1. A Basic Introduction to Scripture
“What is the Bible?”
A Basic Introduction to Scripture

2. What is the Bible? Revelation
Revelation: The means by which God reveals Himself to us
Scripture: Inspired Word of God in human language
Bible: The collection of all the canonical books.
Tradition: The living transmission of the message of the Gospel in the Church
Jesus Christ: God become man – The fullness of Revelation
Questions - 1-3

3. What is the Bible? Revelation
Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God
Inspired: Guided by God. From a word meaning “breathed in”.
Inerrant: Making no mistakes or errors.
Scripture:
73 Books
Creation of the World to the beginnings of the Christian Church
Questions 4-5

4. What Catholics Believe about the Bible
Word of God
Comes to us through Scripture
Comes to us equally through Tradition
“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.” -- 2 Thessalonians 2:15
CCC #

5. What Catholics Believe about the Bible
Word of God
Church: The Faithful; people of God
Magisterium: The teaching authority of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, interprets Scripture and Tradition
Questions 6-9

6. What Catholics Believe about the Bible
Word of God
Faith is not just from Scripture
But Scripture IS how we come to know Jesus
“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” – St. Jerome
Catholic: Universal. Catholic can describe the Church or one of her members
Our faith calls us to be like Christ
Study and meditate on the Bible

7. How the Bible was Written
The Authors
The Bible is a collection
Many works
Many authors
Many times
Languages – Old Testament (Hebrew), New Testament (Greek)
God is the ultimate author!
Authors write so their people can understand
Their science is outdated to us
Real truth present and presented without error
CCC #107
Questions 10-11

8. The Bible is Sacred Literature
Scripture is Literature
Literature: Using literary forms and techniques to convey its meaning.
Bible is ancient literature
How they saw the world years ago
CCC#
Questions: 11

9. The Bible is Religious Religious Purpose
There is always a religious purpose and message in the Bible
Bible is history from the faith perspective
Important characters are ordinary people

10. What “Salvation History” Is
God’s Plan
God had a plan to save us from our sin - Salvation History
Covenant: An agreement between God and man
Relationship seen in human relationship - marriage
Contract: An exchange of goods
Questions 12-14

11. Covenant History
See special handout
Questions 15

12. The Church will be our Guide
It is Difficult!
The Church is always here to help us understand the Bible in light of living Tradition
Without the Church, we are left to human interpretations of Scripture, which all disagree

13. How the Canon Came to Be The Sections
There are two sections of the Bible:
The Old Testament: written before the time of Christ
Based on the Septuagint: The collection of 46 books translated into Greek by 70 Jewish scholars
The New Testament: written after the time of Christ
Biographies of Christ, history, and letters of the early Catholic Church written between AD

14. How the Canon Came to Be The Canon
Canon: “measuring rod” or “list.” The approved books of the Scriptures that are divinely inspired.
Deuterocanonical: “second canon”. The books accepted by the Catholic Church but not Protestant Bibles and later Jewish tradition.
Questions 16-17

15. Why the Old Testament? Old Testament
The Old Testament only makes sense for a Christian with the New Testament (Jesus)
CCC #122
Questions 18-19

16. The Books of the Old Testament
The Law
The first five books traditionally attributed to Moses
The Torah: The law. A rule of conduct enforced in a society
Pentateuch: The five books
Genesis (the Beginning)
Exodus (Going out)
Leviticus (The Levitical Priesthood)
Numbers (The Census of the Tribes)
Deuteronomy (Second Law)
Questions 20-23

17. The Books of the Old Testament
The Narrative Books (Historical)
The Wisdom Books (Proverbs, Psalms)
Prophecy Books
Prophet: one who speaks the message of God to the people
4 major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel
12 minor prophets
Questions 24

18. Typology Typology (Foreshadowing)
Type: When something in history points forward to something else in the future
Ex – Exodus Passover  Last Supper Passover
CCC #128
Questions 28-29

19. The Timeline Time Periods 10 Time Periods in the Old Testament
Narrative and Supplemental Books
Write them down at the beginning of each period
God’s Family Plan (Covenants)
Location of the Action
Fill in the blanks as we go
The time it takes place
The World Power at the time
Secular History
Write at the bottom of the timeline
This will be your 2nd Trimester Project!!