The second session on the study of the Bible in the middle ages.
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The Study
of the Bible in the Middle Ages
Adult
Faith Formation Series, October 2022
Session 2:
The Literal Sense and the Scholastics as Biblical Scholars
Class Schedule, Thursdays, from 7
to 8 pm
October 6th –
Introduction to the “senses” of Scripture
October 13th – St
Thomas’ Biblical Commentaries
October 20th – the
Division of the Text
October 27th – St
Thomas’ Commentary on the Gospel of John
I. Review: Biblical Scholarship through the History of
the Church
A. Church
Fathers. In the earliest period, no true “commentaries” but only occasional
expositions of particular passages of the Bible. In the more developed Fathers
(like St Augustine), we have “commentaries” which are really a collection of
homilies – a pastoral and catechetical focus, rather than an academic
exposition.
B. The
Monastic Period. The development of the medieval “gloss” which collected the
various interpretations of the Fathers of the Church and presented them around
a given text of Scripture. This was a huge step forward toward a “commentary”
in the technical/academic sense.
C. The
Scholastic Doctors. Here we have the beginning of true “Biblical Scholarship”
with academic lectures given on the books of the Bible complete with line by
line (even word by word) commentary. Themes are developed in light of the rest
of the Scriptures but also in relation to dogmatic theology and even with the
help of philosophy. Much greater
awareness of translation issues, manuscript variants, the geographical and
historical and cultural elements from Biblical times, etc.
II.
Notes on the Canon of Scripture and Biblical Inerrancy
1. Biblical Inspiration.
a. God (and most particularly,
the Holy Spirit) wrote the Bible. However, he uses human instruments, and these
human authors also act as true authors, fully free.
Example: A man writing with a
pen. (but God is able to use men to write the Bible while still respecting
their freedom)
b. What was it like when these
men wrote the Bible? They did not go into a trance or lose consciousness, they
were not possessed – but God enlightened them and inspired them in all that
they wrote. In fact, many times, the authors of the Bible indicate that they
know that they are inspired and writing Scripture.
c. As Jesus Christ is fully God
and fully man (100% divine, 100% human), so also the Bible. But we know that
God can neither deceive nor be deceived – he would never lie to us. Therefore,
we know that everything in the Bible must be true. Because God really and truly
is the author of every word of Sacred Scripture.
d. The Church came to recognize
which books are truly Canonical and part of the Bible (i.e. inspired) through
the Sacred Liturgy. The books that the prominent Churches used in the Mass and
Divine Worship were the books that were ultimately accepted as Scripture.
2. Biblical Inerrancy: Notice, we
say that the Pope is “infallible” but that the Scriptures are “inerrant”. What is the difference between Papal
Infallibility and Biblical Inerrancy?
a. The Pope cannot teach with
full authority what is false (in the specific cases of “ex cathedra”
statements). But this does not mean that he will always teach in the clearest
way or the best way, but only that he won’t teach heresy in those moments. It is
a “negative” gift.
However, the Bible is truly God’s
own word – which means not only that it won’t contain heresy, but that it is
perfect. It really couldn’t have been written any better! It also means that
the Bible cannot be in error about anything – because God can’t be in error
about anything.
b. Is the Bible an history book?
Of course it is! Just not in the way
that we often think of history books.
III. What
are the “Senses” of Scripture
A. Literal Sense: The foundation
of all the others, and the primary sense of Scripture. Words have meaning, they
point to things (this is the literal sense). But things/people/events can also
have meanings that point beyond themselves to other things/people/events (this
is the spiritual sense).
To understand the literal sense,
we must consider the intention of the human author in writing, and the meaning
of the words themselves in their context as inspired by God.
Example: “The Virgin shall
conceive and bear a son.”
Example: Rahab put a red ribbon
outside her window and was spared when Jericho was destroyed.
B. Allegorical sense: The way
that all the Scriptures point to Christ and to the Church.
Example: The red ribbon
symbolized the Blood of Jesus by which we are saved from sin.
C. The Moral sense: The way that
things in Scripture can teach us about the soul or the live of virtue.
Example: The soul which has been
marked with the Blood of the Lamb in baptism will be saved.
D. The Anagogical Sense: The way
that things in Scripture can point to the end of time.
Example: On the day of Judgment,
all evil in the world will be destroyed, except for those marked with the Blood
of Jesus.
III.
The Literal Sense as the foundation of theology
From
the first question of the Summa of St Thomas:
“The multiplicity
of these senses does not produce equivocation or any other kind of
multiplicity, seeing that these senses are not multiplied because one word
signifies several things, but because the things signified by the words can be
themselves types of other things. Thus in Holy Writ no confusion results, for
all the senses are founded on one — the literal — from which alone can any
argument be drawn, and not from those intended in allegory, as Augustine says
(Epis. 48). Nevertheless, nothing of Holy Scripture perishes on account of
this, since nothing necessary to faith is contained under the spiritual sense
which is not elsewhere put forward by the Scripture in its literal sense.”
“This
doctrine is especially based upon arguments from authority, inasmuch as its
principles are obtained by revelation: thus we ought to believe on the
authority of those to whom the revelation has been made. Nor does this take
away from the dignity of this doctrine, for although the argument from
authority based on human reason is the weakest, yet the argument from authority
based on divine revelation is the strongest.
“But
sacred doctrine makes use even of human reason, not, indeed, to prove faith
(for thereby the merit of faith would come to an end), but to make clear other things
that are put forward in this doctrine. Since therefore grace does not destroy
nature but perfects it, natural reason should minister to faith as the natural
bent of the will ministers to charity. ... Hence sacred doctrine makes use also
of the authority of philosophers in those questions in which they were able to
know the truth by natural reason...
“Nevertheless,
sacred doctrine makes use of these authorities as extrinsic and probable
arguments; but properly uses the authority of the canonical Scriptures as an
incontrovertible proof, and the authority of the doctors of the Church as one
that may properly be used, yet merely as probable. For our faith rests upon the
revelation made to the apostles and prophets who wrote the canonical books, and
not on the revelations (if any such there are) made to other doctors.”
IV. Examples
of the Senses of Scripture, and how this helps with prayer
The Six
Days of Creations – the “literal” interpretation of St Augustine and St Thomas
Jacob
and Esau, and Isaac
Noah’s
ark and Jesus’ body
The Ark
of the Covenant and the Blessed Virgin Mary
Healing
of the Paralytic by Jesus, lowered through the roof
V. St
Thomas’ Biblical Commentaries
St
Thomas commented on both the Old and New Testaments throughout his academic and
teaching career. Thus, studying these different commentaries from different
times in his life gives us a great insight to the development of his thought.
Furthermore, the commentaries serve as a great addition to what we can read in
his systematic works (like the Summa Theologica or the Summa Contra Gentiles).
Indeed, in certain cases, various points of theology are even more developed in
his Biblical Commentaries than in his dogmatic works – especially, we note that
his Commentary on John’s Gospel is considered the highest Trinitarian Theology
of St Thomas.
Commentaries
on Old Testament Books:
Psalms
1-54. Job (note, this was the first
“literal” commentary ever successfully completed on Job!). Jeremiah (cursory). Isaiah (cursory).
Commentaries
on New Testament Books:
Matthew
(from an earlier period of his life).
John (a very mature work). All of
the Letters of St Paul (a mature work).
Some
commentaries of debated Thomistic authorship:
Lamentations
(debated). Genesis (doubtful). Revelation (doubtful). Song of Songs (falsely attributed). Another on Revelation (falsely). Daniel (falsely). Letters of James, Peter, John and Jude
(falsely).
St Thomas, like all the
great scholastic doctors, was first and foremost a Biblical Scholar. The
“master” of the medieval schools was given the title “Doctor Sacrae Scripturae”
or “Magister in Sacra Pagina” – Doctor of Sacred Scripture or Master of the
Sacred Page – witnessing to the close union between the study of Sacred
Doctrine and the study of Sacred Scripture.
St Thomas’ primary “job” in the university was to give lectures on
Sacred Scripture!
Ralph McInerny, “There was
a time when students of St Thomas did not accord his biblical commentaries the
importance they have. By training, Thomas was magister sacrae paginae, a
Master of Holy Writ. His inaugural sermon as a master dealt with Scripture. In
Scripture is the fons et origo (font and source) of all his theology.
One comes from the biblical commentaries to Thomas’ theology with a far better
chance of appreciating the depth of his knowledge and above all its ultimate
source.”
