3.2 Interpretation of the Bible

Question 1

What is the Catholic interpretation of the Bible?

Answer 1

• They believe that the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit meaning that it has come directly from God and so should be accepted and followed by Catholcis
• God speaks through the Bible, showing his character and commands, and so it should be followed by Catholcis
• The Bible contains God’s lawws on how to behave, showing them how to live, especially in the gospels where Jesus teaches how to live the Christian life.

Question 2

Why does Catholic interpretation of the Bible need help from the Church?

Answer 2

• Catholics believe that the Bible isn’t always clear in its meaning and so although Catholics are encouraged to be inspired by the Bible through reading it alone using the Lectio Divina method, true Catholic interpretation of the Bible needs help from the church.

Question 3

What or who is Bible interpretation given by?

Answer 3

• The Apostolic Tradition
• The Magisterium
• The Cathecism of the Catholic Church
• Papal encyclicals
• Bishop’s letters
• Homilies by a priest

Question 4

How do fundamentalists interpret the bible?

Answer 4

• They believe that the bible is not only the Word of God, but the words of God. It is the litteral word oof God.
• They believe that the bible was written by people hwo simply wrote down what God dictated to them. This means that every word in the Bible is the word of God and so is true.

Question 5

How do conservative christians interpret the Bible?

Answer 5

• Conservatives belive that the bible is the revealed word of God but not hios actual words. They believbe that the writers were inspied by and guided by God but used their own ideas
• Conservatives see the bible as a book about faith rather than a book about science.

Question 6

How do liberal christians interpret the bible?

Answer 6

• Liberal chrisitans believe that the bible is word about God, but not his actual words. This means that thye believe that the writer’s of the Bible had special insights or experiences of God which they wrote in their own way.
• This means that there may be mistakes or contradictions in the Bible, but what matters are the great truths about God that the Bible contains.

Question 7

What are the implications of the bible for a Catholic today?

Answer 7

• Catholcis are not literalists and so can accept the teachings of science as well as spiritual truths.
• Faith in Jesus is th emos timportant thing for Catholics. Faith in the bible comes second.
• The Bible can be seen as outdated.
• The clergy use the magisterium to help the laity with interpretations of holy scripture

Question 8

1.

How is the Bible a source of teaching an guidance?

Answer 8

• Catholics believe that the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit which means it comes directly from God and so is holy and authoritative because it gives God’s truths.
• The Bible reveals God, as he speaks through both the Old and New Testaments, showing his charcater and commands.
• The Bible contains God’s laws on how to behave such as the Ten Commandments. These rules are there to help people to live as God intends and so is a source of guidance.
• Catholics belive that the Jesus is the second person in the Holy Trinity and so anything which he taught has authority, and so the Bible whichr ecords the teachings of Christ is a source od guidance.

Question 9

2 Timothy 3:16

Answer 9

“All Scripture is inspired by God”

Question 10

CCC 105

Answer 10

“God is the author of the Sacred Scripture”

Question 11

CCC 105 on humans and the bible

Answer 11

“God inspired the human authors of the sacred books”