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I’ll try to answer your questions but I can’t use the quote feature and answer them all because of space limitations.
My source is the Bible itself. I believe everyone is aware of the fact that nothing that appears in the Bible was written after 100 A.D. That is a fact that no one disputes.
So we must find out how the apostles kept up with the epistles, gathered and distributed them throughout the world. We can find that very easily in Scripture if we will only look.
Paul’s epistles alone being sent to numerous places show that there was a distribution of the Scriptures. Paul even warned the Thessalonians of false writings and told them how to recognize his letters.
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, 3:17 and you will see how Paul handled it.
2 Thess 2:1
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2 Thess 3:17
The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.
It is noteworthy that even enemies of the gospel wanted the power of the written letters of Paul and they wrote many forgeries.
We know also that Paul urged the church at Collssi to exchange letters by Col 4:16.
Coll. 4:16
And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
Paul wrote letters to all of Asia, Galatia, Pontus, Cappadocia, and Bithynia. Peter’s letters were sent to Asia and also to Pontus, Cappadocia and Bithynia. (2 Peter 3:15, 1 Peter 1:1). It seems clear that Paul’s letters were intended for everyone and distributed throughout a very large area, according to Peter. No one could say the Scriptures were not being distributed.
Scripture also indicates that someone was keeping records and collecting the writings of the apostles. Sylvanus had a part in writing and worked with both Peter and Paul and must have been keeping the writings of Peter, John and Paul together. Read 1 Peter 5:12, 2 Cor. 1:19, 1 Thess 1:1 and 2 Thess 1:1.
It also seems likely that Timothy as well as Luke, Tertius and Mark collected and distributed the Scriptures as the Scriptures themselves indicate that. Do they say they kept all the letters together? No! But it is evident that the letters were important enough and needed to be read to all that they would have done so.
We know by Peter’s writing that the New Testament was being collected in the first century as 2 Peter 3:15-16 indicates. He says that “all” of Paul’s writings were being collected, even before the NT was complete. It is this collection of Scriptures that constitutes a canon. Peter’s letters were the key to the fact that the NT was being collected and distributed.
Since Peter referred to Paul’s writings and John’s, as well as his of course, the we must also believe that Luke’s gospel was inspired Scripture because we know Paul quoted Luke in 1 Tim 5:18. And if we include Luke, then Acts has to be included as Acts is a continuation of Luke. (Acts 1:1) In addition we learn in 1 Tim 5:18 referred both to Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7. That means Luke was added to the Old Testament as well and Jesus certainly referred to the Old Testament as “Scripture.” This implies guidance by the Spirit and collection by the oversight of the apostles.
While it may be true that other writings were also being read in some of the churches, the people of that day knew from Scripture which letters were inspired and it is that collection of letters that is the NT as we know it today.
Now we could go on and on and prove in this manner that all of the NT as we know it was to be Scripture and was inspired, or God-breathed. The fact that the church confirmed these books as the New Testament in the 4th century shows that the books were the ones used constantly by most of the churches, if not all. With the exception of the apocrypha, we have no record or any other books being considered for the New Testament. We do know for sure, however, that the same books as we have in our NT today were being taught in the churches in the 2nd century, even before that, they were being circulated and read and taught.
I have already stated that my church is the same apostolic church that Christ began through the apostles. We teach exactly what the apostles taught and no other doctrine or sacrament that cannot be found in Scripture. The Church of God.
Your next question was how are we saved by faith. Well the best statement of that is Ephesians 2:8-10.
“
For by (past tense) grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
You could also read: Rom 5:1; Acts 13:39; Rom 4:25; Gal 3:24. You could read the entire chapters of Romans 4 and Romans 5 and get still more.
I conclude from Scripture alone, that salvation is gained by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. If we deny what Christ said on the cross: “
It is finished!” we play the role of the spirit of the anti-Christ that was written about by John. That would be essentially denying that the Messiah has actually come and fulfilled all requirements of the law, and we do not need to add to His finished work. Anything else would be like telling God: “*Oh God, thank you for the gift of your Son. Your atonement on the cross was almost enough to remove the filth of sin on me but I need to do one last thing…” That depends on us to do part of our salvation, at least. * That is not the gospel message!
Do not interpret this to mean that I believe that when one says, “I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ” that person is “saved.” That is not my belief. It is the faith that I show in my belief of Christ that is the saving grace that God provides; it is a continual faith that never ends. Then the “Grace” of God is what saves you.
As for Baptism, the Bible doesn’t tell us that we must baptize by immersion only. It doesn’t give any other method of baptizing, so why would we want to change it? Even your church baptized by immersion for the first few centuries. Why did they change it?
As for baptizing infants, the Scriptures teach that one has to “believe” for salvation and babies cannot believe. Where in the Bible does it tell us to baptize infants?
Sufficiency of Scripture
I could simply say read Psalm 19, and Psalm 119, and you wouldn’t have any more questions.
In Psalm 19, the first 6 verses conveys to us the significance of God’s revelation. We read how God has revealed Himself to us in nature, and in the heavens. Please read this Psalm.
Verses 7 – 14 gives us a more specific revelation in His Word. The focus her is on special revelation, the revelation of God in holy Scripture. This is where you will find the sufficiency of Scripture. Verses 7-9 read:
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous all together.”
This gives us a title for the Word of God, a characteristic of the Word of God and a benefit of the Word of God. The Scripture is called the law, testimony, statute, commandment, fear and judgment. These are synonyms for the Scripture. It is perfect, sure, right, clear, clean and true. It converts the soul, it makes the wise the simple, it rejoices the heart, it enlightens the eyes, it endures forever and it is all together righteous. It provides full spiritual resources.
This is an absolute comprehensive statement on the Scripture in a very few words. If you truly read this, you will see the intent and magnitude.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 further gives us remembrance of the significance of God’s word. Paul reminds us here that the Scripture is able to make you wise into salvation and to make you perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Nothing else is needed.
