University St Mary of the Lake

Student: Daniel Villalobos

Summary of Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum

Paul VI proclaimed the dogmatic constitution on divine revelation Dei Verbum on 19651.
It was the result of the Conciliar fathers who worked in the doctrine of revelation:
explaining and developing the understanding of God's communication to the human being.

God in his free will decided to reveal himself to the human being, sending his only son
Jesus Christ incarnated in Mary and born, accomplished the mystery of his will through
Christ in his actions and words related to the history of salvation.

God chose to manifest himself to our fathers, showing us the message of salvation for all
humanity. Throughout the history, God had spoken to his people, but in Christ, we discover
the culmination of revelation. However, the mystery of revelation is fully understandable
through the faith and freedom from the human being, who can accept and believe Christ as
the truth.

The revelation was witnessed by the apostles, which experience the encounter with Jesus
Christ. Through them, we receive the knowledge, and sacred tradition of this mystery kept
in the scriptures and the apostolic succession (tradition). The transmission of the divine
revelation creates a substantial relationship between the Church with the scriptures and the
tradition because it's working together to procure the salvation to the believer.

The Scriptures in both Old and New Testament kept the true inspired by the Holy Spirit
through all the prophets and sacred writers of the scriptures. On account of the tradition of
the Church, the interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures should be careful and trustworthy,
seeking the context and cultural roots of its time and public.

The Old Testament narrates the chosen people of God whom He decided to prepare to
reveal Jesus Christ. It contains the history of God walking with his people until the coming
of Jesus Christ, completing the promise to send a savior. The New Testament is by
excellency the text which keeps culmen of the revelation in Jesus Christ. The four gospels
as historical and divine books communicated what Jesus did and said, teaching to the
human being the way of salvation.

1
Dei Verbum in Vatican Council II. (1965)
Finally, the dogmatic constitution finished by relating the Sacred scripture to the life of the
Catholic Church and how the Church should venerate it as the Sacred Word of God. The
study of the Bible is part of the Theology and should be an essential part of the studies for
the Clerics and lay people. Catholics are invited to explore and study the sacred scriptures
as part of their faith formation.