Chapter 4: Sacred Scripture: The Inspired Word of God

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Chapter 4 Sacred Scripture The Inspired Word
of God

• FAITH AND REVELATION

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1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel

•  
• KEY IDEAS
• The Bible, consisting of two Testamentsthe Old
  and the New, each containing many individual
  books written over a long period of timeis one
  book whose principal author is God.
• The inner unity of Scripture is found in Christ
  and his Covenant, which are hidden in the Old
  Testament and revealed in the New Testament.

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1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel

• What are the two parts of the Bible?
• The Old Testament books were written before the
  time of Christ, and the New Testament books were
  written after Christ. 
• What is the essential relationship between the
  two Testaments?
• The New Testament fulfills and completes the
  Old. 

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1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel

• What is the overall story told by the Old
  Testament?
• It recounts the long journey of salvation history
  toward redemption.

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1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel

• THE OLD LAW PREPARED THE WAY FOR THE GOSPEL
•  
• God speaks throughout.
• In the Old Testament, God spoke through prophets
  in the New, he spoke through his Son.
• Given that it is a collection of many books, why
  is the Bible called the Bible, or Book, and
  not the Bibles, or Many Books?
• This name reflects the inner unity of these books
  due to God being their principal author.

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1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel

• The analogy of faith
• Because of the absolute unity among the truths
  contained in the Bible, each truth can help
  understand the other truths and the total plan of
  Revelation.
• How does the Person of Christ express the Bibles
  inner unity?
• Both Testaments are centered on Christ the Old
  Testament prepares the way for Christ, who is
  revealed in the New Testament. 
• How is Christ present in the Old Testament?
• He is present in prophesies he fulfills and in
  types, that is, events that prefigure him.
• How is the Church prefigured in the Old
  Testament?
• The Chosen People in the Old Testament prefigure
  the People of God in the New Testament, which is
  the Church.

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1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel

• Guided Exercise
• Work with a partner to answer the following
  question in writing.
•  
• Based on the allegorical spiritual sense of
  Sacred Scripture presented in the last chapter,
  explain how Christ is prefigured in the Old
  Testament in the manna in the desert.

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1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel

• Sidebar THE OLD TESTAMENT IS FULFILLED IN
  CHRIST
•  
• How is the entire Old Testament fulfilled in
  Christ?
• As a series of covenants between God and his
  people, the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New
  Covenant between the Person of Jesus Christ and
  his people. In this way, the New Testament is
  hidden in the Old, and the Old is revealed in the
  New.

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2. The Old Testament Law and History

• THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
•  
• How many books are in the Old Testament?
• There are forty-six books in the Old Testament. 
• Over what period of time were the books of the
  Old Testament written?
• They were written over a period of nearly 1500
  years, from the time of the Exodus through about
  a century before the coming of Christ. 
• What are the four basic genres of books found in
  the Old Testament?
• The Old Testament includes law, history, wisdom,
  and prophecy.

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2. The Old Testament Law and History

• THE LAW
• What different names are given to the first five
  books of the Bible?
• The Books of the Law, the Torah (Hebrew for
  Law), the five Books of Moses, and the
  Pentateuch are used.

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2. The Old Testament Law and History
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2. The Old Testament Law and History
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3. The Old Testament Wisdom and Prophecy

• BASIC QUESTIONS
• What is the aim of the wisdom literature of the
  Bible?
• What is the content of the prophetic books?
• KEY IDEAS
• The seven books of wisdom tell stories in poetry
  or prose and offer advice to help guide life
  according to Gods wisdom.
• The eighteen prophetic books warned Israel over
  her infidelity, consoled her in her sufferings,
  and foretold the Messiah, Jesus.

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3. The Old Testament Wisdom and Prophecy

• WISDOM
• What is the subject of Job?
• It is about the suffering of the innocent.
• Which is the greatest book of religious poetry,
  and to whom is it attributed?
• The Psalms are attributed to King David.
• What is the subject of Ecclesiastes?
• The vanity of worldly things is decried.

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3. The Old Testament Wisdom and Prophecy

• PROPHECY
• To what extent is it true to say that the
  prophets warned, comforted, and predicted?
• Often the prophets warned of coming disaster if
  the people of Israel would not return to God.
  When disaster struck, the prophets gave the
  people messages of comfort. Many prophets also
  predicted the coming of the Messiah.
• Which prophet has some of the clearest prophecies
  of Christ?
• Isaiah prophesied clearly the Messiah.
• What were peoples reactions to Jeremiahs
  foretelling the destruction of Judah?
• They hated him for giving unpleasant news.

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3. The Old Testament Wisdom and Prophecy

• Sidebar What Is Prophetic Literature?
• How many prophetic books are in the Old
  Testament?
• There are eighteen.
• What is a prophet?
• A prophet is called by God or speaks on Gods
  behalf, announcing his message.

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3. The Old Testament Wisdom and Prophecy
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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels

• BASIC QUESTIONS
• What are the four genres of books in the New
  Testament?
• What are the basic features of the Gospels of
  Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John?
• KEY IDEAS
• The New Testament mirrors the Old Testament with
  books of law, history, wisdom, and prophecy.
• St. Matthew shows Christ to be the heir to
  Davids Kingdom. St. Mark shows Christ to be the
  leader of a new Exodus. St. Luke composed his
  Gospel for Gentile Christians. St. John completes
  the other three Gospels, emphasizing Christ as
  the incarnate Word of God.

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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels

• THE NEW TESTAMENT
• What is the essential relationship between the
  Old and New Testaments?
• The New Testament does not replace but fulfills
  the Old.
• What is the Old Testament without the New
  Testament?
• It is a collection of tragic stories and
  unfulfilled promises. 
• What is the Old Testament with the New Testament?
  
• It is the story of the gradual unfolding of Gods
  plan of salvation, which reaches its climax in
  the Death and Resurrection of Christ.

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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels

• What is the essential content of the New
  Testament?
• It is the story of the life and teachings of
  Jesus Christ and the earliest years of the
  Church.
• What were the two phases by which the Gospels
  came to be written?
• First was oral tradition, by which the Apostles
  handed on what Christ had said and done. Second
  was the written Gospels, by which the Sacred
  Authors wrote down some of what had been handed
  on by word of mouth.
• Which were the first written Christian works?
• Most likely the Epistles of St. Paul were first.

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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels
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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels

• THE GOSPELS
•  
• Why are the Gospels the heart of all the
  Scriptures?
• They are our principal source of knowledge
  regarding the life and teachings of Jesus
  Christ. 
• Who are the authors of the four Gospels?
• Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote them. 
• What is an Evangelist?
• He is an author of one of the Gospels. Extension
  The word comes from Greek euangelion, which means
  good news.
• What were the personal relationships between the
  Evangelists and Christ?
• Sts. Matthew and John were disciples of Christ
  and eyewitnesses of the events they narrate. Sts.
  Mark and Luke were disciples of the Apostles.

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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels

• The Gospel of St. Matthew
• Who was St. Matthew?
• He was an Apostle of Christ, also called Levi,
  and originally a tax collector.
• What was the original audience and primary aim of
  St. Matthews Gospel?
• St. Matthew wrote for Jewish Christians living in
  Palestine to show Jesus is the Messiah, the
  Christ.
• What are some distinctive characteristics of St.
  Matthews Gospel?
• Two are the genealogy of Christ, which echoes the
  Book of Genesis, and his extensive use of direct
  quotes from Christ.

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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels

• The Gospel of St. Mark
• What was the relationship between Sts. Peter and
  Mark?
• They had something of a father-and-son
  relationship. St. Peter was the source of much of
  St. Marks Gospel. 
• Who was St. Marks original audience?
• He probably wrote to Gentile Christians in Rome. 
• What seems to have been St. Marks main interest?
  
• He emphasized what Christ did more than what he
  said. 
• Why is it relatively easy to read St. Marks
  Gospel in one sitting?
• It is the shortest Gospel and reads quickly.

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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels

• The Gospel of St. Luke
• When was the Gospel of St. Luke written?
• It was likely written after those of Sts. Matthew
  and Mark.
• Why is there reason to believe there were a
  number of accounts of Christs life circulating
  among Christians by the time St. Luke had set out
  to write his Gospel?
• He wrote that he wanted to give an orderly
  account of Christs life. This implies there may
  have been other, partial accounts that did not
  provide as complete a history of Christs life.
• With which Apostle is St. Luke most associated?
• St. Luke accompanied St. Paul on some of his
  missionary journeys.

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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels

• Who was St. Lukes probable original audience?
• He wrote to Gentile converts.
• Did St. Luke get all his information about Christ
  second hand?
• No. St. Luke was likely an eyewitness to many of
  the events described in his Gospel.
• From whom did St. Luke learn of the Annunciation,
  the Birth of Christ, the visit of the shepherds,
  and the finding of the Christ child in the
  Temple?
• He probably learned these from the Blessed Virgin
  Mary herself.
• How does St. Lukes occupation as a physician
  show itself in his Gospel?
• St. Lukes Gospel takes a detailed interest in
  Christs healings.

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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels

• The Gospel of St. John
• Who wrote the Gospel of St. John?
• The disciple whom Christ loved, the Apostle St.
  John, wrote it. 
• When was St. Johns Gospel written?
• His was the last Gospel written, probably about
  AD 100. 
• What is the relationship between St. Johns
  Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels?
• St. Johns Gospel presupposes the other Gospels
  existence and was written to complete them. St.
  Johns Gospel uses a different, more theological
  language, and it includes events not contained in
  the other Gospels.

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4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels
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5. The New Testament Books of History, Wisdom,
and Prophecy

• BASIC QUESTIONS
• What is Acts of the Apostles?
• What is the purpose of the Epistles?
• What is the message of the Book of Revelation?
•  
• KEY IDEAS
• St. Luke followed his Gospel with the Acts of the
  Apostles, a history of the apostolic Church.
• The Epistles, which is the wisdom literature of
  the New Testament, addressed problems of the
  early Church to live holy lives.
• The Book of Revelation promises the fulfillment
  of the New Covenant.

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5. The New Testament Books of History, Wisdom,
and Prophecy

• THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
• With what element of suspense does each Gospel
  end?
• Each Gospel ends with Christ risen from the dead
  and instructing his disciples to spread the
  Gospel, but they had not yet received the Holy
  Spirit. 
• Why did St. Luke write the Acts of the Apostles?
• Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Luke knew future
  generations could benefit from a record of
  important events from the apostolic Church. 
• What is the relationship between St. Lukes
  Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles?
• The Acts of the Apostles is a sequel to St.
  Lukes Gospel. 
• What have archeologists and historians confirmed
  about the Acts of the Apostles?
• Every detail of St. Lukes narrative that can be
  verified has turned out to be exactly accurate.
  Therefore, he is an extraordinarily reliable
  record-keeper.

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5. The New Testament Books of History, Wisdom,
and Prophecy

• THE EPISTLES
• Which New Testament books were written earliest?
• The Epistles likely were written first. 
• What is an epistle?
• It is a letter intended for a specific audience
  the Epistles in the New Testament were written
  often in response to particular problems in the
  early Church.
• How do the Epistles illustrate Christian life in
  the apostolic Church?
• They clarified and extended the teachings of the
  Apostles and corrected early errors. 
• Who wrote most of the Epistles?
• St. Paul wrote most of them.

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5. The New Testament Books of History, Wisdom,
and Prophecy

• How are the Epistles of St. Paul arranged?
• They are arranged generally from longest to
  shortest rather than the order in which they were
  written. 
• Who made up St. Pauls original audiences?
• Nine of St. Pauls letters were written to
  churches in various cities of the Roman Empire,
  and four were written to individuals. 
• What is the importance of the Epistle to the
  Hebrews?
• It shows how the Old Testament is fulfilled in
  the life of Christ.
• What are the Catholic Epistles?
• They are letters written to the entire Church
  rather than to a particular church or individual.

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5. The New Testament Books of History, Wisdom,
and Prophecy

• THE BOOK OF REVELATION
• What is the literary form of the Book of
  Revelation?
• It is a prophetic book. 
• How does the Book of Revelation convey its
  message?
• It uses symbols, allegories, and metaphors.
• Who is the author of the Book of Revelation?
• It is attributed to St. John, the Apostle and
  Evangelist, the disciple whom Christ loved.

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5. The New Testament Books of History, Wisdom,
and Prophecy

• What is the basic message of the Book of
  Revelation?
• There will be great tribulation, but God will
  preserve his people and bring them into the New,
  heavenly Jerusalem. 
• How is Revelation an apt conclusion to Sacred
  Scripture?
• The Book of Genesis begins with Creation, and the
  Book of Revelation ends with the New Creation.
  Genesis recounts the Fall of all people, and
  Revelation recounts the final salvation of all
  the faithful.

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6. The Canon of Sacred Scripture

• BASIC QUESTIONS
• How was the canon of Sacred Scripture determined?
• KEY IDEA
• The canon of Sacred Scripture was determined by
  the Magisterium of the Church. The canon of the
  Old Testament followed the Septuagint, which was
  used by the Apostles, while the canon of the New
  Testament was based on apostolic origin,
  orthodoxy of content, and catholicity.

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6. The Canon of Sacred Scripture

• THE CANON OF SACRED SCRIPTURE
• What is the literal meaning of canon?
• It means measuring rod or rule.
• What is the meaning of canon of Scripture?
• It denotes a list of books that comprise Sacred
  Scripture. 
• Do the Sacred Scriptures reveal which books
  belong to it?
• No this was determined by the Magisterium of the
  Church. 
• What practical problem did the early Church face
  that resulted in the forming of the canon of
  Scripture?
• The practical problem was to choose which of the
  many writings about Christ in circulation would
  be read during Churchs liturgies.

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6. The Canon of Sacred Scripture

• Canon of the Old Testament
• What is the Septuagint?
• It is a Greek edition of the Old Testament
  translated by rabbis in Alexandria in the third
  century BC. 
• Why do modern-day Jews have a different canon
  than the Old Testament in Catholic Bibles?
• Jewish rabbis met in Jamnia about AD 90 and
  decided to exclude Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach,
  Baruch, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and fragments of
  Esther and Daniel because they were not composed
  or preserved in Hebrew.
• What are the deuterocanonical books?
• These books appear in the Septuagint but not in
  the modern Jewish canon. Deuterocanonical comes
  from the Greek for second canon.

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6. The Canon of Sacred Scripture

• Why did Christians include the deuterocanonical
  books?
• The Apostles and their successors in the Catholic
  Church held them to be part of Sacred Scripture. 
• What are some Catholic beliefs and practices
  witnessed in the deuterocanonical books?
• The Second Book of Maccabees shows the practice
  of praying for the souls of the dead. The Book of
  Tobit includes the existence and action of
  guardian angels.
• What are the apocrypha?
• The apocrypha are books of dubious origin that
  have been excluded from the canon of Scripture.
  Extension Many Protestants and Jews refer to the
  deuterocanonical books with this word.

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6. The Canon of Sacred Scripture

• Canon of the New Testament
• When were the New Testament books written?
• They were written between AD 40 and 100.
• What were the original languages of the New
  Testament books?
• St. Matthew likely wrote his version of the
  gospel in Aramaic. The rest were written in Greek
  with some Semitic influences.
• Why did the Church need to determine the canon of
  the New Testament?
• Within a few centuries, there were numerous
  accounts of the life of Christ circulating among
  the Christian community. The origin and teachings
  of many were suspect.

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The End