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" M O D E R N QUESTIONS" 
A M a n u a l for High School and College Students and for Young 

People's and A d u j t Discussion Clubs 

By The Rev. Rudolph G. Bondas 

S E R I E S 1 
R e l i g i o u s I n d i f f e r e n c e a n d U n -
belief , 
M a t e r i a l i s m 
E v o l u t i o n 
R e l i g i o u s B r o a d m i n d e d n e s s 
T h e I n d e x of F o r b i d d e n Books 
S e c r e t a n d F o r b i d d e n Societies 
T h e T w o " Y ' s " — O r g a n i z a t i o n 
a n d A i m 
T h e T w o " Y ' b " — A n A p p r e c i a -
t i o n 

S E R I E S I V 
1. E u t h a n a s i a o r M e r c y K i l l i n g 
2. C r e m a t i o n 
'3. P r i v a t e P r o p e r t y 
4. A L i v i n g W a g e 

.5. L a b o r . U n i o n s A 
6. T h e M o r a l i t y cjf S t r i k e s 
7. T h e Social A p o s t o l a t * 
8. O u r Civic D u t i e s 

S E R I E S V 
1. S p i r i t i s m ' 

S E R I E S I I 2. F o r e t e l l i n g t h e F u t u r e 
1. T h e I n q u i s i t i o n 3: T h e L i q u o r T r a f f i c a n d D r u n k -
2. T h e O r t h o d o x C h u r c h e s e n n e s s 
3. T h e A n g l i c a n C h u r c h 4. S a l a c i o u s L i t e r a t u r e 
4. C h r i s t i a n S c i e n c e 5. T h e Movies 
6. •The W i t n e s s e s of J e h o v a h 6. D a n c i n g 
6. T h e O x f o r d G r o u p M o v e m e n t 7. G a m b l i n g 
7. T h e S a l v a t i o n of N o n - C a t h o l i c s 8. A c t i v i t i e s of C a t h o l i c Y o u t h 
8. S c a n d a l s a n d a H o l y C h u r c h O r g a n i z a t i o n s 

S E R I E S I I I S E R I E S V I 
1. T h e E n c y c l i c a l s V o c a t i o n t o t h e P r i e s t h o o d 
2. Social J u s t i c e 2. V o c a t i o n t o C a t h o l i c A c t i o n 
3. , R a c i s m — E x p o s i t i o n 3. V o c a t i o n t o t h e S i s t e r h o o d 
4 . R a c i s m — C r i t i c i s m 4. V o c a t i o n t o t h e M a r r i e d L i f e 
5. T o t a l i t a r i a n i s m — E x p o s i t i o n , S. M a r r i a g e , a C o n t r a c t a n d a 
«. T o t a l i t a r i a n i s m — C r i t i c i s m S a c r a m e n t 
7. C o m m u n i s m 6. Mixed M a r r i a g e s 
8. C o m m u n i s m — C a u s e s a n d R e m e - 7. T h è F a m i l y 

dies 8. T h e E d u c a t i o n of C h i l d r e n 



BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

A M a n u a l For H i g h School A n d College 
Students A n d For Y o u n g People's A n d 

A d u l t Discussion Groups 

By 

REV. RUDOLPH G. BANDAS 

OUR SUNDAY VISITOR LIBRARY 
HUNTINGTON, INDIANA 

Series I 



N i h i l Obstat 
Rev. George Ziskovsky, S.T.D., L.S.Sc. 

Censor Deputatus 
die I I a Februarii, 1943 

Imprimatur 
•i« JOANNES GREGORIUS M U R R A Y , 

Archiepiscopus Sancti Pauli 
die 12a Februarii, 1943 

T h i r d Edition 
12,000 

Published in U. S. A . 
A p r i l 20, 1948 

by 
Our Sunday Visitor Press 

Huntington, Indiana 

©eacfcSfl®* 



Table of Contents 
I The Book of Books B 

II Catholic and Protestant Bibles 16 

III The Bible, the Sole Rule of Faith? 27 

IV Inspiration and Inerrancy , 37 

V The Bible as History 46 

VI The Wisdom Literature of the Bible 591 

VII Letters and-Epistles in the Bible 72 

VIII Prophetical Literature in the Bible 85 



Series I of "Biblical Questions" is intended to 
give the student a general acquaintance with the 
Bible. The Chapters and Discussion Aids are con-
structed in such a way as to oblige the student to 
page the Bible, become acquainted with the arrange-
ment of the Books, and read some sections in each 
Book. Series II will continue this general discussion 
about the Bible. The subsequent Series will take up 
specific questions in the Old Testament and the New 
Testament. With the permission of the Bruce Pub-
lishing Company, some of the materials in the Se-
ries are taken from our work, "Biblical Questions— 
Old Testament," a book which is now out of print. 

We wish also to express our gratitude to the 
B. Herder Co., for permission to use in the prepara-
tion of these booklets the following publications: 
S. G. Messner, "Outlines of Bible Knowledge" and 
L. C. Fillion, "The Life of Christ"; also to St. An-
thony's Guild of Paterson, N. J., for permission to 
use its Scriptural publications. The Biblical texts 
are f r o m the Rheims-Douay Version published by 
the E. M. Lohmann Co., of St. Paul. 

The Author 



Chapter I 

The Book of Books 
The Word "Bible" 

The word "Bible" means "the book." In both 
the Latin and Greek languages the term "Biblia" 
is a plural noun and signifies "The Books." Orig-
inally, the Bible was not one book but a collection of 
books—in fact, a whole library. I t was only in about 
the fourth century that the seventy two books of 
the Bible were combined to form the "volume." 
Eventually, the plural "Biblia" became a singular 
noun, and in modern languages signifies "the book." 
The passing of the word "Biblia" from the plural 
into the singular was no doubt occasioned by an 
understanding of the real character of the Bible: 
While the human authors were many, the Divine 
Author is but one. The Bible is called "The Scrip-
tures" (2 Peter 3:16) and "Holy Scriptures" (Ko-
mans 1:2). 

The Word "Testament" 
The titles "Old" and "New Testament" were 

used by St. Paul (2 Corinthians, 2:14). The term 
"testament," as applied to the two parts of the 
Bible, means: a covenant, agreement, pact. In the 
language of the Bible it denotes the agreement or 
pact between God and man: Man.agreed to do cer-
tain things and God, in return, promised certain 
blessings. The Old Testament contains a record of 
the pact between God and Abraham and between 
God and Moses. The New Testament is an account 
of the pact between God and His creatures. Both 



6 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 
the old and the new covenants were sealed by blood: 
The pact between God and Abraham was sealed by 
the circumcision (Genesis 17); the pact between 
God and the Jewish people, by the sprinkling of the 
people with the blood of animal victims (Exodus 
24:7, 8 ) ; the pact between God and men, by Christ's 
pwn blood (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25). 
Besides denoting the Jewish and Christian religions, 
the terms "Old" and "New" Testaments also desig-
nate the sacred books of each. 

Original Language Of The Bible 
Two books of the Old Testament—Wisdom and 

II Machabees—were written in Greek. The rest 
of the Old Testament was written in the Hebrew 
language. The New Testament was written in 
Greek, with the exception of St. Matthew's Gospel 
which—according to the unanimous testimony of 
Christian antiquity—was written in Hebrew or 
Aramaic. 

The books of the Bible were very likely written 
in the cursive style of writing. The cursive (or "run-
ning hand") style joins the letters of a word together 
as when we write today. In addition, the ancients 
had two other styles of writing: the lapidary (from 
the Latin word, lapis, meaning stone) and the uncial 
(from the Latin word uncia, meaning inch). The 
lapidary style was followed in inscriptions on stone 
monuments and used only capital letters. The uncial 
style was used in fine editions of books and in elab-
orate Bibles and employed large disconnected let-
ters resemblfng the capitals. In "uncial" writing 
there were no spaces between the words or sentences 
and punctuation marks were used rarely. The word 
"uncial" comes from St. Jerome's description of 



THE BOOK OF BOOKS 7 
some Bibles of his time as being written in "letters 
an inch high." 

Divisions of the Bible 
The Old Testament books are grouped in the 

following manner: 
1) Historical books, which are arranged not in 

the order in which they were written but according 
to the order of events in time which they narrate 
(Genesis to Esther); 

2) Didactic or sapiential or moral books, which 
are so called because they instruct us especially 
about heavenly wisdom and principles of morality 
(Job to Ecclesiasticus); 

3) The prophetical books, which contain God's 
message to men and predictions concerning the 
future (Isaias to Malachias); 

4) A historical appendix (the Books of the 
Machabees). 

The New Testament like the Old Testament has 
also a threefold division: 

1) Historical books (the Gospels and the Acts); 
2) Didactic writings (the fourteen Pauline 

Epistles and the seven Catholic Epistles); 
3) A prophetical book (the Apocalypse). 
The various divisions of the Biblical books are 

of rather recent origin. The Jews divided their sac-
red books into sections. The chapter division, as 
found in the Bible today, dates from the thirteenth 
century and is the work of Stephen Langton, pro-
fessor at the University of Paris and later Arch-
bishop of Canterbury. The present verse division 
was first introduced by the Dominican, Santes Pag-
nino (1528), and his system is still in use in most 



8 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

of the books of the Old Testament. The modern 
verse division in the New Testament is the work 
of Robert Stephen, a Paris printer of the sixteenth 
century. The chapter and divisions are of great 
value for purposes of reference but frequently break 
up the séquence of thought. 

Biblical Autographs 
Autographs, as distinguished from copies and 

reprints, are writings which came from the pen of 
the author himself. As f a r as our present knowl-
edge goes, the Biblical autographs are no longer in 
existence, although we can determine fairly well 
how they appeared. Like other books of the time 
they were probably papyrus rolls or scrolls. Papyrus 
was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, a 
long stemmed reed terminating in a large umbrella, 
which grew in abundance on the banks of the Nile 
River and in other Oriental countries. A sheet 
of papyrus was made of thin strips of the pith 
arranged horizontally and vertically and was usually 
six to fifteên inches in height and three to nine 
inches in width. The separate sheets were then 
glued together, dried in the sun, attached to one or 
two sticks or wooden cylinders, rolled up around 
them, thus making a roll or scroll. 

Papyrus was cheap but not durable. The wind-
ing and unwinding as well as moisture soon proved 
destructive to the scrolls. A more durable, though 
more expensive, material was furnished by the skins 
of lambs, sheep, goats and calves. As in the case 
of papyrus, sheets of the leather or the parchment 
were sewed together to form a longer strip, and 
strips, in turn, were joined together to form a roll. 
The copies of the Old Testament books which were 



THE BOOK OF BOOKS 9 

used in the Jewish religious services were undoubt-
edly written on leather. Saint Paul had parchments 
with him (2 Timothy 4:13) but it is not very likely 
that his Epistles were written on this costly mate-
rial. 

The skin of a single animal furnished only a 
few sheets and was naturally very costly. Hence 
when a leather book or scroll became illegible from 
long usage, or when a library had too many copies 
of the same book, the old text was scratched or 
washed out and replaced by a new writing. Such 
copies are known as "palimpsests" (erased again). 
With the aid or reacting chemicals the old writing 
has in some instances been restored and lost texts 
have in this way been discovered. 

The "Codex" 
The entire Bible would have been a roll of im-

mense length. It would have been clumsy and im-
practical. It would have made the location of a text 
very difficult, especially if the desired text occurred 
toward the middle or end of the roll. Hence we 
see the emergence, in the fourth century of our 
era, of the "codex" or. book in our sense of the 
term. The "codex" or book was possibly a Chris-
tian invention and was perhaps introduced for the 
first time in the Christian Bibles. It not only made 
easier .the location of a particular text but put 
together in a single volume all the books of the Old 
and New Testaments'. 

The oldest existing codices of the Christian 
Bible are all parchment copies, written in uncial 
letters, and dating from the fourth century. Among 
these oldest existing Bibles the following are the 
more important: 



10 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

1. The Codex Vaticanus, dating from the first 
half of the fourth century and preserved in the 
Vatican Library, It represents a form of text cur 
rent in Egypt in the second century. 

2. The Codex Sinaiticus, also dating from the 
fourth century and representing the same form of 
text as the preceding. It was discovered in 1844 
in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mt, Sinai, 
and is now kept in the British Museum. 

3. The Codex Alexandrinus, belonging to the 
fifth century. It was brought from Alexandria to 
Constantinople and later transferred to the British 
Museum in London. 

4. The Codex Ephraemi, also belonging to the 
fifth century. It is a palimpsest: Some writings of 
St. Ephraem were written across the Biblical text, 
which had been more or less erased but is still leg-
ible. 

The naming of these Bibles is largely accidental. 
One is designated by its place of origin (Alexan-
drinus), another by its place of custody (Vaticanus), 
anothei by its place of discovery (Sinaiticus), and 
the last by the special character of its manuscript 
(Ephraemi). 

Versions of the Bible 
Versions of the Bible are translations of the 

Bible into other languages. The following are the 
most important versions or translations of the Bible. 

1. Septuagint. The oldest Greek translation of 
the Hebrew Old Testament is known as the Sep-
tuagint, and was made between 300 and 130 B. C. 
It derives its name from the seventy or seventy 
two translators to whom it is attributed. According 



THE BOOK OF BOOKS 11 

to a legend, Ptolemy II (284-247 B.C.) wished to 
have a copy of the Law of Moses in his famous li-
brary in Alexandria. At his request the high priest 
sent seventy two scholars (six from each of the 
twelve tribes) from Jerusalem to Alexandria to 
translate the Law into Greek. 

The Septuagint contains all the forty-five books 
of the Old Testament. It was used by the Apostles 
and early Christians and helped greatly in the 
spread of revealed truths among the Greek pagans. 
Many Jewish and pagan converts obtained their first 
knowledge of the Bible through the Septuagint. 

2. Old Latin. Since the Christians of Rome and 
of the Roman Empire needed a Latin Bible for 
the Liturgy and for private reading, it is probable 
that as early as the first century the Greek Bible— 
both the Old and New Testaments—began to be 
translated into Latin. The Latin Bible.which was 
used in Western Europe prior to the acceptance of 
St. Jerome's text is commonly known as the "Old 
Latin." 

3. Vulgate. The Latin "Vulgate" ("accepted" 
or "commonly used") text is the work of St. Jerome 
(383-405). The New Testament is St. Jerome's re-
vision of the Old Latin text made with the help of. 
ancient Greek manuscripts. Most of the books of 
the Old Testament are a direct translation of the 
original Hebrew, while the rest are the Old Latin 
text. The Council of Trent made the Vulgate the 
official text of the Catholic Church, and our pres-
ent edition was brought out by Clement VIII in 
1592. 

4. The Rheims—Douay Bible. The most widely 
used English Catholic translation (from the Latin 



12 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

Vulgate) of the Bible is the Rheims-Douay or Douay 
Version. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth many 
English bishops, priests and laymen were obliged to 
seek refuge in France and other European coun-
tries. In 1568 a number of illustrious Oxford 
scholars opened an English College at Douay in 
France, in order to supply priests for the English 
missions. In 1578 the College was transferred to 
Rheims and later back again to Douay. Among 
the founders of this College were William Allen, 
principal of St. Mary's Hall at Oxford and later 
Cardinal; Gregory Martin, fellow of St. John's Col-
lege of Oxford; Richard Bristow, fellow of Exeter 
College of Oxford, and others. 

The English translation of the Bible was made 
by Gregory Martin and the work was revised by 
Allen and Bristow. The New Testament was pub-
lished at Rheims in 1582, and the Old Testament at 
Douay in 1609-1610. The language of the text was 
modernized by Bishop Challoner (1749-1752). 

5. The Westminster Version of the Sacred Scrip-
tures—of which Fathers Lattey and Keating of the 
Society of Jesus are general editors—was published 
in England. It is a new critical Catholic translation 
of the New Testament made directly from the Greek. 
It is a private and not an official version of the 
Bible. 

6. The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Edi-
tion of New Testament. This is not a translation 
but a revision of the Challoner.-Rheims Version un-
dertaken by a group of Catholic scholars under the 
patronage of the episcopal committee of the Con-
fraternity of Christian Doctrine. It aims to bring 
the language of Challoner's version into conformity 



THE BOOK OF BOOKS 15 

with modern English and to render accurately the 
divine message in the language of our own day. 

7. Protestant Version, a). The King James or 
Authorized Version (AV) was published in 1611 in 
the reign of King James I. The Authorized Version 
is not a new translation but a revision of an English 
Bible known as the Bishop's Bible and published in 
1568. The translation is often colored by anti-
Catholic prejudice which in certain instances leads 
to outright falsifications of the text. The purity of 
its English, however, has made it the Bible of Eng-
lish Protestantism, b). The Revised Version (RV) 
(1881-1885) is a modern critical revision under-
taken—at the instance of the/British Parliament— 
by a group of English and American Protestant 
scholars. The committee departed in at least thirty-
six thousand instances from the text of 1611. c). In 
1901 the American group of the same committee 
brought out its own text of the Revised Version and 
this is known as the American Standard Version. 
(SV). 

Discussion Aids 
Set I 

1. What is the meaning of the word "Bible"? 
2. Was the Bible originally one book? When did 

the "volume" style come into vogue? 
3. What is the meaning of the word "Testa-

ment"? How were the Old and the New 
Testaments sealed? 

4. What was the original language of the Old 
Testament? Of the New Testament? 

. 5. What were the three styles of writing in 
antiquity? 

6. How were the books of the Old Testament 
grouped? of the New Testament? 



14 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

7. When was the Bible divided into chapters? 
into verses? by whom? 

8. What is a Biblical autograph? What mate-
rials were used in the composition of the 
original books of the bible? 

9. Name the four oldest Bibles. 
10. What is a version? 
11. Describe the origin of the Septuagint ver-

sion ; of the Old Latin version ; of the Vulgate. 
12. Describe the origin of the Rheims-Douay 

Version ; of the Confraternity edition of the 
New Testament. 

13. Name three Protestant versions. 
Set II 

Discuss thoroughly each sentence in the follow-
ing quotation: 

"The word of God is an inexhaustible treasury 
of heavenly science. It is the only oracle that dis-
closes to us the origin and sublime destiny of man, 
and the means of attaining it. It is the key that in-
terprets his relations to his Creator. It is the 
foundation of our Christian faith and of our glorious 
heritage. Its moral code is the standard of our lives. 
If our Christian civilization is so manifestly super-
ior to all actual and preexisting social systems, it is 
indebted for its supremacy to the ethical teachings 
of Holy Writ" (James Cardinal Gibbons, "Thé Am-
bassador of Christ," p. 227). 
Set III 

Discuss and apply to your own life the following 
statements of the Fathers of the Church: 
Saint .Jerome: "To be ignorant of the Scriptures', is 
to be ignorant of Christ." 
Saint Augustine: "Letters have reached us from 



THE BOOK OF BOOKS 15 

that city apart from which we are wandering; these 
letters are the Scriptures which exhort us to live 
well." 

"He who receives negligently the Word of God 
is not less guilty than he who, through his own 
fault, would permit the Sacred Host to fall on the 
ground." 
The Imitation: "I perceive two things to be partic-
ularly necessary for me in this life, without which 
it would be insupportable to me. Whilst I am de-
tained in the prison of this body, I acknowledge 
myself to stand in need of two things, namely, food 
and light. Unto me, then, thus weak and helpless, 
Thou hast given Thy Sacred Body for the refresh-
ment both of my soul and body, and Thy Word Thou 
hast set as a lamp to my feet." 

Religious Practices 
1. "The most highly valued treasure of every 

family library, and the most frequently and lovingly 
made use of, should be the Holy Scripture. We trust 
that no family can be found amongst us without a 
correct version of the Holy Scriptures" (Pastoral 
Letter of the Third Council of Baltimore, 1844). 

2. In 1898 Leo XIII granted "to all the faithful 
of both sexes who piously and devoutly read for a 
quarter of an hour each day the Holy Gospel, the 
edition whereof is recognized and approved by legit-
imate authority, an indulgence of 300 days "for each 
reading thereof;" 

3. "The more we read the Gospel, the stronger 
our faith becomes" (Pius X). "Our one desire for all 
the Church's children is that, being saturated with 
the Bible, they may arrive at, the all-surpassing 
knowledge of Jesus Christ" (Benedict XV). 



Chapter II 

Catholic A n d Protestant Bibles 
The Old Testament 

The Protestant Old Testament omits several 
entire books and parts of two other books. To ex-
plain 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, Ecclesias-
ticus, Baruch, First and Second Machabees—and 
parts of Esther (10:14 to 16:14) and Daniel (3:24-
90; 13; 14). 

These books which are missing in the Jewish 
Bible came to the Catholic Church with the Sep-
tuagint, a pre-Christian Greek translation of the 
Old Testament. In the Septuagint Version they are 
placed among and given equal rank with the other 
Old Testament books as in our Catholic Bible today. 
Since the Hebrew is older than the Septuagint Bible, 
the list of books in the former is called the first 
canon or collection while the catalog of books in 
the latter is called the second canon or collection. 
The seven additional books are found only in the 
second collection and always associated with it. 

Jewish opposition to the additional books of. 
the second collection was due to the circumstances in 
which the Jews lived and to the spirit of the times. 
During the last centuries which preceded the coming 
of Christ the Jews—because of the captivities, per-
secutions and antagonisms from outside nations— 



CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT BIBLES 17 

became more and more conservative and looked with 
increasing suspicion on anything that was new. Since 
the additional books were of comparatively recent 
origin and since some of them were written in 
Greek—the language of paganism—they naturally 
aroused the opposition of the Jews. The fact, too, 
that the early Christians used the Septuagint in their 
controversies with the Jews only served to confirm 
the latter in their opposition to this translation of 
the Old Testament. 

The Protestants of the sixteenth century ob-
jected to the additional books because of the doc-
trinal teachings of these books. The Second Book 
of Machabees, for example, contains the doctrine 
of purgatory, of prayers and sacrifices for the dead 
(12:39-46). The book of Tobias teaches the import-
ance in the eyes of God of good works. The Prot-
estants could not reject some without excluding all 
of the additional books. Hence, in drawing up their 
list of Old Testament books they went back to the 
first collection of Biblical books of the Palestinian 
Jews. They removed the additional books, which 
had been in the Bible up till 1517 and placed them 
at the end of the Bible in a special appendix. In 
addition, they labelled them as."apocryphal" (spur-
ious, uninspired), a designation which helped to 
lower them in the estimation of Protestant readers. 

The Lutheran and Anglican Bibles still carry 
these books in the appendix or give them at least a 
secondary place. But the other Protestant churches 
reject them entirely. In 1827 the British and Foreign 
Bible Society decided not to print or handle Bibles 
that contained the additional books and not to 
aid financially companies that published Bibles con-



18 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

taining them. As a result these books have prac-
tically disappeared from Protestant Bibles. 

The Catholic Church has always considered 
these books as inspired and of the same rank as the 
other Old Testament books. Her attitude is based 
upon the following facts: 

1) The Apostles and New Testament writers 
quoted principally the Septuagint. In fact, of the 
three hundred and fifty Old Testament quotations 
found in the New Testament, about three hundred 
are taken from the Septuagint. 

2) Some of the New Testament writers made 
use of the additional books themselves, particularly 
of the Book of Wisdom, which seems to have been 
St. Paul's favorite volume. The Epistle of St. James 
—to take another example—shows an acquaintance 
with the Book of Ecclesiasticus. If the Apostles and 
New Testament writers used some of the additional 
books, did they not thereby approve the entire Sep-
tuagint collection ? 

3) The additional books were accepted in the 
Church from the beginning. The Epistle of Pope 
Clement, written before the end of the first century, 
makes use of Ecclesiasticus and Wisdom, gives an 
analysis of the book of Judith, and quotes from the 
additiona1 sections of the book of Esther. The 
same is true of other early Christian writers. 

4) The oldest Christian Bibles in,existence 
(Codex Vaticanus, etc.) contain the additional books 
intermingled with the rest, just as we find them in 
the Catholic Bibles today. 

5) The oldest Christian lists of Biblical books 
contain the additional books. In 382 Pope Damasus 
in a Roman Council issued a formal list of Old and 



CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT BIBLES 21 

New Testament books and the list contains the 
same books as we have in our Bibles. 

6) Finally, Christian art of the first four cen-
turies—especially that found in the catacombs and 
cemeteries—furnishes among others the following 
illustrations from the additional books: Tobias with 
the fish (Tobias 6), Susanna (Daniel 13), Daniel and 
the dragon (Daniel 14), the angel with the three 
children in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:49), Habacuc 
and Daniel in the lion's den (Daniel 14:35). 

In conclusion, let us point out that since they 
follow the synogogue in their rejection of the ad-
ditional books of the Old Testament, the Protestants 
should in all logic follow it in its rejection of the 
New Testament and of Christ Himself. 

The Apocryphal Books 
The Protestants often designate as "apocryphal" 

those seven books and those sections which their 
Bibles omit from the Old Testament. The Catholics 
object to this title. These books are regarded' by 
the Church as inspired. They formed a part of the 
Bible of united Christendom before the Protestant 
revolt, and Christian antiquity was practically unan-
imous in regarding them as of divine origin. 

But what, then, do Catholics mean by "apocry-
phal" books? The word "apocryphal" is derived 
from the Greek "apokryphos" and means something 
hidden or secret. The religious books of ancient 
pagans were called Apocrypha because they were 
kept carefully concealed in the temple and shown ' 
only to full-fledged members who were wholly initia-
ted into the mysteries of religion. Books forged 
by magicians were also called Apocrypha because 
they were thought to contain hidden secrets. 



20 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

Gradually, however, the word "apocryphal" 
came to have a very specific meaning. It came to be 
applied to a class of books, which pretended to pos-
sess divine authority and Scriptural rank but which 
never succeeded in obtaining a place among the books 
of the Bible. These Books were composed during 
the last two centuries before Christ or during the 
early centuries of the Christian era. The authors re-
mained unknown or wrote under a fictitious name. 
Some of these books contain false and heretical doc-
trines, others aim at satisfying a foolish curiosity 
about Biblical personages, others strive to edify. 
Their value lies in setting forth, by contrast, the 
superior character of the inspired books and in 
furnishing to the Biblical scholar interesting infor-
mation about the customs and conditions of the 
times. 

The apocryphal books are divided into two 
groups—into the Old and the New Testament apocry-
pha. a) The Old Testament apocrypha supplement 
the inspired Old Testament books with fictitious 
stories about some patriarch or prophet, forged Mes-
sianic prophecies, or pious exhortations and pre-
cepts. Examples of this group are the Assumption 
of Moses, Apocalypse of Abraham, Ascension of 
Isaias, etc. b) The New Testament apocrypha strive 
to supplement and amplify matters either briefly 
mentioned in the inspired books or omitted entirely. 
Their favorite topics are the Infancy of Our Lord 
and His sojourn on earth after the Resurrection. 
They contain much that is silly, legendary and dis-
edifying. The portrait of Our Lord contradicts in 
many respects that of the Gospel, and their accounts 
of Him contain much that is doctrinally unsound 



CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT BIBLES 21 

and heretical. As many as fifty Gospels, twenty-
two Acts, and many Epistles and Apocalypses were 
known to have belonged to this group at one time. 

The New Testament 
The Protestant New Testament contains the 

same books as the Catholic New Testament. Al-
though Luther showed great hostility to St. James's 
Epistle because of its doctrine of the necessity of 
good works and contemptuously called it an "epistle 
of straw," he clearly saw that he had no more reason 
for excluding that book than he had for rejecting 
the other books of the New Testament. The dif-
ferences between the Protestant and Catholic New 
Testament arise from changes in specific passages in 
various books of the New Testament. 

In the passage from I Corinthians 11:27, "Who-
soever shall eat this bread OR drink the chalice of 
the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body 
and of the blood of the Lord," the Authorized Ver-
sion (AV) of King James replaced "or" by "and." 
Inspired by doctrinal and anti-Catholic bias, the 
editors purposely changed the text in order to remove 
the argument for communion under one kind. Today 
all Scriptural scholars agree that "OR drink the 
chalice" is the correct reading. Modern critical Prot-
estant editions of the Bible—the Revised Version 
and the Standard Version—have rejected the read-
ing of the Authorized Version and restored the old 
or Rheims-Douay reading. 

A further deliberate change in the interest of 
the Protestant doctrine on original sin is introduced 
into several passages. The Reformers, as we know, 
maintained that human nature was essentially cor-
rupted by the Fall. Man's intellect is positively 



22 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

darkened and his free will destroyed. In I Corin-
thians 7:9 whertf the Rheims-Douay Version reads: 
"If they do not contain themselves, let them marry"; 
the Authorized Version changed the passage to 
read: "But if they cannot contain, let them marry." 
The same Authorized Version changes "do not" 
to "cannot do" in Galatians 5:17: "For the flesh 
lusteth against the spirit, and the s p i r i t against 
the flesh; for these are contrary to one another, so 
that you do not the things that you would." The 
aim of the editors in both instances was to introduce 
into the Scriptures the false Lutheran doctrine 
concerning the total depravity of human nature be-
cause of original sin. St. Paul is made to affirm that 
a Christian cannot lead a stainless virtuous life. 
The critical editions of the Bible,-however—the 
Revised and Standard Versions—refused to adopt 
this reading and returned to the reading of the 
Rheims-Douay. 

To the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:13, the 
Authorized Version adds the doxology or the long 
ending: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, 
and the glory, forever. Amen." The Revised Ver 
sion, however, as well as all critical editions, omit 
this doxology—and correctly so. The doxology is not 
a part of the Lord's Prayer. It is not found in St. 
Luke's version of the Our Father. In St. Matthew's 
Gospel, the intimate connection between verses 13 
and 14 shows that the original text had no clause 
between the two verses. The long ending is not 
found in two of the oldest extant Bibles—namely, 
the codex Sinaiticus and the codex Vaticanus. In 
the course of time, however, the doxology began to 
appear on the margin or was written in the text with 



CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT BIBLES 23 

red ink, until finally in some later manuscripts it 
becomes a part of the Bible. According to the almost 
unanimous opinion of scholars the doxology is an 
interpolation which worked its way into some 
Bibles from the early Christian liturgy. 

The King James Version (AV) also adopted the 
Protestant form of the Gloria in excelsis Deo in 
Luke 2:14. Before considering the intrinsic merits 
of this reading, let us compare it with the reading 
in the Revised Version (RV) and Standard Version 
(SV) and in the Rheims-Douay Version (RD): 

AV—"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 
peace, goodwill toward men." 

RV and SV "Glory to God in the highest, 
and on earth peace among men in whom He is well 
pleased." 

RD—"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 
peace to men of good will." 

These quotations show that the reading of the 
Revised and Standard Versions and that of the 
Catholic Bible are substantially the same. Hence 
we need consider only the AV reading and the RD 
reading. The Protestant version of the Angelic 
hymn consists of three clauses, the Catholic version 
of two clauses. The Catholic version is better at-
tested because it is found in the oldest and best 
extant Bibles. Internal reasons likewise favor the 
RD reading. In the Protestant version we should 
expect an "and" before the third clause. The RD 
version gives us two parallel clauses, each conT 
taining three ideas parallel to the other: 

In the highest . . . glory . . . to God. 
On earth . . . peace . . . to men of good will. 
Opinions are divergent as to the interpretation 



24 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

of the phrase, "men of good will." Does "good will" 
signify a disposition or quality of the soul?If it does, 
the angel announces his tidings of peace to the well-
disposed among men. This view is open to two ob-
jections : first, nowhere in the New Testament is the 
Greek original of "good will" used to signify the 
state of men's will in relation to God; second, this 
interpretation robs the message of its grand, com-
prehensive mercy. Christ died for all men and 
sent a message of peace to all men. God by the 
giving of His Son has shown His mercy to the whole 
world. The good will of God as it proceeds from 
God is universal, for He wishes all men to be saved. 
In every sense, therefore, the message of peace was 
to all men. Men are called "men of goodwill" in 
the sense that they are men enjoying the benevolence 
of God, the objects of God's redeeming will, or of 
His will to save them all. 

Discussion Aids ^ , 
Set I 

1. What seven books, and parts of two others, 
were not found in the Hebrew Old Testa-
ment? 

2. When were these seven books added to the 
Greek Old Testament? 

3. Why were the Jews opposed to these seven 
books? 

4. Why did the Protestants of the Sixteenth 
century object to these books? 

5. When did these books definitely disappear 
from Protestant Bibles? 

6. Give five reasons why the Catholic Church 
accepts these books. 



CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT BIBLES 25 

Set II 
1. Were the Protestants justified in labelling 

these books as "Apocryphal"? 
' 2. What was the meaning of the word "Apocry-

phal"? 
a) in ancient times? 
b) in the last two centuries before Christ? 

3. Discuss the author, purpose arid value of the 
apocrypha. 

4. Describe the Old Testament apocrypha; New 
Testament apocrypha. 

5. When is the term "apocryphal" used in an 
objectional manner? 

Set III 
1. Why was Luther opposed to St. James's 

Epistle? 
2. What change did the King James Bible in-

troduce into I Corinthians 11:27? 
3. What changes introduced by the King James 

Bible were inspired by the Reformers' doc-
trine on original sin? 

4. Was the long ending, which Protestants to-
day add to the Lord's Prayer, contained in 
the first and oldest Bibles? 

5. What is the correct division and interpreta-
tion of .the Afigelic Hymn, '-'Glory to God in 
the highest, and on earth peace to men of 
good will"? 

Religious Practices 
1 I will always be grateful to the Catholic 

Church for preserving for me the priceless 



28 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

treasures of truth contained in the additional 
books of the Old Testament. 

2. I will imitate Tobias by manifesting outward-
ly through good works the faith that is with-
in me. 

3. I win heed the lesson of II Machabees 13:46 
and pray frequently for the dead. 



Chapter I I I 

The Bible, the Sole Rule of Faith? 
Protestants derive their religion from a mere 

reading of the Bible which they interpret according 
to their own private judgment. Catholics derive 
their doctrines from the Church which propounds 
to them infallibly the teachings of the Bible and of 
Tradition. 

Which of these two formulas is supported by 
the Bible itself and by the facts of history, and which 
consequently is correct? 

The Bible makes it clear that Christ established 
the Church as a teaching organization to speak to 
the world in His name and with His authority. The 
Church was to teach men whatsoever He had taught 
—nothing more and nothing less: "All power is 
given to Me in heaven and earth. Going therefore, 
teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of 
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 
have commanded you" (Matthew 28:18-20). Christ 
placed on all men the obligation of hearing His 
Church as they would hear Himself: "He that, 
heareth you, heareth Me" (Luke 10:16); "Go ye 
into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every 
creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall, 
be saved; but he that believeth not shall be con-
demned" (Mark 16:15-16)..He promised to be with 
the Church and guide it until the end of time: "And 
behold I am with you all days, even to the consum-
mation of the world" (Matthew 28:20). He sent the 



28 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

Holy Ghost, the Spirit of infallible truth, upon the 
Apostles and their successors in order that they 
might be illumined and assisted in the, work of con-
tinuing the teaching mission of God's own Son. 

Our Lord Himself wrote nothing. He com-
manded the Apostles not to write but to teach and 
preach:' "Going, therefore, teach all nations" and 
"preach the Gospel to every creature." Christ's dis-
ciples and the Christians were commanded to hear 
the Church, not to read the still nonexistent or at 
best incomplete New Testament Scriptures: "He who 
hears you, hears Me." 

The teaching Church was in existence long be-
fore a single line of the New Testament was written. 
The Apostles evangelized different peoples, not by 
presenting to them a copy of the New Testament 
which did not as yet exist, but by preaching the 
Gospel, the oral message of Christ to them. Thou-
sands of men became Christians and adhered to the 
whole truth of God before they saw or read a single 
book of the New Testament. 

It was the leaders of the existing teaching 
Church who wrote the books of the New Testament. 
It was the Church which collected and preserved 
these books, and distinguished them from spurious 
books which might have otherwise found their way 
into the Bible. It was from the Catholic church that 
the Protestants of the sixteenth century took their 
Bible and also their belief in its divine inspiration. 

How illogical, then, it is for a group to step in 
fifteen hundred years later, wrest the Bible from its 
historical and lawful possessor and fosterer, put 
the Bible in the place of the Church, and pretend to 



THE BIBLE, THE SOLE RULE OF FAITH ? 29 

possess a true understanding of the purpose and 
meaning of the Bible? 

The different books of the New Testament were 
for many centuries scattered in the various Chris-
tian communities of the Orient. Being written on 
papyrus which was fragile and breakable, these 
books could not be widely circulated and hence were 
read by a comparatively few groups. It was only 
in 397 A. D. that the Council of Carthage finally 
decided which books belong to the Bible, and it was 
about this time, too, that the books of the Bible were 
combined into one volume. Yet prior to this, the 
Church spread rapidly to many lands, converts were 
received into the Church by the thousands, the faith 
of the people was so strong that it peopled heaven 
with countless saints and martyrs. 

Before the invention of printing in the six-
teenth century, copies of the Bible written by hand 
were so rare and costly that only the rich could pro-
cure them. To own a Bible during this period was 
to own a fortune, and in many instances the Bible 
had to be chained in order to prevent its being 
stolen. Were 'the poor, then, during all these cen-
turies, without a religious guide and teacher? Was 
God indifferent to the salvation of the countless 
souls that passed into eternity during these fifteen 
hundred years? Did not our Lord provide for the 
salvation of these unnumbered millions, even though 
they could not procure, or read, or understand the 
Bible? We are sure that even our non-Catholic 
brethren would hardly subscribe to these blasphem-
ous conclusions. . 

Bible Christianity, then, is an invention of the 
sixteenth century. In the previous centuries it was 



30 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

not only unknown but it was impossible. Bible 
Christianity is a formal denial of the Catholic 
Church, of her divine authority and mission to 
teach all men. It strives to abrogate the Church 
which Christ instituted, endeavours to substitute in 
its place a book, and makes the Bible, as interpreted 
by one's own private judgment, the sole and supreme 
rule of faith and morality. 

That the Bible is not self-explanatory is ap-
parent,, for example, from a mere casual reading of 
any chapter of the Epistle to the Romans or of the 
Apocalypse. That it is not self-sufficient is evident 
from the • countless commentaries and books on 
Sacred Scripture. St. Peter himself was aware of 
certain difficult passages in the Pauline Epistles 
when he wrote: "Our most dear brother Paul, ac-
cording to the wisdom given him, hath written to 
you, as also in all his epistles speaking in them of 
these things; in which are certain things hard to 
be understood, which the unléarned and unstable 
wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their 
own destruction" (II Peter 3:15-16). The Bible 
is a large and ancient book, and no book can be 
perfectly intelligible to all man. and of all times. 
It was written at first in the Hebrew and Greek 
languages which today are understood perfectly by 
only a few. It reflects the customs, habits of thought 
and conditions of an ancient civilization and wâs 
written in part to meet the problems of those times. 
It contains supernatural truths "which transcend 
the capacity of human reason. These are only a few 
reasons why the Bible stands in fleed of an author-
itative explanation. 

The Bible is not a textbook or a systematic 



THE BIBLE, THE SOLE RULE OF FAITH ? 31 

exposition of Christian doctrine. It does not pre-
tend to be a complete statement of Christian teach-
ing. Three of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) 
are largely three versions of one and the same 
story. The Pauline Epistles are not doctrinal* 
treatises but letters prompted by the needs of in-
dividuals and particularly communities. The 
thought furthest from the minds of these sacred 
writers was that their writings should be collected 
into one volume and considered as a complete state-
ment of Christian theology. 

The Bible nowhere states how many" of its 
books are inspired and why. It nowhere teaches 
the abolition of the Sabbath or the abrogation of 
the precept prohibiting the eating of blood or things 
strangled. The basic Protestant article that Scrip-
ture is the sole rule of faith is not found on its 
pages. On whose authority/then, do the Protestants ' 
accept these doctrines and facts? 

Bible Christianity is the motivating idea in two 
contemporary movements: The reading of the Bible 
in public schools, and second, the distribution of 
copies of the Bible in eveiy tongue and in every 
country of the globe. . We shall briefly evaluate 
these two activities. 

Bible Reading In Public Schools 
Twelve states by statute require Bible reading 

in the public schools: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, 
Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Massa- ' 
chusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. 
Seven states have statutes'specifically permitting 
the reading of the Bible in the public schools: In-
diana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, 
Oklahoma, South Dakota. The authorities of á 



82 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

state or of a public school who demand Bible read-
ing as a means of moral education, tacitly recognize 
the Bible Christianity of the Protestants, impose it 
on the children of Catholic taxpayers, and thereby 
infringe on the latter's sacred convictions. Apposite 
in this regard is the statement of the attorney gen-
eral of Michigan: "The principle of unfettered 
individual liberty of conscience necessarily implies 
what is too often forgotten, that such liberty must 
be exercised by him to whom it is given so as not 
to infringe upon the equally sacred right of his 
neighbor to differ from him. To that end it is fun-
damental that the law itself shall be watchful to 
forbid the use or abuse of any of its powers or 
privileges in the interests of any church or sect. 
Nowhere is such an ab.use more likely to manifest 
itself than in our system of public schools." 

Protestant Bibles—whether it be the King 
James Version or any other version—omit seven 
books from the Old Testament and sections of two 
other books. If they do not omit these books en-
tirely, they relegate them to an Appendix and label 
them as "Apocrypha"' (spurious books). Should 
state and school authorities impose the reading of 
a Protestant version in the public schools, they would 
thereby adopt and indorse the Protestant canon of 
Scripture, and with the force of civil law impose 
this arrangement on the children of Catholic tax-
payers. 

The problem as to what Bible would be used 
in the public schools, whether it would be a Cath-
olic, Protestant, or Jewish version, offers almost 
insurmountable difficulties. The plan to read only 
certain passages from the Bible is unsatisfactory. 



THE BIBLE, THE SOLE RULE OF FAITH ? 33 

By the very fact that they are mere selections, they 
exclude the Bible as a whole and in this way in-
fringe on the religious convictions of Catholics., 
Again, these selected readings would have to be non-
dogmatic and colorless so as not to offend anyone. 
The great New Testament passages on the Church, 
the primacy of St. Peter, the Real. Presence in. the 
Eucharist would have to be excluded. The Jew, 
in turn, would oppose everything distinctively Chris-
tian and insist upon reading principally from the 
Old Testament. 

Finally, the readings of passages from the Bible 
can hardly be more than a literary exercise unless 
it be accompanied by an interpretation. But such 
an interpretation is likely to take on a sectarian 
complexion and again subject the Catholic pupil 
to offense or to proselytism. 

Bible Societies 
Bible Societies are based on the principle that 

the Bible and the Bible alone is the foundation and 
source of all religion. The Catholic Church objects 
to Bible Societies for the following reasons: 

1) Bible Societies are a denial of the Church 
as a divinely instituted teaching organization and 
the infallible interpreter of Sacred Scripture. It is 
an affirmation of Bible Christianity and of the prin-
ciple of private judgment. 

2) Divine revelation is contained not only in -
the Bible but also in Tradition. The Bible alone, 
consequently, is an insufficient rule of faith. 

3) The Bible is a difficult book and needs in-
terpretation. If even the Biblical scholar and preach-
er must make constant use of commentaries, how 
can an unlessoned pagan, as he labors through the 



34 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

pages of the Bible, solve the critical problems of 
Scripture and construct for himself from his unex-
plained text an adequate concept of the teaching 
of Christ? Does not the existence of countless Prot-
estant sects show that many have wrested the 
Scripture unto their own destruction? 

4) The mere possession or reading of a Bible 
does not work wholesale conversion of individuals 
and nations. The distribution of thousands of Bibles 
frequently fails to produce a single convert. 

5) Copies of the Bibles, distributed by these 
Societies, are often used for vulgar and profane 
purposes. Wrapping up groceries, papering walls, 
lining slippers are some of the uses pagans find 
for Bibles. 

These Bible societies would do well to reflect 
seriously on the following remarks of a contem-
porary author: "While their societies are distribut-
ing abroad, to the confusion of the heathen, innum-
erable copies of the Bible, their religious brethren 
at home are busy tearing the book to pieces and 
robbing its pages of all authority. Large portions 
are rejected as spurious. Inspiration is denied to 
what remains. Young men are ordained ministers 
who do not believe in the Virgin Birth and corporal 
Resurrection of Our Lord. In the chairs of Prot-
estant universities are seated the most ruthless de-
stroyers of the Bible's sacred character. Incon-
sistency, however, was never a more striking note of 
Protestantism than it is today." 

Discussion Aids 
Set I 

1. What is the difference between the Prot-
estant and Catholic rules of Faith? 



THE BIBLE, THE SOLE RULE OF FAITH ? 37 

2. Christ established the Church as a teaching 
organization. Explain. 

3. Did Our Lord write anything? Did He com-
mand the Apostles to write anything? 

4. Did the Catholic Church exist before the 
Bible? Explain. 

5. Was it easy for a Christian before the six-
teenth century to procure a copy of the Bible? 

6. Is the Bible self-explanatory? 
7. Is the Bible a systematic, complete textbook 

of religion? 
8. What doctrines and facts, accepted by the 

Protestants, are not found in the Bible? 
et II 

1. Does Bible reading in public schools endorse 
Bible Christianity? Explain. 

2. What Bible would be read in public schools? 
3. Would it be satisfactory to read only select 

passages from the Bible? 
4. Would anyone interpret the Bible in the 

public schools? 

it III 
jg On what principle are Bible Societies based? 
2. Why is the Church opposed to so-called Bible 

Societies? 
3. Will mere reading of the Bible bring about 

conversions ? < 
4. Is the study of the Bible an easy task? 
5. How are non-Catholics tearing down w i t h , 

one hand what they are building up with the * 
other? 



36 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

Religious Practices 
% I will always recognize and hear the voice 

of Christ in the voice of the Church. 
2. I will adhere confidently to the teaching of 

the Church which proposes to me the entire 
truth as found not only in the Bible but also 
in Tradition. 

3. I will assent to the Church's teachings with-
out any fear because the Church being in-
fallible cannot err. 



Chapter IV 

Inspiration and Inerrancy 
Inspiration 

The Bible is not only a record of the divine 
revelations given to thé human race and of the 
Providence exercised by God in behalf of man, but 
it is a true and trustworthy account of God's rev-
elation to man written down under the impulse and 
guidance of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the 
Bible is an inspired book. The word "inspiration" 
comes to us from the Vulgate which speaks of the 
Bible as "divinely inspired" and of the Sacred 
writers as "inspired by the Holy Ghost." St. Paul 
writes that "All scripture, inspired of God, is profit-
able to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in 
justice" (II Timothy 3:16). And St. Peter adds 
that "prophecy came not by the will of man at any 
time, but the holy men of God spoke, inspired by the 
Holy Ghost" (II Peter 1:21). 

Inspiration in its strict sense denotes the su-
pernatural influence of the Holy Ghost under which 
the Bible was written. In his Encyclical on Sacred 
Scripture Leo XIII writes: "By supernatural power 
He (the Holy Spirit) so moved and impelled them 
(the sacred writers) to write—He was so present 
to them—that the things which He ordered, and 
those only, they first rightly understood, then will-
ed faithfully to write down, and finally expressed in 
apt words and with infallible truth." 

I. Sacred Scripture yield the following data 
concerning the inspiration of the Biblical books : 



40 
BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

1). Certain books or sections were written at 
the express command of God: "And the Lord said 
to Moses: Write thee these words by which I have 
made a covenant both with thee and with Israel" 
(Exodus 34:27). "And the Lord said to Moses: 
Write you this canticle, and teach the children of 
Israel; that they may know it by heart, and sing 
it by mouth, and this song may be unto me for a 
testimony among the children of Israel" (Deut-
eronomy 31:19). "And it came to pass in the fourth 
year of Joakim the Son of Josias king of Juda, that 
this word came to Jeremias by the Lord, saying: 
Take thee a roll of a book, and thou shalt write in 
it all the words that I have spoken to thee against 
Israel and Juda, and against all the nations from 
the day that I spoke to thee, from the days of Josias 
even to this day" (Jeremias 36:1-3); the prophet 
Daniel recalls this incident when he writes that 
"The word of the Lord came to Jeremias the pro-
phet" (9:2). St. John was bidden to "write in a 
book what thou seest" (Apocalypse 1:11). 

2). In some instances the sacred character of 
a book is expressly affirmed. Thus God Himself in 
speaking to Josue teaches the sacred character of 
the Law written by Moses: "Let not the book of 
this law depart from thy mouth: but thou shalt 
meditate on it day and night, that thou mayest 
observe and do all things that are written in it" 
(Josue 1:8). The Psalmist tells us that the will of 
the just man is "in the law of the Lord, and on His 
law he shall meditate day and night (Psalm 1:2). 

3). The Holy Spirit is said to hwe spoken 
through the mouth of the prophets: "The scrip-
ture must needs be fulfilled which the Holy Ghost 



INSPIRATION AND INERRANCY 39 

spoke before by the mouth of David" (Acts 1:16). 
God spoke "by the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of 
Our father David" (Acts 4:25). "The Holy Ghost 
saith: Today if you shall hear his voice," etc. (He-
brews 3:7; Psalm 94). 

4). The prophets are identified with Holy Scrip-
ture: "Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be 
an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which 
he had promised before, by his prophets, in the 
Holy Scriptures, concerning his Son" (Romans 1:1-
3). 

5). Scripture and God speaking are used inter-
changeably: "And the Scripture, foreseeing that 
God justifieth the Gentiles by faith, told unto Abra-
ham before: In thee shall all nations be blessed" 
(Galations 3:8). "The Lord spoke by the prophet" 
(Isaias) (Matthew 1:22) 

6). Our Blessed Lord, the Apostle and other 
New Testament/writers quoted the Old Testament 
as the word of God. 

Notice for example, the seventy quotations 
from the Old Testament in St. Matthew's Gospel, or 
the quotations used by Our Lord while he was being 
tempted by the devil (Luke 4). 

II. Christian Tradition from the beginning be-
lieved in the divine origin of the Scriptures. St. 
Augustine speaks of the Scriptures as "God's hand-
writing" and adds: "Letters have reached us from 
that city apart from which we are wandering,; 
these letters are the Scriptures which exhort us 
to live well." 

The Second Council of Constantinople added 
to the Nicene Creed the clause that the Holy Ghost 



40 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

"spoke through the prophets," thereby defining 
the inspiration of the sacred writers. 

The Vatican Council defined that all the books 
of Scripture are sacred and canonical for the rea-
son^ that, having been written under the inspiration 
of the Holy Ghost, they have God for their author. 

The Encyclical "Providentissimus Deus," is-
sued by Leo XIII in 1893 affirms that "It is ab-
solutely wrong and forbidden, either to narrow in-
spiration to certain parts only 'of Holy Scripture, 
or to admit that the sacred writer has erred. The 
system of those who restrict inspiration to things of 
faith and morals cannot be tolerated. All the books. 
which the Church receives as sacred and canonical 
are written wholly and entirely, with all "their parts, 
at the dictation of the Holy Ghost." 

Nature of Inspiration 
The Holy Spirit as principal author of Sacred 

Scripture influenced the sacred writer in three 
ways: 

1. Illuminated the mind of the sacred writer. 
Under the enlightenment of the Holy Ghost the 

sacred writer forméd a concept of what God wished 
him to write (history, prophecy, didactic literature) 
and of the single truths or facts which it was to 
contain. This illumination was not necessarily rev-
elation since the sacred writer might have come 
to the knowledge of what was already revealed to 
others. But it enabled him to make correct use 
of his faculties, aided him in the gathering of mate-
rials, so that he correctly conceived in his mind all 
that God wished him to write. 

2. Moved thè will of the sacred writer. 
After the sacred writer had under inspiration 



INSPIRATION AND INERRANCY 41 

formed in his mind an idea of the book and of its 
contents, the Holy Spirit moved the sacred writer's 
will to write freely, though infallibly, what God 
wished. 

3. Aided the sacred writer in the work of 
composition. 

Finally, the Holy Spirit assisted the sacred 
author in carrying out his project, by watching 
over him and when necessary by positively direct-
ing him, lest he add or omit something and lest he 
fall into error. If certain writers made use of sec-
retaries, and if these secretaries were instrumental 
in choosing the language and determining the mode 
of expression, they were inspired collaborators. 

Principal and Instrumental Causes 
Although God is the Author of the Bible, He 

did not write it with His own hand, neither did 
He create it out of nothing by His almighty word. 
He employed sacred writers and inspired them to 
write what he wished. Hence while God is the 
author of the Bible, the sacred writers, too, were 
authors in a sense of what they wrote. 

This human authorship of Sacred Scripture 
has been recognized at all times, as is evident from 
the following three considerations: first, Our Lord 
and the Bible itself speak of the sacred writers as 
authors: "Moses spoke of Me," "Isaías said,""etc.; 
second, Tradition from the very beginning spoke, 
for example, of St. Matthew's Gospel and of St., 
Paul's Epistles—expressions which recognize the 
human authorship of the, Bible; third, each book 
is characterized by the language and style of the 
human author whose it is—facts which show that 



42 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

the sacred writer was not a passive tool of the 
Holy Ghost but really the author of his book. 

Inerrancy 
Inerrancy is freedom from error. The iner-

rancy of Scripture is a consequence of its divine 
inspiration. Whatever the Bible teaches, God 
teaches, because God is the principal author of 
Scripture and His teaching is necessarily true. 

We attribute this quality of inerrancy in the 
first place to the original Biblical books written by 
the pen of the sacred writers themselves, and, sec-
ondly to reproductions of the Bible, but only in so 
f a r as these agree with the original sacred books. 

•Though all the original copies of the books of the 
Bible have long disappeared and though certain 
copies of the Bible may contain errors due to copy-
ists, translators, editors, and printers, yet in most 
cases the true reading can be established with the 
aid of the old copies and versions. 

This absolute inerrancy and authority of the 
Bible is taught by Sacred Scripture itself. Our Lord, 
the Apostles and Evangelists regarded any passage 
from Scripture as the word of God, as necessarily 
true, as final and supreme authority. They affirm 
that "Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35), 
that "one jot, or one title shall not pass of the law, 
till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:18) and that the 
"Scriptures shall be fulfilled" (Matthew 26:54). 

The Christian Church has from the very begin-
ning associated inerrancy with the divine inspira-
tion of Scripture. There are few doctrines on which 
the agreement of the early Fathers and Christian 
writers was so unanimous and emphatic as the 
inerrancy of the Bible. The conviction of the Fath-



INSPIRATION AND INERRANCY 45 

ers .on this point was not something which was 
apparent to them from a reading or study of the 
Scriptures, since the difficulties of the Bible pre-
sent themselves even to a casual reader. Rather, 
it was a traditional teaching which they inherited 
from the Church with the Bible. 

In recent years the principle of Biblical in-1 
errancy was emphatically reaffirmed by Leo X I I I : 
"So f a r is it from being the case that error can 
be compatible with inspiration, that, on the con-
trary, it not only of its very nature precludes the 
presence of error, but as necessarily excludes it and 
forbids it as God, the Supreme Truth, necessarily 
cannot be the Author of error." A believing Chris-
tian, then may never question whether the teaching 
of the Bible is true. Should doubts arise in his 
mind as to the meaning of certain statements in 
the Scriptures, he must be guided by the well-known 
rule of St. Augustine: "If in these books I meet any-
thing which seems contrary to truth, I shall not 
-hesitate to conclude either that the text is faulty, 
or that the translator has not expressed the mean-
ing of the passage, or that I myself do not under-
stand it." 

The Bible, it must be remembered, is a large 
and ancient book, the product of a civilization and of 
conditions quite different from ours. It was written 
mostly by Orientals, whose ways of thinking and 
speaking were unlike ours, and in languages that' 
we at times do not well understand. Since at times 
our data are only what we find in the Bible, we lack 
the necessary information to reconstruct a given 
incident with all its details. Occasionally the Bible 
embodies hyperboles, allegories, parables, etc. To 



44 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

determine what the sacred writer meant to teach 
in. a particular instance, we must first determine 
the literary form into which he cast his teaching. 
Again, we must make some allowances for poetic 
license, in those books of the Old Testament 
which are poetry. Finally, much of the Bible 
deals with supernatural truths which of their very 
nature do not admit of direct proof. 

Discussion Aids 
1. How did the term "inspiration" arise? What 

is the meaning of the word? 
2. In how many ways does the Bible itself 

teach the inspiration of the Scriptures? 
3. What is the teaching of Christian Tradi-

tion concerning the origin and character of 
the Scriptures? 

4. In what three different ways did the Holy 
Spirit influence the sacred writers? Explain. 

5. Who is the author of the Bible? Make the 
proper distinction. 

6. What is inerrancy? How is it attributed to 
the Bible? 

7. Show how the. Scriptures teach the iner-
rancy of the Bible. 

8. Did the ancient Christian Church believe in 
inerrancy? 

9. State briefly the teachings of Leo XIII on 
this point. 

10. In upholding the inerrancy of the Bible what 
facts must be kept in mind? 

'Religious Practices 
1. I will frequently read Sacred Scripture 



INSPIRATION AND INERRANCY 47 

which, unlike human books, is written by the finger 
of the Holy Spirit. 

2. I accept the word of men who are fallible 
and often make a mistake; with much greater and 
absolute readiness will I accept the word of God Who 
can neither deceive nor be deceived. 

3. I will recite with great fervor the words of 
the Nicene Creed: "I believe in the Holy Ghost, the 
Lord and giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the 
Father and the Son, Who together with the Father 
and the Son is adored and glorified | Who spoke by 
the Prophets." ' 



Chapter V 

The Bible as History 
History is the systematic written account of 

events—especially of those affecting a particular na-
tion—together with an explanation of their causes. 
Biblical history is a record of God's revelations deal-
ing with the salvation of mankind from the creation 
of the world to the foundation of the Church. This 
historical account of God's dealing with men is con-
tained in several Scriptural books, the contents of 
which we shall now briefly indicate ( 1 ). 

1. Genesis. In the first part of this book (ch. 
1-11) Moses describes the beginning of all things: 
The creation of the material world and of man; the 
Fall; the promise of a Redeemer; the birth and 
longevity of the Patriarchs; the deluge, Noe and the 
Ark; the Tower of Babel and the dispersion of man-
kind. In the second part (ch. 12-50) the sacred writ-
er describes the call of Abraham; the covenant of 
the circumcision; the birth and marriage of .Isaac; 
the birth of Esau and Jacob; the life and character 
of Jacob and his twelve sons; the story of Joseph and 
his brethren; the sojourn of the Jews in Egypt. 

2. Exodus. In this book the author describes 
the departure of the Jews from Egypt, the land of 
oppression and bondage. After noting the advent 
of a new king (ch. 1) who, unlike Pharao, was un-
friendly to the Jews, the author gives us a short 
history of Moses (ch. 2-12). He tells us how Moses 
(!) cf. H. Pope, "Catholic Student's 'Aids! to the Study 

of the Bible", Vol. II (London, 1930). 



THE BIBLE AS HISTORY 47 

was exposed on the banks of the river and taken up 
by Pharao's daughter, how God appeared to him 
in a burning bush, sent him as a liberator to his 
people, and empowered him to confirm his mission 
with miracles. After narrating the ten plagues, 
the author describes the miraculous journey of thé 
Jews to Mount Sinai (ch. 13-19). In the remaining 
chapters (ch. 20-40) he enumerates the Ten Com-
mandments and other laws, and describes in detail 
the setting up of God's house, the tabernacle. 

3. Leviticus. This book describes the du-
ties, rites and ceremonies to be carried out by the 
Jewish priests and by their assistants, the Levites. 
It contains the laws concerning the various sacri-
fices and the manner of offering them (ch. 1-7). It 
describes the consecration of Aaron and of his sons 
to the Jewish priesthood and their first solemn 
sacrifices (ch. 8-10). It explains the distinction be-
tween clean and unclean animals and the laws con-
cerning purification from leprosy and other legal 
uncleanness (ch. 11-15). After describing the feast 
of the expiation, it explains the various crimes and 
trespasses (ch. 16-20), and concludes with the or-
dinances concerning priests, offerings and feasts 
(ch. 21-27). 

4. Numbers. This book is called numbers from 
the "numbering" or census which occurred at the 
beginning and again at the end of the forty years' , 
wandering. The book opens with a description of 
the census, of the arrangement of the tribes in 
their camp, and of the obligations of the Levites. 
The latter are to take the place of the firstborn 
of the children of Israel in the divine services of 
the temple (ch. 1-4). It then enumerates further 



48 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

laws and regulations, describes the offering of the 
princes at the dedication of the tabernacle, and re-
calls the second celebration of the Pasch (ch. 5-9). 
The following chapters (ch. 10-22) describe the 
thirty years wanderings of the Jews from Mt. Si-
nai to the plain of Moab, their many murmurings 
against and reconciliations with God. The remain-
ing chapters (ch. 22-36) describe the sojourn on 
the plains of Moab, the appointment of Josue as 
Moses' successor, and the plans of the chosen peo-
ple to enter into and divide among the tribes- and 
Levites the Promised Land. 

5. Deuteronomy. The thirty-three chapters of 
this book contain the great discourses of Moses to 
the Jewish people. In these speeches Moses extols 
the Providence of God in regard to the chosen peo-
ple, repeats the principal laws, exhorts the Jews 
to obey them, and threatens dire punishment to 
those who transgress them. The concluding chap-
ter (ch. 34), appended to the book, describes the 
death and burial of Moses. 

The first five books of the Bible are frequently 
referred to as the Pentateuch. The word "Penta-
teuch" comes from the Greek terms "pente," mean-
ing "five," and from "Teuchos," meaning "Book." 
A constant tradition, both Jewish and Christian, 
has always aifirmed that Moses is the author of 
these five books. 

Does the Pentateuch, and especially the book 
of Genesis, contain true history? Space does not 
permit us to enter into this vast and interesting 
problem, and hence we shall offer only a few brief 
arguments in favor of the historical character of 
these books: 



THE BIBLE AS HISTORY 49 

a). The New Testament accepts as historical 
the narratives of the creation, the unity of the hu-
man race, man's original justice, the fall, the deluge, 
the patriarchs, etc. The great "events of the opening 
chapters of Genesis are confirmed by similar narra-
tives in the folklore of almost all peoples (see J. 
Feldmann, "Paradies und Sundenfall" Munster, 
1913). 

b). The few special facts narrated in Genesis 
as, for example, the story of paradise and the Fall, 
the flood and the dispersion of the human race, 
were events of such an unusual nature that tradi-
tion could easily have kept an accurate account of 
them. 

c). The Jews were conscious of their divinely 
appointed mission, and hence, treasured with great 
care all information concerning their great men 
who were favored by God with a special revelation 
and had experienced His providential guidance. 

d). Egyptian civilization is at least three thou-
sand years older than the beginnings of the Jewish 
race. Modern science is now establishing many 
points of contact between Egyptian history and Old 
Testament history. Thus, for example, the Tower of 
Babel is said to belong to the same family as the 
pyramids of Egypt (See Series IV, ch. 3). 

e). Moses meant to write history and inspira-
tion guarantees the historical character of what he 
wrote. , 

f ) . Some of the facts narrated in Genesis now 
form a part of the infallible teaching of the church. 

6. Josue. This book is so called because it was 
written by Josue and contains a record of the events 
which occurred under his leadership. The first 



52 
BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

part of the book (ch. 1-12) tells us of the miraculous, 
crossing of the Jordan, the fall of Jericho, and the 
conquest of Canaan. The book then describes the 
partition of the land by Josue and the priest Eleazer 
among the twelve tribes' of Israel (ch. 13-22). The 
concluding chapters (ch. 23, 24) contain the final 
instructions and admonitions of Josue to his peo-
ple. 

7. Judges. This book covers a period of four 
hundred years, from Josue to Samuel, the last of 
the Judges. It is an account of the great leaders 
who guided the destinies of the chosen people before 
it had kings. The book opens with a description of 
the infidelity and idolatry of the Jewish people after 
the death of Josue (ch. 1,2). Then follows a series of 
biographical sketches of the Judges—of Othoniel, 
Ood, Samgar, Barak, Debora, Gedeon, Abimelech, 
Jephte and Samson (ch. 3-16). The appendix (ch. 
17-21) deals with the erection of an idol in Dan 
and the crime committed by the people of Gabaa a 
city in the tribe of Benjamin. 

8. Ricth. The four chapters of this book record 
a touching incident from the time of the Judges. It 
tells us how Ruth, a Gentile woman of Moab, after 
the death of her Jewish husband returned with her 
mother-in-law, Noemi, to the latter's former home 
in Juda. Here Ruth became the wife of Booz, who 
was of the tribe of Benjamin. Of this union was 
born Obed, the grandfather of David, making Ruth 
the ancestress of David and of Christ: "Booz begot 
Obed, Obed begot Isai, Isai begot David" (4:22). 

9. I Kings. This book gives us the history of 
Samuel (ch. 1-12) the last of the Judges, and of 



THE BIBLE AS HISTORY 51 

the priest Heli and his two sons. It describes the 
battles of the Israelites with the Philistines and 
the wanderings of the ark of the covenant. It nar-
rates the establishment of a Jewish kingdom with 
Saul as king (ch. 13-31). The later chapters show 
Saul's growing dislike and hatred of David. The 
book closes with a description of a battle between 
the Israelites and the Philistines in which Saul 
and his sons are slain. 

10. II Kings. This book shows us the growth of 
the Jewish empire in the reign of king David (ch. 
1-24). The book reveals the many weaknesses of 
David but at the same time his unwavering fidelity 
to the one true God and to the law of Moses. 

11. Ill Kings. This book describes the reign of 
David's son, Solomon, his wisdom and his riches 
(ch. 1-11). It describes the building and dedication 
of the temple in Jerusalem. It narrates the split 
of the Jewish kingdom into the Northern and South-
ern Kingdoms. The latter comprised the tribes 
of Benjamin and Juda, the former, the other ten 
tribes; the latter came to be known as the Kingdom 
of Juda, the former, as the Kingdom of Israel. The 
book then continues with the parallel story of the 
Kingdoms, and in the concluding chapters narrates 
the remarkable deeds of the prophet Elias. 

12. IV Kings. This book describes the marvel-
lous accomplishments of the prophet Eliseus and 
continues the parallel account of the Northern and 
Southern Kingdoms. ( I l l Kings ch. 12 to- IV Kings' 
ch. 17). It records the end of the Northern King-
dom in 722 B. C. when the {en tribes were taken into 
Assyrian captivity, and the fali of the Southern 
Kingdom in 588 B. C. when the two tribes of Ben-



52 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

jamin and Juda were carried into Babylonian Cap 
tivity (ch. 18-25). 

13. I and II Paralipomenon (from the Greek 
word meaning "things left over"). These two books 
sometimes supplement and amplify, sometimes sum-
marize the Books of Kings. Book I stresses ancient 
genealogies (ch. 1-9) and concentrates on the his-
tory of Saul (ch. 10) and David (ch. 11-29)-. 

Book II deals with the history of Solomon (ch. 
1-9) and of the Kings in the Southern Kingdoms 
(ch. 10r36). Chapter 36:23 mentions the release of 
the Jews from Babylonian captivity by Cyrus. The 
two books of Paralipomenon are sometimes called 
the Chronicles. 

14.1 Esdras. The first part of the book (ch. 1-6) 
tells us of the first homecoming of the Jewish exiles 
from Babylon under Zorobabel and Josue. The 
author recalls how Cyrus, king of the Persians, re-
leased the Jews from captivity, restored to them 
the vessels which Nabuchodonosor had stolen, and 
gave them permission to rebuild the temple. He 
states the number of the Jews that .returned and 
describes their zeal in rebuilding the temple despite 
the opposition of the Samaritans. In the remaining 
chapters (ch. 7-10) the author tells about the sec-
ond homecoming of the exiles under Esdras and 
describes the work of Esdras in Jerusalem. 

15. II Esdras or Nehemias. This book continues 
the history of the Jews, begun by I Esdras, after 
their return from captivity. It describes the ar-
rival of Nehemias, cupbearer to the king of Persia, 
in Judea and the rebuilding of the walls of the 
temple (ch. 1-7) and explains the religious reforms 
inaugurated by Esdras and Nehemias (ch. 8-13). 



THE BIBLE AS HISTORY 63 

16. Tobias. The book sets before us many good 
works performed in Assyrian captivity by Tobias 
and his son, pious Jews of the tribe of Nephtali. 
The books extols divine Providence and points out 
the value of good works. 

i 
17. Judith. Thè book tells us how Judith, a 

heroic Jewish widow, entered the camp of the As-
syrians, slew their leader Holofernes by cutting 
off his head when he became drunk, and in this way 
saved her own people from destruction. 

18. Esther. The book narrates how Esther, liv-
ing in Babylonian exile with her uncle, was-chosen 
quëen by King Xerxes to replace queen Vasthi who 
was deposed for disobedience to the king. It also, 
explains how Esther saved the Jews in Babylon 
from destruction by the evil courtier Aman. The 
present Jewish feast of Purim (of Lots) recalls the 
casting of lots by Aman to determine in what month 
the Jews should be destroyed. 

19; I Machabees. This book describes the wars, 
undertaken by the Jews against Antiochus IV and 
his successors, in behalf of religious and civil lib-
erties. The leaders of the Jews were the priest 
Mathathias and his five sons among whom Judas 
Machabeus was the most eminent. After indicat-
ing the cause of the wars, namely the cruelty of 
Antiochus Epiphanes (ch. 1-2), the book describes 
the deeds of Judas Machabeus (ch. 3-9), and of his' 
brothers Jonathan (ch. 10-12) and Simon (ch. 12-
16). The book covers approximately sixty years 
in the second century. . 

20. II Machabees. This book narrates and sup-
plements many of the facts mentioned in the first 



54 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

book. It deals especially with the persecutions by the 
Seleucidi and the wars of Judas Machabeus. The 
introduction of the book (ch. 1-2) contains two let-
ters of the Palestinian Jews to the Alexandrian 
Jews and the author's preface in which he ex-
plains the scope and character of the book. The 
first part of the book (ch. 3-7) describes the be-
ginning of the persecutions, the profanation of the 
temple, the glorious martyrdom of Eleazer and of 
the seven brothers and their mother. The second 
part (ch. 8-15) describes the wars and victories of 
Judas Machabeus. 

The New Testament 
1. The Gospels. The gospels contain an account 

of the nature, Person, teachings and works of Our 
Lord Jesus Christ. But while the theme of the 
four Gospels is one and the same Christ, and while 
the four narratives agree in all essentials and con-
stitute one Gospel in fourfold form, the viewpoint 
and standpoint of each Evangelist is different: 

St. Matthew wrote his Gospel to show that 
Jesus of Nazareth is the Messias promised in the 
Old Testament, and that His kingdom is the Church 
which He founded. 

The aim of St. Mark's Gospel is to show, es-
pecially from Our Lord's miracles over nature, that 
Christ is God and that He alone verifies in Him-
self the Roman title of "Lord of All." 

St. Luke stresses those incidents which illus-
trate the fact that Christ is Saviour of all mankind 
—of both Jews and Greeks. 

St. John wrote his Gospel partly with a view 
to supplement those of his predecessors but prin-



THE BIBLE AS HISTORY 55 

cipally to show that Christ was God and the Light 
of the World. 

Because of this Special viewpoint of each Evan-
gelist, the Gospels—whether taken singly or col-
lectively—do not give us a complete biography. St. 
John tells us that "there are also many other things 
which Jesus did, which if they were written every 
one, the world itself I think would not be able to 
contain the books that should be written" (21:25). 

2, The Acts of the Apostles, also written by 
St. Luke, is a continuation of the Third Gospel. Con-
formably to the theme of his Gospel and of St. Paul's 
preaching—that Christ is Redeemer of both Jews 
and Gentiles—St. Luke narrates the foundation and 
propagation of the Church among the Jews by St. 
Peter (ch. 1-12) and among the Gentiles by St. 
Paul (ch. 13-28). 

Discussion Aids 
Set I 

1. From the summary of the historical books 
of the Bible found in this chapter construct 
a brief history of the Jewish people. 

2. From the literary works which you are read-
ing or have read make a list of the Scriptural 
references which they contain. Try to find 
the exact Biblical book, chapter and verse 
which contains the incident or idea quoted. 

3. Define literature. Why must all true litera- ' 
ture take cognizance of religion and of the 
Bible? 

Set II 
The following are some of the sections from the 

historical books of the Old Testament which have 
been incorporated as Lessons into various Masses 



58 
BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

of the Liturgical Year. Show how the contents of 
each selection are indicative of the central theme of 
the Proper of the Mass: 

1. Genesis 28:10-22: Mass for Pilgrims and 
Travelers. 

2. Exodus 23:20-23: Mass of the Guardian 
Angels. 

3. II Kings 24:15-25: Mass in Time of Pesti-
• lence. 

4. Tobias 12:7-15: Mass of St. Raphael. 
5. Judith 13:22-25: Mass of the Seven Dolors 

of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
6. Esther 13:9-17: Mass for Deliverance from 

the Heathen. 
7. II Machabees 1:1-5: Mass for Peace. 
8. II Machabees 12:43-45: Anniversary Mass 

for the Dead. 
9. Where are Abel (Genesis 4:4), Abraham 

(22:12) and Melchisedech (14:18) mentioned 
in the Ordinary of the Mass? How is Ruth 
2:4 used in the Ordinary of the Mass? 

Set III 
What idea like a golden thread runs through the 

following passages? Is there any development with-
in that idea? How is it related to the Gospels? 

1. "I will put enmities between thee and the 
woman, and thy seed and her seed" (Genesis 
3:15). 

. 2. "Blessed be the Lord God of Sem, be Chanaan 
His servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and 
may He dwell in the tents of Sem, and Cha-
naan be His servant" (Genesis 9:26, 27). 



THE BIBLE AS HISTORY 67 

3. "In thee (Abraham) shall all the kindred of 
the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). 

4. "The scepter shall not be taken away from 
Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till He come 
that is to be sent, and He shall be the ex-
pectation of nations" (Genesis 49:10). 

5. "I shall see Him but not now; I shall behold 
Him but not near; a star shall rise out of 
Jacob and a scepter shall spring up from Is-
rael" (Numbers 24:17). 

6. "The Lord thy God will raise up to thee a 
prophet of thy nation and of thy brethren, 
like unto me; Him thou shalt hear" (Deu-
teronomy 18:15). 

7. "I will raise up thy seed after thee (David), 
which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and 
I will establish His kingdom. He shall build 
a house to My name, and I will establish the 
throne of His Kingdom forever. I will be to 
Him a Father and He shall be to Me a Son" 
(II Kings 7:12-14). 

8. "I will settle Him in My house, and in My 
kingdom forever; and His throne shall be 
most firm forever" (I Paralipomenon 17-14). 

Religious Practices 
1. I will try to exemplify in my own life the 

faith and absolute obedience of the father of the 
chosen people, Abraham, to God's Will. < . 

2. When I read sections in the historical books 
which describe the vicfes and crimes of men which 

• show me what humanity was under the influence of 
original sin and without Christ, I will thank God 
for my living in the times after Christ's Redemption. 



58 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

3. Realizing that it is only the grace of God 
which prevents me from falling into similar sins, 
I will always cooperate with the graces which the 
Promised Messias merited for me so abundantly. 



Chapter V I 

The Wisdom Literature of the 
Bible 

The Semites were practical rather than spec-
ulative thinkers. They did not have a philosophy in 
the strict sense of the term, and hence we find no 
philosophical system permeating the pages of the 
Old Testament. In the religious domain the prac-
tical spirit of the Semites took the form of Wisdom 
or Chokma. This wisdom was a more perfect and 
profound knowledge of revealed truths acquired by 
•pious meditation and expressed in daily conduct. 
I t was piety and sanctity according to the norm of 
divine revelation. This practical science of life, 
this heavenly wisdom, is generally couched in pro-
verbs and parables which are all instinct with the 
thought of God and of His divine Law, and intended 
to lead man to a moral life and guide him away from 
sin. The following books of the Old Testament are 
classed as Wisdom literature: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, 
Ecclesiastes, Canticle of Canticles, Wisdom and 
Ecclesiasticus ( 1 ). 

The Wisdom or sapiential literature is desig-
nated by the following additional titles: didactic, be-
cause it teaches doctrinal truths and inculcates a 
way of life; moral, because it deals with the prin-
ciples of morality; poetical, because both the ideas 
and the form of treatment are poetical. The use of 
these titles will become more apparent when we 
(i) cf H. Pope, "Catholic Student's 'Aids' to the Study 

of the Bible", London (1930), p. 188 sqq. 



60 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

study the contents of the books to which they are 
attributed. 

Job 
The book deals with the difficult problem of rec-

onciling the sufferings of just and innocent men with 
the justice and goodness of God. The author does 
not discuss the question in abstract terms but illus-
trates his principles by means of a concrete story 
about the patient and God-fearing Job. Job prob-
ably lived in patriarchal times. His home was in 
the land of Hus in the northeastern part of Pales-
tine. He was the head of a large clan and was rich in 
lands and cattle. In rapid succession he lost his 
children and his possessions, was afflicted with a 
loathesome disease, and became an outcast from his 
own people. 

His three friends—Eliphaz, Baldad and Sophar 
—who for seven days mourned over him in silence, 
open the discussion as to the cause of Job's suffer-
ings (ch. 1-3). Sufferings, they contend, are the 
penalty of wrong doing. God is a severe and just 
judge who punishes the evil and- rewards the good 
(ch. 4-31). 

Elin, one of the bystanders, reaffirms the justice 
and omnipotence of God, and maintains that suf-
ferings purify us from vice and strengthen us in 
virtue (ch. 32-37). 

God Himself, speaking from a whirlwind, bids 
man not to probe too curiously into the mysterious 
ways of divine Providence but to submit to the di-
vine decrees. 

Both the prologue and the Epilogue (ch. 42) 
imply that sufferings are a Providential test of man 



THE WISDOM LITERATURE OF THE BIBLE 61 

and redound to the honor of man and the glory of 
God. 

The Psalms 
The word "psalm" is derived from the Greek 

term psalmos or psdllein, and according to M. Britt, 
A Dictionary of the Psalter, p. 220, denotes "a sac-
red song to be sung to the accompaniment of a 
stringed instrument." The psalms, then, are one 
hundred and fifty sacred songs, composed for the 
greater part by David or during his reign, and used 
at the religious services on Mount Sion. 

The central thoughts of the PsalmS are God; 
the Messias, and man. The Psalms describe the 
attributes of God, especially His omnipotence, om-
niscience, providence, justice, holiness and mercy. 
They predict the advent of the Messias, and describe 
His future reign, His victories and triumphs, and 
the new Jerusalem which will draw all peoples to 
itself. At the same time, they portray the yearnings 
of man's soul after God, his complaints when crush-
ed by powerful enemies, and his despairing appeals 
when overwhelmed by afflictions. But God is man's 
Deliverer, his strength and his hope. He who takes 
refuge in God has nothing to fear. 

More specifically, the Psalms treat of the fol-
lowing subjects: 

1. God's Attributes: 
" 0 Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy 
name in the whole earth. 
For thy magnificence is elevated above the 
heavens" ( 8 : 2 ) r 
"The heavens show forth the glory of God, 
And the firmament declareth the work of 
his hands" (18:22). 



64 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

2. Relations of Man to God: 
"As the hart panteth after the fountains 
So my soul panteth after thee, 0 God" (4:2). 
"The Lord is my light and my salvation, 
Whom shall I fear? 
The Lord is the protector of my life, 
of whom shall I be afraid?" (26:1). 

S. God's Providence over the Jewish People: 
"He divided the sea and brought them 

through, 
And he made the waters to stand as in a 

vessel. 
And he conducted them with a cloud by day, 
And all the night with a light of fire. 
He struck the rock in the wilderness, 
And gave them to drink, as out of the great 

deep. 
And had rained down manna upon them to 
- eat, 
And had given them the bread of angels" 

(77:13-15, 24). 
U. The Law of God: 

"Blessed are the undefiled in the way, 
Who walk in the law of the Lord. 
Blessed are they that search his testimonies, 
That seek him with their whole heart" (18:1-

2). 
5. Religious Feasts: 

"I rejoiced at the things that were said to 
me, 

•We shall go into the house of the Lord. 
Our feet were standing in thy courts, 
0 Jerusalem (121:1-2). 



THE WISDOM LITERATURE OF THE BIBLE 65 

6. The Messias and His Kingdom: 
"The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, 
This day have I begotten thee. 
Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles 

for thy inheritance, 
And the uttermost of the earth for thy pos-

session" (2:7, 8). 
7. Prayer: 

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy 
great mercy. 

And according to the multitude of thy ten-
der mercies 

Blot out my iniquity" (50:3). 
The Psalms may be divided into the following 

groups: didactic, which treat of God's attributes and 
His relation to man (1, 36, 48, 72); historical, which 
were inspired by some historical incident (3, 17, 
26); national, which treat of the history of the 
chosen people (77, 78, 104, 105); festal, which were 
sung at religious feasts and functions (14, 23, 112 
to 117); gradual, which were sung by the pilgrims 
on their way to Jerusalem and by the singers on 
the steps of the temple (119 to 133); Messianic, 
which treat of the future Messias (2, 21, 68, 109); 
penitential, which are permeated by the sentiment 
of contrition for sin <6, 31, 37, 50, 51,129,142); vin-
dictive, which implore punishment upon the enemies 
of God's chosen people (108). Some psalms (9, 24, 
33, 110, 111) are called alphabetical or acrostic be-
cause in the original each line began with one of the 
letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 118 has 176 
lines and is divided into 22 strophes of 8 lines each. 
The lines of each strophe begin with the same letter 
of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph, Beth, etc.). 



64 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

Proverbs 
The book of Proverbs contains not only pro-

verbial sayings—that is, short popular statements 
expressive of practical wisdom and experience—but 
also parables, similitudes, comparisons, and short 
pithy sayings. It is not merely a compilation of * 
unrelated sayings, containing the ethical wisdom of 
the Orientals, but constitutes the ethical code of its 
authors. Its spirit is. thoroughly religious and the 
idea of God permeates the entire book. 

The introductory part of the book (ch. 1-9) is a 
treatise on the excellence and advantages of wisdom. 
It proclaims that the "fear of the Lord is the be-
ginning of wisdom" (1:7). It exhorts men to seek 
after wisdom, which is the best preservative against 
temptation and "more precious than all riches" (3 :-
15). It urges men to practice virtue, to flee the 
company of the wicked and to avoid the occasions 
of sin. 

Chapter 8 contains a panegyric on the Personal 
Word of God or the Eternal Word of God which, 
according to Scripturists and theologians, was a 
foreshadowing of a Second Person in God: 

"The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his 
ways, 

before He made anything from the'beginning. 
I was set up from eternity, 
And of old before the earth was made" (8:22-

23). 
The next twenty chapters (ch. 10-29) contain 

about five hundred Solomonic sayings and axioms, 
relating to wisdom and folly, virtue and vice. The 
appendix (ch. 30-31) contains the sayings of a 



THE WISDOM LITERATURE OF THE BIBLE 65 

certain Agur, the son of Jakeh, and a poem in praise 
of a wise housewife. 

Ecclesiastes 
Ecclesiastes means a "preacher," or a "Collec-

tor" of sayings and maxims, or the chief of an as-
sembly of the wise. The author was a Jew who ac-
cepted the great religious principles of the Old Testa-
ment and adhered to the Monotheism and religion 
of his forefathers. 

Although the book is lacking in a logical ar-
rangement of subject matter, we may, nevertheless 
distinguish two sections in it. The first part (ch. 
1-4:16) is in a certain sense theoretical and strives 
to answer the following question: What in this world 
can bring permanent happiness to man? His own 
investigations had brought him to the mournful 
conclusion: "Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity." 
A permanent and immutable happiness, which alone 
can make man blessed, is not to be found in this 
world. And why? Because man is shortlived and 
mortal; things are .subject to a constant flux and 
change; in the present order of things good and evil 
are inseparably intermingled and man is helpless 
to change it. Earthly things, such as honor, glory, 
riches and sensual pleasures bring ennui rather than 
an abiding happiness. Wisdom itself shows the de-
fects in the world, the perversion of justice, and the 
vanity of all things. 

In the practical part of the book (ch. 4:17 to 
12:8) the author points out what man must do to 
attain happiness. He must observe the command-
ments of God, submit to Divine Providence, refrain 
from inquiring too curiously into the ways of Di-
vine Wisdom, avoid covetousness, sensuality, folly, 



66 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

ambition, and detraction, practice patience and mor-
tification, be diligent in good, and remember death 
and judgment. The author cautions us against ex-
cesses of all kinds, strikes out for moderation and 
the happy medium in which virtue and morality 
consist, and concludes his investigation with the 
words: "Fear God, and keep his commandments, for 
this is all man" (12:13). 

Solomon's Canticle of Canticles 
Both Jewish and Christian tradition interprets-

the Canticle of Canticles as an allegory, that is, 
a description of one thing through the image of 
another. In the words and imagery of an earthly 
love between a royal bridegroom and his lovely 
bride the book represents the union between God and 
His chosen people, between Christ and His Church, 
and between God and the sanctified soul. The Can-
ticle is also applied to the Blesged Virgin in whom 
was accomplished the union or marriage between 
the Person of the Eternal Word and human nature. 

The Old Testament frequently describes the 
love between God and His creatures in the terms 
of earthly friendship or love; for example: "The 
bridegroom shall rejoice over the bride, and thy 
God shall rejoice over thee" (Isaias 62:5). In the 
book of Ezechiel, Jerusalem, under the figure of an 
unfaithful wife, is upbraided by God with her in-
gratitude and manifold disloyalties (ch. 16). In the 
New Testament the allegory of marriage is used fre-
quently to portray the union and love between Christ 
and His Church. We shall quote three passages 
illustrative of this fact; "Then shall the kingdom of 
heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps 
went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride" 



THE WISDOM LITERATURE OF THE BIBLE 67 

(Matthew 25:1); "the husband is the head of the 
wife, as Christ is the head of the church, He is 
the saviour of his body. Therefore as the church 
is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their 
husbands in all things. Husbands, love your wives, 
as Christ also loved the church" (Ephesians, 5:23-
25); "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give glory to 
him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and 
His wife hath prepared herself" (Apocalypse 19:7). 

The Book of Wisdom 
The book sings the praises of wisdom and 

extols its excellence. It strives to confirm the 
Jews, living amid worldly and unbelieving men in 
foreign lands, in this wisdom and faith of their 
ancient Hebrew forefathers. It condemns idolatry, 
combats the materialism and Epicureanism of the 
times, and rebukes the pagan thinkers for their fail-
ure to come to a knowledge of the one true God and 
to a true way of life. 

The book falls naturally into three parts: the 
hortatory (ch. 1-6), didactic (ch. 6-9) and historical 
(ch. 10-19). 

, In the first section the author contrasts the 
peace and happiness of the just with the vain rea-
sonings and unhappiness of the unjust. He points 
out the difference between the chaste and adulterous 
generations, between the death of the just and the 
end of the wicked, between the fruitless repentence 
of the wicked and the reward of the just in the next 
life, and concludes with an exhortation to princes 
to seek after wisdom. 

In the second section, the author points out the 
excellence of wisdom and of her fruits, and indicates 
the method whereby wisdom may be attained. In ch. 



68 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

7:22-27 the author personifies Wisdom and speaks 
of her divine origin. In ch. 9 he appends a prayer 
for wisdom. 

In the last section, the author illustrates his 
teaching on the excellence of wisdom by pointing 
out the blessings which wisdom conferred upon the 
patriarchs and upon the chosen people of God. 

Ecclesiasticus 
In the early Christian centuries this book was 

called Ecclesiasticus Liber (a church-book), and 
hence arose our title of Ecclesiasticus. The Church 
used this book extensively in her .public readings and 
in her instructions of prospective converts. The 
book aims to point out a way of life for those who 
seek wisdom and strive to live in conformity with 
the Divine Law. The book was composed in Jerusa-
lem between 190 and 180 B. C. by Jesus, son of 
Sirach. 

After pointing out in the prologue (ch. 1) the 
origin and value of wisdom, the book falls into two 
parts: moral (ch. 2-43) and historical (ch. 44-50:-
23). In the first part the author lays down, without 
any apparent order, the rules of practicing virtue 
in all conditions of life. This- section contains les-
sons from history on obedience, humility, friend-
ship, relations with others, moderation, generosity, 
etc. Ohapter 24 is a special treatise on the origin and 
dignity of Eternal Wisdom while chapters 42:15 to 
43:37 are a magnificent hymn in honor of divine 
wisdom as manifested in the work of creation. The 
historical section illustrates the value and influence 
of wisdom from the lives of great men of the Old 
Testament. The book concludes with a prayer of 
praise and thanksgiving (ch. 51). 



THE WISDOM LITERATURE OF THE BIBLE 09 

Discussion Aids 
I 
1. What did the Jews understand by "wisdom"? 

How was this wisdom usually expressed? 
What books of the Old Testament are con-
sidered as wisdom literature? 

2. What great problem is discussed in the book 
of Job? How is it solved? Read the first two 
chapters of the book of Job in the light of the 
following quotation from William Shakes-
peare (1564-1616): 

"And one that is as slanderous as Satan 
And as poor as Job 
And as wicked as his wife." 

3. What is meant by a Psalm? What are the 
central thoughts of the Psalms? How are 
the Psalms sometimes grouped? 

4. What is meant by "proverbs"? Indicate the 
contents of the book of Proverbs? 

5. What is meant by the title "Ecclesiastes"? 
How may the book be divided? 

6. What is meant by an allegory? In what 
sense is the Canticle of Canticles an alle-
gory? Is the image of the earthly love used 
frequently to describe the relation between 
God and His creatures? 

7. What is the aim of the book of Wisdom? 
How may-the book be divided? 

8. What is the meaning of the word "Eccle-
siasticus"? How did the book acquire the 
title? How may the book be divided? 

9 What idea is contained in Psalms 2:7, 8; 15: 
' 10; 21:17-19; 39:6-9; 68:22; 71:10; 



70 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

109:4? Where have you met this idea be-
fore? 

10. What Person of the Blessed Trinity is fore-, 
shadowed in the following passages: Pro-
verbs 8:22-23; Wisdom 7:22-27; Ecclesiasti-
cus 24? Compare these passages with Gene-
sis 1:26, 3:22 11:7; Isaias 6:1-9 which in-
sinuate that there is more than one Person 
in God. 

Set II 
The following are some of the sections from 

the Sapiential books which have been incorporated 
into various Masses of the Liturgical year. Show 
how the contents of each selection are indicative of 
the central theme of the Proper of the Mass. 

Proverbs 8:22-35 — Masses of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary. 

Proverbs 31:10-31—Mass of a Holy Woman. 
Canticle 2:1-14—Masses of the Blessed Virgin 

Mary. 
Canticle 3:2-5—Mass of St. Mary Magdalene. 
Wisdom 3:1-8; 5:16-20—Masses of Several 

Martyrs. 
Wisdom 4:7-16—Mass of St. Stanislaus Kostka. 
Wisdom 5:15—Mass of One Martyr in Paschal 

time. 
Wisdom 7:7-14—Mass of St. Thomas Aquinas. 
Ecclesiasticus 24:5-22—Masses of the Blessed 

Virgin Mary. 
Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11—Mass of Confessors. 
Ecclesiasticus 44:16-27—Mass of Confessors. 
Where are Psalms 6:3, 42 and 50 used in the 

Liturgy? 



THE WISDOM LITERATURE OF THE BIBLE 71 

Religious Practices 
In my search for happiness I will be guided by 

the following three maxims: 
1. "I saw in all things vanity, and vexation of 

mind, and that nothing was lasting under the sun" 
(Ecclesiastes 2:10-11). 

2. "Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity except 
to love thee and serve Thee alone" (Imitation, Bk. 
I ch. I n. 3). 

3. "Thou hast made us, 0 Lord, for thyself, 
and our heart is restless until it rests in thee" (St. 
Augustine, Confessions, Bk. I n. 1). 



Chapter V I I 

Letters and Epistles in the Bible 
A letter is generally regarded as a communica-

tion of a private, personal, confidential nature 
whereas an epistle is of a general nature, addressed 
to all whom it may concern, and intended to be made 
public. This distinction may be retained for the 
Bible, although quite a number of the New Testa-
ment Epistles contain those intimate touches which 
are proper to a letter. On the other hand since the 
letters are a part of divine revelation they are now 
of interest to all men. 

Letters in the Old Testament 
The letters of the Old Testament may be 

divided into two groups: 
1) Those which do not adopt any particular 

form but consist simply of the message. David's 
letter to Joab concerning Urias is an example of this 
group: "And when morning was come David wrote 
a letter to Joab: and sent it by the hand of Urias. 
Writing in the letter:» Set ye Urias in the front of 
the battle; where the fight is strongest: and leave ye 
him, that he may be wounded and die" (II Kings, 
11:14-15). To this same class belong the letters of 
Jezabel concerning Naboth (III Kings 21:8-10), of 
the king of Syria to the king of Israel (IV Kings 
5:5-7), of Jehu to Samaria (IV Kings, 10:1-6) of 
Elias to king Joram (II Paralipomenon, 21:12-15), 
and many others. 

2) Those which are formal, didactic, and ele-



LETTERS AND EPISTLES IN THE BIBLE 73 

gent in form, which carry the name of the -writer, 
the name of the addressee, a salutation, the mes-
sage and a final greeting. As examples of this second 
group we may mention Aman's letter ordering the 
destruction of the Jews (Esther, 13:1-7), Artaxer-
xes' letter in favor of the Jews (Esther 16:1-24), 
the letter of the Romans to different nations in favor 
of the Jews "(I Machabees 15:16-24), letter of the 
Jews in Jerusalem to the Jews in Egypt (II Macha-
bees, 1-2), and the letter-of the Apostles, assembled 
at Jerusalem, to the Churches (Acts 15:23:29). We 
shall quote the last one in full: 

• "The apostles and ancients, brethren 
to the brethren of the Gentiles that are at An-
tioch, and in Syria and Cilicia, 
greeting. 
Forasmuch as we have heard, that some going 
out from us have troubled you with words, sub-
verting your souls; to whom^we gave no com-
mandments ; It hath seemed good to us, being 
assembled together, to choose out men, and to 
send them unto you, with our well beloved 
Barnabas and Paul: Men that have given their 
lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who 
themselves also will,, by word of mouth tell you 
the same things. For it hath seemed good to 
the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay no further 
burden upon you than these .necessary things: 
That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, 
and from blood, and from things strangled, and 
from fornication, from which things keeping 
yourselves, you shall do well. 
Fare ye well." 



74 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

The Epistles W 
The Epistles are the twenty-one books of the 

New Testament written in the form of letters to 
churches or individuals. The fourteen Epistles of 
St. Paul are called after the group or person to 
whom they were addressed. The remaining seven 
are called by the name of the author. They are 
called "Catholic" because they were'intended for 
the Church at large, although the second and third 
Epistles of St. John are addressed to individuals. 

The Pauline Epistles 
The arrangement of St. Paul's Epistles in our 

Bibles goes back to the Council of Trent and to St. 
Augustine's times: first come the Epistles ad-
dressed to churches, listed in the order of the dig-
nity of the churches (Romans, Corinthians, etc.); 
second, Epistles addressed to individuals (Timothy, 
Titus); and, lastly, the Epistle to the Hebrews. In 
point of time, th<- Epistles to the Thessalonians are 
the first Epistles that St. Paul wrote and also prob-
ably the oldest books in the New Testament. The 
Epistles to Timothy and Titus are called Pastoral 
Epistles because they contain instructions concern-
ing the episcopal office. The Epistles to Ephesians, 
Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon are called the. 
Epistles of the Captivity because they were written 
while St. Paul was imprisoned in Rome or Caesarea. 

The Pauline Epistles are cast in the external 
form which was common to the letters of ancient 
times. They contain the name of the sender; the 
name of the addressee, to which is often attached a 
laudatory epithet; a greeting, to which is frequently 

cf.- H. Pope, "Catholic Student's 'Aids' to the Study 
of the Bible" (London, 1926), Vol. V. -



LETTERS AND EPISTLES IN THE BIBLE 77 

added a thanksgiving and a prayer for the one to 
whom he writes; the body of the letter which is 
usually divided into the. dogmatic and moral sec-
tions, the former explaining truths of faith, the 
latter pointing out rules for Christian living; con-
eluding salutations and the oft-repeated phrase, 
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." 
Paul usually dictated his letters to another, but he 
himself added brief exhortations and salutations at 
the end. His own signature was a sign of genuine-
ness (I Corinthians 16:21; II Thessalonians, 3:17). 

St. Paul's Epistles were not deliberate treatises 
and systematic expositions of Christian theology. 
They were not something studied and literary. They 
were simple letters, pastoral and not personal, 
written on a specific occasion and to a particular 
body of converts. They were suggestions in regard 
to local difficulties, or words of counsel, encourage-
ment or consolation. They were supplementary to 
the ordinary teaching, and he does not dwell in them 
on anything that is not a matter of controversy or 
difficulty. Hence, they were not called forth by any 
inward purpose or necessity on the part of the Apos-
tle to formulate his thought, but each of them was 
written in response to particular conditions in the 
community to which it was addressed. And the con-
tents and form are often due to the Apostle's vivid 
realization of the situation to which he is address-
ing himself. A brief analysis of the purpose and 
substance of each Epistle will clearly illustrate 
these points. 

1. I Thessalonians. Some of the Thessalonian 
^ Christians, whom St. Paul converted about 50 A.D., 

had not wholly emerged from the Gentile way of 



76 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

living, were given to leisure and laziness thinking 
that Christ's return was at hand, and were extreme-
ly anxious about the lot of the dead at the second 
coming of Christ. St. Paul wrote his first Epistle to 
explain certain doctrinal truths to them and espe-
cially whatever pertained to Our Lord's second 
coming. He assures them that the dead would share 
equally with the living in the blessings of Christ's 
return. In the historical section of the Epistle (ch. 
1-3) the Apostle rejoices over the happy condition 
of the Thessalonians, recalls his ministry and 
labors among them, and expresses the desire of 
visiting them. In the parenetic part (ch. 4-5) he 
urges the Thessalonians to avoid luxury, avarice and 
laziness, instructs them about the second coming of 
Christ and the resurrection of the dead,' and recom-
mends obedience, peace, love, patience and prayer. 

2. II Thessalonians. The Christians perse-
vered constant in their faith but were still too an-
xious about the day of Our Lord's coming which 
they thought was at hand. After thanking God. in 
the opening chapter (ch.l) for their faith and con-
stancy, St. Paul in the doctrinal part of the Epistle 
(ch. 2) instructs them about Our Lord's coming. 
The day of Our Lord's coming, though uncertain, is 
not yet at hand; it will be preceded by certain signs, 
such as the man of sin, the apostasy of many, the 
destruction of the adversary. In the parenetic part 
of the Epistle (ch. 3) he urges the Thessalonians to 
pray and to avoid laziness. 

3. Galatians. The Judaizers—certain Chris-
tian Pharisees of Judea—followed closely upon St. 
Paul's heels, invaded the Apostles' Galatian mission 
and maintained that if the Gentiles wished to be 



LETTERS AND EPISTLES IN THE BIBLE 77 

saved they must, in addition to embracing Christian-
ity, "be circumcised, and be commanded to observe 
the law of Moses" (Acts 15:5). The Epistle to the 
Galatians was written to refute these zealots of the 
Mosaic Law. After the customary salutation 
(1:1-5), St. Paul at once states the central theme of 
his Epistle: His Gospel is of divine origin, it is 
immutable, and therefore cannot be supplemented or 
perfected by man (1:6-10). He defends this thesis 
by a historical argument (1:11 to 2:21) and by a 
Biblical argument (3:1 to 4:31). First, he shows 
that his Gospel was received directly from God, 
approved by the Apostles, and applied in prac-
tice. Secondly, he proves that the Galatians re-
ceived the Holy Spirit not because of their obser-
vance of the Law but because of faith; that Abra-
ham was justified by faith before circumcision or • 
the giving of the Law; that the Law was a peda-
gogue unto Christ and abrogated at His coming. In 
the parenetic part of the Epistle (5:1 to 6:10) he ex-
horts the Galatians to abide in that freedom with 
which Christ made them free, and in the concluding 
section (6:11-18) affirms that he himself will glory 
in Christ alone. 

4. I Corinthians. This Epistle is a solution of 
pastoral problems which arose in his mission at 
Corinth and which were referred to the Apostle for 
solution. After the customary greetings (1:1-9), 
the Apostle proceeds to deal with the abuses in the 
Corinthian church (1:10 to 6:20): He condemns 
their dissensions, orders the ejection of the inces-
tuous man, and commands the Christians not to 
bring their difficulties before pagan judges. He then 
answers the questions which had been submitted 



78 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

to him (.7:1 to 15:58) and which dealt with mar-* 
riage, virginity, meats sacrificed to idols, the proper 
decorum in worship, the Eucharist and the love-
feasts, charismatic gifts and the resurrection of the 
dead. In the epilogue (16:1-24) the Apostle lays 
down the rules for collecting alms and promises to 
visit the Corinthians shortly. 

5. II Corinthians. The Judaizers, who had 
invaded Corinth, were making various insinuations 
about St. Paul's character and his work. Paul, they 
said, was dishonest, inconstant, ambitious, weak, 
compromising in his attitude, contemptible in his 
appearance and in his speech. The Second Epistle is 
St. Paul's defense of his apostolic authority and of 
the purity of his Gospel—his Apologia pro vita sua. 
In the first part of the Epistle (1:12 to 7:16) he ex-
plains to the faithful the character of his apostolic 
office; in the second (8:1.to 9:15), he urges the faith-
ful to give alms; and in the third (10:1 to 13:10), 
answers his adversaries. 

6. Romans. St. Paul planned to stop at Rome 
on his way to Spain. In order to prepare the way 
for his visit, St. Paul sent them an Epistle, in which 
he summed up the principal points of his teaching 
and at the same time reviewed the teaching of the 
Epistle to the Galatians. After a rather lengthy 
introduction (1:1-15) the Apostle states the theme 
of the Epistle: "The gospel is the power of salvation 
to everyone that believeth, to the Jew, first, and to 
the Greek" (5:16). In the doctrinal section (1:16 to 
11:26) St. Paul explains the necessity of justifica-
tion for both Gentiles and Jews, the method-of 
justification, the effects and fruits of justification, 
and the special problem of the justification of the 



LETTERS AND EPISTLES IN THE BIBLE 79 

Jewish people. In the moral section (12 :1 to 15:13) 
he explains our duties to God, to our neighbor and to 
ourselves (1). 

7. Colossicvns. This epistle was written in de-
fense of Christ's divinity and the dignity of our 
life in Christ against certain false teachers, who 
had invaded Colossa, and advocated the cult of 
angels as necessary for salvation, in this way min-
imizing the dignity of Christ, the one sole Mediator. 
They also inculcated a rigid abstinence from cer-
tain foods and strove to impose upon the faithful 
various Mosiac observances. In the dogmatic and 
doctrinal section of the Epistle (1:1 to 3:20) 
St. Paul defends the unique dignity of Christ and 
refutes the false doctors. In the moral section (3:1 
to 4:6) he urges the Christians to live up to their 
dignity as members of Christ's body, explains the 
moral obligations of various groups, and recom-
mends prayer, vigilance and prudence. 

8. Ephesiams. This epistle is an encyclical cir-
cular letter, addressed to the church of Ephesus 
and to the churches of Asia Minor, to explain to 
them that they are not isolated groups but incor-
porated into one and the same mystic body. In the 
doctrinal section of the Epistle (1:1 to 3:29) the 
Apostle explains our redemption by Christ and the 
incorporation of all men—Jews and Gentiles—into 
the one Church of which Christ is the Head. Of 
this mystery or Gospel St. Paul proclaims himself 
the privileged preacher. In the moral section (4:1 
to 6:9) the Apostle explains our individual as well as 
social duties. 
H cf. R. G. Bandas, "The Master-Idea of St. Paul's Epistles 

or the Redemption" (St. Paul, 1925). 



80 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

9. Philemon. This Epistle is a letter which St. 
Paul sent with Onesimus, a run-away slave, to the 
latter's master, Philemon. In this letter St. Paul 
asks Philemon to restore and, if possible, to free 
Onesimus. It has been called the Epistle of Eman-
cipation. 

10. Philippians. This is a letter of gratitude 
and joy addressed by the Apostle to his beloved con-
verts at Philippi, who had befriended him and help-
ed him on more than one occasion. He tells them 
of his great affection for them (ch. 1), recommends 
unity and humility to them (ch. 2), warns them 
against false teachers (ch. 3) exhorts them to per-
severe in virtue, and acknowledges their contribu-
tions (ch. 4). 

11. Titus, First and Second Timothy. These 
Epistles are called "Pastoral Epistles" because they 
were addressed to the pastors or bishops of the 
faithful and deal with Church government and the 
hierarchy. They treat of the following five points: 

1) The necessity of preserving the purity of 
doctrine; 2) The method of proceeding against false 
teachers; 3) The rules to be observed in selecting 
men for the diaconate, priesthood and episcopacy; 
4) Obedience towards religious superiors; 5) Duties 
of various groups of the faithful. 

12. Hebrews. The purpose of this Epistle was 
to point out the great superiority of the New Testa-
ment over the Old and to prevent the Christian Jews 
under the stress of persecution from falling back 
into Judaism which at the time had taken on a new 
vigor and splendor. St. Paul describes the dignity 
of Christ, of Christ's priesthood and of his office 
(ch. 1 to 10:27) and warns the Christians not to 



LETTERS AND EPISTLES IN THE BIBLE 81 

return to the abrogated institutions of the Old Law. 
In order to encourage his readers he places before 
them examples of heroic faith in the Old Testament 
(ch. 11). 

The Catholic Epistles 
The seven remaining Epistles are called "Cath-

olic" Epistles because they were not writen, like 
St. Paul's Epistles, only to one church or person 
but to several churches. 

1. Epistle of St. James. This Epistle was ad-
dressed to Jewish Christians, who maintained a 
close connection with the mother church in Jeru-
salem, but who did not express their faith suffi-
ciently in good works, especially, works of charity, 
mercy and mortification of the tongue. 

2. Jude. This Epistle was written to Jews of 
both Palestine and the Dispersion whose communi-
ties had been invaded by fallen away Christians. 
These false teachers denied Christ's Divinity, His 
teachings and His second coming, blasphemed the 
angels, and inculcated pagan vices. St. Jude bids 
the Christians to stand firm in the faith delivered 
to the saints. 

3. I Peter. This Epistle is directed to the faith-
ful of several provinces who were on the point of 
defecting from the Christian faith because of per-
secutions from both Jews and Gentiles. St. Peter 
places before them their true dignity: They are 
a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 
a people of acquisition. Suffering is a test of their 
faith, and their exemplary life a refutation of the 
calumnies of the adversaries. 

4. II Peter. In this Epistle St. Peter again 
warns the Christians of Asia Minor against the 



82 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

heretical teachers who inculcated all kinds of vices 
and denied Christ and His second coming. St. Peter 
urges the Christians to walk worthily of the voca-
tion in which they were called, describes the punish-
ment in store for the seducers, and reaffirms the 
second coming of Christ and the conflagration at 
the end of the world. 

5. I John. St. John warns the Christians 
against certain heretics who denied Christ's divinity 
(Ebionites) or-who denied that Christ came in the 
flesh (Docetae). The Apostle briefly explains the 
doctrines of the Incarnation and the Redemption 
and urges all to practice charity. 

6. II John. St. John urges the Christians to 
preserve the faith, practice charity, and avoid here-
tics who were teaching that Christ did not come 
in the .flesh. 

7. Ill John. This is a commendatory letter 
written to a certain Caius, who gave hospitality to 
Christian preachers sent out by John. 

Discussion Aids 
Set I 

1. What, in a general way is the difference 
between a letter and an epistle? 

2. Into what two groups may we divide the Old 
Testament letters? The style of which group 
did St. Paul and the Apostles follow? 

3. How many Epistles does the New Testament 
contain? What are the "Catholic" Epistles? 
What is the main thought ip. each? 

4. How many Epistles did St. Paul write? Ex-
plain the arrangement of his Epistles in the 
New Testament. What is the main thought 
in each Epistle? 



LETTERS AND EPISTLES IN THE BIBLE 83 

5. What are the Pastoral Epistles? the Epistles 
of the Captivity? 

6. Is there any similarity of aim of St. Mat-
thew's Gospel and the Epistle to the He-
brews? 

7. St. Paul's Epistles were not deliberate treat-
ises and systematic expositions of theology. 
Explain. 

8. Which one of St. Paul's" Epistles is the 
Epistle of Redemption and justification? of 
freedom from bondage to the Mosaic Law? 
of hope,? of joy? of emancipation? of con-
solation and encouragement? 
Which Epistle stresses Christ's Person? 
Christ's Body, His Church? 
Which Epistle is a solution of practical dif-
ficulties? a defense of the Apostle's im-
pugned authority? a manual for a Christian 
bishop? The testament of a dying soldier 
of Christ? 

Set II 
1. Read Romans 5:12-21, 7:15-25 and 1:18-82. 

The first speaks of the introduction of orig-
inal sin into the human race, the second, of 
concupiscence which we inherit with orig-
inal sin, and the third, of the life which 
results from the reign of original sin. What 
is the antidote to all this? 

2. Read Romans 8:35-39. What qualities should 
our love of God possess? 

3. Read I Corinthians 7. What does St. Paul 
say in this chapter about divorce? the Paul-
ine privilege? virginity? 



84 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

4. Read I Corinthians, 13. What qualities should 
our love of neighbor possess? 

5. Read II Corinthians U:17 to 5:5. What value 
does St. Paul attribute to suffering? 

6. Read Galatians 1:8-12. According to this 
passage, are we to lend a willing ear to 
preachers of new religions? 

7. Read Galatians 5:16-26. What are the works 
of the flesh? What are the fruits of the 
Holy Spirit? 

8. Read Ephesians 5:22-33. What analogy does 
St. Paul establish between a husband and 
a wife, on the one hand, and Christ and the 
Church, on the other ? 

9. Read Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15-20 
and Hebrews 1:1-14- What does St. Paul say 
about the Person of Christ in these passages ? 

10. Read I Thessalonians 4:15 to 5:3. Does St. 
Paul say that we can predict the last day 
with certainty? 

11. Read II Peter 3:10-13. What will happen to 
the material universe on the last day? 

12. Read James 3:1-12. Why, according to St. 
James, are sins of the tongue so unbecoming? 

Religious Practices 
In the practice of charity I shall be guided by 

the following three principles laid down by St. 
John in his first Epistle: 

1. "Let us therefore love Cod, because God 
first hath loved us" (4:19). 

2. "God laid down His life for us, and we ought 
to lay down our lives for the brethren" (3 :16). 

3. "Let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but 
in deed and iri truth" (3:18). 



Chapter V I I I 

Prophetical Literature in the 
Bible 

The Prophetical Office (1) 

1. Definition of a prophet. A prophet is one 
who speaks for another or in the place of another. 
The prophets were the spokesmen of God and com-
municated God's message to men. This divine 
message could refer to the past, present or future. 
Because of the supernatural illuminations through 
which the divine message came to him, a prophet 
was also called a "Seer" (I Kings 9:9). 

2. The prophetical office. The office of a proph-
et was twofold: first, as a teacher in Israel, the 
prophet explained the Law, insisted upon its ob-
servance, punished its transgressors, resisted idol-
atry and pagan infiltrations, warned against danger-
ous alliances with pagan kings, kept the idea of 
the one true God living in the minds of the people, 
preached penance, etc.; second, the prophet pre-
dicted the future lot of the chosen people, the com-
ing of the Messias and the blessings of the Messianic 
kingdom. -

3. Origin of prophecy. The prophetical office 
was not hereditary like that of priests and kings. 
The prophetic call usually came suddenly: The 
prophet knew the day and the moment when revela-
tion first came to him. Prophets came- from all vo-
cations in life; Some were priests, others princes, 
(i) c f h Pope, "Catholic Student's 'Aids' to the Study 

of the Bible" (London, 1930) Vol. II. 



86 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 
others shepherds, others farmers,, etc. The essence 
of the prophetical office consisted in a God-given 
message and mission: "For prophecy came not by 
the will of man at any time, but the holy men of 
God spoke, inspired by the Holy Ghost" (II Peter 
1:21) • 

4. The channels of prophecy. Revelation came 
to the prophets in three ways: a) by an external 
image perceived by the senses of the prophet; for 
example, the burning bush of Moses or the hand-
writing on the wall of Balthazar's banquet hall; b) 
by an internal image perceived by the prophet in a 
vision,- dream or ecstasy; c) by words spoken direct-
ly to the prophet. The prophets frequently explained 
the message to the people or acted it out for them. 
The gift of prophecy was not habitual to them: 
They were not in constant communication with God. 
They distinguished their own concepts from the 
contents of the divine message, and when they had 
no illumination from God they were fully aware of 
the fact. 

5. Classification of prophets. The prophets in 
the period after Moses are divided into groups: The 
Older Prophets and the Younger Prophets." The 
former preached orally, the latter not only preached 
but also wrote down their discourses and prophecies; 
the former aimed at the conversion of hearts, the 
latter, in addition, pointed to the future .Messias. 
The Older Prophets numbered such men as Samuel, 
Gad, Nathan, Elias, and Eliseus. The Younger 
Prophets are divided according to the bulk of their 
writing into the major and minor prophets. With 
the exception of Osee, Amos and Jonas, who lived in 
the kingdom of Israel, all the prophets exercised 



PROPHETICAL LITERATURE IN THE BIBLE 87 

their ministry in the kingdom of Juda. Scripture 
also mentions three female prophets: Mary, the 
sister of Moses (Exodus 15:20), Debbora (Judges 
4:4) and Holda (IV Kings 22:14). 

6. Authority of the prophets. How did the 
people know that these men had a divine mission? 
They were men of an irreproachable character and 
conduct; they performed miracles in confirmation of 
their teaching; they made predictions which came 
true; despite their severe denunciations, they were 
recognized as divine messengers by the people. Our 
Lord, the Apostles and New Testament writers also 
recognized them as men of God. The false prophets, 
on the other hand, were actuated by base motives, 
corrupted by pride, made fantastic predictions, pro-
phesied for earthly gain, preached what was flatter-
ing to men's passions. 

The Major Prophets 
1. Isaias. The book of Isaias contains two 

parts: A book of judgments (1-35) and a book of 
consolations (40-66). The first describes the pun-
ishments which God will inflict upon pagan nations 
and upon the chosen people, though less severely 
upon the latter because of its Messianic faith; the 
second predicts the liberation of the Jewish people 
from Babylonian captivity and the establishment of 
the Messianic kingdom. In a historical section (36-
39) the prophet describes the invasion of Juda by 
the Assyrian Sennacherib. Because of his minute 
description of the Person and work of Our Lord, 
Isaias is called the Evangelist of the Old Testament. 
Chapters 7 to 12 are described as the "Book of the 
Emmanuel." 

2. Jeremias. Though wanting in chronologi-



88 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

cal order the book of Jeremias may be roughly di-
vided into two sections: prophecies dealing with 
the punishment about to be inflicted upon Juda be-
cause of its ingratitude, infidelity, obstinacy, and 
lack of a true inward spirit in its worships (1-45); 
prophecies about other nations (46-51). In a his-
torical appendix the author describes the capture 
and destruction pf the Temple and of the city of 
Jerusalem. 

The Lamentations of Jeremias are five elegiac 
songs in which the author laments over the fall of 
Jerusalem and the miseries of its people. In the 
original Hebrew each stanza begins with a letter of 
the Hebrew alphabet. The Prophecy of Baruch, a 
disciple and secretary of Jeremias, describes the 
grief, repentance and hopes of the Jews in Babylo-
nian Captivity. 

3. Ezechiel. Ezechiel was called to the pro-
phetical office the fifth year of the Babylonian cap-
tivity, about seven years before the downfall of 
Jerusalem. The book of Ezechiel falls naturally into 
two parts: the first contains prophecies pronounced 
before the downfall of Jerusalem in 587 (2-32), the 
second (33-48), the prophecies pronounced after the 
destruction of the holy city; the first deals with 
God's judgments pronounced against the chosen 
people and the pagan nations because of their wick-
edness and impenitence, the second, deals with the 
restoration of the theocratic kingdom of the new 
Israel, and with the new Temple and its worship ; 
the first deals with divine justice, the second, with 
divine mercy. 

4. Daniel. Daniel, of noble blood and of the 
tribe of Juda, was carried into Babylonian captivity 



PROPHETICAL LITERATURE IN THE BIBLE 89 

together with other prominent Jews in the year 606 
B.C. Here he was educated at the court of Nabu-
chodonosor and, because of his wisdom, was highly 
regarded by the king. The book of Daniel tells us 
about his own life (1-6) and records his visions and 
prophecies (7-12). The concluding chapters narrate 
thè story of the chaste Susanna and of Bel, the idol 
(13-14). 

Minor Prophets 
1. Osee. Osee preached and wrote in the 

kingdom of Israel in the eighth century B.C. In the 
first part of his book (1-3) he explains in sym-
bolical language the relations and covenant between 
God and Israel, and in the second (4-14) denounces 
the idolatry, corruption and infidelity of the priests 

' and princes, predicts God's punishment, the repent-
ance of the people and eventual happiness. 

2. Joel. In the first section (1 to 2:17) the 
prophet describes the evils that are about to befall 
Juda and urges the people to repent; in the second 
part (2:18 to 3:21) he predicts the blessings of the 
Messianic kingdom, the outpouring of the Holy 
Spirit on all flesh, and the final judgment. 

3. Amos. The book contains the prophet's 
sermons against the sins and wickedness of the king-
dom of Israel (3-6) and five symbolical visions (7-
9) illustrating the evils about to come upon Israel. 

4. Abdias. The prophet describes the de-
struction of Edom because of its iniquity and injus-
tices to Jacob, and predicts the salvation of Israel. 

5. Jonas describes the effects of the prophet's 
•mission and teaching in the luxurious city of 
Ninive. 

6. Micheas. The prophet Micheas lived in the 



90 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

kingdom of Juda at the time of Isaias before the de-
struction of Samaria in 722. The book is divided 
into three parts each one of which begins with the 
word "Hear." The first part (1-2) contains God's 
judgments against Israel and Juda; the second 
(3-5), a condemnation of the sins of the false proph-
ets and judges, and the third (6-7), God's expostula-
tion with the Jews and the salvation of all mankind. 

7. Nahum. Describes the. capture and de-
struction of Ninive. 

8. Habacuc predicts the destruction of Juda 
by the Chaldeans and describes the punishment that 
will be meted out to Babylon. 

9. Sophonias inveighs against the sins of the 
kingdom of Juda, predicts dire punishment for it, 
announces God's judgments against the outside 
pagan nations, prophesies a severe punishment for 
the city of Jerusalem but ends with a note of en-
couragement and hope. 

10. Aggeus was active among the exiles who 
returned from the Babylonian captivity. He re-
buked the people for their indifference and urged 
them to rebuild the Temple. He assured the people 
that the second temple would be more glorious than 
the first because it would be honored by the presence 
of the Messias. 

11. Zacharias likewise worked among the re-
turned exiles. In eight visions (1-6) he predicts the 
glory of the Messianic kingdom. He combats an inci-
pient Pharisaism (7-8), and describes the victory 
of the Messianic kingdom over its enemies (9-14) 
The book contains interesting details about the Pas- I 
sion of Our Lord. 

12. Malachias was the last prophet before 



PROPHETICAL LITERATURE IN THE BIBLE 91 

John the Baptist. He lived in the time of Esdras and 
Nehemias. He rebuked the priests for neglecting the 
worship of God and inveighed against mixed mar-
riages. He predicted the coming of the Messias and 
His precursor, and announced a new sacrifice and a 
new priesthood. 

The Apocalypse 
The Apocalypse is the only prophetical book of 

the New Testament. It was written by St. John on 
the Island of Patmos about the year 98. The theme 
of the Apocalypse is stated in chapter 1:19: "Write 
therefore the things which thou hast seen, and 
which are, and which must be done hereafter." The 
book then falls naturally into two sections, the first 
(2 to 3:7) dealing with the things that are, the 
second (4:1 to 22:5) dealing with the things that 
"must be done hereafter." The first describes the 
present conditions of the Church and contains the 
letters to the seven churches. The second comprises 
visions which deal with the Second Coming of Christ 
and the signs which will precede the final judgment. 
These visions are six in number: the book signed 
with seven seals; the angels with the seven trum-
pets ; the two signs in the heavens; the seven angels 
with the seven vials; Christ's victory over the beast 
and the kings of earth; the new Jerusalem. In the 
epilogue (22:6-21) St. John says that his prophecy 
was approved by the Angel and by Christ Himself. 
Messianic Prophecies in the• Major and Minor 

Prophets 
1. Isaias 

1. Hope of a Redeemer: "Arise, be enlighten-
ed, 0 Jerusalem, .for thy light is ceme, and the glory 
of the Lord is risen upon thee! For behold darkness 



92 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

shall cover the earth, and a mist the .people; but the 
Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be 
seen upon thee. And the Gentiles s'hall walk in thy 
light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising" 
(Isaias 60-1-3). 

2. Longing after the Saviour: "Drop down 
dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain 
the Just; let the earth be opened and bud forth a 
Saviour" (Isaias 45:8). 

3. The Virgin-Birth: "Behold a virgin shall 
conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be called 
Emmanuel" (Isaias 7:14). The following passage in 
Jer. 31:22, is also quoted in support of the virginal 
conception: "The Lord hath created a new thing 
upon earth; a woman shall compass a man." 

4. Christ's divine attributes: "A child is born 
to us, and a son is given to us, and the government 
is upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called 
Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father 
of the world to come, the Prince of Peace" (Isaias 
9:6). 

5.- The seven gifts: "There shall come forth a -
rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise 
up out of his root. And the spirit of the Lord shall 
rest upon Him: the spirit of wisdom, and of under-
standing, the spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the 
spirit of knowledge and of godliness. And He shall 
be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord" 
(Isaias 11:1-3). 

6. The Precursor: "The voice of one crying 
in the desert: prepare ye the way of the Lord, make 
straight in the wilderness the paths of our God" 
¿Isaias 40:3). 



PROPHETICAL LITERATURE IN THE BIBLE 95 

7. The Messias' exquisite gentleness: "He shall 
not cry, nor have respect to person, neither shall 
His voice be heard abroad. The bruised reed He 
shall not break, and smoking flax He shall not 
quench" (Isaias 42:2-3).. 

8. The Passion: The most abject of men, a 
man of sorrows; "without beauty or comeliness," He 
was offered because it was His own will, and was led 
as a sheep to the slaughter and opened not His 
mouth (Isaias 58). 

2. The Other Prophets 
1. The Messias the proof of God's love for His 

chosen people: "Behold the days come, saith the 
Lord, that I will perform the good word that I have 
spoken to the house of Israel, and to the house of 
Juda. In those days, and at that time, I will make 
the bud of justice to spring forth unto David, and He 
shall do judgment and justice in the earth. In those 
days shall Juda be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell-
securely; and this is the name that they shall call 
Him, the Lord our just one" (Jeremias 33:14-16). 

2. The years of His coming: "Seventy weeks 
are shortened upon thy people and upon thy holy 
city, that transgression may be finished, and sin may 
have an end, and iniquity may be abolished, and 
everlasting justice may be brought, and vision and 
prophecy may be fulfilled, and the saints may be 
anointed. 

"Know thou therefore, and take notice, that 
from the going forth of the word, to build up Jerusa-
lem again, unto Christ, the prince, there shall be 
seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks; and the street 
shall be built again, and the walls in straightness 
of times. 



94 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

"And after sixty-two weeks Christ shall be 
slain; and the people that shall deny Him shall not 
be His. And a people with their leader that shall 
come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and 
the end thereof shall be waste, and after the end of 
the war the appointed desolation. 

"And He shall confirm the covenant with many, 
in one week ; and in the half of the week the vic-
tim and the sacrifice shall fail; and there shall be 
in the temple the abomination of desolation; and 
the desolation shall continue even to the consumma-
tion, and to the end" (Daniel 9:24-27). 

To understand this prophecy it is well to keep 
in mind that the week of years (seven years) was 
in current usage among the Jews. The Prophet says 
that in consequence of the order of Artaxerxes to 
Esdras the Holy City will be rebuilt—although un-
der constant fighting against the Samaritans. From 
this time to the coming of Christ seven weeks of 
years (49 years) and again sixty-two weeks of years 
(434 years) shall elapse. After this period Christ 
shall be slain. In the middle of the seventieth week 
the victim and sacrifice shall fail because Christ's 
death will put an end to the Old Testament sacrifices. 

3. His Birthplace: "And thou, Bethlehem 
Ephrata, art a little one .among the thousands of 
Juda; out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that 
is to be the ruler in Israel; and His going forth is 
from the beginning, from the days of eternity" 
(Micheas 5:2). 

4. Messias' Precursor: "Behold I send My 
angel, and He shall prepare the way before My 
face" (Malachias 3:1). 

5. Entry into His Temple: "And presently the 



PROPHETICAL LITERATURE IN THE BIBLE 95 

Lord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testa-
ment, whom you desire, shall come to His temple. 
Behold He cometh, saith the Lord of Hosts" (Mala-
c c a s 3:1). AND THE DESIRED OF ALL NA-
TIONS SHALL COME; and I will fill this house 
with glory, saith the Lord of Hosts" (Aggeus 2:8). 

6. Flight into Egypt: "I called My son out of 
Egypt" (Osee 11:1). 

•7. Christ's Priestly Dignity: "And thou shalt 
speak to him (Jesus the son of Josedec, the high 
priest), saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts, saying: 
BEHOLD A MAN, THE ORIENT IS HIS NAME; 
and under him shall he spring up, and shall build 
a temple to the Lord. Yea, He shall build a temple 
to the Lord, and He shall bear the glory, and shall 
sit, and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a 
priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall 
be between them both" (Zachary 6:12, 13). 

8. Title of Son of Man: "I beheld therefore in 
the vision of the night, and lo, one like the son of 
man came with the clouds of heaven, and He came 
even to the Ancient of. days, and they presented 
him before him" (Daniel 7:13). 

9. Shepherd of the flock: "I will set up one 
shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, and 
He shall be their shepherd" (Ezechiel 34:23). 

10. Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem: "Rejoice 
greatly, 0 daughter of Sion, shout for joy, O daugh-
ter of Jerusalem; behold thy King will come to thee, 
the Just and Saviour; He is poor, and riding upon an 
ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Zachary 
9:9). 

11. The Betrayal: "They weighed for My 
wages thirty pieces of silver" (Zachary 11:12). 



96 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

12. The Passion: "They shall look upon Me 
whom they have pierced" (Zachary 12:10). "What 
are these wounds in the midst of Thy Hands?" 
(Zachary 13:6) "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep 
shall be scattered" (Zachary 13:7). 

13. The Resurrection: "Jonas was in the belly 
of the fish three days and three nights" (Jonas 2:1; 
Matthew 12:40, 16:4); "I will deliver them out of 
the hand of death, I will redeem them from death: 
O death, I will be thy death; O hell, I will be thy 
bite" (Osee 13:14; I Cor. 15:54). 

14. The Holy Eucharist: "From the rising of 
the sun even to the going down, My name is great 
among the Gentiles, and in every place there is 
sacrifice, and there is offered to My name a clean 
oblation; f o r my name is great among the Gentiles, 
saith the Lord of hosts" (Malachias 1:11). 

15. The Holy Ghost: "And it shall come to 
pass after this, that I will pour out my spirit upon 
all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall 
prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and 
your young men shall see visions. Moreover upon 
My servants and handmaids in those days I will pour 
forth My spirit." (Joel 2:28-29). 

16. Entry of Gentiles into the Church: "In 
that day I will raise up the Tabernacle of David that 
is fallen, and I will close up the breaches of the walls 
thereof and repair what was fallen; and I will re-
build it as in the days of old, that they may possess 
the remnant of Edom, and all nations, because My 
name is invoked upon them, saith the Lord that 
does these things" (Amos 9:11-12; Acts 15:16). 

17. Last Judgment: "I will show wonders in 
heaven; and in earth, blood, and fire, and vapor of 



PROPHETICAL LITERATURE IN THE BIBLE 97 

smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and 
the moon into blood, before the great and dreadful 
day of the Lord doth come. And it shall come to 
pass that everyone that shall call upon the name 
of the Lord shall be saved" (Joel 2:30-32). 

Discussion Aids 
Set I 

11 Define a prophet. 
2. What was the twofold office of a prophet? 
3. How did the prophetical office come to the 

prophet? 
4. In what three ways did revelation come to 

the prophet? " , 
5. How are the prophets classified? 
6. How was their divine authority determined? 

Set II 
1. Did any nation ever have prophets compar-

able to those of Israel? 
2. St.' Matthew's Gospel quotes the Old Testa-

ment about seventy times. Which of these 
quotations are from the prophets? 

3. From the Messianic prophecies listed in the 
lesson construct a short Life of Christ. 

4. Isaias has been called the Evangelist of the 
Old Testament. Why? 

5. Read Isaias 6:1-8. What words from this 
section have been incorporated into the Or-
dinary of the Mass? 

6. Jeremías is called the "man of sorrows of 
the Old Testament." Explain. 

7. In what way do Jeremias's disappointments 
over the Jewish people resemble those of 
St. Paul? (read Romans 9). 



98 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

8. Compare the book Ezechiel with.the Apoc-
alypse. 

Religious Practices 
1. The prophets Constantly warned the Jewish 

people against dangerous pagan alliances. If the 
prophets lived today, would they reprove me for 
certain pagan practices in my life? 

2. Despite their severe denunciations, the 
prophets were accepted by the people as men of 
God. Am I inclined to minimize the divine authority 
of the Church when I cannot square my conduct 
with her teachings? 

3. I shall make the ardent longings of the 
prophets for the Promised Messias my own when 
I am to receive Him in Holy Communion. 



Publications of the Confraternity 
of Christian Doctrine 

ARCHDIOCESE OF SAINT PAUL 
251 Summit Ave. 

Saint Paul, Minnesota 

Teacher's and pupil's booklets for the weekday 
class of religious instruction, for Saturday and Sun-
day religion classes and for the summer vacation 
school classes. 

Syllabus of Religious Instruction and Education 
—Archdiocese of St. Paul. 

A Manual for Teachers who instruct Catholic pupils at-
ending public schools; explains the catechetical methods 

Jsed in the booklets published by the Confraternity of 
Christian Doctrine in the Archdiocese of St. Paul. The 
Syllabus includes a complete teacher's manual for the KIN-
DERGARTEN, PRIMARY, and intermediate grades, and a 
brief outline of the courses for the junior and senior high 
school students. 

Price $1.00 each 

Intermediate Grades 
(Grades 4, 5, and 6) 

1. The Apostles Creed and the Life of Christ 
(82 pages) 

Price .....$0.25 each 
Lots of 25-99 22V2 each 
Lots of 100 or more, .20 each 

The Teacher's Copy, including answers to tests 
and problems . $0.30 each 
2. The Sacraments and the Mass (62 pages) 

Price Same as above 
The Tieacher's Copy Same as above 



100 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

Junior High School 
(Grades 7, 8, and 9) 

1. The Saints Through the Ages (140 pages) 
A course on the virtues through the examples of the 

Saints, with the Creed as a foundation. It aims to develop 
habits of selfmastery so necessary in the period of puberty 
and adolescense. 

Price I ...$0.50 each 
Lots of 25-99 .45 each 
Lots of 100 or more .40 each 

The Teacher's Copy, including answers to tests 
and problems ..._.......... $0.60 each 
2. In Christ Through the Parish (137 pages) 

The Mass, Sacraments, and devotions constitute the basis 
of this course which aims to develop in the child a love for his 
parish church and for parish life. The booklet strives to 
acquaint the child with everything that in any way touches 
upon his life in the parish (the church building, altar, sacred 
vessels, vestments, liturgical functions, devotions, etc.) 

Price Same as above 
The Teacher's Copy Same as above 

8. Vital Problems (102 pages) 
This course tries to prepare the child for the many prob-

lems and temptations which he will meet after he finishes 
the grade school (movies, magazines, the gang, drinking, 
smoking, honesty, truthfulness, etc.). The lessons are cor-
related with the Commandments. 

Price Same as above 
The Teacher's Copy Same as above 

Senior High School 
(Grades 10, 11, and 12) . 

1. The Creed (120 pages) 
Price $0.50 each 
Lots of 25-99 .45 each 
Lots of 100 or more 40 each 



PUBLICATIONS 101 

2. The Sacraments, the Mass and, the Liturgical 
Year (124 pages) 

Pr ice -. .Same as above 
3. The Commandments (84 pages) 

Price .......Same as above 
Teacher's Questions and Answers for the 
Creed; Sacraments, Mass and the Liturgical 
Year; Commandments (204 pages) 

This Teacher's Manual contains the answers to the 
tests and problems in the three students' texts. 

Price $1.25 each 

OTHER PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE 

Young People Above High School Age 
1. Modern Questions by Rev. R. G. Bandas (6 

booklets of eight chapters each) Our Sun-
day Visitor Press, Huntington, Indiana 

Price $0.15 each 
Discount when ordered in quantities 

2. Biblical Questions by Rev. R. G. Bandas (8 
booklets) (Old and New Testament) Our 
Sunday Visitor Press, Huntington, Indiana. 

For Teachers of Religion 
1. Religion Teaching and Practice (232 pages) 

by Rev. R. G. Bandas. A Teacher's Manual 
on Catechetical Methods. J. F. Wagner, Inc., 
53 Park Place, New York City. 

Price $1.50 each 

For Catholic Laymen 
The Catholic Layman's Guide (36 pages), 
15c a copy; 10c a copy in lots of 50 or more. 
This booklet explains in a few pages all that 



102 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 

a practical Catholic should know and do. It 
contains the great prayers that should be 
recited by the family I n the home. It ex-
plains how to baptize in case of necessity, 
what to do in case of an accident, how to go 
to Confession, how to receive Holy Com-
munion, how to gain indulgences, etc. 
Ask the business men of your parish to 
donate copies of the Guide to. the parish at 
Christmas time instead of cheap calendars. 

NOTE: The Confraternity Manuals were prepared 
by Committees of Priests, Brothers, Sisters, and 
Laymen of the St. Paul Archdiocese. 

IMPORTANT: Send orders to Confraternity Center, 
251 Summit Ave., St. Paul, Minn. In ordering, please 
specify under which heading are the books you wish: 
intermediate grades, junior, or senior high school. 







107 BIBLICAL QUESTIONS 
S E R I E S I 

I. The Book of Books 
I L The Catholic a n d P r o t e s t a n t 

Bibles 
I I L The Bible, the Sole Role of 

F a i t h ? 
I V . Inspiration a n d I n e r r a n c y 
V The Historical Books of the 

Bible 
V I The Wisdom L i t e r a t u r e of 

t h e Bible 
V I I Letters and Epistles in t h e 

Bible 
VIII. The Prophetical L i t e r a t u r e in 

t h e Bible 

S E R I E S II 
L Stories and Parables in t h e 

Bible 
H . Types a n d Figures i n the 

Bible 
I I L Orations in t h e Bible 
IV Places of Worship i n t h e 

Bible 
V. Sacred Persons in t h e Bible 

V I . Sacred Times a n d Festivals 
in t h e Bible 

V I L Religious Sects in t h e Bible 
V H I . Recent Popes a n d t h e Bible 

S E R I E S I I I 
I. The Bible a n d Science 

I L The Bible and Science, Con-
tinued 

i n . Creation a n d Evolution 
IV. The Origin of Man 
V. The State of Primitive J u s -

tice 
V L The Fall 

VII. The Fallen S t a t e and Science 
V11L Original Sin 

S E R I E S IV 
I. The Primitive P a i r and Its 

Descendants 
I L The Deluge and the Ark 

i n . m - F a t e d Cities 
Tower of Babel 
Sodom and Gomorrha 

IV. Esau and Jacob 
V. Exodus f r o m E g y p t 

VL Special Personages and 
Events 

Josue and the Sun 
Witch of Endor 
Elias and Henoch 
J o n a s and t h e Fish 

V I L J o b and t h e Problem of EvS 
v m . Old Testament Morality an< 

Religion 

S E R I E S V 
I . The Synoptic Gospels I 

n . St. J o h n ' s Gospel 
H I . The Two Annunciations 
I V . The I n c a r n a t i o n 
V . Duration of t h e Hypostatic 

Union 
VI. The Virgin Birth 

Vn. " E v e r Blessed V i r g i n " 
V I I I . The Holy Family 

S E R I E S V I 
L The Visitation 

II. The B i r t h of Christ and t h i 
Sacred I n f a n c y 

n L The Magi and the Innocents 
IV. Baptism 
V. The Divinity of Christ 

VL St. Peter, Head of the Church 
VIL The One T r u e Church 

VIII. The Promise of the Eucharist 

S E R I E S V I I 
I. The Paschal Supper and the 

Holy Eucharist 
I I . The Agony a n d t h e Betrayal 

of Christ 
I H . Tkfc Condemnation of Christ 
IV. The Crucifixion 
V. Our Lord Forlorn 

VI. " H e Descended I n t o Hell" 
V n . The Redemption 

Vin. The Redemption, Continue* 
S E R I E S V I I I 

I. The Angels 
I I . The Evil Spirits 

I I L Christ's Knowledge and t h t 
L a s t Day 

IV. The P a r t i c u l a r J u d g m e n t 
V. Heaven and Hell 

V I . P u r g a t o r y 
v n . Bodily Resurrection 

v n i . The End of the World