The vanishing bible

Catholic World News ^ | 11-19-2004

[Stubborn]

Well-meaning, not highly educated Catholics who eagerly joined bible-study groups after the Council not uncommonly found their inherited faith shaken, as they were invited -- by group leaders and by written materials -- to scrutinize Catholic teachings and practices sceptically and to measure them against the New Testament in classical Protestant fashion, a scrutiny which usually seemed to work to the Church's disadvantage. Although this was not their original intention, many people became liberal Catholics through the medium of Bible study. (Thus liberal Catholics are quick to ask, for example, "Where does the New Testament condemn homosexuality?" or "Where does it say that women cannot be ordained priests?")

[desherwood7]

Depends on how they read the Bible. Some "Christians" & "Theologians" love to play fast&loose with the Bible.

[Unam Sanctam]

The website "Biblical Evidence for Catholicism" is a great resource:

http://ic.net/~erasmus/RAZHOME.HTM

[stuartcr]

I've never understood the difference between a Catholic and a Prostestant bible, and how it came about. Is there a quick explanation?

[JFK_Lib]

Catholics have the Apacryphal books included (from the Septuagent) and the Protestants disclude them.

[stuartcr]

What are Apacryphal books, and why would anyone disclude them?

[Alex Murphy]

Ping to check out the source link

[Rokke]

I've never understood why any Christian would not read the whole Bible from cover to cover...repeatedly. It boggles my mind when I meet a Christian who hasn't. More often than not, they happen to be Catholic.

[sassbox]

they are 7 books in the Old Testament that were originally written in Greek. This is why some (all?) Jews do not recognize them. But these 7 books were included in the Christian canon from the beginning. Martin Luther got rid of them because the Jews had rejected them and because one of the books, Maccabees, implied the existence of Purgatory, which was rather inconvenient for Luther's personal theology. Luther also wanted to get rid of James because it said "faith w/o works is dead" but he stopped short of doing that.

[sassbox]

the 7 books are

1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
Sirach
Baruch
Wisdom
Tobit
Judith

Catholic Bibles also include parts of Daniel and Esther that were removed by the Protestants.

[redgolum]

At the time, Luther was unsure about purgatory. It was not officially discarded till after his death. Lutheran Bibles till the last century still had the Apocrypha in them, but usually in a separate section.

There was no official decision on the Apocrypha until the council of Trent. Many theologians at the time didn't consider them totally inspired. Augustine wasn't to sure about some of them, such as Sirach, and in his last book (forget the name :( ) he said so.

[Lilllabettt]

Me and my fellow Bible-loathing, scripture despising, statue worshiping, Mary idolizing Roman Catholics call the 'apocrypha' books "deuterocanonical".
It took quite a long time for the Jewish scriptures to be canonized, and during Jesus' time, the Jews didn't have agreement on what was inspired scripture. The Sadducee's accepted 'the law' rejected the prophets and writings. Pharisees liked all three. Others used a bible written in Greek (which contained the deuterocanoncial texts.)

When Christianity started making a name for itself, a bunch of rabbis got together and created a new canon that didn't have these seven books in it. The reason typically given is that it was in Greek and the rabbi's all the inspired scriptures had to be in Hebrew.

The Christians, meanwhile, continued using the Greek books, and when the Christian scriptures were canonized at the Council of Rome in 382 and ratified at the Council of Hippo in 393, the deuterocanonical books were included.

[stuartcr]

Thanks. I'll try to read up on Luther, it seems convenient that someone can just edit at will.

[stuartcr]

Are you guys demon-spawn too? How does anyone get away with just picking and choosing what in the bible they accept? I thought it was the inerrant word of God?

[Stubborn]

The Protestant bible is a derivative of the Catholic Bible. Aside froim it missing seven books, there are numerous mis-translations as well.

The seven books reference Purgatory, praying to Saints, Our Lady, etc. etc. In short, the reason the seven books were removed were because these books contain many things that Protestants do not believe in - so they got rid of them.

FWIW, I always recommend the Haydock Bible, full of Church authorized interpretations, heres a link:

http://www.catholictreasures.com/cartdescrip/11050.html

[JHavard]

Depends on how they read the Bible. Some "Christians" & "Theologians" love to play fast&loose with the Bible.

The RCC wrote the book on fast&loose. :)

The reason you frown on those who claim to follow the Bible, is because it doesn't align with your Church teaching.

I pray that God approves of the method your Church has taken, but it certainly doesn't offer salvation to the masses of people as the Bible itself does.

There are thousands of different personalities in the world, just as with everything God creates and makes thousands of different varieties.

During the apostle Paul's ministry, they were already two different Christian faiths, Catholic and Protestant :) Christian Jews and Gentiles, and several Jewish faiths, Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the Essenes. .

There were more differences between them, then any of the Christian denominations today.

God intended for they’re to be many different faiths, as long as all of them were seeking Him.

Face it, your Church is stuck at only appealing to those who have been brought up in the ways of the Catholic Church, where the Non-Catholic Churches are more versatile and attractive to those of other backgrounds, who God is also working with.

JH :)

[JHavard]

Catholics have the Apacryphal books included (from the Septuagent) and the Protestants disclude them.

Just as you discluded six of the apocryphal books your self,(if your Catholic) and the Greek Orthodox kept all eighteen of them.

JH :)

[Lilllabettt]

Yup, spawns of Satan. Its obvious from the rite of Exorcism: Catholics and Lucifer are real buddy-buddy.

Catholics don't have the problem of wondering 'how we got the Bible,' the Church assembled the Bible, the Church can't be wrong where doctrine is concerned, and thats that.

Its stickier for Protestants, they reject the Church's authority. So the question hangs in the air. I mean, I know they don't seriously think it just dropped from the sky, neatly arranged and leather bound.

[stuartcr]

It didn't? You mean it was proof-read and edited?

[Lilllabettt]

God intended for they’re to be many different faiths, as long as all of them were seeking Him.

Do I smell syncretism? Or some other wishy washy 'all paths lead to God' muck?