Unit Two
Sacred Scripture
The Holy Bible contains the
Sacred Scripture of the Christian
faith. These books contain public
revelation and thus teach what
people must know in order to
attain salvation and realize
happiness.
2.1 Overview of Sacred Scripture
Key Concept
Sacred Scripture is the Word of God in the words of
people.
Key Terms
Inerrancy Senses of Scripture
Literal Sense Spiritual sense
Inspired Allegorical
Moral Anagogical
Outline
Understanding Sacred Scripture
A. Christ is the Word of Sacred Scripture (0101-
0108).
1. God willed the to speak to humanity
2. Scripture reveals the Word incarnate
Jesus Christ
B. The Scripture is Inspired meaning that God is
the primary author of Scripture
1. He inspired human authors who made full
use of their human faculties under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit.
2. They are truly the authors of Scripture,
but in a secondary sense.
C. Inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture is
without error in matters of faith and morals.
1. Scripture faithfully and without error
teaches the truth God revealed.
2. Errors arising from the limitations of the
human authors have also been preserved
in the manuscript. These errors in no way
corrupt the revelation, but reflect the limits
experienced by all individuals.
3. Despite the significance of Scripture,
Christianity is not a religion of the book; it
is the religion of the Word incarnate.
D. Infallibility is charism that protects the Church
from errors in matters of faith and morals.
1. The fact that the Scripture is inerrant does
not grant infallibility to personal
interpretation of the Scripture.
2. The charism of Infallibility has always
been present in the Church. (GA 1:9)
3. It was granted by Christ so that the
shepherds of the Church could preserve
the truth of the revelation.
Understanding Sacred Scripture
A. To correctly interpret Scripture, we need to be
attentive to what God is revealing and the
human author is affirming. (0109-0114)
B. To make this discovery the reader must take
into account:
1. Conditions prevalent at the time
2. Culture of the human writer
3. Customs regarding communication
4. Literary genre being used.
C. Interpretation must be done in light of the
same Holy Spirit who inspired it with attention
to:
1. Content and unity of Scripture as a whole.
2. Contest of the living tradition of the whole
Church.
3. Coherence of truths of the Faith among
themselves in the context of the whole of
revelation and salvation history.
Senses of Scripture
A. The Senses of Scripture refers to the various
ways in which the Scripture can be rightly
understood. (0115-0119)
1. Literal Sense refers to the actual rational
meaning of the words in their original
context.
2. Spiritual Sense refers to the mystical
meaning of Scripture.
a. Allegorical refers to understanding
the revelation in terms of our identity
as Christians.
b. Moral refers to how our
understanding of revelation prompts
us to act with Christian purpose.
c. Anagogical refers to how Revelation
foreshadows and anticipates our
destiny.
B. The Church teaches that we should read
Scripture attentive to the analogy of the faith
meaning the coherence of the truths of the
faith among themselves within the context of
the revelation as a whole.
Two Views on Literal Interpretation
A. Non-Contextual View refers to the view that
the Scriptures are culturally neutral
1. Interpret it at face value
2. Scripture is self interrupting.
B. Contextual View refers to the view that the
Scripture is culturally sensitive
1. Interpret in its historic context
2. Scripture needs expert interpreters.
C. Example
The Leprechaun and the Pigskin
Once upon a time there was a Leprechaun who met
a Dragon on the gridiron during the time when the
old ones return. When one turn was left on the
clock, the Leprechaun kicked the pigskin through
the uprights, slaying the Dragon. The old ones
cheered.
Non Contextual Interpretation: In Ireland, centuries
ago, Leprechauns fought dragons by kicking a pig’s
bladder filled with stomach acid were kicked at
dragons in order to kill them.
Contextual Interpretation: Notre Dame won their
homecoming game against Pekin on a last second
field goal.
Exercise
Select a paragraph from the catechism between
paragraphs101-119 and explain what is being
taught.
Applications
Find an article, photo, video clip, or music bite and
apply categories from the sense of Scripture to that
piece.
Discussion
Adolf the Atheist says, “Maynard, you nutty
Catholics can possibly believe that the Bible is true.
Genesis states that the Earth is covered with a
dome. Why didn’t the moon rockets crack a whole
in the dome?” Help Maynard respond.
Faith Formation
Students write a brief prayer to begin a future class
based on a passage of Scripture.
Discuss how knowledge of Scripture might guide us
to love others as Jesus does.
How might we introduce others to the Scripture so
that they might benefit from it?
Review
1. Are there errors in Sacred Scripture?
2. What do we need to know in concerning the
human author in order to interpret Scripture
accurately?
3. What do we need to consider in terms of the
Revelation as a whole to correctly interpret
Scripture?