I wrote my article on the topic of scripture interpretation last week. I’d like to continue that conversation today. I’ll start with a summary statement of what has already been said: First of all, Christian denominations aren’t all in agreement regarding scripture interpretation. While some read the entire bible as a literal, and completely historical text, others do not. Catholics do not. The Catholic Church officially teaches that human authors were inspired, by God, to write what is necessary for our salvation, by using different literary styles and their own capabilities. Our job, then, is to determine what the author’s main purpose is, and what message they are trying to convey in a given passage. A quote from The Catechism of the Catholic Church might be helpful in explaining:
God inspired the human authors of the sacred books. ‘To compose the sacred books, God chose certain men who, all the while he employed them in this task, made full use of their own faculties and powers so that, though he acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever he wanted written, and no more.’
The inspired books teach the truth. ‘Since therefore all that the Inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures’ (CCC 106-107).
So, then, the words are true, in that the message is true. These “true authors” made choices as to how they could best convey the ways that God has revealed Himself to us. If an author was writing an epic tale like the Exodus, for example, there might be instances of exaggeration for dramatic effect, or reference to a particular monarch whose years of reign are slightly off, but the main message remains true. Other parts of the bible were written with the main purpose of conveying history in a completely historical way, like the Gospels, for example.
How do we know the author’s style and purpose? The easiest way is to begin by reading the introductions and footnotes that are contained in most Catholic bibles. Diving into the scriptures in a deep way can be a bit jarring. I can remember having many times of confusion and being upset over the idea that the words of scripture contained truth, but weren’t ALWAYS true in a historical way. It was consoling, however, to understand that the writings about Jesus WERE written to convey historical truth rather than a use of another literary style, and that any disparity found in the gospels is incidental, like whether Jesus’ sermon on the Beatitudes took place on a plain or mount. So much more could be said.
To conclude, I urge you to either begin or continue in the study of the scriptures. Rely on Catholic sources. If you do, you may have an experience like mine. As I continued to study, I grew in understanding and appreciation of the entire bible. Now, the beauty and complexity of the scriptures as the word of God, conveyed in a variety of literary styles, is something that makes sense and is beautiful. Just as God made each of us with different talents and different voices, so too, were the human authors of scripture.
The Holy Bible is a collection of the writings of many different authors who used their own style of writing, and experience / understanding of God to convey what God was saying to them. When I read then, my job is to hear that voice, and to understand that the author just had their own way of saying it.