Facts about the Bible.

# The Bible is a Catholic book because the Catholic Church decided which books to include in the Bible in the Synod's of Hippo (393 AD) and confirmed it at Carthage (397 A.D).

# The Canon recognized by the Catholic Church for the past fifteen centuries (73 books) was specified in the Council of Laodicea in 367 A.D.

# The non-Catholic scholar Peter Flint, who translated the Dead Sea Scrolls, tells us that there was no Bible until the 300's when the Catholic Church infallibly decided on what books belong there. Before that there were hundreds of letters and the Septuagint.

# Even the word Bible is not in the Bible. It came from the Greek word biblos which means the inner bark of the papyrus, paper-reed, from which paper was originally made, in Egypt. The Latin form "Biblia" spelled with a capital letter, came to mean "the Book of Books," "The Book" by way of pre-eminence, the inspired Book, etc. The Holy Scriptures were first called the Bible by St. Chrysostom, the Catholic Archbishop of Constantinople, in the 4th century .

# "What do you mean by the Canon of Scripture?"The Canon of Scripture simply means the authentic collection of those writings declared to have been inspired by God. They are called canonical, whereas those writings that were rejected as uncanonical were called apocryphal, which means not of Divine origin, not inspired.# The Bible alone theory is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches us and shows us that the Church came First before the Bible. After all, what books did Jesus write? None! Jesus deliberately chose NOT to write. Instead He chose to establish a Church to teach in His name!

# How did the early Christians each own a Bible if the printing press wasn't developed until the 1500's? Even after the printing press was developed how many Christian could afford to own a Bible? # The apostles did not read from the New Testament, which was yet to be written, instead they taught by "word of mouth" and by tradition, as shown in the following verses:(2 Thes. 2-15) - Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.(2 Tim. 2-2) - And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

# Why does JESUS state the final authority is the church in Matthew 18:15-17? !bible Matthew 18:15-17Matt 18:15 But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother.Matt 18:16 And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. Matt 18:17 And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican. 

# Where in the Bible does it state that the "Bible" is the only authority for Christians?

# For more than 1,400 years the Church taught the members by Tradition because the bible was printed only around 1440's by Johannes Gutenberg. 

Bible Timeline33AD (Catholic Church founded) -> 397AD (Bible Canonized by the Catholic church) -> 1440AD (First Bible printed)1440 - 33AD = 1400 + years of oral traditionThe first mass produced printed book was the Bible, a version based on the Latin edition from about 380 AD.. The Bible was printed at Mainz, Germany by Johannes Gutenberg from 1452 -1455.# Bible states that we must look to the Church for the proper interpretation. After all, the Bible cannot interpret itself, can it? Let look at some verses that show us that private interpretation is frowned upon.(2 Peter 1-20) - Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.(2 Peter 3-16) -As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.(Acts 8-30) - And Philip ran thither to him, and read him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some men should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

# Catholics never outlawed the reading of the bible. They outlawed certain editions of the bible that were translated incorrectly by reformers. 

# Catholic and Protestant Bibles both include 27 books in the New Testament. Protestant Bibles have only 39 books in the Old Testament, however, while Catholic Bibles have 46. The seven books included in Catholic Bibles are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. Catholic Bibles also include sections in the Books of Esther and Daniel which are not found in Protestant Bibles. These books are called the deuterocanonical books. The Catholic Church considers these books to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

# Martin Luther, on his own and without any authority, ripped seven books out of the Old Testament and claimed they were not Sacred Scripture (hence being put in an appendix).

# Martin Luther also wanted to rip out of the Bible several New Testament books too -- such as James, Hebrews, and Revelations.

# One of the reasons that Luther ripped out books of the Old Testament is because some of those books helped to explain some Catholic doctrines. The reason why he wanted to rip out of the Bible the Book of St. James is because it contradicted his personal and heretical view about justification. said justification was byfaith alone. NOWHERE does the Bible say that, so Luther added the word to Romans 3:28 in his German Translation.

# In fact the ONLY place in the New Testament where the words "faith alone" appear is in the Book of St. James where James says that we are "not saved by faith alone" (James 2:24). This was the reason Luther wanted to get rid of the book of James. This man was not just arrogant but evil in his desire to conform the Bible to his personal, and heretical, opinions. James 2:24 Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith# In addition Martin Luther add to the Bible words that do not exist in the Greek extant manuscripts. When Martin Luther was confronted about why he was messing with the Bible, he replied, "Because my will is good enough." This was one arrogant person.
Source: http://www.katoliko.com/apologetics.htm