Banned from the Bible

[Dustin]

This is an interesting video as it explains how the Bible came to what we have today. Please feel free to discuss this topic and any history that you would like to share about the Bible.

Banned From The Bible www.geocities.com/ariainvictus

[Didymos Thomas]

I haven't seen the video as my plug-in isn't working.

For any Christian, or those interested in this sort of scholarship, researching apocryphal material is highly recommended. Keep an open mind. You'll find that the traditional establishment has a certain distaste for this sort of scholarship unless the conclusion is that the material is irrelevant. I think you will also find, if you read up even just a little, that some of the material is invaluable.

Thanks for the video link, Dustin. I'm sure those who can see it will find it to be very interesting.

[Vasska]

It's a full documentary just a few seconds under 90 minutes. Will watch it this weekend when it's not 11 PM ^^ Other that that interesting find, will comment later on this week.

Didymos Thomas: just download the flashplayer; if you have firefox click the puzzlepiece, otherwise download the flashplayer from here (IE) or here (all other browsers). If you already installed it and it's not working just reinstall, works for most people.

[de Silentio]

For any Christian, or those interested in this sort of scholarship, researching apocryphal material is highly recommended.

The apocryphal books are included in the Catholic Bible, are they not?

[de Silentio]

I think I have seen this show on the History Channel. It is an interesting show, but, from what I remember, it seems like a lot of conjecture, some taking out of context, and more heresay. However, we shoud always keep an open mind.

[Dustin]

Originally Posted by de Silentio

I think I have seen this show on the History Channel. It is an interesting show, but, from what I remember, it seems like a lot of conjecture, some taking out of context, and more heresy. However, we should always keep an open mind.

Do you by chance remember what they took out of context? Heresy? I didn't really see anything biased about it, and they even interviewed many different types of people—seemed to be strictly research.

There was a lot of text that was prohibited from entering Bible canon by church leaders. The documentary tells why if you pay close attention.

I've always been one of those people who stuck strictly with Bible canon. Now that I know it pretty well, I'm starting to explore other texts. I haven't yet seen anything that seems to contradict or go against the canon, but rather more information and a deeper meaning is provided.

For example, the text remaining from the gospel of Mary was prohibited, probably because of how women were thought of back then. It's true that many of Paul's letters state that women are to be subject to their husbands . . . but there are many other instances stating that those in Christ are neither male or female. This is constantly debated even in churches today, and women are still kept down. The deeper meaning reveals that all in Christ are a new creation.

Many don't understand this. But there is no contradiction between the two, because those still living under the old way, so to speak, are said to be in subjection and bound to law.

[Didymos Thomas]

The apocryphal books are included in the Catholic Bible, are they not?

There are a number of different Bibles. The Catholic Bible contains literature that is apocryphal in other traditions, and those traditions have Bibles with literature the Catholic Bible does not contain. Then there is the body of work not included in any (popular) Bible.

I haven't yet seen anything that seems to contradict or go against the canon, but rather more information and a deeper meaning is provided.

Depends on how you read the official literature. Prior to any organized consensus on what should be included and what should excluded from official literature, clergy used whatever texts were available, or which ever texts they preferred. Different assortment of texts yield radically different variations of Christianity.

[Aedes]

I should add that it's incorrect for Christians to presume that what they call the 'Old Testament' is the same work of scripture that constitutes the Jewish holy scriptures. Furthermore, Rabbinic Judaism has only predominated since after the life of Jesus, and the foundational text of Rabbinic Judaism is the Talmud -- so in the end there is very limited scriptural commonality between Judaism and Christianity.

[de Silentio]

Do you by chance remember what they took out of context? Heresy? I didn't really see anything biased about it, and they even interviewed many different types of people—seemed to be strictly research.

It's been a few years, so I could be incorrect.

I meant 'Hear Say', not heresy, sorry. I wouldn't go as far as saying that it was heresy.

[Didymos Thomas]

I thought you meant hear say, but wasn't entirely sure. As an aside, though, many Christians influenced by apocryphal literature have been called heretics, and persecuted as such.