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Christ is the Living Word
I disagree with the notion that the canonical scripture at some fixed point in time, by some particular council or other, is the "Living Word" rather than Christ Himself. What are we to make, then, of other Christ imbued and inspired texts from other times or by other cobgregations: the Didache, "Imitation of Christ", "The Cost of Discipleship"?
It seems to me that some Christians have backslid into a dependence on authority. The sacrifice on the Cross no sooner frees us from the Law, then we seek the authority of the Nicean Council to say what is Christian scripture and what is not. In so doing, many Christians have been kept from the edification by the excluded scriptures. Then the Bishop of Rome is elevated into some all-knowing demigod so that the authority of his administration becomes a crutch for the Church. Next, Luther dismisses that Pope and returns Nicea to the throne.
Such things ought not to be. ALL scripture, which is to say writings inspired by the Holy Spirit, should be available to the people. No earthly authority should limit, should even attempt to limit the Holy Spirit speaking to the people through whatever writings serve that purpose. It is more than presumptuous for Man to declare what is not inspired. The only thing we can say is that, yes, certain texts have long been considered holy by the consensus of various congregations. We cannot ignore canonical scripture, but this does not mean that we should be ignoring non-canonical scripture. It also does not mean that limit our thoughts on the various issues presented -- Christ was not so limited -- or that we should ignore the context or the clear intent of a passage in the broader scope of a book in the Bible.
Also, the warning at the end of the Book of Revelation refers only to Revelation, itself, to protect the message of that Book from spurious editing. Such a regimen was not followed in the synoptic Gospels -- some texts have a certain passage and others not -- and the author of Revelation could not have known which books would have been in the canon over two centuries later! It is also highly questionable whether the author of Revelation would have accepted the canon emanating from a council where a Roman emperor held a key role.
posted by
cpklapper
on March 14, 2011 at 9:38 AM
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