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"B" Topics & Links!
Baltimore Catechism & Scriptural Reference Guide
Page 3
Q. 22. Can we know by our natural reason that there is a God?
A. We can know by our natural reason that there is a God, for natural reason tells us that the world we see about us could have been made only by a self-existing Being, all-wise and almighty.
Bible Reference: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those men that detain the truth of God in injustice; because that which is known of God is manifest in them. For God hath manifested it unto them. (Romans 1:18-19) "
Q. 23. Can we know God in any other way than by our natural reason?
A. Besides knowing God by our natural reason, we can also know Him from supernatural revelation --that is, from the truths, found in Sacred Scripture and in Tradition, which God Himself has revealed to us.
Bible Reference: "All Scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice. (2 Timothy 3:16) "
Q. 23A. What do we mean when we say that God has revealed these truths to us?
A. When we say that God has revealed these truths to us we mean that He has made them known to certain persons, to be announced to their fellow men as the Word of God.
Bible Reference: "I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God...There is such a thing as a deadly sin...all wrongdoing is sin, but there is a sin that is not deadly." (I John 5:13, 16, 17)
Q. 23B. What is the Bible?
A. The Bible is the written word of God, committed to His Church for the instruction and sanctification of mankind.
Bible Reference: "Then He opened their minds [to the Apostles - bishops of the Church] to understand the Scriptures...You are the witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:45, 48)
Q. 23C. What do we mean when we say that the entire Bible is inspired?
A. When we say that the entire Bible is inspired we mean that its principal author is God, though it was written by men whom God enlightened and moved to write all those things, and only those things, that He wished to be written.
Bible Reference: "All Scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice. (II Timothy 3:16) "
Q. 23D. How is the Bible divided?
A. The Bible is divided into the Old Testament, written before the coming of Jesus Christ, and the New Testament, written after His ascension into heaven.
Bible Reference: "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a New Testament with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. " (Jeremiah 31:31)
Q. 23E. Are all the passages of the Bible to be understood according to our modern manner of expression?
A. No; some of the passages of the Bible are not to be understood according to our modern manner of expression, since they contain certain figures of speech, parables, and literary forms used by the people of ancient times but not employed in the present.
Bible Reference: "In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, He spoke to us through a Son, whom He made heir of all things, and through whom He created the universe." (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Q. 23F. How can we know the true meaning of the Bible?
A. We can know the true meaning of the Bible from the teaching authority of the Catholic Church, which has received from Jesus Christ the right and the duty to teach and to explain all that God has revealed.
Bible Reference: "In these epistles there are certain things difficult to understand, which the unlearned and the unstable distort, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures also, to their own destruction. (II Peter 3:16) "
Q. 23G. Are Catholics encouraged by the Church to read the Bible?
A. Yes; Catholics are encouraged by the Church to read the Bible, especially the Gospels, which tell about the earthly life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man.
Bible Reference: "I too have decided, after investigating everything anew, to write it down for you, most excellent friend of God, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received." (Luke 1:3-4)
Q. 23H. What is the chief message of the New Testament?
A. The chief message of the New Testament is the joyful announcement of our salvation through Jesus Christ.
Bible Reference: "These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in His name. (John 20:31) "
Q. 23I. What is Sacred Tradition?
A. Sacred Tradition is the unwritten word of God -- that is, truths revealed by God, though not written in the Bible, and given to the Church through word of mouth by Jesus Christ or by the apostles under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Bible Reference: "Attend to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in both tasks, for by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you." (I Timothy 4:16)
Q. 23J. Has Sacred Tradition ever been committed to writing?
A. Sacred Tradition has been committed to writing, especially by saintly writers called the Church Fathers, who lived in the early centuries but were not inspired, as were those who wrote the Bible.
Bible Reference: "Therefore, bretheren, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. " (II Thesalonians 3:15)
Q. 23K. Has Sacred Tradition the same force as the Bible?
A. Yes; Sacred Tradition has the same force as the Bible, since it too contains God's revelation to men.
Bible Reference: Jesus said - "He who hears you [to the Apostles - bishops of the Church], hears Me." (Luke 10:16)
Q. 23L. By what kind of act do we believe the doctrines contained in the Bible and in Sacred Tradition?
A. We believe the doctrines contained in the Bible and Sacred Tradition by an act of divine faith, which means that we accept them on the authority of God, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
Bible Reference: Jesus said - "I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life. " John 14:6
