I did my homework on early Christianity and found out that those books were VERY common to the Church
Andrew,
Brother, consider...
1. Just because Christians "use" a book does not mean ERGO Christianity has declared such to be the inerrant, canonical, normative, divinely inscripturated words of God (Scripture). Christians used Greek philosophers (Paul himself QUOTES them - consider that). Christians ALSO often used
The Acts of Paul, Shepherd of Hermas, Apocalypse of Peter, the Epistle of Barnabas, The Didache, the Gospel of Matthew, the Protoevangelium of James and more. Some of these were used a lot... some were specifically labeled as "Scripture." AND they used various epistles, quoted a lot, used a lot.... letters from Ignatius of Antioch, epistles of Clement, etc., etc., etc. If your view is that books used by early Christians should be in all tomes with "BIBLE" on the cover and be regarded by all as the inerrant, canonical, normative, divinely inscripturated words of God (Scripture), then why not these books? I suspect they were used far more than most of the books with "Maccabees" in the title. Friend, I can quote verbatim ECF referring to some of these with the word "Scripture" can you do that with First and Second and Third and Fourth Maccabees?
2. Brother, Christians have
ALWAYS used books. Always. They still do. Christians have quoted things from books - in every generation. If you attend any "Evangelical" church on a Sunday, you are quite likely to hear something from a newspaper or magazine or collection of sermon illustrations.... Max Lacado might be quoted from one of his many books... you might even see a video clip from a movie or TV show. So, why aren't you joining our freind and insisting ERGO the movie "The Blue's Brothers" must be canonical Scripture because you can fine some pastors who used a video clip from it? Insisting that if Christians use something, ergo Christiansity has declared that to be inerrant, canonical, normative, divinely-inscripturated words of God is just absurd, my friend, my brother... and it should be OBVIOUS.
We ask reasonable questions
Our brother continues on a rant (for reasons I can't determine; he probably has a point but I've finally stopped asking him to tell us what it is.) What I'm replying to are CLAIMS being made with zero substantiation and with enormous, incredible, and frankly often absurd leaps. Baseless assumptions, bad logic, baseless apologetics. Our friend seems unwilling to think or consider anything, he is driven by some point he keeps a secret, he does not discuss. You on the other hand...
Josiah it really bugs me when you ask me to cite where the words "Timothy read the books of Maccabees" in the Bible, when does the Bible mention the titles of bible books ever besides the Chronology of Kings?
EXACTLY!!!!!! Think about that....
So when you claim (quite foundationally... the whole apologetic is BASED on this point, exclusively relies on this ) that one or more of the Maccabee books MUST be Scripture
because Timothy read "Scripture," (a radically circular argument), unless you can prove he read at least 1 of the Maccebee books AND Paul regarded that/those specifically as "Scripture" then obviously, undeniably, the whole point is worthless... you don't know that Timothy ever read any of the books with "Maccabees" in the title. The whole claim is based on the point that Timothy READ one or more of those 4 books.. when you have ZERO evidence that he ever did. You may think it's likely but your apologetic depends on it be CERTAIN - and you don't know that. No one does. And even if you could prove he read 3 Maccabees, he probably read hundreds of books... unless you can show Paul regarded it specifically as Scripture, it's a meaningless point. Your whole point rests on something wholly baseless. I agree with you we also can't prove he read Genesis but then I'm not basing my entire apologetic on the point that Genesis is Scripture BECAUSE Timothy read it.
Consider....
Blessings, my friend
Josiah
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