Before delving right into the Bible itself, it's important to grasp and understanding why the Bible came into existence and who is the main character and the purpose behind all the books and letters included in this book we call "the Bible"?

     

It's vitally important to factor in that there are presently over 4000 versions of "the Bible". There aren't Bible(s), but one collection completed nearly 2000 years ago. So, how did we end up with so many? And, more importantly, "why"?

     

If you noticed on the first page, there are "blue highlighted" Bible verses and when you click on each one, the "Douay-Rheims" version of the Bible is quoted. Why? It's not because it's my favorite. It's extremely important we address this right upfront if we're going to dig in and examine what it says.

            

Let's begin with (John 1:1,14), "in the beginning was the "word", "logos". From Genesis to Malachi in the Old Testament, every writer of "the Bible" pointed to the coming Messiah. Click on this highlighted link to see all these Biblical prophesies. (365 PROPHESIES) While some may dispute some of these prophesies, there certainly are enough clear indicators that Jesus fulfilled most if not all of them.

    

According to all reliable early historians and "biblical" scholars, Jesus was born circa 2 B.C. (Keep in mind, there is no zero year between B.C. and A.D). He died circa 33 A.D. His public life began when He was 30 yrs old and lasted only 3 1/2 yrs. During those years He chose 12 apostles and gathered thousands of followers (disciples). Jesus apostles and disciples recorded most of the events surrounding His life.

 

Again, it was Jerome who was asked to perform this monumental task to collect, and to translate all the original 46 canon books of the Old Testament  including the 7 "deuterocanonical" books from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek (Septuagint), and the 27 books, including the gospels, epistles (letters), and Revelation of the New Testament into Latin vulgate, the common language at the time throughout the Roman Empire.  

     

INTERESTING "FACTS":

1). These 7 'deuterocanonical; books; Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom, First and Second Maccabees and also the Greek additions to Esther and Daniel were all included in the "Septuagint' Bible used in the first century, even by Jesus Himself.

2). Jerome therefore included the 7 deuterocanonical books in the Latin Vulgate, and;

3). These 7 deuterocanonical books remained in use by all the Churches throughout history, including the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches up to the 16th century. 

       

Why were these books removed? We were warned both in Deuteronomy and Revelation "not" to add or take away anything from scripture? (Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18-19) 

    

Who had the authority to determine which books were to be 'canonized' in the first place, and who had the authority to add to or remove books/verses in scripture? 

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We must follow not only scriptural historical events, but secular history as well to see the full picture  on what occurred and how to answer these complex questions. This is part of following Jesus admonition to "Seek, ask, knock" to find answers. (Matt.7:7) Jesus never said all the answers would only come directly from scripture, as many believe. "sola scriptura". They overlook 2 Thess. 2:14.

     

Knowing He was leaving His earthly life soon, Jesus spoke of a Church (community, congregation) of believers He established appointing His apostle Peter to be given full authority over this new Church, that whatever Peter declared in the name of Christ would be bound in heaven and earth. (Matt. 16:18) Then on Pentecost 33 A.D., the Holy Spirit arrived as Jesus promised. After that no one had the right or authority to change, add to, or take away one letter of the 73 books, not even the Church.

    

What happened to the first century Church, apostles, and Church fathers? According to scripture and historians of the first two centuries, they were all "martyred" at the hands Romans and, as was Jesus, at the demands of the Christ-hating Jewish leaders and their cronies, just sas they did to the prophets centuries earlier. Jesus warned His disciples that Jewish leaders would continue to orchestrate the  persecution and death of His disciples after He diedmat the hands of Roman soldiers and these Jewish leaders. [Matthew 23:31-35]

   

"... you (Jewish leaders) are the sons of them that killed the prophets. Serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell? Behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them "you will" put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: Upon you will come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar." This is not 'antisemetism' but real facts. [Notice; Jesus prophesied, "they" (Jewish leaders) will put to death His followers.]

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HISTORY:

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At the end of the first century, a great persecution that Jesus prophesied broke out on the Church and lasted for two centuries. Some did escape into catacombs and the mountains outside Jerusalem for 100 years. When Constantine became emperor in 325 A.D., he removed the ban on Christians.

     

It was only then the remaining Church fathers and the new bishops were free to begin the work of evangelizing others in public. Shortly after Constantine's declaration, he called for a council, a meeting of all the bishops throughout the empire to convene in Nicaea. Damasus I, the 37th bishop of Rome, assigned "Jerome" to collect and transliterate all the books of the Old and New Testament from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into one collection into Latin. Why Latin? It was the common language of the Roman Empire at that time, just as the common language all over the world today is English. English is the common language of United States and England, the modern dual-world empire in the 20th-21st century. They control most of the wealth and political power today.

                

According to history, from 382 A.D. until the 16th century(FACT), there was only one translation of the Bible that Jerome translated into Latin Vulgate. Then in 1450 A.D. Johannes Gutenberg, a German inventor crafted the first printing press and began printing the actual Latin Jerome Bible into German and later, into English. Why German? Gutenberg was German, and what is now Germany, was the center of the Holy Roman Empire for centuries, the Habsburg Empire, the center of Christianity in Europe until the late 1800's. England too was connected to the Holy Roman Empire and a strong Christian country before the split by King Henry VIII and the Protestant Revolution.

   

Up until the 16th century, there were only a handful of handwritten copies of Jerome's Latin Vulgate Bible from the 4th century. It took centuries for copies to appear in monasteries and institutions of religious orders of the Church before outsiders could even see them. It wasn't a secret, but rather a treasured gem of the Church, guarded to make sure it wasn't destroyed by enemies of the Church. Even after the Gutenberg's printing press was created, it took many years to reprint these new Bibles into various languages for all to read; French, Italian, Spanish, etc. Few outside the priests and bishops in the Church possessed a Bible for a good reasons; most people in general were illiterate and certainly could not read and understand Latin, like today. Also, most couldn't afford a printed copy of the Bible for themselves. The Church wasn't trying to make a profit, but paper, ink, and labor was expensive. Even many priests and local bishops outside Rome did not have their own copies of the Bible. So, this brings up the question;

     

How did Christians for centuries learn of Christ and the teachings of the prophets and apostles without their own Bible for reference?

     

When Jesus and His apostles were on earth, they didn't carry around copies of the Old Testament scrolls, not even the Torah, the first five books Moses compiled. They spoke oral tradition ( 2 Thess. 2:14) handed down by Jesus and His apostles. This "tradition" continued through the centuries, one bishop passed down apostolic teachings from one to the next and so on until a complete written text was available as today. However, it isn't enough to be able to read the Bible. 

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Peter said that just reading scripture is not enough. It's necessary to be taught as well. 

(2 Peter 3:16) This is where the question arises as to who has the authority to teach?

    

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would teach the Church all things. (John 14:26) Jesus also handed Peter the "keys" of the kingdom with authority to teach. (Matt.16:19) This is meaning of the "keys", just as with the Kings of Israel who handed 'keys" of the city to the next in command when they left the walls of Jerusalem. Jesus gave Peter the "keys" of His kingdom on earth and all the kingly authority that went along with it to govern the city, the Church, until Jesus returns. Peter wasn't equal to Jesus. In addition, nowhere in scripture or in Church tradition does it indicate that any bishop was infallible. 

    

Peter was martyred in 67 A.D. Did this mean the Church and its authority died with Peter? 

     

Linus was mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:21 but we have to go into first century historic records within the Church to find Linus' name mentioned as the next bishop of Rome after Peter, as well as Anacletus and Clement after, etc. While following the teachings and traditions of Biblical writings is our benchmark of authority, "sola scriptura" is not enough to fully understand the teachings of Jesus' Church. Some claim that with the  death of the last apostle John, the Church immediately fell into apostacy and abandoned the teachings of Christ and the apostles. That would imply Jesus lied that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church. (Matt.16:17-19) We know that's impossible.

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Jesus possessed "divine nature", with the Father in heaven before He became flesh (John 17:5). He then assumed the unique quality of attaining "human nature". He was fully man on earth and fully divine in heaven, and since His ascension back to heaven Jesus possesses a nature no one in the entire universe has, not even the Father in heaven, since the Father has never been to earth incarnate, in the flesh, like Jesus.

      

And yet "some" began to question Jesus' nature and His divinity as early as the third century, by twisting His words. (John 10:30), by using such scriptures as (Colossians 1:5) to say Jesus was merely a creation of the Father, not equal to God. The "truth" is, according to many Church fathers, including the great angelic doctor of the Church, Thomas Aquinas, Jesus was the first "born" of all creation, not the first creation. Click here... (Church teaching on Jesus divinty)

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This is another reason "sola scriptura" doesn't work, as Peter warned. (2 Peter 3:16)

     

This is how Arius, formerly a "Christian" priest who began to teach a "new theological doctrine" now referred to as Arianism. Arius was then denounced by the Church as a heretic. This heresy still exist and is being taught by some today because they continue to believe the lie, not because they are ignorant of these scriptures, but because they refuse to accept the teaching of the Church on this for the past 2000 years. They have allowed themselves to become heretics as well. 

          

Arianism was not the only heresy that surfaced in the early Church causing many divisions. Many today deny the Nicaean Creed (Apostles Creed), including the Church's doctrine of the "trinity", which they claimed isn't in the Bible. The fact is, the word 'Trinity' doesn't appear in scripture, just as the words "immaculate", "incarnate", and "Armageddon" are not included in Jerome's original Latin Vulgate as well as the Douay-Rheims version today. Another interesting "FACT" is, every major religion and culture in history believed in and worshipped a "Trinity" God back to ancient China, India, Greece, and, of course, Rome. These other religions believed that God(s) came down, impregnated women and gave birth to mighty sons, such as the "Nephilim" (giants) mentioned in Genesis 6:1-4.

      

This was not invented by the Catholic Church. Is it any wonder that "Tertullian", "the father of Latin Christianity", and "founder of Western theology" was the first to use the term "trinity" from the Latin term (trinitas), referring to the oneness of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, three individual persons with one divine nature. Although most, if not all, like Tertullian do not fully under this concept, however, because this was taught and accepted by all faithful followers of Jesus. "I and the Father are one". The Church never questioned Jesus is one with God, the only begotten Son. 

     

When Jesus was questioned by the high priest Caiaphas while on trial in the Sanhedrin, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?" Jesus answered, as He did before Moses on Mount Sinai, "I AM". FThen Caiaphas ripped his garment in rejection and called Jesus a blasphemer. Then the priests wanted to stone Him but they turned Him over to Pontius Pilate to crucify Him. Jesus also identified Himself as such before a group Israelites working at the temple in Jerusalem one day, saying, "Before Abraham, I AM." For saying that, they also called Him a blasphemer and wanted to stone Jesus as well. The Jews understood Jesus was, in fact, identifying Himself as "I AM", God the Son, God incarnate, God in the flesh. Many today still reject Jesus as "I AM" and cling to Arianism, though they don't realize it.

      

Again, the challenge is when we read scripture alone, as Peter points out, "some things may be hard to understand, which the 'unlearned' and 'unstable' wrest (distort)..." (2 Peter 3:16) This is where the teachings and traditions of the Church comes in. 

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Just as Jesus had enemies, His chief enemy being Satan the devil, so too did His Church and the faithful of his Church have enemies throughout history. That said, the Church too had to deal with many heretics as well as unfaithful "bad" Church bishops and priests through the ages. Some became enemies of Christ and the Church. Some of these enemies for centuries tried to hide, block and distort "the truth." But again, Jesus promised He would not allow ~the gates of hell to prevail against His Church.~ (Matt.16:17-19)

   

To insure we don't fall into the traps of God's enemies we need to do as Jesus stated at John 17:3, "This is your life, taking in knowledge of God."

     

To gain this knowledge, we need the guidance vand direction of His Church. 

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Let's look further into the teachings of "The Church." Let's examine first Church tradition on page 3.