Can I Trust the Bible? Do We Have The Right Books & The Right Texts? Wesley Huff

Wesley Huff:
Early Christians quickly agreed on which books were directly linked to Jesus. First-century Jews viewed scripture as incomplete, anticipating the Messiah and redemption. This set the stage for the New Testament as the fulfillment of God's promises. The Gospels and Paul’s Epistles became central, not by vote, but by recognizing their inherent authority. Only writings closely connected to Jesus and his Apostles were considered scriptural, forming the 27 books of the New Testament.

Today's single-bound Bible with 66 books is a product of modern convenience, made possible by the printing press in 1440. In the early centuries, scripture existed as separate scrolls and books, with occasional collections like 𝔓45 (Gospels) and 𝔓46 (Paul's letters). Early Christians, eager to spread the gospel, rapidly copied and translated these texts, leading to widespread distribution by the 4th century in various languages. However, this zeal sometimes led to inconsistencies in the copies.