Paul recognized Luke's Gospel as scripture
For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer deserves his wages." (1 Timothy 5:18 ESV)
When Paul wrote to Timothy he quoted a passage from Luke 10:7 as Scripture. This also proved that the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of Apostles were finished and in circulation before Paul wrote the first epistle to Timothy. This collaborate with Acts 28:30-31 which was written by Luke, and finished off with Paul's first imprisonment. It also established the date of the epistle's writing as between Paul's first and final Roman imprisonments.
Peter recognized the letters of Paul in circulation as scripture
And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:15-16 ESV)
Peter recognized the scriptural authority of Paul's letters and warned against twisting the words of Paul to justify heresies.
New Testament authors knew they were writing authoritative Scripture
Paul knew that he is writing scripture
If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. (1 Corinthians 14:37-38 ESV)
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith - to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Romans 16:25-27 ESV)
And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV)
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. (2 Thessalonians 2:15 ESV)
He declared that a true prophet would recognize that his letters are the command of the Lord.
Peter knew that he was writing scripture
Peter put the writings of the apostles (including himself) on par with the prophecies of the Old Testament.
John knew that he was writing scripture
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. (Revelation 1:1-3 ESV)
John explicitly stated that the book he was writing was a revelation from Jesus Christ Himself. With the completion of Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ in about AD 95-96, the New Testament is closed. All books written after Revelation and claimed to be revelations of the God of Abraham from angels or prophets or the apostles or successors of the apostles are all false.
The following quote from this article "Early Christians Believed that Canonical Books were Self-Authenticating" by Michael J Kruger summarized an important point on the canonization of the New Testament - it is canonized by God, not men.
QUOTE
In the end, the church fathers teach us a very important truth. The NT canon we possess today is not due to the machinations of later church leaders, or to the political influence of Constantine, but due to the fact that these books imposed themselves on the church through their internal qualities.
UNQUOTE
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