Reading scripture daily as a catholic

[scpb2277]

i know the church magesterium is responsible for all interpretation of the scriptures, but how do i learn the meaning of a passage i don’t understand other than asking on here?

since we do not privately interpret is there a website or source to break down the meanings of hard passages for us catholics?

 

[phoenix3212]

I suppose a good solution here is to buy a comprehensive Catholic study bible. There’ll be explanations for hard passages in one of those.

 

[passus]

i know the church magesterium is responsible for all interpretation of the scriptures, but how do i learn the meaning of a passage i don’t understand other than asking on here?

since we do not privately interpret is there a website or source to break down the meanings of hard passages for us catholics?

Well, you can search these forums for a specific passage to see if it has already been addressed so you don’t have to ask. You can also search passages on Google; just make sure that the websites you find are Catholic so that you can be sure of the interpretation’s soundness.

Then there are a number of Catholic Biblical commentaries you can find online and buy in bookstores which deal with tough Scripture passages. One common “line-by-line” Biblical commentary is:

Haydock’s Catholic Bible Commentary

I’m sure others can provide some helpful links and advice as well.

 

[mullenpm]

I have started to purchase the Navarre Bible in paperback. It is incredible. They are not overly expensive but I buy one book at a time. So, far I have Revelation and all of St. Paul’s books.

In each book you will find the Bible passage at the top of the page and the very expanded commentary below that.

There is very little that you would not be able to understand after reading The Navarre Bible book-by-book. :bible1:

 

[juliamajor]

A good study Bible and a good Catholic commentary- also it should be noted that not EVERY verse in the Bible has been interpreted by the Magisterium. Many things are left up to us- just be sensible and utilze your catechism if necessary.

 

[COPLAND_3]

I have lots of resources on my website just for what you are asking about, check it out!

 

[bmadamsberry]

I suggest either a Bible Commentary, a google search, or (and my preference) faithdatabase.com. For only $40 you could get a cd which has ten Bible translations and at the end of some of the verses there is a link which takes you to the writings of other Catholic writers that have written about that verse.

 

[tobinatorstark]

i know the church magesterium is responsible for all interpretation of the scriptures, but how do i learn the meaning of a passage i don’t understand other than asking on here?

since we do not privately interpret is there a website or source to break down the meanings of hard passages for us catholics?

As suggested below the Haydock Bible Commentary. It is the best commentary out there. Also the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You should read the Bible in the light of the Catechism. The Catechism is like scripture, tradition and magisterial teaching all rolled into one. As Catholics we read the Bible in light of sacred tradition. Reading scripture should be done in a Trinitarian way. Us Catholic do take the Bible in a literal way, but not a literalist way as the Fundamentalist do. We believe that there is allegory and symbolism in the Bible. The Holy Spirit is our interpreter. The Magisterium receives the power to interpret scripture for us from the Holy Spirit. God gave us the word. The word be came flesh and taught himself and the Holy Spirit interprets that for us. Hence we have Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and Magisterial teaching

 

[cheeto1]

it should be noted that not EVERY verse in the Bible has been interpreted by the Magisterium.

I was excited when I first read this because I didn’t notice the little word “not” before
the “every”. Why shouldn’t they interpret every verse? I wish they would give us
a book of the Magisterium’s interpretations of all the verses that they Have interpreted
so far… But, maybe that’s the CCC?

 

[juliamajor]

CCC would be handy.
What i read about interpretation of every verse is this- it would be an enormous,unwieldly and contentious undertaking and would take forever. I mean for over two thousand years we’ve been arguing about what the Interpretations mean of verses already interpreted!.It would take at least another 2000 yrs to figure out the rest and it would still be contested…
The Jewish people having been doing that with Tanakh for 5000 yrs and are still arguing over it.!

 

[adowcday]

i know the church magesterium is responsible for all interpretation of the scriptures, but how do i learn the meaning of a passage i don’t understand other than asking on here?

since we do not privately interpret is there a website or source to break down the meanings of hard passages for us catholics?

In fact, the official teaching of the Church, the Magisterium, has interpreted only a very small part of the Bible. I don’t want to diminish the importance of those passages: the meaning of Genesis 1-3 regarding creation and the fall of humanity due to sin; the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus; the final judgment of humanity; etc. However, most passages of scripture have not been officially interpreted. That is left to bible experts and to us, and there are no final answers regarding the meaning of a particular passage in many cases. I would certainly refer to the Catechism for official teaching, but after that, we should consult good bible commentaries and read, reflect and pray about the passages that we find difficult to understand.

 

[DOShea]

Even with all the commentaries and interpretation aides out there, you may still come upon things when you read Scripture that appear to be at odds with writings elsewhere within it. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that Scripture, while a collection of separate books, is put together for a single purpose, so when you struggle to interpret the meaning of one thing, you must keep in mind that interpretation should not fly in the face of other teachings from the same collection of books. If you find such a case, it’s wise to assume your interpretation is probably faulty, not the text.

This is commonly seen in the New Testament books and epistles, where the teachings are aimed at different audiences. Obviously those audiences had different cultural backgrounds and held different beliefs, so you wouldn’t expect someone preaching the gospel to each group to emphasize the exact same thing. St. Paul talking to this group addresses different issues than St. James talking to that group. If you try to lump them all together as though they spoke to the same audience, one right after the other, it will definitely lead to confusion and, if unchecked, false ideas or doctrines.

It’s very prudent to use study aides, but really the only “safety net” is going to be your willingness to ensure those interpretations coalesce with the Church’s teachings. Asking about this up front is a good sign you’ll do just that.

 

[Ignatius]

I suppose a good solution here is to buy a comprehensive Catholic study bible. There’ll be explanations for hard passages in one of those.

That is indeed a great answer to be sure of the Authentic interpretation of Scripture. Also, the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides a comprehensive look at the meaning of many scripture passages. The Index of scripture passages is in the back of the Catechism. However for a systematic stucy, I would read through the Catechism first. Then you can use it as a reference.