The Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture: The Word that Comes from God and Speaks of God for the Salvation of the World

In his 2009 post-synodal apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict XVI pointed out that “theological reflection has always considered inspiration and truth as two key concepts for an ecclesial hermeneutic of the sacred Scriptures” and that there is today the need “for a fuller and more adequate study of these realities, in order to better respond to the need of interpreting the sacred texts in accordance with their nature.”
 The Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture: The Word That Comes from God and Speaks of God for the Salvation of the World is the contribution of the Pontifical Biblical Commission toward a more adequate understanding of the concepts of inspiration and truth that respects both the nature of the Bible and its significance for the life of the Church. Drawing on a close reading of the Scriptures themselves, the document focuses on three main aspects:1.    The inspiration of Sacred Scripture and the exploration of its divine provenance2.    The truth of the Word of God, emphasizing the message about God and his project of salvation3.    Challenges that arise from the Bible itself, on account of certain aspects that seem inconsistent with its quality of being the Word of God
 Reading this document, formally approved by Pope Francis, will strengthen the reader to receive the word of God—in the liturgical assembly and in every other place—in its theological, Christological, soteriological, and ecclesiological context in a way that corresponds ever more closely to this unique gift of God whereby God communicates his very self and invites us into communion with him.

Kudos to the Liturgical Press for bringing this latest statement of the Pontifical Biblical Commission to the English-speaking world. . . . Teachers and theologians can find here valuable material for further reflection on the scared nature of the Bible within the community of faith.

Timothy Radcliffe, Stations of the Cross, The Bible Today

I thank the members of the Biblical Commission for their patient and competent effort, and I express my desire that their work may contribute to a more attentive, grateful, and joyful listening to Sacred Scripture in the Church as the Word coming from God and speaking of God for the life of the world.

From the Foreword by His Eminence, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller

"This book is a very dense document due to the subject, but it is also remarkably accessible. It is neither excessively academic nor technical, though some background in biblical studies is necessary in order to assimilate its finer points. Nonetheless, any sincere layperson with a basic understanding of the historical context of the Bible and the Church's teaching on its proper interpretation will be able to make their way through it. If the reader views the book as an orthodox course in the Bible, and commits to a sustained reading of it, it will likely bear abundant fruits."Karl Schultz