You seem to hav missed the point. No dimunition of Scripture, just a fact-check to ensure that people understand that having one common pastor as an earthly leader is as Christian as you can get. That is what united the Church for 1500 centuries. And certainly for the first 300 years when there was no NT.
The Catholic Church eventually declared that the books of the NT were all the Word of God. Prior to that they were just books that had good teaching in them. Contemporary books of similar stature up until that point (e.g. other "gospels") were NOT declared to be the Word of God by the Catholic Church and thus do not have that status today.
Popes are bound by Catholic doctrine, so the pope can't mess doctrine up. The pope may be infallible in theory, but the exercise of that infallibility is almost non-existent, and has only been exercised regarding things long accepted as true - since the days of the orignial apostles. The Word of God does change - all yo have to do is go to a bibkle store and ten compare the text of the different versions.
...all you have to do is go to a bible store and then compare the text of the different versions.
I'm guessing you don't want to talk about how the "first pope" Peter, had to be given a "spanking" for faulty doctrine by the Apostle Paul.
How do you figure that there was no NT for 300 years? The NT was written by the first generation of Yeshua's (Jesus') followers. They were recognized immediately by Yeshua's followers, being quoted as authoritative by the early Church fathers from the very beginning.
The Catholic Church eventually declared that the books of the NT were all the Word of God. Prior to that they were just books that had good teaching in them.
Is that you, Dan Brown?
HE might have something else to say about this statement:
Psalm 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
1 Peter 1:23-25 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
I fully recognize that as satan attacked the Word made flesh he has attacked the written Word as well. Just stick with the Authorized Version, and leave the inventiveness of man to himself.
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.