How do I defend the Bible?

[MarionC]

I participate in discussions with people whose mindsets run the gamet from doubters, gentle (non hostile) non believers. agnostics, atheists, and God haters.

Today’s discussion drifted into the realm of the Bible and truth and that since there are so many translations of the Bible, it is folly for me to say that what I believe, as a Roman Catholic, is definitive. In other words, I can’t possible know what God really meant to convey.

Help! How do I respond in an intelligent manner without being hostile?

Marion

 

[Genesis315]

I think he is confusing us with sola scriptura Protestants. We are not a “people of the book.” We do not use the Bible in a vacuum and try and figure out what it means. Rather, we also follow the Tradition of the Church. We see how the whole Church has understood the Scriptures from the time of the Apostles until now. We see it in the writings of the Fathers who knew the Apostles (like Ignatius of Antioch and Clement of Rome) those that came after them (like Ireneaus, etc.) and so forth and so on. This Tradition is especially handed down by the successors of Peter and the Apostles, the Pope and bishops and we can see in their teaching this same continuity.

 

[MarcoPolo]

tions of the Bible, it is folly for me to say that what I believe, as a Roman Catholic, is definitive. In other words, I can’t possible know what God really meant to convey.

Help! How do I respond in an intelligent manner without being hostile?

In addition to what Genesis said, what they pose to you is a stalemate. The whole argument of “no one can know the truth” absorbs all sides and they are really in no position to tell you your wrong. That’s from their standpoint.

From the Catholic’s standpoint, you could in a sense acknowledge the difficulty of interpreting Scripture, which is why the Holy Spirit is the interpreter of Scripture. Don’t leave that out of the equation. It is in God that we have a guarantee. I think a or the key is the Resurrection. God manifested in human form and language for a reason. When He rose from the dead, the world witnessed it, and knew His word to be true, and knew He was of God. Those He commissioned and promised to guide in truth until the end of the age are the apostles and their successors. And we believe Jesus’ promise to guide the Church in all truth.

I have been less interested as I grow older in trying over and over to “convince” others. If you present yourself well and they still refuse, it may simply be a futile path, unsolvable by means of formal communication. Sometimes you can preach the Gospel you believe in most powerfully in your life, apart from words.

 

[ziapueblo]

I participate in discussions with people whose mindsets run the gamet from doubters, gentle (non hostile) non believers. agnostics, atheists, and God haters.

Today’s discussion drifted into the realm of the Bible and truth and that since there are so many translations of the Bible, it is folly for me to say that what I believe, as a Roman Catholic, is definitive. In other words, I can’t possible know what God really meant to convey.

Help! How do I respond in an intelligent manner without being hostile?

Marion

We as Catholics do know what God meant for us. God has revealed Himself to us in three different ways. They are 1) Scripture, 2) Tradition, and 3) the Magisterium of the Church. All of which are held together by the Holy Spirit.

Also, we must learn how to read the Bible. We must remember that it is:
Literature: The Bible uses literary forms,
devices, structures, figures, etc. We must look for
the “literary” clues that convey a meaning.

Ancient: The Bible is ancient. It’s not written like
modern literature. It’s meaning is wrapped up
with the way the ancients looked at the world and
recorded history. Although they were interested in
recording history, they were not interested in
“pure history.” History was more than just
politics, wars – it had a deeper significance.

Religious: Today people think of religion in
terms of personal piety. Not so for the ancients.
The word “religion” comes from the Latin,
“religare,” – “to bind together.” For the ancients
everything – culture, history, the economy,
diplomacy – was bound together by the religion.
The Bible gives us history, but it is religious
history. It is history from God’s perspective.