Before the Church, There Is the Word

 

 Traditional denominations insist on asserting that "the church" came before God's Word. And yet, God's Word could not be clearer on the matter: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) 

 And let's not forget what Paul wrote to the Colossians: "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." (Colossians 1:18) 

 Jesus has the pre-eminence in all things. He is the Word, and He is First. There is nothing that exists that did exist before He. And the Church came out of Himself, since He redeemed the Church: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." (Acts 20:28) 

 And yet, provocations such as the one below persist:

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Crunch Comedy Podcast (@thecrunchcast)

This answer, in one of the comments, settles the matter quite effectively: 

 Well the canon was compiled and known long before the Roman Church was ever a thing. Also, you might read it, but you belong to a church that teaches really bad theology so you don’t exactly follow it. 

 And here are the specifics to establish the matter:

 

Justin Martyr, around 155 A.D., quotes from 13 of the 27 New Testament books, including 2 Peter. Ireneus, around 175 A.D., quotes from every book in the New Testament except Philemon and 3 John. The Shepherd of Hermes (160 A.D.) quotes from every book of the New Testament except 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, 3 John, and Jude. Clement of Alexandria (200 A.D.) quotes from every book but Philemon, 2 John, and 3 John. Tertullian (200 A.D.) quotes from every book but 2 Peter, 2 John, and 3 John. 

The earliest writing containing a list of the received New Testament books is found in the Muratorian Fragment (180 A.D.), which came from Egypt, not Rome. That list (Muratorian Fragment) includes all of the New Testament except four of the General Epistles (Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, and 2 Peter). It lists the Wisdom of Solomon as the only other book that was received. For a book to be “received” meant that it was viewed as being part of sacred Scripture. 

 The Roman Catholic Church did not give us the Bible. Rather, as Christ and the apostles stated with regard to the Old Testament, we affirm that the same is true of the New Testament. God gave us the Bible, and He used the witnesses of the various churches to secure for us those books that would be profitable for our instruction.