Have you every asked yourself why it is not considered as legitimate as the books that comprise the Bible you accept as valid? (We Latter-day Saints don't use the Apocrypha ourselves, so I'm not arguing the point from anything put a hypothetical perspective.) Would you also mind telling me which translation you consider to be infallible? As you well know, there are many instances in which the various translations are quite different.
I feel that the Bible is as it should be. I don't think it's possible for God's Word to be missing pages. My God makes no mistakes...especially when it comes to a Holy book which focuses on salvation.
My faith in Christ...the spiritual confirmation that I receive when I open my Bible is enough for me. For me, the Bible is sufficient as it is.
I'm partial to the New King James Version of the Bible.
I also do all of my devotionals out of the New Century Version. I reference the New Living Translation, the New International Version and of course the King James Version.
I often times have more than one Bible open on my bed...when I'm studying and I do go back and forth...comparing verses. I have yet to stumble upon any alarming discrepancies between the versions that I own and refer to.The only version of the Bible that I'm not particularly comfy with is the New World Translation.
Ah, but the keywords here as "complete (as possible)." What does that mean? As complete as possible, given the fact that it was several hundred years before the canon was firmly established, and many books that had at one time been considered scripture were determined at a later date not to be? As complete as possible, given the fact that the Bible itself mentions by name some twenty books that a missing from its pages? Even in New Testament times, Paul and Jude both wrote additional epistles that have apparently been lost. If they spoke legitimately in writings we do have, is there any good reason at all to assume that their lost writings would not be equally as legitimate? As complete as possible, given the fact that in the gospel of John, we are told that Jesus said and did so many things that all of the books in the world could not contain them? How complete is that, really?
When I stated "complete (as possible)"...I was referring to God...and the picture that's created of God within the pages of the Bible. I don't think that any human can completely understand the nature of God. That's all I meant there.
I believe that the Bible is as it needs to be. If these lost books or existing books that haven't been included were meant to be a part of the Bible...I know that my God is great enough...that they would have been included. I trust HIM. He's greater than every man who has ever contributed a word into the Bible.
And I believe that his Word is living Spirit. I only need my Christ and The Word of God. My salvation is in Christ. Through Christ, I establish a relationship with my Father. The Holy Spirit guides and directs me through the Word.
You're going to have to explain to me why this is. The Bible didn't even exist when John penned the words of Revelation. How could it conceivably have pertained to an entire book which was not to come into existence for hundreds of years? Do you believe that John was saying that God wanted nothing more written following the last word of the last chapter of Revelation? If you do, you might as well just ignore his gospel account because most scholars agree that it was written after he wrote revelation. Finally, let's just assume for a minute that you're right and that the verses you quoted do pertain to the Bible as a whole. Have you ever stopped to consider that this is a directive to men, saying that they shall not add to the words of this book. Can these verses possibly be construed as God telling us that He is from that point forward prohibiting Himself from speaking to us? Is there any reason at all to believe that God would forbid Himself to speak to His Church as a whole at any time in the future?
Okay, so you find it unbelievable that John could be referring to a book that didn't exist yet...yet throughout the Book of Revelation...he's referring to many events that have
YET to take place? Explain your logic to me, Squirt.
I think God still communicates with us. I've already expressed this.
I don't think that the Bible needed anything else. What more was needed? We were given what we needed...CHRIST.
Any religious book (other than the Bible) that I read...doesn't hold a candle to the word of God. The books that I read...refer me right back to scripture....they reiterate points made throughout the Bible. God is my authority...God speaks to me through His Word.
How much more do you expect to be revealed that isn't on the personal relationship level (you and Christ)?
We already know how to obtain salvation. Jesus Christ.
We're already given a glimpse of the end times.
What more is there to seek?
We already know how to establish a relationship with God...through Jesus Christ.
God continuously dialogues with us...I think mostly for personal edification, so that we can grow spiritually.
I believe He does, too. But why do you suppose there are over 30,000 different Christian denominations in the world today? 30,000 denominations and not one of them exactly identical to any other one. Is this what the scriptures meant when they said, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism?" Is this truly unity?
The only thing that Satan has over us...is the ability to divert our attention away from the truth which is...we're one body...the Body of Christ and who we are in Christ is truly incredible. He doesn't want the Christian to embrace fully what we have in Christ. He doesn't want us to realize that there is no need for 30,000 religious denominations. We've allowed ourselves to fall prey to Satan in this regard. Dissention is quite the diversion.
Think on who Christ is and was and what he did. He layed hands on the sick and they were healed. He raised the dead. He walked on water. He loved the sinner. He sat with the filthy and the sick.
We were told by Christ Jesus that we would not only do his works but GREATER works! This is the message that we miss when our focus is on the church and not on the BODY!
This is all Satan has. He's been defeated. We just have to embrace this...and embrace who we are in Christ. And we can't progress spiritually...if we're not in the Word. And you can't embrace the Word...if you don't trust it.
And so, if some of the many things Christ said and did that weren't included in the Bible were to be restored today, you woudn't want to know what they were?
I don't think there's anything more important, Squirt than the fact that Christ hung in agony for our sins so that we can be saved through him. That's it. That's what we need. Christ.
A history lesson on Christ's travels beyond what's written in the Bible...isn't as important to me as EMBRACING the LIVING CHRIST who is living within me today.
I already have Christ...He's right here in my heart. He's my best friend...my Father...my Saviour...my focus is on where I need to go next...to further HIS Kingdom.
I do apologize if this post sounded argumentative. It sincerely wasn't meant to be. My only purpose in raising these points and asking these questions is to get people (not just you) to stop for a minute and think about the ramifications of insisting that everything God has ever wanted us to know was (1)flawlessly preserved, (2)correctly copied (who knows how many times), (3)accurately translated by men whose motives were unceasingly pure, and (2)is today understood as God would have it understood by all Christians everywhere.
I truly enjoy conversing with you. I don't think you're argumentive at all and I appreciate the opportunity to share. We're both passionate about our beliefs and that's a good thing. We can learn from each other.:hug:
As for the points you've made in your last statement...
We're new creatures in Christ. How awesome is that? I encourage people to stop and think about that. Just by accepting Christ...we are capable of walking on water...healing the sick...raising the dead. He told us we would not only do those things BUT GREATER things. Register that for a moment.
And why aren't we going out into the world and doing these things?
Because we lack faith. And we're not focusing on building our faith in the way that I believe God intended because as humans, we focus so much on our flesh, on our views on the way we think and feel things should be. We poke holes, we obsess over the questions that have no answers and in the process we miss out, we miss out on opportunites to really receive personal revelations from Christ because we're too busy yielding to our flesh.
I'm guilty as hell of doing all of the above and here of late, I've really felt convicted over it.
I will never understand fully the awesomeness that is my God....the mystery and beauty that is my Christ....my strength and courage...which is the Holy Spirit.
And I don't know how I could ever hope to, if I constantly poke holes in His Word and rely on MY OWN understanding.
This is just my take on things.
I don't overanalyze. I trust. I truly adore my Christ. I really do. And I trust Him. And that's enough for me. God knows I'm so far from perfect and so far from where I need to be but I trust that with HIm, I'll get there. He believed in me enough to die for me. So, I place my trust in Him and I believe that what He says to me in His Word is truth.
Sorry for the novel, Squirt.
