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faith:the_faith_of_our_fathers:the_church_and_the_bible [2025/07/10 08:28] – created Sandeep Kuriakosefaith:the_faith_of_our_fathers:the_church_and_the_bible [2025/07/10 08:43] (current) – Sandeep Kuriakose
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-======   The Church and the Bible   ======+====== The Church and the Bible ======
  
 The Church, as we have just seen, is the only Divinely constituted teacher of Revelation. The Church, as we have just seen, is the only Divinely constituted teacher of Revelation.
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 Whenever any religious dispute arose among the people, it was decided by the High Priest and the Sanhedrim, which was a council consisting of seventy-two civil and ecclesiastical judges. The sentence of the High Priest and of his associate judges was to be obeyed under penalty of death. “If thou perceive,” says\\ Whenever any religious dispute arose among the people, it was decided by the High Priest and the Sanhedrim, which was a council consisting of seventy-two civil and ecclesiastical judges. The sentence of the High Priest and of his associate judges was to be obeyed under penalty of death. “If thou perceive,” says\\
-the Book of Deuteronomy, “that there be among you a hard and doubtful matter in judgment, ... thou shalt come to the Priests of the Levitical race and to the judge, ... and they shall show thee the truth of the judgment.... And thou shalt follow their sentence;"“... you must not turn aside to the right or to the left. But anyone who presumes to disobey the priest appointed to minister there to the Lord your God, or the judge, that person shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.”¹³⁵+the Book of Deuteronomy, “that there be among you a hard and doubtful matter in judgment, … thou shalt come to the Priests of the Levitical race and to the judge, … and they shall show thee the truth of the judgment…. And thou shalt follow their sentence;"“… you must not turn aside to the right or to the left. But anyone who presumes to disobey the priest appointed to minister there to the Lord your God, or the judge, that person shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.”¹³⁵
  
 From this clear command, you see that God does not refer the Jews to the written law for resolving their disputes, but rather to the **living authority** of the ecclesiastical tribunal, which He had explicitly established for that purpose. From this clear command, you see that God does not refer the Jews to the written law for resolving their disputes, but rather to the **living authority** of the ecclesiastical tribunal, which He had explicitly established for that purpose.
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 A competent guide—**the kind our Lord intended for us**—must possess three characteristics: A competent guide—**the kind our Lord intended for us**—must possess three characteristics:
  
-   - +   - **It must be within the reach of everyone**; 
- +  - **It must be clear and intelligible**; 
-**It must be within the reach of everyone**; +  - **It must be able to provide answers to all questions relating to faith and morals.**
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-**It must be clear and intelligible**; +
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-**It must be able to provide answers to all questions relating to faith and morals.**+
 **First**  — A complete guide to salvation must be **within the reach of every inquirer after truth**; for God “desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”¹⁴⁴ Therefore, He must have made available to all the means of arriving at that truth. **First**  — A complete guide to salvation must be **within the reach of every inquirer after truth**; for God “desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”¹⁴⁴ Therefore, He must have made available to all the means of arriving at that truth.
  
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 We must, therefore, conclude that the **Scriptures alone cannot be a sufficient guide and rule of faith**, because: We must, therefore, conclude that the **Scriptures alone cannot be a sufficient guide and rule of faith**, because:
  
-  * +  * They cannot, at all times, be within the reach of every inquirer; 
- +  * They are **not, of themselves, clear and intelligible**  even on matters of the **highest importance**; 
-They cannot, at all times, be within the reach of every inquirer; +  * They **do not contain all the truths necessary for salvation**.
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-  * +
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-They are **not, of themselves, clear and intelligible**  even on matters of the **highest importance**; +
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-  * +
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-They **do not contain all the truths necessary for salvation**.+
  
 **God forbid**  that any of my readers should be tempted to conclude, from what I have said, that the **Catholic Church is opposed to the reading of the Scriptures**, or that **she is the enemy of the Bible**. The **Catholic Church, the enemy of the Bible**? **Good God!**  What **monstrous ingratitude**—what **base calumny**  lies in such an assertion! **God forbid**  that any of my readers should be tempted to conclude, from what I have said, that the **Catholic Church is opposed to the reading of the Scriptures**, or that **she is the enemy of the Bible**. The **Catholic Church, the enemy of the Bible**? **Good God!**  What **monstrous ingratitude**—what **base calumny**  lies in such an assertion!
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 The truth is quite different. Before Luther ever put pen to paper, **no fewer than fifty-six editions of the Scriptures**  had already been published on the **European continent**—to say nothing of editions printed in **Great Britain**. Among these pre-Lutheran editions were: The truth is quite different. Before Luther ever put pen to paper, **no fewer than fifty-six editions of the Scriptures**  had already been published on the **European continent**—to say nothing of editions printed in **Great Britain**. Among these pre-Lutheran editions were:
  
-  * +  * **Twenty-one in German**, 
- +  * **One in Spanish**, 
-**Twenty-one in German**, +  * **Four in French**, 
-  * +  * **Twenty-one in Italian**, 
- +  * **Five in Flemish**, and 
-**One in Spanish**, +  * **Four in Bohemian**.
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-**Four in French**, +
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-**Twenty-one in Italian**, +
-  * +
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-**Five in Flemish**, and +
-  * +
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-**Four in Bohemian**.+
 Coming down to our own times, if you open an **English Catholic Bible**, you will find in the preface a letter from **Pope Pius VI**, in which he **strongly encourages the devout reading of the Holy Scriptures**. A papal letter carries the **highest authority**  in the Church. Coming down to our own times, if you open an **English Catholic Bible**, you will find in the preface a letter from **Pope Pius VI**, in which he **strongly encourages the devout reading of the Holy Scriptures**. A papal letter carries the **highest authority**  in the Church.
  
  • faith/the_faith_of_our_fathers/the_church_and_the_bible.txt
  • Last modified: 12 months ago
  • by Sandeep Kuriakose