Faith and Revelation

Knowing God Through Sacred Scripture

Chapter 4

Sacred Scripture: The Inspired Word of God

Chapter Objectives
The student will be able to understand:
The principal Author of Sacred Scripture The unity of the Scriptures in Christ The four major types of books in the Old Testament The importance of the books of the Law The scope of the historical books of the Bible The aim of the books of wisdom literature The content of the prophetic books The four types of books in the New Testament The basic features of the Gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John The Acts of the Apostles The Epistles The Book of Revelation The canon of Sacred Scripture Translations of the Bible

Keys to Chapter 3
The Bible is one book with Christ at its heart.
Both Testaments can be said to contain books of law, history, wisdom, and prophecy.

The canon of Scripture was decided by the Church.

The Church supports and safeguards translations of the Bible into the vernacular.

In This Chapter We Will Discuss:

The relationship between the Old and New Testaments.
How the Old Testament paved the way for the New.

The Books of the Old and New Testaments.

How the canon of Sacred Scripture was determined.

Translations of Sacred Scripture approved by the Catholic Church.

The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel

Lesson Objectives
The principal Author of Sacred Scripture The unity of the Scriptures in Christ.

The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel

Basic Questions
Who is the principal Author of Sacred Scripture? The Bible, consisting of two Testamentsthe Old and the New, each containing many individual books written over a long period of time is one book whose principal Author is God.

How is Christ the basis of the unity of the Sacred Scriptures? The inner unity of Scripture is found in Christ and his Covenant, which are hidden in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament.

Focus Question
Why is the Bible a book of the Catholic Church?
The Catholic Church assembled the Bible as we know it today.

Focus Question
What are the two parts of the Bible?
The Old Testament books were written before the time of Christ, and the New Testament books were written after Christ.

Anticipatory Set
Read the paragraph The New Testament fulfills (p. 90)

Explain how your passage presents a New Law the perfects the Old Law.

Guided Exercise
Discuss the following question:

Why is it impossible for there to be any true contradictions between the various books of the Bible or any erroneous teachings in them?

Focus Question
What is the essential relationship between the two Testaments?
The New Testament fulfills and completes the Old.

Focus Question
What is the first thing St. Matthew writes about Christ?
He records Christs genealogical roots in Old Testament history as descendant of David and Abraham.

Focus Question
What is the overall story told by the Old Testament?
It recounts the long journey toward salvation.

Focus Question
Does the Church in any way reject the Old Testament?
No; Christians venerate the Old Testament as the Word of God.

Focus Question
According to the Catechism, no. 122, what does the Old Testament contain?
It is a storehouse of sublime teaching on God, contains sound wisdom about human life, provides a treasury of prayers, and presents the mystery of salvation in a hidden way.

Focus Question
According to the author of the Letter to the Hebrews, who speaks throughout the Bible?
God speaks throughout.

Focus Question
What is the difference in quality of Gods messengers between the Old and the New Testaments?
In the Old Testament, God spoke through the prophets; in the New, he spoke through his Son.

Focus Question
What is the analogy of faith?
Because of the absolute unity among the truths contained in the Bible, each truth can help understand the other truths and the total plan of Revelation.

Focus Question
How does the analogy of faith help to understand the Bible?
The truths in one part of the Bible can help to understand truths contained in other parts.

Focus Question
How does the Person of Christ express the Bibles inner unity?
Both Testaments refer to Christ; the Old Testament prepares the way for Christ, who is revealed in the New Testament.

Focus Question
How is Christ present in the Old Testament?
He is present in the prophecies he fulfilled and in types, that is, events that prefigure Christ.

Focus Question
How is the Church prefigured in the Old Testament?
The Old Testament Chosen People prefigure the New Testament People of God, the Church.

Focus Question
How is the entire Old Testament fulfilled in Christ?
As a series of covenants between God and man, the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Covenant with Christ. In this way, the New Testament is hidden in the Old and the Old revealed in the New.

Guided Exercise
Discuss the following question: Based on the allegorical spiritual sense of Scripture, explain how the Church and Christ are prefigured in the Old Testament in the types of Noahs Ark and the manna in the desert, respectively.

The Old Testament: Law and History

Lesson Objectives
The four major types of books in the Old Testament The importance of the books of the Law The scope of the historical books of the Bible

The Old Testament: Law and History

Basic Questions
What are the four genres of books found in the Old Testament? The Old Testament contains books of law, history, wisdom, and prophecy. What is the importance of the first five books of the Old Testament? The first five books of the Old Testament are books of law that contain the Mosaic Covenant, which God made with the Chosen People.

The Old Testament: Law and History

Basic Questions
What was the scope of the historical books of the Bible? The fourteen books of history tell the story of Israel from the conquest of Canaanthrough the establishment of the kingdom in Jerusalem and Israels downfall and exile to Babylonto the restoration of Jerusalem. The two Books of the Maccabees bring Jewish history up to the time just before the Roman Empire.

Anticipatory Set
Open your Bibles to the Table of Contents for the Old Testament. Notice the four major divisions:
Law: Genesis through Deuteronomy History: Joshua through Esther plus the two books of Maccabees Wisdom: Job through Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus) Prophecy: Isaiah through Malachi

Focus Question
How many books are in the Old Testament?
There are forty-six books in the Old Testament.

Focus Question
Over what period of time were the books of the Old Testament written?
They were written over a period of nearly fifteen hundred years, from the time of the Exodus through about a century before the coming of Christ.

Focus Question
What are the four basic genres of books found in the Old Testament?
The Old Testament includes law, history, wisdom and prophecy.

Focus Question
What different names are given to the first five books of the Bible?
The Books of the Law The Torah The Books of Moses The Pentateuch

Focus Question
How certain are scholars about the sources of the Pentateuch?
Scholars are not very sure. Attempts to identify the sources of Scripture are scholarly conjecture and speculation.

Focus Question
What did the Pontifical Biblical Commission observe in 1948?
The books that exist today are the inspired Scriptures; therefore, one need not worry if scholars cannot locate or perfectly trace their sources.

Graphic Organizer
Complete the following table about the four-source theory of the Pentateuch
Source J E D Name Date Basis of Theory

Graphic Organizer
Complete the following table about the highlights of the Pentateuch
Book Highlights

Genesis
Exodus Leviticus

Numbers Deuteronomy

Guided Exercise
Write one memorable thing about each of the historical books.

Joshua 1Samuel 2 Kings Ezra Judith

Judges 2 Samuel 1 Chronicles Nehemiah Esther

Ruth 1 Kings 2 Chronicles Tobit

Focus Question
Which Old Testament books tell Davids story?
1 and 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles tell of David.

Focus Question
Which three historical books have a woman as their main character?
Ruth, Judith, and Esther have women as main characters.

Focus Question
What two historical books retell four historical books?
1 Chronicles retells the story of 1 and 2 Samuel from a more religious point of view. 2 Chronicles retells 1 and 2 Kings with more emphasis on the kingdom of Judah.

The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy

Lesson Objectives
The aim of the books of wisdom literature The content of the prophetic books

The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy

Basic Questions
What is the aim of the wisdom literature of the Bible?
The seven books of wisdom tell stories in poetry for prose and offer advice to help guide life according to Gods wisdom.

What is the content of the prophetic books?

The eighteen prophets warned Israel of her infidelity, consoled her in her sufferings, and foretold the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Anticipatory Set
Incorporate Psalm 23 into Opening Prayer and then discuss:

What does this psalm mean, and how is that meaning conveyed?

Guided Exercise
Spend a few minutes locating one saying from Proverbs that especially speaks to you. Share your proverbs and explain why it appeals to you.

Focus Question
What is the subject of Job?
It is about the suffering of the innocent.

Focus Question
Which is the greatest book of religious poetry, and to whom is it attributed?
The Psalms are attributed to David.

Focus Question
What is the subject of Ecclesiastes?
The vanity of worldly things is decried.

Focus Question
What is a didactic work?
The primary purpose of a didactic work is to teach.

Focus Question
What are some didactic books of the wisdom literature?
Proverbs and Sirach provide wise sayings and principles to teach people the right way to live.

Focus Question
How does the Catholic Church use the Psalms in the Liturgy of the Mass?
They almost always constitute the Responsorial Psalm. They are also a common source for the Entrance, Offertory, and Communion Antiphons.

Focus Question
To what extent is it true to say the prophets warned, comforted, and predicted?
Often the prophets warned of coming disaster if people of Israel would not return to God. When disaster struck, the prophets gave the people messages of comfort. Many prophets also predicted the coming of the Messiah.

Focus Question
Which prophet has some of the clearest prophecies of Christ?
Isaiah prophesied the Messiah.

Focus Question
How many prophetic books are in the Old Testament?
There are eighteen.

Focus Question
What is a prophet?
A prophet is called by God or speaks on Gods behalf, announcing his message.

Focus Question
Why are the prophets from Hosea to Malachi known as the Minor Prophets?
Their books are shorter than those of the Major Prophets.

Focus Question
How was Hoseas marriage a metaphor for Gods relationship with Israel?
Hoseas wife was unfaithful to him, but he took her back. God entered into a covenant with (married) Israel, she was unfaithful to him by worshiping other gods, but God took her back despite this infidelity.

Focus Question
Which prophet foretold Christ would be born in Bethlehem?
Micah said a savior to rule Israel would be born in Bethlehem.

Focus Question
What are the three major divisions of the prophetic books?
The divisions are the Major Prophets, the Minor Prophets, and the Post-exilic Prophets.

Focus Question
Which two prophets are associated with the rebuilding of the Temple?
Haggai and Zechariah rebuilt the Temple.

Graphic Organizer
Complete the following table about Isaiah 9:6 as it applies to Christ.
Phrase from Isaiah 9:6
To us a child is born, to us a son is given. The government will be upon his shoulder.

Application to Jesus Christ

His name will be called Wonderful Counselor.

His name will be called Mighty God. His name will be called Everlasting Father. His name will be called Prince of Peace.

Focus Question
Why are many dates about events in the Old Testament conjectural?
Historians have to add together the reigns of kings and make certain assumptions about the length of generations.

Focus Question
What is the subject of the two Books of Maccabees?
They recount a Jewish revolt led by the Maccabeus family against the Greek rulers of Palestine who tried to force the Jews to become Hellenized.

Focus Question
How does our dating system put Christ at the center of time?
The yearly designations BC and AD date events before or after Christs Birth.

Focus Question
How did the ancient Israelites number their years?
They counted the years from the beginning of the reign of the current king or from some important event in the recent past.

The New Testament: The Four Gospels

Lesson Objectives
The four types of books in the New Testament The basic features of the Gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

The New Testament: The Four Gospels

Basic Questions
What are the four genres of books in the New Testament? The New Testament mirrors the Old Testament with books of law, history, wisdom, and prophecy.

What are the basic features of the Gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? St. Matthew shows Christ to be the heir to Davids Kingdom. St. Mark shows Christ to be the leader of a new Exodus. St. Luke composed his Gospel for Gentile Christians. St. John completes the other three Gospels, emphasizing Christ as the Incarnate Word of God.

Anticipatory Set
Complete a focused reading of Jeremiahs prophecy (p. 160) and discuss the following:

What is the essence of the New Covenant Jeremiah foresaw?

Focus Question
What is the essential relationship between the Old and New Testaments?
The New Testament does not replace but fulfills the Old.

Focus Question
What is the Old Testament without the New Testament?
It is a collection of tragic stories and unfulfilled promises.

Focus Question
What is the Old Testament with the New Testament?
It is the story of the gradual unfolding of Gods plan of salvation, which reaches its climax in the Death and Resurrection of Christ.

Graphic Organizer
Complete the following table about the four genres of literature in each of the Testaments.
Genre
Law History Wisdom Prophecy

Old Testament

Description

New Testament

Description

Focus Question
What is the essential content of the New Testament?
It is the story of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the early years of the Church.

Focus Question
What were the two phases by which the Gospels came to be written?
First was oral tradition by which the Apostles handed on what Christ had said and done. Second was the written Gospels by which the Sacred Authors wrote down some of what had been handed on by word of mouth.

Focus Question
Which were the first written Christian works?
The Epistles of St. Paul were first.

Focus Question
Why are the Gospels the heart of all the Scriptures?
They are our principal source of knowledge regarding the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.

Focus Question
Who are the authors of the four Gospels?
Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote them.

Focus Question
What is an Evangelist?
He is an author of one of the Gospels. Extension: The word comes from Latin evangelium, which means glad tidings.

Focus Question
What were the personal relationships between the Evangelists and Christ?
Sts. Matthew and John were disciples of Christ and eyewitnesses of the events they narrate. Sts. Mark and Luke were disciples of the Apostles.

Focus Question
Why are the first three Gospels called synoptic?
Synoptic means seeing together. These three Gospels present Christ in a similar way.

Focus Question
Why are the synoptic Gospels so similar?
Scholars have speculated on the relationship between the three Gospels. Sts. Matthew and Luke may has used St. Markss Gospel as a source.

Focus Question
When were the synoptic Gospels written?
They were written well before Jerusalems destruction (AD 70), probably between AD 50 and 62.

Graphic Organizer
Complete the following table about The Names to Designate Sacred Scripture. (p. 109)
Name
Sacred Scriptures
Bible Old and New Testaments Inspired books

Meaning

Focus Question
Who was St. Matthew?
He was an Apostle, also called Levi, and originally a tax collector.

Focus Question
What were the original audience and primary aim of St. Matthews Gospel?
St. Matthew wrote for Jewish Christians living in Palestine to show Christ is the Messiah.

Focus Question
What are some distinctive characteristics of St. Matthews Gospel?
Two are the genealogy of Christ, which echoes Genesis, and his extensive use of direct quotes from Christ.

Focus Question
Who was St. Marks original audience?
He probably wrote to Gentile Christians in Rome.

Focus Question
What seems to be St. Marks main interest?
He seems to emphasize what Christ did more than what he said.

Focus Question
Why is it relatively easy to read St. Marks Gospel in one sitting?
It is the shortest Gospel and reads quickly.

Focus Question
When was the Gospel of St. Luke written?
It was most likely written after those of Sts. Matthew and Mark.

Focus Question
Why is there reason to believe there were a number of accounts of Christs life circulating among Christians by the time St. Luke set out to write his Gospel?

He wrote that he wanted to give an orderly account of Christs life. This implies there were other, partial accounts that did not provide a complete history of Christs life.

Focus Question
With which Apostle is St. Luke most associated?
St. Luke accompanied St. Paul on his missionary journeys.

Focus Question
Who was St. Lukes probable audience?
He wrote to Gentile converts.

Focus Question
Did St. Luke get all his information about Christ second hand?
No. St. Luke was likely an eyewitness to many of the events described in his Gospel.

Focus Question
From whom did St. Luke learn of the Annunciation, the Birth of Christ, the visit of the shepherds, and the finding of the Christ child in the Temple? He probably learned these from the Blessed Virgin Mary herself.

Focus Question
How does St. Lukes occupation as a physician show itself in his Gospel? St. Lukes Gospel takes a detailed interest in Christs healings.

Graphic Organizer
Complete the following table about audience and aim of each Gospel.

Author
St. Matthew St. Mark

Chief Audience

Chief Aim

St. Luke
St. John

Focus Question
How does the prologue of St. Johns Gospel parallel Genesis? Beginning even with the same words, In the beginning, St. Johns Gospel emphasizes the divinity of Christ and the new creation he accomplished.

Focus Question
What element of St. Johns Gospel grounds it in history? Its author shows great familiarity with the places and dates of the events narrated.

Focus Question
Who wrote the Gospel of St. John? The Apostle St. John wrote it.

Focus Question
When was St. Johns Gospel written? His was the last Gospel written, close to AD 100.

Focus Question
What is the relationship between St. Johns Gospel and the synoptics? St. Johns Gospel presupposes the other Gospels existence and was written to complete them. St. Johns Gospel uses a different, more theological language, and it includes events not contained in the other Gospels.

The New Testament: History, Wisdom, and Prophecy

Lesson Objectives
The Acts of the Apostles The Epistles The Book of Revelation

The New Testament: History, Wisdom, and Prophecy

Basic Questions
What is the Acts of the Apostles? St. Luke followed his Gospel with the Acts of the Apostles, a history of the apostolic Church. What is the purpose of the Epistles? The Epistles, the wisdom literature of the New Testament, addressed problems of the early Church to live holy lives.

The New Testament: History, Wisdom, and Prophecy

Basic Questions
What is the message of the Book of Revelation? The Book of Revelation promises the fulfillment of the New Covenant.

Anticipatory Set
Read the prologue to the Acts of the Apostles and the discuss the following question:

How is this prologue similar to the prologue to St. Lukes Gospel?

Focus Question
With what element of suspense does each Gospel end? Each Gospel ends with Christ risen from the dead and instructing his disciples to spread the Gospel, but they had not yet received the Holy Spirit.

Focus Question
Why did St. Luke write the Acts of the Apostles? Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Luke knew future generations would need a record of important events from the apostolic Church.

Focus Question
What is the relationship between St. Lukes Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles?
The Acts of the Apostles is a sequel to St. Lukes Gospel.

Focus Question
What have archaeologists and historians confirmed about the Acts of the Apostles? Every detail of St. Lukes narrative that can be verified has turned out to be exactly accurate. Therefore, he is an extraordinarily reliable recordkeeper.

Guided Exercise
Discuss the following question:

What is the overall purpose of the Epistles?

Focus Question
Which New Testament books were written earliest? The Epistles were written first.

Focus Question
What are Epistles?
They are letters intended for specific audiences and often written in response to particular problems in the early Church.

Focus Question
How do the Epistles illustrate Christian life in the apostolic Church? They clarified and extended the teachings of the Apostles and corrected early errors.

Focus Question
Who wrote most of the Epistles?
St. Paul wrote most of them.

Focus Question
How are the Epistles of St. Paul arranged?
They are arranged generally from longest to shortest as opposed to in the order they were written.

Focus Question
Who made up St. Pauls original audience?
Nine of St. Pauls letters were written to churches in various cities of the Roman empire, and four were written to individuals.

Focus Question
What is the importance of the Epistle to the Hebrews?
It shows how the Old Testament is fulfilled in the life of Christ.

Focus Question
What are the Catholic Epistles?
They are letters written to the entire Church rather than to a particular church or individual.

Focus Question
What literary form is Revelation?
It is a prophetic book.

Focus Question
How does the Book of Revelation convey its message?
It uses symbols, allegories, and metaphors.

Focus Question
Who is the author of Revelation? It is attributed to St. John.

Focus Question
What is the basic message of the Book of Revelation?
There will be great tribulation, but God will preserve his people and bring them into the new, heavenly Jerusalem.

Focus Question
How is Revelation an apt conclusion to Sacred Scripture?
Genesis begins with Creation; Revelation ends with the new creation. Genesis recounts the Fall; Revelation recounts salvation.

Guided Exercise
Discuss the following question:

What are the two purposes of the Book of Revelation?

Guided Exercise
Complete a focused reading of Revelation 21:1-8 and answer the following:

In this vision of the climax of history, what are the promise and the warning?

The Canon of Sacred Scripture

Lesson Objectives
The canon of Sacred Scripture

The Canon of Sacred Scripture

Basic Questions
How was the canon of Sacred Scripture determined? The canon of Sacred Scripture was determined by the Magisterium of the Church. The canon of the Old Testament is based on the books of the Septuagint, which was the Greek translation used by the Apostles, while the canon of the New Testament was determined by the books apostolic origin, orthodoxy of content, and catholicity.

Anticipatory Set
The Canonicity of the Scriptures
To determine the canon of the Old Testament, the Church received the books of the Septuagint because they were used by the Apostles and early church. The Church used three criteria to decide if a book is part of the canon. All three tests had to be positive. Apostolic origin Orthodox content Catholicity

Focus Question
What does canon literally mean?

It means measuring rod or rule.

Focus Question
What does canon of Scripture mean?

It denoted a list of books that comprise Sacred Scripture.

Focus Question
Do Sacred Scriptures reveal which books belong to it? No; this was determined by the Magisterium of the Church.

Focus Question
What practical problem did the early Church face that resulted in the forming of the canon of Scripture? The practical problem was to choose which of the many books in circulation about Christ would be read during the Churchs liturgies.

Focus Question
What is the Septuagint? It is a Greek translation of the Old Testament made in Alexandria in the second century BC.

Focus Question
Why do modern-day Jews have a different canon than the Old Testament in Catholic Bibles?
The Jewish Synod of Jamnia about AD 110 decided to exclude those books of the Septuagint not found in the Hebrew Scriptures, i.e., Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and fragments of Esther and David.

Focus Question
What are the deuterocanonical books?

These are books that appear in the Septuagint but not in the modern Jewish canon. It means second canon.

Focus Question
What are some Catholic beliefs and practices witnessed in the deuterocanonical books? The Second Book of Maccabees shows the practice of praying for the souls of the dead. The Book of Tobit includes the existence and action of guardian angels.

Focus Question
What are the apocrypha?

The apocrypha are books of dubious origin that have been excluded from the canon of Scripture. Extension: Many Protestants refer to the deuterocanonical books this way.

Focus Question
When were the New Testament books written? They were written between AD 40 and 100.

Focus Question
What were the original languages of the New Testament books? St. Matthew wrote his version of the gospel in Aramaic. The rest were written in Greek with some Semitic influences.

Focus Question
Why did the Church need to determine the canon of New Testament books? Within a few centuries, there were numerous accounts of the life of Christ circulating among the Christian communities. The origin and teaching of many were suspect.

Focus Question
What were some problems with some writings in circulation? Some had apocryphal stories about Christs childhood, and some taught Gnosticism.

Focus Question
When was the canon of the New Testament defined? It was defined at a synod in Rome (AD 382). This was confirmed by Pope Innocent I (405) and reaffirmed by the Ecumenical Councils of Florence (1441) and Vatican I (1870). The Fathers of the Council of Trent (1546) solemnly defined it.

Focus Question
Why did Martin Luther reject the Books of St. Jude, St. James, Hebrews, and Revelation? They contradicted his doctrine of justification by faith alone.

Guided Exercise

Summarize the three stages in the formation of the Gospels as articulated in the Catechism, no. 126 (p. 126)

Translations of the Sacred Scriptures

Lesson Objectives
Translations of the Bible

Translations of the Sacred Scripture

Basic Questions
What are considered the best translations of the Bible? Originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the Bible has been translated into many languages under the Churchs guidance. The Latin Vulgate is the definitive translation of the Bible, and there are several approved English translations available.

Anticipatory Set
Remember that the Bible was not written in English. Every translation requires choices to render words and phrases from one language into another.

Research different English translations of Psalm 23.

Focus Question
What are the three original languages of the Bible?
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek were used to write the Old Testament, Hebrew being most prevalent. Hebrew or Aramaic and Greek were used to write the New Testament, Greek being the most prevalent.

Focus Question
On what materials were the books of the Old Testament originally written?
The Torah was written on parchment; the others were written on papyrus.

Focus Question
How old are the oldest extant manuscripts of the Old Testament? Discovered during the twentieth century, the oldest manuscripts date from the second century BC.

Focus Question
What do these ancient manuscripts tell us?
The biblical texts have been transmitted to the modern day without substantial change for over 2100 years.

Focus Question
What text of the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit?
Only the original text is inspired.

Focus Question
To what extent is a translation of the Bible free from error? It is inerrant insofar as it is in conformity with the original.

Focus Question
What version of the Bible has the Church declared to be the purest text?
The Latin Vulgate is purest. Extension: This has undergone a recent revision, published in 1986. The resultant New Vulgate (Nova Vulgata) is now the official text of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church.

Graphic Organizer
Complete the following table about two influential translations of the Bible

Translation
Septuagint

Completed

Important Points

Vulgate

Guided Exercise

Compose a bullet-point summary of three important points about St. Jerome.

Guided Exercise
Many Protestants believe the Catholic Church tried to prevent people from reading the Sacred Scriptures by keeping the Bible in a language ordinary people could not understand and prohibiting it from being printed.

Identify statements from the text that disprove this myth.

Focus Question
What is the King James Version? It was the standard English Protestant edition of Sacred Scripture for four centuries.

Focus Question
What was the first Catholic Bible in English? The Douay-Rheims Bible was completed about the year 1600.

Focus Question
What translations of the Bible are used by Catholics today? The Douay-Rheims The Confraternity Edition of the Douay-Rheims The Knox Version The Jerusalem Bible The New American Bible The Revised Standard Version

Focus Question
Why is it important for a Bible to have an ecclesiastical approval? Ecclesiastical approval is a determination by a bishop that a text is free from moral or doctrinal error.