Świętość Kościoła a świętość Pisma
The Holiness of the Church and the Holiness of Scripture

Summary/Abstract: This paper takes up a suggestion made by Telford Work, who in his monograph Living and Active proposed the use of the marks of the Church for theological reflection on Scripture. The evangelical theologian posits that the Church’s distinctive marks can also be viewed as distinctive marks of the Bible. The article is limited to the Church’s mark of holiness seen from a Catholic perspective. Contemporary ecclesiological reflections led to the conclusions about the holiness and inspiration of Scripture. The holiness of Scripture results from the inseparable connection between Scripture and Christ and His humility. Scripture is also the fruit of salvific action because the Church as the Bride of Christ is the co-author of the Bible. Scripture is holy because its subjects are holy God and the holy Church. The holiness of Scripture must, however, be distinguished from the holiness of the hagiographers and the holiness in Scripture. The holiness of Scripture lies at the ontological level, of which the content and literary layer can be a sign. Scripture, like the Church, bears the sins of men and remains holy not in spite, but because of it. Scripture must not be described with the Protestant expression simul iustus et peccator. Only in the memory of the Church is it possible to grasp more fully the holiness of Scripture. The holiness of Scripture is always greater than the holiness in the Church, while the holiness in Scripture need not be greater than the holiness in the Church. As holiness increases, Scripture increases; on the other hand, Scripture causes holiness to increase (the hermeneutic circle). Scripture is one of the means of salvation because the glorified Christ uses the inspired word. The gift of inspiration consisted in a deeper identification of the hagiographer with the essence of the Church and in this sense it was a prophetic gift which allows one to recognise the holiness of the Church and thus leads to the sanctification of the community of believers.

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