[asa] Bible Authority

I've been researching why the Bible has the books in it that it does. It
appears that the only reason for the Jews excluding most of the Apocrypha
was because they chose the year 400BC as the last year that could be
included. It appears that Martin Luther separated out, but did not exclude
the Apocrypha, because the Jews had excluded it in 98 BC. Ironically, it
seems that the Jews excluded it largely as a knee jerk reaction to
Christianity - nothing within 400 years of the life of Christ could be
inspired.

Martin Luther believed that the Bible was the only ultimate authority in
matters of faith and practice.

The Catholic church has a broader sense of what constitutes authority. Of
course, we know that their heirarchy led to sometimes extreme corruption.

The books which were gathered into the New Testament seem to have been
chosen as inspired separately by different groups in different geographical
locations.

Several points:
1. What is the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice? 'Canon'
comes from a word that means 'measure'. I have been taught to pray and to
use the Bible as a measure of whatever answer I receive, or think that I
receive. The ultimate authority should be God through answered prayer. The
Bible is a measure of whether I can trust what I believe to be the answer -
a verification of the identity of the source, or at least a protection
against bad results from any alternative.
2. Faith and Practice were Martin Luther's beliefs of areas where the Bible
holds authority. Not history or science.
3. Books of the Bible were chosen by whether or not they were perceived to
be inspired. Someone made a judgement call.

Protestants frequently believe that Catholics are 'out there' in terms of
their blind faith. However, the Catholic Bible clearly states in front of
many of the books that they are not to be taken as historical. The books
are fiction in a historical setting.

The Catholics accepted the Bib Bang theory while many Protestants were still
debating whether it was a challenge to their theology.

The Atheist websites nitpick the Bible to death. I wonder at the time they
put into it.

My points have been made before:

1. Faith in God is FAITH in God - not proof of God.
2. The Bible is to give us a measure of good and evil, of faith and
practice. It is in a historical setting, and very much of it has been
verified. The minimalist view gets broadened decade by decade as more is
discovered and more can be verified with history.

One thing that gets me is, if I haven't lied to you and I have told you the
truth - some amazing truths - and have been correct again and again - then
why would you not believe me? Maybe I have some issues as a human and you
know that I tend to say, slant international politics. So, if I am saying
something about international politics, you take it with a grain of salt and
look it up. But, when it is in an area where I have been correct 20 times,
you should believe me. Why are people so hypercritical about the Bible?

Pascal said it is because they are afraid it may be right.

And I think that is the point - there are those who do not believe that man
has been to the moon. That kind of stubborness cannot be defeated with
reason.

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Received on Tue Jun 27 09:55:13 2006