C.A.C Sunday School Manual For April 19, 2026: Lesson 14: Title - Formation Of The Bible Canon

CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH

Nigeria & Overseas

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

Theme:

The Bible: God’s Message to Man

January – December 2026

Unit II:

Preservation and Dissemination of God’s Word

Date: April 19, 2026

Lesson 14

Topic: Formation of the Bible Canon

MEMORY SCRIPTURE

“Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’”

— Luke 24:44

The Bible canon was formed through the careful recognition of sacred writings in order to preserve sound doctrine and protect believers from false teachings.

BRIEF COMMENT

One striking aspect of this passage is how Jesus explained the Scriptures to His disciples. He emphasised that the Scriptures should not be understood in fragments but as a unified message pointing to Him. As the fulfilment of Scripture (Matthew 5:17), the entire Bible centres on Christ.

How does this relate to the formation of the Bible canon? Jesus referred to the Scriptures available during His time, which were the Hebrew sacred writings: the Law of Moses (Torah or Pentateuch), the Prophets, and the Psalms. These formed the Old Testament canon.

Later, the New Testament canon was established. It includes the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the book of Revelation, all of which testify to the life, teachings, and ministry of Jesus Christ and the growth of the early Church.

Christians must therefore regard these books as the authoritative Word of God, preserved to guide believers and protect the Church from false doctrine.

DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS

Monday 13 – The Covenant Book Read to the People

(Exodus 24:7)

Tuesday 14 – The Canonised Law to Be Meditated Upon

(Joshua 1:8)

Wednesday 15 – The Law as a Guide Under Joshua

(Joshua 8:30–35)

Thursday 16 – The Covenant Book Rediscovered by Hilkiah

(2 Chronicles 34:14)

Friday 17 – The Law Observed in Nehemiah’s Time

(Nehemiah 8:9, 14–17)

Saturday 18 – The Law Rejected by Ephraim

(Hosea 8:11–14)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

God inspired certain individuals to write the Scriptures and also guided others to recognise and compile the books that form the Bible.

While some writings attempted to gain acceptance as Scripture, God sovereignly excluded them, ensuring the Bible remains accurate, reliable, and free from error.

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES

Luke 4:16–21; 2 Timothy 4:13

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

AIM

To explain how the books of the Bible were recognised and accepted as the authoritative Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

Define what the Bible canon means.

Explain how different books contributed to the formation of the Bible canon.

Discuss both the Old and New Testament canons as authoritative guides for Christian living.

INTRODUCTION

Textual Sources:

Psalm 68:11; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:1–4; 24:44; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 3:15–16; Revelation 1:3; 22:18–19

In the previous lesson, we studied how God used human agents to transmit and publish His Word. We thank God for His living Word that continues to reach and transform lives.

This lesson, the fourteenth in the series, focuses on the Formation of the Bible Canon. The Bible canon refers to the divine process through which the Christian Church received the 66 books of Scripture, distinguishing them from false writings.

This lesson will be studied under two major sections:

The Old Testament Canon

The New Testament Canon

May the Holy Spirit help us understand and apply the truths revealed in this lesson.

LESSON OUTLINE

I. Old Testament Canon

II. New Testament Canon

LESSON EXPOSITION

I. OLD TESTAMENT CANON

(Psalm 68:11; Luke 24:44)

Jesus said to His disciples:

“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

a. The Old Testament forms the first part of the Christian canon, while the New Testament forms the second. Both together constitute the complete and inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

b. Jesus confirmed the authority and reliability of the Old Testament Scriptures (Luke 24:44). This raises an important question: How were the books of the Old Testament recognised as inspired and authoritative? (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12).

c. God watched over His Word (Psalm 68:11). While some individuals were inspired to write Scripture, others were guided to recognise which writings qualified as Scripture. This process is known as canonicity.

d. Some books attempted to gain recognition within the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanakh) but were rejected as Apocrypha, meaning “hidden” or non-canonical writings. The Old Testament canon therefore distinguished between the Law (Torah), the Prophets, the Psalms, and other writings that were not inspired.

e. The term canon comes from the Greek word kanon, meaning “rule” or “standard.” It refers to the recognised list of authoritative books included in the Old and New Testaments.

II. NEW TESTAMENT CANON

(Mark 1:1; Luke 1:1–4; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 3:15–16; Revelation 1:3; 22:18–19)

“…As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do the rest of the Scriptures.”

— 2 Peter 3:16

a. The New Testament canon consists of books used by the early Church in teaching and public worship. These include the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation, all recognised as inspired and authoritative.

b. The Gospel of Mark begins with the declaration: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ…” (Mark 1:1). It is generally believed to be the earliest written Gospel, likely completed around AD 70.

c. Luke carefully documented an orderly account of the life and ministry of Jesus (Luke 1:1–4). His writings were quickly recognised as reliable and authoritative.

d. The Gospels circulated among early churches where they were read during worship and used for teaching. Luke also wrote the book of Acts, which continues the account of the early Church.

e. In 2 Peter 3:15–16, Peter referred to Paul’s letters as Scripture, confirming their authority and inclusion within the New Testament canon.

f. The book of Revelation contains prophetic messages from Jesus to the churches in Asia Minor, providing guidance and warnings for believers (Revelation 1:3; 22:18–19).

g. God raised faithful leaders in the early Church to distinguish genuine Scripture from false or forged writings. The inspired Holy Bible therefore serves as the foundation for doctrine, correction, instruction, and spiritual growth.

LESSONS DERIVED

God used the process of canonisation to separate genuine Scripture from false writings. Christians must also be vigilant in rejecting false teachings.

The Church recognises 27 books in the New Testament alongside the Old Testament. Both are equally important and form the complete Word of God.

QUESTIONS

Describe the process that separated the Scriptures from other writings that sought recognition as Scripture. What is it called?

How were the books of the New Testament canonised?

SUGGESTED ANSWERS

Answer to Question 1

The process is called canonisation.

It distinguished genuine Scriptures from false writings.

Through canonisation, God established the standard that determined which books were included in the Bible.

This process demonstrates God’s watchful preservation of His infallible Word.

Answer to Question 2

The New Testament includes the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation.

Canonicity refers to the recognition of these writings as inspired Scripture.

These books became part of the New Testament through the process of forming the New Testament canon.

The Gospels were widely accepted because they documented the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Peter’s reference to Paul’s letters as “Scripture” indicates that the early Church already recognised them as authoritative.

LIFE APPLICATION

Church history records that Martin Luther followed earlier Jewish and Christian traditions by separating the deuterocanonical books from the Old Testament in his Bible translation, placing them in a section called the Apocrypha. God has used many individuals throughout history to help distinguish true Scripture from false writings.

This reminds believers today to remain discerning and committed to the truth of God’s Word.

CONCLUSION

Through this lesson, we have gained a deeper understanding of the formation of the Bible canon. We thank God for preserving His Word and giving us the Scriptures as our guide for faith and life.

May the Holy Spirit continue to help us understand God’s Word and reject every form of false teaching.