The Navarre Bible: Captivity Letters

by Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre

Publishers:

Four Courts; Scepter

, 2005

Overview

In the early 1970s the theology faculty of the University of Navarre embarked on the project of making a new Spanish translation of the Bible—a volume accompanied by commentary designed for the general reader. This project was entrusted to the faculty by St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei and the university’s first chancellor. The first volume, St. Matthew, appeared in 1976; the project was completed February 2005. The Navarre Bible series is considered by many the best Catholic commentary on the Bible available today.

More comprehensive than the The Navarre Bible: New Testament, this volume features notes and introductions—rarely very technical—designed to illuminate the spiritual and theological message of the Bible. The Standard Edition is replete with quotations from commentaries by the Fathers, as well as excerpts from other spiritual writers—not least among them, St. Josemaría Escrivá—provided to show how they read Scripture and made it meaningful in their lives.

Paul’s “Captivity Letters,” the epistles of Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians, were written during his period of imprisonment. In these four letters Paul discusses, among many things, Gnostic teaching, the mystery of Christ (Christology), specific points of faith that Christians should adhere to, and the theology of the Church.

The Navarre Bible New Testament, Standard Edition is both scholarly and readable, presenting an intellectual, historical, and applicable survey of the riches of the New Testament. In the Logos edition of Captivity Letters, each Scripture passage links to your favorite translation, and is easy to study side-by-side with your other commentaries. You can search by topic or Scripture with split-second results!

Key Features

• Provides an introduction to Paul’s Captivity Letters
• Draws on numerous Catholic resources
• Contains a table of sources cited, maps, and informative notes

Contents

• Preface and Preliminary Notes
• Abbreviations
• The Captivity Letters
• Introduction to the Letter to the Ephesians
  • The City of Ephesus
  • Readership and Date of the Letter
  • Pauline Authorship
  • Structure
  • Doctrinal Content
  • Special Features
• The Letter to the Ephesians: English Version, with Notes
• Introduction to the Letter to the Philippians
  • The City of Philippi
  • Paul’s Authorship of the Letter
  • An Amalgam of Letters?
  • The Reason for the Letter
  • Place and Date of Composition
  • Structure
  • Doctrinal Content
• The Letter to the Philippians: English Version, with Notes
• Introduction to the Letter to the Colossians
  • The City of Colossae
  • Place and Date of Composition of the Letter
  • Pauline Authorship
  • The Reason for the Letter
  • Structure and Content
  • Principal Doctrinal Topics
• The Letter to the Colossians: English Version, with Notes
• Introduction to the Letter to Philemon
  • Date and Reason for the Letter
  • Pauline Authorship
  • Content and Message
• The Letter to Philemon: English Version, with Notes
• New Vulgate Text
  • Ephesians
  • Philippians
  • Colossians
  • Philemon
• Explanatory Notes
• Headings Added to the Biblical Text
• Maps
• Sources Quoted in the Commentary

Top Highlights

“From that point onwards objective redemption is an accomplished fact. All men have been saved by the redemptive death of Christ. However, St Paul says that he completes in his flesh ‘what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions’; what does he mean by this? The most common explanation of this statement is summarized by St Alphonsus as follows: ‘Can it be that Christ’s passion alone was insufficient to save us? It left nothing more to be done, it was entirely sufficient to save all men. However, for the merits of the Passion to be applied to us, according to St Thomas (Summa theologiae, 3, 49, 3), we need to cooperate (subjective redemption) by patiently bearing the trials God sends us, so as to become like our head, Christ’ (St Alphonsus, Thoughts on the Passion, 10).” (Pages 141–142)

“Therefore, ‘your daily encounter with Christ takes place where your fellow men, your yearnings, your work and your affections are. It is in the midst of the most material things of the earth that we must sanctify ourselves, serving God and all mankind’ (St Josemaría Escrivá, Conversations, 113).” (Page 118)

“Everything anyone has is a gift from God; and a Christian’s life in the body, with any suffering he experiences, and even death, identifies him in some way with Christ’s own life: this identification is the goal of every Christian.” (Page 97)

“Putting on the new nature is not just an external action, like putting on different clothes. It is a transfiguration involving the whole person—soul and body, mind and will. This interior change begins to operate when one makes a firm resolution to lead a fully Christian life; but it calls for an on-going effort, day in day out, to practise all the virtues. ‘Conversion is something momentary; sanctification is the work of a lifetime.” (Page 151)

Praise for the Series

[The Bible is] presented unambiguously as the inspired Word of God and, with the help of the commentaries, we are introduced to 2,000 years of contemplative Christian reading and living of the sacred Word.

—Osservatore Romano

. . . Superb volume for adult Bible Study . . . most helpful, enlightening, and fascinating.

—Catholic Transcript

Product Details

• Title: The Navarre Bible: Captivity Letters
• Translator: Michael Adams
• Edition: Revised
• Publisher: Four Courts Press
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 190

About Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre