"The Church Is The Third Testament" | May 17, 2026

Someone stands up in a pulpit and says the quiet part out loud: parts of the Bible are “problematic,” so maybe we should rip those pages out and replace them with a brand-new “Third Testament.” The backlash makes sense, but we don’t want to stop at outrage. We want to ask the harder question: what are the Scriptures, and how are we supposed to read them when a passage feels confusing, offensive, or simply impossible to square with modern instincts?Our conclusion is simple and challenging: the “Third Testament” people want already exists. It’s the Church, with her living tradition and authority to guide biblical interpretation so the Word of God becomes a gift we can actually receive. ************Father Don Wolf is a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Living Catholic also broadcasts on Oklahoma Catholic Radio several times per week, with new episodes airing every Sunday.