Expert: George A. Card,sfo, M.I - 3/3/2004

Question
After talking to a friend about the creation of the world narratives and the reliability of them i came to a conclusion that when jesus talks about marriage and divorce he quotes Matt 19:4 syaing

"havent you read that in the beginning the creator made them male and female", he then talks about adam and eve.

It seem that Jesus firmly believes in the creation narratives. this then poses a problem for us as catholics because. He being the son of God should know exactlly what happened and if these stories are not true it presents the question was he really the son of god?

Can we explian this when we talk about the fact that jesus was teaching to his contempories and had to do so in the manner that they would understand at that time, if he had said that God was a trans-dimensional being that was capable of poly location and whos very existance kept the planets in orbit, he would have been locked up, to make such claims now days, is easier because the people in the modern world have knowledge of science (physics and maths) against which the views can be compared. Thus can we explain Jesus' teaching upon the fact that it is the revelation of christ which develops as people develop and their ability to reason and understand develops. In essence the truth remains the truth it is just that the perception of the truth deepens with the growing wisdom of people. So his teaching is perfectly correct because at that time to the narratives where regarded as scientific fact, and therefore he had to use them as a reference point to explain to those around him. Is jesus faced with the problem of teaching infinite truth to a finite mind, and no matter what his teaching will always come under question no matter what he had said.

Answer
                        Shalom!!

Dear Phil--
 First You seem to be asking two questions,your heading Christiology relates to one, but the body of your letter suggestion one related to the Correctness of Sacred Scriptures. I will touch on the latter first.

THe Church teaches the complete Inerrancy of Sacred Scripture not just things that related to our Salvation but all matter in which the text speaks of (e.g. History, Science, etc.) However we must remember such things were written in a matter in which the first audience could understand them. The Church, I believe has dogmaticly taught
via ordinary magisterium that Adam and Eve were real and are our "first parents".
  Christ was true Man and true God but one Person.Christ knows all things yet He didnt experiance all things. So I would say you are correct when you stated:

"Is jesus faced with the problem of teaching infinite truth to a finite mind, and no matter what his teaching will always come under question no matter what he had said."


Back to Genesis Narrative.
He being God knew exactlly what happened. We need to remember the Sacred Scriptures contain no!! errors. Its as you stated, I repeated: its a narrative not a science thesis by Hawkins or some other great science mind of our day. Also it was Narrative written not by modern writer.

Here part of papers I am writing for a friend's web site that might help in related questions in the future:

Inspiration of Sacred Scripture:
Inspiration that is bestowed by God on the author of a sacred book; for this while involving a special illumination of the mind in virtue of which the recipient conceives such thoughts as God desires him to commit to writing, does not necessarily suppose a supernatural communication of these truths.
        Should be noted.
1.   This is distinct from the illustrations which God may bestow from time to time upon any of the faithful to bring home to the mind the import of some truth of religion hitherto obscurely grasped; and,
2.    The Divine Assistance by which the pope when acting as the supreme teacher of the Church, and/or working with rest of the Magisterium is preserved from all error as to faith or morals of the Church not other fields of knowledge nor their personal behavior. The function of this assistance is purely negative: it need not carry with it any positive gift of light to the mind.
3.   Much of the confusion in which the discussion of Revelation in non-Catholic works is involved arises from the neglect to distinguish it from one or other of these.


form another page:


The Senses of Scriptures:
  Literal: We define the literal sense as "the meaning expressed immediately and directly by the words of the sacred writers." The literal sense is divided into the proper literal sense. Which pertains to the native and obvious meaning of the words, and the improper literal sense, which pertains to a transferred, derived, or figurative use of the words by the sacred writers. Thus, for example, "Abraham begot Isaac" in Matt 1:2 expresses a proper use of the word "begot," while St. Paul's saying to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 4:15, "For in Christ Jesus by the gospel I have begotten you," expresses a derived use of the word "begotten." To perceive the literal sense of a verse, one need only know the meaning of the words and their grammatical use in the sentence, allowing, however, for an intended "improper" use of various words, such as a metaphorical use or the use of a figure of speech. For instance, where the apostles James and John are referred to as the "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17), the word "thunder" is being used literally, not in its native and original sense, but in a metaphorical sense.
  Anagogical: The anagogical sense regards the higher allegory of the Most Blessed Trinity and the "four last things," namely, death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
  Allegorical: An allegory is "a sustained metaphor." Allegory is also "a technique of creating or interpreting works of literature, art, and music so that they will convey more than one level of meaning simultaneously".  We speak of the allegorical sense of the Scriptures inasmuch as objects of faith are presented by the metaphorical use of words that literally represent natural things, and this usage is repeated over and over again in a recognizable pattern. Allegory in the miraculous text of the Bible does not mean fancy or unreal depiction, except where it deliberately uses a genre of fiction. The literal sense of the Bible carries a higher level of meaning centered on the allegory of Christ and his Church
  Topological: This sense is the objective pattern, which represents the impact of the objective truth upon the believing subject, and it is structured chiefly in terms of the virtues of the soul of the believer.


I hope I was of some help.


                      Your servant But His First
                             george/ravjerome72