“Was there a council of some sort, approximately 400 years after Christ’s death,” (and resurrection?)
Yes in 325 AD there was a lot of unrest during the reign of Constantine some will argue it was divine others will say it was to quell the masses.
Why some manuscripts were included and other not was the decision of those in charged.
We are very bless for the preservation.
What we do have of the Bible is truly witness by the Spirit of the Lord.
***
“What I’m interested in is the historical basis as to why certain books were included, at what time, and what books were reintroduced into the collection at a later date.”
We are living in a temporal world so each government had much control over the Churches so some books were accepted and others most likely did not fit the agenda of the day?
Many of us today see the hand writting on the wall yet there is also many who are in denial it is the same with those who cling to a preconcived notion that the Bible is inerrant and infallable are in denial
In many of the manuscripts were warning about do not add or subtract from the manuscript as well in
Galatians 1
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that tr
ouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
So if the scriptures were free from error or distortions why would there be all these warning in the scriptures including the Lord impressing this concern in Galations if this kind of thing was not going on.
Many are in denial!
That is why when reading the Scriptures one is to pray for discernment to recognized the Spirit if the Lord aka as the Holy Ghost!
John 14
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
And since Joseph Smith did not put the Bible in its “correct order”, this verifies that he was nothing special and certainly not a prophet of God. Heck, 3000 changes have been made to the Book of Mormon since Smith first “translated” it, and the changes continue as the LDS Church changes. For example, the phrase “white and delightsome” has been wiped clean from the BOM, since the LDS Church decided that becoming a Mormon won’t change your skin color after all.