Is the New Testament part of the inspired Bible? While there is far more that can be said then I have room to share here, I think there is an interesting piece of evidence slipped into 1 Timothy 5:8. After Paul said an elder is deserving of his pay from the church, he went on to say:
"For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,' and, 'The laborer deserves his wages.'”
Paul is clearly quoting Scripture. The reference to muzzling an ox comes from Deuteronomy 25. That was part of the old law, and verses like 2 Timothy 3:16 tell us "all Scripture" was breathed out by God. The Jews had collected all the books we call the Old Testament, and they viewed them as inspired writings from God through human authors, and thus incapable of containing errors.
But Paul didn't just include Deuteronomy when he wrote "For the Scripture says." The second phrase about the laborer deserving his wages was a quote from Jesus recorded in Luke 10:7.
What we have here is a recognition that a New Testament book is on par with what was acknowledged as Scripture. How do we know Paul is reliable in calling Luke's writing Scripture? Well, Peter helps with that. In his second letter (3:15-16) he clearly puts Paul's writing alongside "other Scripture." Peter, the disciple, apostle, and leader of the first church, affirmed what Paul wrote as being Scripture. And Paul, whose writings were thus inerrant, affirmed what Luke wrote as being Scripture.
Even before most of the authors of the New Testament had died, the early church embraced their writings as being inspired Scripture. It isn't just "the Bible is God's Word because the Bible says it is God's Word." There is a much stronger case to be made than that. We can trust what we read in all 66 books of the Bible.
And what these books tell us is we are sinners separated from God, but Jesus came to save us. Put your trust in Him if you never have, and the Scriptures say you will be saved.
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