What if Jesus was just a really nice guy? What if a god judged people based off of the daily choices they make rather than Jesus getting offed? What if what he did got him judged kindly, but has nothing to do with you or yours?
Better yet, what if god didn't pay any attention to anything "us" related. What if god exists but doesn't serve the function that many think?
Christians believe that the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God. It answers all of these questions...There's not much else a Christian can say...
I have a completely serious question: if the Bible is "the divinely inspired word of God," what was wrong with the books that were written, but left out of the final "official" version of the New Testament? Were they less divinely inspired? Were they later removed due to human error? Sorry, LHBIQ.
In my honest opinion, yes, at least in some cases. I, however, would be foolish to claim that I am well versed in theological study to make a substantial claim in these matters.
These books were included in the original Bible but dropped by later forms of Christianity. If you are speaking of books such as Baruch, 1 Esdras, Judith, Maccabees, Sirach, etc... then this is the case. These books are quoted throughout the New Testament (not word for word, but the readings retain their meaning). Examples include in Jas. 1:19 it says, "Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak", and in Sir. 5:11 it says, "Be quick to hear, and use self-restraint in answering". This reference shows that the early church recognized these books as scripture. It was not until A.D. 170 that anyone wrote that these books should not be included in the Bible. During that time, it was only the opinion of a few, not the entire Church. In A.D. 419 the Council held at Carthage officially decided that these books were part of scripture. The 6th and 7th Ecumenical Councils ratified this decision.
(This is found in a book called "Dance, O Isaiah" and backed up in many Church History Books.)
