2 Timothy 3: 14-17 states that, “But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known [the] sacred scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
The word, “inspiration” in this context, does not refer to the dictionary definition of a “sudden good idea”, or force or impetus that leads to a person having a good idea (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d), but comes from the Latin word, inspiratus which means, “breathed into”. St Jerome further translates this to the Greek theoneustos – “God breathed” (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, 2012). Scripture is indeed living and alive, as it contains the very breath of God that breathed life into Man.
St. Paul in Hebrews 1: 1- 3 reminds us, “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word.”
St. Peter continues to explain in 2 Peter 1: 18-21, “We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 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.”
God is the Principal author of Sacred Scripture, and Sacred Scripture is the “Word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit.” (Pope Paul VI, Dei Verbum, 1965, 9)
Through Divine Revelation, God deployed and chose His contingent of Sacred Writers, who using their God-given abilities, worked with the Holy Spirit acting in them and through them , and at various times and places, were consigned to write the truth that the Lord God desired for them to write (Pope Pius XII, Divino Afflante Spiritu 1943). This Divine Revelation was then to be handed down from generation to generation in the fullness of its fidelity, and in its fullest integrity (Pope Paul VI, Dei Verbum, 1965). The contents of this Divine Revelation is not merely composed of written text, but has also been faithfully handed down from Apostolic succession, from generation to generation by the means of Sacred Tradition – “This living transmission accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition, since it is distinct from Sacred Scripture, though closely connected to it. Through Tradition, the Church in her doctrine, life, and worship, perpetuates and transmit to every generation all that she herself is, all that she believes” (Pope Paul VI, Dei Verbum, 1965, 8).
To ensure authenticity and the fidelity of veritas, the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written, or handed on – “God protects and governs by his providence all that He has created, reaching from one end of the earth to the other and ordering all things well.” (Vatican Council I, Dei Filius, 1870) – has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church (Pope Pius XII, Humani Generis, 1950).
This means that “Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church, in one accord with God’s most wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others, and that all together and each in its own way under the action of the Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls” (Pope Paul VI, Dei Verbum, 1965, 10)
Sacred Scripture can be read using the following lenses:
- Literal – things need to be read exactly as they are written
- Spiritual – these are deduced by understanding the context, and the realities and events that are specified, and are to be interpreted in the following way:
- Allegorical: These are metaphors, similes, symbols, imagery, fables, and parables that deploy the writing conventions of that age to give us a mirror of understanding of Divine Revelation, for example Moses can be seen as a Type of Christ.
- Moral: The events narrated teach us how to act in a moral way
- Anagogical: The events have an eternal meaning which lead us to Heaven, for instance the Church on Earth is a sign of the Eternal Beatitude
(cf. The Didache Bible, 2016)
While some genres may overlap in different books, for example the first 11 chapters of Genesis are allegorical in the sense that the dates and times are figurative – 40 days just means a really long time, and is not indicative of an actual length of chronological time of 40 days for instance, and do not really matter insomuch as the essence of what these chapters are talking about, these chapters are important because they speak of certain truths about God. The first 11 chapters of Genesis are also nonetheless considered historical as they give a general timeline of the unfolding of God’s covenantal relationship with his people. The remaining chapters of Genesis would next be composed of actual historic documentation with events that corelate with History.
In Dei Verbum, Pope Paul VI (1965) explains, “God, who through the Word creates all things (see John 1:3) and keeps them in existence, gives men an enduring witness to Himself in created realities (see Rom. 1:19-20)” (1) This reality is found in the living Word. The totality of our senses is ministered to via Sacred Scripture, as we are invited by the Holy Spirit to be moved by the language that expresses the intensity of God’s love for his Bride, the Church in the Song of Songs, we are stirred to epic zeal for the House of God by reading about the historical feats of Maccabees and Gideon, our heart strings are tugged at as we experience the heartfelt sorrow and hope expressed in Lamentations, and our beings are healed by the very real presence of Christ in the Gospel. In this Spiritual encounter with unfolding text of Sacred Scripture, we begin to recognise how God our Father has been reaching out relentlessly to restore the relationship that He has with humanity in all epochs and times.
Sacred Scripture comprises of the following books:
In the Old Testament:
- Historical Books
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees
- Poetic and Wisdom Books
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, Sirach
- Prophetic Books
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
In the New Testament:
The following books contain the historical witness of the Apostles as they unfold in tandem with the history of the Church:
- Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
- Acts of the Apostles
- Epistles
Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude
The final book contains the Eschatological Visions, and gives an insight to the end-goal of what the Church Militant is striving towards – Heaven:
- Revelation
To understand the depth of Scripture, we would need to pay attention to the historical circumstances which frame each text, for example a text written in a time of war, would read differently from a text written in a time of peace; the literary peculiarities that are relevant to the different genres employed by the writers, for example the poetic conventions and symbolisms of the day; and the personal circumstances of the writers all play a part in shaping how a text reads. Over this, we need to read Scripture from a Spiritual angle – to read the Word of God “in the sacred Spirit in which it was written” (Pope Paul VI, Dei Verbum, 1965, 12).
Finally Scripture needs to be read in relation to understanding the content and the unity of Scripture with respect to the Tradition and Teachings of the Church. All 3 streams must be in cohesion and accordance with each other, rather than in contradiction to each other.
Why is it important to read and to understand Scripture?
Jesus tells us, “You are misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29)
We also come to know that “through divine revelation, God chose to show forth and communicate Himself and the eternal decisions of His will regarding the salvation of men.” (Pope Paul VI, 1965, 1.) Sacred Scripture is the manner through which God chooses to reveal himself and to speak to His people. We cannot say that we know God and His Will for us if we do not read Scripture.
We already have on hand the manual that we need : B.I.B.L.E: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Why do we persist in stumbling in the dark?
By the Grace of God,
Brian Bartholomew Tan
References
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.) Inspiration. Cambridge Dictionary. Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Retrieved June 9, 2024 from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/inspiration
Pope Paul VI. (1965). Dei Verbum [Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation]. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved from https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
Pope Pius XII. (1943). Divino Afflante Spiritu. [Encyclical of Pope Pius XII on Promoting Biblical Studies, Commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of Providentissimus Deus]. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved from https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_30091943_divino-afflante-spiritu.html
Pope Pius XII. (1950). Humani Generis. [Encyclical of Pope Pius XII] Libreria Editirce Vaticana. Retrieved from https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_12081950_humani-generis.html
St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. (2012). Inspiration of Scripture in the Catholic Tradition. St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Retrieved June 9, 2024 from https://stpaulcenter.com/inspiration-of-scripture-in-the-catholic-tradition/
The Didache Bible. (2016). The Didache Bible (1st Edition, 4th Printing). Ed Cole, J. Ignatius Press.
Vatican Council I. (1870). Dei Filius [Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith]. EWTN. Retrieved June 9, 2024 from https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/teachings/vatican-i-dogmatic-constitution-dei-filius-on-the-catholic-faith-241?keyword=&mt=&loc=9062538&n=g&d=c&adp=&cid=8641161795&adgid=90568226081&tid=dsa-19959388920&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIg7OLy73NhgMVs8w8Ah1a9AzwEAAYASAAEgJjlPD_BwE