[thirdheavenward]

Jesus, being the foremost of all God's prophets, has spoken in the Holy Gospels, and God did, does, and will preserve Jesus' words for all generations. "The word of the Lord is precious, like silver, tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You will keep them O Lord! You will preserve them from this generation forever!"

Peter and Paul, being prophets and apostles of the Lord, as the Holy Gospel of Luke testifies, we can also trust, for just as God was able to work miracles through them, He is also able to speak. John, likewise, proves his own trustworthiness by the Gospel he wrote, and his other writings also testify that he is one of God's prophets. These all saw Jesus, and were spoken to by him, and their reputations are without blemish, being approved both by God and the church.

As for the remaining titles: Hebrews, Jude, and James, we can only apply the rule that John wrote: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God"

Accordingly, I personally am inclined to put a question mark next to James. I don't completely discount it, but I think all the other books are secure in a way that it is not.

I think this constitutes a reasonable approach to the NT. However, it is clear that if a man accepts the whole of what is called the NT, he will not go far wrong.

[SoothingDave]

Peter and Paul, being prophets and apostles of the Lord, as the Holy Gospel of Luke testifies, we can also trust, for just as God was able to work miracles through them, He is also able to speak. John, likewise, proves his own trustworthiness by the Gospel he wrote, and his other writings also testify that he is one of God's prophets.

If Luke testifies to Peter and Paul, who testifies to Luke? Who told you that John is the author of the Gospel bearing his name, or Matthew, or Mark?

SD

[ThomasMore]

I personally am inclined to put a question mark next to James.

If you cast a doubt on part, you cast a doubt on all.