Replies

Regarding being able to read the Bible in the middle ages, it was NOT available to the general population. It was EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE and written in Latin. Most could not even read their own language.

Well, the Bible was not available to the general population during the first centuries of the Church, either. I don't mean the canon, but the book we know today. It was not until the 13th century that ALL the books of the Bible were bound into a single volume and published in the format we know today. Before that time the books of the Bible were available only as part of a multi-volume collection or in the Great Bible that ws read in Church. But after the "Paris Bible" was published, it became available for the first time to anyone who could read. Wycliff simply took the matter one step further by translating it into English, and his Bible was suppressed, not because it was in the vernacular but because it was unauthorized AND the work of a heretic. How could a person who knew no Latin know it was a true version of the Vulgate? And if he really wanted to know whether Wyclif got it right, where could he get a copy of Scripture in the original languages? In any case, knowledge of the vernacular does not mean one can master the meaning of a written work. Ever wonder how lawyers have got such a stranglehold on our society? It takes training and experience to translate law books.

Yeah, I hear you. But I believe the message of God is actually quite simple. The rest is icing on the cake. It's like what I finally learned about the ten commandments. I used to think they were the instructions on how to get to heaven. They aren't. They are merely instructions on how to live a happier life as in, do this stuff and you will be happier. Oh, and as Jesus made quite clear, as part of the law, they are also part of what gave sin it's power.

Anyway, I agree that the history of the Bible is interesting, and I also believe one can become a Christian and know quite a bit about God without ever reading a Bible. After all, as you pointed out, the early church had none.

Oh, and whenever I say "church" I simply mean all those who believe in and on Christ as their personal Lord and savior. I am not referring to any official organization, unless I'm making that distinction clear.