It seems unlikely the Bible has lost content since its formation at the hands of the Romans - however that alone is relevant - the exclusion of the various documents at the council. Should or shouldn't they have been included? Are they relevant? They don't all fit the Biblical narrative; which ones are incorrect?
And even ignoring that the Bible has many holes, many areas that are vague which followers debate about endlessly. And we still don't know what Jesus was doing for a big chunk of his life. Is the Bible missing stuff? Definitely. Was this intended? Possibly. Will it ever be rectified? Unlikely as the answers don't exist (and no one has the authority, what with the originals authors being dead, to fill in the holes.)
Originally posted by Imperial_Samura
It seems unlikely the Bible has lost content since its formation at the hands of the Romans - however that alone is relevant - the exclusion of the various documents at the council. Should or shouldn't they have been included? Are they relevant? They don't all fit the Biblical narrative; which ones are incorrect?And even ignoring that the Bible has many holes, many areas that are vague which followers debate about endlessly. And we still don't know what Jesus was doing for a big chunk of his life. Is the Bible missing stuff? Definitely. Was this intended? Possibly. Will it ever be rectified? Unlikely as the answers don't exist (and no one has the authority, what with the originals authors being dead, to fill in the holes.)
Good post, and true for the most part. Most of it has to do with alternative gospels and documents that weren't considered divinely inspired. It's entirely possible the council that decided these things was guided by God, but it's more likely that they simply had their own ideas, agendas, and biases to form what we consider to be the 'canon' books of the Bible.
And the gap in Jesus' life isn't so surprising if you look at similar stories. A popular motif in the hero/savior tale is a period of anonymity or total disappearence between childhood and adulthood. The ministry of the Buddha, for example, started at a similar time in his life, though his leave-taking was to an ascetic life-style rather than a complete disappearence. If we take the whole thing as metaphor it becomes easier to swallow (because, let's be honest, even the accepted Gospel writers weren't firsthand accounts and were written well after Jesus' death).
Re: Is the Bible missing stuff?
Originally posted by FistOfThe North
Does this book contain anymore to it all that's not in there now?
1 Nephi 13:28
28 Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.
Here is a blatant example of missing text, pay attention to the movement from verse 3 to verse 4:
Matthew 17:1-5
1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
We also believe that areas have been translated and retranslated, and so some words have altered due to interpretational translation being translated.