Those who believe that Christ as the Son of God believes He taught ONE truth. To make sure this ONE truth survives through the end of time, He commanded this deposit of faith to Peter and his successors. Before the Bible. there was the Church and under whose authority, we call Petrine Authority, the books in the Bible were assembled ( they did not fall from the skies and self order them in the form they appear in the Bible). This authority continues to this day.
This authority did in evaporate with the Reformation or any time thereafter. Each person and their grandmother don’t get to read scripture -the Word of God- according to their lights and dream up stuff by saying “God’s word transcends language” This is an oxymoron. God’s word comes from scripture, the received oral tradition, and sacred ritual. Of course for those who do not believe that Christ is true God and true Man, then you can dream up your own “transcendant” God. Muslims do that too.
This authority did in evaporate with the Reformation or any time thereafter. Each person and their grandmother don’t get to read scripture -the Word of God- according to their lights and dream up stuff by saying “God’s word transcends language” This is an oxymoron. God’s word comes from scripture, the received oral tradition, and sacred ritual. Of course for those who do not believe that Christ is true God and true Man, then you can dream up your own “transcendant” God. Muslims do that too.
“And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why do you speak unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not given.”
- Matt 13:10-11
Gee, sounds like that one truth can - and was - taught in different ways, and at different levels, for different people, by Jesus Himself.
And in parables, no less. Which are, by definition, metaphorical, requiring God's word to... transcend language.
And no, the Bibles books didn't fall from the sky. They were voted on in a highly political process under Constantine (which is why they're called Petrine, no doubt to hide their origins). And those which didn't make it were burned, and those who objected were burned. Praise God for the cleansing of the Word in the Fire of Love!
Oh and as for your thesis that those who don't believe exactly as you do about the teachings of Jesus Christ are Muslims, thanks for sharing. You've actually said far more than you realize.
But then, I do indeed approve of clarity. Getting people to admit what they really believe is always so enlightening - especially when disagreeing with them is something they believe will result in eternal suffering.
Muslims believe that, too.
And then Catholics corrupted what Jesus taught and added a bunch of untruths and call it Catholicism.