It’s Alive! The Bible and You

The Reality of Sacred Scripture

  • Christianity is a religion of the Word, and the Word is a living person, Jesus Christ
  • God wrote the world like human beings write words. Consequently, God created everything with a meaning and a purpose to accomplish our salvation.
  • Bread, darkness, water, etc. are not prior physical realities to which humans later assigned significance; God created each with a specific meaning in reference to his plan to restore all things in Christ (Ephesians 1:10)
  • God established the world to impart meaning to us
  • Hence, God was also more than able to write Sacred Scripture Himself through the means of human instruments.
  • All instruments are used in accord with their nature. For example, to cut down a tree with a handsaw, you must supply the back-and-forth motion yourself. A chainsaw is constructed to move its own blade once activated. You must simply direct the chainsaw, and it will cut the tree more easily.
  • Similarly, the authors of Sacred Scripture were not automatons possessed by God, mindlessly dictating words as He instructed them. In accord with their nature, they used their human intellect, the languages and literary styles known to them, and their own experience as believers to compose the books of the Bible. The whole time, God directed them.

The Beauty of Sacred Scripture

  • Because God is the primary author of Sacred Scripture, its complexity and profundity surpass all other human literary achievements. For the same reason, however, it can be difficult to understand at a glance.
  • Even before the various books of the Bible were written down and collected into one volume, Christians had discovered several layers of meaning in the Scriptures. Medieval Christians divided them into four categories:
  1. Literary (literal) – the linguistic meaning of the text, and the basis for all other meanings. This meaning can be discovered by:
  • grammatical analysis of words and sentences; consider the context of a passage
  • determining the literary form: poem, hymn, prose, history, speech, etc. Each of these forms was constructed differently in different eras
  • historical analysis, including knowledge of the culture, contemporary events
  • archaeology of the places, geography of regions
  • knowledge of the original languages in which the Bible was written (Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic) is greatly helpful
  1. Christological (allegorical) – the first of the “spiritual senses” of Scripture; includes signs and events called “types” that prefigure the actions of Jesus Christ
  • To discover these “types,” look for events or symbols in the Old Testament which correspond with Jesus
  • The Fathers of the Church, theologians from primarily the 2nd to 6th century, were excellent at typology, that is, discovering prefigurements of Christ
  1. Moral – the teaching of Scripture on human conduct and liturgical life
  2. Heavenly (anagogical) – refers to human destiny with God when all divine promises will be fulfilled; describes our destination after life and at the end of time
  • Sacred Scripture can also be interpreted using different principles called hermeneutics:
  • Historical-critical method – apply all the human sciences to Scripture; several different areas of investigation or criticism are:
  • Redaction – looks at the different stages in the composition of a text; most of Scripture began as verbal tradition written down later. Redaction criticism also seeks to fix errors in manuscript copies, which were done by hand before the printing press
  • Form – consider literary forms and the structure of a text
  • Source – tries to divide a text into different sources which were later assembled into one; pure theories, many of which are being eroded (for example: JEPD for Pentateuch and Q, Marcan for Synoptic Gospels)
  • historical-critical method can never be the final stage of inquiry, as it leaves the text dissected and relies solely on human criteria
  • Canonical method – considers the entire canon (or collection of Scripture books) to be inspired by God and forming a unity of meaning
  • Previous books in Scripture explain the events of later books, and the coherence of symbols becomes apparent

The Word of God in Your Hand

  • Catholic Translations:
  • Because God’s Word, Christ, is alive, the Sacred Scriptures can be translated into any language without a corruption of their meaning. Translation must still be done accurately, and certain translations are to be preferred over others:
  • New Vulgate – Church’s official Latin text, a revision of St. Jerome’s 4th century translation from the original languages
  • Formal equivalent translations – word-for-word translation as close as possible to original wording; especially helpful for careful textual analysis
  • New American Bible – English translation used in the Lectionary for Mass; first published in 1970, revised 1986. Often extensive textual notes. No reproductions allowed.
  • Douay-Rheims – 16th century translation from St. Jerome’s Vulgate, revised in the 18th century by Bishop Richard Challoner of England. It seeks to preserve the insights of St. Jerome, who lived close to the time of the original writings and studied extensively in Palestine. Uses old English, which can confuse modern readers
  • Revised Standard Version – 1952 revision of the American Standard Version published in 1901, itself a revision of the King James (or Authorized) Bible of 1611. Its purpose was to provide a Bible for all Christians to read, thereby aiding ecumenism
  • New Revised Standard Version – 1990 revision of above; uses more modern vocabulary than RSV. The use of gender-neutral language distorts some typology. Less than 500 verses or 50% of any one book may be reproduced without permission if copyright notice given.
  • Functional / dynamic equivalent translations – thought-for-thought translations geared to the meaning of the original vocabulary, making the text easily readable and understandable. Possible risk of obscuring the spiritual senses of Scripture and distorting typology
  • Jerusalem Bible – originally a 1956 French translation by the Dominican Biblical School in Jerusalem; English version published in 1966. Aimed at converting and inspiring modern readers.
  • New Jerusalem Bible – 1985 revision which streamlines the textual notes of the original
  • Good News Bible – 1976 translation meant to be accessible to contemporary Christians. First Catholic version in 1979, revised 1992. Less than 500 verses or 25% of any one book may be reproduced without permission if copyright notice given.
  • Christian Community Bible – begun in 1986 in the Philippine by Fr. Bernardo Hurault and Sr. Patricia Grogan, FCJ; includes pastoral notes, intended in part for people using English as a second language
  • Recommended Commentaries:
  • The Navarre Bible – insightful but not overly-technical exposition of the text; includes the spiritual sense with quotations from the saints and Catholic Church documents. Initiated by St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of the University of Navarre (Spain) and of Opus Dei.
  • Ignatius Catholic Study Bible – full of notes and explanations from the writings of the Fathers of the Church and the scholarship of Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch. The questions at the end of each section are good for review or for a Bible study.
  • Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture – collection of multiple commentaries by the Church Fathers; profound insights on the spiritual sense.
  • New Jerome Biblical Commentary – scholarly work utilizing the historical-critical method; contains useful articles and detailed textual analysis; little exposition of the spiritual sense; theories sometimes presented as facts and conclusions may be at odds with faith, so read with caution

The Living Presence of Christ

  • Since God is the author of Scripture, and Christ is the Word of God, Christ is present in the Scriptures. For this reason, St. Jerome declared: “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” (Commentary on Isaiah).
  • Whereas Catholics worship the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, we venerate his presence in Sacred Scripture. For this reason, the Gospel Book is raised in procession at Mass, placed upon the altar, and incensed before proclamation.
  • Whenever we read Scripture, we are listening to the voice of God Himself and encountering Christ. Hence, the practice of reading Scripture is highly promoted by the Catholic Church; in fact, the Catholic who reads Scripture for half-an-hour may receive a plenary indulgence, with the proper accompanying actions.
  • Select a translation that you like and a book formatted and designed in an appealing way for you. Treat this book with reverence to remind yourself of Christ’s presence in the words, and be comfortable with it, not fearing to use it.
  • Reading Scripture can easily become prayer, and is a long-standing devotion in the Church called “lectio divina,” or divine reading. The following pattern is most helpful for lectio divina:
  1. Choose a time and place where you can pray without distraction from noise, discomfort, or interruption. Select a Bible that you like and have a useful commentary at hand, if you can get one. Allot from half-an-hour to an hour for the prayer, and do not leave until time is up. Setting an alarm will allow you to concentrate on prayer; avoid glancing at a clock.
  2. Begin with a prayer to the Holy Spirit for guidance. As the inspirer of Scripture, the Holy Spirit can initiate you into its meaning. Bless your mind, lips, and heart as at Mass before the Gospel (“May the word of God in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart.”)
  3. (lectio) Read the chosen passage of Scripture slowly—and out loud, if possible. Consider its distinctive elements and structure
  4. (meditatio) Engage your mind to investigate the meaning of the passage. Consider the literary sense with the aid of a commentary. Consider next the spiritual sense, then a possible message for you personally in the passage.
  5. (oratio) Pray to receive a certain grace from God which you need at that time: healing, encouragement, peace, joy, direction, or the answer to a particular question.
  6. (imaginatio) Imagine yourself in the scene. Hear, see, and smell the places and actions around you. Observe Jesus and the people around him. Picture yourself as one of the people or an unseen onlooker.
  7. (contemplatio) Relax now and listen to the Lord; do not speak. Allow the Holy Spirit to direct your heart in accord with His previous movements in your mind. Simply rest in the Lord. You may receive a feeling from the Holy Spirit (especially one of the Fruits of the Spirit), an insight into God’s presence, an insight into yourself, or silence. Remain with the Lord until the prayer time has ended, even if you feel or experience nothing.
  8. Record your insights in a journal when you are able. Reviewing this journal occasionally will reveal God’s direction for you over time. Share your insights with your spiritual director to more clearly discern God’s immediate will for you.

Rev. Eric Culler

1