Sacred Scripture

Sacred Scripture — the Bible — is the collection of sacred writings of the Old and New Testaments, composed by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and recognized by the Church as the Word of God (CCC 101, 105).

Inspired by God

God is the principal author of Sacred Scripture. He used real human authors — with their own intellects, styles, and personalities — who wrote under the Holy Spirit's guidance exactly what God willed, without error in matters pertaining to salvation (CCC 106–107).

The Canon of Scripture

The Bible contains 73 books: 46 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. The Catholic canon includes 7 deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Judith, 1–2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch) not found in Protestant Bibles. The canon was determined by the Church through Sacred Tradition — not by Scripture itself (CCC 120).

Scripture and Tradition Together

The Catholic Church rejects the Protestant principle of sola scriptura (Scripture alone). Scripture and Sacred Tradition together form the single Deposit of Faith, interpreted authentically by the Magisterium. Neither stands alone (CCC 80–83).

The Four Senses of Scripture

The Church reads Scripture in four senses: the literal (what the text says), the allegorical (how it points to Christ), the moral (what it calls us to do), and the anagogical (what it reveals about our eternal destiny) — all four together unfold the full depth of God's Word (CCC 115–118).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Bible without error? The Church teaches the Bible is without error in what it affirms for our salvation. This does not mean every statement is a precision scientific or historical claim — it means the saving truth God willed to communicate through Scripture is reliably conveyed (CCC 107).