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Old 05-10-2009, 04:27 AM
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tonybones2112 tonybones2112 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScotArt View Post
The Latin only version of the Bible was the only available Bible back in the early centuries from around 400AD to 1400AD. Question, 'How then was Bible teaching achieved?' The fact was that way back then most of the people were illiterate peasants and couldn't read anyway, so Bible study was out. Another fact of the times was that books were extremely rare, since printing was not yet invented. So what congregations were then in existence must only have been taught Bible as word of mouth, (Oral tradition? Memorising?) by the few who could then read and could read Latin.
Does this imply that the Bible was not/is not essential to conversion? I presume that the Holy Spirit was still regenerating but that the literate Christians were few and far between? therefore Bible reading very rare.
PS Anybody aware of sites which deals with this period and the evangelical method then employed?
Scot, two things:

Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Ac 28:28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
Ro 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

If reading a Bible is essential to salvation, then those who cannot read or those who could not are in a bad way. The Scriptures above show that hearing the Gospel is as efficacious as reading a gospel tract or having the gospel preached to people who cannot read.

Second, the Latin Vulgate of Romanism and Jerome are not the only bibles available in this period. Not only are the original manuscripts represented by over 5000 Greek manuscripts, they are attested to by over 10,000 Old Latin manuscripts. The existence of the Body of Christ in this period is evidence of educated and multilingual evangelists who read the Scriptures in Latin, and in obedience to I Cor. 14, were able to then speak, to preach, the gospel in Flemish, Gaeilic, Welsh, Celt, Goth, the 14 dialects of Gaul(France) etc.

Grace and peace

tony