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Which Bible Do Catholics Use?
The Catholic Church has used the Bible for its sacred text for centuries, and it continues to do so today. In fact, the Catholic Church recognizes seven books as part of its Bible that are not found in other Bibles, making the Catholic Bible the most complete version of the Bible. The Catholic Bible is composed of 73 books, 46 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
The oldest source document for the Catholic Bible is the Latin Vulgate, produced in the 4th Century by Saint Jerome. This would become the official Bible of the Catholic Church and was used until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th Century. In response to the Protestant Reformation, the Council of Trent commissioned a new translation, commonly referred to as the Clementine Vulgate, which was completed in 1592. This translation was based on the Hebrew and Greek texts and consolidated several Latin manuscripts. This version is still the authoritative edition of the Catholic Bible and is the basis for most modern translations.
In addition to the 46 books found in the Protestant Bible, the Catholic Bible includes seven additional books known as the deuterocanonical books. These books consist of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, 1 Maccabees, and 2 Maccabees. These books contain ancient stories from the historical period of the Old Testament and contain important teachings about faith, morality and prayer. They are found in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament, which dates back to the 3rd century B.C. and was the authoritative source of scripture for the early Church.
The New Testament of the Catholic Bible also contains 27 books, the same 27 books found in the Protestant Bible. These books include the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the fourteen Epistles of St. Paul, the seven Epistles of other Apostles and the Book of Revelation. These books tell the story of Jesus and the growth of the early Church and contain many teachings about faith, moral behavior, and salvation.
The Catholic Bible is a valuable source of information and guidance for Catholics. Not only does it contain the stories and teachings of ancient prophets and apostles, but it also includes the stories and teachings from the Old and New Testaments that are found in the Protestant Bible. The additional books found in the Catholic Bible provide Catholics with additional information about this important period in religious history and offer a more comprehensive view of God’s plan for mankind. For these reasons, the Catholic Bible remains an essential source of instruction for Catholics around the world.
