1. What is the Bible?
The Bible is a collection of the books written under the inspiration of God. “All Scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice” (2nd Timothy 3:16).
2. What does “Inspired of God” mean?
Inspiration means that God chose some men and moved them to write down faithfully all the things, and only those things, which He ordered.
“For I give you to understand, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For neither did I receive it of man, nor did I learn it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12).
3. Who, then, is the real author of the Bible?
God is the real author of the Bible, since He moved these men to write down the things He ordered, although he allowed them to write in their own language and style.
“God at sundry times and in diverse manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, in these days by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1, 2).
4. How many books are there in the Bible?
There are 72 books in the whole Bible.
5. When were all these books put together?
The Catholic Church put all of them in one book for the first time between the years 350 and 405.
6. What is the difference between the Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible?
The Catholic Bible is larger, because it is the whole Bible. The men who founded the protestant churches left out seven whole books (Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, 1st and 2nd Maccabees; also parts of Esther and Daniel).
“If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life” (Apocalypse 22:18, 19).
7. How can I know which is a Catholic Bible?
A Catholic Bible always has the name of a Catholic Bishop on the inside cover with the Latin word “Imprimatur”, which means “It may be printed”. The Bishop’s name has a cross in front of it.
8. Does the Bible contain all the things God has told us?
No, the Bible does not contain all the words of God.
“Many other signs also did Jesus in the sight of His disciples, which are not written in this book” (John 20:30).
9. What happened to these “other things Jesus did”?
These “other things Jesus did” were handed down by word of mouth by the Apostles and other close followers of Jesus. This is called TRADITION, or the Unwritten Word of God.
“Hold the traditions which you have learned whether BY WORD or by our epistle” (2nd Thessalonians 2:14). See also:2nd John 1:12, and 1st Corinthians 11:12
10. Must I believe in Tradition?
Yes, I must believe in Tradition because it is the Word of God and has equal authority with the Bible.
“And we charge you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and not according to the tradition which they have received of us” (2nd Thessalonians 3:6).
11. Am I free to believe what I want?
No, I am not free to believe what I want. I must believe everything in the Bible and in Tradition.
“The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the angels of His power, in a flame of fire, giving vengeance to them who know not God, and who obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2nd Thessalonians 1:7, 8).
12. What kind of a sin is it to deny anything in the Bible or in Tradition?
To deny anything in the Bible or in Tradition is usually a serious sin.
Whosoever revolteth, and continueth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God” (2nd John 1:9).
13. How is the Bible divided?
The Bible is divided into two main parts:
1) The Old Testament, which contains the things God told the Jews, from the beginning of the world up to the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.
2) The New Testament, which contains what God has told us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and through His Apostles and some of His close followers.
14. Are Catholics allowed to read the Bible?
Yes, Catholics are not only allowed to read the Bible, but the Church gives special blessings to her members who read a portion of it for at least fifteen minutes a day.
“For what things soever were written, were written for our learning, that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures, we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).