Where ever there were Jews, there were copies of the Torah and the Prophets. It matters not whether or not the Greeks were interested in them, Jesus both spoke from them and proved repeatedly that they spoke of him. There is a very good reason why they were included with the New Testament books when it was all put together as one Bible - which simply means "the books" in Koine Greek. It's also no accident that Jesus as well as the writers of the epistles quoted from practically all of those books in order to teach the truths revealed by Jesus.
And many of the 'letters' were written by unknown people well after their deaths. Or we simply don't know anything about them. Who was 'Jude'? When were 1 Peter and 2 Peter written and who by? Who wrote Hebrews? Not that it matters overly much; the Church has decreed that they are Scripture and Scripture they are.
All the books that make up the New Testament came from known writers and were authenticated by the Apostles. They were not merely someones efforts on a lark to write Scripture. As Daniel1212 has said many times, the people knew what they were reading came from God's inspiration because it spoke to their hearts "Scripture, which became established essentially due to its Divine qualities and effects and other aspects of supernatural attestation, and progressive conflation with itself, is abundantly evidenced to have become the standard for obedience and for testing truth claims." I'm disheartened to see you have not moved any closer to trusting in the reliability and infallibility of the Holy Scriptures without needing to have your Church tell you it's okay to trust it.
Even in the time before Christ, the books written by the Prophets were accepted by the Jewish people as from God. From the site http://bible.org/article/how-many-books-are-bible, we read:
Some of the Old Testament books were immediately recognized as authoritative. Moses, after he wrote a book, put it in the Ark of the Covenant (Deut. 31:24-26). After the temple was built, the sacred writings were kept there (2 Kings 22:18). Early on, God commanded the kings to write for themselves a copy of the law. “And he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God” (Deut. 17:19). As the prophets spoke God’s word, saying, “Thus saith the Lord,” they also recognized that their message had to be recorded for future generations.
The Jews realized that special revelation ceased with the prophet Malachi (c. 400 B.C.). In the Talmud (a handbook of Jewish traditions) we read, “Up to this point [the time of Alexander the Great] the prophets prophesied through the Holy Spirit; from this time onward incline thine ear and listen to the sayings of the wise.”
But what determined whether a book was considered part of the canon? Obviously, there were other books in existence that did not merit classification with the sacred writings. Examples are “The Book of the Wars of the Lord” (Num. 21:14) and “The Book of Jashar” (Josh. 10:13).
The criterion was, first, that the book had to agree with the Torah, the first five books of Moses. But this was not the only test. Some books that agreed with the Torah were also excluded. For example, Elijah wrote a book that likely met this standard; yet it was not a part of the canon. And, of course, we must ask how the Torah itself became accepted.
Second, and most important, these books were accepted because they were believed to be inspired by God. In other words, they were selected because they were recognized as having divine authority. This is not to say that the Jews gave these books their authority; these books were believed to have inherent authority. If a book is inspired by God, it would have authority whether men recognized it or not. A jeweler may recognize an authentic diamond, but his recognition does not make it so.
We must guard against the notion that the church has a right to make a book canonical. But at best the nation Israel or church body can only recognize a book as authoritative because it is inspired of God.
That site also goes into the topic of "The Discovery of Canonicity" that is very interesting. I hope, if you really want to educate yourself on this that you will take the time to read it.
I Timothy 3:15. The Church is NOT the "basis and pillar of the truth" but "a pillar and buttress of the truth". Find me a translation or a Greek version which says that. I'll bet you can't.
English Standard Version - "if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth."
New American Standard Bible - the pillar and support of the truth.
Wycliffe Bible - a pillar and firmness of truth
Common English Bible - the backbone and support of the truth.
English Standard Version Anglicised - a pillar and buttress of the truth.
Lexham English Bible - the pillar and mainstay of the truth.
The Greek word for "ground" here is hedraiÅma and means "a stay, prop, support". Is that what you wanted?
Jesus gave us the Church which He taught for three years. NT Scripture is a gift from the Church, aided by the Holy Spirit. You're welcome.
Finally, Jesus gave us himself so that we may be redeemed from the wages of our sin, which is death. When we place our faith in him and receive his gift of eternal life, we become part of his body, the "church", a "called-out assembly". God gave us Holy Scripture so that we can have a reliable, trustworthy, infallible authority for the truths he has revealed to us. It is a gift from God TO his church. Try to keep that straight, okay?
Just saw by the grace of God that it is interesting that Paul mentions Jannes and Jambres withstanding Moses in the same chapter as 2Tim. 3:15-17. These resisted Moses, who authority was not established by the seminary he went to (not faulting such) or political connections, but by his holy character and God’s miraculous attestation, and which in turn affirmed Abraham, which was likewise affirmed.
Moses wrote that down (no, i do not buy the The Documentary Source Hypothesis, http://www.ukapologetics.net/docu.htm) and gave the law and new revelation, establishing a covenant fearfully confirmed, which became the standard for obedience and testing truth claims and thus additional rev. (Is. 8:20, etc.)
In this context of Jannes and Jambres Paul reminds Timothy of who discipled him, which was a man of Scriptural sacrificial holy testimony, and whose manner was to reason out of the Scriptures, (Acts 17:2) such as in Acts 28:23, “persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening,” (Acts 28:23) as well as by the Scriptural attestation of miracles, esp to those who knew not Scripture, (Rm. 15:19) as an able minister of the New Covenant.
Paul then uniquely affirms all Scripture as wholly inspired of God, and instrument of the perfection of the saints (the word for “profitable” is also used for “Godliness” as regards eternal life: 1Tim. 4:8)
Good night, er morning.
Faced with the prospect of having a Scripturally illiterate young generation (and having a printing press), the Mass. legislature passed their version of “No child left behind,” “The Old Deluder Act” (1647)
It being one chief project of that old deluder, satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue [alluding to Rome], so in these latter times by persuading from the use of tongues, that so that at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded and corrupted with false glosses of saint-seeming deceivers; and to the end that learning may not be buried in the grave of our forefathers, in church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors.
It is therefore ordered that every township in this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to fifty households shall forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, as the major part of those that order the prudentials of the town shall appoint; provided those that send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than they can have them taught for in other towns.
And it is further ordered, that when any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families or householders, they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university, provided that if any town neglect the performance hereof above one year that every such town shall pay 5 pounds to the next school till they shall perform this order. http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/Mass.Gen.Laws.html#The
Also,
Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, Volumes 1-2, reports that in the first report of a public school in Washington which they had on file, in 1813 a Mr. Henry Ould states,
55 have learned to read in the Old and New Testaments, and are all able to spell words of three, four, and five syllables; 26 are now learning to read Dr. Watts’ Hymns and spell words of two syllables; 10 are learning words of four and five letters. Of 509 out of the whole number admitted that did not know a single letter, 20 can now read the Bible and spell words of three, four, and five syllables, 29 read Dr. Watts’ Hymns and spell words of two syllables, and 10 words of four and five letters.”[19]
The Puritan Christian New England Primer was used in New England, which is estimated to have sold upwards to 3,000,000 copies from 1700 to 1850. Introduced in 1690, this reader was used in what now would be the 1st grade, and taught multitudes of children how to read for 200 years, until circa 1900. The alphabet was taught with Bible verses that began with each letter of the alphabet. Lessons had questions about the Bible and the Ten Commandments. An example of the Primer is, A = In Adam’s fall, we sinned all. B = Heaven to find, the Bible mind.”[20]
In addition, approximately half of all American children learned from the McGuffey Reader, a series of textbooks of which 122 million copies were published (during a time when the population was much less than today, and books were passed on more). More: http://www.astorehouseofknowledge.info/Education_in_the_United_States
And,
The Indian Bible was the first book printed in an American Indian language, and was also the second book of any kind printed in Massachusetts (The Bay Psalm Book of 1640 being held as being the first, which Eliot is also credited as being an editor of). The Eliot Bible appeared some 120 years before the first complete English edition of the Bible was published in what is now the United States (due to the economics of printing versus importing)
You should read this some time: http://www.conservapedia.com/North_American_Indians
It’s interesting to watch the trend of Catholics constantly giving the credit for scripture to the RCC and non Catholics giving credit to God for inspiring and preserving the scriptures. Rather telling if you ask me.
I notice that you have spurned the various KJV Bibles in your efforts. http://bible.cc/1_timothy/3-15.htm gives us this:
New International Version (©1984)
if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
New Living Translation (©2007)
so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.
English Standard Version (©2001)
if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
International Standard Version (©2008)
in case I am delayed, so that you may know how to behave in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
But if I delay, that you may know how it is necessary to behave in the household of God, which is the church of THE LIVING GOD, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)
in case I’m delayed. I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
But if I tarry long, that you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
American King James Version
But if I tarry long, that you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
American Standard Version
but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Darby Bible Translation
but if I delay, in order that thou mayest know how one ought to conduct oneself in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth.
English Revised Version
but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Webster’s Bible Translation
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Weymouth New Testament
But, for fear I may be hindered, I now write, so that you may have rules to guide you in dealing with God’s household. For this is what the Church of the ever-living God is, and it is the pillar and foundation-stone of the truth.
World English Bible
but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Young’s Literal Translation
and if I delay, that thou mayest know how it behoveth thee to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is an assembly of the living God — a pillar and foundation of the truth,
Foundation or ground is the norm. The pillar supports off where? The base or foundation or ground. Nice try, though.