What the Bible Says

"I'm just telling you exactly what the Bible says. This is not my word, but just God's own truth." A man in an online video I watched recently made this claim. Maybe you have heard (or maybe you have said!) this same thing in other places. It is common outside of Catholic circles. In fact, some non-catholics are shocked that Catholics do not speak this way.

Sadly, no one who says "this is exactly and only what the Bible says" is ever telling you exactly and only what the Bible says. No -- never. I say, "sadly", because I truly wish that someone could. Unfortunately, only the perfectly inspired Apostles and Prophets can do this. And none of them are alive today. Yes, the Pope has the grace to speak ex cathedra and define dogma for us, that is true, but that is not what I am speaking about here. When the Pope does define dogma He does not say "this is exactly what the Bible says", but rather, "this is what God says" because it is God Who reveals these truths to him, and not him taking them out of the Bible.

Even the most unbiased person reading you directly the words from Scripture is still "interpreting" Scripture. He is interpreting it by choosing which verses to read and not to read. He is interpreting because he uses inflection when he speaks. He is interpreting because he is applying that section of Scripture to something that he is speaking about. We are never so perfect as to be completely in subjection to God's perfectly revealed truth.

A little bit of "personal interpretation" is not necessarily a bad thing. If someone asks me what the Church teaches about a particular subject, I often have to interpret long sections of the Catechism or other doctrinal sources and summarize them for the questioner. This is not bad, but I always say "the Church says" and not pretend that I am a perfect voice for God and His Word.

The Scriptures say that the Church is what God has chosen to uphold and safeguard the truth; not anyone else (especially not a layperson or schismatic). We are not to imagine that we can take the place of the entire Church and do her job. Only she has been given that grace of God to do that work. So, if someone comes to you and claims that he is going to tell you "just the Word of God" be wary. And, maybe, ask him how he got the assignment from God to do that?