So, if Jesus wanted Scripture to be the rule of faith, why did he leave us a Church, and not a Bible? He could have written the New Testament himself, could he not?
How can you say the Church doesn't have the authority to determine which writings are Sared Scripture, when it was the Church herself that decided what books went into Scripture? Your circular reasoning is astonishing.
Scripture is not a "rule". Scripture contains God's words directly in the Gospels as quotes by those who knew Him in person. They are there, so that God could be known to all men. That was a promise made by God in Isaiah 54:13 "All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace."
"He could have written the New Testament himself, could he not?"
He could have, but He didn't. It was His Father's way. Instead He taught it to his children directly and the words came out of their mouths from their hearts. It was upon them, that He showed His Spirit and through them, it was to come upon all men, as promised in Isaiah 59:21:
"As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD."
He is referring to the Apostles and there associates who knew him. He put the words in their mouths and they wrote it down.
"How can you say the Church doesn't have the authority to determine which writings are Sared Scripture, when it was the Church herself that decided what books went into Scripture?"
Scripture contains the word of God. The only authority required is the ability to recognize that it written by the Apostles and their associates that were known by others, who all made up the Church at the time. The Books are limited to those people, regardless of the fact that some official decree was made hundreds of years later. Some Books carrying names of the Apostles were rejected as frauds, because of their gnostic content, or other obvious flaw. Their was no authority required to ID what was the writings of the Apostles and their associates.
"Your circular reasoning is astonishing."
Circular reasoning? Where?