But written, compiled and canonized by men with authority from God so to do. An authority not given to all.
The apostle Paul tells us to read it...And study it...And divide it into section
And here's the irony.
In the early Church, there was no "book". The New Testament did not exist. The Christians in Corinth, Ephesus and Rome to whom Paul's letters were written did not read them as "Scripture". No, these early Christian communities received them as exactly what they were; letters of spiritual guidance from a human ecclesiastical authority. Namely, the evangelist who brought them the Gospel. That is all. The Church spread and thrived at this time using this model and this is exactly the model used in the Church today.
Likewise, when Paul and Barnabas became embroiled in an argument about circumcision in Antioch, they could not say..."let's see what the New Testament says about this." There wasn't one. Instead, Acts tells us that they returned to Jerusalem to confer with the "apostles and ancients". Again, this was the Church in action. No Scripture to turn to, no verses to quote to each other. Just the hierarchical human authority of the Apostles and those whom they subsequently ordained.
All of this was possible because it was the Church which gave us Scripture and not vice versa.
You guys chose to let someone else read the bible for you and tell you what it means...
ROFL.....isn't that what you're doing here?
The priests that teach you that that is what you need to do have been blinded...Why does your Catholic religion NOT teach you scripture like that which I have posted???
The Church teaches Scripture just fine. The Church gave us Scripture. Therefore, the Church is its guardian and faithful interpreter. Your basic model of Scriptural understanding is flawed.
This is what gets you "Rapture" ready.
Of course they did...They knew Paul was an apostle chosen by God...They knew his letters were from God...They knew Paul was putting to paper what he had been teaching orally...Just as this scripture which your religion perverts tells us...
2Th_2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
Paul was putting to paper that which he was teaching orally...
No, these early Christian communities received them as exactly what they were; letters of spiritual guidance from a human ecclesiastical authority. Namely, the evangelist who brought them the Gospel. That is all.
Nonsense...Paul was chosen personally by God as THE authority to teach the Gentile church...You call the Bible spiritual guidance??? Those words are the 'words' of God...Like God says, 'the blind leading the blind'...
How do you know this??? How do you know they returned to Jerusalem??? Is that a tradition they passed on from one generation to the next???
We know this because that tradition was recorded as scripture by the apostle Paul...And preserved by God for a couple of millenniums so far...You don't have an argument...
The Church teaches Scripture just fine. The Church gave us Scripture. Therefore, the Church is its guardian and faithful interpreter. Your basic model of Scriptural understanding is flawed.
Well, I understand the following scripture...
Eph 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Eph 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
2Ti_2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
1Jn_5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
So that stuff is a little tough for you, eh??? You Don't Get It...Your religion has to tell you what those scriptures mean and they mean that your religion will provide the understanding, and not God...
Good luck with that...