[quadrant]

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.

[the invisib1e hand]

Sophistry alert.

[proudtobeanamerican1]

That is interesting. I am new and learning and didn’t realize that the Jewish OT was different. What are the differences? Can you recap? I’m sure it is not as easy as it sounds.

[big'ol_freeper]

You said: My only desire is that the Old Testament should mirror the text used by Jews.

I agree. Even more so I desire that the Old Testament be that which Jesus Christ used, since there were differences between the books used by Greek speaking Jews and those used by Aramaic speaking Jews. It is a fact that Jesus quoted extensively from books of the Old Testament that have been rejected by protestants but that have always been part of the “Catholic” Bible. I’ll stick with Jesus.