Question on Sacred Scriptures

[CatholicAndFanatical]

Hello everyone Pax Christi!

I have recently started to really study the Eastern Orthodox Churchs, and found the similiarities with Catholics amazing. But one topic I cant really find on any Orthodox site is the History of Sacred Scriptures.

Catholics and Orthodox alike know that Sacred Scriptures is the Word of God, we also acknowledge that it is the Churchs' job to interpret Scriptures, not us men.
I have been Catholic for 4 years now, have a pentecostal background. When researching the Catholic Church I read alot about how the Bible came to be, who compiled it, how It was safe guarded for centurys until the 1500's when it was masacred with different interpretations and printed off when the printing press was invented. And also how the 7 books were taking out of it to follow the Jews in the 1st Century.

How does the Orthodox Churchs see the History of the Bible? Who compiled it, who finished it? I've read a few places where scriptures like Matthew had a few different Authors to finish it.


Thank you for your time. God Bless.

Your Servant in Christ
CatholicAndFanatical

 

[Matthias]

Yes, do tell.

 

[Philip]

There are several things to keep in mind when considering the Orthodox position.

The Orthodox Church has never made a binding statement concerning the canon of Scriptures. We simply read those books which have always been read by the Church. There have been local statements as to the liturgical canon as well as the canon. If you look through history, the Church (including the Church in Old Testament times) has only discussed the canon when it was necessary to combat heresy. It is possilble to understand the local selections of canonical Scriptures as being a process by which those books which support the Symbol of Faith were identified. This presents some interesting dilemmas for those who reject the infallibility of the Councils .

It is also important to keep in mind that we Orthodox do not see the inspiration of written text as a binary problem. We have the Gospels at the center of inspired Scripture. These are surrounded by the rest of the New Testament, then the Old and the Deuterocanons (all of them). Around these Scriptures are the writings of the Councils, the Early Fathers and the Saints.