Theo and the Apocrypha

I have been having an excellent conversation with Theo, a Roman Catholic, on the subject of the apocrypha. Theo is very cordial and I wish he were able to go more in-depth with his arguments in some kind of message board forum. Having a discussion on Crossing the Tiber's Blog simply isn't realistic.

Anyway Theo has put forth some very interesting arguments for the inclusion of the Apocrypha in the Canon of Scripture. What strikes me is that he doesn't see his own starting point and epistemology as the root of the debate. He admits at one point that the Apostles and Jesus and the Jewish community as a whole knew of at least five books that were inspired of God. He is quick to point out however that there was much disagreement in Jesus' day as to which books belonged in the Old Testament Canon. Therefore Theo uses this disagreement as support for an infallible declaration of what the Canon is by someone who is infallible.

The problem with this argumentation is twofold as I see it.

First is the issue of authority. Since there is disagreement as to which books belong in the Bible historically only proves the Protestant's point, not the Roman Catholic's. The reason RCs believe in the Apocrypha is that the Roman Catholic has already accepted as his starting point the absolute infallible authority of Rome and then reads into history with that assumption. Thereby creating an interpretation of history that will prove her position. This is circular reasoning and denies to God the ability that is given to the church. The ability to speak to His people and for His people to recognize the "Canon" without an infallible magesterium is cucial.

The second problem is directly related. Since it was admitted that at least one book of the Old Testament was KNOWN to be Scripture, then it follows that there is no need for an infallible magesterium to pronounce the Canon's make-up infallibly.

I simply can't seem to drive this point home clearly enough. Simply because men have disagreed over the books of the Canon does not mean it is not knowable. The desire among men to have infallible knowledge has been referred as the "the infallible fuzzies". Men's desiring to know with absolute infallible knowledge is very powerful. The problem is that it is simply not possible. God is however able to accomplish whatever He has desired for His church.

In conclusion, a man's epistemology and his authority will rule the day. May we ever grow in our ability to hear God speaking to us from His Word.

I am trying to finish William Webster's work as well as Beckwith's. Webster's work is very readable for the layman, Beckwith's is...well...not but very scholarly, and it is taking quite some time. Perhaps when I finish these two works I will again address this issue.

Soli Deo Gloria