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"Ephesians 4:11 says, "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers ....."

Old Testament prophets had an amazing responsibility - they were to speak and write the words that had absolute divine authority. They could say, "Thus says the Lord" and the words that followed were the very words of God.

In the New Testament there were also people who spoke and wrote God's very words and had them recorded in Scripture, but Jesus no longer calls them "prophets", but uses the term "apostles". The apostles are the NT counterpart to the OT prophets. It is the apostles, not the prophets, who have authority to write the words of NT Scripture. [1Cor.2:23; 2Cor.13:3; Gal.1:8-9,11-12; 1Thess.2:13, 4:8,15; 2Pet.3:2]

When the apostles want to establish their unique authority they never appeal to the title "prophet", but rather call themselves "apostles". [Rom.1:1; 1Cor.1:1; 9:1-2; 2Cor.1:1; 11:12-13; 12:11-12; Gal.1:1; Eph.1:1; 1Pet.1:1; 2Pet.1:1; 3:2; etc., etc.]

Unlike OT times, in NT times, the Greek word for "prophet" had a very broad range of meanings.

NT "prophets", unlike the "apostles", do not and did not speak with authority equal to Scripture. One, of many examples that could be cited:

"Through the Spirit [the diciples at Tyre] told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem." But Paul disobeyed their "prophecy", which he would never have done if he had considered it to be God's very words - having authority equal to Scripture. [Acts 21:4]

If Paul had thought that "prophecy" equaled God's word in authority, he would not have told the Thessalonians "do not despise prophesying, but test everything [against Scripture]; hold fast what is good". This is something that would never have been said of an Old Testament prophet, or of the authoritative teachings of a NT apostle. [1 Thess.5:19-21]

None of the apostles exhorted the church to "give heed to the prophets in your churches", or to "obey the words of the Lord through your prophets," etc. Instead, they pointed them to the Scriptures.

Paul emphasizes "rightly handling the word of truth" [2Tim.2:15], and the "God-breathed" character of "Scripture" for "teaching", for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." [2Tim.3:16; Jude 3; 2Pet.1:19-20; 3:16].

John tells God's people that TRUTH is already in them: "..the anointing which you have received from God abides in you and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in him." [1John 2:27]

Jesus said the same thing about those that his Father has given him out of the world: John 17:6-10, 17,23.

The preservation and correct assembling of the canon of Scripture was an integral part of the history of redemption itself. Just as God was at work in creation, calling his people Isreal, in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and in the early work and writings of the apostles, so God was at work in the preservation and assembling together of the books of Scripture for the benefit of his people for the entire church age.

God's greatest revelation to mankind was written down by the apostles.

We have everything we need to know about the life, death and resurrection of Christ, and its meaning for the lives of believers for all time.

No more writings can be added to the Bible after the time of the New Testament.[Heb 1:1-2 Rev.22:18-19]

Only those who don't believe that God is sovereign would doubt his faithfulness to his people and think that he would allow something to be missing from Scripture for almost 2,000 years that he thinks we need to know for obeying him and trusting him fully. The canon of Scripture today is exactly what God wanted it to be, and it will stay that way until Christ returns. Amen.