The Gospel According to Rome

Transcription

1 The Gospel According to Rome Session 11 The Roman Catholic Bible and the Apocrypha A Survey of How and Why the Roman Catholic Church Has Departed From Biblical Truth and Authority 2013, Ed Sherwood, Berachah Bible Institute

2 To better Objectives understand: for this Course whatthe differences are between Roman Catholicism and biblical Christianity howroman Catholicism departed from biblical truth howto evangelize Roman Catholics by helping them to know the truths of Scripture whyecumenical efforts by Catholics and biblical Christianity based on biblical error must be avoided Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalms 119: , Ed Sherwood, Berachah Bible Institute 2

3 Course Schedule 2013, Ed Sherwood, Berachah Bible Institute Session Date Topic Material Covered 1 5/19/2013 Introduction Course and text overview 2 5/26/2013 Salvation - Justification TGATR, pgs /2/2013 Salvation Final Destiny TGATR, pgs /9/2013 The Mass and Sacraments TGATR, pgs /16/2013 The Role of Mary Part 1 TGATR, pgs /23/2013 The Role of Mary Part 2 TGATR, pgs We are here 7 6/30/2013 Church Authority -The TGATR, pages Pope and Bishops 8 7/7/2013 Church Authority -The Magisterium TGATR, pgs /14/2013 Secret Access: The Vatican DVD 10 7/21/2013 Church Authority - Tradition 11 7/28/2013 The Roman Catholic Bible and the Apocrypha TGATR, pgs ; TGATR, pages (Appendix C) 12 8/4/2013 Sola Scriptura TGATR, pages /11/2013 Ecumenical Outreach TBA 14 8/18/2013 The Roman Catholic Church in the US TBA 3

4 Overview of Session Scripture and Tradition Catholicism in the News Pope Francis at World Youth Day July in Rio3 Brief review of Church Authority Appendix C The Roman Catholic Bible. ( p ) Approved Translations (not in text) Old Testament (and Apocrypha) New Testament 4

5 Before the Mass, Francis stood in silent prayer in front of the 15-inch statue of the Virgin of Aparecida, the "Black Mary," his eyes tearing up as he breathed heavily. He later carried a replica of it in his arms, visibly moved at the gift he had been given. Francis has entrusted his papacy to the Virgin Mary and, like many Catholics in Latin America, places great importance in devotion to Mary. 5

6 WYD 2013: Pope entrusts youth to Virgin Mary at Aparecida shrine pope-entrusts-youth-to-virgin-mary-at-aparecida-shrine/ Pope Francis entrusted World Youth Day to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary during a visit to the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil today. The Pope began his homily during Mass at the world s largest Marian shrine by recalling the month he spent in Aparecida in 2007 as part of the Latin American bishops council, CELAM, and his role as head of the committee that drafted the gathering s final document on evangelizing the continent anew. Pope Francis said the thousands of lay Catholics who continued to come to the shrine each day to pay homage to Mary and ask her help during the meeting served as a witness to the bishops and helped them with their work. The Aparecida document was born of this interplay between the labors of the bishops and the simple faith of the pilgrims, he said. Before Mass, Pope Francis prayed before the image of Our Lady of Aparecida, a dark wooden sculpture that was caught in the nets of three local fishermen in One of the men kept the statue in his home for 15 years as neighbors, then people from farther away, came to consider it an object of devotion. A chapel was built to house the statue in 1734, and work on the first basilica began in In 1929, Pope Pius XI declared Our Lady of Aparecida the Queen and patron of Brazil. Pope Francis asked Mary to aid him in fulfilling his responsibilities as Pope and formally entrusted to her the hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world who were gathering in Rio for World Youth Day. In his homily at Mass inside the basilica, Pope Francis said that before beginning his heavy schedule of World Youth Day activities, he wanted to knock on the door of the house of Mary. Francis said he would entrust to Mary the success of World Youth ay and he prayed that she may help all of us, pastors of God s people, parents and educators, to pass on to our young people the values that can help them build a nation and a world which are more just, united 6 and fraternal.

7 A Short Review 7

8 Teaching Authority in the Church (text, p. 265) What is the Magisterium? Understanding what the Magisterium is, helps non-catholics understand how the Roman Catholic Church can develop extra-biblical doctrine The teaching authority of the Church resides in the bishops and is called the Magisteriumfrom the Latin word for master. Only the bishops of the Church have the right to judge the true meaning of revelation and to teach it with authority. The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether it is in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Christ. Second Vatican Council the bishops have by divine institution taken the place of the apostles as pastors of the Church, in such wise that whoever listens to them is listening to Christand whoever despises them, despises Christ. Second Vatican Council 8

9 The Roman Catholic Doctrine of Infallibility (text, p. 267) Roman Catholicism teaches that God supernaturally protests the Magisterium from teaching falsehood. McCarthy It is the Magisterium s task to preserve God s people. professing true faith without error. To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the Church s shepherds with the charism of infallibility in faith and morals. CCC 890 {note: shared collectively) the faithful, for their part, are obliged to submit to their bishops decision, made in the name of Christ, in matters of faith and morals. Second Vatican Council matters of faith = doctrinal beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church morals = proper conduct as defined by the Church (e.g. attend mass) faith and morals distinguished from discipline and practice which includes optional matters such as praying the Rosary.. Matters of faith and morals do not change (Semper Eadem Always the Same ): (the) meaning of the sacred dogmas is ever to be maintained which has once been declared by holy mother church, and there must never be any abandonment of this sense under the pretext or in the name of a more profound understanding. First Vatican Council 9

10 Divine Revelation According to the Church (p ) Divine Revelation is said to be complete in Christ. There will be no further revelation. CCC 66. Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of centuries. Divine revelation is passed on within the Church in two ways: o Unwritten form the spoken word of their preaching and the example of their actions. This is called Tradition. o Written form the written word of the apostles and other men inspired by the Holy Spirit The Scriptures. Both Tradition and Scripture form one stream, both flowing out from the same divine well-spring of Revelation. Second Vatican Council 10

11 It is the Magisterium which sits in judgment of both Scripture and Tradition. The Magisterium, not Scripture is the rule of faith for Catholics. 11

12 The Greatest Error Concerning the Magisterium Roman Catholicism holds that the Magisterium and not the Bible is the Spirit s primary teaching instrument (text, p. 276). the teaching office of the Church is more important than the Bible: only an infallible Church can tell us what books belong to Scripture; and only an infallible Church can interpret the true meaning of Sacred Scripture; no one can do this for himself. Thus, the Catholic can read only one Bible, the Bible which is published by the Church. In other words: The immediate and highest rule of the faith is the living office of the Church. DOGMATIC THEOLOGY OF THE LAITY, FATHER MATTHIAS PREMM that meaning of holy scriptures must be held to be the true one, which holy mother church held and holds since it is her right to judge of the true meaning and interpretation of holy scripture. FIRST VATICAN COUNCIL The purpose of Catholic Bible study is not to understand the meaning of Scripture in its original intent, but to understand what the Church understands to be the meaning. 12

13 oved-translations/ USCCB Approved Translations of the Sacred Scriptures for Private Use and Study by Catholics -The 1983 Code of Canon Law entrusts to the Apostolic See and the episcopal conferences the authority to approve translations of the Sacred Scriptures in the Latin Catholic Church (c. 825, 1). Prior to 1983, Scriptural translations could be approved by the Apostolic See or by a local ordinary within a diocese. Approved Translations of the Bible (primary only) Contemporary English Version -New Testament, First Edition, American Bible Society (and Psalms and Proverbs) New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, National Council of Churches New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) Today's English Version, Second Edition, American Bible Society The Jerusalem Bible, the Douay-Rheims Bible, the Latin Vulgate 13

14 On October 4, 2009, Mother Angelica and Deacon Bill Steltemeier, then chairman of EWTN's board of governors, received the papal medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For the Church and The Pontiff) from Pope Benedict Liturgical Use in United States There is only one English text currently approved by the Church for use in the United States. This text is the one contained in the Lectionaries approved for Sundays & Feasts and for Weekdays by the USCCB and recognized by the Holy See. These Lectionaries have their American and Roman approval documents in the front. The text is that of the New American Bible with revised Psalms and New Testament (1988, 1991), with some changes mandated by the Holy See where the NAB text used so-called vertical inclusive language (e.g. avoiding male pronouns for God). Since these Lectionaries have been fully promulgated, the permission to use the Jerusalem Bible and the RSV-Catholic at Mass has been withdrawn. 14

15 The Roman Catholic Position on Bible Translation Roman Catholic publishers are required to provide explanatory notes in their versions of the Bible. This requirement was originally designed to help readers avoid false and heretical interpretations, and to promote traditional Roman Catholic teachings, but its terms have become less specific and more permissive over time. A decree of Pope Leo III issued in 1897 (Officiorum ac munerum) reads, Since it is clear from experience that if the Sacred Books are permitted everywhere and without discrimination in the vernacular, there will by reason of the audacity of men arise from it more harm than good, all versions in vernacular languages, even those done by catholic men, are wholly prohibited unless they be approved by the apostolic see, or edited under the vigilance of the bishops, with annotations drawn from the holy Fathers of the Church, or from the writings of Catholic doctors. [This declaration also prohibited the reading of forbidden books). In the revised code of 1983, canon 825 1, we find a greatly relaxed rule: Books of the sacred scriptures cannot be published unless the Apostolic See or the conference of bishops has approved them. For the publication of their translations into the vernacular, it is also required that they be approved by the same authority and provided with necessary and sufficient annotations. 15

16 Features of the Catholic New American Bible Revised Version A list of the Succession of Popes Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Origin, Inspiration and History of the Bible Three Year Cycle of Readings Celebration of the Eucharist Book introductions Study footnotes explaining the text 156-page Encyclopedic Dictionary 16

17 The Roman Catholic Old Testament (p. 337) Roman Catholic canon contains 46 books (instead of 39) Includes an additional 15 books (writings) called the Apocrypha (hidden) Makes the Catholic Bible 20% larger (adds over 4,000 verse) Apocrypha was written in the 400 years between the Old Testament end and the New Testament beginning In 1546, 12 of the 15 the Apocrypha writings were declared divinely inspired by the Church (seven books and five writings) Books - Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus) and Baruch 17

18 Reasons for Rejecting the Apocrypha (p. 338) 1. The Apocrypha does not present itself as inspired. 2. The Apocrypha promotes questionable ethics (Judith 9-11); fanciful legends (Tobit); and contradicts Scripture (Tobit 4:10, 12:9) 3. The Jews of Israel in Jesus time did not consider the Apocrypha as part of their divine Scriptures. 4. There was no prophet living during the period BC. 5. Jesus and the New Testament writers never quoted the Apocrypha. 6. The early church as a whole never accepted the Apocrypha as Scripture. Jerome, Origen, Athanasius, and Cyril of Jerusalem spoke against it. 7. Even the Roman Catholic Church did not consider the Apocrypha as inspired until the 16 th century (1546 AD) For these reasons, the Protestant Reformation conclusively rejected the Apocrypha! 18

19 The Roman Catholic New Testament (p. 339) 1. The number of books (27) are the same and generally the Catholic translations are reliable (except for chapter headings and footnotes) New American Bible has as its chapter title for Luke 13, Providential Calls to Penance 19

20 2013, Ed Sherwood, Berachah Bible Institute Sharing Your Faith With Catholics To the Catholic Reader p. 311 To the Non-Catholic Reader - p. 313 Pray for Catholics p. 315 Develop Friendships p. 315 Stimulate Thought p. 316 Promote Bible Study p. 316 Address the Real Problem p. 317 Encourage a Clean Break p. 317 Anticipate Trials p. 318 Continue to Learn p. 318 Oppose Ecumenism p. 319 Each week we will briefly review one of the guidelines for sharing our faith with Catholics Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ. Romans 10:17 20

21 End of Session 11 Thank you for your participation! The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8 21

22 Organization of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Fidei Depositum The Prologue - paragraphs 1-25 Part I The Profession of Faith (organized by the Structure of the Apostle s Creed) - paragraphs Part II The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (organized by the Liturgy and the Sacraments) - paragraphs d Edition 1997, 2865 paragraphs, 822 pages Part III Life in Christ (organized under a number of special topics and the Ten Commandments) paragraphs Part IV Christian Prayer (organized under a number of prayer topics and The Lord s Prayer) paragraphs

23 Kathedrale St. Peter 700 AD first bishop s church built 739 AD -Boniface chose site AD burnt twice 1273 AD rebuilt in Gothic style 1520 AD finished in 1520 AD AD Towers built 1872 AD Construction finished

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30 Each spire weighs about 2000 lbs

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36 The Smiling Angel (c.1280) Mary The Annunciation

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