Could it be...
boatbums write: “Do you actually believe God left it up to mere men to tell HIM what of His word”
Is this the childish dialogue we are having here? Written words did not fall from the skies and magically assemble themselves into chapter and verse. They were part of the oral traditions that was transcribed Much was transcribed. Much of it was not: John 21: 25:
“But there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written.” (Douay-Rheims Bible)
What were transcribed had to looked over by the early Church fathers (theologians) who painstakingly over decades under Petrine authority included some and discard others like the Gnostic gospels and the gospel of St. Thomas.
At the time of the Nicean Council, there were basically hundreds of Christian sects with hundreds of differing Gospels. The council was created to unify Christian theology and belief in order to prevent conflict. The church fathers who met decided on the Gospels that we’re all familiar with now as they were the most common amongst the varying sects. The Gospels of Thomas, Judas, Mary, Phillip, etc were discarded because the texts didn’t represent the majority of Christianity at the time.
From all this came one Credo with belief in the Holy Eucharist as the source, center, and summit of all Catholic worship for all ages. The historical and biblical reference to inter-cessionary prayer and the veneration of relics goes back to Biblical times as the referenced in the earlier posts.
As then we have this gem of “Bible-Christian” “theology” that God gave each one in his heart to interpret the scripture. This is the stuff for kindergartners. Go tell that to the followers of Jim Jones and David Koresh. Snake-handling Christians make the same argument as do every corner street self-appointed pastor who thinks they can “authoritatively” interpret scripture. Eminent theologians simply laugh this stuff off as truly an “absolutely clueless thing to say.”
This is precisely why we have the nonsense of the Joel Osteens, Billy Grahams, and Rev. Jeremiah Wrights of this world. The folly of the Reformation that have let loose a diverse and often contradictory assortment of interpretations.
Say it ain't so!. Can't be. There was no schism until Luther. Catholics say so!!!
>>As then we have this gem of “Bible-Christian” “theology” that God gave each one in his heart to interpret the scripture.<<
Sometimes when Catholics make statements it makes them look really ill equipped to be discussing anything in scripture. 1 John 2:27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him.
Now who was it again that said that?
>>This is the stuff for kindergartners<<
You may want to check with who inspired John to write those words before making stupid comments like that.
>>Eminent theologians simply laugh this stuff off as truly an “absolutely clueless thing to say.”<<
So much for your "eminent theologians. I'll take the Holy Spirit's words through John.
The "childishness" is coming from those who cannot think for themselves and can only ape the talking points given to you by your esteemed theologians - those people who have convinced everyone that they are better at thinking than others. It's childish to toss out silly scenarios like Scripture falling from the skies and "magically" falling into a volume. Does this kind of dialog count as "grown-up" to you? Do you seriously imagine that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - whom the Holy Spirit carried along in the words they wrote just as He did the holy men of God from before Christ - first sent their Divinely-inspired contributions to some Pope in Rome and then waited around to find out if they would be received or not? Where are you getting these strange ideas from?
When Paul wrote to the churches at Ephesus, Philippi, Corinth and Galatia under the leading of the Holy Spirit, and he ensured copies were sent to all the other churches as well, did he have to wait for a general council to first inform him they were approved for world wide distribution? Or, as it plainly states IN Scripture, did these churches receive these writings with joy as from the hand of God and set about ensuring the instructions were followed, taught, obeyed and preserved? The answer is obvious, they knew from whom they received these writings as it was the authority of the Apostles of Jesus Christ giving it to them and their assurance that what these writings contained was the truth.
Going back thousands of years earlier, did Almighty God command His prophets to write down the exact words He told them to and to make sure the people heard and obeyed His teachings, have to wait for the Jewish magesterium to pronounce the writings as genuine first before they were held to account for obedience? Yeah, right, as if! You obviously need a bit more instructions about how we got the Old and New Testaments other than the slanted, Rome first drivel you have been reading. Here are but a few places to help you understand better the wonderful gift of Divine revelation we have and how we got it:
Oral Traditions and the Gospels