Book Review: Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books Written by: Dr. Michael J. Kruger

By Dominic Silla

 

Have you ever asked: “How was the New Testament constructed?” or “How do we know what books were originally part of the New Testament?” or “Who decided what books were supposed to be added to the New Testament Canon?” If so, then this book is definitely for you! This what the first textbook assigned to me for my New Testament Introduction class, taught by Dr. Brandon Crowe, and it was fantastic! This book, written by Dr. Michael J. Kruger, professor of New Testament Studies at Reformed Theological Seminary, writes a tour de-force of the introduction to how the New Testament came to be. The book itself runs 295 pages head to toe, 361 if you include the Bibliography and the General & the Scriptural Indices. Published in 2012 by Crossway books, it is the second of Dr. Kruger’s books, the first book being The Heresy of Orthodoxy.

Starting with one basic presupposition, that to study the canon is at root not a historical task but a theological one, Dr. Kruger goes on to give in-depth analysis of not only his method for the collection of the New Testament canon, but in the face of explaining the other methods used by people in the field. To this end, the book itself boasts an impressive Bibliography where a bibliophile or researcher could feel right at home picking out a book list to last you the next decade in reading time. It is obvious that Dr. Kruger has done his homework for this monumental task of explaining just how the New Testament came to be and why it matters to our spiritual lives.

From the writings of the early Church Fathers, to the text of Scripture itself Dr. Kruger digs deep into the available material, constantly reminding his readers that he is just scratching the surface of the available material and evidence capable of being brought to bear in favor of the 27 book New Testament Canon. Dr. Kruger regularly confesses that there is not enough time or space in this volume to touch on everything he would desire to, but all is not lost. In-depth, complex footnotes run the length of the book along with detailed recommendations of where and to whom one can go to in order to do more research.

The crown jewel of this text however is the tri-part method Dr. Kruger proposes for assessing the reliability of the Canon of the New Testament. These three pegs being that the text of the New Testament has Divine Qualities, Corporate Reception and finally Apostolic Origins. Dr. Kruger spends the second half (really the latter 2/3rds) of his text defending these qualities under the heading that the NT Canon has “Self-Authenticating” Authority. It is obvious to any reader, beginner or advanced, that Dr. Kruger has masterful command of his field and is confident in his explanation. I highly encourage picking up a copy, whether for a class or for your own personal edification. It is truly a must have and will be useful for years to come. That I can promise!