Summary of Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation “Dei Verbum”

Introduction: The Purpose of the Constitution

The Preface of Dei Verbum sets forth its central aim: to explain the nature of divine revelation and how it is transmitted, “so that by hearing the message of salvation the whole world may believe, by believing it may hope, and by hoping it may love” (DV 1). This document addresses the theological foundations of how God makes Himself known, the role of Jesus Christ as the fullness of that revelation, and the means by which the Church safeguards, interprets, and nourishes the faithful with God’s Word. For a background to the writing of this document, click here.

Chapter 1: Divine Revelation – God Speaks to Humanity

This chapter defines divine revelation as God’s initiative to reveal Himself out of love, not only by speaking truths, but by offering Himself to humanity in covenantal relationship. Revelation culminates in the person of Jesus Christ and requires a response of faith.

  1. Reason and Revelation

    God’s revelation does not abolish reason but elevates it. While human beings can know certain truths about God by natural reason (cf. Rom 1:20), sin and error often obscure these truths. Revelation provides access to divine truths beyond the grasp of reason alone, communicated through historical events and words that form a unified whole. These words interpret the deeds, and the deeds confirm the words (DV 2). Revelation, then, is both propositional and personal, aiming not merely at knowledge but at communion with God.

  2. Christ the Fullness of Revelation

    Jesus Christ is not merely a messenger of revelation; He is its definitive content and personal fulfillment. As the incarnate Word, Christ reveals the Father through His entire life: His words, deeds, Passion, Resurrection, and the gift of the Spirit. According to Dei Verbum, in Christ “the deepest truth about God and the salvation of man shines out” (DV 2, 4). No further public revelation is to be expected before the final return of Christ in glory (DV 4; cf. Heb 1:1–2).

  3. Faith as Response to Revelation

    Revelation calls for a personal response, described in Scripture as the “obedience of faith” (cf. Rom 16:26). Faith involves the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals (DV 5). It is both an act of the human person and a gift of divine grace. As such, true faith cannot arise from human initiative alone but is made possible by the interior assistance of the Holy Spirit who opens the heart to truth, enabling free assent to God’s revelation.

Chapter 2: Handing On Divine Revelation

This chapter explains how divine revelation, though complete in Christ, is transmitted to every generation through Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, and authentically interpreted by the Magisterium.

  1. Apostolic Transmission

    The transmission of revelation began with Christ entrusting the Gospel to the Apostles, who faithfully handed it on—not only in written form, but through their preaching, life, and the institutions they established (DV 7). This living transmission is Sacred Tradition. The Apostles ensured continuity by appointing bishops as their successors, who received “the authority to teach in their own place” (DV 7). Thus, tradition encompasses the entire life of the Church, preserving all that she is and believes, including doctrine, worship, and holiness (DV 8).

  2. Tradition as Living and Organic

    Tradition is dynamic and living, guided by the Holy Spirit, who helps the Church grow in understanding through contemplation, theological study, and the lived experience of the faithful. Far from being an outdated relic, Tradition remains ever new, as “the Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness of divine truth” (DV 8). It was by Tradition that the Church came to recognize the canon of Scripture itself, demonstrating the priority and necessity of Tradition in safeguarding Revelation.

  3. The Unity of Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium

    Scripture and Tradition are intimately united, “flowing from the same divine wellspring” and forming one sacred deposit of the Word of God (DV 9). They are entrusted to the Magisterium—the Church’s living teaching office—which is not above the Word but its servant. The Magisterium faithfully interprets Revelation, ensuring that the word of God is proclaimed without distortion. These three realities—Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium—are interdependent and together serve the mission of salvation (DV 10).

Chapter 3: Sacred Scripture – Its Divine Inspiration and Interpretation

Chapter III expounds the Church’s teaching on the divine inspiration of Scripture and offers principles for its authentic interpretation, balancing divine authorship with human participation.

  1. Divine Inspiration and Inerrancy

    The entirety of Sacred Scripture is divinely inspired, with God as its principal author. He chose human authors and acted in them and through them, enabling them to write “everything and only those things” He willed (DV 11). Because of this divine authorship, Scripture teaches “solidly, faithfully, and without error” the truth God intended “for the sake of our salvation” (DV 11; cf. 2 Tim 3:16–17). This teaching affirms both the sanctity and the authority of every part of the Old and New Testaments.

  2. Faithful Interpretation in the Church

    Since Scripture is the Word of God expressed in human language, interpretation must attend to both dimensions: the divine message and the human expression. Proper exegesis requires understanding the sacred authors’ intentions through historical context, literary genres, and cultural background (DV 12). Yet interpretation must also respect the unity of Scripture, the living Tradition of the Church, and the coherence of truths in the faith. Interpretation remains subject to the Magisterium, which safeguards the integrity of the Word (DV 12).

  3. God’s Condescension in Human Words

    In a profound act of divine condescension, God adapts His eternal wisdom to human language, just as the eternal Word took on human flesh (DV 13). This incarnational dimension of Scripture shows the depths of God’s love: the infinite meets the finite to speak directly to the human heart. Scripture becomes a place of encounter where God’s compassion and pedagogy are revealed.

Chapters 4–5: The Old and New Testaments – One Unified Revelation

These chapters emphasize the unity of the Scriptures within the economy of salvation. The Old and New Testaments form a coherent whole, with the Old preparing for and the New fulfilling God’s salvific plan in Christ.

  1. The Old Testament: Divine Pedagogy Preparing for Christ

    The Old Testament is divinely inspired and permanently valuable, even though it contains elements that are incomplete and preparatory (DV 14). Through covenants with Abraham and Moses, prophetic witness, and divine guidance, God prepared a people for the coming of the Messiah. The Old Testament reveals God’s justice and mercy, contains deep theological wisdom, and expresses the mystery of salvation in shadow and type. It must be read as part of one grand narrative pointing toward Christ (DV 15).

  2. The New Testament: Fulfillment in the Incarnate Word

    The New Testament reveals the fullness of divine revelation in Jesus Christ, “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14). The Gospels hold a place of special prominence, faithfully preserving the apostolic witness to Christ’s life, teaching, death, and Resurrection (DV 18–19). Written under divine inspiration, these texts are rooted in apostolic preaching and composed with theological reflection illuminated by the Holy Spirit. The remaining writings—epistles and apostolic works—deepen our understanding of Christ and the early Church (DV 20).

  3. Unity and Reciprocity of Both Testaments

    As St. Augustine wrote, “the New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old is made manifest in the New” (DV 16). The Old Testament finds its fulfillment in Christ, and the New cannot be properly understood apart from the Old. Together they form a unified testimony to God’s single plan of salvation, with Christ as the key to interpreting both covenants.

Chapter 6: Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church

The final chapter describes how Scripture continues to shape the Church’s liturgical, theological, and spiritual life. Scripture is not merely studied, but venerated, prayed with, and proclaimed.

  1. The Word of God as Liturgical and Spiritual Nourishment

    Scripture is revered with the same devotion as the Eucharist (DV 21), for both are tables from which the Church receives the Bread of Life. Especially in the liturgy, Scripture is proclaimed and received as God’s living Word. It is the soul’s food, the foundation of faith, and the source of spiritual strength. As Dei Verbum affirms, “in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them” (DV 21).

  2. Accessibility and Formation of the Faithful

    The Church promotes translations from the original texts so that all may access the Scriptures. She encourages cooperation even with non-Catholic Christians to provide translations useful to all (DV 22). Clergy—especially bishops, priests, and catechists—are called to foster biblical literacy among the faithful. Scripture should permeate catechesis, preaching, and spiritual formation, so that the faithful are led to deeper intimacy with Christ (DV 25–26).

  3. Scripture as the Soul of Theology and Preaching

    Sacred theology is built upon the Word of God, and the study of the sacred page is described as the “soul of theology” (DV 24). All Christian instruction—preaching, catechesis, and theological education—must be nourished by Scripture. To ensure authentic teaching, biblical study must be undertaken in communion with the Church and under the direction of the Magisterium. Frequent prayerful reading of Scripture, especially by clergy and religious, fosters a living relationship with Christ: “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (St. Jerome; cf. DV 25).

Conclusion: The Church Formed and Sustained by the Word

In Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council reaffirms the central place of divine revelation and Sacred Scripture in the Church’s life. Revelation is not a distant memory, but a living Word entrusted to the Church for all time. When the faithful read, proclaim, and contemplate Scripture with reverence and faith, “the word of God may spread rapidly and be glorified” (2 Thess 3:1), and the life of the Church will flourish in holiness, truth, and mission.