You may hear papists going on about how the only reason why we have a canonical Bible is because the papists or the RCC (which they like to call "The Church") invented it or put their approval on it. It is as if no one knew what the Bible was until long about the 4th century AD the papists got together & declared what it was.
But contrary to that theory, the Lord obviously expects Christians speedily to recognize & obey his word, not having them wait hundreds of years for a group of old buzzards in robes & fancy hats to make a ruling on the subject.
Take the story in 1 Kings 20:
1Kings 20:35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his fellow by the word of Jehovah, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. 36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of Jehovah, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
Do you suppose that this fellow could have objected:
"Hol' on der. How could I have knowed that your words were canonical, the real Word of God? The Roman Catholic authorities haven't met yet & made a decision. We have to wait for the church council to meet."
Now watch out for Ye Olde Circular Reasoning whereby your local papist vociferates:
Now I ask you, which is axiomatic? Is it self-evident that a perverse idol-worshipping, Mary-worshipping bunch of idolaters who are deeply into Child Rape as a group -- is it self-evident that such a group is true, the pillar and ground of truth?
Or is it self-evident that the Bible is God's Word? Now if we endorse that the God of the Bible exists, and that the Bible is God's Word, we can do theology; we can examine the claims of the papal organization to be God's Church. But you cannot start with the papal organization as self-evidently the pillar & ground of truth -- for it is not self-evident that the traditions of the papacy are God's Word.
Actually the Word of God is authentic the moment it is delivered to Christians. My sheep hear My voice. Were not the Corinthians & Thessalonians immediately responsible to heed & obey the Word of God that they received from Apostle & Prophet Paul? Does anyone think that the 7 Churches of Revelation 2-3 were not immediately responsible to obey the Word delivered to them by prophet & apostle John?
Prophet Paul writes in 1 Cor 14:
"35 And if they would learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home: for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church. 36 What? was it from you that the word of God went forth? or came it unto you alone? If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord."
Now after reading this, should some woman have supposed that she could continue speaking in the church despite what Paul ordered -- suppose on the grounds that the papal authorities had not yet met & decided if 1 Corinthians was canonical?
Prophet Paul visited Thessalonica where he proclaimed the Word of God. He commends the Thessalonians in 1 Thes
"4 knowing, brethren . . . how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; . . . And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit; . . .
we waxed bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. 3 For our exhortation is not of error, . . . 4 but even as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak; . . .
. . . .
1Th. 2:13 And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe."
The Thessalonians were responsible to obey God's Word, recognizing it quickly as God's Word. There is not thought that that they should wait for a papal council to approve its canonicity.
John wrote to 7 churches in Asia Minor along with exhortation to receive the message -- nothing about waiting for some Church Council to canonize it. In Rev 2-3 the exhortation is repeated 7 times: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
If they had had to wait for papal meetings in the 4th century, they would have been dead before they should "hear" what the Spirit was saying to them.
So the idea that certain writings are part of God's word (canonical) & others are not -- is a Biblical and valuable concept. But the idea that God's sheep could not recognize God's word & obey it before some old ecclesiasticals met in a smoke-filled room centuries later to let them know what was God's word, canonizing certain books, is just a myth.
But contrary to that theory, the Lord obviously expects Christians speedily to recognize & obey his word, not having them wait hundreds of years for a group of old buzzards in robes & fancy hats to make a ruling on the subject.
Take the story in 1 Kings 20:
1Kings 20:35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his fellow by the word of Jehovah, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. 36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of Jehovah, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
Do you suppose that this fellow could have objected:
"Hol' on der. How could I have knowed that your words were canonical, the real Word of God? The Roman Catholic authorities haven't met yet & made a decision. We have to wait for the church council to meet."
Now watch out for Ye Olde Circular Reasoning whereby your local papist vociferates:
Now I ask you, which is axiomatic? Is it self-evident that a perverse idol-worshipping, Mary-worshipping bunch of idolaters who are deeply into Child Rape as a group -- is it self-evident that such a group is true, the pillar and ground of truth?
Or is it self-evident that the Bible is God's Word? Now if we endorse that the God of the Bible exists, and that the Bible is God's Word, we can do theology; we can examine the claims of the papal organization to be God's Church. But you cannot start with the papal organization as self-evidently the pillar & ground of truth -- for it is not self-evident that the traditions of the papacy are God's Word.
Actually the Word of God is authentic the moment it is delivered to Christians. My sheep hear My voice. Were not the Corinthians & Thessalonians immediately responsible to heed & obey the Word of God that they received from Apostle & Prophet Paul? Does anyone think that the 7 Churches of Revelation 2-3 were not immediately responsible to obey the Word delivered to them by prophet & apostle John?
Prophet Paul writes in 1 Cor 14:
"35 And if they would learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home: for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church. 36 What? was it from you that the word of God went forth? or came it unto you alone? If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord."
Now after reading this, should some woman have supposed that she could continue speaking in the church despite what Paul ordered -- suppose on the grounds that the papal authorities had not yet met & decided if 1 Corinthians was canonical?
Prophet Paul visited Thessalonica where he proclaimed the Word of God. He commends the Thessalonians in 1 Thes
"4 knowing, brethren . . . how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; . . . And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit; . . .
we waxed bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. 3 For our exhortation is not of error, . . . 4 but even as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak; . . .
. . . .
1Th. 2:13 And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe."
The Thessalonians were responsible to obey God's Word, recognizing it quickly as God's Word. There is not thought that that they should wait for a papal council to approve its canonicity.
John wrote to 7 churches in Asia Minor along with exhortation to receive the message -- nothing about waiting for some Church Council to canonize it. In Rev 2-3 the exhortation is repeated 7 times: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
If they had had to wait for papal meetings in the 4th century, they would have been dead before they should "hear" what the Spirit was saying to them.
So the idea that certain writings are part of God's word (canonical) & others are not -- is a Biblical and valuable concept. But the idea that God's sheep could not recognize God's word & obey it before some old ecclesiasticals met in a smoke-filled room centuries later to let them know what was God's word, canonizing certain books, is just a myth.
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