Why should I read and believe in the Bible?

St. Jerome “Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” 

In the Gospel of John, we read that the “Word” of God became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus is the living “Word” of God, and the authors of the bible wrote sacred scripture as God’s love letter to us. If you want to fall in love with Jesus and come to know God then you need to read the Bible! 

Who Wrote the Bible? Was it God? Or was it human beings? The answer for Catholics is a resounding “Yes!” The Bible is the word of God in the words of human beings. God is the primary author of the Bible, so we know that whatever Scripture asserts to be true is in fact true. When we understand it correctly, the Bible will never lead us astray.

The Old and New Testaments The Bible is divided into two main parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament was written before Jesus’ life, and the New Testament was written after. There are many different kinds of books in the Old Testament, including history, poetry, and prophecy. The Old Testament contains wisdom and knowledge about God and about ourselves. It also foreshadows and points to Christ. Even though it was written before Jesus came, the Old Testament is important, and Catholics don’t ignore it.

The Bible is Inspired God inspired human beings to write the Bible. These men used their own abilities and perspectives to write the books that became part of the Bible. For example, Luke says he did research into the sources of the information he put into the Bible. Luke was also a skilled storyteller, and he tells the life of Christ in a very engaging way. God did not dictate the Gospel word-for-word to Luke. Instead, he allowed Luke to use his own unique talents in writing his Gospel. Luke is truly the author of the Gospel of Luke, but because he was inspired by God, God is still the primary author. When Catholics say Scripture is inspired, it means that God worked in a very special way in the writing of the Bible. The human authors of the Bible wrote whatever God wanted written, no more and no less.

 

Interpreting the Bible Catholics believe that whatever the Bible asserts to be true is actually true. Does this mean that God must have created the world in seven 24-hour days, or that Jesus wants us to cut off body parts if they lead us to sin? No! Not everything stated in Scripture is asserted. The truth the author of Genesis wanted to convey was that God created the world out of love with a plan. When Jesus said that you should cut off your hand if it causes you to sin (Matt 5:30), he was using hyperbole to tell us how important it is that we avoid whatever causes us to sin.

Sacred Scripture is hard to understand…where do I start?

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Did you know that the number one recorded podcast in the US in 2021 was Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz? The Bible in a Year, hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz reading Scripture and explaining its historical context and theological meaning. The Bible in a Year remained one of the nation’s top downloaded shows for most of 2021 and surpassed 85 million downloads about halfway through the year. By November 2021, the podcast had seen 142 million downloads from all over the world. The show was so successful that Ascension Press took out a billboard ad in Times Square during the holiday season. Millions of Americans are listening to the bible every day and growing in faith. To sign up and learn more visit: https://bibleinayear.fireside.fm or simply Google Bible in a Year podcast on your smart device to get started. If you prefer reading the bible the old fashioned way we have Bible Study groups at St. Columbkille hosted by our retired parochial vicar Fr. Jamie Mazanec on Thursday afternoons and Mike Haggerty at various times throughout the year. Call the church office and speak with Jennifer for more information.