Orthodox Church's Exclusion of Many Holy Texts, Amounted To Adding To And Subtracting From The Word of God

The Orthodox Church likes to label many texts it disapproves of as heresy. However, the Orthodox Church comes to its conclusions by adding criteria to the means Christ gave to make judgments about the soundness of scriptures.

Please note the following scriptures:

(Amplified Bible)

1 Corinthians 2

12 Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God.
13 And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].
14 But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.
15 But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].
16 For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

Given the fact that someone receives the Spirit by having faith (Galatians 3:14), 1 Corinthians 2:15 indicates that  having faith is the only essential criterion needed to make successful judgments about the soundness of scriptures. (No other scripture in the Bible provides additional essential criteria.)  Therefore when the Orthodox Church uses additional essential criteria to include or exclude texts as being scripture (e.g. that a text must have been written by an apostle or be based on eyewitness testimony), it actually violates an extremely important command of God.

(Amplified Bible)

Deuteronomy 12

32 Whatever I command you, be watchful to do it; you shall not add to it or diminish it.

(Amplified Bible)

Proverbs 30

5 Every word of God is tried and purified; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.
6 Add not to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar.

As I indicated here, the pursuit of God is a dangerous enterprise, for which the only security you have rests in the practice of having faith correctly. A person must see that he never wavers from this, and search for God’s truth in this world from this vantage point.

Therefore when the Orthodox (and also Protestant) churches point to the Bible and claim that it is the only word of God that exists, keep in mind that their claim is not supported by scripture, and worse, they seriously violate God’s law in order to come up with their statement.

(Please read here for further information.)