By Rev. Baudouin Heuninckx
Bible study is no easy topic. When reading different versions of the Bible in different languages, I cannot help but wonder what effect successive translations and paraphrases have had had over the meaning of the texts we read today. Even if the books of the Bible were originally the actual Word of God – and it could be argued that the Bible is actually the transliteration of the Word of God by humans, translations could have even further altered its meaning. Being able to read the Books of the Bible in their original language would be a blessing.
The differences between the wordings of the Ten Commandments in different parts of the Bible could be ascribed to inconsistent translation, but as the relevant Books have been written at different times by different persons, they could also reflect different views of society, exemplified by the difference between the Catholic, Protestant, and Hebrew versions. While Protestantism is a fairly recent attempt to return to the fundamentals of Christian beliefs, Catholicism – or more precisely the first Fathers of the Church – had to cope with ingrained Pagan beliefs, and a cult of Christian martyrs was an easy way to ensure a smooth transition from one religion to another.
Moreover, despite clear reference to the Old Testament in the Gospel, and some prophetic mentions of the Coming of Christ in the Old Testament, one cannot help but feel differently when experiencing God as described in the Old Testament – a jealous God who often had to be feared – or in the Gospel – a more loving Father image. This could reflect the evolution of the Jewish society from a nomadic people to a settled people living in cities. The difference in message is not necessarily an inconsistency, but tends to show that even religious texts embodying the Word of God evolve as the society they minister unto does.
Another question that should be raised in Bible Study is the existence of the Apocrypha, an issue aptly summarized in the course. In addition to possible inconsistent translations over the course of centuries, we now know that not all the Scriptures have been included in what is today accepted version of the Bible. Even though it can be established that at least some Apocrypha is of dubious origin, this is far from certain with other books, such as the Gospel of Philip or the Gospel of Mary, that sometimes shed a different light on some of the teachings of Christ. I believe that effective Bible study should also consider these previously discarded Scriptures, even if they are not part of the Christian Canon.
This being said, the course, despite being too dogmatic at times, such as in the discussion on the Ten Commandments, provided good guidance for Bible study. In final analysis, effective Bible study is the task of each individual. In addition, it provided ministerial guidance, such as that on the Sacraments, abortion, prostitution, divorce and counseling that would be useful to any Christian minister.
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