1.1 Natural Revelation
We have seen in the previous lesson how we can know God using our reason. God shows himself to us through the things he has created, much like a painter communicates his thoughts and feelings through his works of art. Nonetheless, we cannot know much more because of the limitations of our knowledge. It is possible to know that a painter exists when we see his painting. It is also possible to know his interests or inclinations through his work, but there are still many things that we can know about him as a person which cannot be found in his product.
1.2 Supernatural Revelation
The fact of supernatural revelation is succinctly explained to us in the Letter to the Hebrews. It begins with the following lines:
"1 In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs." (Heb 1:1-4)
Revelation is a locutio Dei to men, God's speaking to men. This is the greatest claim that both Jews and Christians can make: God has spoken to us! As the Letter to the Hebrews says, he has spoken first through the prophets. Both Jews and Christians accept this truth.
But the Letter to the Hebrews also tells us that God ha spoken to us "by a Son", the Lord Jesus Christ. God has spoken to us "in Person"! This is what Christians believe. It is a great privilege. It also entails great responsibility.
The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCCC 6) says:
God in his goodness and wisdom reveals himself. With deeds and words, he reveals himself and his plan of loving goodness which he decreed from all eternity in Christ. According to this plan, all people by the grace of the Holy Spirit are to share in the divine life as adopted “sons” in the only begotten Son of God.
God spoke to us not only once, but several times.
Unlike other prophets, Jesus Christ not only teaches us the truth. He IS the Truth. Unlike other kings and shepherds, he not only shows us the way. He IS the Way. Unlike other priests (the priests of the Old Testament, the Old Law), he does not only offer life. He IS the Life. (See John 14:6)
1.3 Is supernatural revelation really necessary? Of what use is it?
As far as God is concerned, he does not have any need to tell us about himself. God subsists perfectly in himself and does not need anything or anyone else. But out of his great mercy, he has decided to let us his creatures know about him.
If God didn't do this, man would only have a very vague and confused knowledge of God. Pope Piux XII, in the encyclical Humani generis, reiterates St Thomas Aquinas' position (see Summa Theologiae, part I, question 1, article 1) that we need supernatural revelation to know not only supernatural truths but also those truths that our mind can discover by itself
so that even in the present condition of the human race, they can be known by all men with ease, with firm certainty and with no admixture of error
Without it man cannot know supernatural truths, such as the Blessed Trinity, divine grace, the need for the Sacraments, the Immaculate Conception, the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church, the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
Without supernatural revelation we cannot know natural truths with certainty and without error and within a reasonable period of time.
When a child studies the catechism, it comes to know the truths which it might otherwise take years to discover. The possibility it has to discover on its own those truths might be lessened in proportion to the moral erosion of society. A twenty-year old would have difficulty knowing the indissolubility of matrimony if his parents have been divorced twice and if he sees divorce prevalent in society.
As we have seen above, God revealed himself fully with the coming of Jesus Christ. We have also seen in the introduction that Jesus Christ chose successors who could continue his work of transmitting revelation down to the end of time. These successors have transmitted down through the centuries what is called the Deposit of Revelation. It is called a "deposit", much like money is deposited in a bank for it to be kept safely and for it to grow. Jesus Christ entrusted these truths to the Apostles and their successors so that they could preserve and transmit it (thus making it grow). The Apostles and their successors (the bishops) have the obligation of safeguarding and teaching. This responsibility is called the Teaching Office or the Magisterium of the Church. The body of revealed truths handed on to the Church for it to preserve and transmit were handed down in writing (Sacred Scripture) and by word of mouth (Sacred Tradition).
Some people think that the Bible suffices to know Christ and his doctrine. This is the belief on sola Scriptura, "Scripture alone". But the Bible itself does not say that it contains everything. In fact, the last chapter of the last verse of Saint John's Gospel tells us:
25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. (John 21:25)
It is helpful to remember that Jesus Christ sent the apostles out to preach, not to write down what they had heard. A good part of our Lord's teachings were first passed on by word of mouth before later generations could commit them to writing.
St Paul exhorts the Thessalonians (II Thessalonians 2:15) not only to follow what has been written, but things which they have heard. Both fall under the heading "Traditions":
15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.
The CCCC (no 12) thus defines "Tradition" or "Apostolic Tradition" as follows:
Apostolic Tradition is the transmission of the message of Christ, brought about from the very beginnings of Christianity by means of preaching, bearing witness, institutions, worship, and inspired writings. The apostles transmitted all they received from Christ and learned from the Holy Spirit to their successors, the bishops, and through them to all generations until the end of the world.
(See Scripture Alone for the other passages of Scripture which directly or indirectly prove that it is not Scripture alone that contains the source of revelation.)
2.1 Sacred Tradition & Scripture are inseparable sources of Revelation
In the next question (no 13), it asks "In what ways does Apostolic Tradition occur?" It then explains:
Apostolic Tradition occurs in two ways: through the living transmission of the word of God (also simply called Tradition) and through Sacred Scripture which is the same proclamation of salvation in written form.
Both Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture flow from the same source (see CCCC 14), the same teaching of Jesus Christ which he handed down to his apostles and which the Apostles preached in turn to the early Christians.
An important document that explains this extensively is the Second Vatican Council's Dei Verbum.
2.1.1 Sacred Tradition
What do we mean by "Sacred Tradition"?
It is very important to understand what Catholics mean by "Tradition" or "Sacred Tradition". It comes from the Latin traditio, "handing down". Tradition does not refer to customs or practices like praying the Rosary, or going on processions and pilgrimages. These latter practices are called customs or, also, traditions (in plural form). The CCC (no 83) teaches:
Tradition is to be distinguished from the various theological, disciplinary, liturgical or devotional traditions, born in the local churches over time. These are the particular forms, adapted to different places and times, in which the great Tradition is expressed. In the light of Tradition, these traditions can be retained, modified or even abandoned under the guidance of the Church's Magisterium.
"Tradition" or "Sacred Tradition" is the sum of the doctrines transmitted through word of mouth by Christ's apostles. Jesus Christ sent his apostles to preach, and that preaching is what Tradition consists of. Since the early Church did not right away consign our Lord's teachings to writing, the beliefs of the early Christians were drawn from oral testimonies. From a chronological perspective, first there was Tradition, then Scripture. It was this early preaching, this Tradition, that determined which of the written works were to form part of the Scripture.
Scripture is interpreted correctly only in and according to Tradition. We know Tradition by the unanimous practice of the Church (followed everywhere and always by Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium.)
Is Tradition written down anywhere?
In the early Church, we find several persons, many of them saints, who eventually wrote down these teachings. These are the Fathers of the Church and the ecclesiastical writers. (Click on this link to read more on Fathers of the Church.)
What does it take to be a Father of the Church?
There are four requirements:
Other ancient writers who did not meet the other requirements are called ecclesiastical writers. Their contribution is also valuable to Sacred Tradition.
Sacred Tradition can also be found in ancient liturgical texts and practices. The official prayers of the Church reflect the beliefs of the faithful. Hence the axiom (coined by Pope Celestine in 422 AD) lex credendi, lex orandi. (Click here for a more detailed explanation.)
The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has emphasised that Tradition is not some kind of dead letter, but belief that is lived out. He further elaborated the concept of Tradition in his General Audience of 26 April 2006:
Tradition is the communion of the faithful around their legitimate Pastors down through history, a communion that the Holy Spirit nurtures, assuring the connection between the experience of the apostolic faith, lived in the original community of the disciples, and the actual experience of Christ in his Church.
In other words, Tradition is the practical continuity of the Church, the holy Temple of God the Father, built on the foundation of the Apostles and held together by the cornerstone, Christ, through the life-giving action of the Spirit: "So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph 2: 19-22).
Thanks to Tradition, guaranteed by the ministry of the Apostles and by their successors, the water of life that flowed from Christ's side and his saving blood reach the women and men of all times. Thus, Tradition is the permanent presence of the Saviour who comes to meet us, to redeem us and to sanctify us in the Spirit, through the ministry of his Church, to the glory of the Father.
Concluding and summing up, we can therefore say that Tradition is not the transmission of things or words, a collection of dead things. Tradition is the living river that links us to the origins, the living river in which the origins are ever present, the great river that leads us to the gates of eternity. And since this is so, in this living river the words of the Lord that we heard on the reader's lips to start with are ceaselessly brought about: "I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28: 20).
2.1.2 Sacred Scripture
The First Vatican Council (1869-70) declared in the Constitution Dei Filius that Sacred Scripture is the sum of books
written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author, and were as such committed to the Church.
God is the principal author of the inspired books. Man is the secondary author. By the gift of inspiration God moved the sacred author to write whatever He wanted: no more, no less.
What are the books of Sacred Scripture?
The list of books is called the Canon. This list was determined by the Catholic Church. John Salza writes in Scripture Catholic:
By virtue of this divinely-appointed authority, the Catholic Church determined the canon of Scripture (what books belong in the Bible) at the end of the fourth century. We therefore believe in the Scriptures on the authority of the Catholic Church. After all, nothing in Scripture tells us what Scriptures are inspired, what books belong in the Bible, or that Scripture is the final authority on questions concerning the Christian faith. Instead, the Bible says that the Church, not the Scriptures, is the pinnacle and foundation of the truth (I Timothy 3:15) and the final arbiter on questions of the Christian faith (Matthew 18:17). It is through the teaching authority and Apostolic Tradition (II Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6; I Corinthians 11:2) of this Church, who is guided by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 16:13), that we know of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and the manifold wisdom of God. (cf Ephesians 3:10).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (no 120) teaches:
It was by the apostolic Tradition that the Church discerned which writings are to be included in the list of the sacred books. (Cf DV 8 § 3) This complete list is called the canon of Scripture. It includes 46 books for the Old Testament (45 if we count Jeremiah and Lamentations as one) and 27 for the New. (Cf DS 179; 1334-1336; 1501-1504)
The Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi.
The New Testament: the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Acts of the Apostles, the Letters of St. Paul to the Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, the Letter to the Hebrews, the Letters of James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John, and Jude, and Revelation (the Apocalypse).
What criteria should one keep in mind when reading and interpreting the Bible?
The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) gave the following guidelines which are reiterated by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (nos 111-114).
The Second Vatican Council indicates three criteria for interpreting Scripture in accordance with the Spirit who inspired it. (Cf DV 12 § 4) (CCC 111)
Do the words of the Bible have many meanings?
It must be remembered that when reading Sacred Scripture, there are several senses or meanings that ought to be taken into account. Here is the explanation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos 116-117.
Nonetheless, we ought to remember that Christianity is not (unlike other religions) a "religion of the book" (CCC 118). Christianity is not about knowing the Bible by heart. Christianity is knowing and loving the living Word of God, Jesus Christ. In a way we could say that it is a "personality cult", because it leads one to know, love and imitate a Person--Jesus Christ.
What are the properties of Sacred Scripture?
Since the Bible comes from God, it possesses the following properties:
Does Scripture contain everything we need for salvation?
No. It does not tell us, for example,
Sacred Scripture cannot be our only rule of faith since it does not clearly teach us these things.
2.2 Magisterium of the Church and the Deposit of Faith
What do we mean by "Magisterium"?
The Magisterium is the power or teaching office which Christ gave to His Church, enriching it with the gift of infallibility. Through this Magisterium the teaching Church is the one depository and authentic interpreter of Divine Revelation. Magisterium is at the service of the Word of God (not above it.) Magisterium keeps and interprets Revelation genuinely and Infallibly.
The Compendium (no 16) says
The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the deposit of faith has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone, that is, to the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome, and to the bishops in communion with him. To this Magisterium, which in the service of the Word of God enjoys the certain charism of truth, belongs also the task of defining dogmas which are formulations of the truths contained in divine Revelation. This authority of the Magisterium also extends to those truths necessarily connected with Revelation.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (no 890) teaches that the task of the Magisterium is:
to preserve God's people from deviations and defections and to guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error. Thus, the pastoral duty of the Magisterium is aimed at seeing to it that the People of God abides in the truth that liberates. To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the Church's shepherds with the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals.
Infallibility?
The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (no 185) clarifies that
Infallibility is exercised when the Roman Pontiff, in virtue of his office as the Supreme Pastor of the Church, or the College of Bishops, in union with the Pope especially when joined together in an Ecumenical Council, proclaim by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals. Infallibility is also exercised when the Pope and Bishops in their ordinary Magisterium are in agreement in proposing a doctrine as definitive. Every one of the faithful must adhere to such teaching with the obedience of faith.
Note that infallibility covers only certain acts and certain teachings or truths. When the Holy Father or the bishops speak on other themes, infallibility does not apply.
Where can we find the teachings of the Magisterium?
We know its content through the teaching of the Ecclesial Authority in its continuity and conformity to Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
Fundamentalism separates Scripture from Magisterium and Tradition but without leaving the interpretation to each faithful, basing it strictly on literalness.
2.3 Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium
How are Tradition, Scripture, and Magisterium related?
The three are inseparably united by the will of God and the assistance of the Holy Spirit. They stem from the same source and tend to the same end. Protestants reduce Revelation to Scripture only. But what family writes Rules and lets children interpret them as they want? What country writes Constitutions and lets citizens interpret them?
The content of Revelation has been sealed with the death of the last apostle because Christ revealed Himself in a special way to the apostles. No new truths can be added. Private revelations, although approved, do not belong to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete the Revelation of Christ, but to help live it more fully in a certain period of history.
The deposit is unchangeable and revealed truth is immutable. All the doctrines that the Magisterium proposes for belief are contained in the deposit of Revelation.
Nonetheless, it does not mean that we cannot progress in our knowledge and understanding of the revealed truth. We can know supernatural truths with a new light and depth.
2.4 Of Mysteries & Dogmas
What do we mean by "mystery"?
Mysteries are revealed truths beyond the reach of our reason; these truths pertain to the supernatural order, and cannot be known if God does not reveal them to us.
How about dogmas?
The Catechism (no 88) teaches:
The Church's Magisterium exercises the authority it holds from Christ to the fullest extent when it defines dogmas, that is, when it proposes, in a form obliging the Christian people to an irrevocable adherence of faith, truths contained in divine Revelation or also when it proposes, in a definitive way, truths having a necessary connection with these.
Dogmas are revealed truths pertaining to the natural or Supernatural order which the Church has defined as such, as for example, the existence of Hell, our Lady's Immaculate Conception, her Assumption into heaven.
The Catechism further adds:
There is an organic connection between our spiritual life and the dogmas. Dogmas are lights along the path of faith; they illuminate it and make it secure. Conversely, if our life is upright, our intellect and heart will be open to welcome the light shed by the dogmas of faith. (Cf John 8:31-32)
Where can we find a summary of the most important dogmas?
We can find them in the Apostles'Creed.
The Apostles' Creed contains the truths that the apostles and the first Christians believed, because Jesus taught them those things.
Is it enough to believe these dogmas to be saved?
If I told my mom that I believed that she was my mom and did nothing else, she would be most unhappy. Belief is only the beginning of a journey. It is like having before oneself a map, indicating the lay of the land.
To live a Christian life means to know love and serve God. The better we know God, the better we can love and serve Him. Love enkindles in us the desire to know Him better; prepares us for the contemplation and study required, and instills in us an attitude of docility to the Holy Spirit.