Hey Deacon

In my previous two articles I examined Sacrosanctum Concilium – the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy and Lumen Gentium -the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. This week I take a closer look at another major document of the Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum – the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. Dei Verbum states the most important truths about the Word of God, Divine Revelation, and Biblical studies; and is divided into six chapters that I have summarized below.

1. Divine Revelation discusses the manifestation and communication by God “both of Himself and the eternal decrees of His will concerning the salvation of mankind”. This revelation has been carried out in its most complete and perfect form in the person of Jesus Christ. For the Father “sent His Son, the eternal Word, who enlightens all men, to dwell among men, and to tell them about the inner life of God” (DV, 4).

2. The Transmission of Divine Revelation looks not only at the means in which Divine Revelation has been, but how it continues to be transmitted to us. Divine Revelation is passed on to us by the Apostles in an unwritten form called “Tradition”. They did this “by their preaching”; “by the example they gave”, and “by the institutions they established” (DV, 7). Divine Revelation is also transmitted to us through Sacred Scripture - as the “speech of God as it is put down in writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit” (DV, 9). Thus, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are the two different means by which the Revelation of God is transmitted to the Church.

3. Sacred Scripture: Its Divine Inspiration and Interpretation discusses both the inspiration and interpretation of Sacred Scripture. First of all, the Council begins here by stating without qualification that the “books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error, teach the truth which God, for the sake of our salvation wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures” (DV, 11). For God inspired the sacred writers of the Bible to put down in writing exactly what He wanted written—nothing more and nothing less.

4. The Old Testament chapter discusses the meaning and significance of the books of the Old Testament, as well as their relationship to that of the New Testament. It is important that we have a balanced view of what is written in the Old Testament as we have a tendency to discount the value contained in these venerable books. The Council Fathers stress the close connection which binds the Old Testament to the New by referencing St. Augustine’s quote, “the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is made manifest in the New Testament.”

5. The New Testament chapter describes the meaning and significance that the New Testament has in the life of the Church. It states strongly that “the Word of God, which is the power of God for salvation of everyone who has faith, is set forth and displays its power in a most wonderful way in the writings of the New Testament” (DV, 17). The Council Fathers said the four Gospels are essential because “they are our principal source [for what we know about] the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior” (DV, 18). In fact, we can have absolute faith that the four Gospels “faithfully hand on what Jesus, the Son of God, while He lived among men, really did and taught for their salvation, until the day He was taken up” (DV, 19).

6. Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church is pastoral in nature and addresses the question of how Scripture becomes fruitful in the life of the faithful. The Council Fathers strongly stress the practice of Lectio Divina, the prayerful reading of and devout meditation on Sacred Scripture. The “Sacred Synod forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful, especially those who live in religious life, to learn the ‘surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ’ (Phil 3:8) by frequent reading of the Divine Scriptures” (DV, 25). The importance of reading the Bible frequently and prayerfully cannot be overestimated for our spiritual life. The Council teaches that “prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that a dialogue may take place between God and men” (DV, 25). “We speak to God when we pray; but we listen to Him when we read Sacred Scripture.” (St. Ambrose)

Author Bio:
Deacon Dan Vaughn