The Irish standard., 1918-01-19
ARTIcLEI I.
THE CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT BIBLES
COMPARED.
BY Rev. James Donahoe.

Wnat 1s the d1erence between the Catholic and Pr0tes
tant Bible? Why this difference?
The first question is easily quickly answered
second Is much more difficult Before enumerating the
books contained in the Catholic Bible showing
difference between the contents of the Catholic and Prot
estant Bible it is pertinent to state that the Catho
Tic Is often misleading There and sects
calling themselves Catholic who union with the
See of Peter.
Many Versions Of the Scriptures.
There are very many versions of the Bibe-so many
that the uninormed would doubtless surprised
to see complete list of all versions scripture
which have been issued in various of the world The
desire to possess and spread the Bible in the vernacur
language has caused to undertake task for which
they were Intellectually and morally unified The
sequence is that omissions Irregularities corrup
ions have been found in versions which the general pub
lie accepted as the undefed Word of God They who
suit the Catholic Encyclopedia VOL XIV pages 367376
will find there long list of versions of the Bible which
have been published in various languages OF course
Church does not of all versions named there
exhorts all to read the authentic Bible and is logically
opposed to the reading of book which wrongly claims
to contain nothing but the divine revelation
The work Of preserving the original text in one
language has been very difficult When an effort
made to translate into another language, and
happened sometimes into third fourth language the
task OF preserving the original text became
much more than any single man could accomplish.
Analysis Of the Bible.
The Bible Is divided into two important parts the Old
and New Testament. The Old Testament is subdivided
into the Law, Prophets and the Writings Nearly all of
the Old Testament written in Hebrew very small
part written Aramaic the remainder was written
in Greek Only part of the New Testament writ
ten in Hebrew. All except the Gospel according St.
Matthew written in Greek The first important trans
laton made of the Hebrew (or the Old Yestament Bible
was into Greek Later this Greek translation
dered into Latin and at the beginning century
we have entire Latin Bible called the Latin Vulgate
The Old Testament text that has gone through
three translatons from Hebrew Greek, Greek
Latin latin into
readily the great difficulties way of retaining the
exact expressions and words down by the inspired
writer's. - T,.4-;--~
The Doua and King James Versions
The Italian, Spanish, French, German, Ruthinian,
hem1an, Polish Slovac, Croaan etc., versions all went
through the process of translation Some of the
accepted text of the Old Testament such the Pescho
Syriac Bible the Arabiac Bible the Samaritan
of the Pentateuch etc. were translated directly from the
Hebrew. When speak of the Bible, have in mind
the authorized English versicn-the Bible When
speak of Protestant Bible have in mind the King
James version the Authorized Version which is grad
uay gaining popularity and will apparently in time
plant other Protestant versions
What Catholic Bible Includes and Protestants Omit.
The Catholic Bible has As books in the Old Testament
27 in the New Testament making 72 in ALL In the Old
Testament the books of Moses Genesis, Exodus
Leviticus, Numbers Deuteronomy Josue Judges, Ruth
four books of Kings, two of Parapomenon the first book
of Esdras and the second usually called Nehemias Tobias
Judith Esther job the Davidical Psalter Proverbs Ec
cesiastes the Canticles of Cantcles Wisdom Eccesas
tcus Isaas, Jeremias with Baruch Ezechal Daniel the
twelve minor PROPHETS and two books of the Machabees
In the New Testament The four Gospels according
Matthew Mark Luke and john the Acts of the Apos
tles IA Epistles Paul the Apostle, the Romans
two to the Corinthians to the Galatians, to the
Ephesians the Philippians, the Coossans
two to the Thessaonans two to Timothy to Titus,
to Philemon to the Hebrews, two of Peter the
APOSTLE three of John the Apostle of the Apostle
James, of Jude the Apostle, and the Apocalypse of
Apostle That in all ~ books Cath
olc Bible.
The Protestant Bible contains books less They
omit the books of Tobias Judith Wisdom Eccesiasticus
Baruch and first and second Machabees, together with
chapters of Esther and 66 of the third chap
ter of Daniel
Some Uncertainties.
To understand why there is difference of the opinion
about the number of books in the Old Testament it is
necessary give about the acceptance the
Bible before the time of Christ Authorities all
agreed to the exact time of the closing of the Old
declare that the Old Testament canon
closed the time of Esdras about the 430
Other authorities claim not until 100 B. c. that
the Old Testament completed One thing is certain,
that century before the birth of Our Lord the Old Tes
lament existed as it does today.
Origin Of the Septuagnt.
It already been stated nearly the Old Tes.
written in Hebrew. After the Dispersion" of
Jews when people scattered abroad
many lands they lose their Hebrew tongue
and gradually began Greek which at that time
the universal language. In consequence necessary
supply the Jews with of their sacred scripture
Greek language Hence the translation of the
Hebrew Old into the Greek Bible known the
"Septuagnt" it is supposed to have been the
work of 70 tansatos connected with the famous Greek