Send questions to: DRE@saintcolumbachurch.org and place “Q’s Pews” in the subject line. All questions are answered and kept confidential. If your question is used in the column, it will remain anonymous. James Gregory, DRE
“Fide quaerens Intellectum”
“Always be prepared to make a defense … for the hope that is in you … with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15)
“Q’s from the Pews”
How did we get the Bible?
Oral tradition preceded Scripture in both Old and New Testaments. Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses all believed and worshiped without a written scripture. The written OT evolved from about 1200 BC, yet was not formally accepted by Judaic Law until about 200 AD. The first written OT, the Septuagint (200BC), was the Scripture that Jesus and the NT writers referred to. It contained books not currently in the Jewish bible. Tradition held that only those writings which were used “everywhere, always and by everyone” were true Scripture. This Vincentian Canon (named after Vincent of Lérins) was a bit broad, since only those scriptures used in local churches founded by apostles were considered valid. By 185 AD, the NT texts were pretty much known by Tradition. However, as time went on, a number of other books began to be used. There was a need to settle on one Canon. This occurred at the Council of Rome in 382 AD! The Protestant movement of the 16th century called into question the teaching authority (Magisterium) of the Bishops. In response, the Council of Trent in 1554 simply ratified those books that were enumerated by previous councils in the 3rd and 4th centuries. Martin Luther and his followers modified the bible based on their ‘own’ authority.
Catholic Challenge for November
During this month of “The Holy Souls,” each day take some time to pray for the faithful departed.
Totally Catholic Trivia
Fr. Yves Congar, OP who wrote the paragraphs on Tradition in “Dei Verbum” (the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation) asserted “There is NO doctrine of the Church that proceeds solely from scripture without Tradition.”
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