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***Something is a truth simply because you, as a "believer," feels it is such?***

No, Jesus words are true because he is the Truth. I, as a believer, recognize their truth because he has brought me into the New Covenant and thereby has blessed me in the following way...

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD .

"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD ,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the LORD .
"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."

***On what did the Catholic Church base it's authority during the intervening three centuries?
On the Divine Commission:***

So I was correct when I stated that you believe the Catholic Church receives it's authority from Scripture as read by secular historians? If no then please help me out here. Can you state in one or two sentences what the authority of the Catholic Church is based on?

***St. Paul was commanded by God ***

Actually it was St John and he was commanded by Jesus. This is in response to your statement "he did not ask them to write anything"

***Do you find similar commands from God to the other writers of the New Testament? ***

Yes... St. Paul testifies...

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God"

and St. Peter testifies that Christ moved the prophets to write...

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow."

***So are the Koran and the Four Vedas by your rationale. But are they inspired? No, because a Divine Authority has not declared them as such.***

The Bible is not inspired because some authority "declares" them to be so. Nor could the Koran or Vedas become inspired were some such "Divine Authority" to declare them to be so.

Did John have the divine authority to decide Jesus was to be the Christ?

No, Jesus words are true because he is the Truth. I, as a believer, recognize their truth..."

Okay, so then you believe in the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist (St. Matthew xxvi.26-28, St. Mark xiv.22-24, St. Luke xxii.19-20) and that you must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have life in you (St. John vi.54). Or are these obvious truths from the mouth of Our Lord that you are not blessed to believe?

Can you state in one or two sentences what the authority of the Catholic Church is based on?

Christ built his Church upon St. Peter (St. Matthew xvi.18) and then gave His Apostles the Divine Commission to baptize and teach all nations (St. Matthew xxviii.19) with the power that His Father had given Him (St. John xx.21). If you do not believe that Christ actually built a Church, then you betray Scripture and will probably not be swayed by me quoting them ad nauseum.

Actually it was St John and he was commanded by Jesus.

I misspoke. I would hope you have no problems with me calling Jesus "God," however.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God"

See Post #89.

The Bible is not inspired because some authority "declares" them to be so.

It most certainly is. What authority do you refer to when you say Scripture is inspired? Itself? See Posts #65 and 89. You seem to have a problem separating Christ and the Bible - this is a common Protestant malady known as "bibliolatry." Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, made Incarnate by the Virgin Mary for the Redemption of the world. The Bible, or more specifically the New Testament, is an assemblage of the early writings of the Apostles that the Church compiled and declared the Inspired Word of God (Post #78, last paragraph). If it wasn't for the Church, you wouldn't have Scripture, nor would you have a logical reason to view it as Inspired.