Dei Verbum Commentary

[kafka]

Here is a commentary on Dei Verbum of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.

This document, solemnly promulgated by Pope Paul VI, on November 18th, 1968 expresses infallible and non-infallible teachings of the Sacred Magisterium by way of an Ecumencial Council, as well as some disciplines of the Church's temporal authority. These teachings (and disciplines) are valuable. The point of the commentary is to draw insights from the explicit and implicit teachings, similar to that of writing a commentary on Sacred Scripture, and perhaps make the document more accessable.

Dei Verbum means Word of God. The teachings of this document concern Divine Revelation, so Word of God is used to express Divine Revelation as a whole, since the Word of God made flesh, Jesus Christ, is the pinnacle of God's Revelation to mankind. So Word of God is used here in a broader sense than when it is used to refer to Sacred Scripture alone (which is the second font of Divine Revelation).

PREFACE

1. Hearing the word of God with reverence and proclaiming it with faith, the sacred synod takes its direction from these words of St. John: "We announce to you the eternal life which dwelt with the Father and was made visible to us. What we have seen and heard we announce to you, so that you may have fellowship with us and our common fellowship be with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:2-3). Therefore, following in the footsteps of the Council of Trent and of the First Vatican Council, this present council wishes to set forth authentic doctrine on divine revelation and how it is handed on, so that by hearing the message of salvation the whole world may believe, by believing it may hope, and by hoping it may love. (1)

One must first listen to the Word of God with reverence and in silence before proclaiming it to the world by deed and by word. Jesus Christ saved us, he is the Lord and Master, therefore we should do more listening and following rather than talking. The Council lays the groundwork for the document: To teach the truth concerning Divine Revelation and how it is handed down, meaning how it is transmitted from generation to generation of the Faithful. This distinction and relation, namely, Divine Revelation as it is in itself as opposed to its transmission is necessary in understanding the truth of Divine Revelation and how it relates to all the Faithful of all times.

Edited May 4, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

CHAPTER I

REVELATION ITSELF

so here in the first chapter the Council Fathers will teach the nature of Revelation. What Revelation is in itself. What the basic structure of Revelation is, what the inherent order of Revelation is, etc. . .

2. "In His goodness and wisdom God chose to reveal Himself and to make known to us the hidden purpose of His will (see Eph. 1:9) by which through Christ, the Word made flesh, man might in the Holy Spirit have access to the Father and come to share in the divine nature (see Eph. 2:18; 2 Peter 1:4)."

We may know God by the natural power of our reason by considering creation, etc., yet we may only know God as He is in Himself by an act of supernatural Revelation.

"Through this revelation, therefore, the invisible God (see Col. 1;15, 1 Tim. 1:17) out of the abundance of His love speaks to men as friends (see Ex. 33:11; John 15:14-15) and lives among them (see Bar. 3:38), so that He may invite and take them into fellowship with Himself."

Human nature is inherently ordered toward friendship, fellowship, with the invisible God, yet this friendship is beyond the power of human nature thus supernatural Revelation is absolutely necessary, and absolutely a free and unmerited gift of God to men. . . "the reason is that God directed human beings to a supernatural end, that is a sharing in the good things of God that utterly surpasses the understanding of the human mind. . ." (Vatican I On Revelation n. 4)

"This plan of revelation is realized by deeds and words having in inner unity: the deeds wrought by God in the history of salvation manifest and confirm the teaching and realities signified by the words, while the words proclaim the deeds and clarify the mystery contained in them."

Divine Revelation is the deeds and words wrought by God in the history of salvation. The Deeds of God are Sacred Tradition. The word of God are Sacred Scripture. These are the first two pillars of truth of the Holy Catholic Faith. The inner unity between the deeds and the words is analogous to the inner unity of the Father and the Son. The words of God proceed from the deeds of God, just as the Son proceeds from the Father. He who see the words of Sacred Scripture, sees the deeds of Sacred Tradition, just as Christ taught, "Philip he who sees the me, sees the Father."

"By this revelation then, the deepest truth about God and the salvation of man shines out for our sake in Christ, who is both the mediator and the fullness of all revelation. (2)"

Divine Revelation is a set of deep truths expressed by the deeds and word wrought and written by God in the history of salavation. Jesus Christ is the Mediator and pinnacle of all Revelation. And all Revelation is a reflection of the Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Word of God uttered by the Father. Divine Revelation is one sets of truths, or one whole truth, uttered by God, and sent forth into the world, bursting into the minds and hearts of men, through Jesus Christ the Mediator.

It follows that truths of Revelation which are mediated by Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit are innerant (without error) and infallible (without possibility of error) yet this is only one side of the coin. The truths of Divine Revelation are a fullness. Divine Revelation is pregnant with sutble and profound truths and mysteries. Divine Revelation is Light, dispelling darkness. The truth of Divine Revelation is a reflection of the infinite Truth who is eternal Son proceeding from the infinite Truth who is Eternal Father.

Edited May 5, 2010 by kafka

[tinytherese]

Do you have a link for this commentary?

[kafka]

[quote name='tinytherese' date='05 May 2010 - 07:00 PM' timestamp='1273100421' post='2105580']
Do you have a link for this commentary?
[/quote]
I am writing a little everyday and posting here.

[kafka]

3. "God, who through the Word creates all things (see John 1:3) and keeps them in existence, gives men an enduring witness to Himself in created realities (see Rom. 1:19-20)."

God creating all things and keeping them in existance is an One Divine Eternal Act of the Three Persons in common. Men may come to a limited knowledge of God by considering creation.

"Planning to make known the way of heavenly salvation, He went further and from the start manifested Himself to our first parents."

Our first parents were Adam and Eve. God created them with sanctifying grace and revealed Himself to them in the Garden. It is clear from the beginning that human person is inherently ordered toward God as his ultimate end, and that God acting on this order He established, revealed Himself to the first two human persons, Adam and Eve.

"Then after their fall His promise of redemption aroused in them the hope of being saved (see Gen. 3:15) and from that time on He ceaselessly kept the human race in His care, to give eternal life to those who perseveringly do good in search of salvation (see Rom. 2:6-7)."

Eternal life is to die in the state of sanctifying grace. After Adam's sin, human persons are conceived without sanctifying grace, thus before the coming of Jesus Christ, God gave a Baptism of Desire (or of Blood) to those who perseveringly did good in search of salvation. This last phrase implies that some men received the free and unmerited gift, Baptism of Desire (or Blood), infusing sanctifying grace, and then a persevered in the state of sanctifying grace by subsequent cooperation.

"Then, at the time He had appointed He called Abraham in order to make of him a great nation (see Gen. 12:2). Through the patriarchs, and after them through Moses and the prophets, He taught this people to acknowledge Himself the one living and true God, provident father and just judge, and to wait for the Savior promised by Him, and in this manner prepared the way for the Gospel down through the centuries."

Catholic Christians are true spiritual descendants of Abraham, since God established the an everlasting covenant with Abraham. This One everlasting Covenant was transformed or (as Conte says) transfigured by Jesus Christ into the New Covenant.

All the truths God revealed to the patriarchs and prophets in Old Testament, on matters of faith, morals and salvation prepared the way for the Gospel, however these truths (such as the Ten Commandments) are still in force and are of the Gospel, or the Gospel in a hidden prenatal stage, prepared for live birth by Jesus Christ.

The deeds and words of Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh, illuminate the deeds and words of God in Old Testament times. Catholics interpret the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. The rules and rulings (or disciplines) God established in the Old Testament were dispensed by Christ, yet their spiritual level of meaning is still in force.

Edited May 6, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

4. "Then, after speaking in many and varied ways through the prophets, "now at last in these days God has spoken to us in His Son" (Heb. 1:1-2). For He sent His Son, the eternal Word, who enlightens all men, so that He might dwell among men and tell them of the innermost being of God (see John 1:1-18). Jesus Christ, therefore, the Word made flesh, was sent as "a man to men." (3) He "speaks the words of God" (John 3;34), and completes the work of salvation which His Father gave Him to do (see John 5:36; John 17:4). To see Jesus is to see His Father (John 14:9)."

Divine Revelation is summed up by this one verse from the Gospel of John:

Jesus said to him: “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known me? Philip, whoever sees me, also sees the Father. How can you say, ‘Reveal the Father to us?’

Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, sent as "a man to men" not only reveals the Father to men, he also reveals what man truly is to men. What is means to be true human, is contained in the Deeds of Jesus Christ which we call Sacred Tradition, and expressed in the Words of Jesus Christ, which we call Sacred Scripture.

"For this reason Jesus perfected revelation by fulfilling it through his whole work of making Himself present and manifesting Himself: through His words and deeds, His signs and wonders, but especially through His death and glorious resurrection from the dead and final sending of the Spirit of truth."

Jesus Christ is God. All the Deeds of Jesus Christ are a Divine Revelation. From his Incarnation, to the sending of the Spirit all inclusive. Even the simple acts of eating, or the manual labor he performed with Saint Joseph are revelatory deeds of Sacred Tradition, since Our Lord did everything with reverence and humility before the face of his Father. These Deeds of Christ as well as the other Deeds of God in the Old and New Testaments are the unwritten truths of Sacred Tradition taught by Vatican I (On Revelation n. 5).

What is the greatest Deed of Christ? What is the culmination of the Deeds of Christ, and hence the culmination of Divine Revelation itself? What one Deed of Christ surpasses all others and teaches us the most profound inner truth of God? It is none other than selfless and loving salvific Death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. This one Deed of Christ teaches us the meaning of, "God is Love," since Christ accomplished the Love of God the Father, the love of every human person, and love of self in one all-embracing Deed of Divine Love.

Humble and loving-obedience to the will of the Father. Salvific love of every human person ever created, as well as all angels ever created, since to live with the Father forever in the unfading happiness of vision and union, all must be pass through and be united to the Death of Christ. Love of self, since Jesus had to die in order to rise again and ascend to His Father.

"All the Deeds of God in salvation history lead up to, or follow from, that One Deed of Christ." (Conte, New Insights into Sacred Tradition)


"Moreover He confirmed with divine testimony what revelation proclaimed, that God is with us to free us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to life eternal."

God fills us with the light of love (the theological virtue of love) through the salvific death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Without this true spiritual love, infused at Baptism with sanctifying grace, our hearts are lacking of the good light we need, to live a good and meaningful life on earth, as well as to live forever.

"The Christian dispensation, therefore, as the new and definitive covenant, will never pass away and we now await no further new public revelation before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ (see 1 Tim. 6:14 and Tit. 2:13)."

The canon of Sacred Scripture is closed. It is a theological opinion that the canon of the Deeds of God, Sacred Tradition, is still open, since God works unceasingly for the salvation of men in the present, as well as the truth that God will perform many wondrous Deeds predicted in Sacred Scripture during the period of time known as the consumation, or tribulation (or end times), which culminate in the event of the Second Coming, or Return of Jesus (and Mary).

Edited May 7, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

5. "The obedience of faith" (Rom. 13:26; see 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6) "is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals," (4) and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him.

The act of faith is not separate from the act of love and hope. Love works with the will, faith with the intellect, and hope with the will and intellect, ordering one's entire person to God, the Revealer.

"To make this act of faith, the grace of God and the interior help of the Holy Spirit must precede and assist, moving the heart and turning it to God, opening the eyes of the mind and giving "joy and ease to everyone in assenting to the truth and believing it." (5)

'Precede and assist' refers the division of sanctifying and actual grace. The initial gift of sanctifying grace is an operating-prevenient act of God alone, before subsequent-cooperating act of the recipient. It is a free undeserved gift of God independant of any act of the recipient. Actual grace is also divided into operating prevenient grace and cooperating subsequent grace. Sanctifying grace makes a person good, actual grace assists the person in doing good. Both were merited by Christ by his salvific Death on the Cross and both are of the Holy Spirit. Joy is the fruit of the soul being good and doing good in cooperation with the graces of the Holy Spirit.

"To bring about an ever deeper understanding of revelation the same Holy Spirit constantly brings faith to completion by His gifts."

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, (intellectual)-counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord (moral). These seven gifts are infused with the reception of sanctifying grace at Baptism and perfected, completed, etc. with the reception of Confirmation. These seven gifts are servants of the three theological virtues of love-faith-hope. Working together as a set of ten, a man may progress to an ever deeper grasp of revelation throughout his life.


BTW, here is the link to Dei Verbum on the Vatican's website:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html

Edited May 8, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

6. Through divine revelation, God chose to show forth and communicate Himself and the eternal decisions of His will regarding the salvation of men. That is to say, He chose to share with them those divine treasures which totally transcend the understanding of the human mind. (6)

As a sacred synod has affirmed, God, the beginning and end of all things, can be known with certainty from created reality by the light of human reason (see Rom. 1:20); but teaches that it is through His revelation that those religious truths which are by their nature accessible to human reason can be known by all men with ease, with solid certitude and with no trace of error, even in this present state of the human race. (7)


Although God as He is in Himself, totally transcends the understanding of the human mind, He has chosen to reveal Himself by means of concrete, historical, Deeds and Words open and accessable to the human mind, for example, by the Deed of assuming human nature (the Incarnation), and comminucating with mankind as a man, or by inspiring the Sacred Writers to express His hidden Will by means of human language.

And so it follows, the truths of Divine Revelation may be known with certitude and inerrancy. This is surely an astonishing, free, and undeserved gift of God to men.

Edited May 10, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

CHAPTER II

HANDING ON DIVINE REVELATION

The handing of Divine Revelation is often called the transmission of Sacred Tradition, or simply Tradition. Divine Revelation and its transmission are distinct. Divine Revelation is the Deeds and Words wrought and written by God in salvation history. The tranmission of Divine Revelation is the Body of the Church handing of the truths of these Deeds and Words. This handing on or transmission is accomplished in many different ways.

7. "In His gracious goodness, God has seen to it that what He had revealed for the salvation of all nations would abide perpetually in its full integrity and be handed on to all generations."

It is the plan of God to transmit His very own Deeds and Words by means of the Faithful on earth. This tranmission or handing is preserved in its full intregrity by the Holy Spirit.

"Therefore Christ the Lord in whom the full revelation of the supreme God is brought to completion (see Cor. 1:20; 3:13; 4:6), commissioned the Apostles to preach to all men that Gospel which is the source of all saving truth and moral teaching, (1) and to impart to them heavenly gifts."

In this section Gospel is another term for Divine Revelation. The Apostles were direct witnesses to the deeds, teachings, etc. of Jesus Christ, who was the culmination of Divine Revelation. Thus it is perfect and fitting of Christ to commission them with the preaching of the Gospel. The Apostles are the premier transmitors Divine Revelation.

"This Gospel had been promised in former times through the prophets, and Christ Himself had fulfilled it and promulgated it with His lips. This commission was faithfully fulfilled by the Apostles who, by their oral preaching, by example, and by observances handed on what they had received from the lips of Christ, from living with Him, and from what He did, or what they had learned through the prompting of the Holy Spirit."

In general this paragraph refers to the tranmission of Divine Revelation. Notice now for the first time the many ways in which Divine Revelation is transmitted by the Apostles: by their oral preaching (words), by their example (deeds), by dispensing the Sacraments and by their writings. There is a broad range of means in which the set of truths expressed by the deeds and teachings of Jesus Christ is handed on. The primary means is by example, or by deeds. The Apostles chiefly transmitted the truths of Jesus Christ by imitating him.

The last phrase, 'or what they had learned through the prompting of the Holy Spirit' refers to Sacred Scripture (not yet the Magisterium).

"The commission was fulfilled, too, by those Apostles and apostolic men who under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit committed the message of salvation to writing. "(2)

This sentence describes a unique situation to the first generation of Christians. The New Testament Scriptures were both Divine Revelation as well as transmission of the Gospel. For Sacred Scripture is the Words written by God in salvation hisory, and the second pillar of the Holy Catholic Faith. Inspiration is unique to Sacred Scripture. Innerrancy and infallibility proceed from Inspiration.

This unique situation ended with the closing of the Canon of Sacred Scripture. Before and after the Canon of Sacred Scripture closed other Christians transmitted the deeds and teachings of Jesus Christ by means of writing (e.g. The Didache), yet these writings are not inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore these other writings are not inerrant and infallible. They have great value in their proximity to the Jesus Christ and the Apostles, yet they are fallible writings.

"But in order to keep the Gospel forever whole and alive within the Church, the Apostles left bishops as their successors, "handing over" to them "the authority to teach in their own place."

This sentence refers to the unique gift of Magisterium exercised by the Pope and Bishops. The Magisterium is a gift to the entire Church. The body of Christ is made up of fallen sinners who err. And so the gift of the Magisterium keeps the Gospel whole, preserved from error, and keeps it alive within all the members of the Church who are continually transmitting the Gospel, primarily by living the Gospel, by imitating Christ! So the gift of the Magisterium not only protects and guides the souls of the Faithful, it also protects and guides the transmission of Divine Revelation since the Faithful are the very ones transmitting it.

Without the Magisterium guiding, protecting, and teaching the Gospel (Divine Revelation) the Gospel would soon fall into distortion, errors, etc. since the Church transmitting it, by means of living it and teaching it, is made up of sinners. And in fact that is why there are heresies, schisms, apostasties. These lost souls do not want to cooperate with the gift of the Magisterium in keeping the Gospel whole and alive.

"This sacred tradition, therefore, and Sacred Scripture of both the Old and New Testaments are like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church on earth looks at God, from whom she has received everything, until she is brought finally to see Him as He is, face to face (see 1 John 3:2)."

Divine Revelation is Deeds and Words wrought and written by God in the Old and New Testaments. The Deeds wrought by God is Sacred Tradition. The Words written by God is Sacred Scripture. The whole pilgrim Church of each generation, from the Pope down to the lowest homeless person barely surviving on the streets all contemplate as well as transmit this Divine Revelation in so far as they imitate Christ primarily by imitating him. This contemplation and transmission leads the pilgrim Church on her journey toward immediate vision of God in the next eternal life.

[kafka]

8. "And so the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved by an unending succession of preachers until the end of time."

The expression of the apostolic preaching in the inspired books of Sacred Scripture is preserved, protected, guided, interpreted, and taught by the unending succession of Popes and Bishops who exercise the gift of Magisterium, until the End to Time.

"Therefore the Apostles, handing on what they themselves had received, warn the faithful to hold fast to the traditions which they have learned either by word of mouth or by letter (see 2 Thess. 2:15), and to fight in defense of the faith handed on once and for all (see Jude 1:3) (4)"

All the Faithful (not just the Pope and Bishops) are called to cooperate with the Magisterium in holding onto and defending the truths of Divine Revelation which were first transmitted by the Apostles. The term 'traditions' here refers to the tranmission or handing on of the truths contained in God's Deeds and Words.

"Now what was handed on by the Apostles includes everything which contributes toward the holiness of life and increase in faith of the peoples of God; and so the Church, in her teaching, life and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes."

The entire Church, from the greatest member to the lowest member, participates in the transmission of the One Sacred Deposit of Faith. The Sacred Deposit of Faith is a term which refers to the set of truths contained and expressed in Divine Revelation, in the Deeds and Words wrought and written by God.

The handing on, or transmission is accomplished in many different ways. By living the truths, by celebrating and participating in the liturgy, by dispensing the Sacraments, by teaching the truths of the faith to children, by praying the Our Father and Hail Mary, by performing a work of mercy, by practicing self-denial, by defending the Faith against those who attack it, and there are many more ways.

"This tradition which comes from the Apostles develop in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit. (5)For there is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down."

Again the term 'tradition' refers to tranmission, or handing on, not to the actual Deeds and Words of God. As the Church moves through space and time, her members penetrate the truths contained in God's Deeds and Words ever deeper, ever clearer, ever more subtle. There is a progression or develepment in the understanding of Divine Revelation without the adding or subtracting of one truth contained therein. The Holy Spirit guides this process, by the gift of Magisterium.

Consider the Sacred Deposit of Faith as one ocean. The one ocean is very deep, with a variety of subtle life-forms and underwater structures. A team of scientists dive into the ocean and discover new species, or new trenches. They may even make new and subtle discoveries of previously known species or trenches. Even though the scientists make new discoveries, and come to new understandings of the one ocean, nothing was added or taken away from that one ocean to begin with.

"For there is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down. This happens through the contemplation and study made by believers, who treasure these things in their hearts (see Luke, 2:19, 51) through a penetrating understanding of the spiritual realities which they experience, and through the preaching of those who have received through Episcopal succession the sure gift of truth. For as the centuries succeed one another, the Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness of divine truth until the words of God reach their complete fulfillment in her."

The Immaculate Conception was a concrete, salvific Deed of God wrought at a particular point in space/time, history. Mary was created immaculate. The truth of this Deed of God was transmitted by the Apostles, yet in the beginning it was not crystal clear and fully developed to where we currently understand it. It took centuries for the Faithful to penetrate its meaning. The Faithful prayed over it, meditated on it, reasoned with it, they experienced the benefits of the Immaculate Conception through their life of Faith. The Pope and Bishops taught it and refined their teaching of it. And finally the truth of the Immaculate Conception came to full flower when Pope Pius IX solemnly defined it.

"The words of the holy fathers witness to the presence of this living tradition, whose wealth is poured into the practice and life of the believing and praying Church."

The writings of the Fathers of the Church give witness to the actual living transmission of the Faithful. There writings also transmit the deeds and teachings of Christ. The writings of the Fathers are preeminent, since they lived holy lives in a period of proximity to the life of Christ and the first transmission of the Apostles. Yet their writings are not inspired by the Holy Spirit, and so their writings are not innerrant and infallible.

"Through the same tradition the Church's full canon of the sacred books is known, and the sacred writings themselves are more profoundly understood and unceasingly made active in her; and thus God, who spoke of old, uninterruptedly converses with the bride of His beloved Son; and the Holy Spirit, through whom the living voice of the Gospel resounds in the Church, and through her, in the world, leads unto all truth those who believe and makes the word of Christ dwell abundantly in them (see Col. 3:16)."

The Faithful living the truths of the God's Deeds (Sacred Tradition) and living the truth of God's Words (Sacred Scripture) enabled them to discern the full Canon of Sacred Scripture.

The Faithful living the Words of Sacred Scripture enables them to understand the truths asserted by the Holy Spirit ever more profoundly. This is Living Scripture. There is a Living Scripture as well as a Living Tradition. One living transmission in the Church and through her to light up the world. The Church as the Bride of Christ is the living extension of what Christ proclaimed in these words, "I am the Light of the world."

Edited May 12, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

[quote name='kafka' date='12 May 2010 - 11:44 AM' timestamp='1273679083' post='2109373']

The Faithful living the truths of the God's Deeds (Sacred Tradition) and living the truth of God's Words (Sacred Scripture) enabled them to discern the full Canon of Sacred Scripture.

[/quote]
I forgot to add to this that the living Tradition of the Church, or living Transmission as I like to call it, discerned the full canon of Sacred Scripture long before the Ecumenical Council of Trent solemnly defined it.

[kafka]

9. "Hence there exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end."

Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, is a reflection of the Father and the Son. The words of God (Sacred Scripture) proceeds from the deeds of God (Sacred Tradition). Without the deeds of God there would be no word of God, just as without the Father there would be no Son. The deeds of God and the word of God are one. The word of God is in the Deeds of God. And the Deeds of God are in the Word of God. The Word of God clarifies the Deeds of God.

And Sacred Magisterium proceeds from Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, just as the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.

The greatest gifts of God are a carbon copy of the Holy Trinity. God leaves an imprint of Himself on all of His greatest works, and perhaps everything created for example the family: husband, wife, child; ordination: bishop, priest, deacon; sanctifying grace: love, faith, hope; human nature: soul, body, spirit and so on.

"For Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known."

The Deeds of God (Sacred Tradition) beget the word of God (Sacred Scripture) and the Pope and Bishops as the successors of the Apostles, preserve these first two pillars of the Holy Catholic Faith by exercising their uniqe gift of Magisterium, as these first two pillars are being transmitted by the whole body of the Church from generation to generation.

"Consequently it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence.(6)"

Scripture alone is an error of the Protestants. The three pillars of truth of the Holy Catholic Faith are Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and Sacred Magisterium. The Magisterium draws her certain truths from the first two pillars of Divine Revelation: Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture (as well as the natural, the whole of which is implied in the Death of Christ on the Cross). The three are intregal to God's plan of salvation.

Edited May 13, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

10. "Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church. Holding fast to this deposit the entire holy people united with their shepherds remain always steadfast in the teaching of the Apostles, in the common life, in the breaking of the bread and in prayers (see Acts 2, 42, Greek text), so that holding to, practicing and professing the heritage of the faith, it becomes on the part of the bishops and faithful a single common effort. (7)"

The set of truths contained in the Deeds wrought by God (Sacred Tradition) and asserted by the Words written by God (Sacred Scripture) are transmitted by the entire Church including the bishops, priests, deacons, and laity.

The transmission is accomplished primarily by the deeds of the Faithful in so far as these imitate Christ. So the primary source of truths are the revelatory Deeds wrought by God in salvation history known as Sacred Tradition, the first pillar of Divine Revelation, the first part of the deposit of Faith. And so it follows that the primary means of transmitting the truths of God's Revelation is the living deeds of the Church. The Light of God shines through our acts of prayer, self-denial, works of mercy, the celebration of and participation in the Mass, the Liturgy, the dispensing of the Sacraments, the physical as well as spiritual martyrdoms, the acts professing our Faith. Deeds are greater than words.

The Words written by God, Sacred Scripture is the second pillar of Divine Revelation, the second part of the deposit of Faith. The Words of God clarifies the Deeds of God. And so it follows that the secondary means of transmitting Divine Revelation is the write about and to teach the Faith.

"But the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, (8) has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, (9) whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ."

The teaching office is the Magisterium. The Sacred Magisterium is exercised in three ways: 1. Papal Infallibility, 2. Ecumenical Councils and 3. Universal Magisterium (i.e. universal and ordinary Magisterium). The Sacred Magisterium is never exercised apart from the Pope. The solemn definitions of Sacred Magisterium are infallible, certain truths drawn from Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture or the natural law.

The gift of Magisterium is also exercised in the daily witness, teaching, etc. of Bishops scattered throughout the world. This is usually called Ordinary Magisterium. These teachings are non-infallible truths drawn from Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the natural law. These teachings contain a limited amount of error and room for develepment and refinement, yet never enough to lead anyone away from salvation.

The range or limit of Magisterium is the two pillars of Divine Revelation, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, known as the Sacred Deposit of Faith, as well as the natural law all of which is contained either explicitly or implicitly in the Sacred Deposit of Faith.

All the infallible and non-infallible teachings of the Pope and Bishops exercising the gift of Magisterium are inspired by the Holy Spirit.

"This teaching office is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed."

Sacred Magisterium is the servant of Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. No servant is greater than his master thus Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture is in one sense greater than Sacred Magisterium. Service implies inequality. There is a subtle manner of distinction, order, degree and relative opposition between the three. The Deeds of God (Tradition) are the greatest in order and distinction. The Words of God (Scripture) are next in order and distinction, since without the Deeds of God there would be no Words of God, and third in order and distinction is the Magisterium which is dependent upon The Deeds and Words of God to draw teachings from and present them to the Faithful as certain truths for the full sacred assent of Faith. All three inherently make up one perfect, full, infallible, and inerrant gift of God for salvation.

Divine Revelation (Tradition-Scripture-Magisterium) is one other than where there is relative opposition/distinction/order/degree/dependency.

For example the salvific Deed of Jesus Christ dying on the Cross is greater than the Words expressing this Deed and both are greater than the Magisterium infallibly teaching this Deed as certain truth, since salvation is in the Deed itself.

"It is clear, therefore, that sacred tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church, in accord with God's most wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others, and that all together and each in its own way under the action of the one Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls."

The heresy of the Protestants is Sola Scripture (Scripture alone), yet there are two companion heresies practiced by some Catholics living today. Some draw the majority of their truths from and adhere to Sacred Tradition alone, while substantially lessening Sacred Scripture and Sacred Magisterium. Others draw the majority of their truths from and adhere to Sacred Magisterium alone, while substantially lessening Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture.

Yet God established the three as one effective gift of salvation. One who relies on all three will not be led too far astray.

Edited May 14, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

CHAPTER III

SACRED SCRIPTURE, ITS INSPIRATION AND DIVINE INTERPRETATION

11. "Those divinely revealed realities which are contained and presented in Sacred Scripture have been committed to writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit."

Inerrancy and immunity from all possibility of error is inherent to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God is Truth. He never wills error, nor could He possibly inspire error, for then He would be contradicting His own Nature which is impossible.

"For holy mother Church, relying on the belief of the Apostles (see John 20:31; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-20, 3:15-16), holds that the books of both the Old and New Testaments in their entirety, with all their parts, are sacred and canonical because written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author and have been handed on as such to the Church herself."

The Old and New Testaments in their entirety with all their parts, refers the truth that every book, every verse, every subtitle, everything contained, everything expressed and everything asserted in the sacred Canon without exception is inspired by the Holy Spirit. God who is Truth is the author.

The Canon of Sacred Scripture is the 72 books of the old Latin Vulgate, in their entirety, with all their parts. The Canon was solemnly defined by the Ecumenical Councils of Florence and Trent.

"(1) In composing the sacred books, God chose men and while employed by Him (2) they made use of their powers and abilities, so that with Him acting in them and through them, (3) they, as true authors, consigned to writing everything and only those things which He wanted. (4)"

Everything and only those things God willed is contained, expressed, and asserted in Sacred Scripture. Thus any matter whatsoever without exception contained, expressed, and asserted in Sacred Scripture is inerrant, whether it be a matter of faith, morals, salvation, geography, culture, history, science or anything. This is the teaching of the Catholic Church from the very beginning. This truth is an infallible dogma of the Sacred Magisterium. There are many Magisterial teachings supporting this truth which I will not quote here for the sake of brevity other than a few by recent popes:

Pope Pius XII: "In Scripture divine things are presented to us in the manner which is in common use amongst men."[30] For as the substantial Word of God became like to men in all things, "except sin,"[31] so the words of God, expressed in human language, are made like to human speech in every respect, except error." (Divino Afflante Spiritu, n. 37)

Pope Benedict XV: "He also teaches that Divine inspiration extends to every part of the Bible without the slightest exception, and that no error can occur in the inspired text: "It would be wholly impious to limit inspiration to certain portions only of Scripture or to concede that the sacred authors themselves could have erred." (Spiritus Paracletus n. 21)

"But although these words of our predecessor leave no room for doubt or dispute, it grieves us to find that not only men outside, but even children of the Catholic Church - nay, what is a peculiar sorrow to us, even clerics and professors of sacred learning - who in their own conceit either openly repudiate or at least attack in secret the Church's teaching on this point." (Spiritus Paracletus n. 18)

It is a fairly recent error that some parts of the Bible are erroneous and/or not sacred and canonical. This heresy has crept into Catholic circles and poisoned many to this very day.

"Therefore, since everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit, it follows that the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings (5) for the sake of salvation."

Some 'Catholic' scholars use the last phrase to supposedly prove that only those matters asserted 'for the sake of salvation' are immune from error, yet this interpretation is taken out of context of what is being expressed above, and is interpreted against the constant teaching of the Magisterium for centuries. It is true that the Holy Spirit inspired Sacred Scripture for the sake of salvation, yet this does not limit the scope of inerrancy in any way whatsoever.

"Therefore "all Scripture is divinely inspired and has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, for reformation of manners and discipline in right living, so that the man who belongs to God may be efficient and equipped for good work of every kind" (2 Tim. 3:16-17, Greek text)."

This is the teaching of Saint Paul.

Edited May 15, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

12. "However, since God speaks in Sacred Scripture through men in human fashion, (6) the interpreter of Sacred Scripture, in order to see clearly what God wanted to communicate to us, should carefully investigate what meaning the sacred writers really intended, and what God wanted to manifest by means of their words."

There are two basic levels of meaning in Sacred Scripture.

The first level of meaning in Sacred Scripture is what the sacred writers really intended to assert. This is called the literal/figuritive, the explicit, or the direct level of meaning.

The second level of meaning is what the Holy Spirit intends to assert above and beyond the sacred writer's intention. This is called the spiritual, the implicit, or indirect level of meaning. This second spiritual level of meaning is founded on the first literal/figurative level of meaning. The spiritual level of meaning is potentially multi-dimensional. It is possible for the Holy Spirit to be simultaneously asserting several truths in one verse or one passage of Scripture.

The Holy Spirit uses human language in a way that is both open and accessible to reason as well as transcending all reason. So one must approach Sacred Scripture with faith and reason.


That is all today. I will hopefully finish section twelve tommorrow. . .

Edited May 17, 2010 by kafka