Section 2: Part 2 Interpreting Scripture

OBJECTIVES: † The class will discuss the mission of the Magisterium and the importance of having a consistent authority. † The class will discuss the different ways the Bible can and should be interpreted.

Word of the Week: Psalm one of the 150 Psalms in the Jewish (Old) Testament, sung between the first and second reading

Article19: A Vocation to Interpret and Teach  People hold strong religious beliefs, whether they believe that there is or isn’t a God; however, some of the most strong religious beliefs are centered around different interpretations of the Bible.  Understanding the truth of what God is trying to tell us through the Scriptures is important, but also extremely challenging sometimes.  Magisterium = “living, teaching office of the Church” – bishops in communion with the Pope – who has been given the sole authority, with the Holy Spirit, to authentically interpret the Bible.

Who or What is The Magisterium?  Under the guidance of the Magisterium, the Church seeks to hear and understand what God reveals through the words of the Sacred Scriptures.  This involves prayerfully listening to the same Spirit who first inspired the writers of the Bible.  This job is an important responsibility, and many others who are not bishops are engaged in it. These people are encouraged to follow the Magisterium’s principles of interpretation, and their interpretations are subject to the approval of the Magisterium.  The work of these interpreters is helpful because it helps us and the Church to gain a better understanding of the meaning of the Sacred Scripture.

The Magisterium  The Magisterium is strengthened by its direct link to the Apostles.  It is also “not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant.”  One of its roles is to guide the faithful in the task of bringing to light all that God reveals to us through the Bible and announcing the great love of God.

Article 20: What is Biblical Exegesis?  Is the Bible Relevant Today?  Many people ask themselves what they have in common with the people of the Bible – times have changed since the Bible was written.  We still share much in common with those people – we still struggle with the same issues: greed, jealousy, hypocrisy, selfishness, lying, etc. biblical exegesis.  The process of interpreting and critically explaining a passage from the Bible is called biblical exegesis.  Through biblical exegesis, we can relate the lives of those people long ago to our lives today.

Biblical Exegesis BBiblical exegesis is mostly the work of biblical scholars – those who have advanced degrees in biblical studies. TThese scholars are often fluent in Greek, Hebrew, or both TThey also might specialize in different areas of exegesis: for instance, a scholar might specialize in the cultural beliefs of biblical people. TThey also teach and create Bible study resources such as dictionaries, commentaries, and professional journals.

Who bridges the gap between what God said or meant and what is written in the Bible?  A big part of a Biblical scholar’s job involves discerning between what God was trying to say in the Bible and what human authors were trying to get across.  They have to examine the cultures and lives of these people, along with their literary genres and styles, to see what the spirit behind the writing was.

What is the Catholic Belief of the Bible?  No single part of the Bible can really be understood completely without seeing it as a part of the general message of the Testament it is in as a whole.  This “unity in doctrine” is the analogy of faith, where we see that all of the passages of the Bible are meant to be part of one underlying message.

Article 21: What types of literary forms are in the Bible? Types of formExplanation Creation accountsExplanation of how something came into existence PsalmsHymns or songs of prayers that express praise, petition etc. Or a historical memory of God’s action Prophets oraclesWisdom and counsel given by God Historical booksSaving actions of God in history Wisdom literatureCollection of teachings about how to live a good life pleasing to God ParablesBrief stories told by Jesus to teach moral or religious lessons Letters (epistles)-Letters written to early Christians to pass on wisdom, correction and community

Literary forms in the bible continued Types of form (Cont’d)Explanation (Cont’d) Apocalyptic literatureDescription of end times and promise of new creation Gospels-Accounts of real events and teaching from Jesus' life that give information about his life  Each type of literature has its own rules for interpretation.  The types of literature will give the reader insight into the “meaning that the writer really intended”

 Why is the Bible studied?  to discover the meaning and truth behind the bible  What is an Exegetes?  A biblical scholar who attempts to interpret the meaning of biblical texts, works toward a better understanding and explanation of the meaning of Sacred Scripture. Article 22: Senses of the Scripture

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that Scripture could be taken in ….  The Literal Sense  is the meaning conveyed by the words of a Scripture, (the obvious meaning), discovered by exegesis.  The Spiritual Sense  goes beyond the literal sense to consider what the events of the Scripture signify.

The Spiritual Sense (3 Categories)  Allegorical Sense:  Looks at the Christological significance. The study of the divinity of Jesus and his earthly ministry and eternal mission.  Moral Sense:  the search for what the Scripture means to live a just and ethical life.  Anagogical Sense:  investigates the realities and events in terms of their eternal significance (examines the Christian significance).

Article 23: What is the relation to Science and History?  Does Science disprove Religious Beliefs?  The Catholic Church teaches that faith, science and history can coexist and support each other.  Does God/Religion have a place in Science and History?  God acts in and through history, so there is strong and consistent historical basis for the Old and New Testaments.

Where does God fit in “academically”?  Where do our Religious Beliefs fit in with academic disciplines, like Science, History, Literatures, etc?  There is a harmony among the academics if the Sacred Scripture is accepted and studied as a whole picture.

The whole picture is revealed through a Contextualist Approach  Literal sense of the scriptures backed up by scientific and historical knowledge A fundamentalist approach focusses on the literal interpretations and is therefore limited in its view. What is the Whole Picture of the Scriptures?

Article 24: What are other ways to Understanding the Scriptures?  Scholars use different approaches to understand the Word of God.  Biblical Archaeology  Biblical Archaeology is very big in the Middle East. If you visit Israel you will see many different digs and excavation sights. The discoveries help us understand the culture of biblical times.  Literal Analysis  Literal Analysis looks for other writings of the time in question. It help explain the vocabulary, the purpose and main ideas.

Traveling the Avenue of Understanding  Archeology has uncovered:  Many cities have been discovered dating back to the time of Christ.  Literal Analysis has used:  The most important finds are texts; both biblical and nonbiblical. There are no original copies but there are copies. The idea is to find the copy dating back to the earliest time.  The most important modern discovery of ancient biblical texts is the Dead Sea Scroll.  An important discovery of nonbiblical religious texts is the Nag Hammadi manuscripts. They help us to understand other nations religions.

Extra Summary  The Bible has been composed of many different genres and literature.  The different types of literature have different rules for interpretation.  Forms of genres refer to different forms of writing within the sacred scriptures.  The study of different literary forms can give us an idea of what the meaning of what the writer really intended.

Click on picture or here to play game This is a vocabulary game

Closing Prayer Prayer before Reading the Bible – Our Father, who art in heaven, sacred is Your Word. Your kingdom come, Your Words be heard on earth as they are in heaven. Give us today Your Sacred Word. Forgive our neglect of it in the past as we forgive those who neglect us. Lead us toward an encounter with You each time we delve into the Scriptures. For Your presence, Your power, and Your glory are ever present among us now and forever. Amen.timeglory