UNDERSTANDING SACRED SCRIPTURE

A Summary of Dei Verbum, Vatican II, 18 November, 1965.

Preliminary

With the aim to bid, to share her liberating/life-transforming experience of divine in and through Jesus Christ ‘the saving truth’, in Dei Verbum, the Catholic Church purports to present notion ‘“Divine Communication” (DV #1) in the life and mission of the church’. It accomplishes the task in two stages: first by understanding the intention and the dynamics of divine communication, second by learning its importance and the appropriate methods to discern, know and grasp His revelation.

1. Divine Communication

God is love. His intention to help wo/man to attain the fullness of life/salvation, from the beginning of the time (creation) in varied ways through his creation, messengers and finally through his own son Jesus Christ is divine communication (DV #2&3). A written record of the God’s saving plan is sacred Scripture. The first part is the account of his relationship with the chosen group of people ‘Israel’ made manifest in and through his messengers, the struggle to sustain it, and a promise of the Messiah. It is called as the first testament/the old testament (DV #3&15).  The covenant with Abraham, the exodus event through Moses,  the discernment of the voice of God in their daily life through prophets and the repeated renewal of their fidelity to the covenant are the highlights of the Old Testament.

The second part of the sacred Scripture, the second testament/new testament, contains the written record of God’s revelation in His son, Jesus Christ the promised messiah. It includes Jesus’ life, works and teachings, the events that followed his death, the preaching of the apostles through the spoken words and deeds under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the institutions established by them (DV #7,17,&20). The relationship between OT and NT is that of promise and the fulfillment of the promise. Since God has come down as man to reveal Himself in and through His son Jesus Christ, the fullness of Divine Communication, the Church expects no new public revelation surpassing the glory Jesus Christ the Risen Lord (DV #4). The Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – therefore have a special place in the Sacred Scripture (DV #18).

The authenticity of sacred books, is based on their apostolic origin who have witnessed, been instructed and finally enlightened by the Holy Spirit and the faith passed on by them (DV #19). It is also the case with the books of the OT, the document notes, “Sacred Scripture has been written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit” (DV #11). Thus Sacred Scripture is believed to firmly, faithfully teach the truth which God wishes to communicate to us, for the sake of our salvation ‘without error’. But, it holds good only with the support of the sacred tradition passed down by the apostles to their successors – bishops, which authenticates the truth of the Scripture. The Church therefore, believes that both sacred Scripture and sacred Tradition together mirrors God (His holy will) in our journey to the promised land/fullness of life (DV #7). Sacred Tradition refers to the apostolic teachings/exhortations, customs and laws that assist us grow in our understanding of the mystery according to the signs of the times. It, the successors of apostles – Magisterium, thus, holds the task of authentic interpretation of the Word of God.

Externally, therefore, the three sacred Scripture, sacred Tradition and Magisterium under the guidance of the Holy Spirit discern the “Divine Communication” for the faithful and contribute to the salvation of souls.

2. Human Response

An authentic response to God who freely communicates in love is the total surrender of ourselves to him. The document describes it as “‘the obedience of faith’ [...] ‘the full submission of [our] intellect and will to God who reveals’” (DV #5). Such a response, however, is a grace of God. This brings us to those truths that surpass the power of human mind to understand ‘the mystery of God/our life’. It can be achieved today, primarily by reading sacred Scriptures in the light of the sacred Tradition and Magisterium, while being open to other types of revelations authenticated by Magisterium. Knowing therefore the importance of sacred Scripture, we are called to live and move anchored to the Word of God, the supreme rule of our faith. The document presses every faithful to nourish their soul and strengthen their faith, in this fount of spiritual life (DV #21). Moreover, it is here the sacred theology has its inspiration (DV #24). To this end, the church strongly recommends the sacred Scripture be available to all people, at all times, through suitable and correct translations into various languages (DV #22).  The obligation is even more for priests and religious who have embraced consecrated life, because the document believes that God speaks to us through scriptures: “we speak to him when we pray; we listen to him when we read the divine oracles” (DV #25).

It however cautions the reader to acquire the art of interpreting the ‘text’ to discern precisely the intention of the authour i.e. what God wished to communicate to us through the authour. It is even more necessary with regard to sacred Scripture as it belongs to a distant tradition. The church therefore invites the readers to pay attention to the literary forms, the historicity and finally grasp it in the context of the whole scripture (DV #12) as we read the Scripture. To this end, church also fosters the study of the sacred scriptures (DV #23).

Conclusion

 The document renders an overall clarity of the concept ‘divine revelation’ in the Catholic Church, more so clears the myth that surrounds sacred Scripture. But, the document sadly is exclusive. It highlights  ‘sacred Scripture’ and is negligent to other means of divine communication. Moreover it is so particular about the complementary nature of  ‘sacred Scripture, sacred Tradition and Magisterium’, the document appears to be sidelining, ignoring and at times denying the authentic relationship of God with the separated brethren.