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1. The Bible Mr. Pablo Cuadra Religion Class
2. Scriptures John 1: 1-5 <ul><li>� In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
</li></ul><ul><li>Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made
that has been made. </li></ul><ul><li>In him was life, and that life was the light
of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.�
</li></ul>
3. What is the Bible? <ul><li>A. The Bible or Sacred Scripture is the written,
inspired, Word of God . 2 Tim 3: 16-17 </li></ul><ul><li>B. The Bible is a
�fundamental� source of Divine Revelation. John 21: 24-25 </li></ul><ul><li>C.
Divine Revelation is God�s self-communication , the unveiling of the mystery of God
and of his redeeming activity . </li></ul><ul><li>God�s salvific activity has been
present from the beginning of time and made manifest to every age and every
generation. </li></ul><ul><li>His salvific work is evident in creation, in the
covenants with the patriarchs, in the mighty works of the exodus, in the choosing
of a people, in the giving of the law and covenant at Sinai, in the conquest of the
promised land, in the sending of his Son. This is what we call salvation history ,
God reaching out to us time and time again. </li></ul><ul><li>D. The fullness of
Divine revelation of God�s redeeming works is Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1: 1-4) the
promised, incarnate, eternal Word of God made flesh for our salvation.
</li></ul><ul><li>E. Jesus� life (deeds, words, preaching, person), death (passion,
suffering, crucifixion), resurrection (victory over death) also known as paschal
mystery unveils the totality of who God is and his plan of salvation.
</li></ul><ul><li>F. This fullness of revelation continues to be handed down to us
through Sacred Tradition , the living, authentic, unbroken, oral transmission of
Jesus� teachings and through the Bible. </li></ul>
4. What is the relationship between the Bible and Sacred Tradition? <ul><li>Jesus
said : &quot;He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me;
but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.&quot; Luke 10:16
</li></ul><ul><li>Jesus words did not vanish with Jesus� ascension, His teachings
continued to live under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the preaching of the
Apostles and their successors, the Pope and the bishops, collectively known as the
Magisterium or teaching body of the Church. </li></ul><ul><li>This oral teaching,
this living memory, this unbroken reception of the living Word of God from one
generation of Christians bishops to the next is what we call, Sacred Tradition .
The Magisterium is the guardian of this Sacred Tradition. </li></ul><ul><li>The
testimony about Jesus emerges from Sacred Tradition, under the guidance and
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Its context and content can only be understood in
light of the Sacred Tradition of the Church�s Magisterium.
</li></ul><ul><li>Together with Sacred Tradition the Bible form one deposit of
Divine revelation. </li></ul><ul><li>Hence, that Vatican II, in its Dogmatic
Constitution Dei Verbum states: �Consequently it is not from Sacred Scripture alone
that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed.
</li></ul><ul><li>Therefore both Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be
accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence.� DV No 9
</li></ul>
5. Synod of Bishops Rome, October 5-26 (2008) <ul><li>� In the context of a living
faith, then, Scripture is the living testimony of a lived history about the
relationship of a living God with a living people. The Spirit, �who spoke through
the prophets� (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed), spoke in order to be heard and
take effect. </li></ul><ul><li>It is primarily an oral and direct communication
intended for human beneficiaries. The scriptural text is, therefore, derivative and
secondary; the scriptural text always serves the spoken word. </li></ul><ul><li>It
is not conveyed mechanically, but communicated from generation to generation as a
living word. Through the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord vows: As rain and snow descend
from heaven, watering the earth � so shall my word go from mouth to mouth,
accomplishing that which I purpose. (55.10-11)� </li></ul><ul><li>Address of the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew to the synod of Catholic bishops
gathered in Rome to reflect on the Word of God in the life and mission of the
Church. </li></ul>Pope Benedict XVI and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople
6. What is the meaning of the word Bible? <ul><li>The word Bible comes from the
Greek word �Biblia � meaning �books� . </li></ul><ul><li>The Greek word Biblia
itself is derived from Biblion , meaning paper, book or scroll and was a diminutive
of the word Byblos or papyrus. </li></ul><ul><li>Hence, Byblos is the root word for
Biblia. The name comes from the Phoenician port Byblos from whence Egyptian papyrus
was exported to Greece. </li></ul><ul><li>The phrase �Ta Biblia�, �The books� was
used by Hellenistic Jews to referred to their sacred books, the Septuagint , in
particular. This was the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures.
</li></ul><ul><li>The Christian Scriptures was referred to in Greek as Ta Biblia as
early as 223 A.D. The Word Bible itself is not found in any book of the Bible.
</li></ul>
7. How is the Bible Divided? <ul><li>The Bible is divided in two sections:
</li></ul><ul><li>A. Old Testament or O.T. </li></ul><ul><li>B. New Testament or
N.T. </li></ul><ul><li>The word Testament means �Covenant� or �Contract� and is
derived from the Hebrew word �Berit�. </li></ul><ul><li>The Old Testament or Hebrew
scriptures comprises stories about an ancient covenant between Yahweh and the
Hebrews, as revealed to Moses. It also tells how this covenant worked out.
</li></ul><ul><li>The New Testament includes stories and teachings about a new
covenant between God and humanity based on the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of
God. </li></ul>
8. What is the Canon of the Scriptures? <ul><li>For Christians the books found in
the Old and New Testament comprise the Canon of the Scriptures.
</li></ul><ul><li>The word Canon comes from the Greek �kanon� or Hebrew �qaneh�
meaning a reed, rule, list or measuring stick. This word (s) was employed by
ancient writers to denote a rule or standard. </li></ul><ul><li>Therefore, the
Canon of the Scriptures is the authoritative list of books that are acknowledged as
� divinely inspired� by the Church, and are set as the standard for Christian
teaching, preaching and edification. </li></ul>
9. How many Canons are there? <ul><li>At the time of Jesus the question about the
canonicity of the Hebrew Scriptures was an open question. There was no official,
universal canon. </li></ul><ul><li>For instance, some Jewish groups like the
Saducees only recognized as binding the first five books of the Bible known as the
Torah or the �Law�, or Pentateuch in Greek . The word Torah in Hebrew means
�Teaching or instruction�. </li></ul><ul><li>Other Jewish groups like the Essenes
had a much longer canon, than the ones used by most Palestinian and Hellenistic
Jews. </li></ul><ul><li>Most Jews in Palestine adopted a canon containing the Tanak
an acronym for the : Torah, The Prophets, The Writings. This canon contains 24
books and is known as the Palestinian or Masoretic Canon . This was the canon later
adopted by the Protestant reformers in the 16 th century. </li></ul><ul><li>Jews
outside of Palestine known as Hellenistic Jews had all the books contained in the
Palestinian or Masoretic canon plus other books considered canonical by the Rabbis
of these Jewish communities in the diaspora , as well as by some Rabbis in
Palestine. Their Canon was known as the Alexandrian Canon or the Septuagint ,
translated by Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt from early Hebrew and Aramaic
versions of the Hebrew Scriptures. This canon consisted of 46 books, and was
written in Koine Greek around the year 250 BC. </li></ul><ul><li>The Palestinian
and Alexandrian Canons were more normative than other canons at the time of Jesus
and the Early Church. </li></ul><ul><li>The Alexandrian canon was the canon of the
Old Testament used and adopted by the Apostles and early Christian communities. It
is the canon accepted and quoted by the Church Fathers and acknowledged as
canonical by early Church councils such as Hippo 393 A.D and Carthag e 397 A.D.. It
is also the version used by the writers of the New Testament when quoting the Old
Testament. </li></ul><ul><li>It was not until the year 90 A.D that the Palestinian
Rabbis officially fixed their canon in the city of Yavneh . In this council the
Rabbis rejected the Septuagint version of the Old Testament adopted by Christians.
This decision by the Palestinian Rabbis was in part a rejection of Hellenistic and
Roman influences that colonized the region. The Romans destroyed the Jewish temple
in the year 70 A.D. </li></ul><ul><li>The fixing of the canon by the Palestinian
community was also an attempt to radically break away from Christianity and
anything Christianity considered sacred or canonical. By the year 90 A.D. Jews were
heading in one direction and Christians in another, as two different entities.
</li></ul><ul><li>The Palestinian Canon and the decision of the rabbis of Yavneh
was never recognized nor adopted by Early Christianity. It wasn�t until the 16 th
century that the Reformers questioned the canonicity of some of the books found in
the Septuagint known as deutero-canonical, forcing the Church to solemnly declared
these books as divinely inspired and therefore canonical during the fourth session
of the Council of Trent in 1545. </li></ul>
10. Did you know? <ul><li>The books found in the Palestinian or Masoretic canon are
known as Proto-canonical or first canon. </li></ul><ul><li>The books found in the
Alexandrian canon or Septuagint but not found in the Palestinian canon are known as
Deuterocanonical or second canon. </li></ul><ul><li>The deuterocanonical books are:
Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach or Ecclesiasticus, Baruch and
parts of Esthe r and Danie l not found in the Palestinian Canon, but found in the
Greek version. </li></ul><ul><li>Deuterocanonical books are sometimes intercalated
with the other books in the Old Testament in Catholic Bibles or placed together in
a separate section as done by St. Jerome in his translation, the Vulgate.
</li></ul><ul><li>The classification into protocanonical and deuterocanonical books
was developed in the 16 th century by a Catholic Jewish convert and theologian
named Sixtus of Siena . </li></ul>
11. Who wrotfe the Bible? <ul><li>The Bible was written by different human authors,
mostly Hebrews, many of them unknown. </li></ul><ul><li>These sacred writers wrote
under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit at different times and places
over a period of about a thousand years from 900 B.C to 150 A.D.
</li></ul><ul><li>These human authors wrote from numerous geographical locations
and cultures from Babylon, Palestine, Egypt, Rome , Corinth among others. They also
wrote in different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek. </li></ul><ul><li>It was the
Holy Spirit who moved these human authors to communicate, to gather, to research,
to edit , to pass on, to write down their collective experiences, stories, and oral
traditions of faith. </li></ul><ul><li>God did not dictate the Bible, the Holy
Spirit encouraged these human authors to freely cooperate, using their skills,
language, culture, talents, literary abilities, knowledge, oral traditions, and
happenings to convey the people�s experience of God�s self-communication.
</li></ul>
12. How many Books are in the Bible? <ul><li>The Roman Catholic Canon based on the
Septuagint has 73 books divided this way: </li></ul><ul><li>Old Testament : 46
books </li></ul><ul><li>New Testament : 27 books. </li></ul><ul><li>The Protestant
Canon based on the Palestinian Canon has 66 books divided this way:
</li></ul><ul><li>Old Testament: 39 </li></ul><ul><li>New Testament: 27 </li></ul>
13. Did you know? <ul><li>The Christian Canon based on the Septuagint was unchanged
until the 16 th Century A.D., when the Father of the Protestant Reformation Martin
Luther discarded the Deutero-canonical books, because they contradicted essential
aspects of his new theological positions. </li></ul><ul><li>Luther also attempted
to removed from the New Testament the books of James, Hebrews, Jude and Revelation,
fortunately, he faced opposition from other reformers and this did not happen.
</li></ul><ul><li>The Palestinian Canon used by Protestants has 24 books. This is
due to the fact that some books are fused together in one, as it is the case of the
twelve Minor Prophets. 1 and 2 Samuel; 1 and 2 King; 1 and 2 Chronicles; and Ezra
and Nehemia are also counted as one. For instance, 1 and 2 Kings is just Kings in
the Palestinian Canon. </li></ul>
14. What are the sections of the Old Testament? <ul><li>Catholic Bibles
</li></ul><ul><li>Torah or Pentateuch </li></ul><ul><li>Historical Books
</li></ul><ul><li>Wisdom Books </li></ul><ul><li>The Prophets
</li></ul><ul><li>Deutero-canonical books. * </li></ul><ul><li>* This section
occurs only when they are not intercalated with the rest of the Old Testament
books, and are grouped together as a separate section. </li></ul><ul><li>Hebrew
Bibles </li></ul><ul><li>The Law (Torah) </li></ul><ul><li>The Prophets (Nebhim)
</li></ul><ul><li>The Writings (Kethubhim) * </li></ul><ul><li>*In the Hebrew Canon
the Historical books are part of the Prophets and Wisdom books are part of the
writings. </li></ul>
15. Books of The Old Testament -Catholic Canon Prophets 1. Isaiah 2. Jeremiah
3.Lamentations 4. Ezekiel 5. Daniel 6. Hosea 7. Joel 8. Amos 9. Obadiah 10.
Jonah 11.�Micah 12. Nahum 13. Habakkuk 14. Zephaniah 15. Haggai 16. Zechariah
17. Malachi Wisdom Books 1. Job 2. Psalms 3. Proverbs 4. Ecclesiastes 5. Song of
Songs Deuterocanonical 1. Tobit 2. Judith 3. Wisdom 4. Eclessiasticus or Sirach 5.
Baruch 6. 1 Maccabees 7. 2 Maccabees Also fragments of Esther and Daniel found in
the Greek Version.. . Historical Books 1. Joshua 2. Judges 3. Ruth 4. I Samuel
5. II Samuel 6. I Kings 7. II Kings 8. I Chronicles 9. II Chronicles 10.�Ezra
11.�Nehemiah 12.�Esther Pentateuch 1. Genesis 2. Exodus 3. Leviticus 4. Numbers
5.Deuteronomy
16. Books of the Old Testament � Palestinian Canon
17. Did you Know? <ul><li>The Torah or Pentateuch are the first five books of the
Bible, and are considered the constitution of the entire Hebrew Scriptures or Old
Testament. </li></ul><ul><li>According to Biblical Scholars these books long
attributed to Moses actually originated from the stories and traditions of four
primary sources, reflecting four different schools of thought about Israel�s
relationships with Yahweh. </li></ul><ul><li>These sources are known as the
Yahwist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, and Priestly. This four sources contributed to the
final form of the Pentateuch. </li></ul>
18. The four sources of the Torah or Pentateuch <ul><li>The Yawist or (Y) used
Yahweh as Gods name. This author pay special attention to the Southern kingdom of
Judah, employed a great deal of narratives, highlighted God�s intimate closeness to
humanity, and depicted God acting as a human person also known as anthropomorphic
language. </li></ul><ul><li>The Elohist or (E) described God as Elohim or Lord. The
Elohist compose about the Northern Kingdom of Israel and was apprehensive about
idolatry and morality. One interesting characteristic of the Elohist is that he
presents God speaking through symbols such as the burning bush.
</li></ul><ul><li>The Deuteronomist or (D) stressed the importance of the Law as
the foundation for the Kingdom of Judah. The Deuteronomist appeared toward the end
of the monarchy, when the Covenant Law seemed to have been forgotten.
</li></ul><ul><li>The Priestly writer or (P) highlighted religious rituals and the
function of the Priesthood. This writer portrayed God as more distant and used a
more ceremonial style. This source was written after the Babylonian Exile.
</li></ul><ul><li>(Adapted from the Catholic Youth Bible) </li></ul>
19. The Torah or Pentateuch 1-11 Moses� address 12-26, 29 revised laws 34 Chapters
Deuteronomy 1-4 Census 5-25 Historical accounts 26 Census 27-36 Historical accounts
36 Chapters Numbers 1-7 Laws of sacrifice 8-10 Consecration of the Priesthood 11-16
Law of Clean and unclean 17-27 The holiness code 27 Chapters Leviticus 1-18 The
suffering of the Israelites, The exodus. 22-40 The covenant, The law 40 Chapters
Exodus 1-11 Origen of the Human race 39-50 Story of the Patriarchs 50 Chapters
Genesis
20. Major and Minor Prophets <ul><li>Prophets are usually classified as Major and
Minor Prophets. </li></ul><ul><li>The Prophets were the moral conscience of Israel.
Their mission was to announce and to remind the people of Israel about the love
that God had for them. They also denounced the people�s neglect of the covenant .
</li></ul><ul><li>The Major Prophets are four: </li></ul><ul><li>A. Isaiah
</li></ul><ul><li>B. Jeremiah </li></ul><ul><li>C. Ezekiel </li></ul><ul><li>D. *
Daniel </li></ul><ul><li>( Daniel is not classified as a prophet in the Hebrew
Canon) </li></ul><ul><li>The Minor Prophets are called this way because they are
smaller works. </li></ul><ul><li>There are 12 Minor Prophets :
</li></ul><ul><li>Hosea </li></ul><ul><li>Joel </li></ul><ul><li>Amos
</li></ul><ul><li>Obadiah </li></ul><ul><li>Jonah </li></ul><ul><li>Micah
</li></ul><ul><li>Nahum </li></ul><ul><li>Habakkuk </li></ul><ul><li>Zephaniah
</li></ul><ul><li>Haggai </li></ul><ul><li>Zechariah </li></ul><ul><li>Malachi
</li></ul>
21. Historical Books <ul><li>The Historical books narrate the early history of
Israel, the conquest of Canaan, the era of the Judges, the emergence and division
of the Monarchy into Northern and Southern Kingdoms and the events leading to the
captivity of both kingdoms by the enemies of Israel. These books are classified
under Prophets in the Hebrew canon. </li></ul><ul><li>The historical books are:
</li></ul><ul><li>Joshua </li></ul><ul><li>Judges </li></ul><ul><li>I and II Samuel
</li></ul><ul><li>I and II Kings </li></ul>
22. Did you know? <ul><li>In the Catholic version of the Scriptures the books of
Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings are not classified under Prophets
but under historical books . These books are included in the Hebrew Canon under
Prophets. </li></ul><ul><li>In the Orthodox Canon used by Orthodox Christians I and
II Samuel are known as I and II Kingdoms. I and II Kings are known as III and IV
kingdoms. I and II Chronicles are known as I and II Paraleipomenon.
</li></ul><ul><li>Orthodox Christians have a longer canon of the Old Testament than
Catholics. Containing books such as: 3 rd and 4 th Maccabees, 2 Esdras and Psalm
151. </li></ul><ul><li>These books are not in the Catholic canon, they were
accepted as canonical by local Orthodox councils after the Schism of 1054 that
divided Christendom into Eas t and West . They are used, however, by Eastern
Catholics in their divine liturgies. </li></ul>
23. The Wisdom Books <ul><li>The �Wisdom books � are so called because they are
mixture of philosophical treaties and poetry. These books are grouped in the Hebrew
canon under �the writings�. </li></ul><ul><li>The Wisdom books are:
</li></ul><ul><li>Job </li></ul><ul><li>Psalms </li></ul><ul><li>Proverbs
</li></ul><ul><li>Ecclesiastes </li></ul><ul><li>Song of Songs or Song of Solomon
</li></ul><ul><li>Note : Sometimes the books of Wisdom,
</li></ul><ul><li>Ecclesiasticus or Sirach are intercalated </li></ul><ul><li>with
the Wisdom books. Sometimes they </li></ul><ul><li>are grouped with the rest of the
Deutoro- </li></ul><ul><li>Canonical books. </li></ul>
24. Did you know? <ul><li>The monophysite Churches that broke away from the rest of
Christianity in the 5 th century due to doctrinal issues regarding the nature of
Christ use larger canons in their liturgy. For instance: </li></ul><ul><li>Syrian
Church : has 2 Esdras, 2 Baruch </li></ul><ul><li>Coptic Church : Apocalypse of
Elias </li></ul><ul><li>Armenian Church : 3 rd Corinthians, Twelve Patriarchs, Life
of Adam and Eve </li></ul><ul><li>Ethiopian Church : Enoch, Jubilees
</li></ul><ul><li>Note : The above mentioned books do not represent a complete list
of scriptures regarded as canonical by these Churches. </li></ul>Coptic Church in
Egypt
25. Reflective Points about the Old Testament <ul><li>The Old Testament like the
rest of the Bible is a document of faith. Its purpose is to elicit faith in those
who ponder upon its divine content. The O.T. is not meant to be read as document of
science, archeology, astronomy or history. </li></ul><ul><li>The Term Old Testament
does not mean outdated. The message of the Hebrew Scriptures remains as new as
ever. God� faithfulness, love, redemptive work, covenant, are themes that never go
out style in God�s language. </li></ul><ul><li>When reading the O.T. one must take
into consideration the time, culture, language in which it was written. One cannot
apply to the O.T. the assumptions and presuppositions of our modern era.
</li></ul><ul><li>The Old Testament is a sacred document of great importance in our
Catholic liturgy, one must approach the text of the O.T. with a prayerful attitude
of reverence and awe, for it is the word of God. </li></ul>
26. St. Jerome <ul><li>St. Jerome once said, �Ignorance of the Scriptures is
ignorance of Christ.� St. Jerome was a biblical scholar, Doctor, mystic and Father
of the Church. His given name was Eusebius Hieronymous Sophronius . He was born in
the year 342 at Stridonius. </li></ul><ul><li>St. Jerome was commissioned by Pope
Damasus in the year 382 to translate the Bible from the original Hebrew, in order
to create an official Latin text for the liturgy. The Pope�s desire was to create a
superior translation of the Bible than the ones circulating at the time. Many of
the Bibles at that time were written in Greek and were full of errors due to poor
translation. </li></ul><ul><li>In order to accomplish this great task St. Jerome
took upon himself to study many of the ancient languages in which the Bible was
written such as: Hebrew, Aramaic, Chaldaic among others. Jerome spent years as a
hermit working diligently of his translation. St. Jerome�s final work was the Latin
version of the Scriptures known as the Vulgate , this translation of the Bible
became the official Latin text of the Scriptures for the Catholic Church.
</li></ul><ul><li>St. Jerome settled in Bethlehem where he lived as an anchorite in
a cave that was believed to have been the birthplace of Christ. St. Jerome died in
Bethlehem in the year 420. Holy Mother Church celebrates his feast on September 30,
the actual date on his death. </li></ul>� Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance
of Christ.� St. Jerome
27. Did you know? <ul><li>No original texts of the Bible remain, the six oldest
codices (Bibles) are: </li></ul><ul><li>Codex Vaticanus 4 th Century located in
Rome </li></ul><ul><li>Codex Sinaiticus 4 th Century located in London
</li></ul><ul><li>Codex Alexandrinus 5 th Century located in London
</li></ul><ul><li>Codex Ephraemi 5 th Century located in Paris
</li></ul><ul><li>Codex Bezae 5 th Century located in Cambridge University
</li></ul><ul><li>Codex Ambrosianus 6 th Century locate in Milan </li></ul>
28. Lk 15: 11-32 Name of Book Chapter Verses How To Read the Bible? Parable of The
Prodigal Son -- Luke 15: 11-32
29. What is the New Testament? <ul><li>The New Testament or Christian Scriptures
are the inspired testimony about Jesus Christ the Son of God and the New Covenant
(relationship) he came to establish between humanity and God. Luke 22:20
</li></ul><ul><li>The New Testament is centered in the Person of Jesus of
Nazareth , his life, death, resurrection also known as Paschal Mystery .
</li></ul><ul><li>The New Testament present to us Jesus� ministry and teachings,
and the Church�s post-resurrection understanding (theology) of who Jesus really
was. </li></ul><ul><li>The New Testament is for Christians the living word of God
as fully revealed in the person of Christ and his preaching about the Kingdom of
God. </li></ul>
30. How is the New Testament Dived? <ul><li>The New Testament is divided in four
main sections: </li></ul><ul><li>A. Gospels </li></ul><ul><li>B. Acts
</li></ul><ul><li>C. Letter or Epistles </li></ul><ul><li>A. Apocalyptic
</li></ul>Pauline Letters Catholic Epistles Hebrews
31. What is the meaning of the word Gospel? <ul><li>The word Gospel comes from the
Greek word �Euangelion � or Good News . </li></ul><ul><li>The canonical Gospels
were written in Koine Greek in the period 65�100 A.D. </li></ul><ul><li>The are
four Canonical Gospels: </li></ul><ul><li>Matthew </li></ul><ul><li>Mark
</li></ul><ul><li>Luke </li></ul><ul><li>John </li></ul><ul><li>The Gospels are not
arranged in chronological order . Matthew for instance, was not the first Gospel to
be written nor is the first book from the New Testament to be written.
</li></ul><ul><li>Biblical Scholars believe the Gospel of Mark was the first to be
written around the years 65-75 A.D. Mark seems to have been the source of early
material for the other two synoptic Gospels . </li></ul><ul><li>The synoptic
Gospels are: Matthew, Mark and Luke. The word Synoptic literally means �seen with
the same eyes�. These Three Gospels share a great deal of similarities in the
events they cover. </li></ul>Synoptic Gospels
32. When were the Gospels Written? <ul><li>In chronological sequence
</li></ul><ul><li>Mark 65-75 A.D </li></ul><ul><li>Matthew 75-90 A.D
</li></ul><ul><li>Luke 80-95 A.D. </li></ul><ul><li>John 90 A. D </li></ul>
33. The Gospels Written for the instruction of the early Christian Church. Presents
Jesus as the eternal word of God who became flesh. Unknown, according to Clement of
Alexandria the Gospel was written by John the beloved disciple 90 A.D John Greek
and Roman readers. Presents Jesus as a universal savior According to Tradition
Luke, the physician companion of St. Paul 80-95 A.D Luke Gentiles Presents Jesus as
Messiah and Son of God Mark (according to Papias bishop of Hierapolis 130 A.D) 65-
75 A.D Mark Jewish Presents Jesus as the Fulfillment of the messianic prophecies
and as a great teacher Unknown, maybe a Disciple of Matthew 75- 90 A.D Matthew
Audience Author Date Gospel
34. Did you know? <ul><li>There are two infancy narratives in the Gospels that tell
the story of Jesus� birth. </li></ul><ul><li>These narratives come from the Gospels
of Matthew and Luke. </li></ul><ul><li>Matthew�s account narrates the visit of the
wise men from the East, the slaughtered of the Holy Innocents by Herod and the
flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. </li></ul><ul><li>Luke�s account narrates the
story of Jesus being born in a manger, because there was no room in the inn and the
appearance of the Angels to the shepherds. </li></ul>
35. How is John different from the Synoptic Gospels? <ul><li>A. John has no birth
story or reference to a virginal birth. </li></ul><ul><li>B. John has no record of
Jesus� baptism by John the Baptist. </li></ul><ul><li>C. John does no include any
narrative regarding Jesus being tempted in the desert by Satan.
</li></ul><ul><li>D. John never makes mention of Jesus exorcisms
</li></ul><ul><li>E. John does not employ parables of the synoptic type to present
Jesus teaching, instead Jesus makes use of long philosophical discourses.
</li></ul><ul><li>F. John does not report any reinterpretation of the Mosaic Law as
do the synoptics, nor does he give any ethical directives regarding: divorce, the
Sabbath, ending the law of retaliation, and forgiving enemies </li></ul><ul><li>G.
John does not make any predictions regarding the fall of Jerusalem.
</li></ul><ul><li>H. John does not make any predictions regarding the second
coming. </li></ul><ul><li>I. John does not preserve a communion ritual or the
institution of a new covenant at the Last Supper. </li></ul><ul><li>J. The Jesus
portrayed by John does not undergoes any agony before his arrest.
</li></ul><ul><li> (Source: Stephen L. Harris, The New Testament ) </li></ul>
36. The Importance of the Gospels <ul><li>The Gospels are four intimate portraits
of the person of Jesus, as he was understood, interpreted, venerated, and
remembered by the Christian communities that were touched by the experience of his
paschal mystery : life, death, and resurrection. </li></ul><ul><li>These sacred
accounts of Jesus� life and ministry are not biographical accounts of Jesus in the
modern sense of the word. They are first and foremost theological documents of the
Church�s faith, a deep faith in Jesus as savior of the world and his message about
the Kingdom of God that he inaugurates among men </li></ul><ul><li>The Gospels are
the soul of the New Testament , they are the primary source for the words, sayings,
teachings, sermons, parables, deeds, actions, miracles, preaching in the life of
Jesus and his ministry among the men and women of his time. </li></ul><ul><li>The
Good News of Jesus Christ attested by the Gospels, through the centuries, continue
to transform and to enrich the lives of those who come in contact with the living
Son of God through the Gospel and its message of salvation. The life of the Church
today also continues to be nourished in its liturgy, sacramentality, and mission by
the richness and power of the Good News. </li></ul>
37. Did you know? <ul><li>The Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts of the Apostles
were written by the same author as a single unit around the year 80 A.D.
</li></ul><ul><li>Tradition assigns authorship of this two-volume work to Luke, the
physician companion of the Apostle Paul. Acts is placed in the canon separate from
Luke. </li></ul><ul><li>The book of Acts was accepted in some circles as canonical
as early as 200 A.D. </li></ul><ul><li>Acts is the only early account of the
Christian community found in the New Testament. It begins with a prologue and the
account of Jesus ascension into Heaven. </li></ul><ul><li>Acts narrates the birth
of the Christian Church at Pentecost ; Its 28 chapters covers the first 30 years of
the Church�s life after the death of Jesus. </li></ul><ul><li>Acts narrates the
expansion of the Gospel from Palestine to Rome and Paul�s conversion and missionary
journeys to Judea and throughout the Roman world, up to his imprisonment in Rome.
</li></ul>
38. The Letters <ul><li>There are twenty one letters or Epistles in the New
Testament. </li></ul><ul><li>Thirteen of these letters or epistles are attributed
to the Apostle Paul and form what is known the Pauline Corpus .
</li></ul><ul><li>The other seven are called Catholic Epistles , the authorship of
these letters is attributed to the Apostles for whom they are named.
</li></ul><ul><li>They are called Catholic ( a word that means universal) because
they are not written to specific communities as in the case of the Pauline letters,
but to a broader, general, audience. </li></ul><ul><li>The Epistle to the Hebrews
written in the year (s) 60 or 70-80 A.D. is considered more a sermon than an
Epistle and was in the past attributed to Paul even though neither the author nor
the audience is explicitly mentioned. </li></ul>
39. Pauline Corpus Early Letters 1 Thessalonians 51 A.D. 2 Thessalonians 51 or 90
A.D. Great Letters Galatians 54-57 A.D Philippians 56-57 A.D 1 Corinthians 57 A.D 2
Corinthians 57 A. D Romans 58 A.D Captivity Letters Philemon 56-57 or 61-63 A.D
Colossians 61-63 or 70-80 A.D Ephesians 61-63 or 90-100 A.D Pastoral Letters Titus
65 or 95-100 A.D 1 Timothy 65 or 95-100 A.D 2 Timothy 66-67 or 95-100 A.D
40. Deutero-Pauline Letters <ul><li>The Dutero-Pauline Letters or �Disputed
letters� are the epistles Biblical scholars believe were written by Paul�s
followers after his death, rather than Paul himself. The opinion of Biblical
scholars on this matter is evenly divided, with some arguing for their
authenticity. </li></ul><ul><li>The Deutero-Pauline Letters or �Disputed letters�
are: </li></ul><ul><li>Ephesians </li></ul><ul><li>Colossians </li></ul><ul><li>2
Thessalonians </li></ul><ul><li>1 and 2 Timothy </li></ul><ul><li>Titus </li></ul>
41. Catholic Epistles <ul><li>The Catholic Epistles are seven. They deal with
different themes such as: </li></ul><ul><li>A. The relationship between works and
faith </li></ul><ul><li>B. Faithfulness and Holiness of Life </li></ul><ul><li>C.
The necessity to preserve the truth from false teachings </li></ul><ul><li>D. The
value of Jesus death and resurrection </li></ul><ul><li>E. Christological and
Theological themes. </li></ul><ul><li>F. Hope in the Second Coming
</li></ul><ul><li>The Catholic Epistles in order of composition are:
</li></ul><ul><li>1 Peter 64 or 70-80 A.D </li></ul><ul><li>James 62 or 70-80 A.D
</li></ul><ul><li>Jude 70-90 A.D </li></ul><ul><li>1 John 90 A.D.
</li></ul><ul><li>2 John 90 A.D </li></ul><ul><li>3 John 90 A.D </li></ul><ul><li>2
Peter 100-150 A.D </li></ul><ul><li>Note : 2 Peter is the last work of the
</li></ul><ul><li>New Testament to be written. All the </li></ul><ul><li>Books
considered canonical in the </li></ul><ul><li>New Testament were written by
</li></ul><ul><li>150 A.D. </li></ul>
42. Did you know? <ul><li>Paul�s writings are the earliest Christian Scriptures to
be written and considered canonical in the New Testament. </li></ul><ul><li>Paul
wrote about two thirds of the New Testament. The first book of the New Testament to
be written was the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians in the year 51 A.D.
</li></ul><ul><li>The earliest tradition of the �Institution of the Eucharist�
comes from the writings of Paul and not from the Gospels as most people think. This
early Eucharistic tradition is found in 1 Corinthians 11: 23-33 </li></ul>
43. Revelation <ul><li>The book of Revelation or Apocalypse was written around the
year 90 A.D . This book affirms Christianity�s hope for an immediate transformation
of the world, the destruction of all evil powers and the establishment of Christ�s
reign. </li></ul><ul><li>The message of Revelation is a perennial message of Hope
in the midst of tyranny and persecution; this message is conveyed through symbols,
metaphors, and cryptic language typical of the Jewish apocalyptic literature of the
time. </li></ul><ul><li>Authorship of this book is attributed by some in the 2 nd
century to the Apostle John who also wrote the fourth Gospel and the letters.
</li></ul><ul><li>Modern Scholars, however, believe that the Gospel of John and
Revelation were written by different authors. Most scholars refer to the author of
Revelation simply as John. </li></ul><ul><li>The book of Revelation was considered
suspect by some early Fathers since it was used by an early 4 th century heretical
group of chiliasts ( millenarianists). </li></ul>
44. How did the New Testament came about? <ul><li>Biblical Scholar, Jesuit Father
Felix Just S.J. proposes 10 stages in the development, formation, and transmission
of the New Testament canon these are: </li></ul><ul><li>1. The Historical Jesus :
The New Testament begins with the Jesus event : his life, words, and deeds being
performed. </li></ul><ul><li>2. Oral Traditions : Traditions and beliefs about
Jesus are developed, preserved, and pass on by early Christian communities in their
preaching. </li></ul><ul><li>3. Written Sources : Some of the miracles and sayings
of Jesus are compiled and recorded in early written documents </li></ul><ul><li>4.
Written Texts : individual letters, full Gospels, are written with particular
messages for particular situations </li></ul><ul><li>5. Distribution : Some
writings are copied and shared with others Christian communities throughout the
Mediterranean </li></ul><ul><li>6. Collection : Certain Christians begin collecting
the letters of Paul and gathering together several different Gospels.
</li></ul><ul><li>7. Canonization : Four Gospels, several collections of letters of
Paul and a few other texts are accepted as authoritative scriptures.
</li></ul><ul><li>8. Translation : Biblical texts are translated into ever more
ancient and modern languages: Latin, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, etc.
</li></ul><ul><li>9. Interpretation : The meaning of the scriptures is investigated
on various levels: literal, spiritual, historical, social, etc.
</li></ul><ul><li>10. Application : Communities and individuals use the N.T for
practical purposes such as: liturgical, moral, sacramental, theological. </li></ul>
45. Canonicity <ul><li>Why certain books were eventually accepted into the Canon of
the N.T while other were rejected have to do with Canonicity, the distinction
between what is authoritative and what is not . There are four major criteria at
work in the process of canonization of the books of the N.T. These are:
</li></ul><ul><li>Apostolic Origin : attributed to or based on the preaching,
teaching of the first-generation apostles and closest disciples.
</li></ul><ul><li>Universal Acceptance : acknowledge by all major Christian
communities in the Mediterranean world by the end of the 4 th century.
</li></ul><ul><li>Liturgical Use : Read publicly along with the O.T. when early
Christians gathered for the Lord�s supper or Eucharist.
</li></ul><ul><li>Consistent Message : Containing theological ideas compatible with
other accepted Christian writings. Did not deny the fundamental Christian belief in
the humanity and divinity of Christ. </li></ul><ul><li>(Source: Fr. Felix Just,
S.J) </li></ul>
46. Praying with the Scriptures <ul><li>Lectio Divina or �divine reading� is a
method of prayer involving the reading of Sacred Scriptures.
</li></ul><ul><li>Lectio Divina is composed of four steps: Reading, Meditation,
Prayer, and contemplation. </li></ul><ul><li>Pope Benedict XVI has encouraged this
method of praying with the scriptures in many of his most recent allocutions.
</li></ul><ul><li>To Learn more about the method of Lectio Divina visit the
following link: </li></ul><ul><li>http://www.slideshare.net/pcuadra/lectio-divina
</li></ul>
47. Do you have a Bible? <ul><li>The Catholic Bible is available online, provided
by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. </li></ul><ul><li>The link to the
online Catholic Bible is : </li></ul><ul><li>http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/
</li></ul>
48. Reflective Points <ul><li>People read the Bible for different reasons: Some
people read the Bible out of curiosity, some read the Bible from an academic point
of view, while others read it to draw strength during difficult times or as a form
of prayer. </li></ul><ul><li>Faith is an important component in the reading of the
Scriptures. The Power of the word of God is unleashed when the Bible is read with
Faith, with complete trust in God�s self-communication. </li></ul><ul><li>Take time
each day to get to know the ever living, never ending, message of the Scriptures.
Read one book at a time. Start with the Gospels. </li></ul><ul><li>As you read
visualize what you read. Pay attention to the thoughts, feelings, insights that God
places in your heart. </li></ul><ul><li>Keep a journal of the things that you read,
look up the things you do not understand. There are several versions of Catholic
study Bibles that can help you understand the meaning and context of a particular
text. </li></ul><ul><li>Share the word of God with others: family, friends, co-
workers. Our Catholic faith invites us to share this gift of God�s word with the
World. Join a Bible study group at your parish. </li></ul><ul><li>Finally, as the
rite of ordination says: �Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and
practice what you teach