The Holy Scriptures

Q.     What are the Holy Scriptures?
A.     The Holy Scriptures, commonly called the Bible, are the
         books of the Old and New Testaments; other books,
         called the Apocrypha, are often included in the Bible.

Q.     What is the Old Testament?
A.     The Old Testament consists of books written by the
         people of the Old Covenant, under the inspiration of the
         Holy Spirit, to show God at work in nature and history.

Q.     What is the New Testament?
A.     The New Testament consists of books written by the
         people of the New Covenant, under the inspiration of
         the Holy Spirit, to set forth the life and teachings of
         Jesus and to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
         for all people.

Q.     What is the Apocrypha?
A.     The Apocrypha is a collection of additional books
         written by people of the Old Covenant, and used in
         the Christian Church.

Q.     Why do we call the Holy Scriptures the Word of God?
A.     We call them the Word of God because God inspired
         their human authors and because God still speaks to us
         through the Bible.

Q.     How do we understand the meaning of the Bible?
A.     We understand the meaning of the Bible by the help of  the Holy Spirit, who guides the Church in the true interpretation of the Scriptures.