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.
Ping!
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
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.
Name two.
that real believers rely on the Book for truth just as the Book itself teaches
Where does the Bible teach inerrancy?
That reads as if you were handling snakes when you wrote it. I feel sad for you because the only bible you have is the one the martyrs of Rome gave you. Of course, since you are Protestant you could take out the hard parts that hold you accountable...again.
The Bible is the Word of God. It is faithful and true (Revelation 21:5) just as Jesus is Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11).
It is not possible to understand the Bible without being indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
“For what man knoweth the things of a man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheeth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:11-14)
(1) Not particularly intelligent
(2) Incapable of carrying on a polite conversation
(3) Here only to insult others, not to offer a thoughtful counterargument
(4) Delighted only when another poster sinks to his level
You are not one of those posters. But you might be better off ignoring those posters.
Thank you, Papa.
The Church is OLDER than the New Testament, and the Church chose the 27 books of the New Testament. It was written BY the Church, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, FOR the Church. When Scripture is removed from the Church, the whole book is out of context.
So...you have something against cartoon cereal boxes?
“the additions and abberations by Rome”
What did Rome add?
"Name two."
Just two?
#1
"If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentent sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened, let him be anathema"
The Council of Trent.
Ooops.
"And when you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He (Jesus) made you alive together with Him, having forgiven ALL our transgressions, having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
Paul
#2
"With my heart full of praise for the Queen of Heaven, the sign of hope and source of comfort on our pilgrimage of faith to the heavenly Jerusalem, I greet all of you who are present at this solemn liturgy... This liturgy presents you, Mary, as the woman clothed with the sun...O woman clothed with the sun...the youth of the world greet you with so much love...In Mary the final victory of life over death is already a reality...O Mary...as Mother of the Church, you guide us still from your place in heaven and...help us to increase in holiness by conquering sin."
John Paul II, Cherry Creek Park, Denver
Yeow
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the believers, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead , and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and EVERY NAME that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come."
That pesky Paul, again.
Ping to 13
Really? Check #13. It is a gross lie of its own fabrication.
???
The bodily resurrection of Mary. Mary's sinlessness. Apostolic succession. The Catholic Church. Peter in Rome. Peter as 1st pope. Popes. Etc. Almost everything Rome believes and teaches is OUTSIDE the Bible. If she isn't ADDING to the Word of God for her beliefs, she is TAKING AWAY from the Word of God for her beliefs. Additions and abberations is putting it mildly.
What you fail to realize is that the Bible is nothing more than Tradition written down. For the first three hundred years of Christianity, there was no New Testament as we know it now. Jesus did not found a book. He founded a teaching Church. Sola Scriptura is a false, man made tradition, which is condemned by Holy Scripture. See ***Matt 15:2-9, ***Mark 7:3-13, ***1Cor 2:13, ***Col 2:8, ***1Tim 1:4, and ***Tit 1:14. Since the Authority of the Magisterium for Bible interpretation was cut off by the Reformation and no longer available, the reformers made a fateful decision that resulted in a disaster that grew so fast they could no longer control it. They decided that everyone could go his own way in Bible interpretation. This was yet another man made tradition forbidden by Holy Scripture. See ***Acts 8:26-40, ***2Pet 1:19-21, and ***2Pet 3:16.
Individual interpretation of Holy Scripture immediately resulted in squabbles and splits in Protestantism which continue to this very day. In 1521, the same year that Martin Luther split from the Catholic Church, Thomas Munser split from Luther. By 1600 there were over 200 splits. By 1900, there were over 1000. Now in 2006, there are over 38,000 splits in the Body of Christ. The splits are continuing to this very day with an estimated 3-5 new splits every week. In addition, all of the major Protestant sects are splitting within themselves. All of this madness was caused by the man-made false doctrines of Sola Scriptura and individual interpretation of Holy Scripture, both of which were started by the reformers.
Rome’s main error, it seems, is failing to add prideful private interpretation to the text. That’s what I’m getting from these discussions so far.
Poor narses. Resorting to cereal boxes and bumper stickers so early in the evening. How about some Scripture to stand on?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.