Who Decides What Books Make It Into The Bible, And Which Ones Are Left Out?

Welcome to Day 4 of our 60-Day Challenge! Today, we’re diving into question number four, but before we get there, let’s take a moment to reflect on the question from yesterday: Does the Bible say anywhere that there will not be any more prophets or additional scriptures?

If you’ve been following along, you know that much of Christianity today teaches that the Bible is the final, complete word of God—that after its completion, no new prophets would come, and no new revelations would be given. But where does this idea come from? And does the Bible itself actually say that?

Let’s take a closer look.

The Biblical Pattern of Prophets

Throughout scripture, God has always communicated with His children through prophets. From the very beginning with Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses, to the prophets of the Old Testament like Isaiah and Jeremiah, God used these messengers to teach His people and guide them back to His path.

The question we need to ask is: If God has always spoken through prophets, why would He stop?

God is consistent, and His pattern of communication hasn’t changed. He has always used prophets to teach and to warn His people. In fact, Jesus Himself acknowledged this pattern when He chastised the religious leaders of His time for rejecting the prophets. In Matthew 23:37, He laments over Jerusalem, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee…” Clearly, the rejection of living prophets is nothing new.

Future Prophets in the New Testament

In Matthew 23:39, Jesus tells the people, “For I say unto you, You shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” This is a powerful statement, one that hints at more messengers being sent in the future—prophets who will come in the name of the Lord to speak truth to His people. The Bible doesn’t say that God will stop sending prophets; instead, it suggests that His work through living messengers will continue.

Does the Bible Mention Additional Scriptures?

The question of whether new scriptures can be added is often tied to the belief that the Bible is the final word. But here’s the thing: the Bible, as we know it today, didn’t even exist in its current form until centuries after the apostles. For hundreds of years, various councils and religious authorities debated over which books to include and which to leave out.

In fact, during those early centuries of Christianity, there were many writings that believers considered sacred but didn’t make it into the Bible. And even today, there are books that were part of early Christian traditions that aren’t found in the scriptures we use now. So who’s to say that God can’t add to His word if He chooses to do so?

The Bible doesn’t explicitly say that revelation has ended. In fact, Ephesians 4:11-13 tells us that the Lord gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, “for the perfecting of the saints… till we all come in the unity of the faith.” This suggests that prophets and apostles are meant to continue guiding the Church until we reach that unity of faith.

If we haven’t yet reached that perfect unity, why would God stop communicating with us through prophets and new revelation?

In other words, Christ is telling us that we won’t truly know Him until we accept the living messengers He sends. This pattern of sending prophets is as old as time itself—starting with Adam, continuing through Noah, Abraham, Moses, and even prophets on the American continent. Time and again, God has sent His servants to guide His people, and time and again, they’ve been rejected. So why would that pattern suddenly stop? If God is unchanging, it stands to reason that He continues to send prophets today, and we are invited to listen.

What to Reflect On for Today's Challenge:

This brings us to question number four, which delves into something equally important and intriguing: Who decides what books make it into the Bible, and which ones are left out?

It’s a question that goes beyond simple curiosity—because if the Bible is our foundation for faith, how do we know it’s complete? There are 75 books that were removed from the Bible over the years, and many of the letters attributed to the Apostle Paul are still debated today. For example, most scholars agree that Paul wrote seven of the 13 epistles attributed to him—Galatians, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon. However, books like 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are widely seen as pseudepigraphic, meaning they were written by someone else using Paul’s name.

So who makes these decisions? Why were certain books included in the canon, and others left out? And what about those missing books—why aren’t they part of the Bible we read today?

This is where today’s journey gets interesting. There’s a long history behind the formation of the Bible as we know it, and it wasn’t always clear-cut. Many of the books that were left out may contain valuable teachings, but someone—centuries ago—decided they didn’t belong. My question to you is this: Do you think the Bible, as it is today, contains everything we need to know? Or could there be more that we’ve yet to discover?

Take a moment to reflect on this, and if you’re curious, Google the missing books of the Bible and see what you find. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts—this journey is all about asking the right questions and seeking the truth with an open heart.

Let’s keep the conversation going as we continue this incredible 60-Day Challenge together. Share your insights in the comments, and let’s dive deeper into this journey of discovery.

Transcription:

  Hi, my name is Joe Cirillo with Gospel First, and once again, thanks for your decision to follow me on this exciting journey to find Christ Restored Church in our day. But before I give you question number four, did you get answers to the question number three? Does the Bible say anywhere in it that there will not be any more prophets or any additional scriptures?

After Christ absolutely goes off on the scribes and Pharisees about accepting dead prophets and rejecting living prophets, He says these important words about prophets that will be sent in the future. In Matthew, chapter 23, verse 39, it says, You shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Translation from the Old English, it says, You cannot see me or know me until you accept the prophets that I sent you. I can imagine that one of the things that frustrates Jesus the most is when he sends one of his servants to teach his people, and then they reject him. Now, I can imagine him placing his hands on his head and saying something similar to what he said as he viewed the condition of Israel at the time.

In Matthew 23, verse 37, it says, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. So this pattern of God sending prophets to his children has been going on for thousands of years.

It started with Adam. He was rejected. He sent Noah, Abraham, and Moses. They were rejected. Prophets were sent to people in the American continent and they were rejected. People would say in every age, we have prophets. We don't need more prophets, but it's obvious that we do need prophets. So here's question number four.

There's a list of 75 missing books which were removed from the Bible. Who gets to decide what goes into the Bible and what gets left out? Example, most scholars believe that Paul actually wrote 7 of the 13 epistles. Galatians, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philomene, Philippians, Thessalonians. While 3 of the epistles in Paul's name are widely seen as pseudepigraphic, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, and Titus.

Why didn't they get in? Ask Google for the missing books, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.