Why do MOST Catholics not know bible well?

[Fidelis]

I think most Catholics do know the Bible, but they know it in spirit not necessarily in book, chapter and verse form. Most Catholics gain the essence of the Bible through their upbringing and education.

The Bible tells of the action of the Holy Spirit in history. By reading the Bible those actions are re-enacted in our lives and we are changed by it accordingly. This is what makes the Bible the living word of God. It’s more than just a record of past events.

The Bible isn’t meant so much to be learnt as to be prayed.

I think that’s all well and good, and in a perfect world this should be enough.

However, what I think the OP and others mean about most Catholics not “knowing” their Bible comes down to those Catholics that don’t know it in the sense that when some anti-Catholic fundamentalist or Jehovah’s Witness comes up to them, fires off 6 or 7 out of context verses that seem to place doubt on Catholic teaching, and, consequently that Catholic ends up becoming an ex-Catholic.

Similarly, it also applies to those Catholics that hear the Scriptures week in and week out (sometimes day in and day out), but never feel like they “know” the Scriptures until one of the aforementioned sects invites them to one of their Bible studies and – viola! - all of a sudden they are ex-Catholic Bible “experts” who left the Church “because no one ever taught me the Bible.”

The solution, of course, is to have Catholic Bible studies in Catholic parishes for Catholics to give them a working knowledge of the Bible as a whole, and that shows them how Church teaching is biblical. And this can be done without losing sight of the fact that “The Bible isn’t meant so much to be learnt as to be prayed.”

 

[RNRobert]

Interestingly, many Protestants who really read the Bible (as opposed to those who memorize a few passages) often times end up becoming Catholic (like myself).

 

[drafdog]

During the worst times of the Reformation and after that the Church in fact put the Bible on the Forbidden Books list. I know that is hard to believe today, but at the time it seemed to make sense.
We should all have a working knowledge of the Bible so that when we hear something read at Mass we can say with some confidence, “That’s chapter 15 of Matthew” or “That’s the last chapter of Wisdom of Solomon.” I don’t advocate memorization, but familiarization. We should recognize the various styles of writing and understand something of the imagery peculiar to each style. People who memorize verses can seldom tell you about the poetry underlying the passage. Most of the Bible was given us by the Jews, a nation of poets and story-tellers. We should read it and become familiar with it because they’re great stories and wonderful poetry.
All scripture is suitable for instruction, Paul tells us. We should read and understand as best we can.

Matthew

 

[jimmy]

Why do MOST Catholics not know the bible well, Protestants usually know it inside and out, forward and backwards. I just was curious what some of you think on this, I’m guilty myself, I don’t knoe a good method of learning it, I read it daily, but I don’t know it.

Protestants don’t know their bible any better than Catholics do. They appear to because they can quote certain passages to support their view. But that does not mean that they know scripture well.

I think that it is vanity to know scripture for the sake of knowing it. Scripture is meant to lead you to God. Finding proof texts is pointless. Instead the intent should simply be to learn to live like Christ. You should read it with the intent of learning how to be like Christ. Scripture is not meant to be read apart from the Church. It is a teaching mode of the Church and it should remain in that context.

 

[Fidelis]

During the worst times of the Reformation and after that the Church in fact put the Bible on the Forbidden Books list. I know that is hard to believe today, but at the time it seemed to make sense.

That is incorrect.

In fact, the Church *did *place certain Bible translations on the “Forbidden List” – not to discourage people from reading the Scriptures, but because these specific translations were grossly inaccurate, or had footnotes and commentary that were erroneous, anti-Catholic, and in some cases that even made personal attacks on individuals the editors did not agree with!

 

[Subrosa]

Why do MOST Catholics not know the bible well, Protestants usually know it inside and out, forward and backwards. I just was curious what some of you think on this, I’m guilty myself, I don’t knoe a good method of learning it, I read it daily, but I don’t know it.

Hi Dave -

I was one of those Catholics you mention. For me it was a decision simply to start reading it.

As far as methodology, I started reading the parts that were debated by Catholics and Protestants. Actually, it was Jehovah’s Witnesses that put me in that state of mind. Things like Trinity, purgatory, sacraments, etc.

One thing I did was read certain things in the catechism and then follow the biblical passages it refered to. This helped greatly and showed me things in the bible I had no idea existed.

More recently I found this - click here - a bible study with catechism readings. They are not matched chapter for chapter, but you can read both the bible and the catechism in a year.

Hope this helps. Happy Easter.
Subrosa

 

[a_priori]

Why do MOST Catholics not know the bible well, Protestants usually know it inside and out, forward and backwards. I just was curious what some of you think on this, I’m guilty myself, I don’t knoe a good method of learning it, I read it daily, but I don’t know it.

I’m not sure what “knowing the Bible well” means. Just because you have a bunch of verses memorized hardly means you “know it”.

 

[Chancellare]

It all boils down to training.
If a Catholic is spends the same amount of Bible study as that of the Evangelicals, the comparison will shift to another kind of difference.

But in the end, no matter how much Bible data is stored in one’s brain but if the doctrinal formation is lacking, what you have is a noisy tape recorded message.

 

[cleargospel99]

From the Lord’s mouth to our ears:

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, **not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. **20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Read Deut 6 and Psalm 119 and then tell me how a person can love God and not love His Word?

The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge, Prov 1:7

 

[NPS]

Why do MOST Catholics not know the bible well, Protestants usually know it inside and out, forward and backwards. I just was curious what some of you think on this, I’m guilty myself, I don’t knoe a good method of learning it, I read it daily, but I don’t know it.

You are making what I consider to be a false dichotomy between Catholics and protestants. In my experience it all comes down to the individual.

To me, there is a usual average percentage of any group of churchgoing christians who reads and studies the bible thoroughly.

Many people, especially those who lean towards anti-Catholicism, memorize proof-texts, but they usually can’t tell you much after that—except to expound on what this or that verse “proves.” These type of people are easily thwarted by a counter-verse or by putting their proof-text in context. Most don’t know where to go past their proof-text and own opinion.

In my experience, a fairly low percentage of people from ANY DENOMINATION can tell you much about the who, what, why, where, context, and overall intent of any given book or gospel, much less memorize it.

One thing most evangelical/non-denom churchgoers know by heart, though, is…their Christian pop lyrics. they definitely have it over us in that regard.

 

[cleargospel99]

It seems evident that many people posting in this thread do not consider, careful study of the Bible to be necessary for Christians. I believe that to be a serious, even grave error.

It is the Word of God, and we are blessed to have access to it. Consider that William Tyndale was hunted down and imprisoned merely for translating the Holy Scriptures into English.

Remember Isaiah 55:11:

 

[NPS]

It seems evident that many people posting in this thread do not consider, careful study of the Bible to be necessary for Christians. I believe that to be a serious, even grave error.

It is the Word of God, and we are blessed to have access to it. Consider that William Tyndale was hunted down and imprisoned merely for translating the Holy Scriptures into English.

Remember Isaiah 55:11:

Sorry to burst your internet-history bubble, but there were plenty of versions of the bible in English before Tyndale butchered the sacred words in his unauthorized version of the bible.

The Catholic Church started translating the bible into the vernacular in England by the end of the seventh century and continued well before and well past Tyndale’s 1525 version.

Tyndale was arrested (by civil authorities) for heresy. His bible contained more than two thousand errors and he taught heresy.

Please know your history if you are going to make blanket statements: His crime wasn’t “English translation”.

Here’s what Henry VIII had to say:

• "The translation of the Scripture corrupted by William Tyndale should be utterly expelled, rejected, and put away out of the hands of the people." *

Henry VIII later decreed (this, after breaking with the Catholic Church!) that * ** “all manner of books of the Old and New Testament in English, being of the crafty, false, and untrue translation of Tyndale . . . shall be clearly and utterly abolished, extinguished, and forbidden to be kept or used in this realm.” ** *

Let’s be very clear: Tyndale was not “hunted down and imprisoned merely for translating the Holy Scriptures into English.”

Even though the vast majority of people who could read during those years read Latin, the Catholic Church—well before the invention of the printing press—hand-made vernacular translations of the bible in dozens of languages. Spanish, Italian, Danish, French, Norwegian, Polish, Bohemian, Hungarian, Syrian, Ethiopian, Arabic etc etc etc etc etc.

Check the preface on the original King James version from 1611 where they praise the prior vernacular (including English) versions.

You can read it here:
cin.org/users/james/files/pre-1611.htm

 

[RepentorPerish]

St Jerome Said

Ignorance of the Scriptures is Ignorance of Christ.

Every Catholic , Every Protestant, Every Orthodox Christian should be reading there Bible by themselves every single day of there life.

Why wouldnt you ? Its Gods Love Letter to us as the Protestants Like to say.

Im Catholic but i know for a fact that Protestant Christians know the Bible better then Most Catholics, though there interpetations are sometimes flawed

Just think what sort of Catholic Christians we would have with all the Sacraments , the Traditions,tradition, The sacramentals,The Hierarchy and Unity if we had the same ZEAL and Passion of our Protestant Brethen for the Holy Scriptures.

Im sorry but We’d be Unstoppable In Christ

Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ

St Jerome

 

[cleargospel99]

Thank you RepentorPerish, I think NPS missed my point.

There was a time, that the Bible was not commonly available. Today it is, and we are blessed and fortunate to live in such a time and place that people can follow their conscience without fear of persecution by the religious authorities.

Christians today have no excuse for failing to know God’s Word.

Here is what wiki has on Tyndale:
William Tyndale (sometimes spelled Tindale,Tindall or Tyndall) (ca. 1494–October 6, 1536) was a 16th century Protestant reformer and scholar who translated the Bible into the Early Modern English of his day. Although numerous partial and complete English translations had been made from the 7th century onward, Tyndale’s was the first to take advantage of the new medium of print, which allowed for its wide distribution. In 1535 Tyndale was tried for heresy and treason and then strangled and burnt at the stake.

Make no mistake, Tyndale’s only crime was proclaiming the gospel.

 

[NPS]

Thank you RepentorPerish, I think NPS missed my point.

I didn’t miss your point. I am pointing out the fact that you are making false statements.

There was a time, that the Bible was not commonly available. Today it is, and we are blessed and fortunate to live in such a time and place that people can follow their conscience without fear of persecution by the religious authorities.

While it is true that today we are blessed with easy access to God’s word and thus have no excuse to not know it, please DO NOT make the assumption that the bible was some sort of secret relic hidden from the thirsty masses. Before and during the time Tyndale had his bible printed, it was made mandatory by the King of England that each family purchase a bible or be fined. Once again, I point out that well before Tyndale’s time the Catholic Church provided bibles in dozens of vernacular languages: Spanish, Italian, Danish, French, Norwegian, Polish, Bohemian, Hungarian, Syrian, Ethiopian, Arabic etc etc etc etc etc.

Here is what wiki has on Tyndale:
William Tyndale (sometimes spelled Tindale,Tindall or Tyndall) (ca. 1494–October 6, 1536) was a 16th century Protestant reformer and scholar who translated the Bible into the Early Modern English of his day. Although numerous partial and complete English translations had been made from the 7th century onward, Tyndale’s was the first to take advantage of the new medium of print, which allowed for its wide distribution. In 1535 Tyndale was tried for heresy and treason and then strangled and burnt at the stake.

Make no mistake, Tyndale’s only crime was proclaiming the gospel.

You are certainly completely and utterly wrong in saying *“Tyndale’s only crime was proclaiming the gospel.” * You are not doing God’s work by promoting such blatant falsehoods. You are not doing God’s work in continuing to make such statements without any research.

Let’s be very clear here: IT WAS NOT ILLEGAL TO TRANSLATE A BIBLE INTO ENGLISH. IT WAS NOT ILLEGAL FOR THE MASSES TO OWN AND READ THE BIBLE.
It was illegal to make an unauthorized translation which contained many errors and twisted God’s Holy Scripture while teaching heresy.

Tyndale produced a very poorly translated bible which contained thousands of errors and which had many prefaces and notes teaching heresy.

Once again–The King of England (the same King who threatened families with fines unless they purchased a bible):
***“The translation of the Scripture corrupted by William Tyndale should be utterly expelled, rejected, and put away out of the hands of the people.” ***

Once again–The King of England after the split from Rome:
***“All manner of books of the Old and New Testament in English, being of the crafty, false, and untrue translation of Tyndale . . . shall be clearly and utterly abolished, extinguished, and forbidden to be kept or used in this realm.” ***

I don’t want this thread to go off-track, but I cannot let falsehoods go unchallenged. Please stop and do research before making false and damaging statements.

 

[cleargospel99]

NPS,
What false thing did I say?

Is it your postion that Tyndale deserved the death penalty for his making a bad translation, speaking his mind in public?

With no less an authority than Henry VIII. I didn’t know he was a bible scholar. You got me there.

Did you know that our Lord Jesus Christ was Himself also executed for the crimes of heresy and treason?

God commands all Christians to proclaim the gospel, imperfect sinners that we are. He has granted you and me us this freedom to read, study, know and proclaim his word for a purpose. Considering the risks our Christian brothers and sisters take in other parts of the world, failure to do so on our part would constitute a grave sin indeed.

 

[boppaid]

I would challenge the truth of the claim that protestants generally know scripture better than Catholics do. They are certainly more inclined toward compiling a stock of prooftexts that, taken out of context, appear to support their beliefs, the false and the true alike. They may be able to recite a verse or two of selected passages when given a reference like “Romans 5:12” or “the twenty-third Psalm,” but this is no more evidence of knowing and understanding scripture than knowing the call numbers of some library books is evidence of being well-read. But most protestants can’t pull off these party tricks, and it’s been my experience that the Bible remains a closed book to the great majority of Christians of whatever persuasion.

I understand what you are saying, and once felt the same way about Protestants, until I started attending Protestant Bible studies. I have to say they REALLY STUDY it. They aren’t just memorizing. Truthfully, I have never studied scripture so much in my life! We are doing a Beth Moore study of the Patriarchs, and it is so deep and moving! I am also learning a lot about Jewish culture at the time of the Patriarchs, and that puts a lot of the OT into perspective for me.

 

[Zooey]

In my experience, a fairly low percentage of people from ANY DENOMINATION can tell you much about the who, what, why, where, context, and overall intent of any given book or gospel, much less memorize it.

I think this is the truth… Sad, but true…

 

[boppaid]

I would like to see documentation to support this oft repeated myth. The Church has always encouraged its members to read the bible. In three years, the bible is read in its entirity in the Mass.

Hi. I have a question about this. I know that this is true, but I often wonder…having scripture read at mass (via singing psalms, etc.) is not the same as studying it. Does one who pays attention at mass really KNOW all of the Bible in three years? Or have they simply heart it?

That is one thing. I always thought I KNEW the Bible because of that “3 year thing”. But I realized I did not know it. In fact, I could barely even remember the scriptures I “heard” the next day! Was that just me? Or does everyone have that problem? Am I simply not paying attention at Mass?

 

[Zooey]

NPS,
What false thing did I say?

Is it your postion that Tyndale deserved the death penalty for his making a bad translation, speaking his mind in public?

With no less an authority than Henry VIII. I didn’t know he was a bible scholar. You got me there.

Did you know that our Lord Jesus Christ was Himself also executed for the crimes of heresy and treason?

God commands all Christians to proclaim the gospel, imperfect sinners that we are. He has granted you and me us this freedom to read, study, know and proclaim his word for a purpose. Considering the risks our Christian brothers and sisters take in other parts of the world, failure to do so on our part would constitute a grave sin indeed.
The point is, that Tyndale was not executed for translating the Bible into English. He was executed for political reasons, not religion ones.
Tyndale’s version of the Bible was a lot like the JWs Bible of his day. He was not a bad translator; he was a dishonest translator…When he did not like what the Bible had to say, he changed it.
Most of his changes threatened the power of the monarchy, & Henry VIII had him hunted down & executed, to prevent a political uprsing, a rebellion among Tyndale’s followers. What Tyndale did was real treason, not a trumped up charge…
(I cannot believe that I just defended an English monarch…My Irish ancestors must be rolling over in their graves!!!)