1. Chapter 2: Intro to Sacred Scripture

2. CH 2: Intro To Sacred Scripture
Vocabulary
Vulgate
Dead Sea Scrolls
Canon
Septuagint
Apocrypha
Second Vatican Council
Exegesis
Literary Genre
Literal Sense
Oral Tradition
11. Parable
12. Ark of the Covenant
13. Scribes
14. Evangelist
15. Gentile
16. Exodus
17. Sacrament
18. Liturgy of the Hours
19. Liturgy
20. Lectio Divina

3. The Bible is a collection of writings that reveal who God is
Intro: The Bible is the Inspired Word of God
Key Ideas:
Key Terms:
The Bible is a collection of writings that reveal who God is
God is the author of the Bible, but works through humans who scribed the inerrant Word of God
None. Yayyy!

4. Read page 37: A Closer Reading of the Bible
How does the Bible, written thousands of years ago, apply to today’s world?

5. How does the Bible teach us to live today?
How can it relate to us today when it was written thousands of years ago?
Learning more about the Bible, reading it more closely, and asking for the help of the Holy Spirit can help you address issues in your life today
The Bible does not address certain issues directly (like pornography) but it does address lust, which is at the heart of pornography

6. As we continue this chapter, realize that the biblical authors do not address modern issues, but they do relate to common human emotions and dynamics that transcend time
The Bible is relevant to us today because we are not just reading words that God “once said”
God is speaking to you directly now through the Bible

7. You are familiar with the words “inspired” or “inspirational” in everyday speech
God inspired human authors to write the truths that are necessary for your Salvation, and to do so without error
God did not dictate the Bible to the authors; He worked through them as they wrote, collected, and edited the biblical books
With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, human authors drew on their own background, skills, and talents to communicate what God wanted them to know

8. Three truths we know about Sacred Scripture:
1. God is the author of the Bible
2. The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of Sacred Scripture
3. The Sacred Scriptures teach the truth
Because God inspired authors to write the Bible, you can truly come to know Him through it

9. Section 1: Not All Bibles Are The Same

10. Key Terms: Key Ideas: Section 1: Not All Bibles Are The Same Vulgate
Dead Sea Scrolls
Canon
Septuagint
Apocrypha
Second Vatican Council
Key Ideas:
There are many different Bibles
Bibles differ because translators chose different wording
Others differ because vocabulary was chosen to attract a certain audience
Catholic Bibles include seven books originally written in Greek (which are excluded from Protestant Bibles)

11. If you ever look to purchase a Bible, you will find hundreds of versions
Some questions you might ask:
1. What distinguishes one translation from another?
Why do Catholics and Protestants have different Bibles?
How do I explore the Bible once I get it?
How do I figure out what a passage means?

12. You might ask “Why do we need so many translations
You might ask “Why do we need so many translations? Isn’t the Bible the Bible, plain and simple?”
Well first of all, there are 7,000 languages spoken in the world; many translations are necessary
The authors of the Old Testament wrote in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek
Most authors wrote in Hebrew, but seven Old Testament books are written exclusively in Greek
St. Jerome’s 4th Century translation of the Bible from Greek to Latin, known as the Vulgate, was the Church’s official translation for many years

13. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in Israel in the 1940s reproduced some Old Testament books that predate the birth of Christ
Why would it be important for scholars to find these scrolls?

14. Translation can be a very complex process
In addition to knowing vocabulary and grammar, you also have to know nuances and figures of speech
You can imagine translating a Spanish worksheet; imagine translating 1000s of pages of the Bible
Translators often disagree on the best translation about a word or phrase; do they go word for word or use a comparable wording?

15. Bibles differ depending on their audience, their readers
Children require simpler wording
Some people want a basic version and others want a more in-depth and academic style

16. Protestant and Catholic Bibles differ in the number of Old Testament Books in their canon
Canon: Official list of inspired books of the Bible
Catholics have 46 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books
Two North African Church councils (at Hippo in 393 and Carthage in 387) approved the New and Old Testament canons you have in your Catholic Bible
Septuagint: Greek translation of Hebrew Bible in Egypt; the term means “70” for the 70 scholars who worked on the translation

17. Some Protestant Bibles contain a section in the Bible called the apocrypha
Apocrypha: means “hidden”; an extra section with additional Old Testament books
Read p45 and take notes of important English translations of the Bible:
New Revised Standard Version
Revised English Bible
New International Version
Catholic Translations:
New American Bible, Revised
New Jerusalem Bible

18. At the Second Vatican Council in 1965, the document Dei Verbum (Word of God) further explained the Church’s understanding of biblical interpretation
Second Vatican Council: conference of bishops to consider the Church in the modern world
The Church continues to develop understanding of Scripture and using authentic interpretation is vital to understanding God’s message

19. Quiz: including Intro and Section 1
Know vocabulary terms
Check info on Powerpoint on class page

20. Section 2: What Does The Bible Mean Literally

21. Section 2: What Does The Bible Mean Literally?
Key Terms:
Section 2: What Does The Bible Mean Literally?
Exegesis
Literary Genre
Literal Sense
Oral Tradition
Parable
Ark of the Covenant
Scribes
Evangelist
Gentile
Key Ideas:
Christians do not agree on the way to read and interpret the Bible
The Catholic Church’s Magisterium critically interprets Scripture and obtain a literal sense of the Bible
There are various types of biblical criticism: form, historical, source, and redaction criticism

22. Not all Christians read the Bible the same way
Some people view biblical passages as God’s dictation and apply them word for word to their lives
The Catholic Church asks you to read Sacred Scripture carefully, prayerfully, and with an awareness that biblical authors wrote in different cultural and historical settings
Critical interpretation, or exegesis, means studying the passages in depth in order to learn what God is revealing

23. Some questions to consider when examining scripture:
1. What is the type or literary genre? (type of writing with a particular form and style)
2. What is happening historically that might shed light on the meaning of the passage?
3. Who first wrote the material?
4. How did these texts come to be included in Scripture?
5. If changes were made to the text, why were they made?

24. Exegesis involves detective work
You are “interrogating” the biblical passage, gathering additional information, and uncovering other information that will help understand what God wants to reveal
You are not an expert, but you can still learn more about God through biblical exegesis
Everyday life prepares you to read and interpret oral and written communications: is the source reliable? What just happened that made them say this? Etc, Etc…

25. Magisterium and Catholic Scripture scholars search for literal meaning or literal sense of biblical text
Literal sense: the meaning conveyed by Scripture and discovered by exegesis
Scripture experts also use form criticism to analyze text
Each biblical book took shape in a period of oral tradition before they were written down
Oral Tradition: the process of sharing stories by word of mouth

26. A text’s form can give us insight into its meaning
Once you identify the type of writing, you can adjust your expectations about the content
EX: digits in a phone number vs SS or credit card #
Some books in Scripture are written as a creed (or statement of belief) and others are fables (a brief story with a moral)
Jesus uses parables (a short story illustrating a moral lesson) often
Because we know they are parables, we can assume he is not speaking about actual historical people or events (Ex: Good Samaritan)

27. Read: Fundamentalism and the Bible p50
Biblical scholars also use historical criticism to put Scripture into historical settings (by using archaeology and historical research)
Consider the Ark of the Covenant: a wooden chest built to hold the 10 Commandments
4 ft x 2.5 ft
The last time the Ark is mentioned is when the Babylonians destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in 587 BC
What happened to the Ark?

28. The Magisterium utilizes source criticism to find out where biblical material came from
Many believe the history in the Book of Kings comes from court records written by royal scribes (people trained to write before literacy was widespread)
The author of Luke’s Gospel used three main sources:
1. Gospel of Mark
2. Collection of writings also found in Matthew’s Gospel
3. Material unique to Luke

29. Experts use redaction criticism focusing on the editors who collected and arranged the sources in a biblical book
Ex: examine the genealogy of Christ
The Evangelist (One who proclaims the Word of God; 4 Evangelists are the authors of the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) Luke traced Jesus’ family tree back to Adam
Adam is a common ancestor to all humans, showing the Gospel was written for Gentile (non-Jew) Christians
Matthew’s Gospel traces it back to Abraham, showing a different, but not conflicting, theology

30. The Bible is complex because it was written for different audiences, in different times and cultures, and written in different languages
While we shouldn’t be afraid or intimidated to read it because we feel its too difficult, we should also value Scripture scholarship
The Church’s Magisterium job is to provide the most authentic reading of the Bible

31. Section 3: What Does The Bible Mean Spiritually?

32. Section 3: What Does The Bible Mean Spiritually?
Key Terms:
Section 3: What Does The Bible Mean Spiritually?
Exodus
Sacrament
Liturgy of the Hours
Liturgy
Lectio Divina
Key Ideas:
The Bible shares religious truth rather than scientific or historical fact
Scripture is interpreted through the Holy Spirit and the collective wisdom of the Church
You need to discern what the Bible says about the truths of our faith, moral issues, and our final destination: heaven

33. To fully understand Scripture, we must examine the historical context and literal sense
However, the main reason for seeking this literal knowledge is to find religious truth
The primary reason we are here is to learn about God and our Salvation as God and the authors of Scripture intended

34. Think about books you use to find information:
What kind of book would you look for if you wanted a recipe for chocolate chip cookies?
What book would you use to find the meaning of the word scuba?
Each type of book provides us with information and books are specific to that area of knowledge
You don’t expect to find definitions in a cookbook or recipes in a dictionary
People who look for answers to the Bible for historical and scientific questions similarly run into difficulty

35. It is very important to remember that the Bible is not a science or history book
It is a written record of Divine Revelation
God inspired its authors to reveal religious truths
Some people look for facts about science or history in the Bible and find themselves at odds with academic communities, but there is no need for this opposition

36. The Church welcomes and encourages the research of historians and scientists because “truth does not contradict truth”
EX: Nothing is more important than to be certain that Jesus existed
Historians have confirmed the following historical information:
Jesus of Nazareth did exist
The Romans (under prefect Pontius Pilate) executed Jesus
Jesus established a Church that exists today

37. Because Sacred Scripture is inspired, it “must be read and interpreted in the light of the same Spirit by whom it was written” CCC 111
In other words, if you want to understand the Bible, you must ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit when reading it

38. Second Vatican Council teaches us three ways of interpreting Scripture:
1. Read specific passages with the whole content and unity of Scripture in mind
Christ is the center and heart of Sacred Scripture, but the Old Testament prefigures Christ and illuminates the New Testament
St. Augustine said “the New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New”

39. 3 ways of interpreting Scripture:
1. Read specific passages with the whole content and unity of Scripture in mind
2: Read Scripture within the ‘living tradition of the whole Church’ CCC 113
Scripture is half of the single Deposit of Faith
God did not give authority to interpret scripture to individuals, but the whole Church
If your interpretation is contradicting Sacred Tradition, your personal interpretation is most likely wrong

40. 3 ways of interpreting Scripture:
1. Read passages within the unity of Scripture in mind
2. Read Scripture within the living Tradition of the Church
3. Pay attention to the analogy of faith: the unity “of truths of the faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation” CCC 114
Scripture cannot reveal truths that contradict one another
When interpreting the Bible, do so in a way that is in harmony with all God’s Revelation

41. Read: The Bible and Prayer pp56-57
Define: Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, Liturgy, Lectio Divina
What did St. Jerome say about the importance of the Bible?
What helps us to understand the readings and apply the message to everyday life?

42. There are 4 senses of Scripture; the literal sense and the 3 spiritual senses
Not necessarily the word for word reading of the passage, but the meaning the author intended to convey
2: Allegorical Sense
An allegory is a metaphor, a comparison
Here we find that the story has more than one level of meaning
In an allegorical sense, we look at the entire Bible, especially the Old Testament, in light of its fulfillment in Christ

43. Ex: Allegorical Sense: Exodus
When we look at Christ’s victory over sin, its possible to recognize that Exodus (Moses leading Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt) crossing of the Red Sea prefigures this victory
The waters of the Red Sea are like the waters of Baptism that free us from our slavery to sin

44. 3: Moral Sense
God’s word teaches its readers to live good lives and act justly on behalf of God and other people
When you read about prophets urging people to follow the Commandments, you can determine how this prophet is also challenging your honor and relationship with God
4: Anagogical Sense
This sense helps you see earthly events in the context of your journey to Heaven
Your ultimate goal in life is to get to heaven, and the Bible shows you the way
This sense reminds you of where you are going

45. Quiz: Sections 2 and 3
Know vocabulary terms
Check info on Powerpoint on class page
Chapter 2 Test will follow this quiz