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I read in a newspaper the other day about other so-called gospels in response to the Da Vinci Code. It mentioned that Athanasius (the one who taught the Trinity) was responsible for the books we see in the canon.
This is also listed in Wikipedia.
Athanasius: in 367, in Festal Letter 39 listed a 22 book OT and 27-book NT and 7 books not in the canon but to be read: Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom of Sirach, Esther, Judith, Tobit, Didache, and the Pastor (probably Hermas). If you ignore the additional books to be read and exclusion of Esther from the canon, this list is the same as the modern Protestant canon and so Athanasius is often considered the father of the modern Protestant canon.
If this is so, are we to trust this man to dictate to us what is scripture and what isn't?
Athanasius surely had a huge impact on Christians. From this man the Trinity doctrine came into prominence and the bibles we read were compiled by him.
I believe that we need to question all things regarding what has been passed onto us.
Personally speaking I have read other books that I believe to be as vaild as any other biblical book. I think that we as christians shouldn't be so narrow minded on this.
Truth is truth where ever it is found. I believe that other writings can help with new revelations but they need to be verified against scripture.
Quote (seekingtruth @ June 04 2006,03:34) Truth is truth where ever it is found. I believe that other writings can help with new revelations but they need to be verified against scripture.
Very true seekingtruth always test the spirit with the Word of God. God uses who He wishes to, sometimes their not human.Hi t8:
I think this is a good rule of thumb towards preliminary investigations into this thing: 2Cr 13:1 This [is] the third [time] I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
Could the author of the article (or another source) at least cite two or three witnesses of that time period to validate his claim about Athanasius? I believe that scriptures would harmonize, whether or not they are included in the present protestant canon. I also believe that we should not be removed from our Jewish OT Heritage as Salvation is of the Jews. Besides that, I don't know that God commissioned others outside of the Apostles to cannonize or leave out scripture. These are they who were chosen and approved of the Lord Jesus to originally carry on the work, with the exception of JI.
I read the same thing in a local newspaper regarding Athanasius's compilation of the current NT books.
Of course we do need to be very careful for surely there exist texts that are not inspired of God. But I would suggest however that there certainly are texts that are.
In the end I think that if the Word is in our hearts then we will know the word when we hear it.
It seems to me that certain men decided to sum up what we are to believe and what we are to read. I think that this has caused its own problems throughout the centuries, but has at least preserved the books of the NT.
I think if we are mature we can go beyond this framework that we have inherited, but again as you say it must witness with what we already know as scripture.
God is able to do a new thing through his people, but if it is of God, it will exist on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Jesus as the chief corner stone.
Quote (t8 @ June 05 2006,05:00) God is able to do a new thing through his people, but if it is of God, it will exist on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Jesus as the chief corner stone. 
You are correct to question t8! That sought of thinking may save your soul. Go with that feeling for you are right!
Seek the truth. Find the Light.
Dont follow the lambs to slaughter.Semjâzâ
Quote (Semjâzâ @ June 06 2006,07:19) You are correct to question t8! That sought of thinking may save your soul. Go with that feeling for you are right!
Seek the truth. Find the Light.
Dont follow the lambs to slaughter.Semjâzâ
Hi Semjaza,Do you follow the Lamb of God?
If not who do you follow?
Quote (Semjâzâ @ June 06 2006,12:19) You are correct to question t8! That sought of thinking may save your soul. Go with that feeling for you are right!
Seek the truth. Find the Light.
Dont follow the lambs to slaughter.Semjâzâ
It is written:Jhn 10:29 My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand.
Quote (Semjâzâ @ June 06 2006,12:19) You are correct to question t8! That sought of thinking may save your soul. Go with that feeling for you are right!
Seek the truth. Find the Light.
Dont follow the lambs to slaughter.Semjâzâ
And again:Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”*37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hi,
The canon is a subject that should have more input. Over the centuries all sorts of additions and deletions to the canon have occurred. Often the letters of John and Peter and Jude, Revelation and the book of Hebrews have fallen out of favour, while others have been included. I cannot do without any of these but feel we are being robbed of information we need. Should we not search out what is missing and hold them too?Hi lop,
The canon does contain Revelation now, but it has been in and out of the canon since the time of Christ, along with several other books.Yeah, I don't know much about the canon, but it is quite a dubious affair, because men are in charge of declaring what is and is not God-breathed – men who hold false beliefs are true, such as the Marian devotions, etc., wherefore, “test all things: hold fast to what is good” is in order.
Example: The Book of Enoch is quoted, but not included in Scripture – interesting…Interesting how Revelation has been taken out and reinserted over the years… it DOES disagree with Scripture:
“I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.” Daniel 7:11
“These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” Rev 19:20Unless we are to understand that the “body” of the 4th beast is in reference to his army, the multitude of his name.
Father, help us in our quest for truth and insight, without You nothing works or has a reason to function. Teach us how to look to You instead of to ourselves; help us to understand and follow Your ways and not our own ways, Father. Amen.As of late, I've begun to test the New Testament, seeing as how it was compiled by men… and I found what I thought were errors – some fatal and some not so important… the only true Scriptures are those of the Old Testament.
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