JMJ
Any appearance of contradiction in the Sacred Literature is only through a **misunderstanding ** of the writings. That is why the Church decided in the first centuries after Christ which writings were Divinely Inspired and which were not. From that decision it follows that any apparent contradictions are caused by a lack of understanding of the seemingly conflicting passages. Only the Church through its infallible magisterium can resolve the apparent conflict, because there can be no real conflict in the Word of God.
When reading Holy Scripture, it is most wise to reach back as far as practicable to the original writings chosen by the Church in those first centuries. The best we have is the **Latin Vulgate ** which in English would be the **Douay-Rheims ** translation of the Vulgate. Many other versions are either attempts to restate the passages in more modern and simple language or are perverted versions to match some schismatic revolt. This often introduces subtle errors in the first case or deliberate errors in the latter…
Catechisms do not have the guarantee of Divine Inspiration. It is hoped that the most accepted ones, especially in their revisions, have the least mistakes, and those mistakes to be the most benign. I personally read the Catechism of the Council of Trent and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In my early school days I learned from the Baltimore Catechism which covers the imporatant basics, but is not as detailed as the above references. This is not to say that Catechisms should be avoided; the opposite is true. Any one or all three of the Catechisms mentioned above have been reviewed carefully by orthodox authorities in the Church and should be read and re-read by every Catholic to learn the Truths of their Faith.
Reading the Bible should not entail searches for errors, because if one is reading an authentic translation, there are no errors. Once again, what **may seem to be ** a contradiction is an error in translation or, more likely, a misunderstanding by the reader. For a Catholic, it is not allowed to interpret any passages that have been defined by the Church in a manner opposed to that definition. It is also **extremely dangerous ** for one’s soul to interpret undefined passages in a manner that opposes long-standing traditional beliefs.
