Chicken or Egg?

[Gideon4God]

We know the Bible was not "one book" until much latter in Christian Church history, what is the prot view of the first 300 years of the Church until the time the Bible became "one book" and until much latter when it became available?  How was doctrine maintained?  I'm asking, How did the first Christian Church remain intact without the Bible?

 

In His Name

 

[RevKidd]

Very good question.

     In my limited knowledge I would have to say that it was the distribution of letters from the Apostles and Paul that spread the word along with evangelism.  The spreading of the word, IMO, helped validate the early church.

     Paul also said to not forsake the gathering of believers, and he also set guidelines for leadership in the church.  I believe that the early church where a tightly knitted group of believers that exhorted each other, taught each other, helped each other, and loved each other.... 

 

[Gideon4God]

Today at 08:22 PM Leviathan said this in Post #2 

Paul also said to not forsake the gathering of believers, and he also set guidelines for leadership in the church.  I believe that the early church where a tightly knitted group of believers that exhorted each other, taught each other, helped each other, and loved each other.... 

 

Just to clear the air, I'm eastern Orthodox.  We believe in Holy Tradition.  I'm trying to understand the prot position on the early Church.  Would it not be an incomplete faith if only one or maybe two letters reached a Church?  What was used in place of a one book Bible? 

 

PS>not tryin' to pick a fight, just learning is all.

 

[undead1]

Oral preaching and teaching.

You know, you might wonder in this day and age, whether churches have actually abandoned this function in favour of singing.

When I was a child, I was sent to church, and made to sing, sing & sing. I had no idea what I was singing about, but there you are. I never learnt the gospel till much later, because no-one would teach me. (I also hated singing because I could not sing.)

So you may get a sermon or two a week, on a biblical subject, if you are lucky. But often these sermons teach nothing, because the semons givers are ignoramouses.

But think about what it must have been like for Paul to be with a church for 3 months or so. I am sure they would have learnt as much and more in 3 months from Paul, and we learn in 10 years of bible reading.

The letters only came later.