Posted on 04/13/2013 2:54:16 PM PDT by NYer
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic faith is not centered simply on a book -- the Bible -- but on Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh, Pope Francis said.
"The sacred Scriptures are a written testimony to the divine Word," which came before the Bible and exceeds it, the pope said April 12 during a meeting with members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, an international body of scholars that advises the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Commission members met at the Vatican April 9-12 to conclude work on a document about inspiration and truth in the Bible, which is likely to be published in the coming months.
Archbishop Gerhard Muller, prefect of the doctrinal congregation and president of the commission, told the pope the aim was to help people interpret the Scriptures "in accordance with the nature" of the Bible itself. The focus on "inspiration," he said, was an attempt to explain the divine origin of the Bible and the focus on "truth" was an attempt to describe what the Bible says "about God and his plan for salvation."
The archbishop said the commission recognized that when the church describes the Scriptures as being divinely inspired and true certain "challenges come from the Bible itself," including when passages seem to contradict scientific or historical evidence.
Another challenge, he said, is posed by "the violence in some passages" that seems to contradict basic Christian teaching and even phrases the Bible attributes directly to Jesus.
The point of the document, he said, is to help Catholics "overcome both fundamentalism and skepticism."
Pope Francis said the themes of biblical inspiration and truth are important not only for individual believers, "but for the whole church because its life and mission are based on the Word of God, who animates theology and inspires all of Christian existence."
Interpreting the Bible in an honest and authentic way means respecting its nature and recognizing its purpose, the pope said.
"The texts inspired by God were entrusted to the community of believers, the church of Christ, to increase the faith and guide the life of charity," he said. It is only with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and with full respect for the tradition and teaching of the church that the Scriptures' true meaning can be understood.
Already told you. Maybe if you would read my post and not just knee jerk respond with Catholic rhetoric or veiled questions.
Such needless confusion and deceit by not rightly dividing.
There is only one universal church, the Bride of Christ. It’s only to the carnal minded that there are many churches.
For the edification of us catholics, it would be informative and most appreciated if some of you could respond with an example of your daily prayers and readings. Perhaps we can better dialogue on the use of a Bible in daily life. Pax et Bonum
I don't know any 5th graders who are at all proficient in 16th century English and very few children or adults who understand the theological meaning of "age". The irony of having this discussion regarding 2 Timothy 2 seems to have been lost on you. The following is a more accurate translation of the relevant portion:
"Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. - Timothy 2:14-17
Peace be with you
I just told you. Whatever is on our heart in our own words speaking to the Father in the name of Jesus. Often throughout the day there is praise and a genuine thank you. There is often a request for grace and peace for those hurting or healing with regards to the will of God. That personal relationship transcends using rote recitation of formal “Prayers”.
Well, I suppose God will have to decide what He meant when He said it. One makes perfect sense and completely destroys organized religious institutions and removes man from being deceived. The other keeps man chained to the rites and rituals and traditions of other fallen men. Still lost and dead in their sins, with nothing but fear and desperation. You decide.
Are you implying that God spoke the Scripture in King James English?
What does your "bible translation" do with Ephesians, Chapter 2. I would be interested to know what is carved up to make scripture sausage out of plain words. Time Past, But Now, and Ages to Come, specifically.
You cited: Matthew 6:7 - But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. - to describe Catholic prayers of the faithful. This is a classical example of the fallacy in sola scriptura. Jesus' focus in this instruction is on the "vain," and not on the "repetition." It was a condemnation of empty prayers to pagan gods. Two verses later, Jesus gives us the Lord's Prayer. This is a main prayer in Catholic prayer life. It is neither empty nor pagan. It is Holy and honorable and worth repeating because it has meaning.
In Matt. 26:44 - for example, Jesus prayed a third time in the garden of Gethsemane, saying the exact same words again. It is not the repetition that is the issue. It's the vanity. God looks into our heart, not solely at our words. We see in Luke 18:13, that the tax collector kept beating his breast and praying "God be merciful to me, a sinner." This repetitive prayer was pleasing to God because it was offered with a sincere and repentant heart. In 1 Thess. 5:17 - Paul commands us to pray constantly. Good repetition is different than vain repetition.
That personal relationship transcends using rote recitation of formal “Prayers”.
Have you ever read the Book of Psalms? Take a look at Psalm 136. In this Psalm, the phrase "For His steadfast love endures forever" is more repetitious than any Catholic prayer, and it is God's divine Word.
There are numerous Protestant translations that offer different wording. My Bible translates Judges 5:24 as follows.
"Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed. - Judges 5:24
Even if we accept your translation it does not state that Jael would remain the most blessed or that in Luke an angel speaks the words.
Peace be with you
Your issues with prayer and the Creeds are well documented. Your issues have very little to do with repetition, and everything to do with the content.
So why don’t we argue the content, which is the true source of this disagreement.
So would you regard Mary as honored as you regard David?
:)
+
You wrote:
“Well, it is a little busy for the next few days, but yes I am.”
Oh, so you’re claiming to be interested in discussion? Well, let’s look at your own words to see how true that claim is. Here’s your first post in the thread:
Not this junk, again?
How many times must we tell you, if the Roman organization interpreted the Scriptures anywhere near what the texts actually say, someone might listen? Further, if Rome’s doctrines would comport with the Scriptures (the ones Rome pretends to have delivered and now claim to dominate), folks may give them the time of day.
But, the additions and abberations by Rome are so many and so gross that real believers rely on the Book for truth just as the Book itself teaches. Tim. Thank God we don’t need that monstrosity Rome
End of paste.
No, that sure doesn’t look like the comments of someone interested in discussion.
There is much more to a Catholic prayer life than rote prayer. We pray prayers of adoration, prayers of expiation or contrition, prayers of love or charity, prayers of petition or supplication and prayers of thanksgiving. The types or prayer are vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer.
Peace be with you
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
So, when he was talking about himself, was that making it personal too? :)
Davic who? I don’t believe I have indicated that I honor someone named David. All honor belongs to God.
Thanks for that.
Of course God doesn’t change. There is no doubt about that, otherwise He would be denying Himself.
However, His dealing with mankind can change without Him denying Himself. Galatians clearly teaches that the purpose of the Law was to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
Keeping the Law never was a means of salvation because nobody can do it. All it does is show us God’s standards to show us how far short we fall and how incapable of earning out salvation we are. Otherwise, there would not have been the system of sacrifices to continually demonstrate that and foreshadow Christ.
The righteous shall live by faith.......
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