Ok, so I am a bible believing "christian", believer, messianic, God-follower, whatever you want to label me. I follow the God of the bible and His son the messiah Jesus (Yeshua). I grew up in the assemblies of God and now attend a messianic jewish congregation where I believe I have come pretty close to understanding the bible in it's best context I can by understanding it from a jewish perspective (not rabbinic or anything like that). Basically just as the bible teaches but with the understanding those people would have who were there at that time...Jews.
Anyways, that being said...why is the bible we have now (which contains 66 books) considered mostly to be the only "word" of God. I almost cringe when people say the bible is "thee" word of God, not because it isn't, but the word of God as actually Yeshua, the word made flesh. Sure, the words of God/Yeshua and His prophets are in the bible, but seriously. Come on. By whose authority can we be told that after the book of revelation, we can shut God's mouth? OK, maybe not totally, but no more scripture? No more revelation. In almost 2,000 years. Are you serious? All because a group of people decided that "this is it" or "this is all we need". I don't buy it for a second. Please, give me good reasons to why God is not allowed to use prophets to convey the word of God and put it in the form of scripture anymore?
I am so lost in all the doctrine and denominations and different varying beliefs of believers that sometimes I don't know who/what to believe anymore. My faith would be a lot more solid though if I knew the answer to this question. And don't parrot what your pastor told me. Give me something real and tangible. Please.
Thanks!!!
I return to the ininial post as I note PetraFan007 has not returned to tell us if we have given him something 'real and tangible'. With some intrepidation I will try.
First, the Bible which contains the 66 books is not the only Bible. I have a Bible which contains the Apocrypha and additional Wisdom books. I also have a Gnostic Bible.
I raise this little issue because what you might mean is what is known as the Bibical 'canon' - but even here there can be an argument. It appears that the present canon was accepted by a few prominient and assorted priests, bishops, academics etc, Irenaeus, Origen, Athanasius to name a few in the 2nd and 3rd C. But it appears that the canon was formalised somewhere around the time 393 - 419, around the time of the Councils of Carthage. So much for the historic aspects.
Second - the matter of a canon automatically raises the ogre of 'authority', or using that much maligned word, orthodoxy. Orthodoxy means nothing more than something like a 'body of opinion' - a conscenus if you will. This 'conscensus' has achieve the status of 'authority' because it has been tested over time and generally found to hold good. This 'authority' has become formalised into something we call creeds - that which defines the Faith.
Third - the thing with orthodoxy is its inherent resistence to change - which is its purpose. To move the orthodox takes lots of effort and many years of work and occasionally one may hear the doors creaking open to allow a little refreshing air circulate throught the inner sanctum. Which is good - we really don't need a received orthodoxy that blows about like a reed in the wind - otherwise it would become anything we wanted it to be and the whole idea of conscensus would distinigrate.
Fourth - Orthodoxy is not the end of the matter as you seem to think - which is somewhat understandable given some of the things attributed to its cause in the past. But, as you may note, orthodoxy has not stopped people doing what they do best, thinking. Some of the greatest literature is not contained in the Bible. The writings of such as Teresa of Avila and Francis of Assisi, to name but two, are examples of literature that has achieved a conscensus that such work not only inspires but imparts an initimate knowledge of God.
Fifth - you can make your own call. You are demonstrating this aspect by asking your question - you are free to make your own choice. No one has to accept the Tradition as we have it today. In fact, I suggest most of us don't. Just take a tour around these boards and you will note a plethora of scriptual opinions. Which brings me to the next point.
Sixth - Don't expect easy, 'ready to go' answers. We are not a patient lot down here, on Earth. We demand instant answers. Easy answers aren't all that easy as it turns out. Frustration is more our lot - demanding quick fixes and then being handed a length of rope that seems to stretch to the horizon. Not a good look for the citizenry of the 21st Century. It's more like, hurry up and wait.
Finally - Could you be comfortable with not knowing? What if there are no ready cut answers? Perhaps there is no black and white - just a sea of grey. Could you live with that?
Recommendation - Read 'The Cloud of Unknowing'.
... and be more gentle with yourself. Your questions are ageless - you are not alone.
