Les Feldick Bible Study

What does the consistent order of Paul's epistles show about the Holy Spirit and the canon?

The unvarying order of Paul’s epistles in every available New Testament copy shows the Holy Spirit exercised total control when the men who met around A.D. 350 assembled the canon, formulating the New Testament so these letters stand exactly as intended, particularly suited for believers today.

Les explains that Paul did not sit and strain to arrange his material into seven distinct things; rather, the whole arrangement points up the inspiration of everything, even the way the books were lined up in the New Testament. That lineup is not according to Paul’s chronological order, but the Holy Spirit put them exactly as they were supposed to be when men of God put the New Testament together. Other New Testament books sometimes appear in different order in ancient copies; even the four Gospels may be mixed up, and the little epistles of Peter and John are not always in the same order. But every one of Paul’s epistles is always present in every available copy, and they are always in the same order we have today. Les says this tells us the Holy Spirit was in total control when the men who met approximately A.D. 350 put the canon of Scripture together and formulated our New Testament. God has particularly brooded over these Pauline epistles because they are the ones appropriate for us today.