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Where We Got the Bible: Our Debt to the Catholic Church
Traces the origin and preservation of sacred Scripture. This book includes the conversion story of the author, who converted from Calvinist ministry to Catholicism.
170 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1911
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About the author
Henry Grey Graham
48 books3 followersBishop Henry Grey Graham was a Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland and Titular Bishop of Tipaza, Algeria.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 29, 2021
"Where did the Bible come from?" is one of my favorite questions to ask Mormon missionaries who knock on my door. "When were the books collected and selected? And by who? How was it decided?" They usually have no clue. I love this easy-to-read book by Henry Graham because it explains exactly that. The Church existed before the Bible; the New Testament was written by its members (apostles and evangelists); it was put together and the Canon of the New Testament was settled by the Church at the Council of Carthage. The Church, as the maker of the Bible, is the only right authority to interpret her Bible. As Graham points out: "The same authority which made and collected and preserved these books alone has the right to claim them as her own and to say what the meaning of them is." It is only because of and through the Catholic Church that Protestants even have a Bible at all. Graham again: "For people to step in 1,500 years after the Catholic Church had had possession of the Bible and to pretend that it is theirs and that they alone know the meaning of it, and that the scriptures alone, without the voice of the Catholic Church explaining them, are intended by God to be the guide and rule of faith - this is an absurd and groundless claim."
But that is just the beginning of this book. Besides giving a history of the origin and authorship of the Bible, Graham also details the historical means and methods of preservation. He easily shows how common Protestant claims about the Church are mere myths with no ground to stand on. He also details how Protestants have taken the Bible and disfigured and corrupted it, falsifying the original apostolic writing, changing it here to suit the interests of this sect, changing it there to suit the interests of that sect, with partisan notes and political doctrines. I honestly wonder with Graham, "Which of these corrupt, partisan versions is the rule of faith? The Bible and the Bible only - but which Bible?" Are you sure you have the right one? "Are you certain," asks Graham, "that your Bible contains exactly the words, and all the words, and only the words, that came from the apostles and evangelists? Are you sure no other words have crept in, or that none have dropped out?" You know perfectly well that you must trust an authority outside yourself. Protestants have a differentrule of faith according to the century in which they live and according to the copy of the Bible they chanced to have at that time. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church has patiently and diligently preserved the pure, uncorrupted gospel as it came from the pen of the apostles and evangelists.
"Not on the quicksands of human and varying judgement, but on the rock of divine authority we place our feet."
But that is just the beginning of this book. Besides giving a history of the origin and authorship of the Bible, Graham also details the historical means and methods of preservation. He easily shows how common Protestant claims about the Church are mere myths with no ground to stand on. He also details how Protestants have taken the Bible and disfigured and corrupted it, falsifying the original apostolic writing, changing it here to suit the interests of this sect, changing it there to suit the interests of that sect, with partisan notes and political doctrines. I honestly wonder with Graham, "Which of these corrupt, partisan versions is the rule of faith? The Bible and the Bible only - but which Bible?" Are you sure you have the right one? "Are you certain," asks Graham, "that your Bible contains exactly the words, and all the words, and only the words, that came from the apostles and evangelists? Are you sure no other words have crept in, or that none have dropped out?" You know perfectly well that you must trust an authority outside yourself. Protestants have a differentrule of faith according to the century in which they live and according to the copy of the Bible they chanced to have at that time. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church has patiently and diligently preserved the pure, uncorrupted gospel as it came from the pen of the apostles and evangelists.
"Not on the quicksands of human and varying judgement, but on the rock of divine authority we place our feet."
October 10, 2017
This book really put the Catholic Church and the development of the canon into proper perspective for me. Much of the book goes through what we call the “Dark Ages” and dispels the assumption that little happened in the way of learning during those times. Yes, little DID happen in the way of learning for those that were illiterate, but that was not so in the monasteries, which served as centers for higher learning at the time. Remember, this was before the university system had begun to flourish. Much of the population in the Christian western world, therefore, was still illiterate and the language of both the universal Church (and education) was still Latin.
Prior to the advent of printing presses and paper as we know it, books were also expensive and scarce, save the copy of the Bible and liturgy at one’s church. These texts were usually in Latin until approved translations were made and copied in the town vernacular.
If we are to talk only in terms of learning and literacy, it may be fair to say that these were Dark Ages for the lower and working classes, but what went on in monasteries was nothing but dark.
This book dispels myths of lazy monks copying incorrect translations of scriptures as well as the claim that the Church tried to keep scripture in the hands of Church authority and away from the people. Also discussed is the claim made by manyProtestant circles that the Church refused to publish translations of the Bible and liturgy in the communities’ native tongues. Yes, the Church did refuse to approve certain translations not made by the Church because, as we all know, every translation is filled with the personal theological interpretation of its translator. It was very important for the church to maintain a unified doctrine across its parishes because it is, after all, Catholic. In a time when local dialects and languages were everywhere, that task was even more arduous than it would have been today, where the entirety of England speaks English (or thereabouts). These things took time and their approval took time. A translation could not be Fed-Exed across the continent for review. We think the Church is slow to make decisions today; this book reminds us that things were even slower back then.
I haven’t mentioned the chapters on the process of selecting the canon and how that process, I’m afraid, was wholly Catholic. Although Protestants have removed a few books from their canon, every Christian reading the Bible today is placing his or her trust in the fact that the Catholic Church selected all of the books in your Bible.
——
This would have deserved 5 Stars if it were not for its lack of footnotes. I attribute this to the time in which the book was written. The author, however, does discuss books for further trading within the text. He just doesn’t cite exactly where to verify particular facts, as we have grown accustomed to today.
Prior to the advent of printing presses and paper as we know it, books were also expensive and scarce, save the copy of the Bible and liturgy at one’s church. These texts were usually in Latin until approved translations were made and copied in the town vernacular.
If we are to talk only in terms of learning and literacy, it may be fair to say that these were Dark Ages for the lower and working classes, but what went on in monasteries was nothing but dark.
This book dispels myths of lazy monks copying incorrect translations of scriptures as well as the claim that the Church tried to keep scripture in the hands of Church authority and away from the people. Also discussed is the claim made by manyProtestant circles that the Church refused to publish translations of the Bible and liturgy in the communities’ native tongues. Yes, the Church did refuse to approve certain translations not made by the Church because, as we all know, every translation is filled with the personal theological interpretation of its translator. It was very important for the church to maintain a unified doctrine across its parishes because it is, after all, Catholic. In a time when local dialects and languages were everywhere, that task was even more arduous than it would have been today, where the entirety of England speaks English (or thereabouts). These things took time and their approval took time. A translation could not be Fed-Exed across the continent for review. We think the Church is slow to make decisions today; this book reminds us that things were even slower back then.
I haven’t mentioned the chapters on the process of selecting the canon and how that process, I’m afraid, was wholly Catholic. Although Protestants have removed a few books from their canon, every Christian reading the Bible today is placing his or her trust in the fact that the Catholic Church selected all of the books in your Bible.
——
This would have deserved 5 Stars if it were not for its lack of footnotes. I attribute this to the time in which the book was written. The author, however, does discuss books for further trading within the text. He just doesn’t cite exactly where to verify particular facts, as we have grown accustomed to today.
January 4, 2014
This was short and essay-like, born from a series of talks. It is a very fast read. It's British and is about the British, but applies to America too. And because it is British it is also sarcastic and hilarious at times. It was first published in 1911, I think, but my copy had publisher updates as of 2004. The book is one giant refutation of the idea that the Catholic Church hates the Bible and hides it from the faithful. It refutes the historic Protestant idea that if the faithful ever read the Bible, they would immediately cease being Catholic and would become Protestant. But I think this reflects the state of affairs back in 1911, rather than that of today. There have been leaps in ecumenism since then, the main fruit of which has been an elimination of smear campaigns and outright lies about each side. This book refutes much of the lies spread about Catholics and Bible, and flips them on their ear in a very conversational but well-documented way. There is a thick tone of triumphalism (i.e., Catholics are great!) that probably made sense back in 1911 but seems out of place now. Gary Michuta's "Why Catholic Bibles are Bigger" handles all of the details of how the books of the Bible were selected and translated into Greek and Latin. This book is a kind of sequel and picks up the story of how we got from the Latin Bible to English. I guess I somehow ignored the subtitle of the book, "Our Debt to the Catholic Church", because that is definitely the main theme of the book. But it's important to see it all laid out like this. The truth turns out to be a very commonsensical story. The books of the Bible were picked by the Church. The translation of the Bible into the universal language (Latin) was done by the Church. Copies of the Bible were painstakingly and accurately handwritten by the Church. And the contents were protected and defended from bad or heretical translations by the Church. The strength of the book is in how the author anticipates and answers the common objections to these assertions. He doesn't do it with modern sensitivity, but he does do it with charity and good humor.
April 4, 2022
First published in 1911, no accident, as the year marked the tercentenary of the King James Bible.
The line often taken by Protestants was that the pre-reformation church (Catholic) kept the Bible ‘hidden’ from Jo Public. Even if it didn’t, the proddies further argue, it was largely inaccessible anyway, being written in Latin. Catholic Bishop Graham successfully challenges this, arguing that his Church had safeguarded the Divine Word and made it available in so many forms throughout history. He stresses the importance of instruction and interpretation alongside the Bible’s availability. He argues that the protestant reformers/ heretics all, altered and omitted texts to justify their interpretations. They even chose to omit several of the books retained in the Catholic (Duaoi – Rheims) version, the 'Apocryphal' books.
Well made argument but so much repetition, sarcasm and bombast which detracts from it.
The line often taken by Protestants was that the pre-reformation church (Catholic) kept the Bible ‘hidden’ from Jo Public. Even if it didn’t, the proddies further argue, it was largely inaccessible anyway, being written in Latin. Catholic Bishop Graham successfully challenges this, arguing that his Church had safeguarded the Divine Word and made it available in so many forms throughout history. He stresses the importance of instruction and interpretation alongside the Bible’s availability. He argues that the protestant reformers/ heretics all, altered and omitted texts to justify their interpretations. They even chose to omit several of the books retained in the Catholic (Duaoi – Rheims) version, the 'Apocryphal' books.
Well made argument but so much repetition, sarcasm and bombast which detracts from it.
August 20, 2010
Wonderful little book that ALL Christians must read! Even though it was written nearly a hundred years ago, trust me, you wouldn't be able to tell, as it doesn't date itself. This book covers all of the misconceptions that many people hold in regards to the Bible and the Catholic Church. Like how the Church didn't want the people to read it in order to have control over them, or refused to translate it to the vernacular so people wouldn't understand it in order to teach anti-Biblical doctrines. This is a MUST read for any serious Bible-reading Christians!
June 19, 2013
So-called "Bible Christians," roll this in your anti-Catholic pipe and smoke it! Very eye-opening and informative. I read this book back in early 2004, and intend to re-read again in the near future, as it is an excellent source of material for defending the Catholic faith against those holier-than-thou fundamentalist and evangelical Christians who attack our Faith as being "un-Biblical," "apostate," "not real Christians," etc.
April 10, 2013
Very eye-opening and informative. I read this book back in early 2004, and intend to re-read again in the near future, as it is an excellent source of material for defending the Catholic faith against those holier-than-thou fundamentalist and evangelical Christians who attack our Faith as being "un-Biblical," "apostate," "not real Christians," etc.
July 31, 2022
An old but brilliant work of Catholic apologetics, written by a convert from Calvinist Protestantism. Graham engages in some top-quality biblical analysis, pointing to the validity of Catholic interpretation. He also makes a strong and sometimes humorous defence against some truly preposterous Protestant claims at the time, that those shifty papists were actually burning and supressing the Word of God for so many centuries. Definitely worth a read by interested Catholics. I would recommend it to any other denominational Christian if they are not dead-set in their sectarianism that they refuse to accept that anything good came from the Roman Catholic Church.
December 1, 2020
I personally found this book very intriguing and thought provoking. It gives the history of the Bible (specifically the New Testament) from the time it was written all the way to the present time. I particularly enjoyed the part about how it was copied and preserved before the printing press. It was also interesting to learn why there are so many widely different translations, why the number of books differ, how it was decided what books belonged in the New Testament, and where it all originated from.
Not everyone will agree with everything that is shared in this book (and I'll admit, it could have been written a bit better), but I still think everyone could learn something.
Not everyone will agree with everything that is shared in this book (and I'll admit, it could have been written a bit better), but I still think everyone could learn something.
December 18, 2023
Theology, not scholarship. A history of the Bible (the preparing and translating of the same) from a Catholic theological perspective, written in 1911 in response to various hypothetical arguments from a Protestant theological perspective. Important to view it and review it as such. Structured in a series of short chapters, each with a concise and accessible thesis. Written crisply with a view to persuasion, albeit in language that some modern readers may parse more slowly than they’d like.
Two stars because I think in one or two places he may contradict his own argument … or at least concede (in one or two chapters) a bit of evidence that undermines the primary thesis of another chapter. In other words, taking it on its own terms, I think in a few places it does not hit its target.
Two stars because I think in one or two places he may contradict his own argument … or at least concede (in one or two chapters) a bit of evidence that undermines the primary thesis of another chapter. In other words, taking it on its own terms, I think in a few places it does not hit its target.
August 17, 2025
Had heat for a book from the 1910s
July 26, 2019
Very informative
March 23, 2020
This book is straight forward. The author gets to the truth of the matter without a bunch of nonsense. (Which lends it to be "dry" at times. But that's the nature of texts when dealing with documentation.) Sometimes he uses 20 words... when 10 would do. But he is well meaning... trying to DRIVE HOME the most important points. That being said, this book is relatively short and brimming from start to finish with well researched info. This book is a great tool for educating oneself on the history, formation, and foundation of the Bible. It shows how clearly the Catholic Church cherished the books. Painstakingly transcribing each individual book using the mediums of their times. (i.e. animal skin, vellum, etc... We often forget that the printing press was not invented until the 1400s...) Literally a LABOR of love spanning decades. For those nay-sayers who slander the Catholic Church as "anti-Bible"... such claims are laughable in light of how HARD the Catholic Church worked to preserve the Scriptures for the love of Almighty God and for the benefit of future generations. Highly recommend!
August 29, 2012
For many Christians, especially Evangelical Protestants, the origins of the bible and church history are a rather unknown topic.
To the credit of the author, he very logically captializes on many of the aforementioned weaknesses of Evangelical Protestantism to challenge many of the assumptions that most Protestants make unknowingly.
However, for Protestants who do have a knowledge of church history this book is an opporutunity to have some profitable dialogue and discussion with our Roman Catholic Brethren.
To the credit of the author, he very logically captializes on many of the aforementioned weaknesses of Evangelical Protestantism to challenge many of the assumptions that most Protestants make unknowingly.
However, for Protestants who do have a knowledge of church history this book is an opporutunity to have some profitable dialogue and discussion with our Roman Catholic Brethren.
July 13, 2008
Good thus far. This book has some great info but like I've found in most of the books written by catholics the author uses tradition and storys to prove his point instead of sticking with facts. I was really wanting a factual account of how the current Bible was compiled and the steps and brought it to where it is today but that is not what I've found in this book. I still have a few more chapters to go, maybe they will be better than the first. I'll let you know.
January 20, 2011
The Bible is so important and has such an amazingly huge impact on countless people. Hadn't we better know where it came from?
I challenge Protestants not to take the Bible for granted. Go back to your roots!
I challenge Protestants not to take the Bible for granted. Go back to your roots!
September 2, 2009
I found the style of writing very forceful compared to modern rhetoric. A matter of only 100 years can make a decided difference in style and approach to topic development.
He does a good job of quoting sources and itemizing there origin so that the reader can verify them independantly.
He does a good job of quoting sources and itemizing there origin so that the reader can verify them independantly.
April 27, 2015
Where We Got The Bible: Our Debt to the Catholic Church by Henry G. Graham (1977)
August 6, 2012
Very informative! I learned a lot and like others have said you would never know it was written 100 years ago! Excellent resource! Definite keeper for the bookshelf!
May 8, 2012
Excellent read. Thoroughly enjoined the writing style.
June 28, 2018
This book is a classic example of the worst kind of history writing. If a person wanted to prove a point, any point no matter how ridiculous, he should use this book as a template.
He tries to prove that the Catholic Church loves the Bible. So he takes a few points out of context and uses that to prove this falsehood. When he is presented with the evidence that the Catholics hate the Bible and hate people who loved the Bible (like Wycliffe and Tyndale), then make them out to be horrible people using the standard of "catholic is good, they weren't catholic, therefore they were bad". Jesuit Sophistry is very clearly on display in this book. The mental gymnastics needed to do what he did in this book are scary. I am glad I got this book for free.
In the words of Dave Chappell, I wish I had four hands, so I could give this book "4 thumbs down".
He tries to prove that the Catholic Church loves the Bible. So he takes a few points out of context and uses that to prove this falsehood. When he is presented with the evidence that the Catholics hate the Bible and hate people who loved the Bible (like Wycliffe and Tyndale), then make them out to be horrible people using the standard of "catholic is good, they weren't catholic, therefore they were bad". Jesuit Sophistry is very clearly on display in this book. The mental gymnastics needed to do what he did in this book are scary. I am glad I got this book for free.
In the words of Dave Chappell, I wish I had four hands, so I could give this book "4 thumbs down".
January 10, 2024
Being raised Protestant, though reinvigorated in my faith journey by close Catholic family friends (who gifted me this book), I read this for educational purpose and it did not disappoint. Not an entertaining read, but very informative and I learned a lot. I would encourage anyone to read if they are interested in learning more about the history of the creation of the Bible and consequently a bit about the Christian faith.
Some of the arguments didn’t really land with me and the author was almost too defensive at times. Perhaps it was due to the fact it was written over 100 years ago in its own historical context.
Some of the arguments didn’t really land with me and the author was almost too defensive at times. Perhaps it was due to the fact it was written over 100 years ago in its own historical context.
December 29, 2017
This is the best Catholic apologetically work I have ever read. It clearly and concisely uses history, scripture, and logic to prove why the Catholic Church is the sole guardian of the scriptures, and also that the Church lifts up the Bible to its rightful place in Christian worship. It explains why Sola Scriptura is not only unbiblical, it is illogical. I also wish to commend the author’s writing style, and with how clearly this book was written. Highly highly recommend.
January 24, 2025
An apologetic review of the history of the writing of the Bible. Written in the early 20th century to refute Protestant claims regarding the 'true' Bible.
In today's ecumentical times Bishop Graham's many swipes at Protestants seem gratuitous. However, much less so when considering his personal story - contained in the companion essay "From the Kirk to the Catholic Church."
Bishop Graham shows a deeply impressive knowledge of Biblical history and a reverence to the Bible's Jewish roots.
In today's ecumentical times Bishop Graham's many swipes at Protestants seem gratuitous. However, much less so when considering his personal story - contained in the companion essay "From the Kirk to the Catholic Church."
Bishop Graham shows a deeply impressive knowledge of Biblical history and a reverence to the Bible's Jewish roots.
August 21, 2025
The people complaining about the writing style seem to be unaware the author is British and from a time where masculine energy wasn’t bridled by an overbearing, hyperfeminized culture.
Anyways, 4/5 stars because the Eastern Orthodox have the same claim as the Latin Catholic Church and this dude didn’t mentioned them once. Probably an artifact of its time, the profile of EO has risen dramatically after its struggles and oppression in the 20th century.
Anyways, 4/5 stars because the Eastern Orthodox have the same claim as the Latin Catholic Church and this dude didn’t mentioned them once. Probably an artifact of its time, the profile of EO has risen dramatically after its struggles and oppression in the 20th century.
Read
May 21, 2018-needed more references/citations
-picks up at chapter 11
-tone
-could have used more background or detail (was vague in someplaces)
- Arguments are surface deep in the first few chapters, more in depth and scholarly chapters addresses problems concerning Wycliff and Tyndale (after chapter 11)
-concise
-picks up at chapter 11
-tone
-could have used more background or detail (was vague in someplaces)
- Arguments are surface deep in the first few chapters, more in depth and scholarly chapters addresses problems concerning Wycliff and Tyndale (after chapter 11)
-concise
June 19, 2018
This Book is a Short "Pithy" and concise little book on the historicity of the Sacred Scriptures and the Catholic Churches role in their development throughout history. A must Read for any one Catholic and intellectually honest protestant.
November 17, 2017
Brief and basic overview of the compilation of Scripture. Well done, to the point. People who are not Catholic might be find the "bite the hand that feeds you" mentality a bit hard to swallow, depending on how they feel about Catholicism in general.
January 31, 2024
Great little history
A brief but thorough history of the Holy Bible. This book packs lots of facts and context that many who claim "sola scriptura" don't know! It would give them pause to reflect on long held assumptions.
A brief but thorough history of the Holy Bible. This book packs lots of facts and context that many who claim "sola scriptura" don't know! It would give them pause to reflect on long held assumptions.
March 29, 2018
Educational. Not an easy read but informative
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews