Word of God and the Catholic Church – History and Treasure | KAIROS GLOBAL | DECEMBER 2022

Author: Tena Conil

TWIN FONTS OF THE SACRED DEPOSIT OF THE WORD

The Word of God living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword… and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4: 12) didn’t originate as a book. It’s a staggering and miraculous, millennia-long divine project comprising 73 books, authored by over 35 divinely-inspired authors from across 1,500 years. Scripture developed in the Old Testament (OT) times generally, following a three-phase pattern. First an event would occur, which over time passed into oral tradition (recounted verbally from generation to generation) and much later was written down as books. Jesus never left us any manuscripts and the New Testament (NT) too, comprised of eye-witness accounts, speeches and letters preached by the apostles across the known world was written down as books only centuries later. The Church therefore understands the Word of God as two inseparable wholes: ‘Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture (which) make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God’ (CCC 97). What Christ entrusted to the apostles, they in turn handed on by their preaching. This oral transmission is known as ‘Sacred Tradition,’ which through the Church’s unbroken lineage of papacy and priestly preaching, continues to this day. When they were later written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – as we know it today as the Holy Bible it is known as ‘Sacred Scripture.’ 

BIBLE TIMELINE

A recommended reading list comprising a simplified, chronological arrangement of Biblical books (based on Jeff Cavins’ Great Adventure Bible Timeline) is as follows: Old Testament: Genesis, Job, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Ruth, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Ecclesiastes, 2 Kings, Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Micah, Isaiah, Tobit, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Baruch, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Judith, Lamentations, Obadiah, Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, Nehemiah, Esther, Malachi, 1 Maccabees, Sirach, 2 Maccabees and Wisdom. The books of Psalms, Song of Songs and Proverbs have a stand-alone status (since they are not tied to historic events) and may hence be read anywhere alongside the list. New Testament: John, Mark, Matthew, Luke, Acts, Revelation (the content of this book too has a stand-alone status), Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, James, Colossians, 1 Peter, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and Hebrews.

GUARDIAN OF THE OLD, DISCERNER OF THE NEW

After the Resurrection, as Christianity – the young, new religion burst out of Palestine, rapidly spreading into the known world, demand for Christian literature soared. So along with the authentic writings, spurious authors sprang up everywhere trying to cash in on the demand (known as ‘Gnostic’ literature, some of these still survive). To address this crisis the Council of Rome – a Synod of Bishops and theologians under Pope Damasus I met in 382 AD, when all the available Christian literature was submitted. By her God-given apostolic, teaching authority, it was the Catholic Church who made the divine discernment on which of these were ‘Theopneustos’ (Greek: divinely inspired) and would henceforth be ‘Canon’ (rule of faith). The writings of some Church Fathers like St Irenaeus – although recommended as good spiritual reading, did not make the cut as Canon. So every Bible user – Catholic or not, submits to the teaching authority of the Catholic Church.

Around 90 AD after the destruction of Jerusalem and Jews being scattered all over the world, a council of Jewish Rabbis gathered together at a place called Jamnia in the outskirts of Jerusalem. One of top challenges was to counter centuries of consistent Messianic prophecies in the Hebrew scripture (and their fulfilment in Christ), which gave incredible impetus to the meteoric rise of Christianity. It was at this council that the current Canon of Jewish scriptural books (which discarded the books whose original Hebrew versions had not survived) is believed to have been promulgated. Following the Reformation schism in the 16th century, Protestants also adopted these books in their Old Testament. This is how the Protestant Bible has only 66 out of the 73 Biblical books. The discovery of Dead Sea Scrolls in 1946 (ancient manuscripts of the Qumran community – dating back to the time of Jesus) which contained all of the discarded OT books in original Hebrew, vindicated the Biblical discernment of the Catholic Church. 

AUTHENTIC INTERPRETER OF GOD’S WORD

‘Sola Scriptura’ (Latin: by scripture alone) – a heresy with no biblical basis, still held by most of our separated brethren argue that the written Word of God is the sole source of authority for Christian faith and practice. The Bible however says The church of the living God (is) the pillar and foundation of truth. (1 Timothy 3: 15). Scriptural theology flourished in the setting of divine Liturgy as evidenced especially in the words of the Holy Mass which celebrates the physical presence of the incarnate Word of God. As the guardian of the sacred Deposit of Faith, ‘The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church – that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him’ (CCC 100).