Chapters of Bible Study: A Popular Introduction to the Study of the Sacred ScripturesHeuser, Herman J. (Herman Joseph)
Religion
Chapters of Bible Study: A Popular Introduction to the Study of the Sacred Scriptures
Heuser, Herman J. (Herman Joseph)
Bible -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Bible -- Study and teaching -- Catholic Church
This is eminently true of the Bible as a text or guide in the
acquisition of the highest of arts, the profoundest of sciences, which
leads us to the recognition of absolute truth, with an ever-increasing
apprehension, because its scope is immeasurable, eternal.
The teacher of revelation, in its first and most important
signification, is Christ. He is the central historical figure,
announced to man immediately after his fall in Paradise foreshadowed by
the prophets in the Jewish Church, and completing His mission in the
Christian Church. As the Holy Ghost animated the prophets to foretell
Him, and the priests of the synagogue to announce Him in the Old Law,
so the Holy Ghost animates the Church to continue His work in the New
Law. As books were written by the prophets of old to perpetuate the
remembrance of what Jehovah had spoken through them to His people
regarding the coming of the Messias, so books were written by the
Apostles and disciples of the New Law to perpetuate the remembrance of
what that Messias had said and done, and of what He wished us to do.
But as the old written Law was not to be a substitute for the
commission of teaching and guiding the people through the Jewish
Synagogue, so neither was the new written Law intended to be a
substitute for the commission of teaching and guiding those who seek
salvation through Christ. The Bible alone, as we have already seen,
cannot satisfy us in such a way as to supply the full reason for our
faith in Christ's teaching. For this we have a Church to whom Christ,
as God, gave a direct commission, without adding a book, or an express
command to write a book.
But a book was written, written under the guidance of the divine
Spirit, who had been promised to the Church whenever it would speak,
whether by word of mouth or by epistle and written gospel. And that
book, though not containing all truth, contains truth only. Therefore
it is useful, as St. Paul says, II. Tim. iii. 16: "All Scripture
inspired of God is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to
instruct in justice, that the man of God may be perfect, furnished to
every good work." The use, then, of the Bible is to teach, to instruct
in justice, primarily; to make man perfect, furnished to every good
work. Mark the twofold term: to _teach_ and to _instruct_; both
teaching and instruction to serve the one end--to make a perfect man,
"furnished to every good work."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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