Following is the first in a series of articles I wrote for the Knights of Columbus newsletter on some considerations of the Bible from a Catholic perspective. They are not really very in-depth or scholarly; but, hopefully, will encourage a few folks who haven't really been too interested in personal reading of the Scriptures to pick them up or to learn more.If you’ve looked for a Bible lately, you’ve probably noticed that there is a dizzying variety of Bibles available. Why so many? What are the differences between them? This series aims to help you understand better what the Bible is, where it came from, how to choose one, & perhaps even how to better encounter Christ Jesus, the Word of God, in the scriptures. So when we say “Bible,” what exactly are we saying? Well, here’s a simple definition: the Bible is the collection of writings that the Catholic Church accepts to be inspired by God. This article will consider the word “collection.”
The collection of texts we call the Bible were written over a large span of time by numerous authors & editors in several languages in many different literary styles during a multitude of historical circumstances. Though the Bible may seem to be many books of many words, it is also God’s Word, so it must also be of a unity saying exactly what he wishes to reveal to us. Thus it is also one book of one Word. These individual texts were collected & grouped together – the Law, the Prophets, the Gospels, etc. Some texts were accepted & others rejected, as we will see next time. By the Holy Spirit, the Church has discerned that the canon of the Bible - the definitive collection of inspired texts - is the 46 books of the Old Testament & the 27 books of the New Testament (CCC #120).
1 comment:
I have never put much thought into the "unity" aspect of the books of the Bible. You are a very excellent teacher! I look forward to this whole series and I will continue promote your blog to all I know.
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