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To: dartuser
Here is where your Romanism trips you up. The church doesnt determine canonicity ... God determined it. The NT was God-breathed, therefore it is authoritative. It is God who determined the canon via inspiration of the texts. The only thing left for the church to do was to recognize those texts that were authoritative ... and they did very early on (long before the councils in 300+ AD.) By 60 AD Peter already recognized Pauls writings as scripture ... because they were written by Paul! Peter didn't need any council or church to tell him that ... he recognized the apostolic authority of Pauls writing ... and so did all the churches. That Peter recognized Pauls writings as scripture before the completion of the NT also shows that the recognition of the canon was gradual (since Revelation was not even penned until 95 AD). The church doesn't determine the canon, God determined it by inspiring the writing.

And God gave the authority to determine or recognize the Canon to the Apostles.

Yes, Peter accepted Paul's writings because Peter was the Apostle to whom the LORD Jesus Christ gave the keys to he kingdom of heaven. Peter also pointed out they were difficult to understand. Who has the authority to interpret what Paul wrote ? Peter certainly does.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

116 posted on 06/11/2014 8:04:35 PM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began)
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To: af_vet_1981
And God gave the authority to determine or recognize the Canon to the Apostles.

God did not give authority to the apostles to determine canon, God determined the canon by inspiring the books which eventually made it into the canon. The church as a whole, not just the apostles, came to recognize the authenticity, the authority, the apostolic origin, and the usefulness of the books that were preserved by the churches.

Again, God determined the canon, the church merely recognized those which were canonical. And that recognition happened slowly over time, as the writings were circulated among the different churches. Some took longer than others, naturally, they were written at different times. Revelation was a late addition because it was written late (95 AD).

If you interchange terms (determine, recognize) it makes the debate pointless.

Yes, Peter accepted Paul's writings because Paul was an apostle Peter was the Apostle to whom the LORD Jesus Christ gave the keys to he kingdom of heaven.

That is the only thing even hinted at in the text.

Peter also pointed out they were difficult to understand.

Yes, and the very next phrase he gives the answer to that problem ... 'which the unlearned/ignorant and unstable/weak torment/twist/distort ... '

What is the solution to understanding those hard things that are in Paul's writings? Don't be unlearned/ignorant ...

What type of learning would be required? Is it not reasonable that one who seeks to understand the hard topics that Paul writes about should at least try to become fluent in the language of the writing? You would certainly go a long way to becoming 'learned' by doing that.

It reminds me of Pauls charge to Timothy that he 'accurately handling the Word of God.' The verb literally means 'interpret correctly' ... Paul told Timothy to work hard at it ...

Good Biblical interpretation of difficult passages doesn't come by assuming a particular theology, it comes by hard work in the Biblical languages, grammar, historical studies, etc. Lucky for us all that there are not very many 'difficult to understand' passages.

Who has the authority to interpret what Paul wrote ? Peter certainly does.

The learned ... that is what Peter said. Peter did not claim authority to interpret what Paul said here ... you are shoe-horning your RC theology into the text.

121 posted on 06/12/2014 6:33:14 AM PDT by dartuser
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