What Is the Bible The Bible Course Document

What Is the Bible? The Bible Course Document #: TX 001066

Bible (English) = Biblia (Greek) = “Books” lii © Nata hutters kach/S a Naty om tock. c (Literal Meaning)

© Saint Mary’s Pres/Paul Casper The Bible is a library of books.

© Saint Mary’s Press / Catholic Youth Bible®, Third Edition What are the main sections of the Bible?

Books of Law Historical Books The first five books of the Bible, the heart of the Old Testament Sixteen books of religious history and a few “historical novellas” Prophetic Books Wisdom Books Eighteen books recording the warnings and promises of Israel’s prophets © Saint Mary’s Pres/Paul Casper Seven books of poetry and wise sayings

Gospels The story of Jesus’ life and ministry and the start of the Church, told from four complementary faith perspectives Pauline Letters (Epistles) Fourteen letters by Saint Paul or his disciples written to provide teaching and to correct abuses in the early churches Acts This books tells about the early Christian community Seven letters written by Christ’s Apostles or their disciples to provide teaching and to correct abuses in the early churches Revelation © Saint Mary’s Pres/Paul Casper Non-Pauline Letters A book written as apocalyptic literature, during a time when Christians were being persecuted

What kinds of books • • • Poetry & Songs – Psalms Historical Narrative – Acts of the apostles Law - Leviticus Wisdom sayings – Ecclesiastes Prophecy - Isaiah Letters – St. Paul to Corinthians

ent m a t s e Old T h the it nship w o i t a l e r s God’s Israelite / s w e r b He The orig inal Syno nym for ow is solemn v ents m a t s e T ew Old and N to God cov ena s nt relation a n e v o c r Ou nt is fulfi lled hip

THE BIBLE • • 73 books 40 different writers Almost 1500 Years Over 10, 000 events • • One Story Unity of Theme No contradictions 40 writers, 15 centuries, yet claims ONE AUTHOR “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Spirit of God” (2 Peter 1: 21)

The Forty Writers of the Bible • • • What kind of people Shepherds Kings Fishermen Peasants Doctors Tax-collectors • • • Where were they from Rome Jerusalem Babylon (Iraq) Persia (Iran) Greece Turkey

God is the Author • CCC 105 God is the author of Sacred Scripture. “The divinely revealed realities, which are contained and presented in the text of Sacred Scripture, have been written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit”

Reading the Bible • Be especially attentive “to the content and unity of the whole Scripture” ccc 112 • Read the Scripture within “the living tradition of the whole Church” ccc 113 • Be attentive to the analogy of faith ccc 114

Senses of Scripture • Literal sense • Spiritual senses – Allegorical – Moral – Anagogical

Literal sense • What did the human author was trying to say, the way in which he was trying to say it, and what is incidental to the assertion. • We have translations and idioms from a different culture which are not always obvious.

Translations and idioms • It’s raining “cats and dogs” • How do you translate this into another language or culture? – está chovendo gatos e cachorros – é uma chuva torrencial

Where is Jerusalem? • Which way do you go? – Does it matter where you are? – North, South, East, or West? • Jerusalem is always “up” – Matthew 20: 17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem – Luke 18: 31 Look, we are going up to Jerusalem

Spiritual Senses CCC 117 • Allegorical – We can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ's victory and also of Christian Baptism.

Spiritual Senses CCC 117 • Moral sense – The events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they were written "for our instruction". • Anagogical sense – We can view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland: thus the Church on earth is a sign of the heavenly Jerusalem

Moses 1400 B. C. . Old Testament was written before the birth of Jesus 30 A. D. 2011 A. D.

Moses 1400 B. C. . New Testament was written soon after the death of Jesus 80 30 B. C. . A. D. 2018 A. D.

Moses 1400 B. C. . Moses is attributed with writing the first five books of the Bible GENESIS EXODUS LEVITICUS NUMBERS DEUTERONOMY 30 A. D. 2011 A. D.

Moses 1400 B. C. . They are sometimes called the Pentateuch Torah 30 A. D. 2011 A. D.

Moses Beginning. THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS -- LOOK BACK FROM THE DEATH OF MOSES -- ALL THE WAY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME 1400 B. C. . 30 A. D. 2011 A. D.

Moses Creation of world 2500 B. C. 1400 B. C. . The First Book GENESIS – Chapters 1 -11 • Creation of the world • First human family • Spread of evil • World wide flood • Division of humankind into nations and languages 30 A. D. 2011 A. D.

Moses Creation of world 2500 B. C. 1400 B. C. . The First Book GENESIS – Chapters 1 -11 • Truth of Creation and early man • Not scientific explanations • Figurative language • God created the universe and Man from nothing 30 A. D. 2011 A. D.

Moses Creation of world 2500 B. C. 1400 B. C. . The First Book GENESIS – chapters 12 -50 • God chooses the FATHERS of the future nation of Israel • Four Generations – grow from 1 couple to 70 people 30 A. D. 2000 A. D.

Moses Creation of world 2500 B. C. 1400 B. C. . Books 2 -5 (Moses) EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, DEUTERONOMY q Tells about the beginning of the nation q And how God gave them His Laws 30 A. D. 2000 A. D.

Moses Creation of world 2500 B. C. 1400 B. C. . Historical books ARE BOOKS OF HISTORY WRITTEN BY VARIOUS AUTHORS q 1400 – 80 B. C. q Possession of their land, the establishment of the kingdom, the captivity and return to their land 80 30 B. C. . A. D. 2011 A. D.

Moses Creation of world 2500 B. C. 1400 B. C. . Wisdom literature ARE BOOKS OF POETRY AND WISDOM q Job is about man’s question about suffering q Psalms is a collection of poems put to music q Proverbs is a collection of short wise sayings 80 30 B. C. . A. D. 2011 A. D.

Moses Creation of world 2500 B. C. 1400 B. C. . Wisdom literature ARE BOOKS OF POETRY AND WISDOM q Ecclesiastes tells how to live life in a world where all is vanity q Song of Solomon is a poem about true romantic love 80 30 B. C. . A. D. 2011 A. D.

Moses Creation of world 2500 B. C. 1400 B. C. . Historical books Tells the story of God calling his people and their response to His call Preparing God’s people for the oming of Jesus 80 30 B. C. . A. D. 2011 A. D.

Moses Creation of world 2500 B. C. 1400 B. C. . Even the Fathers of the nation of Israel were told by God that one of their descendants would one day be born and bless the entire world 400 30 B. C. . A. D. 2011 A. D.

THE STORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT was

THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHETS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS Moses Creation of world 2500 B. C. 1400 B. C. . 80 B. C. . 2011 A. D.

New Testament Jesus the Messiah has come

Deuterocanonical books • • Tobit - 200 BC Judith - 150 BC Wisdom of Solomon - 30 BC Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)- 132 BC Baruch 1 Maccabees - 110 BC 2 Maccabees - 110 -170 BC Parts of Daniel & Ester • Protestants removed these books at the time of the reformation. • At the time there we no original Hebrew copies only Greek copies. • Septuagint - Greek translation of the Old Testament

Points to Remember • The Bible is a library of seventy-three books. • The Bible has two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. • Testament is another word for covenant. A covenant is a sacred vow. • The Old Testament covenants are between God and his Chosen People, who are called Hebrews, Israelites, or Jews.

Points to Remember (cont. ) • Saint Augustine once observed that the “New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New. ” • In the Bible God reveals his plan for our salvation.

Questions?