Canonicity of The Bible

When I wrote last week about the origins of the Bible, my friend Metin asked these important questions which I will try to answer:

1. How and when and where was the Bible changed (or adjusted)?

Since I am a Protestant Christian I can only speak of what the Protestant branch of Christianity sees as authoritative or as the Biblical canon. Canon is a Greek word meaning "measuring rule" or "standard," and the test of canonicity for Protestants is whether the books in the Bible were inspired by God. Protestants believe that the Bible is the complete, infallible word of God to humanity.

The Old Testament books were seen as inspired by God if they were written the prophets, were referred to in the Talmud, were mentioned by Jesus and in His apostles' writings, and were referred to as inspired by God by early church figures like Origen and others and by historians like Josephus.

What was accepted as the New Testament canon were books that were known early on to have been written by Jesus' apostles and were read regularly in the early church. Early church leaders quoted liberally in their writings from both the Old and New Testaments. This is also proof. There have been disputes over the centuries by various fringe Christian groups, but generally the majority of the books that make up the Protestant Bible has been accepted from the beginning of the church.

2. Wasn't there a commission years after Jesus' death to keep certain things and to delete yet others??

There were a number of so-called lost books of the Bible that were never fully accepted by the church. If one reads the Bible and some of these books, which I have done, there is a vast difference in tone and plausibility between these false books and the Bible. There were various councils (commissions) over the centuries especially in the eastern church, but not in the Protestant.

3. And how do we know it's the word of God?? Is it because no man is capable of writing such a book?

As Christians the only way we know the Bible is God's word is through faith. With faith one has to decide to believe even though all concrete evidence may not be available. People have believed in the Bible over the centuries, however, not just through faith but also by miracles and blessings that happen in their lives and others. I personally know the good feelings I have whenever I read the Bible. I can be hurt and discouraged, and an actual reading gives me courage and strength to go on. This has happened many times to me.

Executable Outlines summarizes better what I have attempted to explain here.