The words of Moses and the prophets, that is, the Scriptures, are more convincing than the words of a person raised from the dead. Therefore, when Jesus rose from the dead, He did not say that He was risen. Rather, a few hours after His resurrection, He began "with Moses and all the prophets" and "interpreted for them every passage of Scripture which referred to Him" (Lk 24:27). Then, in the evening of the day of His resurrection, Jesus said: " 'Everything  written about Me in the law of Moses and the prophets and psalms had to be fulfilled.' Then He opened their minds to the understanding of the Scriptures" (Lk 24:44-45).

At the first Christian Pentecost, Peter did not refer to the hundreds of people who had seen the risen Christ (see 1 Cor 15:5-6). Instead, Peter preached from the prophet Joel and the psalms (Acts 2:16ff). The early Church did not concentrate on substantiating the claims of those who had seen the risen Lord. Rather, they devoted themselves to the apostles' instruction, especially from the Scriptures (Acts 2:42). Stephen preached the Bible and became the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:2ff). Philip taught the Scriptures to the Ethiopian eunuch, who was baptized into the risen Christ and took the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 8:35ff). Although Paul dramatically met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he led people to faith in the risen Christ primarily by proclaiming the Scriptures.

The Scriptures are the most powerful way the Lord reaches people. Proclaim the Bible accordingly.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, August 18, 2001

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 25, 2001