BIBLE CHAPTERS & VERSES

We can be grateful for the division of the Bible into numbered chapters and verses. It helps us locate particular passages and identify them for others. We should realize that these were not an original part of inspired Scripture. They are not a part of God's inspired word.

It was during the 1200's that Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, divided the books of the Bible into chapters. It was not until 1551 that Robert Estienne, a member of a famous French printing family, introduced the division into verses

There's also a bad side of these divisions. It has sometimes led to misunderstandings. There are some people who tend to consider individual verses as complete thoughts as if the numbers indicate starting and stopping points in determining doctrine. While it is good to memorize and quote Scripture, it is not good to interpret any single verse apart from its context.

For example, consider Matthew 5:43 which reads, "You have heard that it has been said, You should love your neighbor and hate your enemy." When you continue on to verse 44 a different message emerges: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you."

The Catholic Church teaches that the Bible must be interpreted in relation to other passages of Scripture that bear upon the same subject.