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.
|
Catholics and the Bible
|
ty Sir
That may be true for Catholics but for true followers of Christ it's not.
Galatians 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
If I were curt, I sincerely apologize. It has been that week for me. I should not be short with others.
My only point was that while Catholic prayers are based on the Bible, they needn’t be word for word from Scripture. Scripture and prayer aren’t mutually exclusive. On the contrary, and as demonstrated, Catholic prayers are rooted in the Bible, often with direct quotations. One can read the Eucharistic prayers and see very clearly how much they are from the Gospel, and again, in some cases, word for word.
However, expressions of prayer are generally from the heart. They are efficacious because they are freely given to the Lord, whether supplication, intercession, or thanksgiving.
There is no book of the Bible called Hezekiah. I don’t think he was a prophet. I think a king. I shall look him back up.
***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.***
Ahh, how long ago was that? I have never ever ever been to a Catholic wedding in a Catholic church, where what you’ve said is true. People who haven’t been to a Catholic church since they were babies rarely have an interest in having their wedding performed in one. Parents of such children don’t usually get to prevail, at least in my experience. You make it sound like this is commonplace. Granted, I’m not a wedding coordinator, but still, this has never been my experience.
Thank you for your kind reply. I agree that the Psalm is for God. That is who I intend it for.
“For a Catholic, Scripture is not so much a book to be studied as a book to worship with. (Ps. 119.7) “
So they just ignore the commands to “study to show yourself approved, rightly handling the Word of Truth?”
Why would you do that??
When my husband and I were about to be married (in the Catholic church, yes) my father, who was a convert, pleaded with me in the last few weeks to have it be a short 30 minute ceremony, because he was afraid all of his Protestant friends wouldn’t be accustomed to the entire Mass.
You see, he was the one footing the bill for the reception. I had no say in ANYTHING about the reception other than what kind of cake I’d like. I’m lucky I got that much. It was his decision on how many people to invite, where the reception would be held, etc.
So when he argued about the ceremony, I politely and firmly told him that it would be a full Mass, because it was my wedding, and it was a sacrament, between God, my husband, and me. I told him that maybe the length of it wouldn’t bother his friends, and you know what? They LOVED the solemnity of our wedding Mass! So many came up to me afterwards to tell me they had never been to a Catholic wedding before, and that it was very meaningful and spiritually enriching to them. For once in his life, Dad was happy to admit that he was wrong about something! (It was probably the only time he was happy that he was wrong.)
Galatians 1:8 New International Version (NIV)
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!
Why do protestants ignore John 6 - clear instructions for the eucharist?
Because it’s talking about Spirit!!! Works are of the OT our Savior teaches us to worship in the Spirit not of the flesh.
John 4:24 New International Version (NIV)
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Galatians 3:10-11 New International Version (NIV)
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”
Keep following that Catechism and unfortunately when you find out how wrong the teachings of the world are it will be too late.
“And, of course, the reason that Catholics don’t take Bibles to church is that the biblical readings for that particular day (i.e., the Proper of the Mass) have always been in the Missal - therefore, no need to carry the Bible when you have your Missal or a misssalette at Mass.”
And that is exactly the problem... there’s hardly a verse that can be understood in its entirety without other Scripture to back it up. That’s exactly where the Catholic denomination fails is taking one verse and making up a complete doctrine according to that one verse. Never mind if there are other verses that will clarify it we will just make up more stuff to cover that mistake.
“however is not in Scriptures”
No it’s not because it’s of this world.
Did you see on the American Bible Challenge when three Nuns got smoked by the Prots I did, lol. Some folks are better than others on Bible memorization that doesn’t prove or disprove your Spirituality.
Some Methodist churches also have women and openly homosexual clergy. So that is why I said “oh.”
Which means I am not surprised. In some churches if the “donation” is just right they will let anyone get married there.
Thanks for clarifying.
Sure your carnal:
You say all the hail mary’s and pray to numerous other humans in hopes that you may be heard just in case Jesus isn’t enough. You make vows that if someone is healed you will do this and/or that type of works. You hold a piece of human made material called rosaries because you must feel, touch, and see your faith. You call a man the holy father so you can see your god. You believe in purgatory so that you have a second chance to get it right since you’re not really sure about this chance. Your pope claims evolution is truth, but nobody has any proof that it is more than a theory. You claim that your church is the only saving church, but Revelation proves that some of all nations, tongues, and peoples will go to Heaven. You by your own admission admit that the Bible isn’t the only authority you go by (catechism), but yet the Bible teaches exclusively that any other teachings is of Satan. You and muslims worship the same god according to your pope. Satan’s biggest advantage is to attack our sense of touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing so we must do something for our Salvation. Faith requires that you trust in God the Father by His Holy Spirit and His Holy Word no more no less. You can’t touch, smell, taste, see, or hear your religion, your denomination, your faith, or your God you must trust your heart, your Faith, and the Holy Spirit. You drink the real blood and eat the real body of Christ because you have to appease your human senses and not Worship by your Faith. Your Faith is lacking so you must do all the man stuff to feel good about your denomination and your god, but that isn’t of the True Real God.
>>However, expressions of prayer are generally from the heart. They are efficacious because they are freely given to the Lord, whether supplication, intercession, or thanksgiving.<<
Indeed but that was not our discussion. You posted prayers and verses supporting them. I pointed out the hail Mary was not completely in scriptures.
Good you are correct. But made you look:)
Not all, but some priests will perform one. At about $350-500 a wedding (some places more) can be had if one or both of the to be wedded have a birth certificate. Of course they must go to confession and attend pre Cana.
Hmm. Past 4pm a Friday. I understand.
Sir who are you addressing? I am not Catholic.
Your posts are not very clear and you are misreading posts.
Not being insulting but is English not your first language?
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.