The Bible is unnecessary to the Christian faith.

I thought we were in agreement on what Christianity is. Simply put, the origin of the word "Christian" means "little Christ" or "like Christ". If there is any dispute about who early believers thought they were, etymology easily answers this in ancient Greek. The believers actually were not the first to call themselves Christians, but were given the name as a means of ridicule by non-believers. Humorously I see it, the believers took it as a compliment for it really exemplified accurately who they were in a concise manner--like Christ. I will reiterate my former point: the Scriptures are used for corroboration, not proof. Proof can be found without a necessity for corroboration (i.e. a solid, irrefutable proof). Relevantly, the truths of Christianity can be found and proved by means outside the Bible, for instance, through science, logic, mathematics, and supernatural experience. This includes the triune nature of God. It is shown in nature that creatures are birthed from the same kind of creature. If God, in a sense, birthed humans into creation, we can reason that we are like Him (i.e. created in His image). This is reflected in the human triune nature: mind, body, and soul. Again, I am not saying we throw out the Bible. And I am glad you don't make that accusation as many others have. Paul often quotes Scripture for corroboration, indeed, but even in that event, he takes some passages horribly out of their originally understood context [http://www.patheos.com...]. It can be reasoned that He was explaining the Spirit who inspired these passages, rather than using the passages as proof of His point (unless of course he is saying something along the lines of "Jesus was God's plan all along. The Good News is not a Plan B, but Plan A.") Jesus actually DID have contemporaries write about Him--King Herod and Pontius Pilate sent a series of letters between one another specifically about Jesus' trial [http://www.orthodox.cn...]. And there are multiple testimonies of individuals encountering the post-incarnate Christ and coming to faith by that means, without ever having heard from the Bible. Muslims in particular have testified of coming to Christ (for the faith is very open to visions and dreams and such) [http://www.cbn.com...]. Wiccans, New-Agers, and even Satanists turn to Christ because of supernatural encounters with Jesus. Personally, I really enjoy hear Satanist testimonies, because often they decide to get serious about Satanism and find out that all Satan wants to do is kill, steal, and destroy them (as shown in John 10:10). On his deathbed, Anton Lavey, the founder of the church of Satan and author of the Satanic Bible, began screaming "What have I done?! What have I done?!" These are incredible testimonies, but I'm beginning to trail off. Excuse me if anything is too far off-topic. Let me put forth another point: The Bible itself expresses that it is unnecessary or that knowledge comes from the Holy Spirit all the time as opposed to the Bible. "Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other." 1 Thessalonians 4:9 "'This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,' declares the LORD. 'I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.'" Hebrews 8:10-11, Jeremiah 31:33-34 "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 "Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you." 1 Thessalonians 5:1 "Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained." Philippians 3:15-16 "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him." 1 John 2:27 "It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me." John 6:45 "For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints; for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them." 2 Corinthians 9:1-2 There are more verses than these, but I thought I would keep my quotations rather brief. Simply answered, the dilemma of a disagreement of doctrine is resolved in Jesus, who is the manifestation of the Good News. As Tyler Johnson puts it, "Jesus is perfect theology." And this is a Living God--one with whom we can interact, question, and argue (although we may not win ;)). I would say then, that the Bible is supplementary to faith, but not necessary. How were heresies refuted in the Church's early stages? John refuted the Gnostics with reason of the Good News, not Scripture: "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world." 1 John 4:2-3 Earlier I did provide testimonies of faith that were without the Bible, thus supporting the claim that the Bible is not necessary to the Christian faith.