Christians: Which came first, the Christian Church or the Bible?

Question

Did the Bible give us the Church or did the Church give us the Bible?

Question: When you say 'church' to what do you refer exactly?

I mean the "church" that Jesus spoke of in Matt 18:17 when he said:

"And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." (Matthew 18:17)

He did not say, "argue from the Bible" or "quote verses from the Bible".... He said "tell it to the church".

Answer 1

The Roman Catholic Church which is the church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ , the Only Church with a 2000 year old history came first. The Catholic church gave us the Bible. The same Roman Catholic Church whose first Pope was St.Peter and whose successor is the present Pope Benedict XVl.

The first Christians "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching" (Acts 2:42) long before there was a New Testament. From the very beginning, the fullness of Christian teaching was found in the Church as the living embodiment of Christ, not in a book. The teaching Church, with its oral, apostolic tradition, was authoritative. Paul himself gives a quotation from Jesus that was handed down orally to him: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

This saying is not recorded in the Gospels and must have been passed on to Paul. Indeed, even the Gospels themselves are oral tradition which has been written down (Luke 1:1–4). What’s more, Paul does not quote Jesus only. He also quotes from early Christian hymns, as in Ephesians 5:14. These and other things have been given to Christians "through the Lord Jesus" (1 Thess. 4:2).

Fundamentalists say Jesus condemned tradition. They note that Jesus said, "And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?" (Matt. 15:3). Paul warned, "See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ" (Col. 2:8). But these verses merely condemn erroneous human traditions, not truths which were handed down orally and entrusted to the Church by the apostles. These latter truths are part of what is known as apostolic tradition, which is to be distinguished from human traditions or customs.

God Bless!

Answer 2

The writings in the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament came first. It took over 40 human secretaries over a period of 16 centuries to record the books of the bible, but God himself actively directed the writing by his spirit. Genesis was completed in 1513 B.C.E.. This was 1513 years before Jesus was born. Jesus quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures. Matthew - Revelation were written from c.41 - c. 98. So at that time there were the earlier Christian congregations.

My bible uses the word "congregation" in lieu of "church" at Matt. 18: 17, which makes more sense.

Answer 3

Moses did not go to church. He was on a mountain when God gave him the ten commandments. Adam and Eve were in a garden. Therefore the bible came first. IF you talking about historical technicalities like King James translating the bible, well then that would mean that a church was here before the bible was put together.

Answer 4

The Biblical writings came long before the established church. However, the canon was not officially compiled until after the church began developing. But it was the Biblical writings that provoked the establishment of the church.

This is a funny question, though, because Jesus is the one who elaborated the idea of "church," but his conception was not the way we think of "church." When Jesus spoke of church, He was referring to the wider body of His followers worldwide - not to a specific building on the corner. He told his church, meaning all believers, to fellowship together, but he never called for institutions like we have now. If you really get down to it, Jesus told his followers to be much more outward-focused than inward-focused. Churches today are by and large focused inwardly. He wanted his followers to go out into the world and meet the needs of people.

So, God gave us the Bible by inspiring writers to pen His word - this is what the Bible says. But normal people gave us the church as it is today.

Answer 5

the actual church of at the instant's dispensation of grace comes from the Holy Ghost, which baptizes those that have self belief in the great artwork of Christ on the circulate, into the physique of Christ, it is the only application, and the only church that concerns good now. So the corrrect answer on your question is neither. The Bible AND the church comes from the Holy Ghost, whether the Roman Catholic Church might want to take the credit for all of it. endure in innovations who it grew to become into that needed the credit and compliment that rightfully belongs to God?

Answer 6

The Church.

Everyone that says the "OT bible" came first....Is wrong and as dutiful Xians they need to take a theology course or study christian history.

But then again are used to speaking out of ignorance.

EDIT* And please, I realize that the books were written but they WERE not compiled together as the Bible we have today..or even in the beginning. A lot of temples didnt even have the same books. And the picking and choosing and canonization of the bible happened hundred of years later.

You could go to the west coast and they would all have fir instance, genesis, leviticus, and numbers and the east coast would have..genesis, kings, and ester....

thats a rough example but..

Answer 7

The Bible came first in the Form of the Old Testament. The Church came when salvation came through Christ as Christ is the Head of the Church.

Answer 8

The Old Testament was recognized in its entire canon before the incarnation. Christ established the church while on earth. The new testament was canonized after Christ's resurrection and Ascension. Therefore, we can infer that the true church recognized the bible as we know it today. All doctrine of the church today must follow strict basic principles of interpretation of scripture.

Guidelines: http://www.bible-researcher.com/index.html

Answer 9

The Church(The Gospel according to St. Matthew, chapter 16).

Answer 10

The Church came first - by about 300 years (unless you date the Bible from the time that the canon was established - then the Church came first by about 600 years).