Revelation 22
“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. Revelation 22:7, 18-19 NIV
The Bible is a completed work as is, and there is a stern warning for anyone who tampers with it. Nothing should be taken away from what is written. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). In addition, nothing should be added to what has been written. This warning, as written, is directed specifically to anyone who distorts the message of the book of Revelation. However, the principle applies to anyone who attempts to intentionally distort ANY part of God’s Word. Moses gave a similar warning in Deuteronomy 4:2: “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” We, like the Israelites, must listen to and obey the commandments of the Lord. We are not to omit certain commands that are inconvenient or difficult to follow. Proverbs 30:5-6 contains a similar reprimand for anyone who tries to add to Scripture: “Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” The complete Bible includes the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, which were recognized by the early church as the Word of God. These books are referred to as the “canon”. The word “canon” is a derivative of the Greek word, “kanon” and the Hebrew word, “kaneh”. It refers to a “reed” or a measuring rod/ruler. It is used in Christianity to signify the authenticity of the Word of God. This is a list of criteria that a particular book had to fulfill in order to be recognized as part of the Biblical canon:
1. The Book must be written by a prophet or one of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. No books written after the last Apostles died are included in the canon. For the New Testament, an author of Scripture must be an Apostle, be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, or one who worked closely with Jesus or an Apostle such as James, Mark and Luke.
2. It must claim to be a revelation from God. The book must show evidence of being inspired by the Holy Spirit.
3. It must be authenticated, written by the person who claimed to be the author.
4. It must be widely or universally recognized and accepted as the Word of God. The early Christians accepted certain books as Scripture without question. They had first hand knowledge of their authenticity, as they were often taught by the Apostles and were able to attest to the genuineness of certain books.
5. It had life-transforming power. The Word of God, when believed and applied, will without exception transform the life of the believer. This transformation will be supernatural in nature and will be directed towards living by the principles found in God’s Word.
6. The book must be in agreement with the other books of the Bible. If the book contained contradictions or inconsistencies with other parts of God’s Word, then it was rejected because God cannot contradict Himself. The book must also be historically accurate.
Most Bible scholars believe that the canon of the New Testament was complete by 100 A.D. This means that those who had first hand knowledge and were eye-witnesses were those who recognized the canon of the twenty seven books of the New Testament. So what about more modern religious texts like the Koran and the Book of Mormon, which also claim to be inspired by God? When these books are subjected to even the simplest of tests they are found to be the product of man’s imaginations, philosophy and false wisdom. For example, Joseph Smith, the founder and author of the Mormon scriptures (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price), presents God as being an exalted man who lived on some planet out in the universe, and who earned the right to godhood by being faithful and doing good works. This is completely counter to everything that the Bible says about the person, nature and character of God. Furthermore, there are many contradictions between the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. This clearly establishes its human authorship and shows that it was not divinely inspired. God does not contradict Himself. The Mormon Scriptures do not compare to the Bible on any level and are proven to be historically, culturally and doctrinally in gross error with known history, archaeology, and science. In contrast, the Bible is proven to be historically, culturally and doctrinally accurate in its statements, and is infallible, just like the God who inspired its writings. In conclusion, we must be careful to handle the Bible’s teachings with care and reverence so that we do not distort its message. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).