In this part of our series on the New Testament canon, we’ll be exploring the first of the three attributes of canonity – the Divine Qualities of the canon. This is seen in Scripture’s beauty, power, and unity.
The Beauty of Scripture
When we speak of the beauty of Scripture, we are not just talking about literary or rhetorical beauty – we are saying that it is beautiful because it bears the attributes of God, as he is speaking to us through it. It is beautiful because the one who speaks to us from it is also beautiful. In it, Christ and God’s plan of salvation are revealed to man. We read of God condescending and entering into his own creation to be a sacrifice for the sins of an undeserving and rebellious people. The glory of the Gospel as displayed in Scripture is far more beautiful than all the greatest works of literature combined.
The 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith puts it thus:
The heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, and the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is to give glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, and many other incomparable excellencies, and entire perfections thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God 1
The 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith I.V
The Power of Scripture
The second way that we can see divine qualities in Scripture is through the power that is displayed in it and the work it accomplishes in the lives of those who read it.
When we read Scripture, it imparts its wisdom to us. David writes, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul, the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Ps. 19:7). In it, we read what God’s law is and what he expects of us. We learn of who Jesus is “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).
The Bible also has the ability to show us our sin and our need for a Savior. Paul writes, “I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me” (Rom. 7:9-11). Through reading God’s Word, we see how sinful our hearts are. Knowing God’s law, we only desire to break it in our rebellion against Him. This is why we can rejoice that “the law of the Spirit of life has set [us] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).
We can also find immense peace in Scripture, for there, we read of God’s care for us. Jesus reminds us that “if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith” (Luke 12:28). No matter what we are faced with in life, we can rest in the truth that God is sovereign over our situation and will always care for us as his children.
The Unity of Scripture
Finally, we can see divine qualities in the unity of Scripture, both in its doctrinal unity and redemptive-historical unity – God’s plan of salvation revealed from Genesis to Revelation.
Although the Bible remains under constant assault from unbelievers who try to prove contradictions between authors, when interpreted consistently and in context, the Bible remains without contradiction and with a cohesive message. Such a feat could not have been done by over 40 people over 1500 years. Only through divine inspiration could such a thing take place.
In it, we understand our fall into sin in Adam. Despite his people’s sin and rebellion, God remained faithful to his promises, disciplining them when they strayed from him. Despite generations of waiting, he promised them a Savior that would come to take way their sin – sin that could never have been taken away by bulls and goats (Heb. 10:4). As promised, God sent his Son to be born as a man to fulfill the requirements of the law that we could not (Rom. 8:3-4) and bear our sins on our behalf (1 Pet. 2:24). Anyone who repents and believes can find forgiveness and new life (Mark 1:15) and can look forward to his return when he will make all things new (Rev. 21:5).
Conclusion
Looking at the divine qualities of the canon from these three angles, the divine work that is Scripture becomes clear. When we read even the best Christian works, although they may invigorate our faith, increase our knowledge, and cause us to love Christ more, they remain, quite clearly, works of fallible man. Scripture is in a category of its own, as the very words themselves were inspired by God to those who wrote it. This then naturally brings us to the second attribute of canonicity, Apostolic Origins, which will be the focus of the next article our series.