Catholic Revelation

One of the biggest myths perpetuated against the Catholic faith is that the Roman Catholic Church hates the Bible. This myth has survived since the reformation when its seeds were planted up to the present day. The Catholic Church has been falsely accused of trying to keep the Bible away so as to keep people in the dark. This is so people are not enlightened as to the truth and how it contradicts doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church.

If one were interested in studying the real history behind the Bible, one would be astonished to learn that far from keeping the written word a secret, the Catholic Church is the author and protector of Holy Scripture. As a matter of fact, due to Her unwavering dedication to preserving the written Word of God, Protestants and Catholics alike owe the Catholic Church a debt of gratitude. Any and all efforts toward keeping an individual or individuals from reading a particular Bible has always been done so in the interest of preserving the complete truth and guarding it from false teachings. Defective Bibles were burned, and even today, Catholics are commanded to read translations accepted by the Catholic Church, the Church Jesus promised Peter the gates of hell would not prevail against.

One question that immediately comes to mind whenever I hear a Protestant claim that the Catholic Church is not Bible based is why do Catholics listen to and live the written word of God every day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? One who knows his Bible, Protestant or not, would not be able to observe the Holy Mass without noticing that it is soaked in Scripture. We read directly from the Bible, recite from the book of psalms, sing hymns of praise created from God’s Word, and participate in a very real way, the Last Supper. We hear Christ’s words to His apostles, and we receive the same Body and Blood of our Lord. This Liturgical celebration hardly resembles a Church that does not venerate and hold in highest regard, the written Word of God.

It should also be noted that Catholic Monks have spent their lives making beautiful illustrated copies of Sacred Scripture. Bibles were chained in Churches to protect them against theft as copies were extremely difficult to come by and were of course considered very precious. Pope St. Damascus asked Saint Jerome to translate the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin so that more people could read it. (“Did the Church once keep the Bible from the People”, The Catholic Answer, Volume 23, No. 5, November/December, 2009.)

The Catholic Church loves the Word of God with great passion, so much so, that she cannot fathom a person missing the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Sundays and claiming to love God at the same time. Yet, we are accused of trying to 'earn' our way into Heaven through our works. I guess we would be better appreciated if we didn't express our love for Christ in such a passionate way, and if we didn't demand any kind of sacrifice from those who claim to be members of the Holy Catholic Church. Our aim is not to be popular however, and not to avoid sacrificial works, but to love God as the Bible commands, with out whole heart, our whole mind, and our whole strength. In so doing, we hope to be beacons of light to the rest of the world. Even as lay people, we are commanded to model Christ. St. Paul said, "Be imitators of me".

The myth that the Catholic Church is not Bible based has saturated the same Protestant population that claims that Catholic tradition has no bearing upon one’s salvation, and that the only true authoritative and infallible source is the Bible. This is a ludicrous claim in light of the fact that the Bible did not rain down from Heaven like Manna, providing all who thirst for knowledge of God with a printed copy of His word. The Bible, under the guiding inspiration of God, was penned by man, but not by one man, and not all at the same time. The first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah and written by Moses, was placed in the Ark 3300 years ago. There is a 1500 year span between the book of Genesis and the last book of the New Testament; Revelation. The Bible was not printed until 1400 or so years after the birth of Christ. (Where We Got the Bible , by Henry Graham) Therefore, for those who subscribe to the notion that the Bible is the sole infallible authority in a Christian's life, one must ask, “What did all those poor souls who had no printed copy of the Bible do about their salvation?” Didn’t Christ care about them? Like us, many of them heard the word through priests responsible for passing down the teachings of the apostles.

The Church precedes the New Testament , and it is the Catholic Church who is responsible for putting together the collection of books known as the Bible. To make the claim that the Catholic Church precedes the Bible, is in no way to place it in an inferior position in relation to the Church. The Catholic Church regards the Bible as the inspired and inerrant word of God. However, it is simply ludicrous to claim that without the Bible a person cannot come to the knowledge of Christ crucified and lead a Christian life along the path to Heavenly salvation. Jesus was serious when he said he would build his Church upon the Rock of Peter, and then promised that the gates of hell would not prevail. The Holy Spirit guides her priests through our mother, the Holy Catholic Church, and it is through the works of her priests that the oral word has been infallibly passed on to Christians from the time of Peter, our first pope, to today.

The first New Testament book was not written until approximately 45 A.D., more than ten years after the death of Christ. The Apostles did not have Bibles to send out into the World. They were sent by Christ to preach and instruct orally on matters concerning the teachings of Christ. On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles and they received the gift of the Holy Spirit and were given the power to speak the word in different languages. This enabled them to fulfill their Christ given mission.

Saint Jerome, a Catholic Monk, translated the New Testament into Latin in 382 A.D., under the command of Pope St. Damascus. Shortly thereafter, he translated the Old Testament directly from Hebrew into Latin. This translation, referred to as the “Vulgate” was held above all other versions down to the Reformation. In 1546, during the Council of Trent, this was declared the official version of the Catholic Church. This was considered the only acceptable version. As mentioned above, Catholics are not allowed to read just any version of the Bible. Bibles have been tampered with. Luther himself, a man who apparently claimed to have infallible authority regarding matters of the written word, took books out of the Bible that did not fit with his desired notions. Any and all attempts to keep Catholics from reading certain writings claimed to be biblical, are done in the interest of guarding the truth.

I think it is appropriate to quote Reverend Henry G. Graham who wrote a very insightful little book titled, Where We Got the Bible.

“The Bible in the Church; the Church before the Bible – the Church the Maker and Interpreter of the Bible – that is right. The Bible above the Church; the Bible independent of the Church; the Bible, and the Bible only, the Religion of Christians – that is wrong. The one is the Catholic position; the other the Protestant.
In light of the above, one might also consider a few quotes directly from Scripture:

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stook by the lake of Gennesaret, . . . Luke 5:1

. . . many of them which heard the word believed . . . Acts 4:4
. . . they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31

And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. Acts 15:7

We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. Acts 15:27

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:13-14.

The Catholic Church is responsible for putting together the collection of books that we now know as the Bible. At the Council of Carthage in 397, it was decided which writings were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and which writings were not. There were those writings that all Christians believed to be inspired Holy Scripture and were approved for inclusion, there were those writings that were rejected by some and accepted by others, and there were writings that all Christians believed to be completely false and uninspired. The Catholic Church under the direction of the Holy Spirit determined which books were inspired by God and should be included in the Bible, and which were not. They settled the matter at the Council of Carthage in 397. Rome confirmed the decision, and for once we had a collection of books considered to be divine Scripture. It was not until the reformation of the 16th century that this collection was questioned and seven books of the Old Testament thrown out by the reformers.

The New Testament, unlike the Old, remained the same for the Protestant reformers. History tells us that Protestants who claim that Rome hates the Bible possess the New Testament that they do thanks be to the Catholic Church. If not for the Catholic Church, they would not have the Bible they have today.

It is ludicrous to take a book that belongs to the Catholic Church, a book that She wrote under the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and decide that She is not important, and that the very book She is responsible for is the only infallible authority a Christian has. Furthermore, I find it absolutely astounding that Martin Luther, a man who rejected the infallible authority of the Catholic Church, decided to make himself an infallible authority and gave himself permission to tamper with the divine written word. Many Protestants who reject the authority of the Catholic Church and claim that there is no authority outside of written Scripture are willing to follow a man who made himself an authority. The Books of the Bible that did not coincide with Luther’s notions, were thrown out at his command. He even had the audacity to tamper with a portion of Scripture he allowed to remain. He decided to add the world ‘only’ to Saint Paul’s words, “We are justified by faith”. This was so that Divine Scripture would not contradict his man made doctrine of ‘faith alone’.

I think Henry Graham, author of Where We Got the Bible states it best:

The Church existed before the Bible; she made the Bible; she selected its books, and she preserved it. She handed it down. Through her we know what is the Word of God, and what the word of man; and hence to try at this time of day, as many do, to overthrow the Church by means of this very Bible, and to put it above the Church, and to revile her for destroying it and corrupting it – what is this but to strike the mother that reared them; to curse the hand that fed them; to turn against their best friend and benefactor; and to repay with ingratitude and slander the very guide and protector who has led them to drink of the water out of the Savior’s fountains?

Those who feel they can challenge the Church don’t truly understand what the Church means to the lives of Christians. The Church, the living Body of Christ, is where all truth can be found. Why? It is because we have Christ with us inside of the Church. Christ reveals himself through the Sacraments of the Holy Catholic Church. When he ascended into Heaven, he did not leave us orphans, he left us His living Body. One cannot truly love Christ without loving His Church. The Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost, the day the Church was born, and through the gift of the Holy Spirit, they were given the ability to preach the good news, and were commanded to be the hands and feet of Christ as they fulfilled their holy mission. This is a mission which is still going strong, for one can trace a line of Popes all the way to our first Pope, Peter. Jesus established a visible and universal Church.

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Matthew 5:13-15.

And I say also unto thee, That thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:18-19

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Matthew 18:15-17.

Without the Holy Catholic Church, we would not have the written word in all of its glory or Christ’s visible, institutional, and universal Church to guide us today and shed light on its correct interpretation.

For a more in depth study of how the Bible came about, I would like to recommend Where We Got the Bible, by Henry G. Graham.

References:
Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths, by Dave Armstrong
Where We God the Bible, by Henry G. Graham.
The Catholic Answer, A Publication of Our Sunday

The Catholic Holy Bible