Who Decided What's In Your Bible? (And Were They Right?)

About this sermon

🎧📖 Who actually decided which books belong in your Bible—and can you trust that decision? In this podcast episode, cold case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace applies investigative logic to the canon question, showing why the New Testament wasn’t invented by a church council but recognized using criteria that were already embedded in Scripture itself. In this episode, you’ll learn: ✅ Why the sharpest challenge to sola scriptura is about the list of New Testament books, not any single verse ✅ The crucial ontological vs. epistemological distinction: What Scripture is vs. how we know which books are Scripture ✅ How criteria for canon—apostolic/eyewitness connection, doctrinal consistency, and long-term widespread use—are rooted in biblical patterns starting as early as Deuteronomy ✅ What the historical record shows about how the early church recognized 27 books out of hundreds of contenders, and why fringe gospels consistently failed the eyewitness test ✅ How to answer the claim that “the Catholic Church gave you the Bible,” and how the same framework responds to LDS and other “Spirit told me” claims ✅ Practical ways to use this material in conversations with skeptics, Catholics, and confused Protestants—without hand-waving or circular arguments 📚 Go deeper into the investigative case for the New Testament in Cold-Case Christianity: 👉 https://amzn.to/42XtJhu 🎙️ Subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity podcast for weekly audio content on evidence, theology, and culture: 👉 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cold-case-christianity-podcast/id503720105 👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4JAk2JkTxY6zWcG8N7G0QF 👉 Google Podcasts / YouTube Music: search “Cold-Case Christianity with J. Warner Wallace” 🌐 Explore articles, videos, and downloadable resources at Cold Case Christianity: 👉 https://coldcasechristianity.com 🙏 If this episode helps you think more clearly about the Bible and the canon debate, please: 👍 Like this video 📲 Subscribe to this YouTube channel 🔔 Turn on notifications so you don’t miss new episodes 🎧 Follow and subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity podcast on your favorite platform 💬 Share this episode with a friend, skeptic, or small group that wrestles with questions about the Bible’s authority and origins Thank you for partnering with us as we equip believers to trust their Bibles, think clearly, and share the case for Christianity with confidence. 🕵️‍♂️✝️

Topics

• Bible Study