Why did some books get left out of the bible, including the Gnostic texts?

Question

Have you read the gnostic texts?

Answer 1

The significance of the bible is one Jesus Christ. He came and died for our sins. Rose again that we might live unto God eternally. We are saved from our sins now through Him. No worries about what was left out, look at what was done. now will you except this.

Answer 2

The gnostic texts require the reader to understand and study inwardly. They teach a number of ideas that one might encounter elsewhere but by experiencing them they really learn what they mean rather than just hearing the words from a priest.(Ex. The golden rule, etc.) As a result, the gnostics would never really convert, they've experienced truth and know it.

This adamance angered the church who demanded to be the sole leaders of the religion. They exised all books from the bible that had a "mystery" component to them and disapproved of the non-priest caste studying the bible so that followers would have to rely upon them.

Finally, they proceeded in a systematic annihilation of their gnostic brethren(because most refused conversion) and their books.

However, some of their books were spirited away into a cliff side cave to be hidden for some 1900 years. So ultimately they failed to stop Gnosis.

Answer 3

Here is an interesting link that discusses the various different canons in Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Bibles. (yes, they include different books.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_of_the_Bible

The most realistic answer is that what is included in a particular canon of the Bible depends on the committe or people that put that version together. Luther didn't like parts of the Catholic Bible, so he took some books out. The Orthodox didn't like the Catholic Bible, so they added some. The Catholics left out the Gnostic books and some other ancient texts for their own reasons as well.

Who really wrote down these books? Who knows. So how can we know God inspired those anonymous authors? We can't. Everything has to be taken on "faith." How convenient...

Answer 4

I have read some of the Gnostic texts but not all. There was specific criteria when deciding what was Canon at the African Synods. The most significant criteria was that the writing be suitable for teaching.

The Gnostics were around before Christ but adopted themselves into the Christian movement soon after Jesus was risen. they had some strange teaching about Jesus that was not compatible with the historical or eyewitness accounts of Jesus and were not orthodox with their teaching of the nature of Christ.

St. Paul specifically warned against their teaching in his writings to the Churches.

In Christ
fr. Joseph

Answer 5

there are a lot of books and scriptures left out the bible dead sea scroll and mary maglion text st thomas text and some the others .......acording to the gnostic text they were left out because MAN -- they could controll regular reglion knowing gnostic there they could not controll and be dogmatic.....

Answer 6

Due to the fact that these
Christians use the Protestant Old Testament which is lacking 7 entire books 2 (Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus/Sirach, Baruch, I Maccabees, and II Maccabees), 3 chapters of Daniel and 6 chapters of Esther may be one of the reasons they ask catholics so many questions.

For the Sola Scriptura this is too bad .
In the 16th c., Luther removed those books from the canon that lent support to orthodox doctrine, relegating them to an appendix. Removed in this way were books that supported such things as:

prayers for the dead (Tobit 12:12; 2 Maccabees 12:39-45),

Purgatory (Wisdom 3:1-7),

intercession of dead saints (2 Maccabees 15:14),

and intercession of angels as intermediaries (Tobit 12:12-15).

The lesson, though, is this: relying on the "Bible alone" is a bad idea; we are not to rely solely on Sacred Scripture to understand Christ's message. While Scripture is "given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16-17), it is not sufficient for reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. It is the Church that is the "pillar and ground of Truth" (1 Timothy 3:15)! Jesus did not come to write a book; He came to redeem us, and He founded a Sacramental Church through His apostles to show us the way. It is to them, to the Church Fathers, to the Sacred Deposit of Faith, to the living Church that is guided by the Holy Spirit, and to Scripture that we must prayerfully look.

Answer 7

Because the original Bible contains only 66 books; 39 in the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) and 27 in the New Testament (Greek Scriptures).
Revelation 22:18,19 reads: ...if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to his punishment the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes anything away from the prophetic words of this book, God will take away from him his share of the fruit of the tree of life and of the Holy City, which are described in this book. (extracted from the Good News Bible)

Answer 8

Doesn't the Author decide what finally goes into the book?

Answer 9

Religious bias on the part of the editors.

Some, but not all.

Answer 10

They didn't advance Constantine's agenda.