Reading the Bible

Deacon Lee Hunt

3. Scripture, part of God’s revelation to us, was inspired by the Holy Spirit

This section focuses on our general understanding of the truth of what is written in the Bible. This understanding is detailed for us in the Vatican II document Dei Verbum (The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), which can be found in front of the St. Joseph edition of the Revised New American Bible and on the Internet.

 

God chose to reveal his will to us. Jesus Christ was sent as “a man to men,” to reveal God’s will for the salvation of humankind. Jesus commissioned the Apostles to preach to all men. The Apostles left bishops as their successors. Although revelation is complete with the death of the last apostle, Christians continue to explore it and to grasp its significance more fully over time.

 

Through understanding of the words passed down, tradition developed and it includes the full canon of sacred books. Sacred Scripture is the word of God assigned to writing.

 

The books of scripture were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In order to find the intentions of the authors, one must take into account the times, cultures, and literary genres that were current when the individual books of the Bible were written.

 

The principle purpose of the Old Testament was to prepare for the coming of Christ.

 

In the New Testament , the four Gospels have a special preeminence for they are the principal witness for the life and teaching of our Savior. The Gospels faithfully hand on what Jesus Christ, while living among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation.

 

“The sacred authors wrote the four Gospels, selecting some things from the many which had been handed on by word of mouth or in writing, reducing some of them to a synthesis, …, and preserving the form of proclamation but always in such fashion that they told the honest truth about Jesus.”

 

The function of scripture scholars is to help the Church’s understanding of scripture grow and deepen. Its interpretation is entrusted to the Church.

 

All the clergy must hold fast to the Sacred Scriptures and through diligent sacred reading and careful study, especially priests, deacons, and catechists who are legitimately active in the ministry of the word.