Rachel Evans
Catholics and Protestants do not read from the same Bible, or at least not from the same Old Testament. The Catholic Bible includes seven additional books in the Old Testament that are rejected by Protestants. Catholics refer to these as deuterocanonical books, while Protestants refer to them as apocryphal or hidden books. These books were officially recognized by the Catholic Church's Council of Trent in 1546 as belonging to the Old Testament. The deuterocanonical books include Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, the Book of Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and longer versions of the Book of Daniel and the Book of Esther. While Catholics and Protestants differ in which books they include in their Bibles, they agree on the Bible's translation. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Catholic Church encourages the faithful to read the Bible, and it is a part of the Catholic Mass, where Scripture is read and sung.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholics read the Bible | True |
| Catholics don't read the Bible | False |
| Catholics read the same Bible as Protestants | False |
| Catholics and Protestants have different Old Testaments | True |
| Catholics include additional books in the Old Testament | True |
| These additional books are deuterocanonical | True |
| Protestants refer to these additional books as apocryphal | True |
| The deuterocanonical books were added to the Bible in the fourth century | True |
| The deuterocanonical books were officially recognized by the Catholic Church in 1546 | True |
| The deuterocanonical books are: | Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, the Book of Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and longer versions of the Book of Daniel and the Book of Esther |
| Catholics approach the Bible differently from Protestants | True |
| Catholics don't pay enough attention to Sacred Scripture | False |
| Catholics pay too much attention to Sacred Scripture | False |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics and Protestants do not read from the same Bible
The Catholic Bible contains 46 books in the Old Testament, while the Protestant Bible contains 39. The Catholic Church regards as part of the Bible the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Baruch, 1 and 2 Maccabees, as well as some additional stories and verses in the books of Daniel and Esther. Catholics refer to these seven books as the "deuterocanonical" books, meaning they were given final approval at a later date. The deuterocanonical books were included in the Latin translation of the Bible completed by Jerome in AD 404, and the Council of Trent in 1546 ruled that they were holy Scripture.
Protestants refer to these books as the "apocryphal," or "hidden," books. They note that, unlike many other Old Testament books, the deuterocanonical books do not claim to provide a record of God's words. While they offer historical accounts and various teachings, they do not claim divine authority and are never cited in the New Testament. The early church leaders Athanasius (AD 296-373) and Origen (AD 185-253) argued against including them in the Bible. When Martin Luther and the Reformers began to study the Scriptures, they rejected the deuterocanonical books, arguing that they should never have been added to the Bible. Protestants follow the Palestinian canon, which includes only books written in Hebrew and in the region of Palestine before Ezra (c. 250 BC).
The different approaches to Scripture have led to criticisms of the Catholic Church from some Protestant Christians. They disagree with Catholic doctrine concerning tradition and the Catholic approach to Scripture, charging the Church with neglecting Scripture. They see the Catholic Church's warning that the Bible is hard to understand and its mandate that the faithful approach it with the guidance of the magisterium as attempts to keep the Bible from the faithful or prejudice their interpretation of it. They also disagree with the Catholic belief that biblical reading is not the only form of praiseworthy devotion and that God also reveals himself in nature and through Sacred Tradition.
On the other hand, the Catholic Church is criticized by some who suppose that Catholics approach the Scriptures with blind faith, unthinkingly believing things that seem to contradict science and reason. Catholics find themselves in the interesting situation of being criticized for paying too little and too much attention to Sacred Scripture.
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Catholics are criticised for neglecting Scripture
Catholicism is a diverse religion, with adherents of varying levels of education, piety, and enthusiasm. Criticisms of Catholics for neglecting Scripture often come from two directions. Firstly, some Protestant Christians, who disagree with Catholic doctrine concerning tradition and the Catholic approach to Scripture, charge the Church with neglecting Scripture. These criticisms are often based on half-truths or mistakes, and are made in both scholarly debate and popular polemics.
The second direction from which criticism comes is from those who suppose that Catholics approach the Scriptures with blind faith, unthinkingly believing things that seem to contradict science and reason. Catholics, therefore, find themselves in an interesting situation, simultaneously charged with paying Sacred Scripture too little and too much attention.
The widespread belief that Catholics don't read the Bible does have some foundation in reality. For a long time, much of the laity did not engage with Sacred Scripture as much as they probably should have. However, what truth exists in these criticisms has been exaggerated. The Church, especially in the twentieth century, has never tired of encouraging the faithful to read the Bible. The Catholic Church is far larger than any single Protestant community, and has an inclusive understanding of its membership. As the Church sees it, anyone who is baptized and has not formally repudiated the Church is Catholic.
The criticisms of Catholics neglecting Scripture can be partly explained by historical and doctrinal differences between Catholics and Protestants. Prior to the advent of the printing press (mid-1400s) and widespread literacy, it was true that most Catholics never read the Bible, but this was because most people were illiterate. The printing press and increasing literacy rates developed at the same time as the Protestant Reformation, aiding the spread of the Protestant doctrine of sola scriptura—the belief that the Bible is the only source of divine revelation. In contrast, the Catholic Church believes that God also reveals himself in nature and through Sacred Tradition, and that biblical reading is not the only form of praiseworthy devotion. The Church also maintained that the Bible was often hard to understand and that the faithful should approach it with the guidance of the magisterium. To Protestants, this looked like the Church was trying to keep the Bible from the faithful or prejudice their interpretation of it.
In addition, Catholics and Protestants do not read from the same Bible, or at least the same Old Testament. Catholics include an additional seven books in the Old Testament that Protestants reject, referring to them as "deuterocanonical" books, while Protestants refer to them as "apocryphal," or "hidden," books. These books were not originally part of the Christian Bible, only being included after the councils of Hippo (AD 393) and Carthage (AD 397), and were officially recognized as Scripture by the Catholic Church's Council of Trent in 1546. Protestants argue that these books never claim to provide a record of God's words, and that the New Testament never cites them as Scripture or quotes from them.
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The Catholic Church encourages the faithful to read the Bible
The Catholic Church has been criticized for its approach to the Bible, with some claiming that Catholics are discouraged from reading it. However, this notion is a myth, and the Church has never tired of encouraging the faithful to read the Bible. In fact, the Church officially encourages Bible reading and familiarity with Scripture.
Historically, most Catholics did not read the Bible, but this was largely due to illiteracy and the rarity of books before the invention of the printing press. After the printing press was invented, literacy rates rose, and Bibles became more accessible. However, even then, Catholics were discouraged from reading Scripture, with only Protestants actively embracing Scripture study. This changed in 1943 when Pope Pius XII issued the encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu, which encouraged Catholics to study Scripture.
Despite this encouragement, some Catholics still do not read the Bible regularly. One reason for this could be the belief that reading the Bible without proper understanding is not beneficial. The Catholic Church emphasizes the importance of interpreting Scripture with the guidance of the Church's sacred tradition to avoid biases.
The Catholic Church recognizes the Bible as a source of revelation about God but also believes that God reveals Himself in nature and through Sacred Tradition. This differs from the Protestant belief of sola scriptura, which holds that the Bible is the only infallible authority and the only source of divine revelation. As a result, Catholics and Protestants do not read from the same Bible, as they include different books in the Old Testament.
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Catholics include seven additional books in the Old Testament
Catholics and Protestants do not read from the same Bible, or at least the same Old Testament. This is because Catholics include seven additional books in the Old Testament that are not found in Protestant Bibles. These seven books are:
- Tobit
- Judith
- 1 and 2 Maccabees
- The Book of Wisdom (or Wisdom of Solomon)
- Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)
- Baruch
- Longer versions of the Book of Daniel and the Book of Esther
Catholics refer to these seven books as the "deuterocanonical" books, meaning the "second" standard books, indicating that they were given final approval at a later date. Protestants, on the other hand, refer to them as the "apocryphal," or "hidden," books.
The roots of this discrepancy go back more than 2,000 years, when Judaism was still developing. Following the foreign invasions of Palestine in the first millennium before Christ, some Jews were dispersed throughout the Mediterranean basin, with some settling in Palestine and others in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. When it came to deciding which books should be included in their scriptures, the Palestinian Jews had several conditions: the book must have been written in Hebrew, it must have been written in Palestine, and it must not have been written after Ezra, or approximately 250 B.C.
The deuterocanonical books were not added to the Bible until much later. They first appeared on lists of Christian Bible books in the fourth century, during the councils of Hippo (A.D. 393) and Carthage (A.D. 397). However, many great church leaders, such as Athanasius (A.D. 296-373) and Origen (A.D. 185-253), argued against their inclusion. It wasn't until the Catholic Church's Council of Trent in 1546 that the Catholic Church officially recognized these books as belonging to the Old Testament.
The deuterocanonical books include passages that support certain Catholic beliefs, such as purgatory and prayers for the dead, with which Protestants disagree. This is one of the reasons why Protestants rejected these books and chose to follow the Palestinian canon instead of the Alexandrian (Septuagint).
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The Catholic Bible includes deuterocanonical books
The deuterocanonical books were not originally part of the Bible. They first appeared on lists of books included in Christian scriptures in the fourth century, and many early church leaders argued against their inclusion. However, they were included in the Septuagint, the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, and were used by the early Christian church as its Old Testament. Over time, various church councils, such as the councils of Hippo and Carthage, included these books in their canons, and they gained wider acceptance.
The inclusion of these books in the Bible became a point of contention during the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther, the influential Protestant reformer, rejected the deuterocanonical books because they supported certain Catholic beliefs with which he disagreed, such as purgatory and prayers for the dead. As a result, Protestant churches decided to follow the Palestinian canon, excluding these books from their Bibles.
In response to Luther's rejection, the Catholic Church's Council of Trent in 1546 officially recognized the deuterocanonical books as belonging to the Old Testament, settling the matter for Catholics. This ruling clarified that these books were to be considered "entire with all their parts" and were to be read in the Catholic Church.
The deuterocanonical books are significant because they provide additional historical context and teachings that complement the rest of the Bible. While they do not claim to provide a record of God's words or direct divine inspiration, they offer valuable insights into the Jewish worldview and history during the intertestamental period between the Old and New Testaments.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Catholics do read the Bible. The Bible is read during the first part of the Catholic Mass: three readings on Sundays and two readings from Monday through Saturday, also known as daily Mass.
No, they do not. Catholics include an additional seven books in the Old Testament that Protestants reject. These books include Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, the Book of Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and longer versions of the Book of Daniel and the Book of Esther. These books are referred to as "'deuterocanonical' by Catholics and "apocryphal" or "hidden" by Protestants.
The difference in the Bibles used by Catholics and Protestants dates back more than 2,000 years when Judaism was still developing. The roots of this discrepancy can be traced to the displacement of Jews throughout the Mediterranean basin due to foreign invasions of Palestine before the first millennium BC. Some displaced Jews settled in Alexandria, Egypt, while others remained in Palestine. The Palestinian Jews had specific criteria for including books in their scriptures, including that the books must be written in Hebrew and the region of Palestine and not after Ezra (around 250 BC).
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