Where Do Protestants And Roman Catholics Differ On The Question Of The Authority Of The Scripture
Is the Bible the Ultimate Source of Authority Question 3
Roman Catholics and Protestants both claim to believe the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God. While there are a number of things in which they are in agreement about, there are also things in which they disagree. It is important that we understand exactly of what the agreements and disagreements consist.
In fact, the main thing which separates Protestants and Roman Catholics is this issue of where ultimate authority comes from. Protestants believe that the Bible and it alone is the final authority on all matters of belief and practice. Roman Catholics have a different perspective on this issue. They do not believe that Scripture alone is the final authority. They believe the Bible is only one channel of divine revelation which God has revealed to humanity.
To understand the differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics on this issue, we can make the following comparisons and observations about their beliefs on the matter of ultimate authority.
The Curious Case Of The Protestant Bible
Perhaps no area in Catholic-Protestant apologetics involves as many outright falsehoods as the history of the Bible. To be sure, there are lots of theological topics on which Catholics and Protestants disagree, but for sheer number of popular Protestant arguments that are explicitly and undeniably false, nothing tops the question of where the Bible comes from and how many books it has.
Of course, there are plenty of historical debates both in and out of Christian circles. For example, theres the annual fight over whether Christopher Columbus was a great or terrible man. Thats an issue upon which reasonable people, looking at the same evidence, may disagree. But imagine if one side of that debate claimed that there was no evidence Christopher Columbus even crossed the Atlantic. Thats the level of argument to be found in the surreal world of many Protestant versions of the history of the Bible: that of outlandish claims and easily disproven falsehoods.
No evidence that they treated the Apocrypha as Scripture? Rubbish. In book II, chapter 8 of On Christian Doctrine , St. Augustine listed the whole canon of Scripture on which we say this judgment is to be exercised, and his list was exactly the Catholic canon. After listing the entire Catholic canon he explains that these books are the full expression of the authority of the Old Testament.
Why Catholics See The Bible Differently Than Protestants: The Story Behind The Catholic Approach To Scripture
In Catholic circles, the joke goes that if you want to quote from the Bible, find a good Protestant to help you. There is some truth to that. Catholics generally dont know their Bible as well as Protestants, especially evangelicals, whose worship and private devotion are centered on Scripture. Catholics rely on the Bible, of course, but they also turn to rituals to enact the full meaning of Scripture. Why do Catholics engage the Bible differently than Protestants?
In the beginning of Christianity, the Word of God was primarily heard. One way of considering how Catholics approach the Bible is by tracing the historical movements from hearing the Bible to seeing, singing, reading, praying, and living the word of God.
Like their Jewish ancestors, the first Christians told stories around a meal.
Christianity is a story good news, in fact and like any good story, it is told from one generation to the next. Like their Jewish ancestors, the first Christians told stories around a meal. The birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus changed the ancient storyline. As they told the familiar story of Israel from this Easter perspective, the early church began to write it down, allowing the story to be shared more broadly and consistently.
For Catholics, the sacraments, which are biblically rooted, are a path to holiness distinct, but not removed, from the reading of scripture.
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Similarities Between Nasb And Ncb Bibles
- NASB and NCB are both literal/formal equivalence translations. If you want a Bible that is as close as possible to the meaning and contexts in the original Bible manuscripts, both the NASB and NCB are great picks.
- The NASB and NCB translations are both written in easy-to-understand contemporary English. They are written to match the current style of spoken and written English in most parts of the world.
- NASB and NCB are both original translations. They are translated from the original manuscripts. They are not based on other versions of the Bible.
- Both translations go to great effort to remain faithful to the word of God. They dont try to interpret the meaning of some sections or change their meaning to reflect a different environment. The only thing they do is adjust the language to make it more suitable for modern readers.
Differences Between Nasb And Ncb Bibles
- The biggest difference between the NASB and NCB translations is that the NASB is a protestant Bible while the NCB is a Catholic Bible. NASB contains 66 books recognized as canon by Protestant churches while the NCB bible has 73 books, including seven deuterocanonical books recognized by the Catholic Church.
- The NASB translation is older than the NCB translation . However, the style of language is very similar since the NASB has been revised twice with the last revision being in 2020.
- While both NASB and NCB translations use contemporary and easy to understand English, the NASB translation is a bit more challenging to read. The NCB Bible is written at a 7th grade reading level while the NASB Bible is more suitable for 11th graders and older. If you are getting a Bible for your kid or teen, the NCB Bible is the better choice between the two.
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What Does The Bible Say About Scripture And Tradition
Though the Roman Catholic Church places oral tradition on the same level as written Scripture, we never find the Bible doing this in the same way as Romanism.
The Bible teaches that only the written Scripture is divinely inspired. Nowhere does it say that this type of tradition is inspired the way in which Rome claims it is inspired. We can make the following points in our response to the Roman position.
1. Jesus Answered Questions by Quoting Scripture, He Never Cited Tradition
When Jesus was asked a question which needed an authoritative answer, He answered it with Scripture, or His own authoritative words He never answered a question by citing some unwritten tradition. For example, we read the following encounter in Lukes Gospel:
Just then an expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? What is written in the law? He asked him. How do you read it?
When the question of eternal life was asked of Jesus, He answered the question with a question, What is written in the Law? The answer was found in Gods written Word. According to Jesus, the authoritative answers were in the Scriptures, not in any tradition which had been handed down.
In another place, Jesus illustrated how a person could know the truth of God. He said:
They have Moses and the prophets they must respond to them.
The answer to the question was found in Moses and the prophets the written Scripture. There was no appeal to tradition.
Why Are Catholic And Protestant Bibles Different
Why do Catholics have 2 books in their Bible that Protestants do not have?
In fact the Catholic Old Testament contains not just two but quite a handful of books which are not in the Protestant Old Testament. These extra books are usually called the Apocrypha , or Old Testament Apocrypha , or deutero-canonical books , and include such books as I-II Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, I-IV Maccabees, etc.
The reason for the Protestant/ Catholic difference here goes all the way back to the Old Testament, first written in Hebrew , and then translated about 200 B.C. into Greek. As it happened, some more late Jewish books were written not in Hebrew, but in Greek, because by then it was the common language of the Eastern Roman Empire. Naturally enough, these late books, written in Greek, were included not in the original Hebrew Old Testament, but only in the Greek translation of it .
Consequently, many of them accepted not the Greek additions, but only the original Hebrew books of the Old Testament. Thus, for example, the very first edition of the King James Bible included the Old Testament Apocrypha but after some Protestants objected, the second and subsequent editions excluded the Apocrypha. Thus to this day Catholic Bibles include the Old Testament Apocrypha, strictly Protestant Bibles exclude it, but certain ecumenical Bibles include it as an appendix.
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The Modern Bibles Content
The modern bible is not just one book, but many books, stories and historical events that have been compiled into a single volume. These books come from both the Old Testament and the New Testament alike.
In the late 4th century, these books, and scriptures, were compiled into a single volume. The Protestant and the Catholic bibles are different from one another today. As the Catholic version includes seven books that the Protestant bible does not acknowledge.
What Is The Difference Between Catholic And Protestant Bibles
A caller named Jackie asks if the Catholic Bible should be interpreted differently from the Protestant Bible. She points out that she knows that the Catholic Bible has more books, but wonders if the meanings of the words change as well.
Father Dave responds, So interestingly, she uses the phrase Catholic Bible. It is probably important to point out that there are many different Catholic Bibles. By that, we mean different translations or even publications of the Scriptures that are appropriate for use by Catholics. The Catholic Church doesnt forbid us from looking at any version or any translation of the Bible, but based on how Ill answer this question, maybe it will become a bit more clear why we would steer people towards one version or translation over another.
When we talk about the Catholic Bible versus a Protestant Bible, that essentially stems from a disagreement among many. There had been books of the Bible that had been used by the Church. We also have to remember that the Reformation, not everybody was walking around with their own Bible because of a lack of literacy and lack of a printing press. Bibles were mostly in the possession of the Church, Church leaders or monasteries. In fact, the only way we would reproduce other copies or even other versions of the Bible would be from monks sitting copying over the manuscripts.
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Catholic Vs Lutheran & Protestant
The main split during the reformation was between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant movement.
Even today, these are the two main ideologies in Christianity. The Lutherans are part of the Protestants.
Here are the biggest differences between the two sides.
It may seem like Catholics and Lutherans are as far apart as night and day, but they share some fundamental christian beliefs.
For instance, both Catholics and Lutherans believe in the Holy Trinity that is espoused in the Nicene Creed.
They also believe in the importance of baptism for salvation.
Both Lutherans and Catholics practice confession to a priest or pastor, though Lutherans dont believe in indulgences.
Difference Between Catholic Bible And Protestant Bible
Religion is divided into various groups. The major ones are Christians and Muslims. Christians are further divided into various groups that resulted in the birth of different Bibles.
Roman Catholic Church has their own bible according to their beliefs and opinions same to protestant but they are more similar.
So, what is the main difference between Catholic Bible and Protestant Bible? Catholic bible came into existence and practice with the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in the 1st century while the protestant bible came into existence after reformation where Martin Luther protested against Catholics which eventually sowed seeds for reformation.
For more information about the difference between the catholic bible and the protestant bible in tabular form, continue reading the article. You will also get to learn of the similarities between the two.
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Main Differences Between Catholic Bible And Protestant Bible
Eucharist Or Lord’s Supper
The Catholics’ views on the spiritual office are reflected in the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, a rite commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples before his crucifixion. Once consecrated by a priest in the name of Jesus, bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. Non-Catholics may not participate in Communion.In the Protest Church, every baptized person is invited to share and is allowed to lead the Lord’s Supper. This approach is not accepted by Catholics.
Additionally, Eucharist has a different meaning for Catholics and Protestants. The bread, known as the Host, embodies Jesus and can therefore be prayed to. For Protestants, the ritual only serves to commemorate Jesus’ death and resurrection.
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The Protestant Bible And Catholic Bible Are Not The Same Book Here’s What You Need To Know About The Difference
by Wyatt Massey
Editor’s note: This article is part of a series answering religious questions. Each week, we will answer one submitted faith question. This week’s question was not submitted but was a timely divergence. To send a submission, visit timesfreepress.com/religionquestions or email [email protected].
Question: I believe the Catholic Bible has more books than the Protestant one. What are they?
A: There are seven books in the Catholic Bible – Baruch, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Sirach, Tobit and Wisdom – that are not included in the Protestant version of the Old Testament. These books are referred to as the deuterocanonical books.
The history of why this came to be is a bit complicated but offers several interesting implications.
Between 400 and 200 B.C., Jews were formalizing the books that make up the Torah and the Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, which in Hebrew contained a smaller number of books. As Jews moved throughout the region, the Bible was translated into Greek and then Latin, versions that included the seven books, said John Collins, professor of Old Testament criticism and interpretation at Yale Divinity School.
The decision to not uphold the value of those seven books shifted the theology of the Protestant church, he said.
Understanding Of The Bible
Catholicism and Protestantism have distinct views on the meaning and the authority of the Bible. For Protestant Christians, Luther made clear that the Bible is the “Sola Skriptura,” God’s only book, in which He provided His revelations to the people and which allows them to enter in communion with Him.
Catholics, on the other hand, do not base their beliefs on the Bible alone. Along with the Holy Scripture, they are additionally bound by the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.
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Comparison Of Bible Verses Between Nasb And Ncb Bibles
Psalm 23:1-2
NASB: The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need. He lets me lie down in green pastures He leads me beside quiet waters.
NCB: The Lord is my shepherd there is nothing I shall lack. He makes me lie down in green pastures he leads me to tranquil streams.
Matthew 9:9
NASB: As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax collectors office and He said to him, Follow Me! And he got up and followed Him.
NCB: As Jesus walked on from there, he noticed a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collectors booth. Jesus said to him, Follow me, and he got up and followed him.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
NASB: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
NCB: Rejoice always pray continually give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
As you can see, the language in both translations is pretty close. But youll notice that the New Catholic Bible is a bit simpler to read.
But both are excellent and highly accurate translations. Which one you choose depends on whether you are looking for a Catholic or Protestant Bible.