Day 14 and the Baltimore Catechism explores the Bible

Day #14: More on the Bible

Are all the passages of the Bible to be understood according to our modern manner of expression? 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. How can we know the true meaning of the Bible? 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. 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) Are Catholics encouraged by the Church to read the Bible? 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. What is the chief message of the New Testament? The chief message of the New Testament is the joyful announcement of our salvation through Jesus Christ. 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) [further reading: CCC 109-119]