On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics, a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.
If I come back, do I have to believe every word in the Bible?
We consider the literal sense as well as the spiritual sense to better understand what we are to learn from the Bible. For example, the flood can teach us about God’s anger with sin, but also his willingness to save those who love him and give them a fresh start. We believe God inspired the writers of the various books, and that they speak the truth.
We read the Old Testament to better understand the prophecies Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection fulfilled.
The Catechism also notes the unique role the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John hold in our faith life, and calls them “the heart of all the Scriptures,” saying they faithfully share Jesus’s time on earth.
It is helpful to remember the disciples—and our Church, for that matter—were around before the New Testament. They talked about Jesus and his teachings and his life and resurrection before anyone wrote down those stories.
We look to Church Tradition for assistance in interpreting the Bible to better understand the linkage between the books and way they call us to live our lives.
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