Have you ever wondered which Bible
translation the best for Catholics? This is a very valid concern because the
wrong version could mean that the reader is using an incomplete translation, as
well as one that has annotations and footnotes that are contrary to Catholic
teaching.
First of all, it is important to understand that it was the Catholic Church that declared the canon of the Bible at the Councils of Rome (382), Hippo (393) and Carthage (397) in the 4th century. This canon was reiterated at the Council of Florence in1442 and again at the Council of Trent in the 16th century because of the Scriptural chaos that was being caused by the Protestant Reformation.
Secondly, Catholic Bibles are bigger than those of our separated Protestant brethren. The Old Testament found in Protestant Bibles has 7 less books than Catholic Bibles (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch and I & II Maccabees) and shorter versions of the Books of Esther and Daniel. As a matter of fact, if Martin Luther had his way, their Bibles would have not included the New Testament Books of Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation because he felt that they were not canonical. Had it not been for pressure from some of his contemporaries, Protestant Bibles would have been much smaller than they already are.
First of all, it is important to understand that it was the Catholic Church that declared the canon of the Bible at the Councils of Rome (382), Hippo (393) and Carthage (397) in the 4th century. This canon was reiterated at the Council of Florence in1442 and again at the Council of Trent in the 16th century because of the Scriptural chaos that was being caused by the Protestant Reformation.
Secondly, Catholic Bibles are bigger than those of our separated Protestant brethren. The Old Testament found in Protestant Bibles has 7 less books than Catholic Bibles (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch and I & II Maccabees) and shorter versions of the Books of Esther and Daniel. As a matter of fact, if Martin Luther had his way, their Bibles would have not included the New Testament Books of Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation because he felt that they were not canonical. Had it not been for pressure from some of his contemporaries, Protestant Bibles would have been much smaller than they already are.
When it comes to Protestant Bibles, there are usually 2 camps: The “King James only” (KJV) crowd - who claim that the KJV is the only accurate translation - and those who use all of the other translations. Some other popular Protestant translations include the New International Version (NIV), New King James Version (NKJV), Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version.
Catholic versions include the New American Bible (NAB), the Douay-Rheims version, the Navarre Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, as well as Catholic versions of the Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version. There are a variety of Catholic translations that are useful for different reasons. Some like the literary style of the Douay-Rheims, while others like the footnotes in the Navarre Study Bible.
It is important for the Catholic to choose a translation that includes the 7 books that are removed from Protestant Bibles. When Jesus and the authors of the New Testament quote the Old Testament Scriptures, they make more than 100 allusions to those 7 books. We must remember that Jesus gave the Church the authority to declare the truth here on earth and promised her the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 16:12-15). As Catholics, we must recognize that authority.
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