[jude24]

Two years ago, I was at an apologetics program put on by Campus Crusade featuring Dr. Norman Geisler. The presentation was fairly basic, and the contents familiar to most of us here. But, I stuck around because I had a burning question and there was the promise of a moderated Q&A. So, I submitted a written question - without resorting to a Magesterial argument, how can someone know what the contents of the New Testament canon were? How do we know that James belongs, but the Didache does not? Dr. Geisler hemmed and hawed, and gave an answer about manuscript evidence, but never really answered the question - leaving me with the inescapable conclusion that one of the foremost Protestant apologists of his day didn't have an answer.

For a while, that really bothered me. Now, I accept that there is no answer - and have to accept the Church's Magesterial authority in determining the canon.

[jo kus]

Dr. Geisler hemmed and hawed, and gave an answer about manuscript evidence, but never really answered the question - leaving me with the inescapable conclusion that one of the foremost Protestant apologists of his day didn't have an answer.

I have yet to find anyone who was able to defend the position that the Bible is self-authenticating. Paul himself worries about forgeries. We don't even KNOW who the authors are of many of the writings, using internal evidence alone. Thus, without the Church to authenticate it, we very well could be reading Gnostic Scriptures and wouldn't know the difference...

Regards

[P-Marlowe]

So, I submitted a written question - without resorting to a Magesterial argument, how can someone know what the contents of the New Testament canon were? How do we know that James belongs, but the Didache does not? Dr. Geisler hemmed and hawed, and gave an answer about manuscript evidence, but never really answered the question - leaving me with the inescapable conclusion that one of the foremost Protestant apologists of his day didn't have an answer.

The same way we know what the old testament cannon is. God preserved his word using the Jewish heirarchy and he preserved his word using the Catholic Hierarchy. While God's word was preserved by both the Jewish Heirarchy and the Catholic Heirarchy, neither of those heirarchies are or were greater than or superior to the word that has been preserved.

All that God has intended to be included in our Cannon is presently in our cannon.

Or don't you believe that?

[redgolum]

Dr. Geisler hemmed and hawed, and gave an answer about manuscript evidence, but never really answered the question - leaving me with the inescapable conclusion that one of the foremost Protestant apologists of his day didn't have an answer.

In Dr. Geisler's "Introduction to Theology" he talks quite a bit about the selection of the canon. Going back to pre Nice days. Kind of funny that he didn't mention it.