Chapter 1 – Revelation Itself

God chose to reveal himself and his will through Christ. Through Jesus, God speaks to
man as friends for the purpose of friendship. The deeds performed by God agree and
clarify the words spoken by Him, as do the words agree with and clarify the deeds of
God; all of this is captured in Jesus Christ, the fullness of Revelation.

Through the Word, God creates and sustains all things. After the fall, men were filled
with hope and God used Patriarchs like Abraham and Moses to keep alive the hope of
salvation and the coming of a Messiah.

As told through the prophets, Jesus came to mankind as a man, speaking the Word of
God and completing the works of salvation. He did this by perfecting all revelation,
through his works and glorious resurrection, and sending of the Spirit of truth. Man was
thus freed from the powers of darkness and sin and death. This revelation is complete,
the covenant is definitive, it will never pass away, as we will receive no new public
revelation before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ

Obedience of faith is to be given to God in full submission of the intellect and will. This is
done by the Grace of God and the help of the Holy Spirit by moving the heart, turning to
God, opening the eyes of the mind. The Holy Spirit brings gifts to help attain a deeper
understanding of this revelation.

It is through His divine revelation that God communicated Himself and His will about our
salvation, which transcend man’s understanding. A synod confirmed that God can be
known for certain through the light of reason, but through his revelation the religious
truths can be known with ease, certitude, and no error.

Chapter II – Handing on Divine Revelation

7. God’s revelation is perpetually transmitted through all generations. The Apostles

were commissioned to preach the Gospel, and faithfully did so through oral preaching
about Jesus’ teaching and some chose with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to commit
this to writing. In order to maintain the Gospel’s continuity, the Apostles had bishops as
their successors, “handing them” the authority to teach in their own place. This tradition,
and the Scriptures of the New and Old Testaments, are like mirrors of the Church
looking at God until we see Him face to face.

8. This transmission of the Gospel, Apostolic Tradition, is to continue until the end of
time through bishops who warn us to “hold fast to the traditions” (2 Thess 2:15). This
message includes everything that is needed to live a holy and faithful life for God’s
people. The tradition develops by the help of the Holy Spirit, but by a growth in
understanding that comes through the contemplation of believers who hold these as
treasures in their hearts. This living voice resounds in the Church, who leads those who
believe into all truth.

9. Sacred Scripture and Tradition are connected, while one is the written word of God,
the other is the spoken word of God. It is not by scripture alone that the Church draws
her certainty about revelation. They are both to be accepted and revered.

10. Tradition and Scripture form one deposit of the word of God, held together as one
common effort by the bishops and the faithful. Though, the interpretation of the word of
God, both written and spoken, are the exclusive task of the living office of the Church,
whose authority is given in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above
the word of God, but is its servant, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the sacred
tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the teaching authority of the Church cannot stand apart
from one another.

Chapter III – Sacred Scripture, Its Inspiration and Divine Interpretation

11. The Church relies on the testimony of the Apostles that the books contained in the
Old and New Testaments, in their entirety, with all parts, are sacred and canonical
because they are written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and God is their author
(2 Tim 3:16). With Him acting in them and through them, they wrote what God wanted.
Because of this, the writings are without error for the sake of salvation.

12. The interpreter must carefully determine what the writers of the Scriptures intended.
To do this, “literary forms” must be sought, as there is a variance of the forms of
scripture. Some are poetical, prophetic, and others are historic forms of discourse.
Circumstance, culture, and meaning must be investigated. The Church has final
judgment on interpretation of Scripture by its divine commission and ministry.

13. The “condescension” of God’s eternal wisdom is made known through scripture.

Chapter IV – The Old Testament

14. God chose a people in which to entrust his promises. From Abraham and Moses,
with Israel, He made his covenant. The plan of salvation was spoken through the
authors of the Old Testament and because of their divine inspiration, they remain
permanently valuable.

15. The purpose of the Old Testament was to prepare for the coming of the Christ and
to show to all men how God interacts and deals with mankind in justice and mercy. The
writings contain prayers, wisdom, a sense of the liveliness of God, and the mystery of
salvation.

16. God wisely arranged for the New Testament to be hidden in the Old, and the Old to
be made manifest in the New. While Christ made the new covenant with His blood, the
Old Testament sheds light on and explains this mystery.

Chapter V – The New Testament

17. The New Testament is a special and most excellent writing. The fullness of the
Word among us is explained so that we may have eternal life. The New Testament
stands as a perpetual and divine witness to the reality of salvation.
18. The Gospels, among the entire canon of Scripture, have a special preeminence for
they are the principal witness to the life and teaching of the incarnate word. They are
the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and as such are of apostolic
origin.

19. The Church has unceasingly held that the contents of the named Gospels
accurately hand on what Jesus Christ, while living among us, taught about salvation and
did until the day he ascended into heaven. The four authors wrote about things handed
on by word of mouth or in writing, sometimes a synthesis, sometimes as a proclamation,
but always the honest truth about Jesus.

20. The New Testament also contains the epistles of St. Paul and other apostolic
writings which were too written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These more fully
state the Lord’s teachings, the saving power of the divine work of Jesus, and the story
of the early Church is told. For the Lord Jesus assured the Apostles that he would send
an advocate, the Holy Spirit, that would lead them into truth and remind them of
everything He had told them (John 16:13).

Chapter VI – Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church

21. The Church has always venerated the scripture together with the tradition as the
supreme rule of faith. All preaching must be nourished and regulated by scripture, for in
these texts the Father speaks to his children. In turn, His children speak with the words
of their Father, and in them are the living and active power of God.

22. The scriptures should be made available to all Christians, which is why the Church
has accepted the ancient Greek Septuagint, the many Eastern translations, and favored
Latin, particularly the Vulgate translation. Though these were considered popular and
vernacular translations, the Church sees it suitable to also make available the scriptures
in various languages. If authorized by Church authorities, and our separated brethren
agree, all Christians will be able to use these.
23. In addition to private reading, the Church encourages the study of the Church
Fathers as well as those exegetes who so well illuminate the teaching within the
scriptures. This should be done so that as many as possible are able to properly and
effectively share the scriptures with the people of God. Those individuals should read
with enthusiasm, following the mind of the Church.

24. Theology is strengthened by the reading of the scriptures for they are really the
word of God and thus are the soul of theology.

25. All clergy must read the scriptures with diligence. The same is encouraged for the
laity and Religious. All faithful should not forget that prayer should always be the
companion to reading God’s word. Bishops are then urged to provide their flock with
editions adequate for learning.

26. In this way, therefore, the Church will receive a new stimulus for the life of the Spirit
from a growing reverence for the word of God, which lasts forever.