I've heard people quote Revelation 22:18 (...If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book) saying that means the Bible is closed.
I don't know if they realize that chronologically, John wrote Revelation before the gospels of Matthew and John and various epistles attributed to Paul. Should all these books be discarded? Not to mention the same 'don't add, don't take away' scripture is found in the Old Testament (Deut 4:2). Wouldn't that mean that everything after Deuteronomy is false?
So I'm curious, where does the belief come from that scripture cannon is closed?
Obviously Jesus did many things that we don't currently have recorded in the 66 books known as the bible (John 21:25). If new records were discovered, would they be rejected?
2007-01-08 13:02:29 · 8 answers · asked by neil_ritz 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Sorry if you already answered. I just posted a similar question but couldn't find it - I thought it got erased. Guess there were a lot of questions posting at once.
2007-01-08 13:06:04 · update #1
Jesus never condemend other scriptures. It's okay for Christians to accept the Scriptures of other faiths. God revealed Himself to all the peoples of the world at one stage or another.
2007-01-08 13:07:21 · answer #1 · answered by darth_maul_8065 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The Canon of Scripture has been closed, and there is no need of additions to the word of God. The Revelation was the final inspired book of God's word and completes the full Canon of Scripture.
The Old Testament Canon was determined by at least the 3rd century B.C. and the New Testament Canon was almost universally accepted by the churches as inspired by the 2nd century A.D.
Many other religious books written during Old and New Testament times are self-contradicting at times and were definitely not inspired by God.
There are 14 main books are called the Apocrypha not included in the Canon of Scripture that are regarded by some cults such as the Roman Catholics as inspired.
If the Apocrypha is considered to be inspired Scripture, this identifies error with God's word.
The Apocrypha were formally canonized by the Roman Catholic Church on April 8, 1546 A.D. at the Council of Trent.
The answer becomes obvious when we learn the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church which stand or fall by these Apocrypha writings alone.
The Apocrypha is a collection of several pagan writings which the Catholic church accepts as inspired Scripture.
2007-01-08 21:16:06 · answer #2 · answered by House Speaker 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Where did you get the idea that other books were written after Revelation? Only fringe groups like the so-called "Jesus Seminar" believes that. I think the vast majority of real scholars would say Revelation was the last book of the Bible written. Therefore, the warning does apply.
What's more, we don't have apostles and prophets today, who are the ones who penned the inspired books of the Bible. They were verified with the signs and wonders recorded in both the New and Old Testaments.
2007-01-08 21:07:47 · answer #3 · answered by Gary B 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
It is not a matter of chronology, it is a matter if the book in question can pass the Mosaic criteria for scripture.
No mere mortal can add to the word of God, unless God himself said to.
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...In addition, the very content of the Book of Mormon makes it impossible to accept it as divine revelation. The Book of Mormon claims to be a translation of ancient writing on gold plates. These plates were supposedly written 1,400 years ago and detailed the history of the Jewish "Nephites" from 600 B.C. through A.D. 421. But it is virtually impossible that records written 1,400 prior to the time of Joseph Smith should detail specific social, political, and religious concerens unique to nineteenth-century America...
...But the content of the Book of Mormon presents further difficulties. For example, there are many clearly demonstrated plagiarisms. Material has been taken from Ethan Smith's "View of the Hebrews" (1823), a book that was available to Joseph Smith, as well as from the King James Bible. Some 27,000 words from the King James Bible are found in the book of Mormon.
But if the Book of Mormon was first written between 600 B.C. and A.D. 421, how could it possibly contain such extensive quotations from the King James Bible, not to be written for another 12,00 to 2000 years? The Tanners have listed, one by one, 400 verses and portions of verses quoted from the New Testament in the Book of Mormon in their book, "The Case Against Mormonism"
The Book of Mormon even contains King James Bible translation errors.....
2007-01-08 23:51:15 · answer #4 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That passage referred to the book of Revelation not the Bible.
2007-01-08 21:06:53 · answer #5 · answered by Pilgrim 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can read and believe anything you want. All Christian denominations believe that the canon is closed-it is not debatable. The catholics opened it up in the 1600's for themselves. But then again, they are catholic, they don't believer in the Bible. Go figure that one out.
2007-01-08 21:08:34 · answer #6 · answered by DATA DROID 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't know if this answers your question or not, but as far as other Christian books,...
Galations 1:6-9
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galations%201:6-9;&version=31;
2007-01-08 21:16:39 · answer #7 · answered by Lara Croft 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If God wanted more he would have arraigned it.
2007-01-08 21:06:17 · answer #8 · answered by djm749 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋