39. Scrutamini scripturas, 39. Search the scriptures, for quia vos putatis in ipsis you think in them to have life vitam aeternam habere: et everlasting; and the same are illae sunt, quae testimonium they that give testimony of perhibent de me: me: 39. Here our Lord distinctly mentions the testimony to which He had already alluded (verse 37). *Search the Scriptures*, or rather, *Ye search the Scriptures*. In both the Greek and Latin texts the form of the verb leaves it doubtful whether it is to be understood as an indicative or an imperative. But the context, in which all the verbs are in the indicative, and the course of the argument, render it much more probable that the form is to be understood as an indicative. So, too, all the best modern commentators, even among the Protestants; _e.g._, Kuin., Alf., Bloomf., Westc., and the Revised Version, which renders: “Ye search the Scriptures.” It is unnecessary then to delay long in refuting the argument which used to be drawn by Protestants from this text in favour of the _indiscriminate_ reading of the Bible by all the faithful. A few words will suffice. (1) It is much more probable that the words do not contain a precept, but merely state a fact. (2) Even if they did contain a precept, they are addressed very probably only to the Jewish _teachers_ (see verse 44). (3) Even if we admitted that the words contain a precept, and are addressed to all the Jews, still it would not follow that all the faithful now are bound to read the Bible, nor that the Church may not sometimes, for grave reasons restrict the liberty to read it. For we must bear in mind that our Lord is here referring to the Sacred Scriptures in connection with one particular point, namely, the fulfilment of prophecy in Himself. Even if the Jews were authorized or commanded to read the Sacred Scriptures in regard to a particular question, it by no means follows that Protestants are commanded or even authorized to read them in order to form by the aid of private judgment an opinion on all questions of faith and morals. The Catholic Church freely admits, of course, and insists that the reading of the Bible is in itself good and useful; but since the Bible contains “certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest ... to their own destruction” (2 Pet. iii. 16), hence she knows it is possible that, like all God’s best gifts, the Bible may in certain circumstances be abused. 40. Et non vultis venire ad me 40. And you will not come to ut vitam habeatis. me that you may have life. 40. *And* is equivalent to “and yet.” 41. Claritatem ab hominibus 41. I receive not glory from non accipio. men. 41. Not through a desire to gain glory from them has He borne the preceding testimony to Himself. This is said parenthetically, and the next verse is to be connected with verse 40.