# of translations doesn’t make something decentralized.
One could maybe argue that the compilation of writings that make up the Bible is decentralized.
Then you have to consider the many that edited and compiled it into the tome it is today.
Religion, much like government is always centralized.
Networks like Bitcoin, Nostr or (potentially) the states of the USA are what de-centralize conglomeration.
I should have said the bible is way more censor-resistant than bitcoin and nostr.
Try burn every single bible in the whole world and try take down every single free bible website and app. It would be impossible.
Me mixing up censorship-resistance and decentralisation. My bad.
Buckle up, mini history on the New Testament canon and how it compares to Bitcoin ahead. 🎓⚡
Michael Kruger https://www.michaeljkruger.com/ New Testament scholar and professor at Reformed Theological Seminary wrote a book called 'Canon Revisited' which re-conveyed the historic Protesant view that the New Testament scriptures were received and recognized by the church independently separately from one another, and later clarified together as each individual church in each community communicated with one another by letter and visitor bringing news and resources (think Bitcoin nodes confirming transactions!!). Some false writings (Gospel of Peter, etc.) did not receive approval by the churches when they were compared to the rest of established canon and other trustworthy and verified NT writings. Shockingly, there was very little initial disagreement in the living generation, because the scriptures previously written were effective verification tools (like a full blockchain download vetting new transactions). The Apostle Paul praises the Bereans for searching the scriptures to verify if what he says is true (Acts 17:11) rather than by accepting it by his own credentials. Luke's gospel for example challenges listeners to verify what he wrote by consulting living witnesses, providing their names and addresses (communities) whenever possible, though sometimes refraining when anonymity was required to keep the witness safe. (Decentralization)
This is in total juxtaposition to the Roman Catholic model that posits that the scriptures were verified by the central authorities of the church. (Centralization)
As Protestants, we affirm the scriptures formed and validate the legitimacy of the churches, not that the institutional hierarchical and centralized church (of Rome) validates the scriptures.
