Talking about a Statement of Faith I wrote

[Xeno.of.athens]

Citation?

Also the point of my argument was not about holding a 66 book canon specifically; it was that the 66 books which are not Deuterocanonical or otherwise are considered canon at the minimum across most Christian sects.

Google religion demographics and see that protestants number around 900 million, Catholics 1.3 billion, and orthodox around 220 million.

Christianity 2,382,750,000 100 31.7 Growing Stable Tradition Followers % of the Christian population % of the world population Follower dynamics Dynamics in- and outside Christianity Roman Catholic Church 1,329,610,000 50.1 15.9 Growing Growing Protestantism 900,640,000 36.7 11.6 Growing Growing Eastern Orthodox Church 220,380,000 11.9 3.8 Growing Declining

 

[CIYA]

Google religion demographics and see that protestants number around 500 million, Catholics 1.3 billion, and orthodox around 300 million.

These numbers can vary some depending on the research team doing the polling.

One groups says, amongst Christians, Catholic population is 50.1% (Pew Research Center), another says 48.6% (World Christianity).

There isn't a consensus about the 73 book canon either amongst non-protestant sects. Orthodox sects have differing numbers of canon, which if you total that, would also result in about the same percentage of Christians not adhering to a 73 book canon.

 

[CIYA]

But all of the major sects believe in the 66 books as the core, so this is where I place my Statement of Faith.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

These numbers can vary some depending on the research team doing the polling.

One groups says, amongst Christians, Catholic population is 50.1% (Pew Research Center), another says 48.6% (World Christianity).

There isn't a consensus about the 73 book canon either amongst non-protestant sects. Orthodox sects have differing numbers of canon, which if you total that, would also result in about the same percentage of Christians not adhering to a 73 book canon.

The Orthodox tradition can provide an explanation for their canon, which contains at least 73 books. Protestants have 66 books in their canon, having adopted the Rabbinic Judaic canon along with the Catholic New Testament.

 

[CIYA]

The Orthodox tradition can provide an explanation for their canon, which contains at least 73 books. Protestants have 66 books in their canon, having adopted the Rabbinic Judaic canon along with the Catholic New Testament.

Okay, but this doesn't change the point about that there isn't a clear consensus. Just because the numbers of some Christian sects aren't as big, doesn't mean their views should be immediately discounted because of that.

I have reason to believe the New Testament writings themselves predate all major established sects of Christianity, but I do realize the potentially ugly discussion that might result from continuing down that route, so I will leave it at that.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Okay, but this doesn't change the point about that there isn't a clear consensus. Just because the numbers of some Christian sects aren't as big, doesn't mean their views should be immediately discounted because of that.

I have reason to believe the New Testament writings themselves predate all major established sects of Christianity, but I do realize the potentially ugly discussion that might result from continuing down that route, so I will leave it at that.

The 73 books of the Catholic Canon has the advantage of antiquity, specifically having been listed in North Africa's Hippo, Carthage and in Rome in the 4th century, The Orthodox had lists as far back as the 4th Century, but Protestantism had to wait until the 16th century, more than one thousand one hundred years later.

 

[CIYA]

The 73 books of the Catholic Canon has the advantage of antiquity, specifically having been listed in North Africa's Hippo, Carthage and in Rome in the 4th century, The Orthodox had lists as far back as the 4th Century, but Protestantism had to wait until the 16th century, more than one thousand one hundred years later.

Some of these old councils had disputes about what deutrocanonical books were fully canon. As in, were they to be considered inspired by God or more should be viewed as supplemental writings (only "ecclesiastical" use, not to be viewed as "scripture"). Shepherd of Hermas for instance, which has been confirmed to have been written after apostolic times, has been brought into question a number of times of whether or not it should be considered of "apostolic authority". This was the case for others as well.

Jewish Old Testament Canon also predates Catholic Old Testament Canon into the BC era. Josephus attests to this, as do others, and the Jewish Old Testament does not contain Deutrocanonical writings.

Protestantism didn't invent the 66 canon. The 66 books have essentially remained very consistent as the core scriptural canon of being considered inspired writings. The books outside of the 66 do not have this consistent designation.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Some of these old councils had disputes about what deutrocanonical books were fully canon. As in, were they to be considered inspired by God or more should be viewed as supplemental writings (only "ecclesiastical" use, not to be viewed as "scripture"). Shepherd of Hermas for instance, which has been confirmed to have been written after apostolic times, has been brought into question a number of times of whether or not it should be considered of "apostolic authority". This was the case for others as well.

Jewish Old Testament Canon also predates Catholic Old Testament Canon into the BC era. Josephus attests to this, as do others, and the Jewish Old Testament does not contain Deutrocanonical writings.

Protestantism didn't invent the 66 canon. The 66 books have essentially remained very consistent as the core scriptural canon of being considered inspired writings. The books outside of the 66 do not have this consistent designation.

Canon 24. (Greek xxvii.)​

That nothing be read in church besides the Canonical Scripture

Item, that besides the Canonical Scriptures nothing be read in church under the name of divine Scripture.

But the Canonical Scriptures are as follows:

• Genesis.
• Exodus.
• Leviticus.
• Numbers.
• Deuteronomy.
• Joshua the Son of Nun.
• The Judges.
• Ruth.
• The Kings, iv. books.
• The Chronicles, ij. books.
• Job.
• The Psalter.
• The Five books of Solomon.
• The Twelve Books of the Prophets.
• Isaiah.
• Jeremiah.
• Ezechiel.
• Daniel.
• Tobit.
• Judith.
• Esther.
• Ezra, ij. books.
• Macchabees, ij. books.
  • The New Testament.
    • The Gospels, iv. books.
    • The Acts of the Apostles, j. book.
    • The Epistles of Paul, xiv.
    • The Epistles of Peter, the Apostle, ij.
    • The Epistles of John the Apostle, iij.
    • The Epistles of James the Apostle, j.
    • The Epistle of Jude the Apostle, j.
    • The Revelation of John, j. book.

Let this be sent to our brother and fellow bishop, Boniface, and to the other bishops of those parts, that they may confirm this canon, for these are the things which we have received from our fathers to be read in church.

 

[CIYA]

Canon 24. (Greek xxvii.)​

That nothing be read in church besides the Canonical Scripture

Item, that besides the Canonical Scriptures nothing be read in church under the name of divine Scripture.

But the Canonical Scriptures are as follows:

• Genesis.
• Exodus.
• Leviticus.
• Numbers.
• Deuteronomy.
• Joshua the Son of Nun.
• The Judges.
• Ruth.
• The Kings, iv. books.
• The Chronicles, ij. books.
• Job.
• The Psalter.
• The Five books of Solomon.
• The Twelve Books of the Prophets.
• Isaiah.
• Jeremiah.
• Ezechiel.
• Daniel.
• Tobit.
• Judith.
• Esther.
• Ezra, ij. books.
• Macchabees, ij. books.
  • The New Testament.
    • The Gospels, iv. books.
    • The Acts of the Apostles, j. book.
    • The Epistles of Paul, xiv.
    • The Epistles of Peter, the Apostle, ij.
    • The Epistles of John the Apostle, iij.
    • The Epistles of James the Apostle, j.
    • The Epistle of Jude the Apostle, j.
    • The Revelation of John, j. book.

Let this be sent to our brother and fellow bishop, Boniface, and to the other bishops of those parts, that they may confirm this canon, for these are the things which we have received from our fathers to be read in church.

But there were still questions being raised about what authority the deuterocanonical books had compared to the core canon throughout history. Different church fathers had some various stances, etc. There is reason why these books have been distinguished from the rest and called Deuterocanonical, and this term was coined by a Catholic, not a Protestant.

The original Hebraic Canon has not been known to contain these books.