|
Important
Notice: We make no guarantees regarding any item herein. Do
not take items out of context. Do not inflict harm on yourself
or others, break laws, take unsuitable/incautious or
inappropriate/drastic actions, or take figurative items
literally. Use of site is at your own risk and is subject to our
terms of use. For more terms information,
see below
and
click
here
Q. What is the Bible?
A.
The Bible is the word of God in written form. "[The Holy Bible:] A
collection of writings divided into the Old Testament, consisting of 46
books written before the Incarnation of our Lord, and the New Testament,
27 books written since that time. These form the Sacred Scriptures
which, says the Council of Trent (session iv), the Church 'receives with
piety and reverence...since the one God is the author of each
[testament].' " (Catholic Dictionary) Note that these Sacred Books
were inspired by the Holy Spirit and collected, attested to, and
preserved by the Catholic Church. The word "bible" is derived
from the Greek, meaning "books". It has
been said that "The Bible has had more influence in human affairs
than any other work ever written" (Lafarge)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is the word "bible" in the Bible?
A.
Like the words "Catholic" and "Trinity", the word
"Bible" does not actually appear in the Bible.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What are some other words for Holy Scripture?
A.
The following words may be used as synonyms: Bible, Scripture,
Scriptures, Sacred Scriptures, Holy Writ, Holy Scriptures, word of God,
Sacred Writings, etc.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Does the "word of God" always refer to Scripture?
A.
No. "Word of God" (capital "W") refers to Christ,
whereas "word of God" (small "w") may refer to
Holy Scripture.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Has God only spoken through Holy Scripture?
A.
No. Although Holy Scripture is the only public, authentic written
compilation of God's word, we know that God has also spoken directly to
certain persons (e.g. Moses, Abraham). We know that "By the LORD'S
word the heavens were made" (Ps. 33:6). Furthermore, it may also be
said that "God has spoken" through divine, unwritten
tradition.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Where did the Bible come from?
A.
The books of the Bible have been handed down to us by inspired writers
and collected, attested to, and preserved by the Catholic Church. "After God
had granted the gift of inspiration to the sacred writers, He entrusted
the Bible to the Church, which His only begotten Son founded, for its
safekeeping and authentic interpretation." (Pope Pius XI, "Ad
Salutem", 1930 A.D.)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
When was the Bible written?
A.
The Bible was written over the course of many years. The Old Testament was written before the coming of Christ. The New Testament was written in the first century A.D. It is estimated that the first word of New Testament Scripture was not authored until around 6 years - 2+ decades after Jesus' death and that the last word (in the Apocalypse) was written around 100 A.D. It was not until the fourth century that the Catholic Church officially determined the list of inspired books of the Bible and formally placed all inspired books under one cover.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
When was the Old Testament written?
A.
The Old Testament was written over the course of many years, before the
coming of Christ.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
When was the New Testament written?
The New Testament was written in the first century A.D. It is estimated that the first word of New Testament Scripture was not authored until around 6 years - 2+ decades after Jesus' death and that the last word (in the Apocalypse) was written around 100 A.D.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Who were Old Testament writings directed at?
A.
Old Testament writings were primarily directed at the ancient Jews.
However, they may be said to be addressed to all persons,
since they were ultimately written with a view to Christ's future
Church.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Who was the New Testament written for?
A.
The books of the New Testament were written for Christ's Church, the
Catholic Church, which already existed for years before a single word of
the New Testament was ever written.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What has been called the "purpose of the Bible"?
A.
It has been said that the purpose of Bible is "to lead all persons
to Christ and into His Church, the Holy Catholic Church."
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the "fulfillment and end of Scripture"?
A.
"The fulfillment and end of Scripture is the love of God and our
neighbor.. Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy
Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon
them as does not tend to build up this two-fold love of God and our
neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought." (St.
Augustine, Doctor of the Church) As Kempis states, "If thou didst
know the whole Bible by heart, and the sayings of all the philosophers,
what would it all profit thee without the love of God and His
grace?"
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is the purpose of the Bible to comfort you or make you "feel
good"?
A.
No. The Bible does not exist to comfort people or make people "feel"
any certain way. Remember that the Bible is concerned with expressing truths,
not feelings. As indicated above, it has been said that the purpose of Bible is "to lead all persons
to Christ and into His Church, the Holy Catholic Church." Note,
however, that this does not mean that the Bible cannot be comforting or
make one "feel good", but that this is not the purpose of Holy
Scripture.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Who is the author of Holy Scripture?
A.
All Scripture was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Although human authors, chosen by God, actually wrote the words, it may
be said that God is the principal author and the human authors were the
"living instruments" used by God. As St. Justin said,
"The authors of the sacred books wrote what God inspired them to do
and they chose the manner of expression, that is the style or form of
expressing the thoughts."
Note:
For 'Authorship of Scripture' Reflections, click
here.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What does "Inspiration" of Holy Scripture refer to?
"Inspiration
is a direct divine charismatic influence on the mind, will and executive
faculties of the human writer which he mentally conceives, freely wills
to write, and actually writes correctly all that God intends him to
write and nothing else, so that God is truly author of the book
produced. This divine influence does not demand awareness in its
recipient and is of necessity hidden from other persons. It is only
known through divine revelation given to the Church, which is the sole
guarantor of the fact. It carries with it absolute absence of error,
God's infinite veracity being incompatible with error of any kind. This
does not necessarily involve revelation or the bestowal of truths
hitherto unknown, therefore facts of natural science and history can be
expressed subject to the limitations of human knowledge, so long as such
expression excludes all statement of error. Inspiration does not vary in
degree; it is equal in all books and in all parts thereof, and it
guarantees absolute inerrancy and divine authorship throughout. As
inspiration is no mechanical force, but acts through the mind and will
of the human writer in a human way, the human author's style, diction
and mental outlook naturally remain in the book produced, though God is
the author of all that is written and man only the instrument of his
hand." (Catholic Dictionary)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is the authorship of all Biblical books certain?
A.
The authorship of some books of the Bible may be uncertain with regard
to their human authors, but all books of the Bible are certainly
authored by the Holy Spirit.
Note:
Click here for
'Authorship of Scripture' Reflections
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Was any of the Bible written by Jesus?
A.
Not a single word of the Bible was written by Jesus. After His death,
however, the Evangelists (the Gospel writers) documented Jesus' words in
the Gospels.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How much of the Bible was written by the original twelve Apostles?
A.
A relatively small portion of New Testament Scripture was written by the
original twelve Apostles (i.e. two gospels, a few epistles, and the
Apocalypse). Remember that the Apostles were commissioned by Jesus to
preach, not to write Scripture.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Was any part of the Bible written by women?
A.
Although several books of the Bible are named after women, it is not known that
any books of the Bible were written by women.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Who determined which books were part of Scripture?
A.
As has been pointed out by apologists, there is no "inspired table
of contents", therefore it was up to the Church to determine which
books were truly inspired. Remember that in the beginning of the Church
there were numerous spurious writings that some considered as Scripture
(cf. 2 Thes. 2:2). Therefore, it was necessary that the Catholic Church use her
divine authority to settle the matter once and for all. She did this for
the first time in the fourth century, formally enumerating the list of
inspired books. Despite the arguings of non-Catholics, her list of
inspired books has remained unchanged for 16 centuries.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How were the books of the Bible determined?
A.
The 'canon' of the Bible (list of inspired books) was determined solely by the
authority of the Catholic Church.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is it true that there would be no Bible without the Catholic Church?
A.
Yes, it is true that there would be no New Testament if not for the
Catholic Church who received, determined, and preserved Holy Scripture.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How was the Bible preserved?
A.
The Bible was preserved by the painstaking efforts of the Catholic
Church. Remember that the early Church suffered much persecution and
that today's materials and tools were unavailable. Instead, her members
(e.g. monks) laboriously hand copied the Bible in order to preserve and
propagate it.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What language was the Bible originally written in?
A.
The books of the Bible were originally written in Hebrew, Greek, and
Aramaic. The Old Testament was mostly written in Hebrew and the New
Testament was mostly written in Greek.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Was the Catholic Church the first to translate the Bible into the native
language of the people?
A.
Yes. The Catholic Church translated the Bible into many languages before heretics appeared on
the scene accusing her of "keeping the Bible from people".
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
In what languages are Bible translations available today?
A.
Bible translations may appear today in just about any language.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What are the two main parts of the Bible?
A.
The two main parts of the bible are the Old Testament (written before
Jesus' Incarnation) and the New Testament (written after Jesus' death).
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Besides the New and Old Testaments, is anything else comparable to Holy
Scripture?
A.
No. No other items, even papal pronouncements are comparable to Holy
Scripture, which has God as its principal author.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is taught in the Bible?
A.
The Bible contains various teachings regarding proper morals and
behavior. It teaches us about God and His love for us. It instructs us regarding
what is necessary for salvation. It contains prophecies, prayers,
commandments, instructions, historical information, etc. It covers the
good and the bad, the rich and the poor. Note: For more specific
information, refer to an appropriate Catholic bible, Catholic bible index,
Catholic bible
dictionary, Catholic bible commentary, etc. You may also consider the various
resources on this site (click
here).
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Do any original manuscripts of the Bible still exist?
A.
No. No original manuscripts of the Bible still exist. Remember that the
ancient texts were written on perishable material and that the early
Church suffered much persecution.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Were the titles/headers, footnotes, and numbering part of the original
Bible?
A.
No. The titles/headers, footnotes, and numbering were added later.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Are the titles/headers, footnotes, and numbering inspired / infallible?
A.
No.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Who is responsible for the chapter divisions and numbering of the Bible?
A.
The chapter divisions of the Bible are attributed to a Catholic, Stephen Langton [d. 1228], a professor at the University of Paris and later a Cardinal & Archbishop of Canterbury. The numbering of Bible verses is attributed to a Catholic friar, Santes Pagnini (or Pagninus, or Pagnino) [d. 1541].
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the "canon" of Scripture?
A.
"[The Canon is the] list of inspired books of the Old and New
Testaments." (Catholic Dictionary) It is the list of books that the
Church, by her own authority, has declared to be inspired by God.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What does it mean that a book is 'canonical'?
A.
If a book is 'canonical', it means it is part of the canon of the Bible
(i.e. it is an inspired book, it is part of Holy Scripture).
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What are deuterocanonical books?
A.
Deuterocanonical books are "Those books of the O.T. whose place in
the canon was not admitted till after that of the other books. They are
Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, 1 and 2 Machabees, ver.
4 of chap. x to the end of Esther, and Daniel, ver. 24 of chap. iii to
ver. 3 of chap. iv and chaps. xiii and xiv. Their authority is equal
with that of the other books of the Bible" (Catholic Dictionary).
It should be noted that the canon of the Old Testament was not fully settled
by the Jews before Jesus' Incarnation. While some Jews accepted the
deuterocanonical books as inspired, other Jews did not. After Jesus'
death, Jews rejected these books. Therefore, those who reject the
deuterocanonical books (e.g. typically Protestants) actually use a canon
of Scripture devised by Jews who reject Christ. It should be noted that
Jesus and the Apostles accepted the deuterocanonical books since they
quoted from a translation of Scripture that contained these books (see "Septuagint" below).
Also
note that there are so called 'deuterocanonical' books of the New
Testament, simply meaning books that were accepted as inspired at a
later time [e.g. various epistles (Hebrews, James, John, Jude, Peter)
and the Apocalypse].
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How do you know that the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament
should be included in the Bible?
A.
We know that the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament should be
included in the Bible (1) because they were determined to be inspired by
the authority of the Church, and (2) because we know that Jesus and the
Apostles accepted the deuterocanonical books [they quoted from a
translation of Scripture that contained these books (see "Septuagint"
below) - therefore Scripture itself
validates these books].
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is it true that the deuterocanonical
books were added to scripture by the Council of Trent?
A.
No. This is an error propagated by Protestants. It is easily disproved
by pointing to the Church's official lists of inspired books of the
Bible dating back from the fourth century A.D. The Council of Trent did
list the deuterocanonical books, however, it was merely affirming /
confirming the same list that the Catholic Church established in the fourth
century (and had maintained since then). Unbiased research should prove
beyond doubt that the Catholic Church accepted these books from the
beginning (when she first listed the books which comprise Scripture). In
fact, she is known to have enumerated all of the books of the Bible -
including the deuterocanonical books - as early as 382 A.D. [see the
"Decree of (Pope St.) Damasus" from the acts of the Roman
Synod, 382 A.D.] and has done so consistently since then.
Top
| Question Summary
Find this material helpful?
Click here to get the
EXPANDED version of this article in Kindle or paperback
formats!
Contains: Catholic Bible Q & A (Over 250 Questions!);
Books of the Bible (Info./Lists); The Psalms (Lists); The Beatitudes;
Jesus' Parables; Jesus' Emphasized Statements
"I learned a lot from this
book, even though I'm Catholic educated and know quite a bit about the
Bible." (CBF Previewer)
Kindle Version Just $6.99
Notice: Prices are subject to change
without notice and do not include any applicable taxes.
Q.
How do you know which books comprise Holy Scripture?
A.
The only way to know which books comprise Holy Scripture is by trusting
in the authority of the Catholic Church. All those who reject the Church
but accept her list of inspired books are acting in contradiction to
their own principles. Note: Click here for more on this
topic [Non-Catholics Section/Apologetics].
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How many books of the Bible are there?
A.
The Bible contains 73 books (46 books in the Old Testament and 27 in
the New Testament).
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What books make up the Bible?
A.
Click here for a list
of Books of the Bible
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Did everyone always know which books belong to the Bible?
A.
No. Prior to the Catholic Church's formal determination in the fourth
century, it was impossible to know for certain which books made up the
Bible.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How do I know the books of the Bible are truly inspired?
A.
The only way to know that the books of the Bible are truly inspired is
by trusting in the authority of the Catholic Church.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What does "Apocrypha" refer to?
A.
Apocrypha are "Books erroneously held to be inspired and to be
included in the canon of Scripture, but rejected as such by the
Church" (Catholic Dictionary). Before the Church settled the matter
of the Canon of Scripture, various apocryphal books existed. Protestants
wrongly use this term to describe the deuterocanonical books
of the
Bible.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What are "missing books" referred to in the Bible?
A.
References to "missing books" may refer to those writings that
Scripture refers to which are not contained anywhere in the Bible. For
example, 1 Chron. 29:29 refers to the "deeds of King David...
[which] can be found written in the history of Samuel the seer, the
history of Nathan the prophet, and the history of Gad the seer".
There are a number of such references to "missing books" in
the Old Testament.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the relation of the Old Testament to the New Testament?
A.
"God provided the Old Testament in the first place for the
instruction of the Jewish church which, precisely because Christ had not
yet come, was not fit or able to receive the full content of God's
revelation for the faith and conduct of man." (Catholic Dictionary)
Note that the Old Testament is considered to be a "preparation of
Christianity" (or a "foreshadowing of the New Testament")
and it prepared the way for the Gospel. The New Testament shows the
fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. As the Catechism of the
Council of Trent states, "As to the Prophets, how many there were
who foretold Christ's Passion and death is too well known to require
development here. Not to speak of David, whose Psalms embrace all the
principal mysteries of Redemption, the oracles of Isaias in particular
are so clear and graphic that he might be said rather to have recorded a
past than predicted a future event." As St. Bede states, "[A]ll
the Scriptures of the Old Testament were a constant prophecy of
Christ." (St. Bede the Venerable, Doctor of the Church). As the
Second Vatican Council states, "The principal purpose to which the
plan of the old covenant was directed was to prepare for the coming of
Christ, the redeemer of all and of the messianic kingdom, to announce
this coming by prophecy (see Luke 24:44; John 5:39; 1 Peter 1:10), and
to indicate its meaning through various types (see 1 Cor. 10:12)."
Note:
Also see 'Old
/ New Testament' Reflections
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is the Old Testament no longer relevant?
A.
While various Old Testament practices are no longer binding under the
New Covenant, this does not mean the Old Testament is no longer
relevant. Not only must one be familiar with Old Testament events and
promises to understand the New Testament, but the Old Testament also has
much instruction for living a good Christian life. Furthermore, the Old
Testament may be considered a precious "first stage" in God's
revelation to man. Once again, the Second Vatican Council states, "Now
the books of the Old Testament, in accordance with the state of mankind
before the time of salvation established by Christ, reveal to all men
the knowledge of God and of man and the ways in which God, just and
merciful, deals with men. These books, though they also contain some
things which are incomplete and temporary, nevertheless show us true
divine pedagogy. These same books, then, give expression to a lively
sense of God, contain a store of sublime teachings about God, sound
wisdom about human life, and a wonderful treasury of prayers, and in
them the mystery of our salvation is present in a hidden way. Christians
should receive them with reverence."
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Do the Old and New Testaments have the same Author?
A.
Although different human authors were used for various books of the
Bible, all books of the Bible have the same principal author, the Holy
Spirit. The continuity of teachings in Scripture helps to prove that
Holy Scripture - both Old and New Testaments - were authored by God. As
St. Irenaeus stated, "Inasmuch as in the Law and in the Gospel the
first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord God whole-heartedly,
and then there is another like it, to love one's neighbor as oneself, it
is shown that the Law and the Gospel have one and the same Author. The
precepts of the perfect life, since they are the same in both
Testaments, point out the same God, who certainly has prescribed
particular precepts adapted to each, while for the more prominent and
greatest commandments, without which it is not possible to be saved, He
recommends the same in both." (St. Irenaeus, 2nd century A.D.)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is the Old Testament harsh?
A.
While parts of the Old Testament may seem harsh, one should remember
that various Old Testament precepts may have actually prevented even
harsher penalties that the people of that time would have inflicted.
Also, the people showed time and again that they were 'stiff-necked'
(cf. Deut. 9:13) and therefore provoked severity of treatment. Further,
remember that God's plan wasn't fully revealed at that time and that the
people had to be prepared for it over time.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How is the Old Testament divided?
A.
The Old Testament may be divided as follows: The Pentateuch (The Law),
the Historical Books, the Wisdom Books (Didactic / Poetical / Doctrinal
Books), and the Prophetic Books (Greater & Lesser).
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the Torah?
A.
The Torah refers to the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). It may also be called the
Pentateuch or "The Law".
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the Pentateuch?
A.
The Pentateuch refers to the first five books of the Bible (Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). It may also be called the
Torah or "The Law".
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the Decalogue?
A.
The Decalogue refers to the 10 Commandments issued by God and recorded in
the Bible (see Ex. 20:1-17, Deut. 5:6-21).
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is the Talmud the same as the Torah?
A.
No The Talmud dates after Christ's death and contains blasphemous
statements about Christ and Our Blessed Mother Mary.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What are the Wisdom Books?
A.
The Wisdom Books are: The Book of Job, The Book of Psalms, The Book of
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes (The Book of Ecclesiastes), Canticle of Canticles
(The Song of Songs), The Book of Wisdom, and The Book of Ecclesiasticus
(Sirach).
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What are the Psalms?
A.
The Psalms may be referred to as "a catechesis of prayer".
They appear in the Old Testament and are traditionally counted at 150.
The book of psalms (or the Psalter) is sometimes collected into five
books. The subject matter of the psalms varies and includes pleas for
God's assistance, laments, thanksgiving, praise, expressions of trust,
and other items. Many of the psalms are attributed to King David, while
the rest are attributed other writers (all under the influence of the
Holy Spirit). As Pope Pius XII states, "The Psalms recall to mind
the truths revealed by God to the chosen people, which were at one time
frightening and at another filled with wonderful tenderness; they keep
repeating and fostering the hope of the promised Liberator which in
ancient times was kept alive with song, either around the hearth or in
the stately temple; they show forth in splendid light the prophesied
glory of Jesus Christ: first, His supreme and eternal power, then His
lowly coming to this terrestrial exile, His kingly dignity and priestly
power and, finally, His beneficent labors, and the shedding of His blood
for our redemption. In a similar way they express the joy, the
bitterness, the hope and fear of our hearts and our desire of loving God
and hoping in Him alone, and our mystic ascent to divine tabernacles.
'The psalm is...a blessing for the people, it is the praise of God, the
tribute of the nation, the common language and acclamation of all, it is
the voice of the Church, the harmonious confession of faith, signifying
deep attachment to authority; it is the joy of freedom, the expression
of happiness, an echo of bliss.'" (Pope Pius XII, "Mediator
Dei", 1947) Note that Latin names for the Psalms may be taken from
the first few words of the Psalms in Latin. For information on the
Psalms, click here.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Who are the Major and Minor prophets of the Old Testament?
A.
The "Major" Prophets are: Isaias (Isaiah), Jeremias
(Jeremiah), Lamentations/Jeremias, Baruch, Ezechiel (Ezekiel), Daniel.
The "Minor" Prophets are: Osee (Hosea), Joel, Amos, Abdias
(Obadiah), Jonas (Jonah), Micheas (Micah), Nahum, Habacuc (Habakkuk),
Sophonias (Zephaniah), Aggeus (Haggai), Zacharias (Zechariah), Malachias
(Malachi)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How is the New Testament divided?
A.
The New Testament may be divided as follows: Historical Books (4
Gospels, Acts of the Apostles), Epistles [Fourteen Epistles of St. Paul
(Pauline Epistles, The New Testament Epistles), Seven Catholic (General,
Universal) Epistles], Apocalypse or Revelation of St. John.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What does "gospel" mean? What is a "Gospel"?
A.
"The word 'Evangelium' (Gospel), is rendered in Latin 'bonus
nuntius,' or 'bona annuntiatio' (good news). It may indeed be used on
all occasions whenever any good is announced; but it has come to be
appropriated to the announcement of the Savior." (St. Augustine,
Doctor of the Church) A "Gospel" with regard to the Bible is
an inspired book. "The life and teaching of Jesus Christ as
recorded by the Evangelists, and the books wherein it is set down,
namely the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John."
(Catholic Dictionary)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Do the Gospels all teach the same things?
A.
As St. Bede the Venerable has stated, "But though there were four
Evangelists, yet what they wrote is not so much four Gospels, as one
true harmony of four books. For as two verses having the same substance,
[but use] different words and different metre, yet contain one and the
same matter, so the books of the Evangelists, though four in number, yet
contain one Gospel, teaching one doctrine of the Catholic faith."
(St. Bede the Venerable, Doctor of the Church)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What are Synoptic Gospels?
A.
Synoptic Gospels refer to the Gospels written by Matthew, Mark and Luke.
These Gospels cover the life of Jesus and tend to parallel each other.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Who does "Evangelist" refer to?
A.
"One of the authors of a canonical gospel, namely, Matthew, Mark,
Luke or John." (Catholic Dictionary)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the protoevangelium?
A.
The protoevangelium is the "first gospel", or first
annunciation of our Savior. It occurred in Genesis (see Gen. 3:15).
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What are the Epistles?
A.
The Epistles are "One of the twenty one books of the New Testament
written as, or in the form of, letters to individuals or [Catholic]
churches. Those of St. Paul (fourteen) are called by the name of the
group or person to whom they were addressed; the others, by the name of
the writer. These last are called Catholic or General Epistles because
they were intended for the Church at large, though in fact 2 and 3 John
are addressed to individuals. The Pastoral Epistles are those to Timothy
and Titus in which they are instructed in the duties of the Episcopal
office." (Catholic Dictionary)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How are the Epistles named?
A.
St. Paul's Epistles are named after the person or group of people to
whom they were addressed. The other epistles are named after their
authors.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Does the Bible give a complete history of Jesus' life on earth and His
teachings?
A.
No. They contain only a taste of Jesus' actions and teachings. As St.
Theophylact has stated, "Now the Evangelists are silent as to the
greater part of Christ's teaching; for whereas He preached for the space
nearly of three years, all the teaching which they have written down
would scarcely, one might say, suffice for the discourse of a single
day. For out of a great many things extracting a few, they have given
only a taste as it were of the sweetness of His teaching."
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is the Didache part of the Bible?
A.
No. The Didache (or "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles") is not an inspired book and is therefore not part of the
Bible. It is, however, important in understanding more about the early
Church.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the Septuagint?
A.
"[The Septuagint:] (Lat. Septuaginta, seventy). The first Greek
version of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), made at Alexandria in
the 3rd century B.C., traditionally by 70 translators. New Testament
quotations from the O.T. are mostly taken from it and not from the
Hebrew. It is often referred to as the LXX." (Catholic Dictionary)
It includes the deuterocanonical books.
Note:
Click here for
Bible apologetics (Non-Catholics Section)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the "Vulgate"?
A.
"The Latin version of the Bible in common use in the Catholic
Church and declared authentic or authoritative by the Council of
Trent." (Catholic Dictionary) The Vulgate is the only formally 'canonized' translation of the Bible. The Vulgate was prepared by St.
Jerome at the command of Pope Damasus in the fourth century. As Pope
Benedict XV has stated, "[St. Jerome's] unceasing reading of the
Bible and his painstaking study of each book - nay, of every phrase and
word - gave him a knowledge of the text such as no other ecclesiastical
writer of old possessed. It is due to this familiarity with the text and
to his own acute judgment that the Vulgate version Jerome made is, in
the judgment of all capable men, preferable to any other ancient
version, since it appears to give us the sense of the original more
accurately and with greater elegance than they. The said Vulgate,
'approved by so many centuries of use in the Church' was pronounced by
the Council of Trent 'authentic,' and the same Council insisted that it
was to be used in teaching and in the liturgy" (Pope Benedict XV,
"Spiritus Paraclitus", 1920 A.D.) As the Council of Trent
stated, "Moreover, the same sacred and holy Synod taking into
consideration that no small benefit can accrue to the Church of God, if
it be made known which one of all the Latin editions of the sacred books
which are in circulation is to be considered authentic, has decided and
declares that the said old Vulgate edition, which has been approved by
the Church itself through long usage for so many centuries in public
lectures, disputations, sermons, and expositions, be considered
authentic, and that no one under any pretext whatsoever dare or presume
to reject it." (Council of Trent, 1546 A.D.)
Note:
For more 'Vulgate' Reflections, click here.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the Douay Rheims edition?
A.
The Douay Rheims is a very popular translation of the Vulgate edition of the Bible
into English.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is a "red letter bible"?
A.
A "red letter bible" highlights Jesus' words in red text. Not
only might such a publication be issued by Protestants, but there is also the
concern that it may make the other words of the Bible (the words not
highlighted in red) - all of which were inspired by the Holy Spirit - tend
to seem less important.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is a concordance?
A.
A concordance is "An index to the Bible arranged alphabetically
under the principal words used therein, enabling a wanted text or
reference to be quickly found. They were invented in the 13th century by
the Friars Preachers, friars John of Darlington, Hugh of Croydon and
Richard Stavensby being three of the most prominent editors."
(Catholic Dictionary)
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is a doctrinal index?
A.
A doctrinal index is a bible index which is arranged by topic. They may
appear independently or appear in the front or back of a Bible.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is there more than one type of Catholic Bible?
A.
There are various types of Catholic Bibles [e.g. study bibles, heirloom
bibles, picture bibles (e.g. for children and the illiterate), etc.)]
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What other biblical tools are available?
A.
In addition to the various types of Bibles, there are a number of tools
to assist Catholics in reading the bible. For example there are Bible
Dictionaries, Bible Encyclopedias, Bible Commentaries, Bible
Concordances. There are Bibles on tape (or CD/DVD) and searchable Bibles
(e.g. computer software). There are Bible Atlases, Bible tabs, biblical
calendars, etc. Important: You should only use Catholic versions.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is Holy Scripture free from error?
A.
Yes, Holy Scripture is free from error. [Note that this refers to Holy
Scripture in general and not to any particular translation of it.
Furthermore, it refers to what the writer was intending to convey and
not to any interpretation of what was written.] Some relevant quotations
appear below.
"Brethren,
be contentious and zealous for the things which lead to salvation! You
have studied the Holy Scriptures, which are true and are of the Holy
Spirit. You well know that nothing unjust or fraudulent is written in
them." (Pope St. Clement of Rome, 1st century A.D.)
"We
must neither doubt nor hesitate with respect to the words of the Lord;
rather, we must be fully persuaded that every word of God is true and
possible, even if our nature should rebel against the idea - for in this
lies the test of faith." (St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the
Church)
"[I
hold Scripture] in such reverence and honor that I do most firmly
believe that none of their authors has erred in anything that he has
written therein. If I find anything in those writings which seems to be
contrary to the truth, I presume that either the codex is inaccurate, or
the translator has not followed what was said, or I have not properly
understood it" (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, c. 406 A.D.)
"St.
Jerome's teaching on this point serves to confirm and illustrate what
our predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, declared to be the ancient
and traditional belief of the Church touching the absolute immunity of
Scripture from error: So far is it from being the case that error can be
compatible with inspiration, that, on the contrary, it not only of its
very nature precludes the presence of error, but as necessarily excludes
it and forbids it as God, the Supreme Truth, necessarily cannot be the
Author of error." (Pope Benedict XV, "Spiritus Paraclitus",
1920 A.D.)
"There
can be no falsehood anywhere in the literal sense of Holy
Scripture." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"God,
the Creator and Ruler of all things, is also the Author of the
Scriptures - and...therefore nothing can be proved either by physical
science or archaeology which can really contradict the Scriptures."
(Pope Leo XIII, "Providentissimus Deus", 1893)
"I
think it is dangerous to believe that anything in the Sacred Books is a
lie... For if we should admit in that supreme monument of authority even
one 'polite' lie, no shred of those books will remain. Whenever anyone
finds anything therein that is difficult to practice or hard to believe,
he will refer to this most pernicious precedent and explain it as the
idea or practice of a lying author." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the
Church, 4th century A.D.)
Error
CONDEMNED by Pope St. Pius X in "Lamentabili": "Divine
inspiration does not so extend to all Sacred Scripture that it fortifies
each and every part of it against all error." (Pope St. Pius X,
This proposition was condemned in "Lamentabili", 1907 A.D.)
Error
CONDEMNED by Pope St. Pius X in "Lamentabili": "In many
narratives the Evangelists related not so much what is true, as what
they thought to be more profitable for the reader, although false."
(Pope St. Pius X, This proposition was condemned in "Lamentabili",
1907 A.D.)
Error
CONDEMNED by Pope St. Pius X in "Lamentabili": "The
narrations of John are not properly history, but the mystical
contemplation of the Gospel; the discourses contained in his Gospel are
theological meditations on the mystery of salvation, devoid of
historical truth." (Pope St. Pius X, This proposition was condemned
in "Lamentabili", 1907 A.D.)
"[W]hen
some propose by way of rebuke that the Sacred Authors have strayed away
from historical truth, or have not reported events accurately, it is
found to be a question of nothing other than the customary natural
methods of the ancients in speaking and narrating, which in the mutual
intercourse among men were regularly employed, and in fact were employed
in accord with a permissible and common practice. Therefore,
intellectual honesty requires that when these matters are found in
divine speech which is expressed for man in human words, they be not
charged more with error than when they are uttered in the daily use of
life. By this knowledge and exact appreciation of the modes of speaking
and writing in use among the ancients can be solved many difficulties,
which are raised against the veracity and historical value of the Divine
Scriptures, and no less efficaciously does this study contribute to a
fuller and more luminous understanding of the mind of the Sacred
Writer." (Pope Pius XII, "Divino afflante Spiritu", 1943
A.D.)
"Yet
no one can pretend that certain recent writers really adhere to these
limitations. For while conceding that inspiration extends to every
phrase - and, indeed, to every single word of Scripture - yet, by
endeavoring to distinguish between what they style the primary or
religious and the secondary or profane element in the Bible, they claim
that the effect of inspiration - namely, absolute truth and immunity
from error - are to be restricted to that primary or religious element.
Their notion is that only what concerns religion is intended and taught
by God in Scripture, and that all the rest - things concerning 'profane
[secular] knowledge,' the garments in which Divine truth is presented -
God merely permits, and even leaves to the individual author's greater
or less knowledge. Small wonder, then, that in their view a considerable
number of things occur in the Bible touching physical science, history
and the like, which cannot be reconciled with modern progress in
science! Some even maintain that these views do not conflict with what
our predecessor laid down since - so they claim - he said that the
sacred writers spoke in accordance with the external - and thus
deceptive - appearance of things in nature. But the Pontiff's own words
show that this is a rash and false deduction. For sound philosophy
teaches that the senses can never be deceived as regards their own
proper and immediate object. Therefore, from the merely external
appearance of things - of which, of course, we have always to take
account as Leo XIII, following in the footsteps of St. Augustine and St.
Thomas, most wisely remarks - we can never conclude that there is any
error in Sacred Scripture. Moreover, our predecessor, sweeping aside all
such distinctions between what these critics are pleased to call primary
and secondary elements, says in no ambiguous fashion that 'those who
fancy that when it is a question of the truth of certain expressions we
have not got to consider so much what God said as why He said it,' are
very far indeed from the truth. He also teaches that Divine inspiration
extends to every part of the Bible without the slightest exception, and
that no error can occur in the inspired text: 'It would be wholly
impious to limit inspiration to certain portions only of Scripture or to
concede that the sacred authors themselves could have erred.' Those,
too, who hold that the historical portions of Scripture do not rest on
the absolute truth of the facts but merely upon what they are pleased to
term their relative truth, namely, what people then commonly thought,
are - no less than are the aforementioned critics - out of harmony with
the Church's teaching, which is endorsed by the testimony of [St.]
Jerome and other Fathers." (Pope Benedict XV, "Spiritus
Paraclitus", 1920 A.D.)
"It
can happen, indeed, that transcribers in copying manuscripts do so
incorrectly. This is to be considered carefully and is not to be
admitted readily, except in those passages where it has been properly
demonstrated; it can also happen that the true sense of some passage
remains ambiguous; the best rules of interpretation will contribute much
toward the solution of this problem; but it would be entirely wrong
either to confine inspiration only to some parts of Sacred Scripture, or
to concede that the sacred author himself has erred. For the method of
those is not to be tolerated, who extricated themselves from these
difficulties by readily granting that divine inspiration pertains to
matters of faith and morals, and nothing more. The books, all and
entire, which the Church accepts as sacred and canonical, with all their
parts, have been written at the dictation of the Holy Spirit; so far is
it from the possibility of any error being present to divine
inspiration, that it itself of itself not only excludes all error, but
excludes and rejects it as absolutely and necessarily as it is impossible
that God Himself, the supreme Truth, can utter that which is not true. This is the
ancient and uniform faith of the Church, defined also by solemn opinion
at the Councils of Florence and of Trent, finally confirmed and more
expressly declared at the [First] Vatican Council, by which it was
absolutely declared: 'The books of the Old and New Testament ... have
God as their author'. Therefore, it matters not at all that the Holy
Spirit took men as instruments for the writing, as if anything false
might have slipped, not indeed from the first Author, but from the
inspired writers. For, by supernatural power He so roused and moved them
to write, He stood so near them, that they rightly grasped in mind all
those things, and those only, which He Himself ordered, and willed
faithfully to write them down, and expressed them properly with
infallible truth; otherwise, He Himself would not be the author of all
Sacred Scripture. Such has always been the persuasion of the Fathers.
'Therefore,' says St. Augustine, 'since they wrote the things which He
showed and uttered to them, it cannot be pretended that He is not the
writer; for His members executed what their Head dictated.' And St.
Gregory the Great thus pronounces: 'Most superfluous it is to inquire
who wrote these things - we loyally believe the Holy Ghost to be the
Author of the book. He wrote it Who dictated it for writing; He wrote it
Who inspired its execution.. It follows that those who maintain that an
error is possible in any genuine passage of the sacred writings, either
pervert the Catholic notion of inspiration, or make God the author of
such error. And so utterly convinced were all the Fathers and Doctors
that the holy works, which were published by the hagiographers, are free
of every error, that they were very eager, no less skillfully than
reverently, to arrange and reconcile those not infrequent passages which
seemed to offer something contrary and at variance (they are almost the
very passages which are now thrown up to us under the name of the new
science); and they professed unanimously that these books, both in whole
and in part, were equally of divine inspiration, and that God Himself,
speaking through the sacred authors, could have set down nothing at all
at variance with the truth. Let what the same [St.] Augustine wrote to
[St.] Jerome sum this up: '... If I shall meet anything in these works
which seems contrary to truth, I shall not hesitate to believe anything
other than that the text is faulty, or that the translator has not
expressed the meaning of the passage, or that I myself do not
understand.' ... For many objections from every kind of teaching have
for long been persistently hurled against Scripture, which now, quite
dead, have fallen into disuse; likewise, at times not a few
interpretations have been placed on certain passages of Scripture (not
properly pertinent to the rule of faith and morals) in which a more
careful investigation has seen the meaning more accurately. For, surely,
time destroys the falsities of opinions, but 'truth remaineth and
groweth stronger forever and ever.'" (Pope Leo XIII, "Providentissimus
Deus", 1893 A.D.)
"When,
subsequently, some Catholic writers, in spite of this solemn definition
of Catholic doctrine, by which such divine authority is claimed for the
'entire books with all their parts' as to secure freedom from any error
whatsoever, ventured to restrict the truth of Sacred Scripture solely to
matters of faith and morals, and to regard other matters, whether in the
domain of physical science or history, as 'obiter dicta' and - as they
contended - in no wise connected with faith, Our Predecessor of immortal
memory, Leo XIII in the Encyclical Letter Providentissimus Deus,
published on November 18 in the year 1893, justly and rightly condemned
these errors and safe-guarded the studies of the Divine Books by most
wise precepts and rules... This teaching, which Our Predecessor Leo XIII
set forth with such solemnity, We also proclaim with Our authority and
We urge all to adhere to it religiously." (Pope Pius XII, Divino
Afflante Spiritu, 1943 A.D.)
Note:
For
more 'Inerrancy of Scripture' Reflections, click
here.
Top
| Question Summary
Keep this information handy!
Click here to get the
EXPANDED version of this article in Kindle or paperback
formats!
Contains: Catholic Bible Q & A (Over 250 Questions!);
Books of the Bible (Info./Lists); The Psalms (Lists); The Beatitudes;
Jesus' Parables; Jesus' Emphasized Statements
"I learned a lot from this
book, even though I'm Catholic educated and know quite a bit about the
Bible." (CBF Previewer)
Kindle Version Just $6.99
Notice: Prices are subject to change
without notice and do not include any applicable taxes.
Q.
Do certain passages in the Bible contradict other passages?
A.
As St. Justin has said, "I will not have the effrontery at any time
either to suppose or to say such a thing [that the Scriptures contradict
each other]. If a Scripture which appears to be of such a kind be
brought forward, and there be a pretext for regarding it as
contradictory, since I am totally convinced that no Scripture is
contradictory to another, I shall admit instead that I do not understand
what is spoken of, and shall strive to persuade those who assume that
the Scriptures are contradictory to be rather of the same opinion as
myself." (St. Justin the Martyr, c. 155 A.D.) As Pope Benedict XV
has pointed out, "What [the eminent Biblical scholar St. Jerome]
has said here of the Gospels he applies in his Commentaries to the rest
of the Lord's words; he regards it as the very rule and foundation of
Catholic interpretation; indeed, for Jerome, a true prophet was to be
distinguished from a false by this very note of truth: 'The Lord's words
are true; for Him to say it, means that it is.' Again, 'Scripture cannot
lie'; it is wrong to say Scripture lies, nay, it is impious even to
admit the very notion of error where the Bible is concerned. 'The
Apostles,' he says, 'are one thing; other writers' - that is, profane
[secular] writers - 'are another;' 'the former always tell the truth;
the latter - as being mere men - sometimes err,' and though many things
are said in the Bible which seem incredible, yet they are true; in this
'word of truth' you cannot find things or statements which are
contradictory, 'there is nothing discordant nor conflicting';
consequently, 'when Scripture seems to be in conflict with itself both
passages are true despite their diversity.'" (Pope Benedict XV,
"Spiritus Paraclitus", 1920 A.D.) Note that those who
carefully investigate passages which may appear contradictory, are wont
to find that they may be reconciled if interpreted properly. There have
been various writings which show how difficult passages may
be reconciled.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Are all parts of the Bible free from error?
A.
The inerrancy of the Bible does not extend to any particular translation
or to any item which is not part of the original text (e.g. footnotes,
titles/headers, referencing, etc.).
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Does an imprimatur guarantee that a particular Bible translation is free
from error?
A.
No. It simply means that nothing was found to contradict faith or
morals. Unfortunately, an imprimatur is only as good as the issuer.
Sadly, recent history has shown that imprimaturs may sometimes be
attached to translations which contain not only errors, but even items
which may be judged heretical by the standard of the perennial
Magisterium.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is the Bible easy to understand / translate / interpret?
A.
The Bible is not easy to understand, translate or interpret. Not only
does the Bible contain mysteries above the human intellect, but it also uses
various literary forms and must be interpreted according to the proper
sense. St. Peter
himself, in Holy Scripture, speaks of the difficulty of Scripture: "And
consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, as our beloved brother
Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, speaking
of these things as he does in all his letters. In them there are some
things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to
their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures." (St.
Peter, 2 Pt. 3:15-16) As even a liberal admits, "Is the Bible a book intelligible to all? Far from it; it is full
of obscurities and difficulties not only for the illiterate, but even
for the learned." The great St. Augustine admitted he
was unable to understand all of Scripture: "Wherefore, as no one
should be so presumptuous as to think that he understands the whole of
the Scripture, in which St. Augustine himself confessed that there was
more that he did not know, than that he knew, so, if he should come upon
anything that seems incapable of solution, he must take to heart the
cautious rule of the same holy Doctor: 'It is better even to be
oppressed by unknown but useful signs, than to interpret them uselessly
and thus to throw off the yoke only to be caught in the trap of
error.'" (Pope Leo XIII, Providentissimus Deus) Of the difficulty
in translation, the great St. Jerome states, "It is difficult in
following lines laid down by others not sometimes to diverge from them,
and it is hard to preserve in a translation the charm of expressions
which in another language are most felicitous. Each particular word
conveys a meaning of its own, and possibly I have no equivalent by which
to render it, and if I make a circuit to reach my goal, I have to go
many miles to cover a short distance. To these difficulties must be
added the windings of hyperbata, differences in the use of cases,
divergences of metaphor; and last of all the peculiar and if I may so
call it, inbred character of the language. If I render word for word,
the result will sound uncouth, and if compelled by necessity I alter
anything in the order or wording, I shall seem to have departed from the
function of a translator." (St. Jerome, "the Church's eminent
bible translator", Doctor of the Church, 4th century A.D.)
Clearly,
to really be an expert on the Bible, you would have to be an expert on
ancient languages, ancient practices, archeology, history, etc. You
would have to look at who writings were directed at, what the
circumstances were, what local customs were, and at all the subtleties
involved. You would also have to bear in mind that words used in
Scripture may mean different things - and that they may have meant
altogether different things in their original languages. And further,
you would have
to deal with the fact that Scripture may be obscure, subtle, and hard to
grasp.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Should the Bible be subject to private interpretation?
The
Bible should not be subject to private interpretation, as it itself
states: "Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of
scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, for no prophecy
ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the Holy
Spirit spoke under the influence of God." (St. Peter, 2 Pt.
1:20-21)
Scripture
itself shows us that it requires an authorized instructor:
"Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, 'Get up and head south
on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.' So
he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court
official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge
of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was
returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet
Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, 'Go and join up with that chariot.'
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, 'Do you
understand what you are reading?' He replied, 'How can I, unless someone
instructs me?' So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him... Then
Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he
proclaimed Jesus to him." (Acts 8:26-31,35)
We
see this also confirmed in the Old Testament: "Ezra opened the
scroll so that all the people might see it (for he was standing higher
up than any of the people); and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands
raised high, answered, 'Amen, amen!' Then they bowed down and prostrated
themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground. Ezra read plainly
from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could
understand what was read." (Neh. 8:5-6,8)
Also,
Jesus had to open the minds of His Apostles regarding the Scriptures
(see Lk. 24:27, Lk. 24:45)
And
again, we are reminded that Scripture may be distorted to our own
destruction: "And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation,
as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also
wrote to you, speaking of these things as he does in all his letters. In
them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and
unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other
scriptures." (St. Peter, 2 Pt. 3:15-16)
Additional
relevant quotations appear below.
"[H]uman
reason...has neither the power to fathom the word of God, nor the right
to sit in judgement over it." (Gueranger)
"For
so great is the depth of Divine Scripture that not only the simple and
the unlettered, but even the learned and prudent are not fully able to
explore the understanding of it. Therefore, Scripture says that many
'searching have failed in their search'." (Pope Pius VII, 1816
A.D.)
"In
the case of those who profess to take reason as their sole guide, there
would hardly be found, if, indeed, there ever could be found, unity of
doctrine. Indeed, the art of knowing things as they really are is
exceedingly difficult; moreover, the mind of man is by nature feeble and
drawn this way and that by a variety of opinions, and not seldom led
astray by impressions coming from without; and, furthermore, the
influence of the passions oftentimes takes away, or certainly at least
diminishes, the capacity for grasping the truth." (Pope Leo XIII,
"Sapientiae Christianae", 1890 A.D.)
"If
a man should doubt the knowledge and understanding of anything written
in Scripture, he is not wise then to take upon himself the authority to
interpret, boldly depending on his own mind. Instead, he should depend
on the interpretation of the holy teachers an the saints of old, and on
the interpretation that has been received and allowed by the universal
Church. For it was the Church through which the Scripture has come into
our hands and been delivered to us in the first place, and without the
Church, as St. Augustine says, we could not know which books were Holy
Scripture." (St. Thomas More)
"Wherefore,
let the faithful also be on their guard against the overrated
independence of private judgment and that false autonomy of human
reason. For it is quite foreign to everyone bearing the name of a
Christian to trust his own mental powers with such pride as to agree
only with those things which he can examine from their inner nature, and
to imagine that the Church, sent by God to teach and guide all nations,
is not conversant with present affairs and circumstances... Quite to the
contrary, a characteristic of all true followers of Christ, lettered or
unlettered, is to suffer themselves to be guided and led in all things
that touch upon faith or morals by the Holy Church of God through its
Supreme Pastor the Roman Pontiff, who is himself guided by Jesus Christ
Our Lord." (Pope Pius XI, "Casti Connubii", 1930 A.D.)
"[W]e
may address the following words of St. Augustine to all who have not
deliberately closed their minds to the truth: 'When we see the great
help of God, such manifest progress and such abundant fruit, shall we
hesitate to take refuge in the bosom of that Church, which, as is
evident to all, possesses the supreme authority of the Apostolic See
through the Episcopal succession? In vain do heretics rage round it;
they are condemned partly by the judgment of the people themselves,
partly by the weight of councils, partly by the splendid evidence of
miracles. To refuse to the Church the primacy is most impious and above
measure arrogant. And if all learning, no matter how easy and common it
may be, in order to be fully understood requires a teacher and master,
what can be greater evidence of pride and rashness than to be unwilling
to learn about the books of the divine mysteries from the proper
interpreter, and to wish to condemn them unknown?' (De Unitate Credendi,
cap. xvii., n. 35)." (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum",
1896 A.D.)
Click
here for more Private Interpretation Reflections
Note:
For more on private interpretation, click
here [Private Interpretation
(Apologetics) / Non-Catholics Section]
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Who has the authority to interpret Holy Scripture?
A.
The Catholic Church alone has the authority to interpret Holy Scripture.
As the Second Vatican Council states, "For all of what has been
said about the way of interpreting Scripture is subject finally to the
judgment of the Church, which carries out the divine commission and
ministry of guarding and interpreting the word of God." (Second
Vatican Council)
Note
for more on this topic, click
here (apologetics/Non-Catholics Section).
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How should the Bible be interpreted?
A.
Holy Scripture must be "interpreted with the mind of the
Church". One should seek what the writer was intending to express /
what his intentions were / who the audience was / what forms of speech
were common / etc. Additional relevant quotations follow...
"...a
humble and devout frame of mind is conducive to the understanding of
Holy Scripture." (Pope Benedict XV, "Spiritus Paraclitus",
1920 A.D.)
"[W]hen
discussing Holy Scripture it is not words we want so much as the meaning
of words." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)
"And
let them remember that prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred
Scripture, so that God and man may talk together, for 'we speak to Him
when we pray; we hear Him when we read the divine saying'." (Second
Vatican Council)
"The
whole series of the divine Scriptures is interpreted in a fourfold way.
In all holy books one should ascertain what everlasting truths are
therein intimated, what deeds are narrated, what future events are
foretold, and what commands or counsels are there contained." (St.
Bede the Venerable, Doctor of the Church)
"I
earnestly warn the prudent reader not to pay attention to superstitious
interpretations such as are given cut and dried according to some
interpreter's fancy. He should study the beginning, middle, and end, and
so form a connected idea of the whole of what he finds written."
(St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)
"As
for methods of expounding Holy Scripture - 'for amongst the dispensers
of the mysteries of God it is required that a man be found faithful' -
St. Jerome lays down that we have got to keep to the 'true
interpretation, and that the real function of a commentator is to set
forth not what he himself would like his author to mean, but what he
really does mean.'" (Pope Benedict XV, "Spiritus Paraclitus",
1920 A.D.)
"[T]he
rule so wisely laid down by St. Augustine - not to depart from the
literal and obvious sense, except only where reason makes it untenable
or necessity requires; a rule to which it is the more necessary to
adhere strictly in these times, when the thirst for novelty and
unrestrained freedom of thought make the danger of error most real and
proximate." (Pope Leo XIII, "Providentissimus Deus",
1893)
"Furthermore,
in order to restrain petulant spirits, It decrees, that no one, relying
on his own skill, shall, - in matters of faith, and of morals pertaining
to the edification of Christian doctrine, - wresting the sacred
Scripture to his own senses, presume to interpret the said sacred
Scripture contrary to that sense which holy mother Church, - whose it is
to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the holy Scriptures, -
hath held and doth hold; or even contrary to the unanimous consent of
the [Church] Fathers; even though such interpretations were never
(intended) to be at any time published. Contraveners shall be made known
by their Ordinaries, and be punished with the penalties by law
established." (Council of Trent)
"But,
since the rules which the holy Synod of Trent salutarily decreed
concerning the interpretation of Divine Scripture in order to restrain
impetuous minds, are wrongly explained by certain men, We, renewing the
same decree, declare this to be its intention: that, in matters of faith
and morals pertaining to the instruction of Christian Doctrine, that
must be considered as the true sense of Sacred Scripture which Holy
Mother Church has held and holds, whose office it is to judge concerning
the true understanding and interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures; and,
for that reason, no one is permitted to interpret Sacred Scripture
itself contrary to this sense, or even contrary to the unanimous
agreement of the [Church] Fathers." (Vatican Council I, 1870 A.D.)
"To
return, however, to the question of the formation of Biblical students.
We must lay the foundations in piety and humility of mind; only when we
have done that does St. Jerome invite us to study the Bible. In the
first place, he insists, in season and out, on daily reading of the
text. 'Provided,' he says, 'our bodies are not the slaves of sin, wisdom
will come to us; but exercise your mind, feed it daily with Holy
Scripture.' And again: 'We have got, then, to read Holy Scripture
assiduously; we have got to meditate on the Law of God day and night so
that, as expert money-changers, we may be able to detect false coin from
true.'" (Pope Benedict XV, "Spiritus Paraclitus", 1920
A.D.)
"However,
since God speaks in Sacred Scripture through men in human fashion, the
interpreter of Sacred Scripture, in order to see clearly what God wanted
to communicate to us, should carefully investigate what meaning the
sacred writers really intended, and what God wanted to manifest by means
of their words. To search out the intention of the sacred writers,
attention should be given, among other things, to 'literary forms.' For
truth is set forth and expressed differently in texts which are
variously historical, prophetic, poetic, or of other forms of discourse.
The interpreter must investigate what meaning the sacred writer intended
to express and actually expressed in particular circumstances by using
contemporary literary forms in accordance with the situation of his own
time and culture. For the correct understanding of what the sacred
author wanted to assert, due attention must be paid to the customary and
characteristic styles of feeling, speaking and narrating which prevailed
at the time of the sacred writer, and to the patterns men normally
employed at that period in their everyday dealings with one
another." (Second Vatican Council)
"[St.]
Jerome then goes on to say that all interpretation rests on the literal
sense, and that we are not to think that there is no literal sense
merely because a thing is said metaphorically, for 'the history itself
is often presented in metaphorical dress and described figuratively.'
Indeed, he himself affords the best refutation of those who maintain
that he says that certain passages have no historical meaning: 'We are
not rejecting the history, we are merely giving a spiritual
interpretation of it.' Once, however, he has firmly established the
literal or historical meaning, Jerome goes on to seek our deeper and
hidden meanings, as to nourish his mind with more delicate food. Thus he
says of the Book of Proverbs - and he makes the same remark about other
parts of the Bible - that we must not stop at the simple literal sense:
'Just as we have to seek gold in the earth, for the kernel in the shell,
for the chestnut's hidden fruit beneath its hairy coverings, so in Holy
Scripture we have to dig deep for its divine meaning.' When teaching
Paulinus 'how to make true progress in the Bible,' he says: 'Everything
we read in the Sacred Books shines and glitters even in its outer shell;
but the marrow of it is sweeter. If you want the kernel you must break
the shell.' At the same time, he insists that in searching for this
deeper meaning we must proceed in due order, 'lest in our search for
spiritual riches we seem to despise the history as poverty-stricken.'
Consequently he repudiates many mystical interpretations alleged by
ancient writers; for he feels that they are not sufficiently based on
the literal meaning: When all these promises of which the Prophets sang
are regarded not merely as empty sounds or idle tropological
expressions, but as established on earth and having solid historical
foundations, then, can we put on them the coping-stone of a spiritual
interpretation." (Pope Benedict XV, "Spiritus Paraclitus",
1920)
"For
it escapes no one that the highest norm of interpretation is that by
which what the writer intends to say is perceived and defined, as St.
Athanasius advises: 'Here, as it is fitting to do in all other passages
of divine Scripture, we observe that it must be accurately and
faithfully considered on what occasion the Apostle has spoken; what is
the person and what is the subject on which he has written, lest anyone
ignorant of these things, or understanding something else besides them,
wander from the true meaning.' But what the literal sense is in the
words and writings of the old oriental authors is very often not as
clear as it is among the writers of our age. For what they wish to
signify by words is not determined by the laws of grammar or philology
alone, nor by the context of the passage alone; the interpreter should
by all means return mentally, as it were, to those remote ages of the
Orient, in order that rightly assisted by the aid of history,
archaeology, ethnology, and of other disciplines, he may discern and
perceive what so-called literary genres the writers of that age sought
to employ and in fact did employ. For the old Orientals, to express what
they had in mind, did not always use the same forms and the same modes
of speaking as we do today, but rather those which were accepted for use
among men of their own times and localities... Indeed, let no one who
has a right understanding of Biblical inspiration, be surprised that
among the Sacred Writers, as among the other ancients, certain definite
ways of explaining and narrating are found; certain kinds of idioms
especially appropriate to Semitic languages, so called approximations,
and certain hyperbolic methods of speaking, yes, sometimes even
paradoxes by which events are more firmly impressed upon the mind. For
none of those methods of speaking is foreign to the Sacred Scriptures
which among ancient peoples, especially among Orientals, human speech
customarily used to express its thought, yet on this condition, that the
kind of speaking employed be not at odds with the sanctity and truth of
God, just as with his usual perspicacity the Angelic Doctor has noted in
the following words: 'In Scripture divine matters are made known to us
in the manner we customarily employ.' For just as the substantial Word
of God was made like man in all things 'without sin,' so also the words
of God, expressed in human language, in all things have been made like
human speech, without error, which Saint John Chrysostom has already
extolled with highest praise as the...condescension of a provident God;
and which he has asserted again and again is the case in the Sacred
Scriptures. Therefore, let the Catholic exegete, in order to satisfy the
present day needs of Biblical matters, in explaining Sacred Scripture,
and in showing and proving it free of all error, prudently use this aid,
to inquire how the form of expression and the kind of literature
employed by the Sacred writer, contribute to a true and genuine
interpretation; and let him be convinced that this part of his office
cannot be neglected without great harm to Catholic exegesis. For not
uncommonly - to touch upon one thing only - when some propose by way of
rebuke that the Sacred Authors have strayed away from historical truth,
or have not reported events accurately, it is found to be a question of
nothing other than the customary natural methods of the ancients in
speaking and narrating, which in the mutual intercourse among men were
regularly employed, and in fact were employed in accord with a
permissible and common practice. Therefore, intellectual honesty
requires that when these matters are found in divine speech which is
expressed for man in human words, they be not charged more with error
than when they are uttered in the daily use of life." (Pope Pius
XII, "Divino afflante Spiritu", September 30, 1943 A.D.)
Reminder:
Interpretation and application of Scripture should not be contrary to
the perennial, official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. Do not
take Scripture passages out of context. Do not inflict harm on yourself
or others, break laws, take unsuitable/incautious or
inappropriate/drastic actions, or take figurative items literally.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is everything in the Bible literal?
A.
Not everything in Holy Scripture is meant to be taken literally.
Additional relevant quotations appear below...
"Holy
Writ expresses truth in two ways, first, through the literal sense, when
things are signified by words; secondly, through the spiritual sense,
when things are signified through other things." (St. Thomas
Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the
history of the Church")
"All
the senses of Holy Scripture are built on the literal sense, from which
alone, and not from allegorical passages, can arguments be drawn. The
spiritual sense brings nothing needful to the faith which is not
elsewhere clearly conveyed by the literal sense." (St. Thomas
Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the
history of the Church")
"The
parabolical sense is contained in the literal, for by words things are
signified properly and figuratively. Nor is the figure itself, but that
which is figured, the literal sense. When Scripture speaks of God's arm,
the literal sense is not that God has such a member, but only what is
signified by this member, namely operative power. Hence it is plain that
nothing false can ever underlie the literal sense of Holy Writ."
(St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian
in the history of the Church")
"The
language of the Bible is employed to express, under the inspiration of
the Holy Ghost, many things which are beyond the power and scope of the
reason of man - that is to say, divine mysteries and all that is related
to them. There is sometimes in such passages a fullness and a hidden
depth of meaning which the letter hardly expresses and which the laws of
interpretation hardly warrant. Moreover, the literal sense itself
frequently admits other senses, adapted to illustrate dogma or to
confirm morality." (Pope Leo XIII)
"The
multiplicity of these senses does not produce equivocation or any other
kind of multiplicity, seeing that these senses are not multiplied
because one word signifies several things, but because the things
signified by the words can be themselves types of other things. Thus in
Holy Writ no confusion results, for all the senses are founded on one -
the literal - from which alone can any argument be drawn, and not from
those intended in allegory, as [St.] Augustine says (Ep. 48).
Nevertheless, nothing of Holy Scripture perishes on account of this,
since nothing necessary to faith is contained under the spiritual sense
which is not elsewhere put forward by the Scripture in its literal
sense." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
Note:
Click
here for more 'Literal / Spiritual Interpretation' Reflections
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What are Scripture 'senses'?
A.
"In the interpretation of the Bible the Church recognizes two senses: (a)
the literal sense, which is the objective, actual and immediate truth which
God prompted the writer to convey; (b) the typical sense (also called mystical
or spiritual, which is the truth intended by God to be expressed by means of a
figure or type) which itself must be a matter of historical fact; this must be
distinguished from any subjective or symbolical sense. It is the office of the
Church to declare the sense of any given scriptural passage; according to St.
Thomas [Aquinas], the literal sense alone can be used for purpose of argument
from the Scriptures." (Catholic Dictionary) An "accommodated
sense" refers to the sense "given to a scriptural text other than
that originally intended" (Catholic Dictionary). Also, note that when
persons speak of "four senses of Scripture", they are actually
referring to the two senses (literal and spiritual), but have subdivided the spiritual
sense into the allegorical sense, the moral sense, and the anagogical sense.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Does each passage of Scripture have just one meaning?
A.
Passages of Scripture may have more than one meaning. As St. Thomas
Aquinas states, "It is one of the glories of the Scripture that it
can embrace many meanings in a single passage." (St. Thomas
Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the
history of the Church")
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
How should I read the Bible?
A.
Those reading the Bible should read it "with the mind of the
Church". They should read it prayerfully and humbly. And, of
course, they should steer clear of Protestant 'bibles' and offensive
'modernist Catholic' translations and instead read a good, traditional
Catholic translation [ideally, the translation will contain footnotes
which explain passages in light of the Church's traditional teachings -
e.g. those of the Church Fathers, Popes, etc.]. Some recommend starting
with the Gospels. In any event, remember that you should not fall into
the trap of personal interpretation, but rather "yield to the
teaching authority of the perennial Magisterium".
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Is misinterpretation of Scripture a concern of the Church?
A.
Misinterpretation of Holy Scripture is always a concern for the Church.
It can lead to one's destruction ["And consider the
patience of our Lord as salvation, as our beloved brother Paul,
according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, speaking of
these things as he does in all his letters. In them there are some
things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to
their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures." (St.
Peter, 2 Pt. 3:15-16)], and it can (and has) also led to heresy
["For heresies are not born except when the true Scriptures are not
well understood and when what is not well understood in them is rashly
and boldly asserted.'' (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)]. In the
past, misinterpretation of Scripture has also resulted in loss of life.
Note:
Click
here for more 'Misinterpretation of Scripture' Reflections
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
What is the role of the Early Church Fathers in interpreting Scripture?
A.
The writings of the Early Church Fathers have generally been given much
weight in the interpretation of Holy Scripture.
Top
| Question Summary
Q.
Are the Church Fathers authoritative in Scripture interpretation? Are they
infallible in Scripture interpretation?
A.
The Early Church Fathers have been considered authoritative, but not (intrinsically)
infallible, with regard to Scripture interpretation. Some relevant
quotations appear below.
"Now,
the authority of the Fathers, by whom after the apostles, the growing
Church was disseminated, watered, built, protected, and nurtured, is the
highest authority, as often as they all in one and the same way
interpret a Biblical text, as pertaining to the doctrine of faith and
morals." (Pope Leo XIII, "Providentissimus Deus", 1893
A.D.)
"In
things of faith and morals belonging to the building up of Christian
doctrine, that is to be considered the true sense of Holy Scripture,
which has been held and is held by our holy mother the Church, whose
place it is to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the
Scriptures; and, therefore... it is permitted to no one to interpret
holy Scripture against such sense or also against the unanimous
agreement of the [Church] fathers." (Council of Trent)
"But,
since the rules which the holy Synod of Trent salutarily decreed
concerning the interpretation of Divine Scripture in order to restrain
impetuous minds, are wrongly explained by certain men, We, renewing the
same decree, declare this to be its intention: that, in matters of faith
and morals pertaining to the instruction of Christian Doctrine, that
must be considered as the true sense of Sacred Scripture which Holy
Mother Church has held and holds, whose office it is to judge concerning
the true understanding and interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures; and,
for that reason, no one is permitted to interpret Sacred Scripture
itself contrary to this sense, or even contrary to the unanimous
agreement of the Fathers." (Vatican Council I, 1870 A.D.)
"[T]he
Holy Fathers, We say, are of supreme authority, whenever they all
interpret in one and the same manner any text of the Bible, as
pertaining to the doctrine of faith or morals; for their unanimity
clearly evinces that such interpretation has come down from the Apostles
as a matter of Catholic faith. The opinion of the Fathers is also of
very great weight when they treat of these matters in their capacity of
doctors, unofficially; not only because they excel in their knowledge of
revealed doctrine and in their acquaintance with many things which are
useful in understanding the apostolic Books, but because they are men of
eminent sanctity and of ardent zeal for the truth, on whom God has
bestowed a more ample measure of His light. Wherefore the expositor
should make it his duty to follow their footsteps with all reverence,
and to use their labors with intelligent appreciation." (Pope Leo
XIII, "Providentissimus Deus", 1893)
Top
| Question Summary
Share this information with a friend!
Click here to get the
EXPANDED version of this article in Kindle or paperback
formats!
Contains: Catholic Bible Q & A (Over 250 Questions!);
Books of the Bible (Info./Lists); The Psalms (Lists); The Beatitudes;
Jesus' Parables; Jesus' Emphasized Statements
"I learned a lot from this
book, even though I'm Catholic educated and know quite a bit about the
Bible." (CBF Previewer)
Kindle Version Just $6.99
Notice: Prices are subject to change
without notice and do not include any applicable taxes.
|
