Life-Changing Faith Christian Fellowship

Have all views in the Christian faith, dating back even to the Early Church, always been absolutely homogeneous, the answer would have to be no, indeed they are not entirely homogeneous even today. Have there been differences in what can be categorized as "Christian" and what must be categorized as "heresy" yes there have been. Have there been some groups that were, by general acceptance more of a "splinter group" versus more mainstream groups - yes, this has been and still is the case. Were there writings contemporary to the Early Church and thereafter that were excluded from the "rule" or Canon of Scripture? Yes there were such writings.

So then, what of this "Christianity"? Is it merely the result of a victorious party exercising a "coup de grace" and rewriting history, cherry-picking from a large body of writings to form a self-serving Scripture and therewith squashing all opponents - even burning the writings of those with opposing views? Is that at all Christianity or is Christianity something else all-together?

Christianity provides for diversity in the very presence of unity. Throughout the debates, Councils, and Synods there has been a recurrent, overriding and pervasive theme in Christianity - the Gospel, which has remained at the core of Christianity since its beginning. More defined at times than others but present none-the-less. Has there been and still is there room in the Christian pale of orthodoxy for differences that do not misrepresent these ever-present "essentials" of the Christian faith - yes. It is precisely this flexibility on the nonessentials that allows for, indeed encourages unity in the presence of diversity.

Is there a salvific difference between orthodoxy and heresy - yes. Who gets to choose what's what. As Pagels asked, "Who made that selection, and for what reason?" Essentially, who gave the authority to the Councils to choose the Scripture that was chosen over other writings? That's a great question that MUST be answered in order to recognize the absolute authority, inerrancy and Divine inspiration of the Holy Bible. Ehrman attributes these decisions to an "it" - more specifically to the "one form of Christianity" that managed to defeat all others. This erroneously places the development of Christianity in the hands of man. Were the hands of men used - yes, even in the crucifixion of Christ, but not according to the will of man but the Will of God.

In the midst of man's theological fumbling, sometimes well meant yet errant conclusions, in the midst of the often-times mess that man has made in his efforts to know God, has been the ever-present Will of God. This inerrant Will of God guided the early Fathers to the core theological conclusions that are the bedrock of Christianity today. The Will of God then enabled corrupt mankind to recognize (NOT CHOOSE) the incorruptible Holy Scriptures. Has this recognition occurred in the midst of blood-shed, wars, and sin - yes. But the Will of God is greater than it all and has prevailed in the formation of the Cannon of Scripture - even our salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.