http://www.examiner.com/christianity-in-provo/are-there-lost-books-to-the-bible
There is no other book that is more attacked, controversial or misunderstood than the Bible. Many have claimed that reincarnation, or teachings of higher planes of existence were lost, misplaced or removed from the Bible. So, are there lost books to the Bible? No, there aren't. People, however continue to believe that there are. Many will accuse the Church of establishing, writing, or dictating the Word of God. Yet, the truth of the matter is the Church merely recognized the Word. The "lost books" many are claiming were taking out, disregarded, or simply lost, were never part of Scripture to begin with.
There are many reasons why the Apocrypha was not considered Scripture. In fact the word "Apocrypha" means hidden. According to Matt Slick of Christian Research and Apologetics Ministry, the following reasons are cited.
1. Jesus never referenced these books, yet He referenced all other books of the Old Testament.
2. They lacked apostolic or prophetic authorship.
3. They did not claim to be the Word of God.
4. They contain unbiblical concepts such as prayer for the dead (2 Macc. 12:45-46) or the condoning of magic (Tobit 6:5-7).
5. They have serious historical inaccuracies
6. Jesus nor His Apostles accepted these writings as Scripture
7. The Jewish community rejected these writings as Scripture
8. Many members of the Catholic Church even disregarded these writings
9. They contain false teachings and are not prophetic
Regarding lost books of the New Testament, those myths are also answered. There are rumors there were hundreds of Gospels written about Jesus. As there may have been many writings on Jesus, they were not considered Scripture. These are some questions to keep in mind when looking at those writings.
1. Were they written by an Apostle or an associate of an Apostle, such as Mark who was an associate of Peter and Luke who was an associate of Paul?
2. Are the teachings consistent with known authentic writings? Do they match doctrinally?
3. Was the book circulated among other churches? This would help the church learn its origins.
There is no other book that is more attacked, controversial or misunderstood than the Bible. Many have claimed that reincarnation, or teachings of higher planes of existence were lost, misplaced or removed from the Bible. So, are there lost books to the Bible? No, there aren't. People, however continue to believe that there are. Many will accuse the Church of establishing, writing, or dictating the Word of God. Yet, the truth of the matter is the Church merely recognized the Word. The "lost books" many are claiming were taking out, disregarded, or simply lost, were never part of Scripture to begin with.
There are many reasons why the Apocrypha was not considered Scripture. In fact the word "Apocrypha" means hidden. According to Matt Slick of Christian Research and Apologetics Ministry, the following reasons are cited.
1. Jesus never referenced these books, yet He referenced all other books of the Old Testament.
2. They lacked apostolic or prophetic authorship.
3. They did not claim to be the Word of God.
4. They contain unbiblical concepts such as prayer for the dead (2 Macc. 12:45-46) or the condoning of magic (Tobit 6:5-7).
5. They have serious historical inaccuracies
6. Jesus nor His Apostles accepted these writings as Scripture
7. The Jewish community rejected these writings as Scripture
8. Many members of the Catholic Church even disregarded these writings
9. They contain false teachings and are not prophetic
Regarding lost books of the New Testament, those myths are also answered. There are rumors there were hundreds of Gospels written about Jesus. As there may have been many writings on Jesus, they were not considered Scripture. These are some questions to keep in mind when looking at those writings.
1. Were they written by an Apostle or an associate of an Apostle, such as Mark who was an associate of Peter and Luke who was an associate of Paul?
2. Are the teachings consistent with known authentic writings? Do they match doctrinally?
3. Was the book circulated among other churches? This would help the church learn its origins.
Regarding Gnostic teachings and books, many of them contradicted doctrine that Jesus was fully God and fully man. They taught He was merely man alone.
The Gospel of Thomas, and The Gospel of Truth, many believe, were written earlier than other Gospels or even the Epistles. Many have thought they dated back to the first centuries or even the time of Jesus. This is not the case, as many scholars now agree. Many scholars now see these as later writings on Jesus' life.
Another popular myth regarding the Biblical Cannon is that the church, or churches chose only those books which agreed with their theological viewpoint. As it is true that the early churches did not allow such books as The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Truth, or Gnostic writings into the Biblical Cannon, their basis for cannonization were the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the main letters of Paul (Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians).
The last popular myth we will explore is that the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. chose which books would be in the New Testament. This is not the case. The Council of Nicea dealt with a heresy known as Arianism which taught that Jesus was a man, but not God. Although the New Testament cannon had been accepted long before, in fact, roughly around 180 A.D., bishop Irenaeus compared the four Gospels to the four directions of the wind, the final list of the 27 books to be included in the New Testament came from Bishop Athanasius in 367 A.D.
There was and is much care regarding Scripture. From the Jewish scribes to the modern day Christian, Scripture is basis of our belief. As we continue to look at the validity of the Bible, we look into common misunderstandings and Biblical truths. The Bible has consistently been attacked, yet it still remains strong.
The Gospel of Thomas, and The Gospel of Truth, many believe, were written earlier than other Gospels or even the Epistles. Many have thought they dated back to the first centuries or even the time of Jesus. This is not the case, as many scholars now agree. Many scholars now see these as later writings on Jesus' life.
Another popular myth regarding the Biblical Cannon is that the church, or churches chose only those books which agreed with their theological viewpoint. As it is true that the early churches did not allow such books as The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Truth, or Gnostic writings into the Biblical Cannon, their basis for cannonization were the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the main letters of Paul (Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians).
The last popular myth we will explore is that the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. chose which books would be in the New Testament. This is not the case. The Council of Nicea dealt with a heresy known as Arianism which taught that Jesus was a man, but not God. Although the New Testament cannon had been accepted long before, in fact, roughly around 180 A.D., bishop Irenaeus compared the four Gospels to the four directions of the wind, the final list of the 27 books to be included in the New Testament came from Bishop Athanasius in 367 A.D.
There was and is much care regarding Scripture. From the Jewish scribes to the modern day Christian, Scripture is basis of our belief. As we continue to look at the validity of the Bible, we look into common misunderstandings and Biblical truths. The Bible has consistently been attacked, yet it still remains strong.
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