Coyote_Hunter,
Which version of the Bible would that be?
I think you are asking Which Bible contains the Word of God. The eleven Bibles I've used contain
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."
Hebrews 4:12-13.
Therefore I think if you are seriously seeking the Lord all that's necessary is for you to read One and you will be reading God's Word.
Would it include the books that were arbitrarily omitted?
None were "arbitrarily omitted." If you study Bible history you will discover the canonized books of the New Testament were being circulated as copies of the original written by the apostles who were instructed by Jesus.
Are you talking about the versions of the books that are included as written in their original languages or the versions that suffered greatly in their multiple translations?
If you study the history of the Bible objectively you will learn the entire Old Testament was translated into Latin 285 years before the birth of Jesus. If you objectively study Bible history you will find out about the Dead Sea Scrolls. What we use today matches what we find in the original Hebrew language. As far as the New Testament goes anyone who is educated about It knows there is a thousand times more evidence for Its accuracy because It has a thousand times more manuscripts or parts of manuscripts than ANY thing else from antiquity. Some of them go back to within thirty years of the actual events They depict.
The more I read about the history of the Bible and of ancient times the more convinced I become that the Bible as we know it today, and in particular the New Testament and the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, is more a work of man than God.
I consider myself more of a Deist than a Christian.
These sentences show the bias you used in your study.
The Bible is a self-contradictory collection of books selected by men that excludes many books that I consider more accurate and therefore more important.
First tell me what's wrong with contradictions. Second list your favorite half dozen, please.
Fire-breathing Christians, who can't even agree amongst themselves, would have you believe that unless you subscribe to their particular beliefs you are doomed to eternal Hell. If true, that means most of mankind, past, present and future, would be so condemned.
Fire-breathing Christians agreeing or not agreeing do not change Jesus' Words:
"'Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.'"
Matthew 7:13-14 I don't think a loving God would do that,
"This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,
dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed."
Revelation 20:5-15"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
but then I don't think most Christians have any idea what actually constitutes sin.
"Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin."
Romans 14:23 b"...whatever is not from faith is sin."
1 John 3:4"Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness."
I and many millions of others don't need the Bible to tell us what is ethical and what is not.
Outside of an Absolute Authority how do you and these millions determine "what is ethical and what is not"? There are communities who believe killing and eating other people is good. Some communities are convinced killing Christians and others who don't agree with them is good. Why are your arbitrary ethics any better than theirs?
"'The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?'"
Jeremiah 17:9
