Bible Basics - Steve Ray

Play Nicely, Children
Your personal Bible study blueprint.

Imagine children running and tussling in the grass. Picture the playground unsupervised and surrounded by deadly perils: a sharp cliff dropping down a thousand feet to one side, a field of land mines to another, a pit of poisonous snakes to another, and a bog of quicksand on the final side. With anguish you watch the children fall prey to the dangers around them.

Now imagine the same children playing, but now they're carefully supervised and surrounded by a secure chain-link fence. To be in danger now, a child would have to disregard all the rules and protective measures. You relax, a sigh of relief passes your lips, and you begin to enjoy watching the children play.

The above analogies highlight two common misconceptions that plague Catholics. First, that Catholics aren't supposed to read the Bible, for fear they'll misinterpret it and end up confused, falling into danger like the children in our first playground. And second, that Bible study is associated with Protestantism.

Well, aren't Catholics forbidden to read the Bible? Isn't the Bible hard to understand? Shouldn't we leave Scripture study to priests and religious? If laymen study the Bible, don't they interpret it incorrectly and go off the deep end?

Just after I'd written the above paragraph, I mentioned the words "Bible study" to a parish priest visiting our home. He immediately lamented, "Oh, if only I could get my parishioners over their deep-seated fear that if they study the Bible, they'll somehow become Fundamentalist Protestants!" This sounds strange to an ex-Fundamentalist like me, because it was the love and study of the Bible that brought me into the Catholic Church in the first place. Yet, sadly, this subtle fear prevents many Catholics from dusting off the family Bible and making a go at personal study.

The first playground, fraught with dangers, illustrates the situation clearly. Are there real dangers associated with studying the Bible? Do pitfalls lie to the left and right? Yes, of course. The fear is not without foundation. Survey the landscape of Christian history, and you'll see well-meaning individuals and groups strewn in every direction. The theological carnage and division brought about by Protestant "Bible only" theology (sola scriptura) is apparent.

Yet along that same landscape, we also see many who have loved the Bible deeply, studied it studiously, and have done so without suffering spiritual harm. They've ascended the dizzying heights of biblical study, and through it, have grown to love Jesus and His Catholic Church with ever-deepening ardor.

What differentiates the two? Why do some stumble and fall by the wayside, while others "play" with a joyful, utter abandon — almost carefree in their study of Scripture — with no fear of falling?

The fence and the supervision make all the difference. They provide a barrier between the children and destruction. They allow the children to run and play in safety.

What do the protective measures in our analogy represent? The fence is the basic understanding of how to study the Bible, while the supervision is the Tradition and teaching of the Catholic Church. These two things — readily available to any who desire them — are what make the difference.

The dangers are real, but the protections and guidance are just as real. Those who follow the simple guidelines and avoid forays into the quicksand will study the Scriptures with great benefit, and, I may add, with deep joy and pleasure.

The fence and the supervision.
What does the Church teach about personal Bible study (CCC 133)? What kind of access or restriction should be placed on Catholics regarding the Bible (CCC 131)? How does the Bible speak of itself and its use by God's people (Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:14-17)?

Read Psalm 119. What is the Psalmist's theme and passion? Earlier, in Psalm 19:7-11, what value does the Psalmist place on the Scriptures?

Is the Bible the only source of God's revelation (1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Thess. 2:15; CCC 80-82)?

Even though the Sadducees studied the Scriptures assiduously, what did Jesus say to them (Mark 12:24)?

Do the Scriptures always have a plain meaning and are they always easy to understand (2 Peter 3:15-17; Acts 8:29-31)? Based on these verses, is everyone's understanding of Scripture equally valid? Does everyone have the same ability to understand the Scriptures (Heb. 5:11-12)?

Should individuals research the Scriptures for themselves (Acts 17:11)? Is the interpretation of the Bible ultimately left up to each individual? And what place does "private interpretation" have in the interpretation of Scripture (2 Peter 1:20)? Where does authoritative interpretation of Scripture have its source (CCC 84, 85, 95)?

Who has the ultimate right to protect and interpret the Bible (CCC 119; Acts 20:27-31; Titus 1:9)? What is the "pillar and foundation of truth" (1 Tim. 3:15)? Who or what has judicial authority over a believer (Matt. 18:17)?

How are the faithful to respond to the protective teaching authority of the Church (CCC 87, 88)?

Steve Ray leads a large parish-based Bible study in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Be sure to visit his Web page at www.catholic-convert.com.