1. Scripture and Tradition As in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 2, Points 74-119

2. God has revealed himself He desires everyone to enjoy eternal life. (74-75)  God wants everyone to be saved (for eternal life) through Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:4)  Jesus must be proclaimed to all nations.  So God has kept this revelation intact to be transmitted to all ages (Second Vatican Council).  Christ commanded his disciples to preach the Gospel (Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15).

3. Two ways of transmitting the Gospel (76) :  Orally – Apostles and all Christians preaching, good example, establishing institutions. The apostles passed on what they heard from Christ or were taught by the Spirit.  Writing - The apostles and others (under the Spirit's inspiration) put this message into writing.

4. Bishops and Tradition (77-79)  Bishops are the successors of the apostles with authority to teach and preserve Christ’s teaching.  This living transmission is called Tradition. It is distinct from, yet closely united with, Sacred Scripture.  Goal and Source of both Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture: make Christ actually present in the Church.

5. What are Scripture and Tradition? (81-82)  Sacred Scripture: God's speech written under the breath of the Holy Spirit.  Tradition: fully transmits the Word of God to the apostles' successors.  Both Scripture and Tradition must be equally honoured.  Tradition: The first generation Church had no written Testament. The New Testament is the result of spoken words and lived life.

6. Interpreting Tradition and Scripture (85-87)  The teaching office of the Church gives the authentic interpretation of God's Word (written or oral). Bishops united with the Pope exercise their authority in Jesus' name.  The Church only teaches what has been handed down by the Spirit, explaining God's Word and preserving it in what is called the ‘deposit of faith’.  Christ said to the apostles: "He who hears you, hears me" (Lk 10:16).

7. What are Dogmas? (88-90)  Truths contained in, or clearly connected with Divine Revelation.  They light up a path to holiness that all people can follow.  All people united in the Church Christ founded are anointed by the Spirit and can understand and hand on these truths.  When the bishops and those united to them agree in matters of faith or morals, the church cannot be mistaken.  The People of God hold to these truths and apply them in their life.

8. Faith Grows (94-95) God Uses Words to Speak (101-104)  Faith grows through study, theological research, reading the Scriptures.  God speaks to us in the words of men.  Sacred Scripture is ultimately God’s one Word (Jesus Christ). "One and the same Word of God extends throughout Scripture. One and the same utterance resounds in the mouths of all the sacred writers" (St. Augustine).  So the Church venerates the Scripture as much Lord's Body. All the faithful receive from the one table of God's Word and Christ's Body.

9. How is Scripture Written by God and How did God Use Human Authors?  God is the author because Sacred Scripture was written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Church accepts as sacred all of the books of the Old and New Testament, whole and entire.  God chose and inspired certain men. They used their own powers in writing. The Spirit showed them what he wanted written and no more. They were still true authors.  These books teach faithfully and without error what God wanted to reveal for our salvation.  But Christian faith is not a "religion of the book" but of the living Word of God (Jesus).

10. How to Interpret Scripture Correctly  Be attentive to what the human author wanted to say and to what God wanted to reveal.  Discover the human author's intention by studying the culture, the narration style, and the forms of writing (history, poetry, prophecy, etc.).  Criterion 1: Respect the full content and unity of the whole Scripture. God's plan (in both Old and New Testament) has unity in Christ.  Criterion 2: Read the Scriptures within the context of the Church's living Tradition. The Spirit guides Tradition.  Criterion 3: Recognise and respect the coherence of all truths among themselves and within God's plan.

11. One Literal Sense and Three Spiritual Senses  Literal sense: the meaning the human author intended to convey.  Spiritual Sense 1: Allegorical sense - Recognizing events in the light of Christ. E.g. the parting of the Red Sea is a sign of Baptism  Spiritual Sense 2: Moral sense – This relates to acting justly and rightly.  Spiritual Sense 3: Anagogical sense - Seeing the truths in light of eternal happiness