Why don't Catholics quote Scripture?

[Nate13]

And Jesus Christ’s body is the Church.

The pillar and foundation of truth is the houshold of God - the Church - because the Church is Christ’s body.

We can argue about what the Church is, or what it looks like, or what the word “Church” really means and if it is Catholic, but the pillar and foundation of truth refers to the houshold of God, the Church, because the Church is Christ’s body.

-Tim-

Correct. The lines are further blurred between where Christ begins and his Church ends in that the Church receives the body of Christ when we receive the Eucharist at mass every Sunday. We also are dwelling places for the Holy Spirit. The thing I should have added to my post is what follows from the fact that the Church is the bride of Christ. What follows is that Christ and his Church are “one body” in even a greater sense than a man and a woman are called to become “one body”.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

One reason that Catholics don’t quote scripture is that there isn’t a universally accepted and revered Catholic translation of the bible that all Catholics accept and have used for a great number of years.

My idea for a great translation would be to make an English translation of the Nova Vulgata and then change only the parts of it that Catholic biblical scholarship would support and the Holy See would accept.

Use English names and people would love it.

Course I know it would never happen because other Catholic translation defenders in league with Catholic Bible Latinists only would make sure that such an effort would be squelched.

Not to mention the fact that not much more money would be made on the NAB.

 

[Ranp]

The Scriptures are holy and infallible and God-breathed.
But, at least with regard to the New Testament,
they came into existence in an Early Church which, Universally and Everywhere,
ALREADY HAD an established set of doctrines AND LITURGICAL PRACTICES
in place well before the first line of New Testament Scripture was ever written,
namely, the oral traditions (also infallible) handed to the Church BY THE APOSTLES themselves, and these traditions included teachings AND practices (such as the Mass and the other sacraments).

Protestants fail to recognize that the New Testament is a collection of Catholic books!

Ran

 

[boeck249]

The original bible did not contain chapters or verses. Additional Jesus taught his disciples in Aramaic not Greek. I learned the Bible passage by passage not as a series of individual verses that can stand on their own. Here are three of my favorites.

1. On this rock I will build my church Mt.16:18-19
2. the church is the pillar of truth 1st Tim 3:15
3. no personal interpretation of spiritual prophesy 2nd Peter 1:20-21.

Finally guidance is needed to interpret scripture see Heb 5:12

 

[Ferde_Rombola]

…when I quote scripture to Catholics - people I see in Mass every Sunday, people who are my friends - their eyes glass over and the conversation ends.

That’s a little puzzling to me, Tim. I guess the people you see at Mass are there to sleep. As you no doubt know, there is a 3-year cycle of Scripture readings at Mass. In the course of the three years, a Catholic who attends just the obligatory Masses hears a pretty good chunk of the Bible, OT and NT. They may not be able to quote it off the top of their heads, but it’s familiar to them.

 

[nishkalank]

I’ve been looking through this forum and have seen many questions asked. However, the answers almost always come from the catechism and not Scripture. I’m just curious: why is this?

Some protestants complain that Catholics are ignorant of the Scriptures and that they are not encouraged by the Church to read them. Of course the Church never banned reading but cautioned that individuals have no authority to interpret the word of God. As freedom exists in the non-catholic divisions, thousands of different churches or denominations or non-denomunational ministries have sprung up with vast change in concepts held by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church believes that interpretation is only valid if it comes from the Church , that is its Teaching Magesterium. . I hope you will agree that there should not be opposing views on the word of God and resultant quarrels, disagreements and perpetual division among the believers of Jesus Christ… The Catholics read the Scriptures. They may be quoting Catechism of the Catholic Church or any writing of the Doctors of the Church or saints which have the backing of the word of God in full measure.
To cite an example of interpretations, while the Catholic Church holds that a valid marriage is indissoluble, many of the modern Christian divisions hold that God has called us to live in peace and if the family life is not peaceful, dissolution is allright. There is only one truth and truth cannot be torn.

 

[anrmenchaca47]

I’ve been looking through this forum and have seen many questions asked. However, the answers almost always come from the catechism and not Scripture. I’m just curious: why is this?

As for myself and my family, Our focus is to continually live the faith by following the Gospels of Christ and following the “Two greatest commandments”. I personally am starting to learn more scripture but as far as being able to quote them on the fly like our protestant brothers and sisters, well I haven’t quite gotten there yet. However, I am still studying and always making continual attempts. But rather than spend countless hours memorizing, I focus on my family instead. It’s a work in progress though

 

[DavidWJackson]

Scripture is not for quoting. Scripture is for reading, teaching and understanding. This is going to be very harsh, but I feel I need to say this. I’m well into my fifties now and within my life time everytime anyone has come to me quoting Scripture, before God I tell you, they have taken it out of context to support their distorted illicit teachings against every christian church except the one they are affilliated with. Sometimes they are not even affiliated with a Church bcause in their opinion there is no Church left in exsistance that teaches or practices the teachings of Christ.
As the Blessed Mary: daughter of God, spouse to the Holy Spirt, Mother of God Incarnate, Queen of Heaven, Mother to all mankind and ever virgin has requested - pray the Rosary for the salvation of souls.

 

[retired464]

Consider: We are (mostly) reading an English redition of a late-middle English translation of a Latin translation of Greek renditions of Aramaic writings and oral traditions passed down for 50-100 years. Can you really believe that quotations from THAT are accurate representations of what actual people exactly said in a cultural setting that most of us don’t understand very well?
Over centuries, hundreds (and perhaps thousands) of devoted, learned persons have studied these various writings, discussed them, fought over them, and have distilled what social, philosophical, and theological meaning is in them. If you want to compete with the resulting knowledge of the Church, be my guest. For me, I’ll rely on the reading of what I’ve got available and the explanation of its meaning as given in the writing of the Church and the Catechism.
Quoting scripture is okay, but out of context and interpretation by the guardians of the Faith (and divine inspiration) the quotation is nothing more than a poetic nugget taken from the whole. One gospel was written from a Jewish perspective. One gospel was written from a later theological perspective. The letters were written to address distinct practical issues at the time. Just quoting these things carries all the flavoring of the times and purposes for which they were written. Most, and probably not all, carry bits of the truths of the Church. Using them as quotations for purposes of justifying belief is an inadequate exercise.
Jesus, in telling others the two great directives from the Hebrew scriptures (love God totally and treat everyone justly) would be the best and most concise quotations, but they don’t give the full range of how life is to be lived to be justified in the eyes of God.
For myself, I go back to St. Thomas Aquinas and the Catechism for direction. The Papal letters aren’t to be ignored either, but tend to be topical and anecdotal.

 

[PJM]

=Zenkai;8638311]I’ve been looking through this forum and have seen many questions asked. However, the answers almost always come from the catechism and not Scripture. I’m just curious: why is this?

My dear friend in Christ,

Look up some of my past post and CHECK OUT MY BLOG:thumbsup: [address below] and you’ll find this Catholic quoting the Bible [which is a "Catholic Book’] religiously and frequently

God Bless you,
Pat
PJM on the FORUM

 

[DavidWJackson]

Please don’t misinterpert what I was saying. To teach Scripture one must quote from Scripture. However, it seems the people I run into only quote Scripture to prove the Catholic Church wrong and teaching a false faith, Using Scripture out of context to do this. Example, I was discusing baptisum with a young man who cliamed to be a Pentecostal Preacher. He had no schooling in Theology or decreed Ordination. Well anyway he said that we are baptised in the name of Jesus and by no other name according to St. Paul. Which is a true quote from Scripture. I had him turn to the last page of Mathew in his red letter bible and pointed out that Jesus Himself said for us to baptise in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. But, he would not recognize this. In fact he held his thumb over the end of the verse and refused to move it away so he could read this instruction of Christ. Why? Because, it didn’t fit his theology or what he wished to believe and teach.
Oh! I forgot, Scripture is also for singing songs of praise to God.

 

[Bezant]

I’ve been looking through this forum and have seen many questions asked. However, the answers almost always come from the catechism and not Scripture. I’m just curious: why is this?

Because we don’t know Scripture

 

[Ferde_Rombola]

Please don’t misinterpert what I was saying. To teach Scripture one must quote from Scripture. However, it seems the people I run into only quote Scripture to prove the Catholic Church wrong and teaching a false faith, Using Scripture out of context to do this. Example, I was discusing baptisum with a young man who cliamed to be a Pentecostal Preacher. He had no schooling in Theology or decreed Ordination. Well anyway he said that we are baptised in the name of Jesus and by no other name according to St. Paul. Which is a true quote from Scripture. I had him turn to the last page of Mathew in his red letter bible and pointed out that Jesus Himself said for us to baptise in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. But, he would not recognize this. In fact he held his thumb over the end of the verse and refused to move it away so he could read this instruction of Christ. Why? Because, it didn’t fit his theology or what he wished to believe and teach.
Oh! I forgot, Scripture is also for singing songs of praise to God.

You are right, of course, and your experience with the young pentacostal heretic is typical of Protestant mendacity. They have no excuse, really. They know what Scripture says on a variety of subjects, but they will not let the truth get in the way of their personal opinions. May God have mercy on them,

 

[geekborj]

Scripture is part of the Tradition passed on from one generation to next within the catholic Faith. Everything is tradition, including the non-catholic tradition of “the need to always refer to the Bible as if the Bible can stand alone.” (sola scriptura tradition?)

For catholics, the Church is the pillar and bulwark of truth, not the Scripture [1 Timothy 3:15]. (pun intended)

 

[cricket55]

Well, I really believe that the scriptures are sacred, too. And we can quote them if we so choose. We believe in God the Father, we believe in Jesus Christ and we believe in the Holy Spirit. We shouldn’t have to quote scriptures. When we are saved, we should keep the faith and live through our Father as we should and practice this til the end. I am not saying we shouldn’t read the Bible. We should. And not saying we should not go to Church, we should. Amen on that. I have heard Protestants quote Scriptures and some of them don’t even quote the Scripture right or like someone said, use the Scriptures to ignore us Catholics or use them to hide behind. We have all the Bible books and Protestants left out many. Why, don’t know. Protestants don’t believe that Apostles had the power to forgive sins. Christ conferred up on the Apostles the self-same power of pardoning which He Himself possessed. And he did this on Easter Sunday night when He breathed on His Apostles and gave them the power to judge and to forgive or not forgive sins. His misssion was to all mankind and not merely to the people of His day. If people were individually cleansed of their sins by Christ and the Apostles, then the individuals of every succeeding generation must be taken care of in the manner the Apostles took care of them in the day of the Infant Church. Christ worked a spiritual miracle to the Jews by exercising his power that went on in the man’s soul. A man with palsy, he said: “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” (Mark II, 5) We believe in one God, we believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God. And we believe in one holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Thanks Be to God that we are Catholic and we are Christians and are proud to be so. We have faith and believe in our faith and Catholic Church.

 

[bmullins]

For catholics, the Church is the pillar and bulwark of truth, not the Scripture

That isn’t how I understand it. I understand it as three pillars. Scripture, tradition and Magisterium. In fact, Tradition and Scripture are equal. They do not contradict each other, but are built on each other… because they are BOTH the word of God.

82 As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, "does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.

See also 80, 81, and 113

Tradition doesn’t trump scripture, or change scripture, it instead helps us understand scripture.

 

[DavidWJackson]

Again, to the original question. As far as I know, no one teaches the lay members of the Church to quote Scripture. We are simply taught to know Christ and to live by His teachings. In both our dicession making and our actions. To do this properly, one must understand Scripture by reading Scripture along, with sound instruction from the Church. I seriously doubt that their is an adult Catholic anywhere that could not quote something from Scripture.
“Teach the Gospel aways, and when necessary use words.” Quote, St. Francis of Assisi.
Here’s a thought. The Scribes and Pharisees did a lot of Scripture quoting.
And, here’s a quote from a short story in the “Catholic Digest” I once read many years ago. “There are two types of piople in this world, those who put their shopping carts away and those who do not.” Today it’s cold, raining, and the wind is blowing. Will you put your shopping cart away? Would doing so quote Scripture?
Catholics are simply more interested in understanding the whole of the Word on a personal level. So, we can enable ourselves to quote the Scriptures by the way we conduct our affaires and raise our childern.as to be able to remove the beam in our own eye. As we all should be.

 

[Yerusalyim]

We must also consider the historical aspect of this discussion. For most of the existence of Christianity the masses were illiterate. They could tell you the story of the good samaritan or Lazarus, etc…but they couldn’t read scripture. Therefore, for most of Christian history we listened to scripture but it wasn’t read and quoted chapter and verse. When the protestant reformation came along several things happened…first, the reformers, in rejecting the authority of the church also rejected the authority of Tradition…they only had scripture left to rely on. Therefore they HAD to quote scripture. Second, literacy began to pick up due to the invention of the printing press during the reformation period. So, you have a more literate culture and no longer rely on Tradition so it became habit to teach the protestant christian faith with proof texts and scripture citation. The Catholic way of relating the faith remained the same even as literacy picked up. It’s nothing more devious than that.