The Catholic Bible is the complete collection of scriptures recognized by the Catholic Church as being divinely inspired and containing God’s revelation to humanity. It consists of 73 books – 46 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
Contents of the Catholic Bible
The 46 books of the Old Testament are the same as in the Jewish Bible, which Christians call the Hebrew Scriptures. They tell the story of God’s relationship with his chosen people, the Israelites, leading up to the birth of Jesus.
The Old Testament contains the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), which details God’s creation of the world and his establishment of the Israelites as his people through his covenant with Abraham. It also covers their later history under leaders like Moses and David, and prophets who called them to faithfulness.
Other key Old Testament books are Joshua through 2 Chronicles, which provide a history of Israel; Ezra and Nehemiah, which describe the restoration of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile; Job through Song of Songs, books of wisdom and poetry; and the Major and Minor Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Amos.
The 27 books of the New Testament open with the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These provide accounts of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They are the main source of Jesus’ teachings and the foundation of Christian faith.
The book of Acts narrates the early history of the Church following Christ’s ascension into heaven. It describes the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the apostles’ establishment of the Church.
Next come the New Testament letters or epistles from Church leaders like Paul, Peter, James, and John to various Christian communities. These letters provide theological reflection and practical guidance for living the Christian life.
Finally, the New Testament closes with the prophetic book of Revelation, which envisions God’s ultimate triumph over evil and the coming of a new heaven and new earth.
Development of the Catholic Bible
The books of the Catholic Bible were written over more than a thousand years, beginning with the Old Testament books composed in Hebrew and Aramaic by prophets, priests, and sages of Israel. The New Testament books were composed in the common Greek language within decades after Christ’s death and resurrection.
By the late 300s AD, Church leaders in the East and West had largely agreed on which sacred texts should be included in the Bible. This canon was later formally approved at Church councils like Hippo (393 AD), Carthage (397 AD), and Rome (382, 382, 405 AD).
St. Jerome translated the Bible into Latin in the late 4th century in a version called the Vulgate. This helped standardize the Bible for Western Christians. The Council of Trent in the 16th century formally declared the Vulgate as the official Catholic edition of the Bible.
Today, the Bible is translated from the original languages into many modern languages. But the Catholic canon has remained unchanged for over 1500 years, preserved by the living Tradition of the Church.
Role and Use of the Bible
Catholics consider the Bible, along with Sacred Tradition, to be one of the two pillars on which the Church stands. It contains divine revelation that guides the Church’s faith, theology, and moral teaching. The Bible calls the Church to holiness and hands on the deposit of faith across generations.
The Church encourages all Catholics to read and study the Bible. It is the living Word of God that nourishes prayer and the spiritual life. Catholics use the Bible at Mass for readings, psalms, and the Gospel proclamation. In the Liturgy of the Hours, they pray using Psalms and other biblical canticles and readings.
Lectio Divina is a traditional practice of meditating on Scripture to hear God’s personal word. Small Christian communities meet regularly to share and reflect on the Bible. The Catholic Church has a multi-year cycle of biblical readings for Mass to expose the faithful to the entire Bible over time.
Catholics do not, however, believe in sola scriptura, the Protestant doctrine that the Bible alone is the sole source of Christian belief. They believe that Sacred Tradition and the teaching authority of the Church are also essential for correctly understanding God’s revelation in Scripture.
Translations Used by Catholics
Historically, Catholic Bibles were predominantly derived from the Latin Vulgate translation. Today, Catholics use a variety of Bible translations in the vernacular language of their country.
Popular English translations used by Catholics include:
– The New American Bible (NAB) – the official English Bible translation approved for liturgical use in the United States. It incorporates modern scholarship and archaeological discoveries.
– Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE) – another common translation incorporating modern language and scholarship. It is commonly used for Bible study.
– Jerusalem Bible – a popular translation closely based on the original languages and a French translation. It has extensive footnotes and introductions.
– New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE) – an update of the RSV incorporating contemporary gender-inclusive language. It is approved for private use.
– Good News Translation (GNT) – a dynamic equivalence translation in simple, everyday English, providing accessibility.
Catholics may freely choose any translation approved by the Church for personal reading. But for liturgical use, the local Bishops’ conference must approve the translation.
The Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical Books
A key difference between Catholic and Protestant Bibles is that Catholic Bibles include seven more Old Testament books, commonly called the Apocrypha or Deuterocanon. The Catholic Church recognizes these books as divinely inspired Scripture.
These seven books are: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1st and 2nd Maccabees. They were written between 200 BC – 70 AD in Greek, but not included in the Hebrew Bible.
Early Church leaders like St. Augustine considered these books Scripture. The Council of Trent declared them canonical against Protestant objections. They contain important spiritual lessons and fill in the historical gap between the Old and New Testament.
Modern Catholic Bibles still include the Apocrypha. However, they are often placed in a separate section between the testaments. The Church does not require non-Catholics to accept these books. But their value and historical usage is an important distinction between Catholic and Protestant versions of the Old Testament.
Unity of Scripture and Tradition
Catholics do not view the Bible in isolation, but together with the living Tradition of the Church. The two streams of God’s revelation are seen as intimately connected from the early days of Christianity.
The Gospels state that Jesus passed on truths not contained explicitly in Scripture but through the oral teaching of the apostles (John 21:25, 2 Thessalonians 2:15). These became part of the living Tradition of the early Christian community along with the writings that came to form the New Testament.
The apostolic Tradition of the first generation of Christians was passed down to future generations through the teaching authority and successors of the apostles – the bishops. The Church declared which writings were orthodox and divinely inspired based on coherence with the apostles’ teaching.
So the Catholic Bible takes its meaning within the context of the Church and its Tradition which preserves the faith handed down from the apostles. Scripture and Tradition together are the supreme rule of faith for Catholics.
Importance of Interpretation by the Church
Catholics consider the Bible to be the inerrant and infallible written Word of God. But they do not believe the Bible is always self-explanatory. Complex books like Revelation require proper interpretation and guidance.
The Church teaches that the task of authentically interpreting the Word of God has been entrusted to the living Magisterium or teaching authority of the Church. This consists of the Pope and Bishops in communion with him who are successors of the apostles.
The Holy Spirit was promised to guide the Church into all truth (John 16:13). The Magisterium provides an authoritative interpretation of Scripture in light of Sacred Tradition and under the Spirit’s guidance. This does not diminish the truth and centrality of Scripture, but ensures fidelity to its intended meaning.
Catholic interpreation accepts modern biblical scholarship but rejects problematic perspectives like excessive literalism and reading Scripture outside its historical context and original literary genres. Scripture and Tradition together remain the supreme rule of faith.
Devotion to the Word of God
The Catholic Church strongly encourages all faithful to cultivate a spirit of prayerful meditation with Scripture through practices like lectio divina. This allows the Bible to profoundly shape spiritual life.
Catholics venerate the Bible as the holy Word of God. Its place of honour in churches and liturgical processions shows this devotion. While the Eucharist is the source and summit of the faith, Catholics recognize the vital importance of Christ’s Word in Scripture alongside his Real Presence in the sacraments.
Catholic piety accords Mary a special role in meditating on the Word. As the mother who held Christ and pondered all things in her heart (Luke 2:19), Mary is seen as a model of listening to and living the Word.
Overall, the Bible occupies a central place in Catholic faith, worship, spirituality, and moral guidance alongside the Church’s apostolic Tradition. Regular reading, study, and prayer with God’s Word is considered essential for all Christians seeking a relationship with Jesus Christ.