10) Where in the Bible do
we find an inspired and infallible list of books that should belong in the Bible?
(e.g., Is the Bible’s Table of Contents inspired?)
The Question is inconsistent with objective fact, an
inspired and infallible list of Bible books doesn't exist anywhere, including
the Bible.
The Question is meant to argue sola scriptura is impossible as we don't
infallibly know which books are scripture without an infallible table of
contents. Unfortunately for the argument, historical fact proves scripture can
be known without such lists therefore REALITY disproves the argument.
An argument the sun doesn't exist might appear very convincing in dark of
night, but when the sun rises in the morning, its chief fallacy will be
discovered, inconsistency with objective fact.
As with the sun rising in the morning, the argument overlooks the historical process
of deciding the canon, no infallible lists were used to accomplish it, yet the
arguer would not suppose the list is wrong. Therefore infallible lists are not
necessary to create a "correct" list.
As genuine scripture can be correctly separated from spurious scripture without
an infallible list, sola scriptura can be practiced without an infallible list.
In other words, as the Church was able to decide
the canon without an infallible list, so can anyone else. To conclude otherwise
is a special pleading fallacy inconsistent with historical fact. Others
accomplished the same feat centuries before the church existed, with the Old
Testament..
Sola scriptura permits the use of any extrabiblical data, it just doesn't allow that is equal in authority to
Scripture.
It is not required we have infallible lists to decide the canon....because the
canon is not known to us via a list....God bears witness to His Word.
I first read the scripture because of arguments against Evolution. Questions
about canon and lists didn't concern me at all. I was given a Bible with 66
books, so I read those.
What I wasn't prepared for was my reaction to these,
they exerted a power over me unlike any other writing. Although I didn't
understand most of what I read, I could not put it down. The Word of God
convinced me He is. Afterward I became a Christian.
Later I read the apocrypha and pseudopigrapha, to see
if these were also scripture. I had a distinct perception many of these were
written by devils....the witness they are not scripture is clear.
If what I did were unique, then it would be special pleading to suggest this
rebuts Catholic apologetic. However, I call as my witness Catholic apologist Patrict Madrid, who described the situation of Jews before
Christ...how did they know if a book was of God or not:
Second Question from James White to Patrick Madrid:
White: Mr. Madrid, I've asked you this before. How did the Jewish man 50 years
before Jesus Christ know that the books of 2 Chronicles and Isaiah were
Scripture? Would you like me to repeat that?
Madrid: No, I think I got that. Thank you. The Jewish man of the 50 year period
before Christ knew that that Scripture, 1 and 2 Chronicles, was inspired
because the Old Testament church, the Old Testament people of God, regarded it
as Scripture. It had the official pedigree of coming from a prophet and it had
always been regarded that way. So he would draw not only on what his internal
testimony was of what those books say, but he would also base what his position
was on what the constant teaching of the Old Testament people was as well. As
you remember, they regarded 1 and 2 Chronicles as Scripture.
http://vintage.aomin.org/SANTRAN.html
What the Jewish man did, the Christian church did, that means they discovered
which books were canon WITHOUT an infallible authority.
If they could do it (and they did for centuries), I can and so can every Bible
Christian.
A list made by man wouldn't inspire any confidence in me at all. The reason why
I can KNOW beyond doubt its
the Word of God, is because God bears me witness He wrote it, as I read it. The
only author essential to sola scriptura is God Himself....human authors are
accidental to the authority of God's Word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
__________________
The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth
all men every where to repent:
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.-kjv