Which Bibles Are Exclusively Catholic
Catholic Bibles include the New American Bible , The New Jerusalem Bible, and the older Douay Rheims.
The only translation that is accepted for liturgies in the United States is the New American translation. The Contemporary English Version is approved for childrens liturgies.
Imprimatur is found in Catholic Bibles and indicates that it is published with ecclesiastical permission. This indicates assurance that the text has been approved by a Catholic bishop and that the edition contains the seven deuterocanonical books.
A Brief Description of the Translations Most Commonly Used by Catholics:
Which Bible Translation Should Catholics Use Its Not The One You Think
St. Jerome, whose feast day is Sept. 30, is a giant in the intellectual history of the church. He is best known for translating the Bible from its original Hebrew and Greek into Latin, and his translation, called the Vulgate, remained the most commonly used version of scripture for over 1,100 years.
Today, though, the Vulgate is no longer in common use in the English-speaking world, dozens of translations have vied for readers in its stead.
English-speaking Catholics in the 21st century have an embarrassment of riches from which to choose. There are mainstream translations like the New King James Version, the New International Version and the Good News Bible.
There are also more specialized versions: Last year, Bishop Robert Barrons ministry published its Word on Fire edition of the New Testament, replete with full-color images, historical explanations and reflections. Other Bibles are designed with specificsometimes very specificinterests in mind, like The Holy Bible: Stock Car Racingedition, which intersperses Scripture with unrelated pictures of race cars.
Amid such a multitude of choices, what is the best Bible translation for Catholics?
Is There A Catholic Edition Of The Niv
There is no Catholic edition of the NIV either. Not to mention these misses Deuterocanonical Books. Regarding NRSV make sure it is a Catholic edition. The correct bible that a Catholic is supposed to use is the Latin Vulgate Bible. That is the official bible of the Catholic Church. That is the one which is used in papal masses.
Its unlikely for the church to forbid Catholics from using any version of the bible in particular. In fact, the church doesnt denounce the King James Version of the Bible, but it uses different versions during mass.
If you read newer translations like the New International Version , you wont find these books. The only bible that contains them is the original Catholic version. The books include: These books contain prayers for the dead and intercessions of saints and angels, which are not recognized in the Protestant church.
As mentioned, the Catholic faith doesnt reject any version of the bible, but youll notice that there are many different variations. Why so many versions of the same text? Some books like the New King James Version seem to merely change the wording. Instead of using thee and thy, they changed the phrasing to meet the modern language standards.
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Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The Revised Standard Version, Catholic edition Bible is an example of an equivalent translation, or a word-for-word translation. It gives an accurate reading of the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek original text and is a strong choice for anyone interested in serious Bible study.
The following is a list of the other translations that have been approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops since 1983.
- Books of the New Testament, Alba House
- Contemporary English Versions:
- New Testament, First Edition, American Bible Society
- Book of Psalms, American Bible Society
- Book of Proverbs, American Bible Society
What Is The History Of The Esv Catholic Edition And How Did The Augustine Institute Become The Exclusive Publisher In The United States
The ESV is esteemed, and we believe rightly so, as the most faithful English translation of the Bible today. Continuing in the line of noble English translations of the King James Version to the Revised Standard Version , the ESV emphasizes close proximity to the original Hebrew and Greek texts, most consistently among modern translations. Therefore, when the publisher of the ESV, Crossway Books, chose the Augustine Institute to be the exclusive Catholic publisher of the ESV® Catholic Edition in North America, right after they received the Imprimatur for this translation from the Vatican, this was confirmation of the Augustine Instituteâs charism and calling. What is more, the day the contract was signed was August 28, which is the feast day of St. Augustineâa welcome sign from Divine Providence that we are called to steward and spread the Word of God.
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The Catholic Edition Of The Bible
The Catholic Edition of the Bible, as it is commonly called in America, finds its roots in antiquity. According to Michael Palmer, a professor of biblical history and literature at Meredith College, Jews in Alexandria, Egypt, produced a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures before Jesus birth, known as the Septuagint, which included more books than the scriptures later accepted by the Jewish community in Israel. Early Christians used the Septuagint, later translated into Latin and called the Vulgate. The Catholic Council of Trent approved the additional books as canonical in the 1500s AD. The Roman Catholic Old Testament contains 46 books, as compared to the Protestant Bibles 39 books, and the New Testament used by all Christians consists of 27 books.
What Is The Difference Between A Catholic And A Protestant
In the Roman Catholic Church, there are seven solemn rites, called sacraments: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, matrimony, penance, holy orders and extreme unction. Most Protestant churches only practice two of these sacraments: baptism and the Eucharist .
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Common Use Of The Bible By Catholics
While many versions are not officially approved by the Catholic church due to their omission of the Apocrypha, many faithful Catholics still find them to be useful for personal study and reflection. For example, Catholic Answers notes that the New International Version, which provides a more dynamic, less literal translation of the Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic texts, may be easier to understand for modern readers than more literal translations like the New American Bible.
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Prophecy And The Catholic Church
The Bible uses the term prophecy to denote both a spiritual gift and future-seeing. Typically when we speak of prophecy in conversation, we mean what is called eschatology, or the study of the final thingsthe events immediately before Jesus return and the end of the ages .
Because little has been defined by the Magisterium concerning the end times, Catholic eschatology is part of what is called speculative theology. This designation means the subject is open for speculation and development by Catholics seeking truth.
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Differences From Catholic Lectionaries
Lectionaries for use in the liturgy differ somewhat in text from the Bible versions on which they are based. Many liturgies, including the Roman, omit some verses in the biblical readings that they use.
Another difference concerns the usage of the Tetragrammaton. Yahweh appears in some Bible translations such as the Jerusalem Bible throughout the Old Testament. Long-standing Jewish and Christian tradition holds that the name is not to be spoken in worship or printed in liturgical texts out of reverence. A 2008 letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments explicitly forbids the use of the name in worship texts, stating: “For the translation of the biblical text in modern languages, intended for the liturgical usage of the Church, what is already prescribed by n. 41 of the Instruction Liturgiam authenticam is to be followed that is, the divine tetragrammaton is to be rendered by the equivalent of Adonai/Kyrios Lord, Signore, Seigneur, Herr, Señor, etc.”
Currently, there is only one lectionary reported to be in use corresponding exactly to an in-print Catholic Bible translation: the Ignatius Press lectionary based on the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition approved for liturgical use in the Antilles and by former Anglicans in the personal ordinariates.
Isnt The Esv A Protestant Translation Doesnt That Pose Problems For Catholics
The ESV was originally translated by a team of Evangelical scholars under the auspices of Crossway Books, a Protestant publisher. It was, however, adapted by Catholic scholars and only then approved by the Catholic Church in India in 2018 as the ESV® Catholic Edition. In this way, the ESV is much like the RSV before it. The RSV was originally released in 1952 as a Protestant translation and only later approved by Catholic bishops in 1965-1966. Both the RSV and the ESV are valuable ecumenical efforts that allow Protestants and Catholics to read Scripture together.
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Which Prophecies Are Trustworthy
However, in speaking about end-times prophecy, the Bible warns us to adhere to Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. Saint Peter states unequivocally that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of ones own interpretation therefore, prophecy is a matter of public interpretation in the Church, the pillar and bulwark of the truth .
St. Paul, also, specifically cautions to
stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter .
The apostles teach Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scriptureboth part of public revelation and therefore the Deposit of Faithare required to properly understand end-times prophecy.
What is defined by the Church on the end-times is contained in the Scriptures, the Catechism, and the writings of the Church Fathers. In the broadest sense, end times or last days means the time between Jesus first and second comings, the era of the Church. More narrowly, the end will occur at The Second Coming and Last Judgment.
Formal Equivalence Vs Dynamic Equivalence
Once youve found a complete Catholic Bible with all the books from the Old and New Testaments, you have the option of choosing the style of translation that you find most useful. There are two types of translation styles: formal equivalent translation and dynamic equivalent. A formal equivalent translation is a more literal version and reads as close as possible to the original language. While extremely accurate, a word-for-word translation can be more difficult to read. In contrast, a dynamic equivalent translation conveys the overall meaning and message of the original, but is in a more readable version. The choice is based on personal preference.
You also have the option of choosing Bibles that have notes, annotations, maps, timelines, and dictionaries to help enrich your reading experience.
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A Short History Of The Bible
The Bible is the collection of books that the Catholic Church decided could be read at Mass. It is a collection of books written by different authors with different writing styles over thousands of years for different audiences. It is not a manual on how to run a religion or build a church. Those things already existed before the Bible was assembled. The Didache is the earliest manual on how to run a Church. In modern times, the Catholic Church is governed by Canon Law and the Catechism which are based on Scripture.
At the time of Jesus, the Sadducees that taught and worshiped at the Temple in Jerusalem considered only the 5 books of Moses to be the word of God. The Pharisees in Jerusalem, that taught and worshiped in the Synagogues, considered the 5 books of Moses, the writings of the Prophets, the Psalms, and some of the historical writings as Scripture. Their Canon of Scripture is referred to as the Palestinian Canon and contained 24 books.
This is a basic history of the Bible.
In 136AD, after the Bar Kokhba revolt, the Jews declared that the 7 extra books of Alexandrian Canon were not to be considered scripture because they were used by the Christians. The Hebrew Masoretic Text of 24 books was established as their Scripture. The 24 books were later reorganized into the 39 books of the current Protestant Old Testament.
In 367AD Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria listed the 27 books of the New Testament in his Easter letter sent to his Churches.
Why The Need For New Translations And Revisions Of Existing Translations Of The Catholic Bible
There are several reasons why existing translations need to get revised. One reason is keeping up with the discovery of new ancient manuscripts. When the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered between 1947 and 1956, they contained Biblical and apocryphal works, prayers, and legal texts and sectarian documents that helped scholars better understand the history of Judaism and the beginnings of Christianity. Theres also the need to change certain words and idioms that are no longer in use, such as thou, beseech, hearest, etc. into modern vocabulary.
Pope John Paul II spoke of the three pillars of good biblical translation: First, there must be a deep knowledge of the language and the cultural world at the point of origin. Next, there must be a good familiarity with the language and cultural context at the point where the work will arrive. Lastly, to crown the work with success, there must be an adequate mastery of the contents and meaning of what one is translatingand he praised the translation that utilizes the vocabulary and idioms of everyday speech.
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Regarding The Churchs Current Chastisement
Only later will the major chastisement occur, The Great Tribulation, in which the entire world will be conquered and fall away from faith under a personal Antichrist. His reign of terror will continue for seven years. And then Jesus will appear.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work only He who now restrains it will do so until He is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming .
Amen, and hallelujah!
Only after a time of normalcy that ushers in unity does the Second Coming occur. This great era of peace is why our last several popes have encouraged us toward the New Evangelization, so that the full number of Gentiles come in, followed by all Israel .
If what we are currently experiencing in the Church is part of the minor chastisement spoken of in approved Catholic prophecy, we are living in the period just before the evangelization of the entire world. How exciting! And how sobering it is to think that we are only experiencing a fraction of what will come afterward in the great tribulation under the Antichrist.
Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near .
Best Answer: Is The New Jerusalem Bible Approved By The Catholic Church
The New Jerusalem Bible is approved for use by Roman Catholics. When the French version was updated in 1973, the changes were used to revise the Jerusalem Bible, creating the New Jerusalem Bible. The revisions were substantial. The revised version is said to be less literary but, for the most part, more literal.
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Bible: New American Bible Revised Edition
For Bible readers on the go, the New American Bible, Revised Edition Kindle Edition is a great pick. This comprehensive Catholic Bible is presented the same way as the physical version, with the exception that it includes certain features that make it much easier to navigate.
The New American Bible, Revised Edition comes with navigation aids that allow readers to access specific Bible verses in seconds. Essentially, though, this electronic Bible preserves much of the interface and layout of the original Bible version.
This makes it a familiar yet convenient alternative for readers who want to have a Catholic Bible in their trusty electronic devices.
Is The Esv Catholic Edition Translation Approved By The Catholic Church
Yes. Under the Code of Canon Law, 825 §1, only the Vatican or a national bishopsâ conference can approve a Bible translation for publication. In accord with canon law, the ESV® Catholic Edition was approved by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India on February 4, 2018, and granted the Imprimatur by Cardinal Oswald Gracias, a member of Pope Francisâ top advisory team, the Council of Cardinals. The translation explicitly adhered to the Vaticanâs translation principles prescribed by Liturgiam authenticam . The Vatican approved the ESV® Catholic Edition Lectionary on December 9, 2019, and it is mandated for liturgical use throughout India as of Palm Sunday 2020.
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What Is King James Bible
The King James Bible is the translation of the Christian Bible to the English Language. It is the authorized version of the Holy Book which was published in the year 1611 AD.
The task of translation began in the year 1604 under the order of King James I. This version of the Bible misses out on the 7 books on Apocrypha which must be present between the Old and the New Testament. King James Version of the Bible is the third English translation of the Christian Bible. The earlier versions were the Great Bible and the Bishops Bible.
These two versions had certain problems which were raised by the Puritans.
Puritans: They were the people belonged to the 16th century. They were Protestants and they wanted to clear all the problems with Catholic influence from Church of England.
With this effect, King James I called for a Hampton Court Conference in the year 1604. The decision of making another English version of the Christian Bible was made.
The translation was done by a total of 47 people. They were divided into 6 panels for the task to be carried out effectively.