Have There Been Books Removed From the Bible? If So, Why?

Have there been books removed from the Bible, and if so, why? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of Core Christianity. Hi, it's Bill Meyer, along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Here's our phone number.

It's 833-THE-CORE. That's 1-833-843-2673. Feel free to leave us a voicemail at that number as well. You can always email us anytime at questionsatcorechristianity.com. Well, first up today, let's go to Tom calling in from Illinois. Tom, what's your question for Adriel? Hi, Pastor Adriel.

First of all, thank you very much for your program. I really enjoy listening to it as much as possible. My question is in regards to Scripture. When I read in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, verses 34 and 35, it talks about women in the church and they are to be silent. And my question is, what are your thoughts on that? It talks in terms of women remaining silent in churches, and if they want to learn something, they should ask their husbands at home. And then it goes on to say, it is a disgraceful thing for a woman to speak in a church meeting. What are your thoughts on that part of Scripture?

Hey, Tom, thank you for that question. Well, all Scripture we want to receive is the Word of God, and so even passages of Scripture that trouble us are that we say, okay, how do I make sense? We're talking about God's Word here.

Now we need to also go deeper and say, okay, what was the context there specifically? We need to ask questions like, is this prescriptive for the entire church at all times, or is it descriptive of what was happening there in the first century church? Those kinds of questions are really important, especially when we're looking at books like the book of Acts. Should we expect that every time people have hands laid on them that they're going to speak in tongues and be filled with the Holy Spirit like they were in various places of the book of Acts?

And so that prescriptive, descriptive thing is really important. Here specifically, we're talking about the context of worship, and that starts back in 1 Corinthians 11. So 1 Corinthians chapters 11 through 14, you have a lot of instruction pertaining to worship, and at the very end in verse 40 of chapter 14, you know, Paul says all things should be done decently and in order, and that sort of bookends the discussion that began in chapter 11. There Paul talks about things like head coverings and so forth, but specifically in the context of the worship gathering. What's interesting about that is in chapter 11, Paul talks about women praying and prophesying even.

So it doesn't seem like there was total absolute silence. There in chapter 11, the women are praying and prophesying. So what exactly is he getting at in chapter 14? Well, the context there, he's been talking specifically about the charismatic gifts and particularly about the gift of prophecy, and he says in verse 29, let two or three prophets speak and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent, for you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, for God is not a God of confusion but of peace. So he's talking about prophets prophesying in the church, and we know from the book of Acts and elsewhere that there were female prophets in the early church. So here we're talking about something that was probably distinct for the apostolic age, but he's talking about prophesying in the church, and he says as these prophets are prophesying, let two or three prophets speak, let the others weigh what is said.

Now this is really interesting, and then there's debate about, well, who are the others there? I think the best answer is the elders of the church, those who are overseeing the church. They're weighing, as it were, what was said, making sure that people aren't sneaking in and saying things that are wild or contrary to scripture. And it's that weighing, that authoritative function of the elders that Paul describes elsewhere in places like 1 Timothy 3 and Titus chapter 1, that I think Paul is saying the women of the church, those who were praying and prophesying, aren't supposed to be doing that. And that's why he gets right into it in verse 35, second part of the verse, as in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak but should be in submission, as the law also says.

And so I think that's what he's speaking about. I mean, obviously we wouldn't say it's this sort of absolute silence, you know, like women aren't allowed to sing or to pray in church, or even there in 1 Corinthians 11, at that time you had people praying and prophesying in the church. But when it comes to the authoritative office of teaching, the ministry of the word, that's reserved for called and qualified and competent men who Paul, you know, gives those qualifications in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and in Titus chapter 1.

And so that's my view on that text of 1 Corinthians chapter 14. Thank you for reaching out to us, Tom, and thanks for your encouragement as well. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. We'd love to hear from you if you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine, you name it. Here's our phone number, 833-THE-CORE. And again, feel free to leave us a voicemail if you get our voicemail system, 833-843-2673. Let's go to Julia calling in from Nebraska.

Julia, what's your question for Adriel? My question is, so I'm working and working with others who are unbelievers or even those who say that they believe in the Lord, but their actions don't follow up with that, which I know that it isn't in scripture. It is written that these people worship me with their mouths, but their hearts are far from me. And yet that's going to happen, but I'm losing my patience with others. I don't even want to work with other people because I'm feeling myself getting impatient and not bearing the fruit and representing Christ like I want to because, and I'm doing my best to surrender to His will and not to my own by, you know, responding in any way. And it's hard not to even be verbal about how I feel when others that are in the world still take it as I'm attacking them or I'm just being confrontational or whatever, but there's like, there's no order where I'm working at right now. And it just frustrates me.

A few of my jobs have disrespected the Lord too, and I do my best to like ignore it. But I'm just, my question is how, I want to know if the Lord gets mad at me or upset with me because I'm not remembering that at one time I lived in ignorance too, so be patient and be merciful and forgiving like I, like He was with me. And I feel bad sometimes because I don't feel like I handle situations the best way and that I'm supposed to be representing Christ and I love Jesus, but I, but I, I don't feel like I, well, people make me feel like I am being mean to them, but that's not what I'm trying to do.

It's just hard to be around other adults and they can't even have a conversation or take constructive criticism because people just make excuses up until you just totally surrender, you know? Mm-hmm. Julia, I just want to throw a couple of things. I want to pray for you and for the, the work environment that you're in. I think a lot of people listening right now are saying, oh, we, we feel you. We're in an environment just like that where, where, you know, I'm a believer, but I'm surrounded by people who reject the gospel, who don't care about the things of the Lord, and as I listen to their conversations, as I hear them talking about, you know, last night or whatever it was or whatever it is, I'm grieved. I'm frustrated.

I get angry. And, and you're in it. You're in, you're in that struggle. You're in that, that fight of being in the world, working in, in a secular work environment, but not wanting to be of the world and being grieved by the sin that you see. And, and especially when people mock Christ or our faith, that, that too. And so let, first let me just pray for you and invite our listeners to pray for you as well. Father, we lift Julia up to you right now. We do pray, Lord, for the work of your Holy Spirit more and more in her life.

We thank you for the fruit that your Spirit produces in us as we are meditating upon the word of Christ, that love, that joy, that peace, that patience, Lord. And we pray specifically for that patience for our sister. As she's in a difficult work environment, Lord, would you give her patience and peace, peace in the Holy Spirit and wisdom as she interacts with the people around her, Lord, that she would never compromise, but that she would also have a heart of compassion as she said, Lord, remembering that we too were once in darkness and that you, Lord Jesus, drew us in and saved us. And so, Lord, would you help her? Would you enable her to be a light shining in her workplace just, just by her strong work ethic and by her compassion and care for others, that that would open doors for her to get to share about your love, Lord Jesus.

Be with Julia, we ask. Amen. Sister, you know, it sounds to me like you're wrestling with this because you feel the tension of, I know that I too was once in darkness and the Lord Jesus was patient with me. But I think of, you know, in 2 Peter, Peter describes righteous Lot, which is interesting that he calls him righteous because, you know, you read Genesis and you think Lot, a righteous guy, I don't know, but what he says, Lot was daily, you know, he was suffering under the the sensual deeds of the wicked all around him, what they were doing, that his soul was just, I mean, he was angry, he was sorrowful, he was, you know, embittered by it. And that, as believers in Jesus Christ, when we see evil and sin and injustice around us, or when we hear our Lord being mocked, his name being dragged through the mud, that should grieve us. And yet we're called to exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit and to remember, as you said, that God demonstrated his love for us and that while we were yet enemies, Christ died for us. And so I think fighting to see your co-workers as the objects of God's redeeming love, as those who are lost and blind and desperately in need of God's goodness and grace and praying and saying, Lord, help me as you as you're already doing, Lord, help me to reflect your light and your love well here in this place. And as you're grieved about the sin and the evil that you see, take that to the Lord in prayer. And as God gives you opportunities, maybe it's, you know, grabbing coffee with a co-worker, a friend after work, as God gives you opportunities to confront that, to say, hey, isn't it, isn't it exhausting to live for the fleeting pleasures of life?

That God would open doors there for you. But definitely, right, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. And so as you grow, and meditate upon God's Word, may God work that fruit in your life and keep you strong where you are, you know, not compromising, but rooted in God's Word and in solid Christian community so that you might be salt and light, as Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, that your co-workers would see your good works, your love for God, your charity, your kindness, your patience, and give glory to God in heaven.

God bless you. You're listening to CORE Christianity. If you ever have a question for us about the Bible or the Christian life, you can email us anytime at questions at corechristianity.com. You can also leave a voicemail on our voicemail system at 833-THE-CORE. Let's go to Ricky calling in from Mississippi. Ricky, what's your question for Adriel? Yes, Pastor Adriel, thank you for your show.

I appreciate it a lot. My question is just a question in general. If you take anybody that's in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, whether it be like Moses or Job or, you know, or anybody, they're referred to as just a first name basis only, why is it that there was never any last names ever mentioned? You know, for instance, like Moses Jones or Job Taylor or so on, and that's all I had to ask. Hey, Ricky, thanks for that question. I'm just guessing, but I'm pretty sure Moses's last name wasn't Jones, but who knows?

I mean, it's a great question. It's one of the things that highlights, right, just the cultural difference between our day today and the days of, you know, in which the scriptures were written, and so I think that, you know, the answer to your question is just a different time, culturally. Now, often what you do see in the Old Testament and the New Testament is people identified by other things, maybe their profession, you know, what they did, Simon the Tanner, for example, in the book of Acts, or the tribe that they were a part of, or their family, you know, oftentimes you have such and such the son of this person, and those identifications, I think, served, you know, to help distinguish or differentiate, but you didn't have, you know, the use of the surname like we have in our society, in our culture, and so it's just one of those cultural differences. I think sometimes we do wish, especially with all the Marys, for example, in the New Testament, boy, couldn't we get a little bit more information here, like, is this Mary Jones or Mary Johns, you know, that kind of a thing, but that's just not what we get, it's just a different time culturally, and so I think a good reminder here too, I mean, it's so easy for us to want to impute our own sort of cultural biases or perspectives into the scriptures, and I'm not saying you're doing that at all with this, I mean, this is just, you know, highlighting a difference culturally, but oftentimes that's what people do when they approach the scriptures, they think, you know, and it's hard for us not to do that, because this is just, these are the waters that we swim in, and so sometimes when we read the Bible, it just seems strange to us, but getting out of that, getting out of that water and trying to immerse ourselves into the culture of the Bible, the historical background, I think that's a part of what every student of the Word of God has to do, especially if we're trying to come to a deeper understanding of God's Word, and so appreciate your question, Ricky, and may God bless you as you continue to study the scriptures and grow in your understanding of God's Word. I'm just thinking some of those family names in God's Word, the sons of Sceva, I mean, even the demons didn't know them. Yeah, that's right, yeah, yeah, I mean, that's how hard they were to differentiate. Yeah, exactly. Speaking of demons, by the way, we have a great resource, we often get calls about things like satanic influence, demon possession, spiritual warfare on this program.

I want to mention we have a great free resource for you on this very topic. Yeah, the resource is called Can the Devil Read My Mind? You know, there's a lot of popular depictions in cartoons and media of the devil, this sort of, you know, little red man with a pitchfork, that kind of thing, but really understanding spiritual warfare from a biblical perspective and being equipped to approach this with the Word of God.

I mean, this is a really important thing. Peter said that Satan goes about like a roaring lion seeking to devour us, and so this is something that all of us should understand as Christians, and that's why I'm really grateful for this resource. It was written by Pastor David Cassidy. Again, it's called Can the Devil Read My Mind? It's about a 70-page booklet that gives you a thorough understanding of what the Bible says about Satan, demons, and spiritual warfare. And here's the good news, the booklet is yours for free at corechristianity.com, and so get a hold of this resource. You know, Pastor Cassidy does such a great job of guiding us through the biblical evidence of how we should think about Satan and sports spiritual warfare. To get this resource, just go to corechristianity.com forward slash radio and look for Can the Devil Read My Mind?

Well, let's go to a voicemail from one of our listeners. This came in from a gentleman named Marcus. My question is, are there books that are taken out of the Bible, and if so, why? Well, the answer is no.

Now, if you ask someone else, they might say yes, but the answer is no. What we have in the Bible, these 66 books that we have, Old and New Testament, is the authoritative word of God. It's what Christians, what the church has received as inspired by God. In the Old Testament, you know, you had the Old Testament canon of scripture, we might say, affirmed by Jesus and the apostles who lived at that time, quoted from all over the place in the New Testament. In the New Testament, we have those books that were received by the early church as well as the very word of God. There was a science to it, if you will, or rationale behind why certain books were included. One was Apostolicity, you know, these are books that were written by an apostle or a close associate with the apostles.

They're older, right, and Antiquity, so these weren't written, you know, hundreds of years after the fact. But beyond that, you had other things as well, just the coherence that we see with Holy Scripture, the promise and fulfillment. And so the church early on, sometimes people think that, you know, what happened was the church gathered together and they were sort of, you know, deciding, you know, here's the books that we pick.

But it was more organic than that. It wasn't like a church council or something like that. It was the church throughout that region receiving these books as the very word of God and using them as such. I mean, even in the New Testament, Peter already identifies Paul's writings as God's very word. In fact, Paul himself can say in 1 Corinthians 14 that the things that he writes are the very word of God.

He writes are the very word of God to the Corinthian church. And so, you know, there have been people throughout the ages, and especially recently, I feel like, I think it was the rise of that book, The Da Vinci Code or whatnot, but people who have tried to say, you know, oh, there are these secret gospels or other books that just didn't make it in. But if you took the time to read those books, the quote-unquote Gnostic gospels, you quickly realize, okay, there's something here that just doesn't fit. This is not a part of the holy scriptures. And I remember back when I read, for example, the Gospel of Thomas, some of those other books, I think it was in college, just thinking, okay, there's, you know, it's just like puzzle pieces that don't match. This is a part of something totally different.

And so, yeah, while there are some people who will say, yeah, they're books that were taken out or hidden or whatnot, that's just not the case. What we have is the authoritative word of God, and so we should study it. Well said. Thank you for that, Adriel. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. You can email us your question anytime at questions at corechristianity.com.

Here's an email from one of our listeners named Lauren. She says, I know we're not under the Old Testament law of giving a tithe, but that we're still supposed to give in the church in a manner more like the free will offerings of the Old Testament rather than law. My main question is, are pastors to be expected to give to the church as well, since they are supposed to make their living from preaching the Gospel? Hey, that's a great question.

And I'd be personally, I would say yes. I mean, pastors give a lot to the church, but I think they should also give to the church and to the work of of missions and to other things that are happening outside of the life of the church. And so all of us, I think, as Christians, including pastors, should cultivate that generosity. One of the qualifications of pastors in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 is they can't be a lover of money. That goes for elders ordained in the church.

And I think one of the ways we fight against that is by cultivating generosity, is by giving. And so, you know, I don't know what every pastor does, you know, I'm just not sure. I've heard different pastors approach this a little bit differently, but I think absolutely. I think that pastors should give to the local church, and I think that beyond that, they should give to other things like missions and church planting, and set that example for the flock. And so, you know, how often in the New Testament, of course, you know, we're not the Apostle Paul, but how often does the Apostle Paul say things like, okay, imitate me.

Let me set an example for you. And, you know, while Paul wasn't Jesus, and certainly your pastor is not Jesus, we're called to be good examples, and to be, you know, someone that the church can emulate in various things. And I think generosity is one of those things. And so, I appreciate that question, and I'm going to say the answer is absolutely, yes.

And any comment on some of the megachurches where we have pastors making huge salaries? Yeah. Are they hiring? Just joking.

No. Look, I mean, I think that, right, obviously, there's a real issue when you think of the prosperity gospel stuff that's out there. And this gets back to the qualifications. A pastor can't be, should not be a lover of money. And so, there is a real problem, and part of it is a theological issue, the sort of name it and claim it prosperity gospel heresy that we need to be on the lookout for. So, hey, God bless, and thanks for listening to The Core. God's word together.