Third, from the intention of God and the holy men of God.
Third, from the intention of God and the holy men of God.
§ 484. (III) From the intention of God and the holy men of God. Those for whom God and the holy men of God intended Scripture ought also to read Scripture. But God and holy men of God intended Scripture for all. Therefore all should read it. We prove the minor premise: (1) In Exod. 24:12 God tells Moses: “I shall give you two tables of stone with the Law and the commandments that I have written with My finger that you may instruct the children of Israel.” Deut. 27:8: “You will write upon the stones all the words of this Law well and perspicuously,” that is, so that all may be able to read them. Ps. 102:18: “Let this be recorded for a generation to come, and a people yet to be created will praise the Lord.” Isa. 8:1: “Then the Lord said to me: ‘Take a large book and write upon it with the pen of man,’ “that is, in normal human fashion. Ezek. 43:11: “Portray the figure of the temple and its form, its exits and entrances and its whole description, and all its precepts and all its order and all its laws; write these down in their sight that they may keep all its ordinances.” Hab. 2:2: “And the Lord answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain upon tablets, so that he who reads it may run.’”
(2) The prophets, Christ, and the apostles preached God’s Word in a common and vernacular language not to certain select hearers but to everyone without exception. But now, the same thing that the prophets, Christ, and the apostles preached was later put into writing. Therefore everyone should also read it in a common and vernacular language. Whatever is the nature of the preaching that Christ, the prophets, and apostles did in a common and vernacular language, that nature of the writing is the same, for both are seeking the salvation of their hearers. In Luke 4:16, when Christ stood up in the synagogue to read the Scripture of Isaiah, He read in such a way that all the Nazarenes understood it.
(3) Lest any doubt remain, it should be noted that the prophets commended their books to the entire Church, to which the laity also belong. Deut. 31:9, 11: “And Moses wrote this Law, saying, ‘When all the Israelites come together, you shall read the words of this Law.’ “The apostles and evangelists wrote and entitled their books and Epistles to both the laity and to entire churches. Luke 1:3: “It seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus.”
(Bede believes that the name “Theophilus” is an appellative title, as if Luke were writing this for anyone who loves God. He says: “Whoever is a lover of God may believe that this was written for him and thus, because Luke the physician wrote, let him find the salvation of his soul. Every lover of God [
] is also a lover of Scripture [
].” It is more likely, however, that Theophilus is a proper name because of the added title “most excellent.” Lyra thinks that this Theophilus was the bishop of Asia, but the epithet “most excellent” was generally attributed to a political person, as is apparent from Acts 23:26; 26:26. Consequently, Theophylact thinks that “this Theophilus was some nobleman imbued with the true knowledge of Christ.” Clement, Recognit., bk. 10, last chapter, mentions a certain Theophilus of Antioch whom St. Peter brought to the faith and who changed his house into a church for gatherings of Christians. It is quite likely that Luke sent him this book because both were from Antioch and perhaps had been converted to the faith at the same time.)
John 20:31: “These things were written that you may believe.” Acts 1:1: “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Christ began to do and teach.” Rom. 1:7: “To all God’s beloved in Rome, called saints.” 1 Cor. 1:2: “To the Church of God that is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.” 2 Cor. 1:1: “To the Church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia.” Gal. 1:2: “To the churches of Galatia.” Eph. 1:1: “To all the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 1:1: “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” Col. 1:2: “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossae.” 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1: “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Peter writes “to the chosen exiles of the dispersion” (1 Pet. 1:1). John bears witness “to children, young men, fathers, and old people” (1 John 2:12-14).
From all this we draw this conclusion: Those to whom the prophets and apostles wrote also should read the books of the prophets and apostles, as is clear from the nature of official reports. The prophets and apostles wrote to all orders and estates of the Church, not only to the ministers of the Word but also to the laity. Therefore as Costerus says, “Whatever is published in written books is undoubtedly published for all to read” (Enchirid., p. 48). Bellarmine, De verbo Dei, bk. 4, c. 11: “The apostles wrote all the things that are necessary for all people and that they had preached publicly to all.” Why, then, do they not wish all to read what was written for all?
§ 485. Bellarmine makes the exception: “Nothing is concluded with an argument taken80 from the preaching of the apostles and prophets, because one must distinguish between preaching and writing. It is correct to preach the Word of God in a common language because that contains an explanation that all people grasp easily. But when it is written, it is written bare, and it is not understood by all” (De verbo Dei, bk. 2, c. 16). In our locus On Holy Scripture [1610 Loci Theologici, locus 1], § 103, we explained what one should respond to this sophistry. What Bellarmine adds in the same place—”The apostles preached in various languages but wrote in only one”—has a simple explanation, for the Greek language in which they wrote was the most common, and from it Scripture was later translated into other languages.
He also brings up something similar there: “Just as it is not permissible to argue in this way: ‘Mothers give their children bread cut up into bits or even prechewed; therefore they could also give them a whole solid piece because it is the same bread’—so also one may not argue in this way: ‘The Word of God is administered to people explained by a preacher; therefore it should also be administered without explanation and written in a common tongue.’ “We respond. This is a comparison of dissimilar things, for infants can receive no usefulness from uncut and unchewed bread; the laity, however, can receive something advantageous from reading Scripture, even though no preaching is added. You see, the dogmas of faith and the founts of consolation, as well as precepts for behavior, are set forth in clear and perspicuous words. Also, not all the laity should be considered as infants, because some of them have become mature in their knowledge of Christ (1 Cor. 14:20; Eph. 4:14).
§ 486. Peresius makes this exception in De traditionibus: “Although the apostle directed his Epistles to all members of the Church, nevertheless he did not want just anyone by himself to understand everything contained in them.” Bellarmine’s statement almost coincides with this: “When John and Paul order people to prove all things or to test the spirits, they do not want all the people of the Church to do this but only those to whom it pertains; just as if one were to write to a university that they should examine some book, this does not mean that the book in question is given to everyone at that academy but only to the doctors of that faculty about which the book treats” (De verbo Dei, bk. 3, c. 10, resp. ad arg. 11). We respond. Those to whom the apostles in their letter implore grace and peace, whom they instruct about faith and behavior, whose faults and errors they correct: the apostolic Epistles pertain to each and every one of them. But in their Epistles, the apostles implore grace and peace not only on the ministers of the Church but on all members of the Church; they instruct the same about faith and life; they correct their faults and errors. Therefore. Furthermore, whoever the apostles wrote to, by them the apostles also wanted what they wrote to be understood; otherwise the purpose of their writing would have been destroyed. But now, in their Epistles they wrote to all. Therefore they also wanted what they wrote to be understood by all.
Again, there is a great disparity in Bellarmine’s comparison. You see, when a book is sent to a university and is subjected to its censorship, not all of them can take up the censorship of it because they lack the ability to judge its contents. But when the apostles send their Epistles to the churches, they are not asking for the Church’s censorship. Instead, they are instructing those to whom they are writing. Because this instruction pertains to everyone, the reading of these Epistles must also be conceded to everyone. Below, we shall bring out other comparisons better suited to this topic.