The B.I.B.L.E. - Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth

The B.I.B.L.E – Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth

Mario D’Couto

            If I were to say that the Bible is the Word of God, it may sound like one of the old cliché statements of what the Bible is but the truth is that it is precisely what it is. The Bible, is a library in itself, a collection of books, written at different times, under different circumstances, by different people, for different reasons. Given this huge diversity, where do we turn to for an authentic understanding?

            If we go to examine the Bible, we will find that it was written in different literary genres like poetry, historical narrations, songs, romance, didactic treatise, personal correspondence, memories, satire, biography, autobiography, law, prophecy, parable and allegory. Thus, given this wide range of variety, it is but obvious that the Bible addresses a wide range of topics such as marriage, divorce and remarriage, homosexuality, adultery, obedience to authority, truth – telling and lying, character development, parenting, the nature and revelation of God. However, the question remains and that is, how do we interpret correctly or how do we know that we are not being misled?

            There are 2 approaches, namely, the Protestant and the Catholic. The former is based on a literal understanding of scripture while the latter emphasizes on understanding in its context. Another distinguishing factor is that the former is based on a ‘strict’ understanding of scripture under the guidance of the Holy Spirit while the latter is based on a rational approach. This of course does not mean to say that there is no room for divine inspiration but in as much as divine inspiration is important, the human mind is equally important in making sense of scripture.

            Consider the following example, if each person takes to mean that anyone asking for a proper interpretation will receive from God (which Fundamentalists do), the assistance of the Holy Spirit to work, then the multiplicity of interpretations, even among Fundamentalists, should give people a gnawing suspicion that the Holy Spirit has not been doing His ‘job’ very well. It could also be further argued that God speaks to us in different ways. True indeed! However, human imagination can run wild and hence it would be necessary to keep some boundaries. It is here that the Catholic Church plays a vital role.

            In other words, most Fundamentalists tend to have this notion, “the Holy Spirit tells me that the Bible is inspired.” Relying on this type of inspiration does not necessarily mean that the Holy Spirit is inspiring. While it is true that the Holy Spirit does inspire, inspiration cannot be understood as an instantaneous phenomenon. Reason without faith is lame and faith without reason is blind; they go and should go together. Perhaps the words of Cardinal Newman would serve as a fitting conclusion,


“It is antecedently unreasonable to suppose that a book so complex, so unsystematic, in parts so obscure, the outcome of so many minds, times and places, should be given us from above without the safeguard of some authority; as if it could possibly from the nature of the case, interpret itself. Its inspiration does guarantee its truth although not its interpretation. How are private readers satisfactorily to distinguish what is didactic and what is historical, what is allegorical and what is literal, what is idiomatic and what is grammatical, what is enunciated formally and what occurs, what is only of temporary and what is of lasting obligation. Such is our natural anticipation and it is too exactly justified in the events of the last 3 centuries, in the many centuries, where private judgment on the text of Scripture has prevailed. The gift of inspiration requires as its complement the gift of infallibility.”

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