St. Mary's Church Elizabeth, IL

10/4

Bible Discussions

More than twenty-five centuries have passed since an anonymous Jewish author wrote these words: "O how I love your teaching!  It is my study all day long" (Psalm 119-97).  The love for Torah (teaching) and dedication to the study of it.

It was Jewish tradition that their children from earliest days were trained in reading of the Torah.  The Jews claimed, that the Torah was so imprinted on the hearts and mind of their children, that they would sooner forget their own name than they would forget it.  The tradition of biblical interpretation has been a constant conversation and an argument, amoung its participants.  We must remember that the Scripture for them was the Old Testament, because the New had not come yet into being.

St. Paul in his second letter to Timothy says, that the Scriptures give us the wisdom which will bring salvation (2Timothy 3:15).  The Scripture has opened for men and women the way to God.  No one who is seeking for the truth cannot disregard the Bible.  Even to unbelievers amazing things may happen when they attempt to to read it.  There is a saving wisdom in this Book.

It is only in the New Testament that we have a picture of Jesus, an account of his life and any record of his teaching.  It is an undeniable fact that it is impossible for the Church to do without the gospels, and it is the only place that we can get any information about Jesus Christ and his teachings, on which Christianity is founded.  It is beyond argument that the Scriptures can convince us the power of Christ.  It is to our advantage to use the Bible because its words stimulate our minds and hearts.  St. Jerome wrote this in the commentary on Isaiah: "I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ:  Search the Scriptures, and Seek and you shall find.  Christ will not say to me what he said to the Jews:  You erred, not knowing the Scriptures, and not knowing the power of God.  For if, as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scripture is the ignorance of Christ."  The study of Scripture makes us useful to God.  It must always be in agreement with the teaching of Jesus Christ.

Fr. Joachim