Go into any bookstore, and you will see all types of bibles. How do you know which ones to use? Are they all the same, or are there differences? And if so, how do I tell which bible is the best for me? Does the Catholic Church have a preference for the bibles used?
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Bible
The Bible used at Mass
Go into any bookstore, and you will see all types of bibles. How do you know which ones to use? Are they all the same, or are there differences? And if so, how do I tell which bible is the best for me? Does the Catholic Church have a preference for the bibles used?
From the USCCB we read the following. “Since May 19, 2002, the revised Lectionary, based on the New American Bible is the only English-language Lectionary that may be used at Mass in the dioceses of the United States, except for the current Lectionary for Masses with Children which remains in use.
The 1970 edition of the New American Bible is used in the Scripture readings and canticles of the Liturgy of the Hours (except the Benedictus, Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis.)”
Approved bibles for private use
For private use, the list of bibles is longer. Below is the list provided by the USCCB.
The 1983 Code of Canon Law entrusts to the Apostolic See and the episcopal conferences the authority to approve translations of the Sacred Scriptures in the Latin Catholic Church (c. 825, §1). Prior to 1983, Scriptural translations could be approved by the Apostolic See or by a local ordinary within a diocese.
What follows is a complete list of the translations of the Sacred Scriptures that have received the approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops since 1983.
In addition to the translations listed below, any translation of the Sacred Scriptures that has received proper ecclesiastical approval ‒ namely, by the Apostolic See or a local ordinary prior to 1983, or by the Apostolic See or an episcopal conference following 1983 ‒ may be used by the Catholic faithful for private prayer and study.
- Books of the New Testament, Alba House
- Contemporary English Version – New Testament, First Edition, American Bible Society
- Contemporary English Version – Book of Psalms, American Bible Society
- Contemporary English Version – Book of Proverbs, American Bible Society
- The Grail Psalter (Inclusive Language Version), G.I.A. Publications
- New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)
- New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, National Council of Churches
- The Psalms, Alba House
- The Psalms (New International Version) – St. Joseph Catholic Edition, Catholic Book Publishing Company
- The Psalms – St. Joseph New Catholic Version, Catholic Book Publishing Company
- Revised Psalms of the New American Bible (1991)
- So You May Believe, A Translation of the Four Gospels, Alba House
- Good News Translation (Today’s English Version, Second Edition), American Bible SocietyTranslation for Early Youth, A Translation of the New Testament for Children, Contemporary English Version, American Bible Society
Why so many translations?
If you have never had to translate something from one language to another, you may not realize how challenging a translation may be. Furthermore, there are some languages that are easier for translations. For example, translating Italian to Spanish for example, is easier than it is to translate Chinese to English.
Translating the languages of the Bible are challenging. There are three major languages of the Bible, Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. And structurally each language is quite different from English. Teams of scholars are caught between two priorities. First, there is the need to be accurate. But since an emphasis only on accuracy can be difficult to read in the other language, translators also have to consider readability as well.
The Structure of the Bible
It is important to know that the Bible is filled with books written in different times for different purposes. In fact, rather than thinking of the Bible as one book, it is better to think about it as a library.
The Old Testament
Like a library, the Old Testament has sections. Basically, there are three section, often referred to as TANAK. This acronym refers to how books are referred to in the Old Testament, comprising the Torah (the five Books of Moses), the Nevi’im (the Books of the Prophets), and the Ketuvim (‘Writings’). The Torah refers to the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronom. For the Jewish people, these books are the most important.
The second section is called the Historical section. This section contains the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. As the name implies this section refers to books that recount the history of the people of Israel. Much like today this history is both honest, but in some books there is an emphasis more not the events of pride, not always focusing on the failures.
The third section could be described as everything else. But It can also be referred to by subsections. There are biblical novellas, prophetic books and wisdom books. The prophetic books are further divided into Major Prophets and Minor Prophets.
Why does my bible have more books than other bibles?
One other thing to note. If you do not have a Catholic bible, you might notice the number of books in the Old Testament are different. The books that are considered inspired by God are referred to as part of the canon of scripture, or canonical. The Catholic Church (and the Orthodox and other eastern churches) considers 46 books to be part of this canon, including Seven books are accepted as deuterocanonical by all the ancient churches: Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom, First and Second Maccabees and also the Greek additions to Esther and Daniel.
James Akin offers the following reasons to explain the Catholic position.
In the sixteenth century, the Protestant Reformers removed a large section of the Old Testament that was not compatible with their theology. They charged that these writings were not inspired Scripture and branded them with the pejorative title “Apocrypha.” …
The Church does not deny that there are ancient writings which are “apocryphal.” During the early Christian era, there were scores of manuscripts which purported to be Holy Scripture but were not. Many have survived to the present day, like the Apocalypse of Peter and the Gospel of Thomas, which all Christian churches regard as spurious writings that don’t belong in Scripture.
During the first century, the Jews disagreed as to what constituted the canon of Scripture. In fact, there were a large number of different canons in use, including the growing canon used by Christians.
The Greek translation of what we call the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, was the translation used by the apostles and the early Church. Perhaps to counter the impact of the growing Christian Church, certain rabbis gathered in a city called Jamnia, where the septuagint was rejected. Since this group of rabbis became influential over time, Jewish bibles today do not include the extra books.
James Akin also makes these observations. “The Christian acceptance of the deuterocanonical books was logical because the deuterocanonicals were also included in the Septuagint, the Greek edition of the Old Testament which the apostles used to evangelize the world. Two thirds of the Old Testament quotations in the New are from the Septuagint.”
So for 1500 years, the canon was considered to include these books. When this was challenged by Protestant reformers, the Catholic Church felt a need to define the canon at the Council of Trent. It is the case that some Protestant scholars can see the value of these books.
The New Testament
There is no difference in the books that constitute the New Testament canon. The New Testament is divided into the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke – including the Acts of the Apostles — and John) as well as the letters of Saint Paul, the Letters of Peter, John (including Revelation) James, Jude, Titus, Philemon and the Letter to the Hebrews
The Catholic Church sees an intimate connection between the Old and New Testament. In fact, Saint Augustine famously said that the New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New.
How to use the Bible for Spiritual Growth
The USCCB offers the following guidelines on how to use the Bible.
- Bible reading is for Catholics. The Church encourages Catholics to make reading the Bible part of their daily prayer lives. Reading these inspired words, people grow deeper in their relationship with God and come to understand their place in the community God has called them to in himself.
- Prayer is the beginning and the end. Reading the Bible is not like reading a novel or a history book. It should begin with a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds to the Word of God. Scripture reading should end with a prayer that this Word will bear fruit in our lives, helping us to become holier and more faithful people.
- Get the whole story! When selecting a Bible, look for a Catholic edition. A Catholic edition will include the Church’s complete list of sacred books along with introductions and notes for understanding the text. A Catholic edition will have an imprimatur notice on the back of the title page. An imprimatur indicates that the book is free of errors in Catholic doctrine.
- The Bible isn’t a book. It’s a library. The Bible is a collection of 73 books written over the course of many centuries. The books include royal history, prophecy, poetry, challenging letters to struggling new faith communities, and believers’ accounts of the preaching and passion of Jesus. Knowing the genre of the book you are reading will help you understand the literary tools the author is using and the meaning the author is trying to convey.
- Know what the Bible is – and what it isn’t. The Bible is the story of God’s relationship with the people he has called to himself. It is not intended to be read as history text, a science book, or a political manifesto. In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation.
- The sum is greater than the parts. Read the Bible in context. What happens before and after – even in other books – helps us to understand the true meaning of the text.
- The Old relates to the New. The Old Testament and the New Testament shed light on each other. While we read the Old Testament in light of the death and resurrection of Jesus, it has its own value as well. Together, these testaments help us to understand God’s plan for human beings.
- You do not read alone. By reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture, Catholics join those faithful men and women who have taken God’s Word to heart and put it into practice in their lives. We read the Bible within the tradition of the Church to benefit from the holiness and wisdom of all the faithful.
- What is God saying to me? The Bible is not addressed only to long-dead people in a faraway land. It is addressed to each of us in our own unique situations. When we read, we need to understand what the text says and how the faithful have understood its meaning in the past. In light of this understanding, we then ask: What is God saying to me?
- Reading isn’t enough. If Scripture remains just words on a page, our work is not done. We need to meditate on the message and put it into action in our lives. Only then can the word be “living and effective.”(Hebrews 4:12).
On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update. You can subscribe to our podcasts on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
