Catholics determined the Canon??

Question

Since the two synods of Hippo (393 AD) and Carthage, (397 AD) were under the control of what would later become the "Orthodox Church", how can the Roman Catholic Church claim they determined the Bible Canon?
Would not such a claim be more naturally due the Eastern Orthodox church?

Answer 1

The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church were one and the same until 1054.

Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics separated from one another in 1054. There are very few theological differences. The main difference is that the Eastern Orthodox Churches (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11329a.htm) use the Byzantine Rite (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04312d.htm) and the Roman Catholic Church use the Roman or Latin Rite.

Pope John Paul II said of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in Orientale Lumen, "A particularly close link already binds us. We have almost everything in common." (see http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_02051995_orientale-lumen_en.html )

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes all 7 Ecumenical Councils and nearly all local councils up to the 10th Century. Those two Synods are canonically valid for both denominations unless Vatican I or II changed some things around for the Catholics - the Orthodox have had no Ecumenical Council in over 1200 years.

Answer 3

They were the same at that time. Until 1054 the Eastern and the Roman were two branches of the same sacramental body. The Orthodox Church was not the "head" at the time the Canon was determined. We were the same church at that time.

As a result of the split with Rome, Eastern Orthodoxy is not united under one head. There are many groupings of Orthodox, all having the same basic doctrine and practice with some minor variation.

The Roman Catholic Church has remained under one head with true apostolic succession, that it why we claim that we determined the Canon.

Answer 4

The error in your thinking is in that you are imputed future division upon the earlier Church. The Churches of Hippo and Carthage were both destroyed by Muslim raiders so they never became Orthodox.

It is the Catholic-Orthodox Church which determined the canon. Besides, the Catholic and Orthodox Churches do not consider themselves to be separate Churches. Protestants think of themselves as separate Churches but the Catholics and Orthodox (except when they are yelling at one another) consider both sides part of the One True Church, but in partial schism. They are no longer in full schism as they have lifted each others excommunication, but they are also not fully communicating with one another either.

Answer 5

Because during the late 4th century, the Orthodox Church did not even exist. They would later come from those two Synods, but by in large, the assertion of the Catholics determining the official Cannon of the church is correct. It is kind of strange isn't it, a few hundred people getting together to decide which scriptures are doctrine and which ones are flights of fancy.

Answer 6

Those two synods were not under the control of what would later become the Orthodox Church.

They were under the control of the Catholic Church, from which the Orthodox Church would be in schism beginning in the 11th century.

But not to worry. Catholics and Orthodox alike recognize the authority of both of those ecumenical councils.

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Answer 7

The Old Testament canon of Scripture is that of the Septuagint, which was the Bible of the apostles. Other Christian communions through the years have deviated somewhat from this apostolic canon which the Orthodox Church still uses. The canon of the New Testament was developed over the early centuries of the Church. Its first known listing in its final form is the Paschal Letter of St. Athanasius of Alexandria in A.D. 367.

Answer 8

A canonic text is a single authoritative edition for a given work.

there is the jewish canon (200 bce to 200 ce)
the samaraton canon
and a few christian canons, the oldest probably being the bryennious list

Answer 9

no, the Jewish scholars and rabbies determined the cannon.