J
JimG
Guest
Justice2006
While we disagree about the reliability of the bible, I can agree that we do not possess the original manuscripts of the writings which comprise it. Not only that, I would also say that while the original authors were inspired, translators are not. So the Bible I hold in my hands today is not a volume which as a separate individual entity, is an inspired work.
Before I catch flak from other Christians about that statement, note that I do not say that the Bible is not inspired. It is. But the translations that we have into various languages are simply translations of inspired writings handed down to us. Languages are different. Languages change, and translations must change with the language, to ensure that the meaning conveyed does not change.
That doesn’t bother me, for several reasons. First, I have much more confidence than you in the reliability of good bible translations, and confidence in the great care with which these writings have been treasured and handed down to us.
Second, as a Catholic, I don’t place my Faith in a book, but in a Person. Worship of a book would amount to bibliolatry. Because I am confident that God fully revealed Himself in the Person of the Messiah Jesus, I am also confident that he took care to ensure that his message was handed down through the ages, through his living Church; (and that the Church in turn took great care in preserving the scriptures.)
Finally, no book interprets itself. Not the bible. Not the Quran. It is humans who must read and comprehend it. No book can teach. No book can grab your arm and say, “wait, that is not what I meant,” or “here is how this was meant to be interpreted at the time it was written.” Rather, it is the custodian of the book, the one who produced it, copied it, studied it, and handed it down, who must handle that function.
While we disagree about the reliability of the bible, I can agree that we do not possess the original manuscripts of the writings which comprise it. Not only that, I would also say that while the original authors were inspired, translators are not. So the Bible I hold in my hands today is not a volume which as a separate individual entity, is an inspired work.
Before I catch flak from other Christians about that statement, note that I do not say that the Bible is not inspired. It is. But the translations that we have into various languages are simply translations of inspired writings handed down to us. Languages are different. Languages change, and translations must change with the language, to ensure that the meaning conveyed does not change.
That doesn’t bother me, for several reasons. First, I have much more confidence than you in the reliability of good bible translations, and confidence in the great care with which these writings have been treasured and handed down to us.
Second, as a Catholic, I don’t place my Faith in a book, but in a Person. Worship of a book would amount to bibliolatry. Because I am confident that God fully revealed Himself in the Person of the Messiah Jesus, I am also confident that he took care to ensure that his message was handed down through the ages, through his living Church; (and that the Church in turn took great care in preserving the scriptures.)
Finally, no book interprets itself. Not the bible. Not the Quran. It is humans who must read and comprehend it. No book can teach. No book can grab your arm and say, “wait, that is not what I meant,” or “here is how this was meant to be interpreted at the time it was written.” Rather, it is the custodian of the book, the one who produced it, copied it, studied it, and handed it down, who must handle that function.
Your praise above reminded me of one of the Psalm-Prayers from today’s Morning Prayer:
