This is something that has been on my mind since reading this thread:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/13...tament-854582/
To start, perhaps "Canonical" is not the right word to use here. What I mean is, why are the Epistles, in particular, the Pauline Epistles taken as God's commandments? This is a question specifically for Christians who consider the Epistles "God's Word", and that it must be followed as closely as those words in the Gospels.
I ask, because in the "Last Testament" thread, Concerto said:
Quote:
The parable of the vineyard tenants tells us the purpose of the prophets and, by implication, why God will send none after Jesus. With no additional prophets, there will be no additional Biblical texts.
(Q for Concerto: I'm sure i'm taking this completely out of context, but if not, are the Epistles not considered Biblical texts?)
Also, in many other threads, topics that relate to things Paul wrote in his letters are hotly debated. For example:
"But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet." - 1 Timothy 2:12
Now some churches (and Christians) take this verse very seriously, and follow it as closely as possible. Other churches believe that this is merely Paul's own conviction/opinion, and since he is writing a letter specifically *to* Timothy, it is not something that applies to churches today, etc, etc.
I don't want this thread focusing on this particular topic (woman teaching), but in general, we see a lot of these types of disconnects in Christianity today (obey governmental authority, homosexual behavior, etc). So I ask, should the Epistles be taken as God's word and commandments, or should they be used merely as reference to life in the early church, and all statements made by Paul (and Peter, John, etc) ignored because they were not specifically made by Jesus Himself, or made towards *all* Christians (but usually specific churches)?
To put it more bluntly, should the only things a Christian consider a commandment from God be things that Jesus Himself explicitly commanded, *and* explicitly commanded to *all* present and future Christians (this last part is important because apparently a lot of what Jesus said only applies to His disciples at that time)?