Matthew Cain
Although there are many different editions and translations available, Catholics typically use the New American Bible, with 46 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. The Catholic Bible includes the Apocrypha (the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and I & II Maccabees), and Church leadership has explicitly stated that these books are of equal reverence as the rest of the Bible (Saunders). Catholics believe that the Scripture is sacred, but that it is not the entire word of God, and thus they do not “limit their understanding” of faith to solely the Bible. Rather, Catholics also look to the teachings of priests, bishops, the Pope, and Church councils for authority in interpreting Scripture when it is unclear or silent on certain topics (Harden). Catholics believe that the authority to interpret Scripture and to teach Church doctrine has been passed down through Church leaders since Jesus’ Apostles, and that the fullness of teachings is found through “both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition” (Harden).
The Catholic Church was officially formed through the centralization of power in Rome under leaders who traced their authority back to Peter, and thus this Church has a tradition of looking to Church leaders for authority (Matthews 296). Catholics believe that the Bible was inspired by God and written by humans to teach humans about God and how to act as His people, but they do not believe that this logically means that the Bible should be the only authority on faith (Harden). Catholics understand that the Bible, as stated directly in John’s Gospel, cannot contain all information about Jesus’ life, the nature of God, and humans’ relationship with Him: “Scripture is most certainly a part of Divine Revelation, but it is not the fullness of it” (Harden). Catholics emphasize that Jesus did not write any Scripture or compile a canon, and that rather he started the tradition of the Church through Peter. He did not confine his teachings to a book, but rather he sent forth his human followers to spread the faith (Harden).
Southern Baptists typically use the King James Bible, which does not include the Apocrypha (Saunders). Baptists believe that the most essential teachings of the Bible are clear enough for all believers to understand, so they reject a centralized authority charged with interpreting and explaining Scripture. When a Bible verse is unclear, clearer passages are often used to interpret the more ambiguous verses (Geisler). Baptist Church services are heavily focused on the reading of Scripture, and the most focal aspects of a Baptist church are the pulpit, for reading Scripture, and the choir, for singing Scripture.
Baptists adhere strictly to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, which states that “Scripture alone is the primary and absolute source for all doctrine and practice,” including faith and morals (Geisler). The Protestant Reformation began largely as a reaction against the corruption of Church leaders, and thus the Baptist Church formed from a tradition of a rejection of a centralized authority over believers (Matthews 299). The Bible is divinely inspired: its words are God’s words, so Baptists hold it as the only ultimate and necessary authority for Christian teachings. The Church leadership is fallible, and only the Bible is infallible (Geisler). The Baptist Bible does not include the Apocrypha because Martin Luther did not believe these books to be equal to the rest of Scripture (Saunders). Furthermore, verses within these books support the doctrines of Purgatory, the authority of the priesthood, and merited salvation, which the Baptist Church rejects (Gantly). Church services focus on Scripture readings because reading the Bible is only way to know God’s revelation, learn about the sufficient grace of Jesus’ sacrifice, and understand salvation.
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Works Cited
Gantley, Mark. “The 7 Books Removed by Martin Luther.” Global Catholic Network, 1 May 2005, http://www.ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=438095.
Geisler, Norman. “What is Sola Scriptura?” Christian Research Institute, 8 Apr. 2009, http://www.equip.org/article/what-is-sola-scriptura/.
Harden, John. “The Bible and Tradition.” Bible Study for Catholics, Ascension Press, 4 Feb. 2016, biblestudyforcatholics.com/bible-tradition/.
Matthews, Warren. “Christianity.” World Religions. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008. 296, 299. Print.
Saunders, William. “The Missing Books of the Bible.” The Arlington Catholic Herald, 19 Sept. 2016, http://www.catholicherald.com/Faith/Bishop_Loverde/Bishop_s_25th_Anniversary/The_Missing_Books_of_the_Bible/.
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