Old Testament, but that did not set out for them what salvation by grace was all about or taking up your cross daily etc.

From the point of view of Christian living, they had nothing written down...until later when the apostles began to write letters to churches in most cases in response to specific questions about how they should conduct themselves.

So how did the apostles know how to conduct themselves? They had no more knowledge than anyone asking the questions, especially Paul who did not spend three years with Jesus and bearing in mind they gathered daily to hear and discuss the apostle's doctrine.

So I ask, where did they get their information from? How did they know what the answers were to the questions they were asked?

I can only find one feasible answer to this question. They got the information from the Holy Spirit. Because they did not have a book of directions that they could draw on (apart from the 10 commandments for the Jewish church), they had to write one and to be able to write one they had to get the information from somewhere.

I believe that all scripture is God breathed because the information in it was obtained directly from the Holy Spirit who it says would lead us into all truth. That being the case, the truth is in scripture, not tradition.

That being the case whenever we place tradition before scripture we are denying the truth. Nothing, no matter who wrote it should add to or supersede what is contained in scripture.

This fact makes it very simple for me when I read a book. If it contradicts what the scripture says I discard it. If it reflects what is taught in the scripture I take it on board.

If I see something in the church that is contrary to what the scripture teaches I reject it. If it lines up with scripture, I embrace it.

So should everyone else.