|
Ezra -> RE: 66 Books - how many do you believe? (4/30/2008 12:31:58 AM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: mariadreamer
Paul was speaking to bishop Timothy and was referring to what was used as scripture at his time, meaning the Old Testament. Consider the fact that 2 Timothy was written about 30 years before the books written by Apostle John were finished.
This cannot be true, since at the time Paul wrote 2 Timothy, he was at the end of his ministry and ready for his departure (c. 66 A.D.). During His lifetime Paul has preached and taught the Word of God and written his epistles by Divine inspiration. Peter had already acknowledged ALL of Paul's epistles as Scripture ( 2 Pet. 3:15,16).
Therefore, when Paul the apostle and prophet wrote to Timothy about "all Scripture", he had in mind not only the entire Hebrew Tanakh, but all the Gospels and Epistles (including his own), and prophetically even the book of Revelation. God shows His prophets things to come.
Why should we suppose that in such a wide ranging and significant statement as 2 Tim. 3:16,17, God the Holy Spirit would omit the New Testament of all things? This is utterly false, and flies in the face of all we know regarding the epistles, the Gospels, and Divine revelation.
BTW, the Bible happens to be "66 books" only because the Hebrew Bible was rearranged. As to the Apocrypha, Orthodox Jews and conservative Christians were fully aware that these were un-inspired writings not to be placed on the same footing as Scripture. Some are mere legends.
|
|
|
|