Thursday, August 06, 2015

The Canon Was Closed in 1442?

Some years back Tim Staples asserted that the canon was officially closed in 1442. Someone recently challenged me to document this, so here it is:

https://soundcloud.com/james-swan-14/staples-canon

If I recall, the clip is from Tim Staples in discussion with James White on the Bible Answer Man Show. This discussion can be heard in full here:

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=72115192611

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=72215152113

Why does this matter? The typical mantra is that the canon was closed by Hippo and Carthage.

2 comments:

EA said...

Many or most Catholic apologists attempt to use Hippo and Carthage as examples of Conciliar pronouncements with respect to the Canon.

In his debate on Papal Infallibility with Dr. White, Staples closes off that avenue for himself. By stating that local councils are not binding on the Universal Church.

Staples' offers an explanation as to why the pronouncement by the Council of Trullo with respect to the heresy of Pope Honorius does not apply in undercutting Papal Infallibility because it was a regional council, not an Ecumenical Council and was never ratified by a Pope. Dr. White quickly follows up with a question as to whether that applies as well to Hippo and Carthage. To which Staples agrees. The import being that if regional councils pronouncements and canons are not binding on the Universal Church, then the pronouncements from those Councils with regard to the Canon are similarly non-binding and are disqualified from the debate on the Canon.

The key interchange starts at 1:53:30 of the debate.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=622151742460

James Swan said...

EA: Classic example of how inconsistent Rome's defenders are with their own authority paradigms. Thanks.