Thursday 12 March 2009

Who decides what is "Scripture"?

Peraps a delicate or thorny issue, but I pose the question because I came across the following quote on an orthodox churches web-site :
The Church decides what is Scripture, not any individual, nor any denomination or other religion -- not even Judaism.
http://www.st-anthony.org/our_faith/misc/misc.php?subaction=showfull&id=1141937559&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2
But actually God decides what is Scripture. The afore-mentioned quote is actually nonsensical and contradictory.

The suggestion is that no "individual, nor any denomination or other religion" decides what is Scripture. Only the Church. Well, which church ? The Orthodox church? The Roman Catholic church? The Protestant Church? Whether orthodox christianity likes it or not, sure they too are a denomination of the Church.

The Church being the community of the believers and followers of Christ. Every person who has accepted Christ and places their faith in him and his teaching is part of the Church. Without this faith in Christ, we cannot belong to the Church. At least not as she is portrayed in the New Testament by Jesus and his disciples.

Perhaps what the quote is suggesting is that the 'recognised' church determines what is Scripture. Or as the Roman Catholic church does, it determines certain wrtings as 'canon', or holy in a sense.

But it is God who spoke through the prophets, it is he who knows what he has said. The best we can do is recognise Scripture. Eventually this will lead us to decide for ourselves what we believe to be inspired Scritpure, according to certain criteria and hopefully lead by the Holy Spirit who has been given to every believer.

For the statement quoted above to make any real sense, it would need to clarify what it meant by the word 'Church'.

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