Theology of Sacred Scripture: Understanding the Bible and It

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Theology of Sacred ScriptureUnderstanding the
Bibleand Its Message
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Chapter 1Preparing for the Journey
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Homework

• (due Weds., 9 /4)
• Watch tutorial for Learning Futures Initiative
  online course, and complete all the steps (login,
  etc.) http//www.youtube.com/watch?vCIuMltcvBNo
  featureyoutu.be
• Read know What is the LFI? under
  Introduction to the LFI on your JVLA course
  page.

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Homework

• (due Thurs., 9 /5)
• Under Intro to LFI, do Students Say Hello to
  each other!
• Under Project One, complete the Official
  Survey.
• In notebook, write 3 questions about the Bible
  about which you are curious/interested

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Homework

• (due Fri., 9 /6)
• Print out NOTES Ch. 1 Preparing for the Journey
• Read highlight pp. 14-17 RQs, p.17 (in
  notebook)
• Acquire all necessary items under Resources
  Needed on our Course Description sheet.

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Homework

• (due Mon., 9 /9)
• Write out 3 arguments for and 3 against the
  existence of God prepare to debate.
• (due Tues., 9/10)
• Print, read annotate article on existence of
  God, acc. to your opinions http//www.existence-o
  f-god.com/existence-of-god.html
• (Optional Read links to dig deeper!)

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Homework

• (due Weds., 9/11)
• Final preps for God trial, acc. to your role
• (due Thurs., 9/12)
• RH (read and highlight) pp. 17-21 RQs p. 21

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Homework

• (due Fri., 9/13)
• RH pp. 22-29 RQs pp. 26 29
• (due Mon., 9/16)
• Study for Test Review on
• Ch. 1 of text
• PPt notes
• Online article on Existence of God
• (due Tues., 9/17)
• TEST on above

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Homework

• (due Weds., 9/18)
• RH article on Lectio Divina
• Choose 1 of the passages at end of article or
  from Life and Faith Issues (last page) and
  practice steps of lectio divina write your
  reflection in notebook.

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Bible Defined

• All books of OT NT approved by authority of
  Church
• Bible the Books ( ta biblia,in Gk.)
• Bible Gods Word revealed in human words

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Testament?

• pact, agreement, covenant
• OT made thru Moses gt Jews
• NT Jesus gt All Peoples

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Canon of the Bible

• Canon official list of inspired books of the
  Bible
• Canonicity issue of how books are determined as
  canonical

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Canon of the Bible

• When? 393 A.D. Council of Hippo (other Councils
  affirmed same)
• Which?
• OT 46
• NT 27
• Bible 73

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Canon of the Bible

• Who ?
• Church authority, given by Christ, inspired by
  H.Sp.
• Why?
• Apostolic origin
• Widespread acceptance
• Conformity to the rule of faith

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Deutero-canonical books

• Deutero-canonical Books 7 Books accepted by
  Catholic ChurchWhy?
• from Alexandrian Canon
• The AC based on Septuagint, Greek OT
• Jesus apostles knew, read accepted
  Septuagint.
• These books not found in versions of Bible based
  on older Hebrew canon

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Deutero-canonical books

• Tobit
• Judith
• Wisdom
• Sirach
• Baruch
• 1 Maccabees
• 2 Maccabees
• (also parts of Esther Daniel)

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Coming to Know God

• The desire for God is written in the human heart
  because man is created by God and for God.
• -CCC,27

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We can know God through

• Human reason
• Our discovery of God
• Divine Revelation
• God manifesting (showing) Himself to us

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Proofs for God?

• Proofs tests
• Probare (Latin) to test, probe
• Evidence to be put to the test of reason

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1. Cosmological Argument

• God Unmoved Mover or First Cause of
  everything
• There must be a source from which all else exists

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2. Ontological Argument

• God Ultimate Perfect Being
• There must be that than which nothing greater
  can be thought, a.k.a. God

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3. Teleological Argument

• Argument from design
• The universe has an order or design there must
  be a designer, a.k.a. God

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4. Moral Argument

• Morality exists objectively, ie. apart from our
  opinions
• Where did we get this sense of right wrong?
• God Creator of the Moral Law

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We can know God through

• Human reason
• Our discovery of God
• Divine Revelation
• God manifesting (showing) Himself to us

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Divine Revelation

• God is known by human reason, but
• God took first step/initiative in revealing
  Himself to man so
• God makes Himself known and we are able to know
  Him

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Divine Rev. Why Necessary?

• Need for God to show what reason cant arrive at
  on its own (eg. Miracles)
• Need for God to give certitude about things
  reason can arrive at (eg. that killing is wrong)

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Divine Rev. What is it?

• God communicates Himself to man, making known His
  plan
• Story of it (in Scripture) Salvation History
• Fullness of it Jesus Christ, God Himself
  revealed in the flesh

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Magisterium interprets

• Depositum Fidei (Deposit of Faith) 2 places
  where Gods revelation (what He has done said)
  is deposited
• Sacred Tradition (traditio pass on)
• Sacred Scripture (Bible)

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Interpreting the Bible

• 3 Rules of Catholic interpretation
• Content unity of whole Scripture
• w/in living Tradition of Church
• Attention to analogy of faith, ie. how truths
  of faith fit together as a whole

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The two senses of Scripture

• Literal sense
• Actual meaning of words
• Spiritual sense
• Deeper meaning
• Allegorical
• Moral
• Anagogical

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Skills for Biblical Scholarship

• Biblical languages
• Other ancient writings (pseudepigrapha)
• Archaeology

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Dead Sea Scrolls
What was found? 800 documentsmostly fragments 200 biblical
When were they found? Between 1947 and 1956
Where were they found? 11 caves at Qumran (near the Dead Sea)
Why are they important? Closer to originals by 1,000 yrs., giving clearer picture of biblical times
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Biblical Inspiration defined

• Principle Author God (Holy Spirit)
• H. Sp. guided human authors to write, in their
  own style, words, etc. the truth He was revealing
  to them
• How?

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Theories of Inspiration

• Divine Dictation Writer robot
• Negative Assistance Spirit watchdog
• Positive Assistance Spirit writer team

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Extent of Inspiration

• Pope Leo XIII in P.D. Bible in all its parts is
  inspired (not just faith morals)
• Whole Bible Word of God but
• Inspired truth not literal truth

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Inerrancy of Scripture

• Scientific errors?
• Creation/evolution

• Historical errors?
• Dates

Since it is inspired, the Bible is free from
error in matters of salvation, that is, our
eternal relationship with God
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Bible divided into


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Bible divided into
Old Testament

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Bible divided into
Old Testament
New Testament
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Jewish Classification of OT

• Torah (Law)
• Neviim (Prophets)
• Ktuviim (Writings)

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O.T. divided into
NT (27) NT (27) NT (27) NT (27)
OT
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O.T. divided into
NT (27) NT (27) NT (27) NT (27)
Torah (5) OT
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O.T. divided into
NT (27) NT (27) NT (27) NT (27)
Torah (5) OT Historical (18)
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O.T. divided into
NT (27) NT (27) NT (27) NT (27)
Torah (5) OT Historical (18) Prophetic (16)
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O.T. divided into
NT (27) NT (27) NT (27) NT (27)
Torah (5) OT Historical (18) (46) Prophetic (16) Wisdom (7)
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N.T. divided into
NT
OT OT OT OT
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N.T. divided into
Gospels (4) NT
OT OT OT OT
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N.T. divided into
Gospels (4) Acts (1) NT
OT OT OT OT
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N.T. divided into
Gospels (4) Acts (1) NT Letters (21)
OT OT OT OT
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N.T. divided into
Gospels (4) Acts (1) NT Letters (21) (27) Revelation (1)
OT OT OT OT
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Complete Structure of Bible
Gospels (4) Acts (1) NT Letters (21) (27) Revelation (1)
Torah (5) OT Historical (18) (46) Prophetic (16) Wisdom (7)
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Interpreting the Bible

• Critical reading
• Context of the text?
• History
• Culture
• Language
• Literary form/style
• Lectio Divina
• sacred reading
• Deep, personal
• Praying the Scriptures

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Lectio Divina

• Lectio (slow, attentive reading
• Meditatio (thinking, reflecting on text
• Oratio ( thoughts gt conversation w/ God)
• Contemplatio ( wordsgt silence )
• Resolution decide to act on your lectio