Just a simple question...unanswerable?

[transientlife]

I think it's common knowledge that the books in the Bible as we know it are not the only books that exist regarding the Christian faith. I'm just wondering what form the Christian faith would have today if ALL the books in existence were binded into the Bible, not just the 'select' version we have today?

 

[Myah]

I think you would have some very confused Christians walking around....

 

[Havoc]

Like you don't now?

 

[Philosoft]

Heck, I'd be willing to settle for only the Gospel of Thomas.

 

[de Unamuno]

You'd have what we would have had in the early church if the Magisterium wasn't around to declair certain doctrines "heresy" and certain books "apocrypha".

For example, many people would believe that Hell is only temporary or that the God of the OT was actually Satan.

 

[lucid42day]

I think you would have some very confused Christians walking around....

Probably the same number, but I think there'd be a lot more denominations, more adherents, and weaker "major" churches. Just my guess.

 

[Andre3000]

How many total books of the Bible are there? I know it's above 500 but I was wondering if anyone has an exact answer. And are these books readily available or are they in vaults at the Vatican or something?

Honestly, I think that if all of these books were published there might not be nearly as many Christians depending on what the scriptures say. Obviously if one of them says "God does not exist" then it creates a problem. But now the question is, who would have said God does not exist? Oh such a puzzle wrapped in an enigma!

 

[Arikay]

You would probably end up with what we have now, a bunch of different christian groups disagreeing on what the bible really says. There are plenty of groups that disagree now, with the current canon, let alone if all books were included.

Another problem is that we don't have many of the books anymore, as there were likely many gospel books written but many of those that weren't chosen have been lost.

 

[CDN Red Raider]

if you gathered together every book that claimed to be Christian, there would be inconsistencies and therefore the whole thing would have to be thrown out since the Word of God cannot contradict itself.

 

[Caylin]

if you gathered together every book that claimed to be Christian, there would be inconsistencies and therefore the whole thing would have to be thrown out since the Word of God cannot contradict itself.

I understand there are inconsistencies now.

 

[Kira Faye]

yeah i'v heard that too. I always wondered about christianity basing itself on an incomplete inconsistant book written by humans, thats just never appeald to me sorry.

 

[billwald]

It's a matter of command and control. Follow the money trail. Constantine wanted to rule a united empire.

 

[billwald]

The point should be that there is no way to determine what Jesus had in mind.