Joshveer Chhabra - Article and Questions Vatican II on Divine Revelation by Father Kenneth Baker SJ
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Vatican II on Divine Revelation
by Father Kenneth Baker S.J.
Read the attached article and then answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper as
part of your notes.
1) What was the Catholic Church commissioned to do?
-
The Catholic Church was commissioned by Jesus Christ to proclaim the Gospel of God's love to
all mankind. This proclamation is based on divine revelation, with Jesus as the Word of God
revealing the inner nature of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Church's mission is to
share the message of God's love and redemption for humanity, revealed through Jesus Christ's
passion, death, and resurrection.
2) Why is Dei Verbum known as one of the most important documents of the Vatican II Council.
-
Dei Verbum is known as one of the most important documents of the Vatican II Council because
it is the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. This document spells out in detail what the
Catholic Church believes and teaches regarding divine revelation, primarily as it is contained in
the Bible. It emphasizes both the Old Testament and the New Testament, as well as Tradition.
3) Why does the Council want the whole world to hear the summons to salvation?
-
The Council wants the whole world to hear the summons to salvation so that, through hearing,
people may believe in Jesus Christ. The Council aims to spread the truth of the Gospel
universally, inviting all individuals to faith. By believing in Christ, people can then hope and
ultimately come to love God.
4) What is the ultimate goal?
-
The ultimate goal, as stated in the prologue of Dei Verbum, is to proclaim the truth of the Gospel
to the whole world so that people may believe in Jesus Christ and, through this belief, arrive at
the love of God. The Council emphasizes the importance of faith, hope, and love as the means
through which individuals can establish fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
Chapter 1: Divine Revelation Itself
5) What is divine revelation?
-
Divine revelation is the act of God making Himself and the mysterious plan of His will known to
humanity. It involves God revealing to humanity His nature and His plan for humanity and the
world.
6) How does God do this?
-
God reveals Himself through both deeds and words in the history of salvation, as recorded in the
Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). The miraculous works of God in salvation
history, as well as the words of the prophets like Abraham and Moses, verify one another.
7) How are the stories of Abraham, Moses, and the prophets tied to Jesus Christ?
-
The stories of Abraham, Moses, and the prophets are tied to Jesus Christ in the sense that God
revealed Himself in a beginning way to these figures. He adopted Israel as His own people,
teaching them to look for the promised Savior and Messiah. These Old Testament figures set the
stage for the arrival of the Gospel in Jesus Christ.
8) How did Jesus prove who he was?
-
Jesus proved who He was through His words and miracles, especially through His glorious
resurrection from the dead. His resurrection demonstrated His divine authority and confirmed the
truth of His teachings.
9) What does it mean when Father Kenneth states “Jesus established a new and eternal covenant
between God and man which will never be replaced”?
-
When Father Kenneth states, "Jesus established a new and eternal covenant between God and
man which will never be replaced," he means that through His life, teachings, death, and
resurrection, Jesus established a new and everlasting agreement or covenant between humanity
and God. This covenant represents a permanent relationship, and there will be no new public
revelation of God's will before the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ in glory.
10) What is the proper response of man to God’s revelation of Himself?
-
The proper response of man to God's revelation of Himself is faith. Faith is the free assent of the
individual to divine revelation, wherein one commits their entire self to God. However, faith is
also considered a gift from God. To have faith, individuals require the grace of God, which
illuminates their minds and moves their will to believe. This illumination and assistance come
from the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, as indicated in John 6:44, where Jesus states that no
one can come to Him unless the Father draws them.
Chapter 2: The Transmission of Divine Revelation
11) How is divine revelation handed on from generation to generation?
-
Divine revelation is handed on from generation to generation through Christ the Lord, who is the
fullness of the revelation of God. He taught the Apostles all that God wished to communicate to
humanity and commanded them to preach the Gospel to all nations. The Apostles, in turn, bore
witness to all that Jesus said and did in His earthly life. As they aged and some died as martyrs,
those still living and their co-workers committed the message of salvation to writing. This sacred
Tradition and the sacred Scriptures serve as a mirror in which the Church contemplates God
during its earthly journey.
12) Jesus founded His Church on which people?
-
Jesus founded His Church on Peter and the Apostles.
13) To make sure that the Gospel remained intact, what did the Apostles do?
-
To ensure that the Gospel remained intact, the Apostles appointed bishops as their successors and
conferred their own teaching authority on them.
14) What does it mean to say that the Church’s teaching on faith and morals are not “static”?
-
The Church's teaching on faith and morals is not "static." There is growth in the understanding of
the faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This growth occurs through reflection on God's
Word by saints, bishops, and theologians. As time progresses, the Church advances in its
understanding of what has been revealed and applies ancient truths to new problems and
circumstances, such as changes in the social order and in the physical and life sciences.
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15) What can the ancient truths be applied to?
-
Ancient truths can be applied to new problems and circumstances, including changes in the
social order and developments in the physical and life sciences.
16) Where does the Church draw her certainty about revealed truth?
-
The Church draws her certainty about revealed truth both from Scripture and from Tradition.
Both sources must be treated with equal reverence.
17) Who did the Council deem as the only authentic interpreter of the Word of God?
-
The Council deemed the teaching office of the Church, also called the Magisterium, as the only
authentic interpreter of the Word of God.
18) What do Catholics consult regarding problems or questions about true faith and morals?
-
Catholics consult Tradition, Scripture, and the Magisterium (the teaching office of the Church)
regarding problems or questions about true faith and morals.
Chapter 3: Sacred Scripture: It’s Divine inspiration and Interpretations
19) What does it mean to say that the Bible was inspired by God?
-
To say that the Bible was inspired by God means that, according to the Church, the 46 books of
the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament are considered to be inspired by God.
Inspiration implies that God, as the primary author, worked through the minds and wills of the
sacred authors, guiding them through His grace to write down the truths He intended to
communicate to humanity. The Church holds that these books were written without error and
firmly and faithfully teach the truths necessary for salvation.
20) If the interpreter wishes to ascertain correctly what God wished to tell us, what must he do?
-
If the interpreter wishes to ascertain correctly what God wished to tell us, he must strive to find
the literal meaning that the sacred writers had in mind. This requires knowledge of the original
language, culture, customs, date of writing, place, and author. Additionally, the interpreter must
be familiar with the different literary forms used in the Bible, such as laws, history, poetry,
prayers, parables, prophecy, and wisdom. Correct interpretation also necessitates keeping in
mind the divine authorship and recognizing the unity in all of Scripture, understanding that there
are no errors in the Bible. Interpretation should also take into account the whole Tradition of the
Church and the analogy of faith, which means considering what the Church has consistently
taught. The Magisterium of the Church, exercising its divine commission, oversees and guards
the interpretation of God's holy Word.
21) Who is deeply concerned about the way in which the Bible is interpreted?
-
The Magisterium of the Church is deeply concerned about the way in which the Bible is
interpreted. All interpretations of the Bible are subject to the judgment of the Church, which has
the divinely given authority to oversee and guard the interpretation of God's holy Word. The
Church, therefore, is the entity deeply concerned about the proper interpretation of the Bible and
is the only authority that can determine with authority the meaning of any disputed text.
Chapter 4: The Old Testament
22) How did God reveal Himself gradually to mankind?
-
God revealed Himself gradually to mankind. He revealed Himself to Abraham and through
Abraham, He gained for Himself a people - the people of Israel. God established a covenant with
them and gave them the promises of a Savior or Messiah who would eventually come. The plan
for the salvation of mankind had its beginning with Israel and is written down in her sacred
books, the Old Testament.
23) Everything in the Old Testament point to who?
-
Everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus the Messiah. The Old Testament contains
various figures and events, such as Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, and Job, which are
seen as types or prefigurations of Christ. The Catholic Church reveres the Old Testament, and all
its books, in one way or another, are believed to point to the Messiah, who is the God-man, Jesus
Christ.
24) What St. Augustine quote is used in the Document?
-
The document quotes St. Augustine, stating, "God, who is the author of all the books of the Old
Testament and New Testament, in his wisdom and providence has brought it about that the New
should be hidden in the Old and that the Old should be made clear in the New." This quote
emphasizes the interconnectedness of the Old and New Testaments and how the Old Testament
foreshadows and finds fulfillment in the New Testament, particularly in the life and teachings of
Jesus Christ.
Chapter 5: The New Testament
25) What strong statement does Chapter 5 begin with?
-
Chapter 5 begins with the strong statement that the Word of God is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who has faith, referencing Romans 1:16. The chapter emphasizes the
power of God and the faith found in the New Testament writings, which tell the story of the
incarnation of the Son of God and His actions to redeem humanity.
26) What do the books of the New Testament explain?
-
The books of the New Testament explain the incarnation of the Son of God, what He did, and
what He said in order to redeem the human race. They serve as a divine witness to all that Jesus
did and said, explaining His identity and purpose in coming into the world.
27) What are the most important books in the New Testament? Why?
-
The most important books in the New Testament are the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John. They are considered crucial because they are the principal source of knowledge about
the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. The Church has always defended the apostolic origin of
these Gospels, as they were communicated by Jesus to His Apostles, who preached and
eventually wrote down the Good News.
28) What does the Church unequivocally defend regarding the four Gospels?
-
The Church unequivocally defends the historicity of the four Gospels, maintaining that they truly
and accurately tell us what Jesus did and taught during His earthly life. The Gospels were written
by eyewitnesses (Matthew and John) or by companions of eyewitnesses (Mark and Luke).
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Guided by the Holy Spirit, they recorded what they remembered and preached for several years,
ensuring that the full truth about Jesus the Christ would be known.
29) Who are known as eyewitness writers?
-
Eyewitness writers in the New Testament are Matthew and John, who were actual eyewitnesses
to the events they described in their Gospels. Mark and Luke, although not eyewitnesses
themselves, wrote their Gospels based on the testimony of others who were eyewitnesses, and
they were companions of the apostles, thus having access to firsthand accounts.
Chapter 6: Sacred Scripture in The Life of The Church
30) Because all the faithful should have easy access to sacred Scripture, what does the Church
encourage and promote?
-
The Church encourages and promotes good translations of sacred Scripture in modern languages,
based on the original Hebrew and Greek texts. It holds in high regard the Greek Septuagint
version of the Old Testament and the Latin Vulgate edition produced by St. Jerome in the 4th
century.
31) In every generation, what does the Church strive to achieve?
-
In every generation, the Church strives to achieve a deeper understanding of the sacred books,
which contain the Word of God. The Church encourages the study of the Eastern and Western
Fathers and the holy liturgies of various Catholic rites. Exegetes and theologians are urged to
study and explain the Scriptures under the guidance of the Magisterium.
32) Catholic theology is based on what 3 things?
-
Catholic theology is based on sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium.
33) What does the Council urge priests, deacons, and catechists to do?
-
The Council urges priests, deacons, and catechists to immerse themselves in the Scriptures by
constantly reading them and meditating on them. The study of the sacred page should lead to
prayer.
34) The Council states that bishops should do what for the faithful?
-
Bishops should instruct the faithful on how to use the Bible in a Catholic way and provide good
translations with adequate notes, especially for the evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
They should ensure that the faithful understand the content of the Scriptures.
35) What is the ultimate hope of the Council for Catholics when they read and study the Word of God?
-
The ultimate hope of the Council is that by reading and studying the Word of God contained in
the Bible, Catholics will grow in the knowledge and love of God. The Holy Eucharist and the
Holy Scriptures are considered the foundation of a vigorous and generous spiritual life.
Vatican II on Divine Revelation
by Father
Kenneth
Baker, S.J.
The Catholic faith is based on divine revelation. The Catholic Church knows that she was
founded by Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, and that she was commissioned by Him to
proclaim the Gospel of God's love to all mankind. Jesus as the Word of God is the fullness of
God's revelation. He revealed to His disciples the inner nature of God as tri-personal Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. He also revealed God's plan to redeem
the human race
by His passion,
death and resurrection.
In its Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum, November 18, 1965) the
Second Vatican Council spelled out in some detail what the Church believes and teaches
with
regard to
divine revelation, primarily as it is contained in the Bible. Tradition is also included,
but the emphasis in the document is on the written word in the holy Scriptures of the Old
Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). Dei Verbum, since it is a dogmatic constitution,
is one of the most important documents of the Council. It ranks second only to the Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) and is printed in the second place in the
collection of Vatican II documents.
In what follows I will summarize briefly the prologue and the six chapters of the Constitution
and in the
process
I will make a few observations as a help to understanding the document.
PROLOGUE (#1):
In the prologue the Council says that it hears the Word of God with reverence and proclaims it
with faith in order to have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:2-
3). In accordance with Tradition, the Fathers of the Council say they intend to set forth the true
doctrine on divine revelation and its transmission. The Council wants the whole world to hear
the summons to salvation, so that through hearing it may believe, through belief it may hope,
through hope it may come to love (#1).
The goal then is to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to the whole world so that it may believe in
Jesus Christ and so arrive at the love of God.
CHAPTER I. DIVINE REVELATION ITSELF (##2-6):
The basic idea of revelation is to make known something that is hidden. In the case of
divine
revelation
it means that God makes known to man Himself and the mysterious plan of
His will for man and the world. His will was that men should have access to the Father, through
Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit, and thus become sharers in the divine nature
(Eph. 2:18; 2 Pet. 1:4) (#2).
How does God do this? He does it by deeds and words in the history of salvation as recorded
in the OT and in the NT. The miraculous works of God in salvation history verify the words of
the prophets like Abraham and Moses, and the words explain the works and bring to light the
mystery they contain (#2).
God revealed Himself in a beginning way to Abraham, Moses and the prophets and so
adopted Israel as His own people. He taught them to look for the promised
Savior
and Messiah
and in this
way
He set the stage for the arrival of the Gospel in Jesus Christ (#3).
Finally, He sent His only-begotten Son, who is the light of the world, to dwell among men and
to tell them about the inner life of God and His plan for the world. Jesus Christ completed and
perfected revelation; He proved who He was by His words and His miracles, especially by His
glorious resurrection from the dead.
Jesus established a new and eternal covenant between God and man which will never be
replaced; this means that there will be no new public revelation of God's will before the end of
the world and the Second Coming of Christ in glory (#4).
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The proper response of man to God's revelation of Himself is faith by which he freely assents
to revelation and commits his entire self to God (#5). But faith is a gift of God, so man must
have the grace of God which illuminates his mind and moves his will to believe; to do this he
needs the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus said in John 6:44, no one can come to me
unless my Father draws him.
In #6 the Council repeats its definition of revelation and quotes two passages from Vatican I: 1)
that God can be known with certainty by the natural light of human reason from considering the
created world, and 2) that those things, which in themselves are not beyond the grasp of
human reason, can, in the present condition of the human race, be known by all men with
ease, with firm certainty, and without the contamination of error (#6, citing
Denz. 3004 and
3005).
CHAPTER II. THE TRANSMISSION OF DIVINE REVELATION (##7-10):
This chapter answers the question: How is divine revelation, which was given to mankind
thousands of years ago in the OT and by Jesus in the NT, handed on from generation to
generation?
The answer is that Christ the Lord, who is the fullness of the revelation of God, taught the
Apostles all that God wished to communicate to man and then commanded them to preach the
Gospel to all nations, beginning with Israel. This is what they did; they also bore witness to all
that He said and did in His earthly life. As the Apostles advanced in age and died as martyrs
for Christ, those still
living
and their co-workers committed the message of salvation to writing.
Jesus founded His Church, which He willed to last until His Second Coming, on Peter and the
Apostles. In order that the Gospel might be preserved intact, the Apostles appointed bishops
as their successors and conferred their own teaching authority on them. Thus, this sacred
Tradition and the sacred Scriptures are like a mirror, in which the Church, during its pilgrim
journey here on earth, contemplates God (#7).
In this way the apostolic preaching is preserved without corruption until the end of time. The
teaching of the Church on faith and morals is based on that original preaching. But it is not
static. There is growth in the understanding of the faith, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
which takes place through reflection on God's Word by saints and bishops and theologians. As
time goes by the Church advances in its understanding of what has been revealed and applies
the ancient truths to new problems and circumstances, such as changes in the social order
and in the physical and life sciences.
Tradition and Scripture are closely bound together since they come from the same divine
source. The Bible is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy
Spirit (#9). Tradition transmits faithfully the Word of God which was given to the Apostles by
Jesus and the Holy Spirit and it also transmits it to the bishops who are the successors of the
Apostles.
So
the Church draws her certainty about revealed truth both from Scripture and from
Tradition, both of which must be treated with equal reverence.
In #10 the Council makes a very important statement that sums up and basically concludes a
theological debate which has been going on since the Council of Trent in the 16th century:
Sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God,
which is entrusted to the Church (emphasis added). The Council thus takes a position here
that there are not two sources of revelation, but only one Tradition and Scripture together.
Every written document is subject to interpretation, especially when it was written hundreds or
thousands of years ago. Thus, we have a Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution of the
United States. The Council says that the only authentic interpreter of the Word of God, whether
written or in the form of Tradition, is the teaching office of the Church, which is also called the
Magisterium. In His Providence God has so arranged things that Tradition, Scripture and the
Magisterium are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the
others (#10). This means that problems or questions about true faith and morals must be
solved by resorting to these three basic sources.
CHAPTER III. SACRED SCRIPTURE: ITS DIVINE INSPIRATION AND INTERPRETATION
(##11-13):
The Church holds that the 46 books of the OT and the 27 books of the NT are inspired by God.
Inspiration means that, in some mysterious way, God is the primary author of those books; by
means of His grace He worked through the minds and wills of the sacred authors, moving
them to put down in writing those truths He wished to communicate to all mankind. Since God,
who can neither deceive nor be deceived, is the author of the Bible, the Council says that we
must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully and without error, teach that
truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the sacred Scriptures
(# 11).
Those books were written down over a period of more than a thousand years; the language
and cultural situation were vastly different from what we know. Consequently, the interpreter of
the Bible, if he is to ascertain correctly what God wished to tell us, must strive to find the literal
meaning the sacred writers had in mind. This means that he must know the original language,
culture, customs, date of writing, place, and author.
The interpreter must also know the different literary forms used by the ancient authors laws,
history, poetry, prayers, parables, prophecy, wisdom, and so forth. Correct interpretation also
requires that the reader must keep the divine authorship in mind; he ought not to forget that
there is unity in all of Scripture because it has one divine author.
So
there are no errors in the
Bible and any conclusions drawn from Scripture must take into account the whole Tradition of
the Church and the analogy of faith, that is, what the Church has always taught. The
Magisterium of the Church is deeply concerned about the way in which the Bible is interpreted,
and all interpretation of the Bible is subject to the judgment of the Church, which exercises the
divinely given commission of overseeing and guarding the interpretation of God's holy Word.
One must never forget that the Bible was produced by the Church; it is her book and she is the
only one who can determine with authority the meaning of any disputed text.
CHAPTER IV. THE OLD TESTAMENT (##14-16):
God revealed Himself to man gradually. He revealed Himself to Abraham and through
Abraham He gained for Himself a people the people of Israel. He established a covenant with
them and gave them the promises of a
Savior
or Messiah who would eventually come.
So
His
plan for the salvation of mankind had its beginning with Israel and is written down in her sacred
books. The OT contains 46 books law, history, prophets and wisdom books and all of them, in
one way or another, point to the Messiah, the one who was to come.
So
the whole OT is a
preparation for the Redeemer who is the God-man, Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary in
Bethlehem about 1700 years after the time of Abraham.
Everything in the OT points to Jesus the Messiah, some things more clearly than others. Thus,
we find dramatic types of Christ such as Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, Job, and so
forth. Accordingly, the Catholic Church reveres the OT and includes all the books in her own
Bible. The Council says that those books give expression to a lively sense of God and that
they are a storehouse of sublime teaching on God and of sound wisdom on human life, as well
as a wonderful treasury of prayers (# 15).
Quoting St. Augustine, the document says God, who is the author of all the books of the OT
and NT, in his wisdom and providence has brought it about that the New should be hidden in
the Old and that the Old should be made clear in the New (#16). There are more than 350
references to the OT in the NT. The books of the OT attain new meaning in the NT, and they
also shed new light on many of the things that Jesus did and said.
So
the more one
understands the books of the OT, the better he will understand the NT. They can only
strengthen his faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God.
CHAPTER V THE NEW TESTAMENT (##17-20):
The chapter begins with the strong statement that the Word of God is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who has faith (cf. Rom. 1:16). This power and this faith are set forth
clearly in the writings of the NT. For it tells the story of the incarnation of the Son of God, what
He did and what He said in order to redeem
the human race. He is the one who has the words
of eternal life and He communicates that life through grace to all who believe in Him.
So
the
books of the NT are a divine witness to all that Jesus did and said; they explain who He is and
why He came into this world.
The Council says that the most important books in the NT are the four Gospels of Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John because they are our principal source of knowledge about the life and
teaching of Jesus Christ. The Church has always proclaimed and defended the apostolic origin
of the four Gospels. For Jesus communicated the Good News to His Apostles; they preached it
everywhere and eventually they and other apostolic men committed that preaching to writing in
what we call the four Gospels just mentioned.
The next very serious point has to do with the historical value of the Gospels, that is, are they
true? Do they really tell us what Jesus did and said, or are they a pious fabrication of those
who lived perhaps many years after the time of Jesus? The Church unequivocally defends the
historicity of the four Gospels and firmly maintains that they truly and accurately tell us what
Jesus did and taught during his earthly life.
So
the Gospels were written by eye witnesses
(Matthew and John), or by the companions of eye witnesses (Mark and Luke). Helped by the
Holy Spirit, they wrote down what they remembered and what they had preached for
a number
of
years, or they wrote down the testimony of
others who were eye witnesses. Their purpose
was that we might know the full truth about Jesus the Christ (see Luke 1:2-4) (#19).
In addition to the four Gospels, the NT also contains the fourteen letters of St. Paul and the
other apostolic writings which were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These
writings clarify certain points of Jesus teaching and apply it to the circumstances of the time.
Much of it is theological reflection on what God accomplished through Jesus Christ. For Jesus
had promised to send the Holy Spirit on his Apostles (John 14 and 16) to guide them into all
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truth; He also said that He Himself would be with them until the end of the world (see Matt.
28:18-20).
CHAPTER VI. SACRED SCRIPTURE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH (##21-26):
The Church regards the divine Scriptures along with Tradition as the supreme rule of her faith.
It follows that the Christian life and especially the worship of the Church should be nourished
and ruled by sacred Scripture. The liturgy of the Sacraments, especially the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass, is permeated with quotes and references to the Bible.
All the faithful should have easy access to sacred Scripture. For this
reason
the Church
encourages and promotes good translations in the modern languages which should be based
on the original Hebrew and Greek texts; she holds in high regard the Greek Septuagint version
of the OT, and the Latin Vulgate edition which was produced by St. Jerome in the 4th century.
The Church is taught by the Holy Spirit. In every generation she strives to achieve a deeper
understanding of the sacred books which contain the Word of God. Accordingly, she
encourages the study of the Eastern and Western Fathers
and also
the holy liturgies of the
various Catholic rites. The Council urges exegetes and theologians to study the Scriptures and
to explain them, but always under the watchful eye of the Magisterium. For explanation of the
Bible is a work that must be done in the Church, for the Church, and under the direction of the
Church.
The Word of God nourishes faith.
So
the study of the Scriptures enlightens the mind,
strengthens the will and inflames the hearts of men with the love of God. This section of the
document strongly encourages Scripture scholars to press forward in their work, but always in
accordance with the mind of the Church (#23).
Catholic theology is based on sacred Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium. Quoting a
phrase from Pope Leo XIII, the Council says that the study of the sacred page should be the
soul of theology. The pastoral work of priests should be nourished by their use of the
Scriptures, especially in preaching and catechetics.
Using an expression of St. Jerome, the Council reminds both priests and lay people that
Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. Accordingly, the Council urges priests,
deacons and catechists to immerse themselves in the Scriptures by constantly reading them
and meditating on them. The study of the sacred page should lead naturally to prayer, for, as
St. Ambrose said,
We
speak to him when we pray; we listen to him when we read the divine
oracles.
Next, the Council says that bishops should instruct the faithful on how to use the Bible in a
Catholic way, and that they should provide good translations with adequate
notes
so the
reader can better understand what the authors are saying, especially the evangelists Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John (#25).
Finally, the Council hopes that by reading and studying the Word of God contained in the Bible,
Catholics will grow in the knowledge and love of God.
So
the Holy Eucharist and the Holy
Scriptures are the foundation of a vigorous and generous spiritual life.
The Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum depends on Catholic biblical scholarship of the past. It
is especially dependent on the encyclical letters of three popes which treat the Bible: Leo
XIIIs
Providentissimus
Deus (1893), Benedict XVs Spiritus
Paraclitus
(1920, and
Pius XIIs
Divino
Afflante
(1943). Those readers interested in questions related to the interpretation of the
Bible should consult the important document published by the Pontifical Biblical Commission in
1993 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of
Providentissimus
Deus. The English title
is The Interpretation of the Bible in the Catholic Church. It can be found in Origins (Vol. 23, No.
29, January 6, 1994, pp. 497-524). The Daughters of St. Paul also sell it in a pamphlet form.
These four documents, along with the Dogmatic Constitution on Revelation, will give the
reader a good overview of Church teaching during the past hundred years on questions
relating to divine Revelation and its interpretation. These documents are normative for anyone
who calls himself a Catholic whether cleric, theologian or lay person.
Baker,
Kenneth
. Vatican II on Divine Revelation.
Catholic Dossier
6 no. 1 (January-February
2000): 17-21