Posted on 12/18/2014 5:00:17 PM PST by Salvation
Why Don’t Catholics Read the Bible?
by Dwight Longenecker
The independent Evangelical church I went to as a boy gave me a fantastic amount of Bible knowledge. There were Bible drills in Sunday School classes, Bible memory contests and Bible quizzes, not to mention a complete grounding in all the Bible stories—illustrated with those wonderful flannelgraph figures. As I got older I listened to long Bible sermons, went to home Bible studies, youth Bible camps and a Bible holiday club. I ended up going to a Christian University where Bible study was part of our everyday schedule.
Our Christian home wasn’t particularly anti-Catholic, but some of our preachers were, and the general impression I got was that Catholics not only didn’t read the Bible, but that they weren’t allowed to. They didn’t go to church with their big black Bibles under their arm. They didn’t have long Bible sermons or home study groups or youth Bible camps. How could Catholics believe the Bible if they didn’t read it and study it like we did?
Its true that many Evangelicals know their Bible upside down and backwards, and compared to them Catholics sometimes seem ignorant of the Bible. But that's only an appearance.
The truth is simply that Catholics and Evangelicals use the Bible in different ways and therefore have different kinds of Bible knowledge. Evangelicals use the Bible as a source book for doctrine and right moral teaching, and that's good. 2 Timothy 3.16 says the Scriptures are 'useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.' Evangelicals also use the Bible for personal devotions and inspiration. This too is Biblical. Psalm 119.27 says, 'Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then will I meditate on your wonders.'
Ordinary Catholics might not be so adept at quoting chapter and verse, but they do know and use Scripture regularly. Its just that they use it in a different way. For a Catholic, Scripture is not so much a book to be studied as a book to worship with. (Ps. 119.7) For Catholics the Bible is almost always used in the context of worship. Did you know that a survey was done to check the amount of Scripture used in the Catholic Mass? The Catholic service was almost 30% Scripture. When the same writer checked his local Bible-based Evangelical church he was surprised to find the total amount of Scripture read took just 3% of the service.
When Catholics go to mass they hear a reading from the Old Testament, they say or sing one of the Psalms, then they listen to a reading from the epistles, then a gospel reading. The whole structure fits together so the communion service if focused on Christ in the gospels. Catholics follow a three year cycle of Scripture reading so a Catholic who goes to church faithfully will--over the three years--hear almost all of the Bible read. Furthermore, the responses, and the words of the communion service are almost all from Scripture. So a church-going Catholic does know and use Scripture--its just that he uses it primarily for meditation and worship (Ps.119.48)--not for personal information and instruction.
And when you think about it, isn't this actually the way Scripture is meant to be used? The Jews recite the Old Testament law in their worship daily. The psalms were the hymn book of the Jews. In the New Testament church they read the letters of the apostles, recited the psalms and used portions of Scripture to praise and worship God just as Catholics do today.(Eph.5.19) We know from the records of the early church that Scripture was used primarily for worship, and only secondarily for study.
Of course, like Evangelicals, Catholics also use the Scripture to determine doctrine and moral principles--its just that the Catholic lay person or pastor doesn't do so on his own. As Paul gave Timothy the apostolic authority to 'rightly divide the word of truth' (2 Timothy 2.15), so Catholics believe their bishops have inherited the authority of the apostles to teach doctrinal and moral truth faithfully. They base this on Paul’s clear instructions to Timothy, ‘the things you have heard me say …entrust to reliable men so that they man in turn teach others.’ (2 Timothy 2.1-2) Therefore, it is the bishops—living, praying and working in a direct line from the apostles-- who use the Bible to determine Christian doctrine and moral principles. That Catholic doctrine and moral teaching is biblically-based is easy to see. Try reading any official Catholic teaching documents and you will find they are--and always have been--permeated and upheld with Scripture.
Nevertheless, memories are long. Some extreme Protestants like to say that the Catholic church not only forbade people to read the Bible, but they deliberately kept the Bible in Latin, chained it up in churches and even went so far as to burn popular translations of the Bible. Its true Bibles were chained in churches. Before the days of printing presses books were precious items. They were chained for security reasons—the way a phone book is secured in a phone booth—to make it available to everyone. The Catholic Church allowed translations into the vernacular from the beginning. The earliest English version of the Bible for instance, is a paraphrase version of Genesis dating from the year 670. In a few places the authorities did burn some translations of the Bible which were deliberately faulty or which carried heretical notes, but this was an attempt to preserve the purity of the scriptures, not to keep it from God’s people. Remembering that in the Middle Ages most people were illiterate, the pastors and teachers of the Catholic Church instructed the people about the biblical stories in many creative and dramatic ways—not unlike my Sunday School teacher’s use of the flannelgraph.
But in saying all this, ordinary modern Catholics could learn a few lessons from Evangelicals about Bible knowledge. We Catholics need more Bible scholars amongst our pastors. We need more resources for personal Bible reading. We need to understand the Scriptures better to see how our faith is rooted and grounded in the Bible. Our own official teachings encourage us to read, study and learn the Scriptures. Dei Verbum--a document about the God's Word from Second Vatican Council says, "...all clergy should remain in close contact with the Scriptures by means of reading and accurate study of the text...similarly the Council earnestly and expressly calls upon all the faithful...to acquire by frequent reading of holy Scripture the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ (Phil 3.8) for as St.Jerome said, "Ignorance of the Scriptures is indeed ignorance of Christ."'
Ecumenism is a two way street. If we have lessons to learn from Evangelicals, many Evangelicals could learn fresh ways of using the Scriptures from us too. Singing the psalms in worship is something Catholics can share with Evangelicals, using a lectionary helps pastors choose Biblical readings which harmonise Old Testament and New Testament, taking the congregation on a logical process through each year of worship. Finally, using chosen readings from the Old Testament, the epistles and then the gospels helps focus the worship on Jesus Christ. Using the Scriptures like this is a practical way for the whole word of God in Scripture to point to the Word of God in the flesh-- our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
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Catholics and the Bible
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Then why even mention it?
Do you have examples of the 'often no consensus' comment above?
I have to say I was joyfully reading the comments of Roman Catholic posters for their love of the Bible and then your post kind of broke the flow.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17 R. (see 8) My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress. O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
For you are my hope, O LORD; my trust, O God, from my youth. On you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory! I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice. O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
It is hit or miss. I was born, raised, practicing, and educated in Roman Catholic schools. When you are younger you get the bits and pieces of the Bible from Mass readings and catechism classes. When you are old enough for the sacraments then you get more and by the time of a young teen (usually 12-13) before your confirmation (if one is paying attention) you will hear the message of most of the Gospel accounts and Acts.
But sitting down and studying the Scriptures, Bible Studies etc? Again hit or miss. I was blessed to be in a Catholic family and extended family which DID read the Bible and encourage the youngsters (starting with a kids Bible with pictures) to read and ask questions. And from there as I sought, I ended up being invited to a church which had a Vacation Bible School. I eventually ended up in that assembly when I turned adult at 18.
But back to the matter. In Catholic HS we did read some of the OT and did dig deep into the Gospels, Acts and Psalms. The OT studies left a bad taste in my soul. It was all the "natural phenomena" explanations for the parting of the Red Sea, other Exodus miracles and offering evolution as compatible which sent the warning flares up that the RC church did not fully respect God's Written Word.
In college (a Jesuit college no less) I took 4 years of mandatory 'theology' courses. They were not really theology courses. More like syncretism world religions courses; feminism in the Bible (taught by a lesbian); and of course the "Jesus in Politics" course taught by a Jesuit priest who was a former chaplain for the Sandinistas--Liberation theology.
But to be accurate and fair, there are Roman Catholics who love and read their Bibles. Some even join in Protestant and Evangelical church and home Bible Studies and from time to time (shhhhh) they even attend their services or church Bible series sermons. {Don't worry we won't tell the Jesuit re-education squads:)}
You won't get an argument from me on the others you posted, but the one above surely adds to what was revealed.
The "holy Mary mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, Amen" however is not in Scriptures. But that discussion is on another thread, so we digress a bit.
Did the Baptists drink some wine with dinner? If they did it was not a fair competition:) LOL.
But my most sincere congratulations on winning the challenge!
Did the Baptists lose points on all the Biblical references to drinking wine?:) Oh I wish I was there:)
Would it be fair to speculate that Catholic Bible study is rather geared to the carnal?
Don't know which church you were in or the family situation. However, every Evangelical service for a departed brother or sister in Christ involves a eulogy. The eulogy usually starts with some basic loving memories of the 'asleep' believer but the focus is on Christ and the Resurrection to come. I have done two so far for a dear aunt who passed 48 hours after sitting with her at bedside reading her favorite chapter John 12. I also did my dad's eulogy. Both were VERY adament that they would only get two-three lines to make sure everyone knew they were at the right funeral but the remaining time and space was for our Lord and Savior King of kings Jesus Christ and His Work.
Yet I never see Roman Catholics take notice and respond when someone posts a verse from "Hezekiah 7."
Which ones? Episcopal? If so, well most of Reformed and Evangelical just see them as RCs without the Pope.
If you specified it would help.
Again, I've been to quite a few weddings Catholic, Jewish, Protestant/Evangelical, and even traditional Korean. In all the RC, Protestant and Evangelical ceremonies Scripture is quoted, Christ is mentioned. The only interesting piece is some that I know who are married in a Catholic church it is their first time walking in on their own and not carried by their parents.
No problem. If you "sing it" here most will know which Psalm. The Psalm is for God not for fellow FReepers unless you like to share it and are led to share it to edify others.
If you would like to know the chapter and verse of what you have learned, just google a few words and it should pop up.
Yes an unsubstantiated one line comment. Because I have been to weddings in the full spectrum of Christian assemblies and churches. All of them, even RC, have scripture and focus on Christ. So Mr. Chandler should specify.
Methodist weddings. One had no mention of God, the other had only the Lord’s prayer.
That's pretty good. Chapters and verses 'sometimes' get in the way of the context. For example in 2 Timothy the latter portion of chapter 3 and beginning of chapter 4 is actually the same subject discussed. Chapter and verse helps a bunch when you are studying with others AND when one is teaching or preaching. It is a great way for others to keep up.
I have found that after quite a few years of reading the entire NT and Psalms at least 2X a year and the remainder of the OT at least 1X a year, trying to find a passage is no longer difficult. As with sports, practice of exercises with repetition leads to 'muscle memory.'
With the regular 2X NT and Psalms; 1X OT I also have specific studies, devotions (older sermons) and as I teach my sons more 'muscle memory' is added.
LOL, are you baiting a hook:)?
Are you referring to the traditions that the apostles never wrote down, yet they wrote many other things down? Could you list the traditions the apostles omitted from their written works?
I did once get an answer to the above question. It was from a Mormon who told me the BOM filled in the blanks.
Thank you! I was never too good at memorizing, least of all numbers (the numerals, not the Book! Lol). It’s such a wonderful thing to read Scripture to/with your children! One’s faith, whatever it may be is like a treasure passed on from generation to generation!
God bless you!
stonehouse01: Why do protestants ignore John 6 - clear instructions for the eucharist?
Here ya go defconw you asked for bets on changing the subject which was on THE BIBLE. Stonehouse01 obviously wants to make this a eucharist thread.
However, stonehouse01 if you want to discuss the eucharist and how people wrest scriptures to fit traditions of later ages, please continue.
It was a neat experience. Our friends didn't bring out the game to see if they could beat us. But, I think we were all expecting them to have the upper hand.
We were in the car driving home and I said, "Can you believe we just beat a couple of Baptists on their knowledge of the Bible?"
Later, they got married and our daughter served as the flower girl at their wedding. They had it in the chapel at First Baptist in Dallas. During the rehearsal the minister told them to "come to the kneeler" and they didn't know what to do. They had to be shown how to kneel down at a priedieu (sp?).
We are good friends and it is nice that none of us try to convert the other. We never get into religious arguments, but we do talk about God. We appreciate the fact that we all have a love for Jesus.
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