A Critique on Dei Verbum

(The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation)

A Project of ReEd 2

(Introduction to Biblical Exegesis)

Submitted by:

Rusell Jhean M. Dabatos

ReEd 2 – TTH – 1:30-3:00 P.M. – SA 316
2nd Semester 2018-2019

Submitted to:

Sergio M. Sarza, Dev. Ed. D.

Professor
 Chapter I: Revelation Itself

God’s revelation of Himself is rooted in his love for man. Through Jesus, God
speaks to man as friends for the purpose of friendship. Through the Word, God creates
and sustains all things. 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. 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.

Chapter II: Handing on Divine Revelation

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. Sacred Scripture and Tradition are connected, while one is the written word
of God, the other is the spoken word of God. Tradition and Scripture form one deposit of
the word of God. 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. The sacred tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the teaching authority
of the Church serves the Word of God, teaching only what has been handed on, listening
to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully.
 Chapter III: Sacred Scripture, Its Inspiration and
Divine Interpretation

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.
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.
The Church has the final judgment on interpretation of Scripture by its divine commission
and ministry. The “condescension” of God’s eternal wisdom is made known through
scripture.

Chapter IV: The Old Testament

The plan of salvation was spoken through the authors of the Old Testament and
because of their divine inspiration, they remain permanently valuable. 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. 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

The New Testament is a special and most excellent writing. The New
Testament stands as a perpetual and divine witness to the reality of salvation. 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. 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 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.

Chapter VI: Sacred Scriptures in the Life of the

Church

Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition are 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. The scriptures should be made available to all Christians.
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.
All clergy must read the scriptures with diligence. All faithful should not forget that prayer
should always be the companion to reading God’s word. 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.
 Reflection

Like all great religions of the world, Christianity is a religion steeped in revelation.

It makes us believe that it was through the process of revelation that God made himself

known both in the Old and New Testaments, climaxing in the saving action of Jesus

Christ. In which revelation is the foundation and the heart of the Christian faith. The Bible

being the most translated book, having of almost all languages translated and revised

that was emphasized by Dei Verbum in order to be read and understand by all. The

messages of the written word of God in the Bible was transcend from generation to

generations. Dei Verbum is one of most well received and a foundation component on

Catholic’s thinking on revelation, exegesis and the use of the Bible in the Roman Catholic

Church. This also debates and clarifies a lot of issues and nature of revelation. It gives

us a brief history of the progression of salvation, explains how the process of revelation

takes place and the role of the Church in spreading and teaching the people of the truth

of the Christian faith. Dei Verbum completely affirms biblical inspirations and emphasizes

the exclusive role of the Church to ensure, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the

authentic interpretation of the Word of God.