You missed my point. Without such a church there is no way for us to agree what is Scripture in the first place. I say Maccabees belong in the Bible; you disagree. Some would want to include the “Lost Books of the Bible.” Who is to decide?
BTW, I do believe that there is plenty of Biblical testimony for a divinely guided visible and hierarchical church but I would rather keep the discussion to the above point for the moment.
You missed my point.
A centrally controlled and administered hierarchical church is far more likely to commit error than a group of individuals, all of whom are equal in the eyes of each other, equally committed to the truth of Jesus Christ, and guided by the Holy Spirit.
If you doubt my assertion that such a group is more likely to compile an accurate picture of God's revelation to mankind, I suggest you consider the Constitution of the US. Of course the circumstances are different, the purpose different, and the document different, but do you believe that any centrally administered organization could have produced the US Constitution? If you have evidence for a visible and hierarchical church, I'd like to see it. I've read the Bible from cover to cover on several occasions and never come across such a blueprint.
As to the Book of Maccabees, I have no objection to its inclusion. Such a problem is small potatoes. My only desire is that the Old Testament should mirror the text used by Jews. After all, the Old Testament is a record of their revelation and relationship to God.