Bible Study

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rinnie

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Here is my question. Now how can a Catholic go to a protestant Bible Study? Now what is the difference from going to a protestant bible study and doing sola-script. I mean dont get me wrong i think bible study is wonderful, but when i went to my first one there was there woman saying she went to protestant because they were the only that had it. I understand that and yes we should have more, and I believe our faith has answered that plea. But back to the point how can a protestant teach a Catholic the bible when we are to be taught by our Church?
 
rinnie said:
Here is my question. Now how can a Catholic go to a protestant Bible Study? Now what is the difference from going to a protestant bible study and doing sola-script. I mean dont get me wrong i think bible study is wonderful, but when i went to my first one there was there woman saying she went to protestant because they were the only that had it. I understand that and yes we should have more, and I believe our faith has answered that plea. But back to the point how can a protestant teach a Catholic the bible when we are to be taught by our Church?
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That’s a good question. A better question would be: Why would a Catholic go to a Bible study conducted by a heretis who “twists the Bible to his own destruction”.

The only reason I can think for a Catholic to go to a Bible study conducted by heretics of whatever shade or variety, is to convert them. But the Catholic must know his faith and the Bible very well before considering that.

Any Catholic who goes to a Protestant Bible study to “learn the Bible” is extremely foolish and will almost always end by falling into heresy.
 
The reason Catholics go to Protestant bible studies is that the Catholic church doesn’t really offer bible studies - as you have already acknowledged. To me, I don’t which is worse, attending a Protestant Bible study, or not really opening up a Bible because the Catholic church doesn’t push for people to study the Word of God outside of mass. For myself, I may not agree with everything that Protestants believe, but they do have many insights into the Word of God that Catholics miss out on because the majority of us don’t make it a priority to read and study the Bible.
 
A Catholic going to a Protestant Bible Study is like an American going to Moscow to study the U.S. Constitution. Even Luther admiitted that Rome gave the world the Bible, and the Protestant Bible isn’t even complete, it lacks the inter-testimental books. The Church has the authority to interpret Scripture, the Protestants only have private interpretation which the Bible itself forbids.

No, going to a Protestant Bible Study is a REALLY BAD IDEA.😦
 
I wish my parish had a Bible study group. It’s really a shame. I have asked and the response has always been along the lines of “no one is interested”. I am not sure why those of other faiths have seemed to “one upped us” in this regard.They are so much more knowledgeable in this department. I know that being able to quote chapter and verse is sometimes a matter of how well someone can memorize something, but some people seem to have a genuine love of the Bible and how it relates to their faith. Something that I think we as Catholics are sorely lacking.

Kathy
 
rinnie said:
Here is my question. Now how can a Catholic go to a protestant Bible Study? Now what is the difference from going to a protestant bible study and doing sola-script. I mean dont get me wrong i think bible study is wonderful, but when i went to my first one there was there woman saying she went to protestant because they were the only that had it. I understand that and yes we should have more, and I believe our faith has answered that plea. But back to the point how can a protestant teach a Catholic the bible when we are to be taught by our Church?
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Catholics should avoid protestant Bible study and indeed protestants altogether at all cost. It makes zero sense to go to a protestant bible study and listen to some guy who is not Catholic talk about a Bible that he has never read all the way through. As Catholics, we know Far more about the Bible then any protestant ever will just by going to Mass and paying attention. If we want to study the Bible, we should do so with Catholics or alone, yes we are permitted to read the bible by ourselves. protestant bible studies are not really bible studies, they are just Catholic bashing clubs and if a Catholic shows up then they will only try to convert you away from Lord Jesus. Just because these people worship the Bible in place of God does not mean they actually know anything about it. I have yet to meet a Protestant who has actually READ the entire bible.
 
Katie1723 said:
I wish my parish had a Bible study group. It’s really a shame. I have asked and the response has always been along the lines of “no one is interested”. I am not sure why those of other faiths have seemed to “one upped us” in this regard.They are so much more knowledgeable in this department. I know that being able to quote chapter and verse is sometimes a matter of how well someone can memorize something, but some people seem to have a genuine love of the Bible and how it relates to their faith. Something that I think we as Catholics are sorely lacking.

Kathy
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I hardly think there are any protestants who stop worshiping their bible long enough to read it much less study it. If you want to study the Bible then I suggest you do as the Catholic Church suggest and read it and study it. You get an indulgence for this by the way. If you want to study with other people then invite them to the times when you study. It isn’t all that hard. Protestants use Bible Study as a replecement for Mass. We know which is more important. Protestant Bible studies have a tendancy to devolve into idol worship. DON"T GO.
 
Kathy:

As an adult convert, the first homily that I ever heard at my parish was on the importance of Bible Study. Did you know that there is a daily indulgence for 30 minutes of Bible Reading? Most monks and cloistered nuns spend enormous amounts of time in Lectio Divina, a form of prayer that involves the reading and meditating of the Bible.

IMO the Bible is not a text to be learned or even a manual for life. The Bible is a collection of “letters” from our Heavenly Father. Read it prayerfully and you will be blessed.
 
Nobody has mentioned the really good bible studies on EWTN. View them for your own benefit. Or you can tape them off TV or get a tape or DVD and manual and ask your pastor if you can start a bible study at church. You could even just get some friends together and have meetings at home.

There is a bible study at my church on Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings. The woman who began it was thinking of just having a women’s bible study during the day and it grew and men asked to come too. Most things start small.
 
Claudius said:
I have yet to meet a Protestant who has actually READ the entire bible.
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Claudius:

I agree with your post with the exception of the above excerpt. I have know several Protestants that have read the Bible cover to cover (with the exception of the Deuterocanonicals of course) several times. Do they understand it in its fullness? Of course not, do they read it and love it, yes. Do they distort its meaning and cause it to say things it doesn’t say, OH Yeah!! But they can’t help themselves, it’s their nature.
 
Marsha_Adams said:
Kathy:

As an adult convert, the first homily that I ever heard at my parish was on the importance of Bible Study. Did you know that there is a daily indulgence for 30 minutes of Bible Reading? Most monks and cloistered nuns spend enormous amounts of time in Lectio Divina, a form of prayer that involves the reading and meditating of the Bible.

IMO the Bible is not a text to be learned or even a manual for life. The Bible is a collection of “letters” from our Heavenly Father. Read it prayerfully and you will be blessed.
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I do read the Bible every day. It’s just that sometimes it would be nice to sit with others who do also and talk about what we read. Why is it that Catholics are afraid to do this??
As for Bible studies with other faiths, I accompany my BF to his church as a show of support for his journey. Yes I would prefer it would be with me, but I am not derailing this thread about that.
I mostly sit and listen.However, I am not afraid to speak up and give the Catholic perspective. And if it goes against what they believe, too bad. I have explained some of why we pray to the Blessed Mother the way we do, as opposed to " worshipping her" the way they think we do. I gave his pastor a book about Maximillian Kolbe, because he told me that he had a picture of him in his office. I joke with my priest and tell him I am converting them one person at a time starting with the top.
I still think, indulgences or no, Catholics in general don’t know all the wonders in our Bible.

Kathy
 
Katie1723 said:
I do read the Bible every day. It’s just that sometimes it would be nice to sit with others who do also and talk about what we read. Why is it that Catholics are afraid to do this??

As for Bible studies with other faiths, I accompany my BF to his church as a show of support for his journey.

I still think, indulgences or no, Catholics in general don’t know all the wonders in our Bible.

Kathy
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As I recall, there was a similar question in the “Ask an Apologist” section a while back. The response was that we should not engage in Bible study with non-Catholics because the Church interprets scripture for us, while they “are their own authority”.

This is a very accurate and true response. That being said, on a personal level, I have done bible studies over the years with many protestants one-on-one, and at their church facilities.

You can learn a lot at many of these studies. But it is important to have ‘shields up’ (as they would say on Star Trek). Scripture study is one thing, but beware of the anti-Catholic propaganda that tends to sneak in over time.
 
From my experience, I’d caution catholics to stay away from them. There are good and true bits and pieces for sure, but it’s too easy to get caught up in the wave. You don’t always notice but maybe you move step-by-step into the non-catholic way of thinking and looking at Scripture.

Blessings—
 
One of the problems that is usually encountered with going to a protestant bible study is that they work on the premise that there can be no wrong answers. That in and of itself should be a large red flag.
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B
 
Claudius said:
Catholics should avoid protestant Bible study and indeed protestants altogether at all cost. It makes zero sense to go to a protestant bible study and listen to some guy who is not Catholic talk about a Bible that he has never read all the way through. As Catholics, we know Far more about the Bible then any protestant ever will just by going to Mass and paying attention. If we want to study the Bible, we should do so with Catholics or alone, yes we are permitted to read the bible by ourselves. protestant bible studies are not really bible studies, they are just Catholic bashing clubs and if a Catholic shows up then they will only try to convert you away from Lord Jesus. Just because these people worship the Bible in place of God does not mean they actually know anything about it. I have yet to meet a Protestant who has actually READ the entire bible.
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My mother is visiting…I guess I should throw her out, huh?:rolleyes:
 
Our parish offers several Bible studies taught by wonderful laypeople who have been trained in the diocesan “Ministry Formation” program.

There is also a city-wide Catholic Bible Fellowship for women and another one for men, but these are sparsely attended during the evening. The daytime one for women has about 90 people, from what I understand, and the program includes a teaching time for children, too.

Some of you mention just wanting to study the BIble with another Catholic. I don’t know if this would need the “official stamp of approval” by the priest, but why not just ask a friend or an acquaintance if they would like to join you for a time of Bible study, buy one of the Scott Hahn or other trustworthy Catholic Bible studies at your local Catholic bookstore or online, and then get together at your homes once a week or every other week and go for it?

This is a really nice way to study the Bible, and creates a bond between you and a friend or a few friends. A Bible study doesn’t have to be a great big meeting.

My only precaution is to make sure to use a Catholic Bible study, and don’t do the “facilitator” thing where everyone just “opens up and shares what this passage of Scripture means to them.” Waste of time.

I was evangelical Protestant for over 40 years, and I will let you in on a deep, dark little secret–there are a whole lot of Protestant Bible studies that only attract a few people, even if the church has hundreds of members. Unless it’s one of the “cool” Bible studies led by a gifted speaker (who’s probably selling books), most people don’t take the time to attend a Bible study. Wednesday night Bible studies at many Protestant churches are lucky to get a half-dozen people, and they are mainly the old people who already know all the stuff that the leader discusses!

In fact, in our last Protestant church, an Evangelical Free Church, my older daughter, who was on the Leadership Committee in her Senior High youth group, got tired of the weekly youth meetings about movies, music, sex, and dating. She asked the Youth Pastor if they could have a “Bible study.”

He told her that no one would come if they did a Bible study in Youth Group. :eek: Honest!

So Protestant Bible studies are not exactly crowded these days.
 
Julianna said:
My mother is visiting…I guess I should throw her out, huh?:rolleyes:
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What a bunch of rubbish. It’s all based in fear and ignorance. How offensive to even suggest to stay clear of Protestant bible studies. When I was a Protestant we did plenty of bible studies with the Catholic women across the street. We had great ecumenical discussions about our differences. We formed bonds that lasted years. They would often come over and bring their kids to our VBS. Horrors of horrors all the kids learned about the parables together :eek:

Good Lord, we didn’t sit and wring our hands over scripture alone. :rolleyes:

I honestly think their are parts of this great country of ours that I swear to the God Almighty I am afraid to visit. :eek:
 
rinnie said:
Here is my question. Now how can a Catholic go to a protestant Bible Study? Now what is the difference from going to a protestant bible study and doing sola-script. I mean dont get me wrong i think bible study is wonderful, but when i went to my first one there was there woman saying she went to protestant because they were the only that had it. I understand that and yes we should have more, and I believe our faith has answered that plea. But back to the point how can a protestant teach a Catholic the bible when we are to be taught by our Church?
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We have “Bible Studies” at school. I am the Catholic and there is a baptist and a non-denominatinal. We all bring our Bibles to lunch and discuss things. You call it argument we call it “creative disscussion” 😃 !!! We all bring our beliefes to the table and ask each other question and point out Bible references. Now sometimes they try to pull and Fulton Sheen (i love the guy but he does have this problem) They take one verse out of a paragraph and go by that verse alon and not reading in the context of the whole passage.

And yes Catholics need to study the Bible more often. I always say that protestants make the best Catholics because they are brought up knowing and learning scripture. 👍
 
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