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NASB | 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God's will, both publicly and privately--behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; |
Bible Question:
Thanks for the reply. Can you tell me where I can find documentation on your statement; "...the Jewish Scribes rejected all of the writings of the Apocrypha"? Perhaps I should clarify a misunderstanding, everything mentioned in my previous reply is the proclamation of the Catholic Church as professed in the Catechism. "I" am not interpreting scripture because I do not have the ability to do so (2 Pet 1:20). Since this is the case, who has the authority to tell me which books of scripture are inspired and which are not? I can't trust a single individual for the same reason I can't interpret scripture myself. How can I know with 100 percent certainty (my soul is at stake here) that what I read in the Bible, any Bible, is the truly inspried Word of God? And if I do believe that the Bible is God's Word, how am I to understand it (Acts 8:29-31)? Jesus taught his apostles and through the grace of the coming of the Holy Spirit, they were able to go out and preach to all nations. The apostles proclaimed the gospel and started churches in most major cities of the region. The movement was called the Way, a group of believers that as you so aptly put "...are a part of that one body and Christ is the head" (Acts 9:2). Members of the Way became known as Christians and for nearly 1,500 years formed the only Christian Church on earth. Only after dissenters split form the church was there a denomination. The Catholic church is not a denomination, it is the Church founded by Christ. Every other denomination has begun through a separation from the one Church. Yours in Christ stjames7 |
Bible Answer: Hi. Phew! Three books required all at once. For the Jewish canon may I suggest you read 'The Canonisation of Hebrew Scripture' by A C Sundberg. But of course we have clear evidence of the final decision of the Scribes in the Jewish Scriptures as contained for example in the Massoretic Text, and as accepted by the Jews today. The Jews of Alexandria, who were very liberal, incorporated the Apocryphal book into the Septuagint, but it is significant that no Hebrew versions of these books were preserved. They were not seen as Scripture by the vast majority of Jews. And this is confirmed by the resurrected Jesus in His definition of the Scriptures as the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms (Luke 24.44). He thus excluded the Apocryphal books You are quite right in saying that no person, church or council has the right to declare which books are the inspired word of God. However, apart from in the initial stages when all was overseen by the Apostles there was never a time when there was 'one church on earth' in an hierarchical sense. The church was one spiritually and looked on themselves as one body, but they certainly did not all look to Rome. Had you gone to Alexandria or Antioch around say 300 AD and said to them 'You are in submission to the see of Rome' you would have been lucky to escape with being tarred and feathered. Naturally the great cities began to be looked to as places which could settle disputes, for they had the largest churches and attracted the most prominent persons (including at first the Apostles). In the early church the see of Antioch originally held the position of primary see on prestigious grounds, although not as having authority over the remainder. It gained this privilege from its ancient heritage (Acts 13.1-2). Gradually the see of Alexandria began to claim prime importance. But neither paid any heed to Rome except as fellow brethren. Indeed the first weak attempt of Rome to claim primacy was at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD and that was firmly put in its place, even in spite of the support of Constantine the Great who was trying to insist on it. (Which was why they tried it in the first place). This is all well documented. In fact there has never been a time when the sees of Antioch or Alexandria genuinely accepted the priority of Rome. Of course Rome tried its best and having (a thousand years after the time of Christ) brought the leaders of Alexandria and Antioch together forced them to submit at the point of the sword (a truly-Christ like action) but they rejected it as soon as the sword was removed from their necks. Such a submission under duress meant nothing, except that they were cowards. So you see there never has been one hierarchical church. Of course the Roman Catholics are a denomination (given a name to disinguish them from the others) as are the Eastern Orthodox. More to follow later about the canon, but you might like to consider this bit first. With all best wishes. Jonp |