healthily nourished and thrives in holiness through the Word of Scripture.”’’ 133 The Church ‘forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Chris— 2653 tian faithful... to learn “the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ”, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” IN BRIEF 134 All Sacred Scripture is but one book, and this one book is Christ, ‘because all divine Scripture speaks of Christ, and all divine Scripture is fulfilled in Christ’ (Hugh of St Victor, De arca Noe 2, 8: PL 176, 642; cf ibid. 2, 9: PL 176, 642—643). 135 ‘The Sacred Scriptures contain the Word of God and, because they are inspired, they are truly the Word of God’ (DV 24). 136 God is the author of Sacred Scripture because he inspired its human authors; he acts in them and by means of them. He thus gives assurance that their writings teach without error his saving truth (cf DV ii). 137 Interpretation of the inspired Scripture must be attentive above all to what God wants to reveal through the sacred authors for our salvation. What comes from the Spirit is notfully ‘understood except by the Spirit’s action’ (cf~ Ori,gen, Horn. in Ex. ~, 5: PG 12, 320). 138 The Church accepts and venerates as inspired the 46 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New. 139 The four Gospels occupy a central place because Christ Jesus is their centre. 140 The unity of the two Testaments proceedsfrorn the unity of God’s plan and his Revelation. The Old Testament prepares for the New and the New Testament fulfils the Old; the two shed light on each other; both are true Word of God. 141 ‘The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures as she venerated the Body of the Lord’ (DV 21): both nourish and govern the whole Christian l~fe. ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Ps 119:105; cf. Is 50:4).