You don't have to hold a doctorate in theology to understand that written information is much harder to change than oral information. It seems to me that for Christians the real discussion is about the accuracy of the translation, not what some guys make up in a back room.
Notice how the discussion changes to who's church is older and then quoting theologians who developed new doctrines not found in Scripture. It illustrates why Scripture must be the final authority.
As far as the nonsense about existing from the beginning, every Christian Church has the same claim. The Christians in the era immediately following the end of the Apostolic Era were not bound by a coercive centralized hierarchy, but were unified by a common faith. All Evangelicals hold to the same Gospel they did and are in unison with them because of it. It is the belief in The Gospel that makes us a part of the Body of Christ.
wf, no doubt your forebears rebelled against a "coercive centralized hierarchy" in the West and by the 15th century. But that has not been the history of The Church east of the Adriatic. It may be why there was no Reformation there. As a matter of historical fact, Christians immediately following the Apostolic era were indeed bound together by a common faith, united together with their clergy centered on the bishop celebrating the Holy Eucharist. We know this from multiple late 1st century and very early 2nd century writings, those of +Clement of Rome and +Ignatius of Antioch being the foremost, at least in my opinion.
wf, you work with a group of Orthodox. Do you think they'd let some bishop or priest get away with changing their Holy Tradition? Americans have made a fetish of shedding traditions of all kinds, to the detriment of our society in many cases. But people from other places think differently and tradition is fundamental to their lives and societies. The Orthodox mindset, or worldview, is the same and change is simply rejected; that's why I can say that an ancestor of mine from, say, 400, if he showed up at the Liturgy this evening, would recognize immediately what was going on. He'd likely even know the majority of the prayers. Because lex orandi, lex credendi, he and I would believe virtually the exact same things. We don't allow and haven't allowed anyone to mess that up. No form of Western Christianity, whether it be the Latin Church or the various Protestant ecclesial groups, has that mindset.
Yes, I noticed that as well. It generally happens though. But as you stated..."illustrates why Scripture must be the final authority".
You know there are more than numerous "voices" thru the ages of Christinaity.... Jesus told us to "watch" repeatedly. Many leave the centrality of Christ and bring into the church (as numerous) "other" practices and beliefs Jesus never spoke about.
It's like the Liberals trying to ignore and/or change the constitution to be something other than what it states. They claim it doesn't address our times and is "hard" to understand, when in fact it is quite clear to those who accept it. Those who don't struggle with understanding because they simply cannot accept what it clearly is.