The Bible
The Holy Bible consists of the 73 books of the Old and the New Testaments, whole and entire, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, with God as their author, and which have been handed on as such to the Church herself (Catechism of the Catholic Church 105). The Church "forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful . . . to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ" (133).
"Interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church which exercises the divinely conferred commission and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God" (119). St. Augustine shares, "But I would not believe in the Gospel, had not the authority of the Catholic Church already moved me."
The authoritative document from the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) containing the Catholic Church's teachings on the Bible is called Dei Verbum and can be accessed here.
Below are some resources to assist in a Catholic approach to reading, praying, and living with Sacred Scripture.
- Background and resources
- Dei Verbum commentary
- Inspiration and interpretation
- Biblical Evidence for Catholics
- Bible translation family tree
- Bible Basics Quiz
Additional resouces: