How did Christians teach about God before the Bible was formed at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD?

Question

How did Christians teach about God before the Bible was formed at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD?

Answer 1

The bible wasn't invented at the Council of Nicea, dearie. The bible was COMPILED at the Councils of Hippo and Carthage in 395 and 400 ...ish...



However, the biblical scrolls were always with the bishops. The writings have always existed. How do you think it is that the Vatican has the oldest known copy of the bible? It's not in book form. It's scrolls.



To the Hebrew people, the biblical scrolls were the very presense of God. They treated their scrolls the way we treat the Blessed Sacrament. Same red lamp. Similar tabernacle. That's why all must put on the yarmulke when entering temple. And we come from the Hebrews. Hence, the pope wears a yarmulke. We just don't call it that. Even the mass echos of Hebrew services.



What happened at the council was that the bishops all got together and discovered that after 300 years of persecution, teaching and worshipping entirely underground, they all had the same scrolls. If that isn't the work of the Holy Spirit I don't know what is. The biggest failure was the Book of Enoch. There are three, if memory serves. Beloved by the early church. Oft quoted by early church fathers. Didn't pass muster under scrutiny of the council.

Answer 2

Hello, T.

To clarify a little bit ........

The Bible that Christians use was compiled at the Council of Nicea, but the writings in it existed thousands of years before that.

. To start, the Old Testament is actually the Jewish Scriptures. These are the Scriptures that Jesus Christ, the Apostles, Paul, and all the writers of the New Testament were referring to when they were talking about the Scriptures ------ at that time, what we now know as the New Testament did not exist ..... in fact, what we refer to as the New Testament was in the process of being written.

. Anything that the New Testament says is simply what people wrote, with the help of God the Holy Spirit, about Jesus' life and the early history of His followers. EVERYTHING that is in the New Testament is in agreement with the Old Testament/Jewish Bible. All the books now in the Bible were written within 100 years of Jesus birth, i believe the last one written was Revelations, which the Apostle John wrote.

. When the Council chose which of the books to include in the Bible, the only ones they were deciding upon were the ones that involved Jesus and the writings that were done after that ---- and to be included, the books NEEDED to agree with what the Old Testament/Jewish Bible said. Any of t he writings that did not agree with the Jewish Scriptures were not included in the Christian Bible.

. The only thing that the Council included in the Christian Bible that the Jewish Scriptures did not include was the Apocrypha, which the Jewish people considered non-holy writings about their history ------- and the Protestant denominations separated the Apocrypha from their Bible, keeping it as extra-Biblical writings the way the Jewish People do.

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The reason we say "trust the Bible" is because 1) God wrote it Himself, dictating it to the writers the way a CEO would dictate a letter/etc. to his/her assistants, and because we know that we can trust Him and 2) because the Jewish People and the Christians have taken great pains to keep the Bible as it was written, even if we may disagree with how we interpret what it says. The fact of how its contents has been protected is exampled by the Dead Sea Scrolls ----- the reason it was so exciting for both the Jewish People and the Christians when they were discovered. In fact, it has been protected so precisely, that it is considered a legal document by the United Slates courts.

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I hope that helps to answer your question a little bit,

. If you'd like to know more about the Bible, you might want to consider reading Lee Strobel's book "A Case for the Bible". He used to be an atheist investigative report and has a very logical mindset in the way he writes and teaches; you might like him (i know i do).

. You have a great day :-)

T

Answer 3

Not so.



The TaNaKh is the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and that was compiled in 70 AD, though versions most certainly did exist before then, this was when Judaism was uniting into one religion as opposed to many sects (we see how that went!).



The Epistles and Gospels were also heavily circulated before the Council of Nicea. They originally were given to larger churches, then copied down and given to smaller ones, usually to the Bishop.



The CoN (What a funny abbreviation we have here!) primarily discussed what correct doctrine was and established the creeds, it barely touched upon Bibles. There were a few Synods that happened before CoN that established a canon and an actual Bible. I'm sure you already knew that, though. ^^

Answer 4

If you want to learn about Christianity, do not listen to atheists who are against Christianity. There were the books of the Bible, Old and New Testament, being circulated, hand written copies, multiple translations. There were also many other religious writings, Gospels, Old Testament time writings, being circulated with them. The Council of Nicea attempted to get Christian leaders together to agree what writings of the time were inspired by God and which were just religious writings or Christian literature. They hotly debated and many that were considered for the Bible, were not accepted, one reason being if there were no manuscripts available in their original written language. This became a concern for modern Christian leaders, because what if a copy were to be uncovered that Was in the original language, like one of the Dead Sea Scrolls? Should it then be included as God inspired?



The problem later arose as Christianity became organized and established with a leadership hierarchy, that the other religious writings considered for the Bible were called Apocrypha and condemned. Religious leaders forbid Christians from reading them! These unauthorized translations and books were burned by the Christian church. Doctrine became God for many people. There was a conflict of interest that Church leaders had in promoting their version and beliefs of what Christianity was and meant.



The Nag Hammadi texts and Dead Sea scrolls/Qumran were said by some to be a fulfillment of Jesus outside Jerusalem saying, if my followers were to remain silent, the very stones would cry out!

Answer 5

Oh good.



You should know this:

Misconceptions



Biblical canon

Main article: Development of the Christian biblical canon

A number of erroneous views have been stated regarding the council's role in establishing the biblical canon. In fact, there is no record of any discussion of the biblical canon at the council at all.[69] The development of the biblical canon took centuries, and was nearly complete (with exceptions known as the Antilegomena, written texts whose authenticity or value is disputed) by the time the Muratorian fragment was written.[70]



edit:

They gathered what thy could, copies of everything from the Old Testament writings to the Apostolic letters, the Gospels, etc. Each church tried to gather what they could. With organization there would be a consensus, if possible, of what was authorized and what was not. In the first century there were a lot of other writings going on which were not thought to be scripture. Those in charge of the churches in their areas were sensitive about their Christians of being swayed by those writings.



edit: I HIGHLY recommend this book, "How Came the Bible?" by Edgar J. Goodspeed

Answer 6

Considering most people were illiterate they learned orally from someone that was taught or from someone that could read and had something to read from. No one had the complete NT we have all together now. One of the principal works was the Shepard of Hermas which isn't even accepted today. The Book of Revelation was not universally accepted and there is a letter of Paul's that was never accepted. This is why Paul says in 1 Timothy 3:15 - "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."



Discussions of what was accepted by who and why is recorded in the writing of the Early Church Fathers.

Answer 7

Oral Tradition. Don't forget the book Exodus was written 400 years after Moses.



Also, the Bible was compiled from hundreds of books into a small and transportable form for public consumption. What was decided at Nicea was which of the hundreds of books were the most relevant to include in a transportable Bible. The rest of the books are in the Vatican library.



If you want to carry around a Bible the size of the Encyclopedia Brittanica, go ahead.

Answer 8

The books of the New Testament were used before they were canonized. Both bishops and the sense of the faithful accepted various letters of Paul and one or all Gospels before canonization. There was oral tradition as well as the explanation of the apostles themselves and their companions.



There was always the OT and the Christian interpretation of the OT as pre-figuring Christ is what is referred to by all the NT books that reference scripture. It was not until the letters or James or Peter that the works of Paul were referred to as included in scripture.



Nicea dealt with the heresy arianism and scripture was canonized later.

Answer 9

There were many different sects, like the Arians and the Gnostics. There were many different books, some of which never made it into the modern Bibles. Here's a list: http://www.thelostbooks.com/



BTW, there is more than one version of the Bible even today. The Catholics regard the books of the Apocrypha as canon, the Protestants do not.

Answer 10

Orally. The Bible had not been compiled yet, but all of the books were circled through various christian communities. We also had Bishops, Priests, and deacons in the Church who had passed down the Christian faith which they had received from the apostles.



It was not Nicea where they compiled the Bible either. And the Bible was inspired when it was being written and not when the Church compiled her. Which why the whole Catholic Church argument is not that strong as they seem to think it is.

Answer 11

333 - 325 = 8. The First Day.



333 = 666/2



323 was the Reign of Alexander the Great.



323 BC + 325 AD = 648.



666 - 648 = 18 = 6+6+6\\



1999 + 18 = 2017...



33.5 AD



490 - 7 - 325 - 33.5 = 124.5



- 120 given to Noah and Moses.

Answer 12

Very simple... the old testament and the socalled "first" christians were still practicing judaism adding the teachings of Jesus on top.



Jesus was a jew, never stopped being a jew, never said to anyone to start a new religion, and practiced judaism up until his death. His apostles were all jews and continued to practice judaism after his death.



325 years later some guys in rome decided to invent a new religion called christianity ( roman word.... christ wqs not a name used for jesus up until rome stuck its nose in) Jesus's correct name would have been something along the lines of Yeshu Ben Yoseph.The romans tore apart the gospels, rewriting a lot of them to suit and fit their purposes, and leaving out entire gospels that didnt fit....eg. the gospel of mary magdalene, the gospel of judas, the gospel of phillip....;. and many more.

Answer 13

The Bible was definitely NOT formed at the 325 Council of Nicaea (spelling- common error).



More details:

http://bible-reviews.com/charts_timeline_wbc.html

Answer 14

Solomon had the temple for God's name, 1Ki.5:5. Psm.83:18, complete, 7 years

after it began, 1Ki.6:1, 480 years after Joshua at Moses death, Deut.34:7, year

2553[Moses died year 2553 plus 487 years later the temple is done], year 3040,

there are 19 bible books to put in the temple, Solomon will have 29[of 40] years

in the temple, 4 of the bible books will be done, along with 10 more bible books

when the temple is 420 years old and destroyed at Babylon, the 391st year ends

Judah kings, Jeremiah[Lamentations], Ezekiel and Daniel, 4 books to make 33

bible books and no temple to keep them in, year 3460 [ 606 BCE, of generations

in Matt.1:1-17, Abraham was son #20, years 2008 - 2083 - 2183[after Enoch was

son #7, Jude 14,15, and Noah son #10, yrs 1056 - 1656 - 2006], David was son

#33, years 2959 - 2989 - 3029, son #47 at Babylon, 606 BCE, 6[of 39] bible books

and 14 generations to Jesus son #61, Messiah[Emmanuel], Christ, God's anointed

to come to the earth and be cut off, Dan.24:-27; the bible books will be in the next

built temple in time of Ezra, and worked on 46 years again, John 2:19,20, the Lord

and Savior of the world, anointed by God, Matt.3:16,17; Luke 3;21-23, cut off age

33 1/2, David still in his sepulchre, Acts 2:27-35; when Jesus ascends. Hell was

pit, Cave, sepulchre, tomb or grave in the time of Christ Jesus being in Jerusalem.

Christ Jesus was age 2, Matt.2:11, all time before him ends as Old Testament

years, John is the last prophet, Luke 16:16,17, from the end of the Judah kings

2619 years ago at 2013 CE, the KJV Bible is 402 years old, age 303 at WW1,

there will be no king until Christ Jesus at his 2nd coming, his heavenly redeemed

from earth[the Pentecost anointed, forward, to include those sealed/anointed, to

make known to the world, all nations, the coming kingdom, Matt.24:3,7,14,36-38,

then the end will come, 1Thes.4:15-17, the time is right, God gives all time from

Gen.1:26, in years, God alone knows the day and the hour, 1Thes.5:1-9,21; for

children of the light of time and seasons, Jesus does not come as a thief in the

night. So from this Matt.1:1-17, lineage, the world has a Lord and Savior to save

all lineages or all off-springs of Adam that it is possible to save.

Due to the facts presented by this lineage of Matt.1:1-17; all those years, where

the bible book were at the time that they were there, with the Pentecost anointed

forward bringing us forth the New Testament[these being the heavenly, Rev.6:9-11],

then all time passing until at 2013 CE, the KJV Bible is in the world 402 years,

[and those that are sealed/anointed in the time of the end to be the heavenly], to

make the coming kingdom known, what is the minority or majority of the world,

of John 3:16; from Adam 6079 years ago, that has ever known the word of God?

Without this promise;

1Cor.15:22-28,51-53,"As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made

alive," all in order..: Heaven raised up to heaven first, for the new heavens, Rev.

20:1-6, earthly raised up for earth next, to the hew earth, Rev.12:13, until the

1000 years ends all evil, fire rains down from heaven to devour the resurrected

turned evil, Rev.20:9[as Gen.19:24; Num.16:32-35; Jer.7:30,31; 19:2-9, or death

& burial by fire or burial by fire, if not by God, Matt.10:28, there's a resurrection],

Rev.20:10; Only Satan, the beast and the false prophet is in the lake of fire.

The promised eternal life is in the new heavens and new earth, Rev.21:1-5, the

new earth is cleansed of all resurrected turned evil, Rev.21:8, as shown, humans

are devoured by fire. Every opportunity was given to each off-spring of Adam.

Answer 15

Ever read Acts? There was written words and people read them all the time. Remember that the Eunuch was reading Isaiah when Phillip came up to him? Jesus read in the synagogues.

Answer 16

one-on-one and personal,,,,, just like God does it still today...... one need never have read one word in any Bible to come to God in The Way He prescribes..... any one of The True Christian Faith can help you get started on The Way,,, the rest is between God and you

Answer 17

Please google Council of Nicea, and find out what actually happened there; instead of repeating the usual rewriting of history by atheists.

Answer 18

They taught the truth about Jesus before the Catholic Church became a powerful institution and corrupted it.

Answer 19

Please read the Gospel of Barnabas then you will realize the real teaching of Jesus Christ,