FOREWORD
Purpose of the Council
The Sacred Council, attentively listening to the Word of God as it is confidently proclaimed, adopts the words of St. John: “We proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and appeared to us: we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you too may live in communion with us, and our communion may be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:2-3). Therefore, in accordance with the Tridentine and First Vatican Councils, it intends to propose the genuine doctrine concerning divine Revelation and its transmission, so that the whole world, hearing, may believe in the message of salvation, believing, may hope, and hoping, may love (1).Chapter IThe Revelation ItselfNature and object of revelation
God, in His goodness and wisdom, has revealed Himself and made known the mystery of His will (cf. Eph 1:9), by which men, through Christ, the incarnate Word, have access to the Father in the Holy Spirit and become participants in the divine nature (cf. Eph 2:18, 2 Pet 1:4). Because of this revelation, the invisible God (cf. Col 1:15, 1 Tim 1:17), in the abundance of His love, speaks to men as friends (cf. Ex 33:11, Jn 15:14-15) and associates with them (cf. Bar 3:38), to invite and admit them to communion with Him. This “economy” of revelation is carried out through actions and words intimately connected, in such a way that the works performed by God in the history of salvation manifest and confirm the doctrine and realities signified by the words. And the words, in turn, declare the works and clarify the mystery contained in them. However, the profound truth regarding God and the salvation of men is revealed to us in Christ, who is simultaneously the mediator and the fullness of all revelation (2).Preparation for the evangelical revelation
God, creating and preserving all things by the Word (cf. John 1:3), offers to men a perpetual testimony of Himself in creation (cf. Romans 1:1-20) and, moreover, deciding to open the way to supernatural salvation, He manifested Himself to our first parents from the beginning. After their fall, with the promise of redemption, He gave them hope of salvation (cf. Genesis 3:15), and continued to care for the human race, to give eternal life to all who, persevering in the practice of good works, seek salvation (cf. Romans 2:6-7). In due time He called Abraham, to make him the father of a great people (cf. Genesis 12:2), a people who, after the patriarchs, He instructed through Moses and the prophets, that they might recognize Him as the only living and true God, the provident Father, and the righteous Judge, and that they might look for the promised Savior. Thus God prepared the way for the Gospel through the ages.Consumption and fullness of the revelation in Christ
After having spoken many times and in many ways through the prophets, God has spoken to us in these our days, which are the last, through His Son (Heb. 1:1-2). Indeed, He sent His Son, that is, the Eternal Word, who illuminates all men, to dwell among men and to manifest to them the intimate life of God (cf. Jn. 1:1-18). Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, sent “as man to men” (3), “therefore he speaks the words of God” (Jn. 3:34), and completes the work of salvation that the Father commanded him to do (cf. Jn. 5:36, 17:4). Therefore, seeing Him is to see the Father (Jn. 14:9), with all His presence and manifestation of His person, in words and works, signs and miracles, and above all in His death and glorious resurrection, finally, with the sending of the Spirit of truth, He fully completes and confirms with divine testimony the revelation, that is, that God is with us to deliver us from the darkness of sin and death and to raise us to eternal life.Therefore, the Christian economy, as a new and definitive covenant, will never pass away, and no other public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Tim 6:14, Tit 2:13).Acceptance of revelation by faithTo God who reveals, is due the “obedience of faith” (Rom. 16:26. Cf. Rom. 1:5. 2 Cor. 10:5-6). By faith, man submits himself totally and freely to God, offering “to God the revealer the full obsequy of intelligence and will” (4) and giving voluntary assent to His revelation. To render this adherence of faith, prior and concurrent help from divine grace and interior assistance from the Holy Spirit are needed, who moves and converts God’s heart, opens the eyes of understanding, and gives “to all the suavity in accepting and believing the truth” (5). For the comprehension of revelation to always be deeper, the same Holy Spirit perpetually perfects faith through His gifts.Necessity of Revelation
Through divine revelation, God wishes to manifest and communicate Himself and the eternal decrees of His will regarding the salvation of men, “to make them partakers of divine goods, which surpass the capacity of human understanding” (6).The Sacred Council declares that God, the beginning and end of all things, can be certainly known by the natural light of reason from creatures (cf. Rom. 1:20). But it also teaches that His revelation should be attributed to having «the power that all men, with ease, firm certainty, and without mixture of error, should know what in divine things is not beyond the reach of human reason, even in the present condition of the human race» (7).Chapter IIThe Transmission of Divine Revelation
The apostles and their successors, the transmitters of the GospelGod willed loving that all that He had revealed for the salvation of all peoples should remain intact and be transmitted to all generations. Therefore, Christ the Lord, in whom all the revelation of the Most High God is accomplished (cf. 2 Cor 1:20; 3:16-4:6), commanded the Apostles to preach to all as the source of all salutary truth and discipline of life the Gospel promised beforehand by the prophets and fulfilled and promulgated personally by Him (1), thus communicating to them divine gifts. This was done faithfully, both by the Apostles, who, in their oral preaching, examples, and institutions, transmitted what they had received from Christ’s lips, conduct, and works, and what they had learned by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and by those Apostles and apostolic men who, under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, wrote the message of salvation (2).However, to ensure that the Gospel would be perpetually preserved intact and alive in the Church, the Apostles left Bishops as their successors, “handing over their own office of teaching” (3). Therefore, this sacred Tradition and the Sacred Scripture of the two Testaments are like a mirror in which the Church in pilgrimage on earth contemplates God, from whom she receives all things, until she is led to see Him face to face as He is (cf. 1 Jn. 3:2).Sacred Tradition
And thus, the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved by a continuous succession until the consummation of the ages. Therefore, the Apostles, transmitting what they themselves had received, warn the faithful to observe the traditions which they had learned, both by word and in writing (cf. 2 Thess. 2:15), and to strive for the faith once delivered (cf. Jude 3). Now, what was transmitted by the Apostles includes everything that contributes to the holy life of the People of God and to the growth of their faith. And thus the Church, in its doctrine, life, and worship, perpetuates and transmits to all generations what it is and what it believes.This apostolic tradition progresses in the Church under the assistance of the Holy Spirit (5). Indeed, the understanding both of things and of the words transmitted advances, either through the contemplation and study of the faithful who meditate them in their hearts (cf. Lk. 2:19, 51), or through the intimate understanding they experience of spiritual things, or through the preaching of those who, with the succession of the episcopate, have received the charism of truth. That is, the Church, over the centuries, continually moves toward the fullness of divine truth, until the words of God are fulfilled in her.The testimonies of the Fathers bear witness to the vivifying presence of this Tradition, whose riches enter into the practice and life of the faithful and praying Church. Through the same Tradition, the Church knows the entire canon of sacred books, and the Sacred Scripture itself is understood more deeply within it and becomes continually operative. And thus, God, who once spoke, dialogues uninterruptedly with the bride of his beloved Son. And the Holy Spirit – by whom the voice of the Gospel resounds in the Church and, through the Church, in the world – introduces the faithful into the full truth and causes the word of Christ to dwell in them in all its richness (cf. Col. 3:16).The Relationship Between Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture
Therefore, the sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are intimately united and penetrated within each other. Indeed, deriving from the same divine source, they form as it were one and the same thing and tend to the same end. The Sacred Scripture is the Word of God as it has been written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The sacred Tradition, in turn, transmits integrally to the successors of the Apostles the Word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and by the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, so that they, with the light of the Spirit of truth, may keep it, expound it, and faithfully spread it abroad in their preaching. Hence it follows that the Church does not derive its certainty about all revealed things solely from the Sacred Scripture. Therefore, both should be received and revered with an equal spirit of piety and reverence. (6)The relationship of each to the Church and to the Church’s MagisteriumThe sacred Tradition and the Sacred Scripture constitute a single sacred deposit of the Word of God, entrusted to the Church. Adhering to this, the whole holy People perseveres united to its pastors in the doctrine of the Apostles and in the communion, in the fraction of the bread and in prayer (cf. Acts 2:42), so that there is a special harmony between pastors and faithful in the preservation, action, and profession of the faith transmitted.However, the task of authentically interpreting the word of God written or contained in Tradition (8) has been entrusted solely to the living magisterium of the Church (9), whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This magisterium is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been transmitted, while, by divine mandate and with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, it piously listens, religiously guards, and faithfully exposes it, drawing from this unique deposit of faith all that it proposes as divinely revealed.It is clear, therefore, that the sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium of the Church, according to the most wise design of God, are so united and connected that one without the others cannot stand, and all together, each in its own way, under the action of the same Holy Spirit, contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.Chapter IIIThe Divine Inspiration of Sacred Scripture
And Its Interpretation
Nature of the Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture
11. The things revealed by God, contained and manifested in Sacred Scripture, were written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the holy Mother Church, according to the apostolic faith, holds as holy and canonical the entire books of the Old and New Testaments with all their parts, because, having been written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn. 20:31; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:19-21; 3:15-16), they have God as their author, and as such were entrusted to the Church. However, to write the sacred books, God chose and used men who were in possession of their faculties and abilities (2), so that, acting in and through them (3), they might, as true authors, put down everything that He willed (4).And thus, as everything that the inspired authors or hagiógraphers affirm is to be held as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, it is therefore to be believed that the books of Scripture teach with certainty, faithfully, and without error the truth that God, for our salvation, wished to be recorded in the sacred letters (5). For this reason, “all Scripture is divinely inspired and useful for teaching, for reproving, for correcting, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, fully equipped for every good work” (Tim. 3, 7-17).Interpretation of Sacred Scripture
However, since God spoke in Sacred Scripture through men in a human way (6), the interpreter of Sacred Scripture, to know what He wanted to communicate to us, must carefully investigate what the hagiographers actually intended to mean and what pleased God to manifest through His words.To discern the intention of the hagiographers, one must also consider, among other things, the “literary genres.” Indeed, truth is proposed and expressed in diverse ways, according to whether it is historical, prophetic, poetic, or other genres. Furthermore, the interpreter must seek the meaning that the hagiographer intended to express, and indeed expressed, in certain circumstances, according to the conditions of his time and culture, using the literary genres then in use (7). Indeed, to understand rightly what the sacred author intended to affirm, one must pay due attention, both to the native ways of feeling, saying, or narrating in use during the time of the hagiographer, and to those that were frequently employed in the relations between men of that era (8).But, since the Sacred Scripture must be read and interpreted in the same Spirit in which it was written (9), no less attention should be paid, in the investigation of the right sense of the sacred texts, to the context and to the unity of all Scripture, taking into account the living Tradition of the whole Church and the analogy of faith. It is for exegetes to work, in accordance with these rules, to understand and expound more deeply the sense of Scripture, so that, thanks to this preparatory study, the judgment of the Church may be ripened. Indeed, everything that concerns the interpretation of Scripture is subject to the final judgment of the Church, which has the divine mandate and the ministry of safeguarding and interpreting the word of God (10).God’s condescensionTherefore, in Sacred Scripture, you always preserve the truth and sanctity of God, revealing the admirable “condescension” of eternal wisdom, “to know the ineffable mercy of God and how He spoke with such gentleness, taking care and providing for our nature” (11). The words of God, indeed, expressed in human languages, became intimately like human language, as once the Word of the eternal Father became like men, taking the flesh of human weakness.CHAPTER IVThe Old Testament
The history of salvation recorded in the books of the Old TestamentMost loving God, desiring and preparing with diligent care the salvation of all humanity, chose by special providence a people to whom He would entrust His promises. Having established an alliance with Abraham (cf. Gen. 15:18) and with the people of Israel through Moses (cf. Ex. 24:8), He revealed Himself to the Chosen People as the one true and living God, in words and deeds, so that Israel might experience God’s plans for humanity, understand them ever more deeply and clearly, hearing the same God speak through the prophets, and proclaim them more widely among men (cf. Ps. 21:28-29, 95:1-3, Is. 2:1-4, Jer. 3:17). The “economy” of salvation, previously announced, narrated, and explained by the sacred authors, is found in the books of the Old Testament as the very Word of God. Therefore, these divinely inspired books retain an everlasting value: “All that is written for our instruction was written, that we may have hope through patience and consolation from the Scriptures” (Rom. 15:4).Importance of the Old Testament for Christians
The «economy» of the Old Testament was intended primarily to prepare, to prophesy (cf. Lk. 24:44; Jn. 5:39; 1 Pet. 1:10) and to symbolize through various figures (cf. 1 Cor. 10:11) the coming of Christ, the universal Redeemer, and the messianic kingdom. But the books of the Old Testament, according to the condition of the human race before the time of salvation established by Christ, manifest to all the knowledge of God and of man, and the way in which the just and merciful God deals with men. Although these books contain also imperfect and transient things, they still reveal true divine pedagogy (1). Therefore, the faithful should receive with devotion these books that express the living sense of God, in which sublime doctrines about God, salutary wisdom about human life, and admirable treasures of prayers are found, in which, finally, the mystery of our salvation is latent.Unity of both Testaments
For this reason, God, the inspirer and author of the books of the two Testaments, arranged things so wisely that the New Testament is latent in the Old, and the Old is manifest in the New (2). For although Christ founded the new Covenant on his blood (cf. Lk. 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25), the books of the Old Testament, when fully incorporated into the evangelical preaching (3), acquire and manifest their full meaning in the New Testament (cf. Mt. 5:17; Lk. 24:27; Rom. 16:25-26; 2 Cor. 3:14-16), which in turn illuminates and explains them.Chapter VThe New Testament
Excellence of the New Testament
The word of God, which is the virtue of God for the salvation of all the faithful (cf. Rom 1:16), is presented and reveals its power in a special way in the writings of the New Testament. Indeed, when the fullness of time had come (cf. Gal 4:4), the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth (cf. Jn 1:14). Christ established the kingdom of God on earth, manifested the Father and Himself through His deeds and words, and completed His work through His death, resurrection, glorious ascension, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. Having been exalted from the earth, He draws all to Himself (cf. Jn 12:32), He who alone has the words of eternal life (cf. Jn 6:68). This mystery, however, was not revealed to previous generations as it has now been revealed to His saints, the Apostles, and the prophets in the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph 3:46) to preach the Gospel, awaken faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, and gather the Church. The writings of the New Testament are a perpetual and divine testimony to all these things.Apostolic Origin of the Gospels
- It is common knowledge that among all the Scriptures, even those of the New Testament, the Gospels hold the highest place, as they are the primary witness to the life and teaching of the incarnate Word, our Savior.
The Historical Character of the Gospels
The holy mother Church has steadfastly and consistently defended these four Gospels, whose historicity it affirms without hesitation, as faithfully transmitting what Jesus, the Son of God, truly did and taught during his earthly life for the eternal salvation of men, until the day he ascended into heaven (cf. Acts 1:1-2). Indeed, after the Lord’s ascension, the Apostles, with a fuller understanding of the glorious events of Christ and illuminated by the Spirit of truth (2), communicated to their hearers what he had said and done. The sacred authors, however, wrote the four Gospels, selecting some things from the many things transmitted orally or in writing, synthesizing some, developing others, according to the state of the churches, but always in a way that communicates to us authentic and true things about Jesus (4). Whether they related what they remembered and recalled, or were based on the testimony of those “who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word” (5), they always did so with the intention that we know the “truth” of the things about which we have been instructed (cf. Lk. 1:2-4).The remaining writings of the New TestamentThe canon of the New Testament also includes, in addition to the four Gospels, the letters of Saint Paul and other apostolic writings inspired by the Holy Spirit. These, in accordance with the plan of divine wisdom, confirm what concerns the Lord Christ, further explain His genuine doctrine, proclaim the salvating virtue of Christ’s divine work, narrate the beginnings of the Church and its admirable spread, and announce its glorious consummation.Indeed, the Lord Jesus assisted His Apostles as He had promised (cf. Mt. 28:20) and sent them the consolatory Spirit who was to lead them into the fullness of truth (cf. Jn. 16:13).Chapter VIThe Sacred Scripture IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH
The Church venerates the Sacred ScripturesThe Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures as it does the very Body of the Lord, never omitting, especially in the sacred Liturgy, to offer and distribute to the faithful the bread of life, whether from the table of the Word of God or from the table of Christ’s Body. It has always considered them, and continues to consider them, along with sacred Tradition, as the supreme rule of its faith. For, inspired as they are by God and written once and for all, they continue to give us immutably the Word of God himself, and make the voice of the Holy Spirit heard through the words of the prophets and apostles. Therefore, all ecclesiastical preaching, as well as the very Christian religion, must be nourished and governed by the Sacred Scriptures. Indeed, in the sacred books, the Father in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, to converse with them. And the power and virtue of God’s Word are so great that it becomes the mighty support of the Church, the solidity of the faith for the children of the Church, the nourishment of the soul, the pure and perpetual source of spiritual life. Therefore, the words: “The word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12), “able to build up and give inheritance to all the sanctified” (Acts 20:32; cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:13), apply above all to the Sacred Scriptures.Translations of Sacred Scripture
It is necessary that the faithful have ready access to Sacred Scripture. For this reason, the Church, from its very beginnings, made its own that very ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Seventy. And it always holds in high regard the other translations, both Eastern and Latin, especially the so-called Vulgate. But since the Word of God must always be accessible to all, the Church earnestly seeks, with maternal solicitude, that adequate and faithful translations be made in various languages, especially from the original texts of the sacred books. However, if these translations are made in collaboration with separated brothers, with the opportunity and approval of the Church’s authority, they may be used by all Christians.Biblical Investigation
- The spouse of the incarnate Word, that is, the Church, taught by the Holy Spirit, strives for a deeper understanding of Sacred Scripture, so as to continually feed her children with divine teachings. Therefore, she also promotes the study of the holy Fathers of the East and West, as well as the sacred liturgies. However, Catholic exegetes and other scholars of sacred theology must work in close collaboration, under the supervision of the sacred Magisterium, using suitable means to study and explain the divine Letters, so that as many ministers of God’s Word as possible can offer the People of God the nourishment of Scripture, which illuminates the spirit, strengthens the wills, and inflames the hearts of men with love for God (1). The Sacred Council encourages the children of the Church who cultivate biblical sciences to continue with all diligence, according to the sense of the Church, the happily begun task, constantly renewing their forces (2).
Importance of Sacred Scripture for Theology
- Sacred Theology rests, as its perpetual foundation, upon the written Word of God and the sacred Tradition, and is firmly consolidated and ever renewed within it, investigating, in the light of faith, all truth contained in the mystery of Christ. The Sacred Scriptures contain the Word of God, and, because they are inspired, are truly the Word of God. Therefore, the study of these sacred books should be the soul of sacred theology (3). Also, the ministry of the Word, that is, pastoral preaching, catechesis, and all forms of Christian instruction, in which the liturgical homily must hold a principal place, is profitably nourished and sanctely revitalized by the Word of Scripture.
Reading from Sacred Scripture
It is necessary, therefore, that all clerics, and especially the priests of Christ, and others who, like deacons and catechists, are legitimately dedicated to the ministry of the word, maintain an intimate contact with the Scriptures through diligent reading and studious study, so that none of them become “a vain and superficial preacher of the word of God, because he does not hear it from within” (4), having the obligation to communicate to the faithful entrusted to them the immense riches of the divine word, especially in the sacred Liturgy. Similarly, the Sacred Council earnestly and insistently exhorts all the faithful, especially religious, to learn “the sublime science of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:8) through frequent reading of the divine Scriptures, because “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (5). Therefore, let them delightfully apply themselves to the sacred text, whether through the sacred Liturgy, rich in divine words, or by spiritual reading, or by other means that are so commendably spreading everywhere, with the approval and encouragement of the shepherds of the Church. However, let them remember that the reading of the Sacred Scriptures must be accompanied by prayer, so that dialogue between God and man may be possible. For “we speak to Him when we pray, we hear Him when we read the divine oracles” (6).It is the duty of the sacred pastors, as “depositaries of the apostolic doctrine” (7), to teach opportunely the faithful committed to their care, the right use of the divine books, in particular the New Testament, and especially the Gospels. This is to be done through translations of the sacred texts, accompanied by the necessary and truly sufficient explanations, so that the children of the Church may become familiar in a safe and useful way with Sacred Scripture, and penetrate its spirit.Moreover, editions of the Sacred Scriptures, furnished with appropriate annotations, should be made for the use also of non-Christians, and adapted to their conditions. And both the shepherds of souls and Christians of every station strive to diffuse them with zeal and prudence.The influence and importance of scriptural renewal.Thus, through the reading and study of the sacred books, “the word of God may be disseminated and shine forth (2 Thess. 3:1), and the treasure of revelation entrusted to the Church may fill ever more the hearts of men. Just as the life of the Church grows with the assiduous frequency of the Eucharistic mystery, so too it is legitimate to expect a new impetus of spiritual life, if we foster the veneration for the word of God, which “endures forever” (Is. 40:8; cf. 1 Pet. 1:23-25).Rome, November 18, 1965POPE PAUL VI
Notes1. Refer to St. Augustine, *De Catechizandis Rudibus*, Book IV, Chapter 8: PL 40, 316. 2. Refer to Mt 11:27; Jn 1:14, 17; 14:6; 17:1-3; 2 Cor 3:16, 4:6; Eph 1:3-14. 3. Refer to the Epistle to Diognetus, Chapter VII, 4: Funk, *Patres Apostolici*, I, p. 403. 4. Refer to the First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, *De Dei Filio*, Chapter 3: Denzinger 1789 (3008). 5. Refer to the Second Council of Arles, Canon 7: Denzinger 180 (377). First Vatican Council, 1st Session: Denzinger 1791 (3010). 6. Refer to the First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, *De Dei Filio*, Chapter 2: Denzinger 1786 (3005). 7. Refer to the First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, *De Dei Filio*, Chapters 2 (Denzinger 1785) and 3 (Denzinger 1786): (3004 and 3005).Chapter II1. Refer to Mt. 28:19-20 and Mc. 16:15. See the Decree of the Council of Trent on the Canonicity of Scriptures: Denz. 783 (1501). 2. See the First Session of the Council of Trent, and the Third Session of the First Council of Vatican, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, on the Son of God, Chapter 2. Denz. 1787 (3006). 3. St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, III, 3, 1: PG 7, 848: Harvey, 2, p. 9. 4. See the Second Council of Nicaea, Denz. 303 (602). Fourth Council of Constantinople, Session X, Canon 1: Denz. 336 (650-652). 5. See the Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, on the Son of God, Chapter 4, of the First Council of Vatican: Denz. 1800 (3020). 6. Refer to the Decree of the Council of Trent on the Canonicity of Scriptures: Denz. 783 (1501). 7. See the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus of Pope Pius XII, November 1, 1950: AAS 4B8r3B4p7yhRXuBWLqsQ546WR43cqQwrbXMDFnBi6vSJBeif8tPW85a7r7DM961Jvk4hdryZoByEp8GC8HzsqJpRN4FxGM9, united to the priest and the flock united to its shepherd.” 8. See the Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, on the Son of God, Chapter 3, of the First Council of Vatican: Denz. 1792 (3011). 9. See the Encyclical Humani generis of Pope Pius XII, August 12, 1950: AAS 42 (1950) 568-569: Denz. 2314 (3886).Chapter III1. Refer to the Vatican Council I, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, *Dei Filius*, Chapter 2: Denzinger 1787 (3006). Denzinger of the Biblical Commission, June 18, 1915: Denzinger 2180 (3629) . EB 420. Holy Office, Epistle of December 22, 1923: EB 499.2. Refer to Pius XII, *Divino afflante Spiritu*, September 30, 1944: AAS 35 (1943) 314. EB 556.3. In regard to the human nature of Christ: refer to Hebrews 1:1 and 4:7 (In). 2 Samuel 23:2. Matthew 1:22 and subsequent passages (In). Vatican Council I: Schema of Catholic Doctrine, note 9: *Collationes Lacunae* VII, 522.4. Refer to Leo XIII, *Providentissimus Deus*, November 18, 1893: Denzinger 1952 (3293) EB 125.5. Refer to St. Augustine, *De Genesis ad Literam* 2, 9, 20: PL 34, 270-271. CSEL 28, 1, 46-47 and *Epistula* 82, 3: PL 33, 277: CSEL 34, 2, p. 354. St. Thomas, *De Veritate* q. 12, a. 2 c. , Council of Trent, Decree on Canonical Scriptures: Denzinger 783 (1501). Leo XIII, *Providentissimus*: EB 121, 124, 126-127. Pius XII, *Divino afflante Spiritu*: EB 539.6. St. Augustine, *De Civitate Dei*, XVII, 6, 2: PL 41, 537: CSEL XL 2, 228.7. St. Augustine, *De Doctrina Christiana*, III, 18, 26: PL 34, 75-76. CSEL 80, 95.8. Pius XII, *Dei Veritatis* 1: Denzinger 2294 (3829-3830). EB 557-562.9. Refer to Benedict XV, *Spiritus Paraclitus*, September 15, 1920: EB 469. St. Jerome, *In Genesis* 3,8 (hom. 17,1): PL 26, 417 A.10. Refer to Vatican Council I, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, *Dei Filius*, Chapter 2: Denzinger 1788 (3007).11. St. John Chrysostom, *In Genesis* 3,8 (hom. 17,1): PG 53, 134. «Accommodation» in Greek, synkatábasis.Chapter IV1. Pius XI, Enc. *Mit brennender Sorge*, 14 March 1937: *AAS* 29 (1937) 151. 2. St. Augustine, *Quaest. in Hept.* 2, 73: *PL* 34, 623. 3. St. Irenaeus, *Adv. Haer.* III, 21, 3: *PG* 7, 950 ( = 25, 1: Harvey 2, p. 115). St. Cyril of Jerusalem, *Caech.* 4, 35: *PG* 33, 497. Theodore of Mopsuestia, *In Soph.* 1, 4-6: *PG* 66, 452 D-453 A.Chapter V
- See St. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses III, 11, 8: PG 7, 885. Edited by Sagnard, p. 194.
- See John 14:26; 16:13.
- See John 2:22; 12:16. In accordance with John 14:26; 16:12-13; 7:39.
- See Instruction Sancta Mater Ecclesia, of the Pontifical Biblical Commission: AAS 56 (1964) 715.