THE BIBLE& St. Jerome

FERRUM FRATRES

What is the Bible? A Sacred Library of 73 books

Scripture is “a Letter, written by our heavenly Father, and transmitted by the sacred writers to the human race in its pilgrimage so far from its heavenly country.” St. Chrysostom and PD 1 (1)Scripture is “an inexhaustible treasury of heavenly doctrine.” St. Chrysostom (2)Scripture is “an overflowing fountain of salvation.” St. Athanasius and DV 7 (3)

Why read the Bible?1 John 1:1-3

Rom 15:4Rom 1:16

Who wrote the Bible:God is the Divine and Primary author

“God, the Supreme Truth, necessarily cannot be the Author of error.” SP, Ben XVMen inspired by the Holy Spirit were instruments

(true authors with all their faculties and powers) DV 11

THE CANON

*382 AD Council of Rome, Pope St. Damasus I closes the canon of the Catholic Bible (46 OT books + 27 NT books = 73 books)383 AD Council of Hippo (Lamentations goes with Jerimiah)397 AD Council of Carthage III419 AD Council of Carthage IV affirms the canon*1442 AD Council of Florence affirms the canon1535 AD Martin Luther publishes his German Bible (39+27+7=73 books – ‘Apocrypha’ separated) “I hate Esther and 2 Maccabees so much that I wish they did not exist: they contain too much Judaism and no little heathen vice.” Martin Luther (4)*1546 AD Council of Trent reaffirms the canon

*Specifically mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Existing Bible Manuscripts

Leningrad Codex (Hebrew) 1009 AD - oldest complete Hebrew OT bible (Tanakh) Taken to Odessa, Russia in 1838 by Abraham FirkovichCodex Sinaiticus (Greek) 330-360 AD - oldest complete copy of the New Testament Found at a monastery at the base of Mt Sinai in 1859 British Library in possessionCodex Vaticanus (Greek) 300-325 AD Known in the Vatican since at least 15th Century

Codex Alexandrenus (Greek) 400-440 AD Known since the early 14th Century British Library in possession

[Vulgate (Latin) 400 AD finished by St. Jerome]

Dead Sea Scrolls (Hebrew, some Aramaic, few Greek) The oldest group of OT manuscripts ever found 13 miles east of Jerusalem Remains of 825-870 Scrolls Fragments of non-biblical writings and all the OT (except Esther) No mention of Jesus or His followers Probably written between 200 BC and 68 AD Qumran Caves Dead Sea Scroll

Codex Sinaiticus

Encyclicals & Church Documents on the Bible1546 Decree Concerning the Canonical Scriptures, Council of Trent1870 Dei Filius, Vatican I**1893 Providentissimus Deus, Leo XIII, On the Study of Holy Scripture* 1920 Spiritus Paraclitus, Benedict XV, On St. Jerome* 1943 Divino afflante Spiritu, Pius XII, Promotion of Biblical Studies**1965 Dei Verbum, Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation2010 Verbum Domini, Benedict XVI, On the Word Of God In The Life And Mission Of The Church

Reading the BibleIs Bible reading important? Armor of God - Eph 6:10-17

www.catholicacolyte.com

Literal and Spiritual (Moral, Allegorical Anagogical) senses of Scripture

Literal - “Blessed the one who seizes your children and smashes them against the rock.” Psa 137:9Allegorical – figurative, metaphorical, typology Eve and Mary in Genesis 3:15Anagogical – related to the Divine, Heaven The Garden of Eden as Heaven

“Wherefore it must be recognized that the sacred writings are wrapt in a certain religious obscurity, and that no one can enter into their interior without a guide.” St. Jerome and PD 14 (5)

Who is responsible for Scripture?

“Holy Scripture was safely interpreted by those who had the apostolic succession.” St. Irenaeus, (6)

"It is possible, then, for everyone in every church, who may wish to know the truth, to contemplate the tradition of the apostles which has been made known to us throughout the whole world. And we are in a position to enumerate those who were instituted bishops by the apostles and their successors down to our own times" St. Irenaeus (7)

“…most ancient church known to all, founded by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul—that church which has the tradition and the faith with which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles.” St. Irenaeus (8)

“God has delivered the Holy Scriptures to the Church, and that in reading and making use of His Word, they must follow the Church as their guide and their teacher.” Leo XIII PD 14 (9)

“Interpreting Scripture is subject finally to the judgment of the church, which carries out the divine commission and ministry of guarding and interpreting the word of GodVatican I and Dei Verbum 12 (10)

“But the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.” Dei Verbum 10 (11)

Where do I Start?? Ask St. Jerome!

Writing to the Roman matron Laeta about her daughter’s training, Jerome says:

“Every day she should give you a definite account of her Bible-reading1. The Psalter first, and find her recreation in its songs (How to pray)2. Let her learn from Solomon’s Proverbs the way of life (Purgative way)3. From Ecclesiastes how to trample on the world (Illuminative way by detaching)4. In Job she will find an example of patient virtue5. Thence let her pass to the Gospels; they should always be in her hands6. She should steep herself in the Acts and the Epistles (Church History, Theology of Christianity)7. And when she has enriched her soul with these treasures; She should commit to memory: a. the Prophets b. the Heptateuch, c. Kings and Chronicles, d. Esdras and Esther 8. Then she can learn the Canticle of Canticles (Song of Songs) without any fear” (12) Rabbis called the Song of Songs the ‘Holy of Holies’ of the Bible

Psalter (Psalms) First!Gospels Always! (Special preeminence – DV 18)

St. Augustine’s 1st Rule (Letters 82, to St. Jerome)“And if in these Books I meet anything that seems contrary to truth, I shall not hesitate to conclude that

1. The text is faulty (copyist error), or2. That the translator has not expressed the meaning of the passage, or3. That I myself do not understand.”

Scripture on Scripture

“the word of our God stands forever” Isa 40:8b

“And what you heard from me (Paul) through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well.” 2 Tim 2:2 “The Scripture cannot be broken” Jn 10:35

*2 Tim 3:16

“…the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified” 2 Thes 3:1b

*2 Thess 2:15

“The Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any 2-edged sword” Heb 4:12

“You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God” 1 Pet 1:23

“…as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, speaking of these things as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures.” 2 Pet 3:15-16

“Philip ran up and heard him [Ethiopian Eunuch] reading Isaiah the prophet and said,‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?...Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him.” Acts 8:30-31, 35

Jeromisms

“The Great Doctor” (Collect on the Feast day of St. Jerome – Sept 30)Jerome’s relics are in Rome, in St. Mary Major’s beside the Lord’s Crib

1. “We make use of the ‘Greatest of Doctors’ as our guide and teacher” Ben XV, SP (13)

2. “Foremost among these teachers stands St. Jerome. Him the Catholic Church acclaims and reveres as her ‘Greatest Doctor,’ divinely given her for the understanding of the bible.” Ben XV, SP (14)

3. *“In expounding Scripture we need God’s Holy Spirit” Jerome (15)

4. *“In Studying Scripture I never trusted to myself.” Jerome (16)

5. *“Ignorance of the Bible means ignorance of Christ.” Jerome (17)

6. “Thank God I am deemed worthy to be hated by the world…Yet I know that through ill report and good report we win the kingdom of heaven.” Jerome (18)

7. “A man who is well grounded in the testimonies of the Scripture is the bulwark of the Church.” Jerome (19)

8. “Let sleep find you holding your Bible, and when your head nods let it be resting on the sacred page.” Jerome (20)

9. “Always have a book in your hands and read it; learn the Psalter by heart; pray unceasingly; watch over your senses lest idle thoughts creep in.” Jerome (21)

10.“Let a priest’s speech be seasoned with the Bible” Jerome (22)

11.“Nothing so strikes home as an example taken from the Bible” Jerome (23)

THE PENTATEUCH (THE LAW)Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy

HISTORICAL BOOKS (16)JoshuaJudges Ruth 1 and 2 Samuel 1 and 2 Kings 1 and 2 ChroniclesEzra Nehemiah Tobit Judith Esther 1 and 2 Maccabees

WISDOM LITERATURE (7)JobPsalmsProverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs)The Wisdom of SolomonSirach (or Ecclesiasticus)

THE PROPHETS (18)IsaiahJeremiahLamentationsBaruchEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachi

THE GOSPELS (4)MatthewMarkLukeJohn

CHURCH HISTORYActs of the Apostles

ST. PAUL’S LETTERS (13)Romans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemon

CATHOLIC EPISTLES (8)HebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJude

PROPHECYThe Book of Revelation (or The Apocalypse of John)

Footnotes

1. St. Chrystosom in Gen. hom. 2, 2; S. Aug in Ps. Xxx., serm., 2, I; S. Greg. M. ad Theod. Ep. Iv., 31; PD (1)2. St. Chrysostom in Gen. Hom. Xxi., 2; Hom. Ix., 3; St Augustine de Disc Christ., ii.3. St. Athanasus ep. Fest. xxxix. DV (7)4. Martin Luther, Cited in F.F. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1988), 101.5. St. Jerome, Ad Paulin. De studio Script. Ep. Iiii., 4.; PD (14)6. St. Irenaeus, ‘Against Heretics’ III, 3, 1: PG 7, 848; Harvey 2, p. 97. St. Irenaeus (Against Heresies 3:3:1 [A.D. 189])8. St. Irenaeus (Against Heresies 3:3:2 [A.D. 189])9. PD (14)10. First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, Chap 2, “On Revelation” 1788 and Dei Verbum (12)11. DV (10)12. Jerome, Epist. Ad Laetam, 107, 9, 12; SP (41)13. Ben XV SP (31)14. Ben XV SP (1)15. Jerome, Epist In Mich, 1:10-15, SP, Ben XV (35)16. Jerome, Epist 108 sive Epitaphium S. Paulae, 26, 2; SP (36)17. Jerome, In Isa., Prol.; cf. Tract. De Ps. 77; SP (121)18. Jerome, Epist. Ad Asellam, 45, 1, 6; SP (65)19. Jerome In Isiam liv., 12; PD (3)20. Jerome, Epist. Ad Eustochium, 22,17,2; SP (42)21. Jerome, Epist. Ad Rusticum, 125, 7, 3; SP (45)22. Jerome, Epist. Ad Nepotianum, 52, 8, 1; SP (49)23. Jerome, Epist. In Zach., 9:15; SP (49)

DV – Deus VerbumPD – Providentissimus DeusSA – Divino Afflante SpirituSP – Spiritus Paraclitus

Bible App for iPhone – “Catholic Bible”By: Just 1 Word, Inc.