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To: Mr Rogers; maryz
So on a list of scripture, being called ‘of value’ or not mentioned is the same as rejection as scripture.

That may be you but the world is not made according to you. I have to go by what the Christian world did and history doesn't support your claim.

Origen taught universal salvation and pre-existence of the souls, among other things, from his library of Gnostic books (obviously his collection of the NT did not prevent him from considering Gnostic books inspired).

The other historical example is the fact that RCC does not consider Protoevnagelium as scripture, yet derives dogmatic teaching regarding Mary's perpetual virginity from it, etc.

4,880 posted on 09/14/2010 9:28:13 PM PDT by kosta50 (God is tired of repenting -- Jeremiah 15:6, KJV)
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To: kosta50

“That may be you but the world is not made according to you. I have to go by what the Christian world did and history doesn’t support your claim.”

What the Christian churches did was recognize the Gospels and Acts and Paul’s epistles and 1 Peter as scripture from the start. They had doubts about some of the others, which persisted for a long time. But then, I’d happily discuss theology using the Gospels, Acts, Paul’s epistles and 1 Peter...

The other books you mention were not recognized as scripture. Look at the record - when lists of NT scripture were prepared only Codex Claromontanus (400? AD) listed the Shepherd of Hermas, Apocalypse of Peter & Epistle of Barnabas.

“By A.D. 200, twenty-one of the books of the New Testament had a secure position in the canon. In the course of discussion it was possible to group a book according to one of three categories: (1) the homologoumena or universally accepted writings; (2) the antilegomena or disputed books, accepted by some churches but challenged by others; and (3) the notha or clearly spurious documents. During the third century, James, Jude, Second and Third John, Second Peter, and Hebrews were frankly disputed in different sectors of the church, so that Origen and Eusebius classified them among the antilogomena. (6) Revelation had enjoyed wide acceptance at the beginning of the century, but in the ensung years it was subjected to challenge and discrimination. The dispute over questions of authorship, authenticity, style, and doctrine subsided by the middle of the fourth century, and these documents also took their place in the lists of books accepted by the bishops of the church. The church fathers Jerome and Augustine acknowledged the entire twenty-seven books of the canon, as did the councils of Hippo in 393 and Carthage in 397. By the end of the fourth century the limits of the New Testament canon were irrevocably settled in both the Greek and Latin churches. Only in the churches of Syria and elsewhere in the East did the question continue to be debated. Even here all of the books accepted elsewhere in the church finally achieved recognition.”

http://www.bible-researcher.com/barker1.html


4,893 posted on 09/14/2010 9:52:16 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (When the ass brays, don't reply...)
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