Quote:
Originally Posted by JViello
*sigh*
Do you believe what's written in the bible or not?
Yes ____
No____
*sigh*
lol
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This is the the over-simplified view too many people take. "It's in the Bible" is taken as automatic proof positive that it is correct. If it's not in the Bible, then it is either completely false or at least questionable.
This viewpoint simply does not bother asking the question, "What is the Bible and where did it come from?" It would be highly ignorant to assume that the Bible just dropped out of the sky one day, whole and complete, with a booming voice from the heavens announcing it as "God's only true word."
1.) The way in which the 5 books of Moses are written, it seems likely that the books in their current form are summarized accounts of the earlier works. At no point in any of these books, does Moses refer to himself in the first person. He is always referred to in the third person. If there ARE original works written by Moses himself, they those works are scripture.
2.) In the cases of Joshua, Judges, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, and 1&2 Chronicles, we know for certain that they are combilations of the history of Israel. These were probably completed by Ezra, Nehemiah, or some other person from their time period. If original texts written by Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Nathan or any of the prophets mentioned in those books exist, that's scripture. And you can skim through Chronicles and find MANY books mentioned that are not in our current Bibles, so we know that they must have existed at some point. If an authentic copy of any of them were to be found, that would be scripture.
3.) I believe the New Testament references the Book of Enoch, which is also missing from our current Bibles.
4.) We currently have the accounts of only two of the original Twelve Apostles about the life of Jesus, John the Beloved and Matthew. We also have the accounts of two other devout and important disciples, John Mark and Luke. I find it troubling and almost inconceivable that no other disciple or apostle ever bother to write anything on the subject, ESPECIALLY Peter.
5.) I get the sneaking suspicion that Paul and the other Apostles wrote a lot more letters and gave a lot more direction to the Church than we have currently.
The destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem probably resulted in the destruction of many works that should be a part of the Old Testament.
The reign of Diocletian and a number of other Roman Emperors probably offers some clue as to the fate of many works that would be in the New Testament if they had survived. During his reign, being a Christian was punishable by death as we all should know. But there was a loophole. If you revealed the location of any "inspired texts", you were given immunity and the texts were destroyed. We can thank many brave Christian martyrs for accepting death rather than give over the writings of the Apostles ... but how can we assume that some of them did not give in and comply?
Now, by pointing all of this out, am I somehow demeaning the Bible? No, I don't think so. I think that I'm using my brain and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to better understand the Bible. In so doing, I think I will be able to find greater light and understanding from it in my life.
It would be extremely foolish to parrot back the old and common phrase, "The Bible is God's only true word." This doctrine is not taught by the Bible.
Now relating to Father Johns question about why the Apocrypha and a gigantic list of Pseudopigraphorical works -- all of which were not included in the Bible. In the case of the Apocrypha, the Catholic scholars more or less acknowledges amongst themselves that these works were at least questionable. My readings of the Gospel of Thomas and the Book of Enoch leave me with the impression that they are the remnants of actual books of scripture, but that they have been messed with and changed by someone (or several somones.) The task of reading the entire Pseudopigrapha is a daunting task that I hope to complete eventually. Thusfar, the works I have studied seem to lack something -- but I do get the impression that a number of them are the tattered remains of a much-modified inspired work.
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