Biblical Canon - Dialogue with a Catholic

I thought this comment thread was too important to not bring to the forefront.

Here is an exchange that occurred in a comment thread from a post on Sola Scriptura:

At 8/21/2006, Tony
The authority of Scripture is based on the authority of those who decided the Canon.
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At 8/21/2006, Ellen
Tony, we are so far apart on our views of our final authority - you can know nothing outside of the church.

I can know nothing outside of God's Word - given by Him, not the church
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At 8/21/2006, Carrie
The authority of scripture is based on God.

God's Word was not null until it was decided on by men.
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At 8/22/2006, Tony
The authority of scripture is based on God.

So God gave you your Bible? When did this happen?
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At 8/22/2006, Carrie
When he wrote it.
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At 8/22/2006, Tony
Do you have a copy of the Bible in God's original handwriting?
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At 8/22/2006, Carrie
No, do you?
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At 8/22/2006, Tony
No, do you?

Nope, that's why I have to rely on 2000 years of unbroken apostolic succession :)
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At 8/22/2006, phd4jesus
Nope, that's why I have to rely on 2000 years of unbroken apostolic succession

Merely opinion!
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At 8/22/2006, Tony
Merely opinion!

phd4jesus, do you have a copy of the Bible written in God's original handwriting?
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At 8/22/2006, Carrie
Tony, you know none of us has a Bible in God's handwriting and we don't need that in order to recognize the inspired Word of God.

We believe that God could use men to put the canon together. Certainly Jesus didn't come to the earth to suffer and die to pay the penalty for our sins and yet God can't put the canon together for us to proclaim this fact.

What is or is not God-breathed scripture is self-authenticating. Men did not establish what is scripture, they simply recognized it as what it already was - God's Word. God did not need his Word to be approved by men to "make it official".

If, as you said, "the authority of Scripture is based on the authority of those who decided the Canon", then the only authority that could decide on the canon is God.

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I can not even tell you how important this topic is to me. I have bolded my last sentence because the question and my answer are so hugely important.

The authority of Scripture is based on God and God alone. God wrote the Bible and God chose the canon. If you are going to give any of the credit for the content of the Bible to men (words and/or table of contents) you are wrong.

I follow the Bible. I believe it is God’s holy, infallible, perfect Word and no traditions of men can be placed before it. To God be all the glory. If you do not have the same reverence for God’s Word that I do and you cannot support your own beliefs from the Bible, then we don’t have much to talk about.