Can I go to Lutheran Church Bible study group?

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Celeste88

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I just found there is a Bible study group starting at a Lutheran church 3 blocks away from me. I’m really tempted to join as there is no Catholic church close by that holds a Bible study and I’m not very mobile and able to go long distances. Would it be permissable for a Catholic to join a Protestant study group?
 
It could be a great opportunity for evangelization. If I were in your shoes, I’d do these things though:
  1. make sure you are very strong in your faith
  2. get a GOOD CATHOLIC commentary, like the Navarre Bible, and refer to it frequently to know how the Church has historically seen certain passages
  3. keep talking to people here on the forums, and other Catholics, about questions that come up in the Bible Study
It could be an opportunity, but it could also be dangerous, so be careful.
 
I am a former Protestant who would never go to any Bible study unless it conformed to Rome.

My question to you is: why would you consider any Bible study where the basic tenets of faith are against Catholic teaching?

They have excellent Bible studies for us online, in good solid Catholic books. Sure does beat going to a Bible study in a church founded by a major Catholic dissenter and heretic.

You’re going there to learn, right? Not to convert others? Then make sure you are learning the truth as taught by the Catholic church. These others are almost sure to carry some untruths. (Not lies but misconceptions and, therefore, not truth).

And don’t forget to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.
 
There are plenty of good Catholic resources to study the Bible without resorting to putting yourself in danger of becoming misinformed and misled in a non-Catholic Bible study. Use these resources to become more familiar with the Scriptures and consider starting a Catholic Bible study in your own parish. All it usually takes is the support of your pastor or his representative, a regular format and place to meet, a solid and orthodox resource, and someone willing to take it on.

To get you started, I invite you to visit my web-page, linked below.
 
The true challenge for you would be to try to START rather than JOIN a Catholic Bible Study. This is a lot fo work, possibly more than you think you want, but I have been edified when I float an idea like this and end up with dozens of people from three parishes who want to participate with priests, deacons and nuns offering to assist. This might be harder in rural areas, but give it a try and see what happens.
 
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Celeste88:
I just found there is a Bible study group starting at a Lutheran church 3 blocks away from me. I’m really tempted to join as there is no Catholic church close by that holds a Bible study and I’m not very mobile and able to go long distances. Would it be permissable for a Catholic to join a Protestant study group?
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First, which synod does the Lutheran Church belong to? Evangelical Lutheran Church USA is pretty liberal. The Missouri Synod, on the other hand, is quite conservative and very similar to the Catholic Church, except for the Pope, but that’s another thread. As a family which attended the Lutheran Church before the conversion to the Catholic Church, I can declare with confidence that we have much more in common with the Missouri Synod, for the most part, than what seperates us. If your faith and Catholic background are strong, I think it is great to be involved in inter-church dialogue of this way, especially since most Protestants (perhaps rightly) see most Catholics as uninterested in Bible studies and similar endeavors. On the other hand, what would be better? Start a good Bible study of your own and invite them to meet at the local Catholic Church. Just remember that Lutherans and Catholics have completely different interpretations on points such as the saints, “the keys” given to Peter, the pope, etc. Be careful!
 
**In recent years, Protestant and Catholic scholars have been examining the controversy in detail. Participants in a U.S.

Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue produced a “fundamental consensus” on justification by faith in 1983, and last year an international Roman Catholic-Anglican dialogue reached a tentative agreement on the doctrine.**

Sara
 
** Lutherans and Catholics celebrated the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) with an ecumenical gathering in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, on Oct. 22, 2004.

e festival, jointly organized by the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Slovak Republic (ECAC-SR) and Roman Catholic Church, attracted ecumenical partners, educators, civic leaders, as well as representatives from various church groups outside of the Lutheran and Catholic traditions.**

**
“God’s justifying grace continues to reconcile people and bring peace to the world. We want to discover and receive the renewing gifts of God’s mercy and join our hands in service to the world,” said the ECAR-SR General Bishop Dr Julius Filo.

The JDDJ was signed by representatives of the LWF and Roman Catholic Church on Oct. 31, 1999, in Augsburg, Germany. In essence, the document affirms that Lutherans and Catholics have reached an agreement on the basic truths regarding justification.**
 
I just heard a similar question asked on Catholic Answers this week, and the guest basically said it was fine as long as you are on guard for things that will stray from your faith - be careful, research, (or if very new in your Catholic faith you may not know the differences).
 
There are wonderful Catholic materials available – why not start your own bible study? I’m sure your parish would cooperate in advertising in the bulletin and giving you space at the Church for the study.

There is a free online study at:

www.salvationhistory.com

There are also some great new study guides through Ignatius Press by Scott Hahn that take one book at a time.

In my experience while you may not learn anything overtly wrong in Protestant bible studies, you miss so much. Where are the Sacraments, the Eucharist, the priesthood, Mary and the communion of saints? It’s like reading the bible with different glasses on, and there is too much that is left out.
 
30 odd years ago, when I was a lutheran, I attended a Bible study group at the church. It was led by a man whose instruction was actually his interpretation of scripture. No questions were entertained. I left after 6 weeks. I was uncomfortable, even then, with “just some guy”, with no particular authority, explaining scripture. (I must have been a closet Catholic then but didn’t know it yet. 😃 )

I would suggest to you:
amm.org/chss/chss.html

It is a Catholic Home study course on line. And it’s free…
 
Here are some Bible study books that may be of interest to you:

Understanding Scriptures - The Didache Series:
ewtn.com/vcatalogue/pages/itemdetail.asp?itemcode=7474&source=categories.asp&category=BOOKS&pgnu=3

Haydock Douay Rheims Bible:
ewtn.com/vcatalogue/pages/itemdetail.asp?itemcode=11050&source=categories.asp&category=BOOKS&pgnu=1

Ignatius Study Bible Set:
newadvent.catholiccompany.com/product_detail.cfm?ID=5165

Ignatius Study Bible individual:
ewtn.com/vcatalogue/pages/itemdetail.asp?itemcode=9377&source=categories.asp&category=BOOKS&pgnu=6

ewtn.com/vcatalogue/pages/itemdetail.asp?itemcode=9385&source=categories.asp&category=BOOKS&pgnu=6

ewtn.com/vcatalogue/pages/itemdetail.asp?itemcode=8176&source=categories.asp&category=BOOKS&pgnu=6

ewtn.com/vcatalogue/pages/itemdetail.asp?itemcode=9660&source=categories.asp&category=BOOKS&pgnu=6

ewtn.com/vcatalogue/pages/itemdetail.asp?itemcode=8184&source=categories.asp&category=BOOKS&pgnu=6

ewtn.com/vcatalogue/pages/itemdetail.asp?itemcode=8192&source=categories.asp&category=BOOKS&pgnu=6

ewtn.com/vcatalogue/pages/itemdetail.asp?itemcode=8206&source=categories.asp&category=BOOKS&pgnu=6

I am currently reading “Understanding the Scriptures - The Didache Series” (by Dr. Scott Hahn) which seems like a good place to start. I would advise against joining a lutheran (or any other protestant) Bible study group.
 
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