Without trying to do a trinitarian heresy here, is not the Holy Spirit kind of the 'protocol' or central authority that connects the seemingly separate parts of the 66 books? Likewise churches may appear quite decentralized with their many differences, but as long as they are orthodox and faithful churches of Christ, they serve one master, one central authority, one king, and one husband - The Lord Jesus Christ.
Discussion
I guess you make a good point.
I was thinking more the fact that the bible has been translated into every language of the world and can be bought in every country across the world.
Yes, the word of God ultimately comes from The Most High. Which is obviously a centralised hierarchy.
Centralization is really only a problem when the central authority is affected by sin - which is universal in our epoch. Decentralization may seem like a moral good in all times and places from this vantage point, especially if you're in this nostr/Bitcoin space, BUT authority is supposed to be good, actually. Consider a model marriage and family to get a microcosm of this (Eph. 5)
Sovereign individualism is not the destiny of this world - its final destiny is total redemption and restoration under an almighty and just king and the end of every sin, tear, and sorrow. (Rev. 21)
I would consider myself a sovereign individual because I surrender myself to God. That’s what gave me a sense of inner peace and freedom.
The ultimate sovereignty is be part of Gods Kingdom.
Yes- submission to authority is inescapable for life, relationships, and all knowledge. You can know nothing apart from trust or reference to prior knowledge - what you learned from what you learned before and from whom! Also, how can you trust yourself without purification, also polluted by sin without cure?
In a world of unworthy authority figures, imperfect and marred by sin, let us surrender first to the one who is holy, perfect, and blameless. This is childlike faith, without guile or pretense.
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." C.S. Lewis
# 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.