What is the purpose of the Bible? (believers, mystic, Jesus)

[Horn of ‘83]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

While I don't want to discount the importance of having the written Scriptures, the fact is that we would still have the churches that they founded even if we didn't have written Scripture.

The Gospel was spread by word of mouth to great effect for many centuries, long before widespread literacy was a thing.

You think we would know about Jesus, 2,000 years later, as well as we do now, without a written record? No way.

[EscAlaMike]

Originally Posted by jimmiej

You think we would know about Jesus, 2,000 years later, as well as we do now, without a written record? No way.

There's no way to know a hypothetical for sure; but just looking at history, I see Christianity as having been spread primarily through the oral proclamation of the Gospel - the work of the Church.

If all copies of the Bible were to disappear at this moment, we would still have the testimony of the Church that would live on through its liturgy and mission.

[Horn of ‘83]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

There's no way to know a hypothetical for sure; but just looking at history, I see Christianity as having been spread primarily through the oral proclamation of the Gospel - the work of the Church.

If all copies of the Bible were to disappear at this moment, we would still have the testimony of the Church that would live on through its liturgy and mission.

But what if we never had the written record?

[EscAlaMike]

Originally Posted by jimmiej

But what if we never had the written record?

It's safe to say the Faith would be lacking support.

[TMSRetired]

Originally Posted by jimmiej

But what if we never had the written record?

Well back in Jesus' time less than 2% of the population could read or write. They relied on oral stories.

[Horn of ‘83]

Originally Posted by TMSRetired

Well back in Jesus' time less than 2% of the population could read or write. They relied on oral stories.

From people who were there or read about it. No one living today was there. We know about Jesus from the Bible.

[EscAlaMike]

Originally Posted by jimmiej

From people who were there or read about it. No one living today was there. We know about Jesus from the Bible.

But there's also a direct successive line of bishops going all the way back to the disciples who founded the original churches.

[Meerkat2]

Originally Posted by jimmiej

From people who were there or read about it. No one living today was there. We know about Jesus from the Bible.

I agree Jimmie

The written and the oral are to support each other

It’s not an either/or situation …..it’s and

The writings are one witness, the people are the other witness

[Horn of ‘83]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

But there's also a direct successive line of bishops going all the way back to the disciples who founded the original churches.

So? You already admitted that without the written word, our faith would be severely lacking. We write things down to remember them.

[EscAlaMike]

Originally Posted by jimmiej

So? You already admitted that without the written word, our faith would be severely lacking. We write things down to remember them.

I simply disagree with the absolute claim that you made:

Originally Posted by jimmiej

You would not know about Jesus without the Bible.

It may be true that many would not know about Jesus without the Bible; but it is demonstrably possible to know about Jesus without the Bible.