Yet there is no Scripture that says that all are of equal importance.
The Gospels are quite a lot more than "just" the quotations of Jesus, if you are familiar with them.
Very true, yet there are those who don't seem to realize that quotations from Almighty God are to be taken with the utmost and complete acceptance.
Matthew 4: 4 3 He said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'"
The quotes of Jesus are to be accepted as His literal words - the words of God Almighty. The quotes from, say, Nahum are not the literal words of God Almighty spoken to men. We believe that God meant us to read them, but they do not weigh against the spoken words of the Lord.
The only "alleged" Christians I have read that have tried to place preeminence of some scripture over others are the ones who claim their own revealed, extra-biblical documents.
Funny, for the 1200 years prior to the Reformation, there was no doubt whatsoever about Church documents and what the belief of the Church is.
I don't really think you can accurately say that. There would have been no need of "councils" if that were so. Even within "The Church" today, there is not total agreement on "beliefs".
The quotes from, say, Nahum are not the literal words of God Almighty spoken to men. We believe that God meant us to read them, but they do not weigh against the spoken words of the Lord.
So when Nahum says things like: "Thus saith the Lord..." and "the Lord hath given a commandment concerning thee..." and "Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of Hosts.", he was pretending to speak for God and it ended up IN THE BIBLE ANYWAY???!!! The words of Almighty God are throughout the entire Bible and are all there for a purpose. The fact that Jesus himself says "It is written." so many times proves he accepted them and we can do no less.