[Notwithstanding]

Without guidance, the Bible is easily misinterpreted. Thats why the Catechism of the Catholic Church is such a good book to have handy when reading the Bible.

[Notwithstanding]

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/ccc.html

[Notwithstanding]

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

PROLOGUE

"FATHER,... this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."[1]

"God our Saviour desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."[2]

"There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved"[3] - than the name of JESUS.

I. The life of man - to know and love God

1 God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.

2 So that this call should resound throughout the world, Christ sent forth the apostles he had chosen, commissioning them to proclaim the gospel: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."[4] Strengthened by this mission, the apostles "went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it."[5]

3 Those who with God's help have welcomed Christ's call and freely responded to it are urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world. This treasure, received from the apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors. All Christ's faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation, by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer.[6]

ENDNOTES

1. Jn 17 3.

2. 1 Tim 2:3-4.

3. Acts 4:12.

4 Mt 28:19-20.

5 Mk 16:20.

6 Cf. Acts 2:42.

[AnnaZ]

Without guidance, the Bible is easily misinterpreted. Thats why the Catechism of the Catholic Church Holy Spirit is such a good book to have handy when reading the Bible.

= )

[CJ Wolf]

"Without guidance, the Bible is easily misinterpreted"

I see others have called you out on this. No need to do so again.

[ARA]

You must be catholic... Guess the Bible alone is not good enough or we are just stupid...

[mamelukesabre]

Yeah, I think hillary says the same thing about the US constitution.

[billbears]

The words in the Bible are quite clear if one sits down and studies it, even without some catechism. I don't need someone else to tell me what it means as God shows us clearly through His word if we are open to the Holy Spirit

And just curious because I've never read the catechism to the Catholic Church but the part you posted says nothing of Christ's sacrifice or his resurrection from the dead. Seems that would be the central message of any church and should especially find it in the prologue, perhaps in big bold red letters? I realize it comments on our relationship to God through Christ, but it doesn't mention exactly what Christ did for us does it?