If the Table of Contents is not the word of God, how do we know which books are really supposed to be in the Bible?
2007-01-20 12:07:37 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'm sure there are more that would qualify.
2007-01-20 18:53:33 · answer #1 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well one thing for sure, you can easily check out the accuracy of the Table of Contents that you are looking at. Obviously, Table of Contents were added as an aid, just like the numbering system. But that in no way changes the content, or the validity of the content. It took the Church quite a bit of time to discern the books of the Bible - both Old Testament and New Testament. While today's Cannon was agreed upon in the late 4th century, they were not definitively defined until the 1500's! Even then, the Protestant movement removed books and parts of books from the Old Testament. But some of the books floating around were spurious, others while still good books, were not included. If you can accept the authority given to men by Jesus, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, there is no reason to believe that anything has been left out.
2016-05-24 02:19:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are an Atheist why would you ask such a silly question knowing it wouldn't make a bit of difference what the answer would be. And who told you the table of contents wasn't the word of God anyway. You don't know that. Why does it have to be Chapter and verse to be the word of God. Do you think God only speaks in chapter verses. Come on quit trying so hard. Calm down clean your drawers and go find a chair by the front door stay calm. We will send someone for you. BB
2007-01-20 12:19:06 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your question is more profound than you might suppose. There is no chapter which is or comprises a table of contents, and the present contents were defined by various theologians centuries ago. Furthermore, the contents of the Protestant and the Catholic bibles differ; there are several more books in the latter. In any event, there are numerous errors and self-contradictions in the bible, and reliance on any part of it is unwise.
2007-01-20 12:12:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The table of contents was added to allow YOU to find the books which are in the BIBLE. GOD did not need it and you likely will.
2007-01-20 12:40:13 · answer #5 · answered by Eds 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The table of contents came after canonization, not before, as did chapters and verse numbers.
2007-01-20 12:11:14 · answer #6 · answered by Aspurtaime Dog Sneeze 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Table of Contents was invented by the faux-Christians who don't know the bible as well as they profess. It's like a cheat code so they can get to the right page when the preacher says to "open your bibles" to such and such. Without that cheat sheet, they'd be thumbing for hours.
2007-01-20 12:11:43 · answer #7 · answered by glitterkittyy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The early Christians quickly developed four criteria for accepting a book as Scripture. First, it must have been written by an apostle or based on his eyewitness testimony. Second, the book must possess merit and authority in its use. For instance, The First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ tells of a man who is changed into a mule by a bewitching spell but converted back to manhood when the infant Christ is put on his back for a ride (7:5-27). In the same book, the boy Jesus causes clay birds and animals to come to life (ch. 15), stretches a throne his father had made too small (ch. 16), and takes the lives of boys who oppose him (19.19-24). It was easy to dismiss such fiction.
Third, a book must come to be accepted by the entire church, not just a single congregation or area. And last, a book must be approved by the decision of the larger church, not just a few advocates
The New Testament books did not become authoritative for the Church because they were formally included in a canonical list; on the contrary, the Church included them in her canon because she already regarded them as divinely inspired, recognizing their innate worth and generally apostolic authority, direct or indirect. .
2007-01-20 12:19:09 · answer #8 · answered by Sternchen 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thats a good question. One of the books that was left out was the book of Enoch which Jude quotes from. I've read it and I don't see why it was left out. They could have left out alot of things. Don't trust the Table of Contents.
2007-01-20 12:14:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Doh! Silly Council of Nicaea.
2007-01-20 12:10:31 · answer #10 · answered by Atlas 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
good to see you Jim Darwin
I think they disappeared, edited by men in the council of Nicea of 324/325 common era
2007-01-20 12:11:14 · answer #11 · answered by voice_of_reason 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋