CH 3 Surveying the Books of the Bible

CH 3: Surveying the Books of the Bible VOCABULARY 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Pentateuch Law Judges Apocalyptic Remnant Gospel Galilee Kerygma Didache Epistle

• READ P 67 LISTENING TO THE MOST WIDELY READ BOOK

Intro: Best Seller KEY IDEAS: Ø The Bible has influenced culture and culture has influenced the way the Bible is made, distributed, and even read Ø The Bible is an all-time best seller and published in many different editions and translations KEY TERMS: Ø None

Bible is the most-read book in history • § The READ P 67 § It has been translated into more than 2000 languages LISTENING § In 2009, the Bible sold 25 million copies in the US alone: twice as many the final Harry Potter book TOas. THE § The Bible has had a great impact on our language and culture MOST § It contains wisdom, knowledge, and truth § The more you read, the more you discover God’s plan for your WIDELY happiness READ BOOK

§ The amazing truth is that God is revealing himself to you through the Bible just as He did hundreds and thousands of years ago § Yet He is revealing something new at the same time § God does not change, but humanity does § A monk living in a medieval monastery would have approached the Bible with different questions and concerns than you will

Sect 1: Formation of the Old Testament KEY IDEAS: Ø There are three steps that went into the formation of the Old Testament: Ø 1. For many years, the Israelites preserved their history through oral tradition Ø 2. Scribes wrote down oral tradition Ø 3. Editors examined different writings and compiled them into the books you read today KEY TERMS: Ø Pentateuch

§ The Old Testament is the first part of the Bible and • READ P 67 LISTENING TO THE MOST WIDELY READ BOOK focuses on the covenant God made with his Chosen People § There are 46 Books in the Old Testament § Why is it called the “Old” Testament? § 1. The O. T. reveals God’s Revelation prior to Jesus’ coming § 2. It distinguishes the covenant God made with the Jewish people from the new one made by Jesus Christ

§ The O. T. consists of several sections with multiple books in each one § The Pentateuch (or Torah, meaning “Law”) are the first five books § There also historical, wisdom, and prophetic books § They do not progress in sequence like a modern news report § Many events were not recorded until long after they occurred § Oral tradition preserved the history and wisdom until God inspired authors to record the material

§ In the ancient world, most people didn’t have access to writing implements and few could read or write • Testament READ P 67 initially existed § This LISTENING is the period of oral tradition where the Chosen People told stories and passed them on to younger generations TO THE § Is oral tradition an effective method of preserving history? What. MOST are some problems you can think of with oral histories? WIDELY READ BOOK § They preserved information in their minds; this is how the Old

§ Today we rely on technology to capture every detail, so we sometimes forget the power of human memory § Illiterate people depended greatly on their memories and were able to remember quite a bit of information § Many of the biblical traditions were in story form because it was easier for people to remember them

§ During the reign of King Solomon, the Chosen People began to down their stories (around 950 BC) • § write READ P 67 Solomon’s court could afford to hire scribes who did the actual writing LISTENING § Scribes began to write down Israel’s history TO THE § This material made up the first part of the Bible; the Pentateuch MOST § Then the scribes began writing about early kings, like King Saul and King David (these are called Historical Books) WIDELY READ BOOK

§ After the Historical Books came the writings of the prophets § Some of the prophets wrote their own books, but very often it was their disciples who collected and recorded their prophecies, sayings, and teachings § Over time, editors collected, combined, and improved the texts

• READ P 67 § The last of the OT books date around 100 BC LISTENING § This long editing process explains why some books repeat themselves and books like Psalms are really collections of TO THE wisdom form many people over many years MOST WIDELY READ BOOK § Many OT books are compilations, work of several writers

§Complete Section Assessment p 73 §Write out questions and answer in complete sentences

Sect 2: Survey of the Old Testament Books KEY IDEAS: Ø The OT is divided into four main sections Ø In the Pentateuch, you learn about how God called Abraham Ø The historical books recount Israel’s relationship with God as they moved toward and away from Him Ø Over the years, the Israelites gathered stories and sayings into the wisdom books Ø The prophetic books reminded the people how they should be living KEY TERMS: Ø Law Ø Judges Ø Apocalyptic Ø Remnant

§ The OT prepares people for the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ § Every book in the Bible uncovers God’s love, which comes to its fullness in Christ § The following section provides a survey of the 46 OT books

THE PENTATEUCH • § Pentateuch READmeans P 67“five books” LISTENING § Genesis (Gn): The word genesis means “beginning” § Genesis tells stories of prehistory: God’s creation of TO THE the world, Adam and Eve’s sin, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood, and the tower of Babel MOST § The last chapters of Genesis relate the story of the WIDELY patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob READ BOOK

THE PENTATEUCH • § Exodus READ P 67 (Ex): The central book of the OT tells how the Egyptian pharaoh enslaved the Israelites and how God freed them in the LISTENING great event known as the Exodus TOtells THE § Exodus us how God met with Moses on Mt. Sinai, entered into a covenant with his Chosen People, and gave the Israelites the. MOST Law § There are 613 laws listed in the last four books of the Pentateuch WIDELY READ BOOK

THE PENTATEUCH (Lv): P 67 examines the particulars of the Law and • § Leviticus READ focuses on holiness in all aspects of life LISTENING § Numbers (Nm): the books name comes from two censuses § The Book. THE of Numbers continues the story of the Israelites in TO the desert until they come to the edge of the Promised Land MOST (Dt): means “second law” § Deuteronomy § The Book of Deuteronomy repeats much of the material of Ex, WIDELY Lv, and Nm through sermons attributed to Moses READ BOOK

§Read: Sampling Scripture Abraham, Father of Faith p 76 • §The READ P 67 Bible: Abraham LISTENING §Imagine you are Abraham, Isaac, or Sarah TO are THE §What your thoughts and feelings on the journey to the sacrifice? MOST WIDELY READ BOOK

HISTORICAL BOOKS Historical. P 67 Books narrate the events of Salvation History, • • The READ namely God’s covenant and how the Israelites struggled to live according to the Law LISTENING • The Historical Books cover about 900 years of time (1020 TO THE BC to 142 BC) • Although they are called Historical Books, we are reminded MOST to seek the religious truth rather than historical data in them WIDELY READ BOOK

HISTORICAL BOOKS (Jo): P 67 Joshua was a military leader who lead the • § Joshua READ Israelites into the Promised Land, conquered it, and divided LISTENING the land among various tribes § Judges (Jgs): The Israelites fall into a cycle of apostasy TO THE (abandonment of religion) in the Book of Judges MOST § God sends a judge to deliver Israel and lead its troops WIDELY § BIBLE: HOMELAND READ BOOK

HISTORICAL BOOKS • Ruth (Ru): The Book of Ruth is generally paired with Judges, but • is a. READ short story of. P 67 Ruth, a Gentile, who showed great fidelity to her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi LISTENING • Read: Sampling Scripture p 78 • First and Second TO THESamuel (1 Sm and 2 Sm): tells the story of Israel’s transition from leadership of judges to monarchy MOST • Samuel appoints Saul king and God warned them they would regret having a king WIDELY • Saul disobeyed God, so Samuel anointed David READ BOOK

HISTORICAL BOOKS • § First. READ P 67 and Second Kings (1 Kgs and 2 Kgs): After David’s death, his LISTENING son Solomon took the throne § He built the Temple in Jerusalem, but managed resources poorly TO THE § After Solomon died, the kingdom split in two: Israel in the north and Judah in the south MOST § Both kingdoms eventually fell to outside forces WIDELY READ BOOK

HISTORICAL BOOKS • READ P 67 • LISTENING First and Second Chronicles (1 and 2 Chr): These books retell many of the stories in Samuel and Kings, but focuses mainly. THE on the southern kingdom (Judah) from the time of TO King David until the Babylonian conquest MOST WIDELY READ BOOK

HISTORICAL BOOKS • § Ezra. READ P 67 (Neh): Scholars believe that “the (Ezr) and Nehemiah Chronicler” wrote Ezra, Nehemiah, and First and Second LISTENING Chronicles § Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the Jews after they returned TO THE from exile in Babylon MOST § Tobit (Tb) Judith (Jdt) and Esther (Est): These three books are inspiring works of fiction WIDELY § Tobit is on a romantic conquest; Judith conquers a powerful army; and Esther saves her people from genocide READ BOOK § These books were written to inspire the Jewish people

HISTORICAL BOOKS • events READ P 67 in the second century BC when various groups tried to suppress Judaism in Palestine LISTENING • The Jews revolted and a period of Jewish independence followed TO THE MOST WIDELY READ BOOK • First and Second Maccabees (1 and 2 Mc): give the account of

QUIZ: INTRO, PENTATEUCH, AND HISTORICAL BOOKS § Make sure your note packets are complete and correct! § You can utilize the Powerpoint on the class page to double check and review

WISDOM BOOKS § Job (Jb): this famous story tells the trials of an innocent man and raises the question: Why do bad things happen to good people? § Job teaches us that God’s ways are not human ways § Psalms (Ps): a collection of five books of poetry/song lyrics composed over 500 years § Those worshiping at the Temple sang many of the 150 psalms § The psalms praise God, ask him for help, and express sorrow and repentance § A psalm is read at every Mass during the Liturgy of the Word

WISDOM BOOKS READ § • Proverbs (Prv): P 67 contains short sayings on moral living § The proverbs educate us on how to live a good life LISTENING § Read: Sampling Scripture p 80 TO THE § Ecclesiastes (Eccl): in this book, a fictional character names Qoheleth teaches important lessons about life through questions, MOST sayings, and proverbs § Song of Songs (Sg): a poem that celebrates the idea of romantic WIDELY love and relates God’s love for his People READ BOOK

WISDOM BOOKS § Wisdom (Ws): written about 100 years before Christ, encouraged Jews living in Egypt to remain faithful to their heritage § Sirach (Sir): Sirach was likely a sage (one who attained wisdom) He recounted many wise lessons and sayings

PROPHETIC BOOKS • READ P 67 § God sent prophets to encourage the people of Israel to stay LISTENING faithful to their covenant with him § A prophet spoke to the People on behalf of God and TO THE sometimes spoke to God on behalf of the People MOST § Prophets generally tried to keep kings or the Chosen People in line when they strayed from the covenant with God WIDELY READ BOOK

PROPHETIC BOOKS § Isaiah (Is): The Book of Isaiah spans three centuries with Isaiah and his disciples addressing different audiences § The book is divided according to prophecies for Jerusalem, the Exile, and the return § Jeremiah (Jer): Jeremiah came from a priestly family § He delivered words of warning and hope to Jews living in Jerusalem prior to the Babylonian Exile (when Jews were held in captivity) § He told the Jews God would make a New Covenant with them

PROPHETIC BOOKS • § Lamentations READ P 67 (Lam): this book may be the work of Jeremiah, it consists of five poems lamenting the fall of Jerusalem LISTENING § Baruch (Bar): Baruch was probably Jeremiah’s scribe, but other authors more than likely wrote this book in his name TO THE § It serves as a reminder that the Exile happened because of MOST people’s infidelity to God WIDELY READ BOOK

PROPHETIC § Ezekiel (Ez): BOOKS God called Ezekiel to be a prophet in Babylon § Once the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, Ezekiel promised Salvation and a New Covenant if the Jews returned to God § Daniel (Dn): is apocalyptic text (Greek for ‘revelation’) § Daniel is included in prophetic books because it was initially interpreted as being prophetic § Twelve Minor Prophets: The works listed previously are considered ‘major’ prophets because their works were larger, not more important § Minor Prophets: Hosea (Hos), Joel (Jl), Amos (Am), Obadiah (Ob), Jonah (Jon), Micah (Mi), Nahum (Na), Habakkuk (Hb), Zephaniah (Zep), Haggai (Hg), Zechariah (Zec), and Malachi (Mal) § Read: Sampling Scripture p 82 Micah

Sect 3: Formation of the New Testament KEY IDEAS: Ø The Apostles preached about Jesus himself as the Good News and spread his message across the Mediterranean world Ø They preached to the needs of the people and worshipped according to Jesus’ instructions Ø The eventually wrote down the Gospel because the end of the world had not come as they anticipated and people were distorting the message KEY TERMS: q Gospel q Galilee q Kerygma q Didache q Epistle

§ The New Testament’s name describes it content books describe the Good News of Jesus and his New • § These READ P 67 Covenant with humanity LISTENING § The Gospels (meaning ‘Good News’) refers to Jesus’ message, Jesus himself is the Gospel, and the 4 written accounts of his life, TO death, THE and Resurrection § The Gospels share the Good News MOST § The Acts of the Apostles, Epistles (letters), and Revelation talk WIDELY about the spreading of the Gospel message in the early Church READ BOOK

Gospels are the heart of the New Testament and the whole • § The READ P 67 Bible because through them you can know Jesus Christ and learn to live as his disciple LISTENING § We stand at Mass when the Gospel is read but sit during TOreadings: THEWhy? other § We honor the Gospels as the most important biblical texts MOST WIDELY READ BOOK

§ The Evangelists did not write down the Gospels like news • READ P 67 reports after Jesus’ Ascension LISTENING § There are three stages in the formation of the Gospels: § 1. the. THE time of Jesus’ own life TO § 2. the years when the Apostles and other early disciples of MOST Jesus preached the Good News orally § 3. the actual writing of the Gospels WIDELY READ BOOK

1: The Historical • § Stage READ P 67 Jesus: 6 BC to 30/33 AD § Scholars estimate that Jesus was born in 6 BC LISTENING § By using historical records of Herod the Great’s reign, the Gospels record that Herod was alive when Jesus was a small child, which is TO THE how they estimate his date of birth MOST WIDELY READ BOOK

• Nazareth, READ P 67 a town in Galilee (present day northern Israel) § As. LISTENING a child, he learned the carpenter trade from his foster father, Joseph TOcame THE § Jesus into the public scene about 28 AD § During his ministry, he traveled the countryside and visited small MOST towns, teaching, healing, and proclaiming God’s Kingdom WIDELY READ BOOK § Jesus lived a typical life of a Jewish boy growing up in

• §READ P 67 At the instigation of some religious leaders who saw Jesus as a threat, the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate crucified him LISTENING § Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and visited his apostles, revealing himself completely as the Son of God TO THE MOST WIDELY READ BOOK

§ Stage 2: Oral Tradition 30 -50 AD § The Apostles followed Jesus’ command to ‘go into the world and • READ P 67 § While remaining pious Jews themselves, the early Christians believed LISTENING that Jesus was the fulfillments of God’s Old Testament promises § The Apostles told all the marvelous things Jesus did to fellow Jews TO THE § Later they found that Gentiles were also receiving the Holy Spirit MOST WIDELY READ BOOK proclaim the gospel to every creature’ –Mk 16: 15

§ The Apostles’ preaching took on 3 forms: § 1. Kerygma: preaching to unbelievers • READ P 67 § The Acts of the Apostles records several sermons from St Peter and St Paul outlining the basic beliefs about Jesus’ LISTENING Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension § The THE connected Hebrew Scriptures to Jesus’ fulfillment of TO prophecies MOST § During this time some disciples began to collect material about Christ, such as miracle stories, his parables, and the Passion WIDELY narratives § The Evangelists would draw from this material to compose READ BOOK their Gospels

§ Form 2: Didache: further teaching to those who accepted Jesus • READ P 67 accepted Jesus LISTENING § Catechesis means ‘to sound down’: to repeat the message and explain it in THE greater depth TO § Originally this instruction was shared orally, eventually it was MOST written down WIDELY READ BOOK § The Didache was further catechetical instruction for those who

§ The Apostles’ preaching took on 3 forms: § Form 3: The Liturgy: Early Christians recalled Jesus’ central teachings, • moments, READ P 67 and prayers in Eucharistic celebrations § EX: Words at the Last Supper, the Lord’s Prayer, and his Passion LISTENING § The early Church’s primary interest was to interpret the meaning of Jesus’ deeds and sayings TOmain THE § Local communities varied the wording of liturgical prayers, but they MOST faithfully recounted the spirit of what Jesus did and said WIDELY READ BOOK

§ Stage 3: The New Testament Writings (50 -120 AD) § The final stage in the formation of the N. T. was writing down the Gospel • READ P 67 down in the latter half of the first century and early second century LISTENING § Some of the first New Testament books written were the letters of St. Paul TO THE MOST WIDELY READ BOOK § The four Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, and Revelation were written

§ All four Gospels share the Good News of Salvation and Redemption The Gospel writers told the story differently in different Christian • §READ P 67 communities: Mark highlighted Jesus’ suffering portraying a man who freely gave his life for humanity LISTENING § Matthew emphasized Jesus as a teacher who fulfilled TO THE prophecies §MOST Luke shows Jesus as a Savior to all people, reaching out especially to the poor and neglected §WIDELY John’s Gospel, written 30 years later than the others, focused on Jesus’ divinity READ BOOK

§ Why did the N. T. authors wait to write anything? § In Jesus time, many people couldn’t read or write, so oral • READ P 67 transmission was the main means of conveying knowledge LISTENING § Students needed to remember what their teachers taught them § Knowing this, Jesus used vivid stories and striking images his TO THE audience would remember (I. E. Prodigal Son) § Eventually, early Christians realized the Good News needed to MOST be written down for 3 main reasons WIDELY READ BOOK

REASONS WHY N. T. AUTHORS WAITED TO WRITE GOSPELS DOWN § 1: The end of the world did not come as quickly as anticipated § Many early Christians believed Jesus would come back to ‘judge the living and the dead’ in their lifetime § They had the urgent tasks of preaching the Gospel and preparing for the Lord’s return § But they were mistaken about the timing of Christ’s Second Coming § People who heard Jesus firsthand were dying (many as martyrs) so the need to preserve accurate testimony was needed

REASONS WHY N. T. AUTHORS WAITED TO WRITE GOSPELS DOWN § 1: The end of the world did not come as quickly as anticipated § 2. Some people were distorting the Gospel § After the Apostles preached in an area, other people would distort the original, authentic message § In his Second Letter to the Corinthians, St Paul wrote “your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere commitment to Christ” -2 Cor 11: 3 § To combat this practice and clarify Jesus’ true message, a written record of the Good News was needed

REASONS WHY N. T. AUTHORS WAITED TO WRITE GOSPELS DOWN § 1: The end of the world did not come as quickly as anticipated § 2. Some people were distorting the Gospel § 3: Christians needed more instruction § A written record would help instruct Christians in the Faith in a consistent way § The Church included the epistles (letters) and Gospels in the Eucharistic liturgy

QUIZ: WISDOM & PROPHETIC BOOKS AND FORMATION OF N. T. § Make sure your note packets are complete and correct! § You can utilize the Powerpoint on the class page to double check and review

Section 4: Survey of the New Testament KEY IDEAS: Ø The Gospels are at the heart of Scripture because they allow us to know Jesus Ø The Acts of the Apostles and epistles help us get a sense of the early Church Ø The Book of Revelation reminds us that being a Christian can be dangerous; apocalyptic language became necessary for that reason KEY TERMS: Ø catholic

DEVELOPIN G THE N. T. CANON • READ P 67 § The N. T. canon developed over time LISTENING § Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles and their successors determined what writings belonged in it TO THE § By AD 200, Church leaders discerned that God inspired the four Gospels, the Pauline Epistles, Acts, and some other epistles MOST § By 367, the canon consisted of 27 books for the N. T. WIDELY § The Council of Trent (1543 -1565) reemphasized that this canon was the inspired Word BOOK of God READ

GOSPELS § The Gospels are the heart of all Scriptures ‘because they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior’ –CCC 125 § Matthew (Mt) § Mark (Mk) § Luke (Lk) § John (Jn) § We will examine the Synoptic Gospels in Ch 6 and John’s Gospel in Ch 9

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES • § The. READ P 67 Acts of the Apostles is really the second part of the Gospel of Luke LISTENING § It tells the story of the history of the early Church and reports the TOof the THE spread Gospel from Pentecost to the imprisonment of St. Paul in the late 50 s MOST § One of the central debates in the early Church was whether Gentiles could join without becoming Jewish WIDELY § The Council of Jerusalem determined they did not READ BOOK § The three missionary journeys of St. Paul are the central focus of Acts

THE PAULINE LETTERS § St. Paul or his disciples wrote the epistles (formal letters written to teach a person or group) § The epistles appear in the Bible in order of length, from longest to shortest § Each of St. Paul’s letters are addressed to the community he was writing to § Some call the letter to Philemon, Colossians, and Ephesians the ‘prison letters’ because Paul wrote them in jail

§ Romans (Rom): St. Paul’s longest letter and contains the most advanced theology of Jesus § The letter stresses having faith in Jesus, who justifies and saves all believers § It also offers instruction on Christian living § 1 and 2 Corinthians (1 Cor /2 Cor): address problems converts were having in Corinth § The first letter he gave important instructions on the Eucharist and Jesus’ Resurrection § It also includes a beautiful passage about love (1 Cor 13: 1 -13) § The second letter encourages forgiveness and to be generous in the collection for the Church • READ P 67 LISTENING TO THE MOST WIDELY READ BOOK PAULINE LETTERS

THE PAULINE LETTERS § Galatians (Gal): Paul defended his role as a true Apostle of Christ § He also said Christians must preach to Gentiles because Christ’s love extends to all § Ephesians (Eph): develops theme that the Church is the Body of Christ § It also emphasizes the unity of Gentiles and Jews in Christ § Philippians (Phil): Paul wrote from prison in Northern Greece § This is a deeply personal and joyful letter: Paul told his readers to rejoice in Christ the Savior, the one who teaches us the meaning of true humility

PAULINE LETTERS READ P 67 § • Colossians (Col): instructs the Colossians to reject false teachings and accept only Jesus Christ as true Lord of creation and. LISTENING the source of new life § 1 and 2 Thessalonians (1 -2 Thes): The first letter is the oldest TO THE piece of writing in the N. T. MOST § It reminds Paul’s converts how to live until Christ comes again § The. WIDELY second letter reminds converts to keep working for the Kingdom of God and tries to quell the rumor that the end of times has. READ begun BOOK

THE PAULINE LETTERS § 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (1 -2 Tm, Ti): these are called the ‘pastoral letters’ because they are correspondences between those who ‘shepherded’ (or pastored) Christians § These letters are unique because they are written to individuals, not communities § These letters give advice on issues of Church leadership, Church organization, worship, and moral living § They also warn against certain false teachings and the need to be faithful to true doctrine passed from the Apostles

OTHER LETTERS • Hebrews READ P 67 identified as Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews, it is (Heb): Although more likely a sermon or homily by someone else LISTENING Emphasizes Christ’s superiority over all creation ___________________ TO THE The Catholic Epistles are letters intended “for all” MOST These letters are catholic (or universal) because they contain general advice that is helpful to all churches WIDELY These letters can also help us understand the formation of the early Church They are identified BOOK by their author READ § § § §

CATHOLIC EPISTLES § James (Jas): advises it readers to treat people justly, to take care of the poor, and to control their speech; faith in Jesus will lead to good works § 1 and 2 Peter (1 -2 Pt): emphasizes that Christians should imitate Jesus when they suffer by not returning evil for evil; good example will lead others to Christ § 1, 2, and 3 John (1, 2, 3 Jn): the first two letters stress love as proof of faith in Jesus and our need to love others § The 3 rd letter supports a Church leader who needed help in missionary efforts

CATHOLIC EPISTLES READ P 67 § • Jude (Jude): warns Christians to remain firm in their faith against false teachers LISTENING § It also speaks of punishment that will come to false teachers TO THE § Revelation (Rv): a highly symbolic work, John relates visions he has of God, the Risen Christ, and the future MOST § This book was meant to encourage Christians being persecuted WIDELY § Using apocalyptic language, John reassures readers that Christ will reward the faithful in heaven at the end of time READ BOOK

QUIZ: SURVEY OF N. T. § Make sure your note packets are complete and correct! § You can utilize the Powerpoint on the class page to double check and review § Chapter Test to follow this quiz