Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Catholic magisterium lay the foundation for an intellectual grasp of divine revelation. Concerning the Scriptural component, Old Testament passages such as Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Psalm 19:7-9; and Hosea 4:1-2 testify to conforming the mind and will to sacred truth. The Old Testament is merely the beginning: the New Testament also advocates the mental penetration of God’s holy mysteries.

A striking feature of the Gospel of St. Matthew is the designation of Jesus Christ as "teacher." Matthew 4:23 reads: "And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people." Notice the link between catechesis ("teaching"), proclamation ("preaching") and the miraculous ("healing"). An appreciation for these activities would have required some intellectual grasp of heavenly realities on the part of the Lord’s hearers. Additional passages such as Matthew 5:2; 7:28; 11:1; and 13:54 reiterate the Redeemer’s role as teacher, His office as "Prophet." This prophetic office is discovered in the remaining Gospels. (c.f. Mk 4:38; 5:35; 9:17; 10:17; 12:14; 13:1; 14:14; Lk 7:40; 10:25; 11:45; 12:13; 19:39; Jn 3:2; 8:4; 11:28; 13:13 and 20:16. The "Good News," for those with the use of reason, depends on mental conformity to heavenly truth.

The book of Acts, categorized with the Gospels as a "Historical book" of the New Testament, continues the theme of knowledge attainment in the Catholic Faith. Referring to Christians, Acts 2:42 reads, "And they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers." Here, early converts to the Catholic Church were undergoing religious instruction by the Apostles, within the context of Christian fraternity, sacraments and prayer. Numerous passages from Acts bear witness to the necessity of comprehending sacred realities (cf. Acts 4:2; 5:42; 11:26; 15:35; 18:11; 20:20; 28:31).

Proceeding to the "Pauline corpus," the same concept of study and reflection is echoed within its pages. Ephesians 4:22-24 says, "Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." St. Paul asserts a relationship between mind renewal and sanctification. The Apostle never ceases to mention the transformation and development of the believer’s thinking (cf. Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 1:4-6; Gal 6:6; Phil 4:8-9; Col 3:1-2; 1 Thes 2:13; 2 Tm 2:15; Phlm 6).

Upon examining the "Catholic epistles," further evidence encourages the faithful to digest God’s sayings. Pope St. Peter writes, "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pt 3:18). The current Holy Father echoes this idea in the 1979 apostolic exhortation Catechesi Tradendae (Catechesis in Our Time). Pope John Paul II, mentioning the study of Christian revelation, writes: "The Church has not ceased to devote her energy to this task" (no. 1). The Catholic epistles never fail to stress the comprehension of God’s saving wisdom (cf. Jas 3:13; 1 Pt 1:13; 1 Jn 2:24; 2 Jn 9; 3 Jn 4; Jud 3).

The last division of the New Testament, the inspired "Apocalyptic work" of St. John’s Revelation, is a fitting notice to the "thinking" Christian. Revelation 1:3 remarks: "Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near." The Navarre Bible: Revelation commentary interprets this verse as "a pressing call to commitment in fidelity to everything our Lord has chosen to reveal to us in the New Testament, in this instance from the pen of St. John" (p. 32).

In closing, both the Old and New Testament reveal a consistent call for believers to address divine revelation via understanding and reflection. Tradition and the Magisterium will soon show to complement the Biblical claims that have been surveyed in recent articles. The components of Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium offer Catholics excellent guidance for a scientific approach to the Catholic Faith.

Ciresi serves on the faculty of the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College.

Copyright ?2002 Arlington Catholic Herald.  All rights reserved.