It was only a technical point I was bringing up. It is so often claimed "The Church" gave us the Scriptures implying it was solely at the direction of the Church in Rome. It is really not the case. Technically, "The Church" did compile the canon, but "The Church" was not a centralized hierarchy at that point.
Having read Revelation several times now and being as confused now as I was the first time I understand the hesitancy to include it.
“It is so often claimed “The Church” gave us the Scriptures implying it was solely at the direction of the Church in Rome. It is really not the case. Technically, “The Church” did compile the canon, but “The Church” was not a centralized hierarchy at that point.”
Perhaps one of the advantages of a forum like this one is the opportunity for non Roman Western Christians to learn a bit of Church history and understand that the Great Schism in 1053 saw Rome break with the other four Patriarchates which continued on in their very decentralized way to this very day. The ecclesial experience of non Roman Western Christians has been with a very, very centralized, monarchial papal system. Without passing judgment one way or the other on that system, that system, the one which the Reformers rebelled against, is very different from what we have and had in the East.
Centuries of apologetics and polemics in the West have tended to create in the minds of many Church histories which are far more myth than reality.
You will not get that claim form the Orthodox, wmfights. The Church was One, because it professed the same faith. The Church was not centralized or ruled by Rome. The Church was (and in the East still is) a communion of local churchers, led by local bishops united in Eucharist.
Having read Revelation several times now and being as confused now as I was the first time I understand the hesitancy to include it.
I appreciate your honesty and I don't think any less of you as a Chrstian because of this. Greater minds than ours struggled with that Book, and I think it is a great sign of Christian humility to admit that it is above some of us, especially myself.