How do you decide between Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Bible Canon?

Question

Both Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Church leaders make the identical claim that they gave the world the Bible.
If both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches make the same claim they gave the world the Bible, why do they have different books in each of their Bibles?
Who should we believe?

Answer 1

You might want to try to appeal to pre-Schism councils (e.g. Carthage). Those seem to, for the most part, support the Roman Catholic canon (e.g. the absence of 3rd and 4th Maccabees).

A great book covering the history of the Biblical canon (though mostly from the perspective of Catholics and Protestants, with very little focus on Orthodoxy) is Gary Michuta's "Why Catholic Bibles are Bigger". This work covers the different councils, as well as the positions of several Church Fathers. You also might find his bibliography particularly helpful in this matter.

The following site...

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Bible/Text/Canon/canonages.html

...also lists the canons employed by different Church Fathers or codices.

Another issue that might make this even more difficult is the fact that the Orthodox canon is not exactly uniform. For example, the Russian Orthodox Church still employs 4 Ezra (also called 2 Esdras or the Ezra Apocalypse), as it appeared in the origincal Slavonic Bible. The Greek Orthodox church, however, does not include 4 Ezra (as it was never part of the Septuagint).

I had just asked a similar question in the past few days, and got no satisfactory answer. It is a tough subject for me. Please keep us informed as to what you find!

Answer 2

The Roman Catholic Church use the Latin Vulgate and the Eastern Orthodox use the Septuagint, which includes some books that are not in the Hebrew Bible. Those books, translated from the Septuagint, are designated deuterocanonical in the Latin Vulgate Bible. Protestant Bibles follow the Jewish scheme and exclude these books.

The Vulgate is an early 5th century version of the Bible in Latin which is largely the result of the labors of Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations. Its Old Testament is the first Latin version translated directly from the Hebrew Tanakh
(Torah) rather than from the Greek Septuagint.

The Septuagint is a collection of Jewish scriptures in Koine Greek, translated in stages between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC in Alexandria. It is the oldest of several ancient translations of the Hebrew Bible into Greek.

Who should you believe? Both... it is just that one is a Latin and the other a Greek translation. There are some good English translations available today, besides the King James Version. I prefer the New American Standard Bible myself, which adheres as closely as possible to the original languages according to current English usage.

Answer 3

Well, I am Greek Orhthodox. But I also go to a Catholic school. Right now in Religion we are studying Church History. Let me fill you in a little. Okay, I kind of see where you are coming from, and those are some nice points. Now let me clear this up just in case, the Pope is only in the WESTERN NOT EASTERN Catholic Churches. Okay, the Pope is not trying to be portrayed as God, but as more of a role model. Now actually the two churches are very similar actually. Except here are some differences: 1.) Eastern does not follow the leadership of the Pope. (HOWEVER that does not mean he is disliked so please don't put those words in my mouth) 2.) In the Eastern, you don't do all of the Sacraments the Catholics do. We do not do Penance (Reconcilliation). (This is MY belief: I think if you are truly sorry and pray for forgiveness, God WILL forgive you. But yes it probably does help to talk to a priest if you feel you need to or it is a big sin and then you feel you need to. Once again I am not looking down upon this practice, just stating a belief.) 3.) The communion is different. (At least in my Church.) (I mean by appearance not like one is Mary and one is Jesus or something *Which would be kind of weird and against the whole purpose if it wasn't Jesus...*.) 4.) In the Eastern, you recieve the Sacraments of Communion (What I mean is your first.) and Confirmation when you are Baptized.\ These are just some of the things. If you are having trouble deciding, maybe you should talk to priests from both, or people you know from both. God Bless :). Hope I helped, And sorry if I didn't. Good luck!!! P.S. I really hope you enjoy and get a lot of out your religion/faith/ relationship with God :). Oh yeah btw, they are both "catholic." But with a lowercase "c." Uppercase is the Catholic Church like Western/Roman Catholic Churches. Haha sorry, hope that didn't confuse you. :) :) (EDIT) Okay Matthew, how do you think we don't follow the Holy Bible when the GOSPELS AND READINGS ARE DIRECTLY FROM THE BIBLE? It even says it on the pages and when they start to read it. Sorry really I am wondering though... Don't mean to start something and sorry if I made you upset or offended. Oh btw, another interesting thing: On Easter we dye our eggs red because in the Orthodox bible (Yes I used to think it was the same thing too untill I went to Sunday School at Church.) (Oh jeeze this is embarressing I forgot her name... Haha sorry XD now you can look it up if you want) was the one to actually find Jesus missing on the third day from the tomb. She was carrying a basket of eggs, and when they didn't believe her when she told them about Jesus, she basically said something about the eggs turning red if He really did, (Something like that haha sorry again XD. Once again, more reason to look it up XD.) and next thing you know her eggs were blood red. In the Catholic bible I know that was different though... (RE-EDIT) Pudlasz, didn't they get over those heresies though?

Answer 4

It's really very simple.

All one needs to do is see what was part of the official canon before the 11th century schism.

The Catholic church continues to maintain the original canon, first established in the 4th century and reaffirmed again at the Council of Trent, in the 16th century.

The Latin and Eastern church were of one accord on the matter until some time after the 11 th century schism.

Any changes ... by any one or any group ... Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, or other ... subsequent to that time would constitute either heresy, apostacy, or both.

It's never good to be a heretic, an apostate ... or a troll.

Answer 5

First the council of Cathrage was not an ecumincal council so difrences are a result of the regional decisions.
The greek canon of the old testemeint is from the Septuagent the differning are history books so the Roman differnce is due to latter choices the Old testement is not read much in parish life- but mnore often in monestaries
and so using either aproach is valid.

Answer 6

It's not important. It's like two children engaged in a did, didn't, did, didn't argument. One of them is probably right, but who gives a ****...

Answer 7

Neither.