Codex Sinaiticus

[Michael]

If the Codex Sinaiticus is the oldest Bible in the world (with NT) and it contains a number of books called "apocrypha" I wonder what Xiants think about these apocrypha?

Who says what is apocrypha and what isn't apocrypha?

From Wikipedia:

"The Greek word apocryphos did not always have the disparaging sense which later became attached to it. In Gnostic circles it was used of books the contents of which were too sacred to be divulged to the common herd, and it was in fact the heretical associations which it thus came to possess which led to its use as a term of disparagement. In the Nag Hammadi library, for example, one document bears the title Apocryphon or Secret Book of John, another that of Apocryphon of James, and several Gnostic gospels contain solemn warnings against imparting their contents to any save the deserving, or for the sake of material gain."
—from Studies in the Gospel of Thomas (the "apocryphal" Gospel of Thomas)

 

[§outh§tar]

Apocrypha per se are outside the canon, not considered divinely inspired but regarded as worthy of study by the faithful.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica

Protestants hold the Apocrypha to be "non authoritative for doctrine". One must keep in mind firstly that the Bible is itself incomplete. Having been inspired by Holy Ghost, the authors often quoted material from literature which is not included in the Bible; and this brings into disrepute the tradition of inerrancy. In short, regardless of whether or not the Apocrypha is "truly" part of God's Word, the Bible cannot be said to be complete.

Books in the Apocrypha, such as 'Bel and the Dragon' (which is analogous to Jonah and the fish), are of dubious historicity and contain claims embarassing to any rational mind. I suspect that the Protestants looked to the New Testament, which was widely viewed as the sealing of Scripture, in order to 'corroborate' the OT. Though the myths in the Synoptics are no more fantastic, Protestant reformers, even today, insist (very circularly) that Adam and Eve must have existed since Jesus talked about them.

Larry Taylor presents an academic review of the Canon here: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/larry_taylor/canon.html

 

[superluminal]

How the hell can any thinking human being that even casually looks at the sources of the "TRUE WORD OF ALMIGHTY GOD" and how they got to be such, put one microscopic shred of credibility into any of it.

Makes me think we're already in the midst of another evolutionary split in the human family tree. How can they (theists) possibly be the same species as me? Boggles my mind.