Canonical Councils

[heisenburg]

Just A Thought… Take it at that…

Could the Council of Hippo, Rome, and Carthage be glaring examples that the Catholic Church is Guided by the Holy Spirit?

Reasoning…
almost to the day before these councils…No one, and that means NO ONE knew for sure what the true list of inspired books were. There were some books that were sorta agreed on, but there isn’t a single compiled list that predates these Councils that has the list of canonical books…

The Councils of Rome is held,
A list emerges…
Carthage and Hippo also have councils to see…

Same List emerges…

within a few years, (probably within 5, maybe 10) there was little to no arguing over which list was authoritative. Furthermore, no one really argued about the list (not really even Greek Orth.) until Martin Luther…

so… in response… Council of Trent reevaluates (sorta)… Same list…

In Other words…

The ~350 years since the Death of Christ… NO one could agree on what was scripture.
the councils are held.
With in a few years all arguing is over…

That lack of arguing actually continues till today if you are simply referring to the NT.

How could 3 councils quell 350 years of disagreement if they weren’t guided by the Holy Spirit?

In Christ

 

[kleary]

Yes…

Even though they are not Ecumenical Councils, which decrees you must believe (Note that Trent is the only Ecumenical Council to infallibly decree what books are Scripture), you can see the Holy Spirit at work in them.

Then again, it makes you see also that God did not intend for Holy Scripture to be the sole meathod of teaching the truth to mankind in the New Covenant, since the Canon was not needed to be settled in an Ecumenical Council until the 16’th century.

Ken

 

[Mordocai]

you say before the councils, no one knew what were inspired. (of course the Apostles knew and the ones they told)
but! it is interesting because it is the same today. no one knows unless he has authority or accepts the authority of the Church.
ask the question of a Catholic Why do you believe the Bible is the inspired written Word of God? and the simple answer will come back “because the Church tells me so”
ask it of a Protestant… what answers will you get?
they may not have considered it before. why is this book and not that book canonical? and if they say “certain criteria must be met” then ask 'how do you know those are the correct criteria and by what authority do you say such a thing?"

even protestants accept the Catholic Church’s authority on some things namely the bible (at least the New Testament)
but why do they not accept the Catholic Church’s authority on what the bible says?

interesting