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Unto What Shall We Liken the Roman Hermeneutic? Rome insists that she is an authentic interpreter of Scripture. We can easily provide an example, within a document defining a dogma, of Rome making a clear blunder. But let's leave that aside for a second, and consider the effect of Rome's claims on a conversation. Christian: We should reject Marian devotion because the Bible teaches us to trust in God alone. Roman apologist: You have wrongly interpreted the Bible. Only Rome can authentically interpret the Bible. Christian: That's not true, the Bible was written to be understood. Anyone can authentically interpret...

The recent indignity by which the Obama administration wants to mandate everyone, including all Catholic institutions or their insurers, to pay for contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, has raised the issue of Catholic teaching on these issues. Some commentators have mistakenly asserted that the Catholic ban on these practices only goes back to Humanae Vitae (On the Regulation of Birth), by Pope Paul VI in 1968, or as far back as Casti Connubii (Of Chaste Wedlock), by Pope Pius XI in 1931. The latter encyclical was written in response to the change of moral doctrine by the Anglican Church, which...

Theological lessons appear in the most unexpected places. The February 12, 2012 edition of The New York Times included an obituary for Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut, who died February 8 in Toronto at age 99. The obituaries in The New York Times are legendary, rivaled only by those in The Times of London. Both papers feature unexpectedly lengthy obituaries devoted to those who made a difference in their times. Rabbi Plaut was one of those figures. As Margalit Fox of the Times explained, the rabbi was one of the most influential figures in Reform Judaism, North American Judaism’s most liberal...

Chicago—In 1835 a traveling curiosity peddler of Egyptian mummies arrived in the small town of Kirtland, Ohio. He caught the attention of Joseph Smith (1805-44), the controversial founder of the Mormon religion. Smith secured a large sum of money from his followers ($2,400, or $60,000 in today’s dollars) to purchase four Egyptian mummies with scrolls of papyri. Smith announced that he could do what no one else could do: translate the ancient hieroglyphics. Smith asserted that the papyri contained the writings of the biblical prophets Abraham and Joseph. He titled his translation of the papyri the “Book of Abraham.” Smith’s...

Much has been made already about President Obama’s comments yesterday at the National Prayer Breakfast concerning the Christian faith’s teachings about social responsibility. During his time at the breakfast, the president opined that getting rid of tax breaks for wealthy Americans amounted to a Christian obligation: In a time when many folks are struggling and at a time when we have enormous deficits, it’s hard for me to ask seniors on a fixed income or young people with student loans or middle-class families who can barely pay the bills to shoulder the burden alone. And I think to myself, if...

Our confidence that the account of the flood and Noah’s ark happened in space, time, and history is grounded in the Bible, not in remnants of ancient timber. For centuries, an inordinate and unhealthy attention has been directed to certain items claimed to be relics of Christ, Christian leaders, or illustrious Christians. The veneration of relics has been a major feature of Roman Catholic popular piety since the earliest centuries of its history, reaching its highest official sanction in 787, when the Second Council of Nicaea decreed that every church should have some relic at the altar. Now, much attention...

There are four aspects of powerful preaching displayed by Jesus in this passage. As such, Jesus is not just a powerful preacher himself, but also models what it means to be a powerful and effective preacher.In using the word “preacher� here we ought to be careful not to reduce preaching merely to what takes place in a church. For surely the clergy have churches in which to preach. But every Catholic parent ought also to learn from Jesus here, for they have the church of their home in which to preach, and the pulpit of the dining room table,...

Featured Term (selected at random):SPIRITUAL READING As the Lectio Divina prescribed in monasticism from the earliest times, it is all reading that is conducive to prayer and closer union with God. The Sacred Scriptures have always held the primacy of honor in such reading, along with writings of the Church's teachers; notably, the popes andbishops, the writings and lives of the saints, and all other forms of composition whose avowed purpose as writing is to enlighten the mind and inspire the will and affections to the worhsip and service of God. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John...

T he doctrine of apostolic succession is the belief that the 12 apostles passed on their authority to successors, who then passed that apostolic authority on to their successors, continuing on throughout the centuries, even to today. Whilst this might be a fascinating and intriguing concept, is it truly biblical? The great thing about the New Testament is that it clearly establishes the major doctrines of the Church. One may find vital doctrines such as the atonement, resurrection and justification by faith alone, clearly outlined with many scriptural references (one may wish to check out this page). One is left...

A Revolutionary Resolution Make this the year when you’ll really get to know the Bible. Every new year presents us with an exciting challenge and opportunity. As another year fades into memory and as we stand on the brink of a new beginning, we almost naturally ask ourselves, “What can I do this year to better myself?” Some choose to lose a few extra pounds or to establish a new exercise regimen. Others decide to spend more time with their families. Still others establish a new budget and set some kind of financial goal for the year. Finally, others...

... and a key figure during Advent, by Frank Sheed: St. John the Baptist, Forerunner | Frank Sheed | From To Know Christ Jesus All four evangelists begin Jesus' entry into public life with John the Baptist's emergence from his desert. Matthew leaps straight to John's mission after the return of the Holy Family from Egypt, Luke after the finding of the boy in the Temple. The other two actually begin their Gospel with it, nothing of our Lord's earthly life being told before, apart from John's "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." It is clear, then, that...

Archaeology and the New Testament by  Kyle Butt, M.A. Any time a book alleges to report historical events accurately, that book potentially opens itself up to an immense amount of criticism. If such a book claims to be free from all errors in its historical documentation, the criticism frequently becomes even more intense. But such should be the case, for it is the responsibility of present and future generations to know and understand the past, and to insist that history, including certain monumental moments, is recorded and related as accurately as possible. The New Testament does not necessarily claim to...

Remember the Lectures on Faith sections in the Mormon scripture, “Doctrine and Covenants?” No? But they were there for 86 years? I’m reading an 1918 “Doctrine and Covenants” and sure enough, there’s Lectures on Faith.” What about “Section 101″ in early D&C editions, the “Article on Marriage” that says men and women should only have one spouse? No, haven’t heard of that one either? It was eventually deleted by church leaders and replaced by Section 132, which details celestial marriage and having multiple wives. Decanonization of scripture is not talked about much in the LDS church, and it’s certainly far...

Featured Term (selected at random):ISHBOSHETH This name is a deliberate alteration of the name "Ishbaal," offensive to Jews because it mans "man of Baal." Ishbaal was the son of Saul, the king of Israel who was wounded and then committed suicide in the battle of Gilboa (I Samuel 31:6). Abner, Saul's commander, installed Ishbaal as successor, but David, now King of Judah, aspired to take over Israel (II Samuel 2:8-9). In the war that ensued Ishbaal antagonized Abner, who was the only one who could have kept him in power (II Samuel 3:6-11). Both Ishbaal and Abner were murdered, and...

It's one thing for your average, secular liberal not to know the New Testament. But for the Reverend Al Sharpton not to know better? On his MSNBC show this evening, Sharpton showed Michelle Bachmann, after making the case for self-reliance, saying "if anyone will not work, neither shall they eat." Even this NewsBuster, who is anything but expert in the area, realized that Bachman was quoting Scripture to the effect that people who are unwilling--not unable--to work don't deserve support. But Sharpton incredibly claimed Bachmann meant that "if you don't have work, you should starve." View the video here.

The early church Fathers on the Scriptures Prayer is Answering the Word of God Isidore said:   `Anyone who wants to be always united to God must pray often and read the Bible often. For in prayer it is we who are speaking to God, but in the readings it is God speaking to us.   `All spiritual progress is based on reading and meditation. What we do not know, we learn in the reading; what we have learned, we preserve by meditation.   `Reading the Bible provides us with a two-fold advantage. It instructs our minds, and introduces us to the love...

Saturday, March 13, 2010 The Prodigal Son, New Life and Sacramental Imagery This Sunday the Church reads the story of the Prodigal Son in the Liturgy (unless youÂ’re doing the RCIA cycle, in which case you will read from John 9). Here I thought IÂ’d offer a few thoughts on the story. YouÂ’re Dead to Me Jesus begins by telling the story of a man who had two sons. The parable begins with the younger brother going to the father and asking for his inheritance. Of course, an inheritance is usually bestowed upon offspring after the death of the one...

The early church Fathers on the Scriptures These words are the Word of Godby Origen, c. 185-254 The Scriptures that prophesy about Christ, the words that announce his coming and his teaching are inspired by God.  They were proclaimed with power and authority and it is for this reason they have conquered so many people's hearts. However, only with the coming of Christ have the divine character of the prophetic writings and the spiritual meaning of the books of the Mosaic Law become apparent.  Before Christ it was not possible t produce decisive arguments for the inspiration of the Old...

The Circle of Protection radio advertisements being broadcast in three states right now make their arguments, such as they are, from a quotation of the Bible and a federal poverty program that might be cut in a debt ceiling compromise. But the scriptural quotation is a serious misuse of the Book of Proverbs, and the claims about heating assistance programs are at best overblown: the ads are really not better than their goofy contemporary piano track.The Circle of Protection, of which the group Sojourners that produced the ads is a founding member, enjoyed the high honor of a meeting at...

If every committee did such impressive work, committees wouldn’t have a bad name. Four hundred years ago, King James of England commissioned several dozen scholars to update and improve on prior translations of the Bible into English. Their handiwork — known as the King James Version — put an indelible stamp on the English language and on the Anglo-American mind. The prodigious task took roughly six years. Just printing it was an undertaking. Initially, a typo appeared on average once every ten pages of text. One edition was called the “Wicked Bible” when the word “not” was accidentally left out...

The Early Church Fathers on the Scriptures These Words are the Word of Godby Origen, c. 185-254 The Scriptures that prophesy about Christ, the words that announce his coming and his teaching are inspired by God.  They were proclaimed with power and authority and it is for this reason they have conquered so many people's hearts. However, only with the coming of Christ have the divine character of the prophetic writings and the spiritual meaning of the books of the Mosaic Law become apparent.  Before Christ it was not possible t produce decisive arguments for the inspiration of the Old...

The Early Church Fathers on the Scriptures Guide to the Discovery of Scriptureby Origen, c. 185-254 By what principle ought one to read and interpret the Scriptures?  It is a fact that a number of errors have had their origin in an inability to understand a sacred text in the right way. For example, many Jews have not believed in our Savior, because they have been attached to the literal meaning of the prophecies made about him and have not sen them physically fulfilled.  They have not seen the prisoners set free, (Isa. 61:1) nor the city of God built...

Reading Scripture with the Early Church Fathers   The Nourishing Bread of Scriptureby Servais Pinckaers Patristic ExegesisIt will be helpful to consider the manner in which the Fathers read the Scriptures, drawing from it their moral doctrine. They did not have at their disposal the resources of modern historical exegesis, but they did possess a method of interpretation that enabled them to discover the rich spiritual substance their works contain and that still nourishes us today. Patristic exegesis might be described as a “real” reading of Scripture, as contrasted with a literary or positivist approach. The main object of the...

Featured Term (selected at random):BEATITUDES The promises of happiness made by Christ to those who faithfully accept his teaching and follow his divine example. Preached in the Sermon on the Mount, they are recorded in St. Matthew (5:3-11) and in St. Luke (6:20-22).?26? In Matthew there are eight (or nine) blessings of a spiritual nature, applicable to all Christians; in Luke there are four blessings of a more external character, addressed to the disciples. Luke's version also includes four maledictions threatened on those who do the opposite. In both versions, the beatitudes are expressions of the New Covenant, where happiness...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Six years after the evangelical world debated the merits and appropriateness of making Bible translations more gender inclusive for words dealing with people, the divide is becoming evident once again. At issue is the 2011 translation of the New International Version (NIV), which is being released six years after the full version of the 2005 TNIV translation -- which never gained wide support -- was published. Zondervan later discontinued the TNIV (Today's New International Version). Critics said the TNIV's gender inclusivism went so far that it changed the core meaning of passages. LifeWay Christian Stores refused to carry...

Inspired animation to promote Christian living!

Virgin Birth—or Prophetic Slip? by  A.P. Staff One of the first miracles recorded in the New Testament is the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. According to Matthew 1:22-23, Isaiah prophesied about the virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14. However, some in the scholarly community (particularly those within the atheistic and agnostic segments) deny that Isaiah was prophesying about a virgin birth. Isaiah 7:14 reads as follows in three separate translations: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (ASV, emp. added). Therefore the Lord himself...

OK, I admit it. I’m into this topic right now (see, in the past week, this and that). I had another exchange with a Protestant who believes that the meaning of Scripture is fairly plain, and—since Christ promised he would send the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth (Jn 16:13)—then with a little application and study, we can decide rightly what the Word of God means all by ourselves.This is a common theory, and I haven’t been able to make any headway with my correspondent in raising the question of how we handle disagreements among those who are equally...

The Kingdom of God The Kingdom of God! Sounds kind of heavenly, doesn’t it.  But is it?  Or is it right here on earth now in the midst of us all?  Let’s see what the Holy Bible has to say about it.In Matthew 12:28, Jesus tells the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God has come upon them. In Mark 12:34, He also tells the scribe that he is not far from the Kingdom of God.  In Matthew 16:19, Jesus gives Peter the keys to the Kingdom, and then establishes His Church on Peter the Rock.  Jesus says that whatever this...

Deuterocanonical References in the New Testament by James Akin I get a lot of requests for a list of the references the New Testament makes to the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament. Unfortunately, giving a list is not such a simple affair since it is not always obvious whether something is a genuine reference. Hebrews 11:35 is an indisputable reference to 2 Maccabees 7, but many are not so clear as there may be only a single phrase that echoes one in a deuterocanonical book (and this may not be obvious in the translation, but only the original languages)....

Translations Before the King James: The KJV Translators Speak!   taken from "THE TRANSLATORS TO THE READER" Preface to the King James Version 1611   Old habits die hard, and some who are use to thinking of the Reformation as being responsible for the existence of venacular translations of the Bible will deny that there were translations in the common language of the people before Protestantism arose. In fact, there were many of them, as the following excerpts from the original introduction to the King James Bible (1611) admit. This introduction, written by the translators of the KJV, is no...

Wherever we moved, one of the first things Dad did was build a waist-high planter box. He'd construct it along the back fence of each California tract home, then fill it with soil and plant a garden. At our last home, Dad paved the ground with brick and concrete, but the yard still brimmed with life. Dad built a trellis for red and green grapes. The vines grew into a shady canopy, dripping with grape clusters. He planted plum trees for color, learned to espalier apple trees against a side fence, and built a large box for an avocado. Mostly,...

EWTN has filled the time slot normally assigned to Fr. Corapi's lecture series with one given by Dr. Hahn and Jeff Cavins, entitled Our Father's Plan. This series is the precursor to Here is the background information on the series, followed by a link to the audio files, for those who do not have a tv or who prefer to get a head start. You could open up the Bible and start reading; but do you know where to start? Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavins will deal with this throughout the series as they discuss how to read the Bible...

There are many references to “the flesh� in New Testament Scripture, especially in the letters of St. Paul. The phrase confuses some who think it synonymous with the physical body. It is true that there are many times when Scripture uses the word “flesh� to refer to the physical body. However when the definite article “the� is placed before the word “flesh� we are dealing with something else. Only very rarely does the Biblical phrase “the flesh� (ἡ σὰ�ξ (he sarx), in Greek) refer only to the physical body (eg. John 6:53; Phil 3:2; 1 John 4:2) , but almost...

Father Corapi tells us how Catholics read the Bible   How Catholics Should Read the Bible There are a number of ways to read the Bible.  One of the first things Catholics should look for is good footnotes at the bottom of the page that are indexed to other similar texts in the Bible.  This helps the reader to understand the particular verse in context, rather than in isolation.  The Bible is meant to be read in its entirety, and never to be taken out of context. That is what satan tried to do to Jesus in the desert in...

In November 2009, the Roman Catholic website Called to Communion posted an article titled Solo Scriptura, Sola Scriptura, and the Question of Interpretive Authority, critiquing one of the claims of my book The Shape of Sola Scriptura (Canon Press, 2001). The article is attributed to Bryan Cross and Dr. Neal Judisch. According to their website, Cross is a graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and currently a Ph.D. student at Saint Louis University. He converted to Roman Catholicism in 2006. Judisch is a professor of philosophy at the University of Oklahoma and a 2008 convert to Roman Catholicism. Like the...

Has the church misunderstood the Bible’s teachings on sexuality for over two thousand years? The current issue of Newsweek magazine reports on “new scholarship on the Good Book’s naughty bits” that is supposed to turn our understanding of the Bible’s teachings on sex upside down. Lisa Miller, Newsweek’s religion editor, wrote the article entitled “What the Bible Really Says About Sex.” Well, the one thing you need to know up front is that the article falls far short of its title. Miller bases her report on two recent books — Michael Coogan’s God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says...

Ryan recites Hebrews from memory making the gospel as found in Hebrews come alive http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M52nUtfk3Jw

In a few days we’ll discard the old calendar and open up a new one. We’ll get used to a new date when we write our checks, and last year will soon be a memory. Time marches on, but one thing remains constant — the Word of God. Those of us who are serious about Christian living are always looking for some new technique or truth that will make us stable, mature Christians. We have all read books with titles such as: The Secret of the Deeper Life. We’re hoping to find a shortcut, some effective way to become holy...

What did Jesus (not) say about... His mother, Mary? "You know what you lot's problem is? You just don't think enough about My mother." I've often had two thoughts about Mary: I dearly hope that her heavenly bliss has not been spoiled by the knowledge of how monstrously men came to pervert her significance and place in relation to her Son. And... In that view, I've thought that my article on Mary in a Bible dictionary might read, "The mother of Jesus. A pivotal yet minor figure in the New Testament, mentioned by name in only four books." On the...

Catholic and Protestant Bibles The Protestant Old Testament omits seven entire books and parts of two other books. To explain how this came about, it is necessary that we go back to the ancient Jewish Scriptures. The Hebrew Bible contained only the Old Testament and from its Old Testament it excluded seven entire books—namely, Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, I and II Maccabees—and parts of Esther(1) and Daniel(2). These books, which are missing in the Jewish Bible, came into the Catholic Church with the Septuagint, a pre-Christian Greek translation of the Old Testament. In the Septuagint they are intermingled...

A Quick Ten-Step Refutation of Sola Scriptura By Dave Armstrong 1. Sola Scriptura Is Not Taught in the Bible Catholics agree with Protestants that Scripture is a "standard of truth"—even the preeminent one—but not in a sense that rules out the binding authority of authentic apostolic Tradition and the Church. The Bible doesn’t teach that. Catholics agree that Scripture is materially sufficient. In other words, on this view, every true doctrine can be found in the Bible, if only implicitly and indirectly by deduction. But no biblical passage teaches that Scripture is the formal authority or rule of faith in...

Douay-Rheims Audio Bible – New Testament Announcement & The Gospel of John

The Christmas story retuned... enjoy ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-4y5mK_o9E&feature=player_embedded

In the sermon descriptively entitled, “That Hearing and Keeping the Word of God Renders a Person More Blessed Than Any Other Privilege That Ever God Bestowed on Any of the Children of Men,” Jonathan Edwards writes: The hearing and keeping the word of God brings the happiness of a spiritual union and communion with God. ‘Tis a greater blessedness to have spiritual communion with God and to have a saving intercourse with him by the instances of his Spirit and by the exercise of true devotion than it is to converse with God externally, to see the visible representation and...

From the Synod to the Exhortation: An Interview With Father Rosica on “Verbum Domini” November 25th, 2010 ZENIT recently interviewed Salt + Light Television CEO Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, about Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini.  See the full interview below:Those who study the Bible can never master it, says Basilian Father Thomas Rosica. Rather, the Word comes to master those who study it, making them its humble servants.This is one of the reflections offered by Father Rosica when ZENIT spoke to him about Benedict XVI’s postsynodal apostolic exhortation “Verbum Domini,” released earlier this month.Father Rosica was at...

Last night, an interview that I did with Derek Gilbert on the View From the Bunker podcast went live. We discuss my book, When the Stars Fall, but also talk a bit about the Messianic Jewish perspective on Yeshua and Scripture in general. The link.

Need a real challenge for your Bible reading? How about 10 chapters a day from 10 different sections of Scripture? Sound crazy? Not to those, like me, who have had their spiritual walk transformed by the increased intake of God’s Word made possible by following Professor Horner’s system. After less than a month on the plan, my wife said that I was a different man! This should not be surprising, after all, the first half of Psalm 1 says: 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,...

Verbum Domini   by Pope Benedict XVI INDEXIntroduction [1] That our joy may be complete [2] From “Dei Verbum” to the Synod on the Word of God [3] The Synod of Bishops on the Word of God [4] The Prologue of John’s Gospel as a guide [5] PART ONEVERBUM DEIThe God Who Speaks God in dialogue [6] The analogy of the word of God [7] The cosmic dimension of the word [8] The creation of man [9] The realism of the word [10] Christology of the word [11-13] The eschatological dimension of the word of God [14] The word of...

...As I read this apostolic exhortation I was reminded of my favorite definition of a theologian from Evagrius of Pontus, a monk of the early Church, a "theologian is one who rests his head on the breast of Christ". The imagery clearly refers to the Apostle John, the author of the fourth Gospel, and the posture he assumed at the Last Supper. However, it also reveals the truth that it is only through a relationship with the Lord, what the Pope calls a "hermeneutic of faith", that we can approach the Word of God and encounter the Living Word. Pope...