0 Is Ous Lady of Perpetual He Catholic Church P H Chattanooga TN Opening Prayer Let us begin: t In the name of the Father, Lord, we thank you for guiding us through the course of this day's work. In your compassion forgive the sins and the Son, we have committed though human weakness and bless all who are making the RCM journey. and the Holy We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one Spirit. God, for ever and ever. l' In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Word of God October 11, 2009 Twenty-eight Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10:17-30 The Lord be with you. And also with you. A reading from the Gospel of Mark. Glory to you Lord. + May the gospel always be on my mind, + on my lips, + and in my heart. As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must 1 do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these 1 have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, 1 say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come." The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Chattanooga TN Catechism of the Catholic Church
1858 - Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother." The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger. 2728 - Finally, our battle has to confront what we experience as failure in prayer: discouragement during periods of dryness; sadness that, because we have "great possessions," we have not given all to the Lord; disappointment over not being heard according to our own will; wounded pride, stiffened by the indignity that is ours as sinners; our resistance to the idea that prayer is a free and unmerited gift; and so forth. The conclusion is always the same: what good does it do to pray? To overcome these obstacles, we must battle to gain humility, trust, and perseverance.
Liturgical Calendar
GENESIS 1:142 -
crVita 0 N •9 as/face-of over ancklarkeess and-empty leaden sire-wasnow-thearth ) 5 1 1 1$ trA la-he-said 92 - (3) the-w P surface-of • ▪1atm 41 hovering God 'over .747 [W 0 and-spirit-of list God and-he-sew (a) light and-be 711the-fight ""deep '1 in; 41
2 The Beginning
he-mailand the-heaven, "• God he-creatid hi-beginning (2n)
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M lei-him-be Cod .07 O1 be-dukness ad-between between God. goodandliM'aiaiiiad • 1 7.W 6D1. tl ni Waged 0dgbi • x! i aral-to-the•14 n datiness .•,4 1P S .1i, ;od sal-be-said (a) first day acing.; availing ind-be-was T . . a!" P 1••.;• ! 1 ostween separating anaplOPIdal433 the-waters . DetWetn, I'••; 1 1 r:D 77' ' al t -ra 6 net-ho-paparated the-expanse *** God • so-he-made 7 (7) fromilit;i4aters - waters : •• 7 ;1" I 1 C , be-watm I and-between to-the-expanse fromaider Whitt: taro:Alin' between
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3 the•Sky from-under the-waters let-them-be-pthered Cod ad:he-sald (9) . to-the-imam
t: K)pli : p —tra arm nr101. •• p a-he-called MO so artd-ke-was the-dry-ground ' re* rgl It)R rPRO 11 B9 , 1 n ell he-called the-w • n6 1 y.) ▪ aters and-tonkt:1 Krio 0N5 gathating-01 hod IW 4 le-earth idler-produce Cod then-he-said (13) good that ' Cod and-Ise-saw 10-11 4Ood 4 Cod O*0 ;is altind-of-hies fruit bearing fruit tree seed seed-bearing plant; vegetation ?ic :Al 1 191A1 ? "rf:), raC. avfits K :P- and-be-was ad-she-produced (S) so the-land on seed-of-him which bP -ran -1 ad-tree to-kind-ef-kka seed 114 seed-bearing plant vegetation the-land bi ra ke? '14
mated the heavens Ind the earth. 'Now the earth war hundess and empty, darknesswasover the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of Cod was hovaing over the waters. 'And Cod saki, "Let there be light," and there was light. *God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light horn the darkness. 'God called the light *Mir and the darkness he called "night:* And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day. "And Cod said. "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 'So God made the expanse and tapwated the watts under the expanse from the water above IL And it was so. 'Cod ailed the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there wasmornins-the second day. 'And Cod said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so."Cod called the dry ground and the gathered waters he called "seas." And Cod saw that It was good. "Then Cod said. "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-beating plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it. according to their various kinds." And it was so. "The land produced vegetallow, plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bluing hull •1 Or roma* ktow
GENESIS 2112-24
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seed-ef-him which fruit beating
:lI third day morning and-he-was evades and-he-was a t 1 1 to-separate the-sky in-expanse-of lights let-him-be God and-he-said (is) 7 4 -and-for-seasons as-signs and-let-them-be the-night and-between the-day 7 ), ablita irjp 11 •the-shy In-cepanse-of for-lights' and-let-them-he lisr.:• 13• •• 1147 1•••atati 17,I1 , 1l :two-of "" God and-he-made (3a). so 'and-he-was: she-earth on to-give-light -years end-for-days ,,.:91111 • 1 Iri?*1 Z rthe-day for-governing-of the-great the-fight -• .the-great-ones the-lights a l sthe-sten also the-night the-ionristlipa • the:light
oim• between
:rmizo nm nW99 and 1 :r40 WO] ?) D:R1; the-earth on toilet-light the-thy In-expanse-of Cod them and-he-tat Off 13 1 vimimtb • 6 0t 7 r;• -f7t between and-scoseparate and-over-the-night • over-the-day • and-to-govern (10) 511 11111 71 9 anti-be-was ri; (2o) good that Cod sad-he-saw the-darkness and-between the-light 3. oral at • ;1 : let-them-teem God antliassid (10) fourth day Maki and-hems evening 321 nk 10 cP above latthim-ily and-bird living.1R3 the-earth breath-of creature the-waters 31 •• /1"P n arm mo alYni : 2.11 Imo v)? 1ril D the-sea-creatures "' God so-he-created (21) the-sky ' expanse-of face-of Across J O 3$ lilt/ 7b?rsio'' they-teem 1N which the-moving the-living breath-of every-of and the-great-ones 1 41Ira 49, wire? itz nti • 1 07):3 to-kind-of-hint 110 wing bird-of every-of and to-kW-of-then the-waten •$ , •V in • D* 1 ntt'l be-fruiting to-say God them and-he-bassed (2s) good that God and-ha-saw m.aae 1 p•ta p, 31% ?• let-him-increase and-the-bird in-the-seas the-waters "" iimudo arui-incressd t to •Iflvi ••• mixt a ikD n • e •t i151 (24) filth day morning and-he-was evening and-he-was (23) on-the-earth and-he-said rp?1
5
with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. "And there was evening, and there was mainsthe third day: "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as -mark seasons and days and year,, "and let them signs to in the Munn of be lights the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. "God made two vest lights-the greater light to coven the day. and the Fester' fight to govern the night. He also made the 'its,,- "Cod set them in the expanse of the sky to give gem on the earth."to govern the day and the night. ad to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it. was. good. "Arid there was evening. and there was morning-the fourth-day. .. ... "And Cod said. "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the ovate of the sky." "So God crested the great matures of the sea- and •avery living. and • • moving thing with which (Atwater teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God *rot that It was good. "God blessed them andsaid."De Indite' and Immo in number and fill the wane in the sap,aind let the birds inaease on the eanh.""And there was cycling, and thaw was morning-the filth day.
GENESIS 1:24-2:1
• ruaC9 -,470?: • 1.kh,d;e1-ker living creature-of the-land let-her-produce God s •• n't-t ataid4waade Eih) so arni-be-avas 804d011Oi•hir earth and-animal-of and-crawler • • •:•• •.-„ 11( . Id91 ••* NV? 0 4ltkinalwiilar-lieesiocia 1 and to-kind-of-her the-earth ••• God • •10 •n 71cm:hts Mi :h7 tnn / $1 goo aawiti-of evetrof and 1 47 d1 J3 P ,• ? -4 e in-liken ..tbst (26) 04 .:q;i1 ess rO 1 ruSb -• • 1as:ip$11 D" 60 3 • I'M SI and-let-than-ruk •:p4. NISti finaag 7 V" 1ae 3 - e-of••S o •• :slw us 1 0: toman ; a the-earth and-over-all-of and-over-the-fivestock 1% kind : let-us1 :'-ofRiN ' make :no ----, him God • •••-, g (2I) the-gnsund along the-one-crawling 1:the-man V thethen1 -• W 3gro 41 he-. ? -God ;1:•11alm;• • lib* i so-heund 1,said :• beereatet• • "inaferditi • male him ha...Created God in-image-of in4mage-if-hire • 111 .:'n created p•1, 7:i n'iv •:13pk 1 W • • •;1 •0 befruttfill ? ••-.CInethese • and.besald •Cod • thaw and-he-blessed •furthem Mo f;• • . rglZ • s":10P1fl 1.1 kr• 1 over-fish-oft. •.and-ndel and-subdue-heel- the-earth ••• • and-fill! and.bere i*1 r*•rt ase W l9 M7 el i7 the-sea 1 b0 33 8. t' 1 iht_vo.nd 6 fseed-biirine t4 ..ans .• b "1iiinteYe;teri71Vo •,..t*. • eIn-It which: ef *"1 to-you • ;t e net l1-give i • r -1 • ?then- •-:7!•! & rCod he-said (n) For-food he-ivill-be for-you and seeding tree fruit-of ll n ;? ;V ammo •
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O ;i g ;It n eratvlistporte7 ?r• eird-treiveref the-air bird-el and-toevery-ef • the-earth beast-of 'a *• e for-food - plant1 plies e'very-of 111. breath:of in-him which the-pound on ?v e 11 r very good• 0: y 13 /7 and-seel 1o he-made thus-they-were-done the-sixth day-Of moaning and-he-was evening and-he-was f that • all-of 1 a 1 • m Cod n 01 andd hesaw
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3 "And Cod said, "Le the land Produce living creatures according to their kinds: livened, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according 101131d:ter And It Was so. "God made the wild animals according to. their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds. and au the creatures that •move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. "Then Cod said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air. over the livestock, over all the earthland over all the creatures that move along the ground." "So Cod created man in his own image, in the image of Cod he created him; male and female tar created them. "Cod bleued them.and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." • "Then Cod said., give you every seed-bearing plant on the lace of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in It. They win be yours far food."And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creaturesthat move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-1 give every green plant for food." And it was so. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.And there was evening, and there wasmorning-the sixth day.
GENESIS 2:1-12
4 krell God and-he-Rnished 17 7. 1 bi and-he-rested oetheday l
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loo ime29 'iroo pip he-did which work-of.him the-seventh by-the-day
e TV :81 a ''' Cod which work-of-him frern-all-of de-seventh P I and-heblessed (3) he-did 1 on hIV 1 frourvall-of he-rested I on-him beaus* 1l him and-hrawnade-holy the-seventh day-of ** ;7 ? t Ol nitin ovfni K7R t4 11r e 1 (4) to-do God he-created that work-of-him the-heavens generations-of these -1 ,1 l ?
:crim rat ov. 15 •ni.4; rritgi t$ rnm. ru.ST D72 Tr.1 niefil of; • 1 tItt n)t 70 he-cams-up but-stream (6) the-ground ••••• to-work was-not and-man the-cards -. •• :r9111 • num demand whole-at *" and-he-watered the-earth from 1Dw surface-of
1 k -1 W 7 and-heavens 1 W V; • 4 Cod 1 +A earth l and-aneof Yahweh to- on-the-earth he-appeared the-field shrub-of 1 notitt and-anrof a make in-day kkO9 when-to-beon Cod Yahweh he-sent-rain not fat created-them he-sprung-up not-pd the-tiodd plant-of and-theearth
13 11 nrA : antgliebresthed the-ground hen dust thentan m Cod Tahtveh and-he-formed • . n9 -14.9 : *RV - Into-being the-man and-he-became life breath-of into-nostrila•cd-hhe living 1 10 1 7 ' K 1 V? 1 121P 17 5*MIitAr the-ground from God Yahweh and-he-made-grow he-Fanned Maim the-rain aaaimmaiamimon b0 nt; n* .5) D "5 the-life tree every-of "I 5 and-tree-of for-food and-good to-sight being-pleasant I,i n.r. zip rim rin vim N0 trt6ra and-elver (Is) and-evil good the-knowledge antʻtrarect the-garden loodidleof 1 t n1. 111: *PI 10 L tin and-from-there thegarden to-water hoes-Eden flowing he-divided 6 1 z5butxy litt$ lovoD :trylttl rt Er n0 n thewne-winding t i he Rehm the-first narneof headstreams to-four and-he-became Al 1 r vrt; ;RI ram :3171 Pvi nnop rs rim 1100 the-land and-geld-of (12) the-gold then whore Sho•Havitah land-of all-of ••• -n 1 5? nti ? 1
f) Thus the heaven, 4- the earth were corn • in all thee vast arra.. rily the seventh day Ce finished the work It been doing; so on th ends day he rested ft his work. 'And ,blessed the went) and made it holy, be k Invested' from • work of creating lb had done
Aden and Eve *This b the account a heavens and the earth they were created. When the Loan Cod the earth and the heaver study of the field had y peered on the earth plant , a: of the field hat sprung up the Loan Co not sent rain on the cant there was no man to wo groamd.'hut streams' cat from the earth and vn the whole surface at ground. 'And the Laic formed man dte ground , from the d and breathe his nostrils the breath c and man became a livir lag'Now the Lotto Cod planted a garden in the Eden; and there he pi e man he had formed. Loan God made all kin 1 trees pow out of the gro Ar trees that were pleasing eye and good tot food. I middle of the garden we tree of hie and the trees knowledge of good and "A river watering the den flowed from Eden front theta it divided; I four Maddest:is. "The of the first Is the Fish. winds through the entin of Mynah, where the gold. "ale gold of that Is ir lira Norm *Mao ▪ 5. to Magi loam Mom _ka_klit, dm ao mac O baraa.)Z3. 4ri.,.J E Ions no a ti l
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The Word of God • Isaiah 55:3, 6-11
Prayer
our story Theme The Word of God is inspired but is also written by and for real people. It is • the Word of God in human words. Genesis: God created all things and saw that they were good. (Genesis 1- The Story 2:14) Exodus: God brought people from slavery, through the sea, into the desert and made a covenant with them, forming them into a people. Jesus: God sends Jesus who dies for us and rises, giving life to the people and forming them into a new covenant. (John 10:10, John 15:9-17, Luke 22:14-20) How does it feel to have new life or a new lease on life? Church: We enter into the death of Christ to partake in new life. (Romans' 6:3-11) John 14:23—God will dwell with us.
Other Scripture
Who are the people in the Old Testament or New Testament who are important in your life: Why?
Questions to Ponder.
How are the Old Testament and New Testament people just like us in their struggles with faith and life?
Reflections
• 70
SUPPLEMENTARYREADINGS/YEARFOUR
2. WHY DO CHRISTIANS HAVE DIFFERENT BIBLES? by Bro. Daniel F. Sfrarnam, O.S.B. Scene at a hypothetical Bible study on repentance: A Protestant believer has just declared, "I don't need to repent anymore now that I've accepted Jesus." A Catholic participant responds by quoting from Sirach: "He who fears the Lord conStandy bears about repentance in his heart" (21:6), Puzzled, the Protestant rejoins, 'That's not in my Mel' Trying to be helpful, an Orthodox member reads from her Bible. I found an illuminating passage in the Prayer of Manasseh: 'Therefore, You 0 • • Lord, God of Righteousness, have not appointed repentance for the righteous such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who did not sin against you, but for me a sinner in need of repentancam With eyebrows raised, the Protestant and Catholic exchange glances of bewilderment A brown-skinned man with a foreign accent chimes in with a verse from 1 Enoch: "Then Wisdom shall be given to the elect of God. And they shall have life and sin no more, either by being wicked or through vainglory; those who Possess Wisdom shall be humble and sin no more" (St). The group falls silent, utterly amazed that books they've never even heard of before are being quoted as Scripture. Why do Christians have different in this *article I hope to make a brief, unbiased survey .as to how this all came about
divided into three sections the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Law consists of the five books Of Moses (Genesis to Deuteronomy). These formed the core of the canon. Canon is a Greek word meaning "reed,' "measuring rod." The Law, therefore, was the canon, the measuring rod by which all later works were Judged for correctness. The neb .merit) is the Prophets. This section contains books written by prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, ctiewish etc., and books telling about thi activities of division prophets, such as the Books of Samuel. of the OT last (Olddivbion of the OT is the Writings, a The Testa quite diverMied group; for example, Psalms, Proverbs; Ruth and the apocalyptic work of Daniel. As centuries went by, the number of books in the Writings increased What is the Septiagint? The Septuagint (from the Greek meaning 'Nev., entyl is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible as well as other Jewish religious writings that are no longer part of the present-day Hebrew Bible. The Septuagint (abbreviated by its Roman numerals 1.)0() is the work of many translators. It was produced in the 3rd and 2 centuries B.C. for Greek-speaking Jews.The UOC : has .nd more books in the section knovin isthe Writings than the modem Hebrew Bible. What Bible Did Jesus and His Disciples Use? •
The Jews and Their Bible • In order to understand' Christian Bibles, it is first necessary _to take a look at the Jewish Bible. It is
Strictly speaking, there was no 'Me' then as we have it today. The canon wastet dosed or' fixed during Jesus' lifetime. There was no author-
Since there are over 500 different English translations of the Bible, the above chart lists oily a few of the most popular or important ones. For more information about these and many other English translations, including a very helpfig chart showing how the translations are related to each other and to the Hebrew and Greek Bibles, see the webpage Our Bible: How It Came To Us, from the Canadian Bile Society.
Translations Grouped by "Translation Philosophy": a irsemisrd Correspondence' translatiom: Donapatheims, KW/NM, RSV/NRS'V, NAB, NAT • 'Dynamic Equivalence" translatkms: NEB/REB, IEWCEV, HUM • The Amplified Bilge is neither (or bath); it "amplifiee the text by adding lots of extra Words & phrases.
Translations Sponsored/Approved by various Churches: • 1 RSV/NRSV T • There are also several good "Jewish" tranidatitms of the Hebrew Bible, but these obviously do r not contain the New Testament. • O Additional Notes: N S , • the Authorized Version (AV) is another name for the KW; the Good News Bible (GNB) is t exactly the same as TEV. •aif you use other translations, try to find out when they were translated, by whom, and what ll translation philosophy was used •emany other editions of the Bible are based on the above translations; the Oxford Annotated trBible uses the RSV, the Catholic Study Bible uses the NAB, and the HalperCollins Study Bible uses the NRSV; so these are not separate translational •afor academic study of the Bible by anyone who does not know Hebrew or Greek, it is good to n compare at least three oriole drent modem translations; use at least one "dynamic s cpivalence and one "formal correspondence" translation. •l the following convenient editions containing nmitiple trandations are available in LMEJ library reference: a O The Complete Parallel Billie. New York Oxford University Press, 1993. - ccmtains ti NRSV, REB, NAB,11311 O The Precise Parallel New Testament. New York Oxford University Press, 1995. o contain' the Greek NT, kW, Donay-Rheims, AB, NW, NRSV, NAB, NASB. • n s httpliclawww.Immecluifacultylflust/Bible/English Trmislations.htm 10/22/01 :
SUPREMOITARYRUMMY;/YEARFaun itative list; Hence many of Jesus' sayings are Influenced by the Book of Strad (not found in the Hebrew }pale, but ptrt of the pcg. Any scholarly, objective approach to the NT (New • Testament) substantiates numerous parallels to the "extra" books containedin the DOC. The ear-
they needed to meet them on their own ground, Le., the Hebrew canon. As certtin Church Fathers stopped using the "extra' books in debates, some Christians came to doubt their inspiration. However, facts show that when these same Church Fathers taught In their own
liest Apostolic Fathers freely quote from the whole of the UGC as being inspired.
drdes, they employed the full I.XX. The Septuagint was accepted as the official and
When Did the Jews Close Their Canon?
1
Around A.D. 100 rabbis held a Council at Jam. Ma, Israel.. Since the temple had been destroyed • In A.D. 70, Jews needed to secure their identity, especially in opposition to Jews believing in • Jesus as Messiah. It is believed that at this meeting they decided on the preseaday Jewish Bible. However, the authority of such books as Esther, Proverbs, Songs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes and Ezeldel were challenged at the meeting and even later. Even the Book of Sirach, supposedly rejected at the Council, was quoted by rabbis as inspired for centuries afterward. When any. people is persecuted, it naturally regroups' and stresses Its national history and language. Thus in AD. 130, after much foreign oppression, the rabbis forbade Jews to read the Scriptures in Greek from the 110C.Jew5 were to tians had been quoting the DOC to win converts; Jews could refute their arguments on the basis of a "faulty translation.' By thus emphasizing Hebrew language and tradition, the rabbis preserved Jewish social identity.
• How Then Did the Church Dedde Which or Books to Accept?
inspired version of the CT because of its longstanding and consistent use by the Apostles and Council of Hippo approved the list of books as
contained in the present Catholic Bible. This Was likewise ratified at Carthage in397 and 419 and by the church pmcdcet of Rome. Then Why Do Christians Have Deferent Old Tesbments? The early Christian Church was Greek-speaking; it therefore used the DOC Even though the DOC sometimes gave different readings than the otiginal Hebrew and had "extra" books Interspersed with the rest, the early Church believed it to be inspired. "With regard to whatever is in the Septuagint that is not in the Hebrew manuscripts, we can say that the one Spirit wished to say them.thmugh the writers•of the former rather tshan through the latter in order to show that 'both the one and the other were inspired' (St.
Augustini, City ofriod 18:43). Hence the Orthodox Church uses only the DOC and not the original Hebrew as the offidal • Inspired OT. The LXX, compared to the Hebrew Bible, has the following additional books*: Tobk
Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch (inducing the
Letter of Jeremiah); 1-3 Maccabees, Prayer of Manasseh, Psalm 151, 1 Esdras, additions to ;F Either and Daniel', and very rarely, 4 Maa.quote from the "metre hooks of the tXX. When the NT gmtites the OT, 85% of the time it is - imbees. The Orthodox Church, however, never re from the DM But in the 2nd century, as Chris- • accepted 4 Maccabees since it wasn't widely m dans -debated with Jews trying to convert them, - available and was never considered Inspired.
A D .
72 Since the Christians In the West spoke Latin, they translated the Bible into Latin, beginning about A.D. 150. But this was firit of &clone from the WC, not the Hebrew. It wasn't until the end of the 4th century that St. Jerome made a translation from the Hebrew. It was then that he discovered that the Jews had a cliffirent Bible. Bellevinsthat Jesus never used anything other than the Hebrew Bible, Jerome wished to adopt their canon. Modem historical studies have shown, however, thatthe Jews did in fact have these other books and read them during Christ's time. Jerome was merely ill-informed, and the Tradition of the Church prevailed. Hence the Latin Bible (known is the Vulgate) contained the. same books as the DOC
SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS / YEAR Form
ter of Jude 14-15•Is a direct quote from 1 Enoch 1:9-Scholarship has shown that the Book of Enoch also lidluenced at least 15 other NT books. It was widely used and considered inspired. by numerous Church Fathers up until the 4th century. The West lost it because t was • never translated into Latin. Later in the East it also fell into clisiare because of some heretical misuse. Because of local church councils and riflerences in language, Coupled later on with a lack of histodcid critkiim and knowledge, modem Ouistendorn now has four Old Testaments. What Are the Disputed Books Called?
Increasingly, copies of the Latin Bible dropped out 1 Esdras, 3 Maccabees, Prayer of Manasseh and Psalm 151. Consequently when the Catholic Church responded to Protestantism at the Council of Trent, the Latin Vulgate that it made official on April 8, 1546, did not indude these four works. • •
Quitafrankly, it's a bit confusing and you need a chard in the one on the next page, column 1 shows the Protestant lisdng. Whatever books of the DOC are not part of the Hebrew Bible, they call Apoaypha, meaning 'hidden!' Anything • outside of the DOC, Protestants call Pseud& pigrapha, meaning "false writings'
Protestantism, initiated by Martin Luther, accepted the Jewish Canon. Like Jerome, believing that Jesus used only the Hebrew Bible, Luther excluded the additional books found in the DOC. He also !ejected the role of Oral Tradition as being equally authoritative with Scripture. Hence he questioned the Church's right to say which books were canonical. He himself, though, repudiated Esther and James and looked askance at the Book of Revelation. Had Protestantisrp followed Luther's preferences in the NT, CIA-tendom would not only have different Old Tataments, but different New Testaments as ;Nell.
Catholics call the books accepted by the Jews Pmtocanonlca4 meaning -the 'first canon.' The others listed form the Deutemcanonical books, the asecrind canon.' All the rest they call
Besides Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants having varying Old Testaments, the unfortunately torsotten and yet venerable cripdc and Ethiopian Churches include one book more than the Orthodo:c the Book of Enoch. The Let-
AP 0 The a Orthodox follow suit but have additional books in the list of Deuterocanonkais. Anything W ha not found in the DOC is called Apocrypha•
Copdcs would group 1 Enoch along with-the • Deuteroamonkal books and call any other ancient writings Apoaypha.
Testament!
Wel— it iNasn't until the end of the 5th century that all Christians had the same NT. Out of the
73
SUPPLEMENTARYREADINGS/YEARFault
many books in circulation, different provinces acceirted various canons. The Church approved a book if it was apostolic in its origin. That doesn't mean that it literally had to be written by an Apostle, but that it was influenced by him and his followers. Tradition was primary in the formation of the canon of the Bible. Thus the 'Church accepted the Gospel of Luke and Acts on the basis of Luke's being a disciple of Paul. The Gospel of Mark records the teachings of Peter. Some churches, however, didn't know to whom to attribute boob suchas Hebrews or Revelation. The East accepted Hebrews as Pauline; the West rejected it The West accepted Revelation as from the Apostle John; the East rejected it 2 Peter and 2-3 John, James and Jude endured prolonged scrutiny and doubt 1-2 'Timothy and Titus only faced some questioning. Certain churches, however,
accepted other works attributed to Paul. The Syrian Church accepted a third letter to the Corinthians till the 5th century. The West also employed an Epistle to the Laodiceans for a short time. But besides these writings, 'still others were considered inspired in various places and at diffez. ent times; such as: 1 dement, Merle, Shep: — herd of Hermes, Apocalypse of Peter, and Bamabas. How Was the Problem . Solved! •
The test of Apostolic Tradition was the main factor. Could the book be ascribed to some. Apostle or group of disciples? Also, was the book widely used and accepted throughout all •of Christendom? Hence, 1 Cement, even though internally claiming inspiration and being acclaimed as inspired by some
74
churches, wasn't used everywhere and therefore was not held to be canonical. That's not to say it couldn't be inspired, but rather the book isn't normative. Canonicity and inspiration are two different things. What's Become of These Other Books? First of all, let me make a list of books so we know what we're talking about 1 • Enoch, 3 Maccabees, prayer of Manasseh, T Esdras, Psalm 151,1 Clement, Didache, Shepherd of Hernias, 3 Corinthians, and the Apocalypse of Peter. These works still exist today. At one time they were considered to be Inspired and canonical. Some, as explained above, still are so considered. Anyone can read these and spiritually profit by them. I 'mow I have. These books are witnesses to, and help make up, what we call Tradition. They are testimonies of the Holy Spirit working in the People of God.
SUPPLEMENTARYREADINGS/YEARFOUR
mThe result of establishing a New Testament Canon was that a fixed context was set for understanding the gospel. Often it consisted of establishing boundaries inside of which the true witness • was to be found. Thus, there were four evangelists, not more;...Sometimes a check was established to prefrent a misreading of a witness, such as the function of James which guarded against a false reading of Paul....The canon rnariced the arena in which each new generation of believers stood and sought to understand afresh the nature of the faith. It did not establish one doctrinal positioli, but often balanced several or fixed the limits within which Christians might rightly disagree.
Several inspired-books are now lost and not part of the Bible. For example:-The Books of Jashar (J05 10:13, 2 Sam 1:18), of the Prophet Nathan (1 Chr 229, 2 Chr 9:29), of the Prophet Gad (1 Chr 29:29), and the Scripture behind James 45, just to mention a few. The canon is a rule of thumb, a guideline, a measuring rod. Not everything that is inspired is in the canon; but everything in the canon is inspired. When Jesus spoke, his words were inspired and authoritative. But not all of his worsis were written down. That is why Oral Tradition Is-so very important Whether one accepts the aforementioned books as canonical or not, they are still part of Tradition, which is equally authoritative. Yet they, like Scripture; are to be Interpreted onlY within and by the one, holy, catholic, apostolic Church, for they came forth • from her.
Brevard S. Childs The New Testament as Canon
Objedions Often Raised Some reject the 'extra' books because they are never quoted verbatim in the NT. in that case, however, one should also exclude Esther and Nahum, etc., for they too are never directly quoted. Others cite Rev. 22:18 as proof that one cannot add books to or delete them from the Me. This verse, though, applies only to tampering with the Book of Revelation. Besides, the Gospel of Jahn, 1-3 John, and 2 Peter were written after the Book of Revelation was
completed. Well, is the Canon Closed? For a Catholic, technically "no.' The Council of Trent only specified which books were definitely Inspired; though indeed the Church has said certain books are heretical. Thus Catholics could
Suriumermay READINGS / YEAR Foua 73
eventually have the same canon is the Orthodox and even Coptic Churches. There Is much room for Christian dialogue.
• 7 ; :t '••
. f 4
But what is most Important is that the Word of God became flesh In us just as it did in the Virgin Mary. "Clearly you are a letter of Christ... a letter written not with ink but by the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh in the heart' (2 Cor 3:3). How dearly do we reflect the Word who is-Life? Do we dearly hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in whatever canon we possess? if we as Christians concern ourselves with these questions, then believe one day we will be one Church with one Bible. For a more thorough and scholarly presentation please math The Jerome Biblical Commentary, secdons 6649 The New Catholic Encyclopedia, Bible Ill, Canon The Old Testament Pstsuclepigrapha, edited by James
H. Chadisworth, Vo1.1-2.
Comparison, between the Jewish an4 'Christian Canons Jewish Canon TANAK Torah (Toad!). Genesis • Exodus • Leviticus Numb= Deuteronomy Pnwhets(Wevrint) 19sbflaJudges lau8s • 1Former Isaiah ' . lerembh •Ezekiel.. • 71*MT...he Hosea • Four. PAL •• • • Boole of •Obadbh • Latter , Prophets Mkah. • 'Nahum. •Habakimk
Protestant TETTAMEIAIT Pella*** • Genesis Exodus Leviticus:Numbers Deuteronomy Historical Books Joshua • I l &2•Saimel 1 fanny; dI /CZ Cbronides rEzra • Nebembh • •Esther • Wisdom
Roman r , tholic OLD TESTAME4T Canon • Pentateuch ' Genesis: •
ExoduS Leviticus Numbers '• . Deuteronomy
Historical•Books • = $r ZSaeinel ErIgbigi 2 al Chronidel • 1 Ezta .ih . '• Neltenkk • ••
.• *•.. Esther maws) •••• I al' • Psalms .. •/••Wisdiiizt• • e Proverbs Eccledastes Job ••: • • -• •ri,•Psalms.• • Song ofSongs d Proverbs • 1/.•,_••• Prophets i 11. • • Isaiah Mabcht • lerembdt d • ofSakenan , • Lamentation t. Ecc!iiFtastrae(orrtrada) • Ezeldel • litritings(Ifetimvint) % Psalms - • ; Daniel :Hosea • % .• -• Lialah:.! t.' - : : • Joel. • naves Ruth • !!!! .• - •• •:* : Amos • Obadbh • ••Etaiith and Izttor..offenottints t Ezekiel •-• :• • Ecclesiastes__ Jonah Lataentadons •••Micah ••- Daniel (phrs • Nahum litorkik of *Three • . ••• YSwaáBdand Millet. • Habakkuk Ezta4sligternfah tire -Zephaniah --the Dorton) • auonides ,.( Hosea • %• 1.• •frazytir of Any) • Idlqadd J ; • o Jonah: )Alcah • • • e• Nahum s_ l Hibakturk ' • " a." Zepfimsbh • - : • • • HagPi • • laaladd • t•
71 -k1tle04 3 /7 5
A CHRONOLOGICAL claiiT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT EiA As might be expected, there are different datings for the many significant events in the lives of the Chosen People. The following chart is composed a prepared by the following c Bernhard Anderson .cording to the scholarship John Bright, A Hist5iTia Israel ' Understanding the ..authors: Peter Ellis Old Testament Jensen, 0.S.B., God's Nord to Israel /Joseph The Men andBC 1850 The Call of Abraham MessageBC 1290-1288 The Exodus from Egypt 1250-1200 of the OldBC The Conquest of the Land of Canaan 1200-1020 BC *The Period of the Judges Testamen The Fall of Shiloh 1050 BC t 1020-1000 BC The Monarchy Under Saul 1000-961 BC • The Monarchy Under David 961-922 BC The Monarchy Under Solomon 922 BC The Division of the United Kingdom: , North (Israel) - c. 922-722 BC South (Judah) - c. 922-587•BC Significant Kings North (Israel) eroboam / (922-901 BC) 0=1 (876-869 BC) Ahab (869-850 Be.) Jehu (842-815 BC) Jeroboam.= (786-746 BC) Pekah (737-732 BC) Hoshea (732-724 BC)
* c. 722-721 BC C. 701 BC c. 609 BC c. 598-7 BC c. 587 BC * c. 582 BC .* c. 538 BC • a. 323-200 c. . 200-198 BC * c. 168-7 BC * c.BC 166-160 BC c. 164-5 BC
in Israel and Judah South (Judah) Rehoboam (922-915 BC) Jehoshaphat (873-849 BC) Uzziah (783-742 BC) Ahaz (735-715 BC) Hizekiah (715-687 BC) Josiah (640-609 BC)
Fall of the Northern Kingdom Sennacherib Invades Judah Death of Josiah at. Megiddo First Invasion of Judah and Deportation to Babylon Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation to .Babylon Final Deportation to Babylon and Establishment of New Capital .at Mizp;th Edict of Cyrus ,Rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem Rule of Alexander the great The Jews Live Under the Ptolemies The Seleucid Conquest of Palestine The Profanation of the Temple at Jerusalem The Militia Under Judas Maccabeus The Rededication of the Temple
•••••• •
(dots) . • LEGEND • MOSAIC ORAL TRADITION:' FIRSTMANUSCRIPT: (solid line) • Call of ca. • 1850 BC Abrah am
• ••." ••„.. n7/0 zAw 640 B.C. 6. 500 B.C. 1 . (North)'.. elo 1.. ' ir I . 40# •YA1PNIST ••••••t 1 700 •B.I IC. E H !STORY 0 y .. (South) 2 .. . ," I ssa sl ...... ... Exile ...... ** 587z B.C. •-• .....1 538.. ** ***** • ••
The Exodus from Egypt ca,.1290. 1280.BC
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**THEFORMATIONOFTHEPENTATEUCH ** ** •
• 538-323: 2nd Temple& Esdras'CANON. PRIESTLY(SO.)
Exegesis of tho Priactly Account of Creation
32343: Hellenism vs.JUDAISM Egypt & the SEPTUAGINT
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The Sunday Lectionary Each Sunday there are three readings and a psalm. These readings are not selected by the priest or by the parish. All Catholic churches throughout the world use the same Scriptures. In fact, not only Catholics, but Protestants too. The Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian and United Church of Canada all use a lectionary modeled after the one developed by Vatican IL Although there are some differences, most of the readings, especially the Gospels, are the same. The lectionary has not only helped Catholics become more familiar with the Bible, it has also brought the Churches closer together. The first reading is from either the Old Thstament or, during the Easter season, from the Acts of the Apostles. After the reading is completed, the community responds by reciting or singing the responsorial psalm. The second reading is always from one of the New lestament letters written by St. Paul or another early Christian writer such as St. John. The third reading is always from one of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
How are the Sunday Gospels arranged? The Sunday Scriptures are organized in a three-year cycle (A,B,C). Each year, on the first Sunday of Advent a new cycle begins. During year A the Gospel of Matthew is read: during year B, the Gospel of Mark; and during year C, the Gospel of Luke. Although it does not serve as the basis for a particular cycle, the Gospel of John is not neglected. In fact it is saved for the seasons of Lent and Easter. This is an ancient tradition and is because of the rich theological nature of John's Gospel, "in which the mystery of Christ is sounded out to greater depths' t (CSL, Introduction 1969, 7). John's Gospel is also used on the second Sunday of each year and five segments from John 6 are inserted during the Marcan (3) cycle.
How is the first reading selected? The first reading, which is usually from the Old Thstament, is selected to complement the Gospel. Sometimes there is a common theme in both readings. For example, on the fifth Sunday of year C the Gospel from Luke 5 tells the story of Jesus calling Peter. Jesus tells the disciples to put down their nets one more time, and they catch a huge number of fish. Peter falls at the knees of • Jesus and says, "Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man." The first reading on this Sunday is from Isaiah. Isaiah receives his calling in a vision of God's glory. He cries out, "Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips...Yet my eyes have seen the King, the lord of Hosts!" So in both readings we find the theme of the Lord calling us in spite of our sinfulness. A different way in which the first reading may complement the Gospel is when something from the Old
What is in the lectionary? The lectionary is divided into six parts: for the Sundays and weekdays of the church year. r:
2. The Proper of the Saints: This section contains the calendar of the saints' days and any specific readings selected for those days. For example, on the Feast of St. Matthew on September 21 we read the story of Matthew's call to follow Jesus from Matthew 9. This is a good example of how the Scriptures are selected to highlight some moment or aspect of the saint's life. 3. The Commons: Many saints do not have specific readings assigned for them. On these occasions the lectionary offers a variety of common readings from which one can select an appropriate reading for the specific saint's life. These are grouped under headings such as the Common of Martyrs or the Common of Doctors of the Church. For example, on October 18, the feast of St. Isaac Jogues, the4ectionary does not recommend any specific reading. The priest may then turn to the common of martyrs to select an appropriate passage. 4. Ritual Masses: The Council called for a renewed use of the Bible not only at the Sunday Eucharist but also at all sacramental celebrations. This part of the lectionary contains suggested sets of readings for baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc.
'kstament foreshadows or suggests something in the New. Often an event in the life of an Old lbstament figure is seen in parallel with an event in the life of Jesus. For example, Jonah preaching in Nineveh is paired with Jesus preaching hi Galilee (Third Sunday, Year B). Moses teaching the Israelites about the covenant is paired with Jesus teaching the two great commandments (Fifteenth Sunday, Year C). Or the cure of Naaman the Syrian of his leprosy by the prophet Elisha is paralleled with Jesus' cure of the Samaritan leper (Twenty-Eighth Sunday, Year C). The third reason behind the selection of a particular Old Testament passage is that the Gospels often quote from the Old lbstament. So, for example, when Jesus.says to the people of Capemaum, "A people living in darkness has seen a great light," he is quoting from Isaiah. On that Sunday (Third Sunday, Year A) the first reading is this passage. from Isaiah.
October 1990 CU1090
How is the Responsorial Psalm chosen?
The seasons of the year
The psalm, which follows the usually - chosen because it complements the first reading. When, forreading; example, is thealso first reading describes Adam and first Eve's sin, the psalm recounts God's mercy (Tenth Sunday, Year B). Sometimes if the Gospel quotes a psalm, it is used as an anticipated response to the Gospel. When Satan tempts Jesus to throw himself from the temple height, Satan quotes Psalm 91: "He will bid his angels to watch over you." On this day (First Sunday of Lent, Year C) Psalm 91 is the responsorial psalm. Some psalms have a long tradition of use on a particular day and the lectionary continues this tradition. That is why, for example, on Easter Sunday the responsorial psalm is Psalm 118, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Since there are often a number of psalms which could serve as a fitting response, the compilers of the lectionary sought to incorporate as many psalms as possible. On Sundays more than 80 different psalms are used. The lectionary as a whole uses 130 of the 150 psalms.
Throughout the year, the Church recalls and celebrates the events of our salvation in Christ. At the center of the liturgical year is Easter. A second central event is the celebration of Christ's birth. Both of these feasts are extended over a number of weeks. The Christmas season lasts until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Easter season until the celebration of Pentecost. There is also a .time of preparation for each of these seasons: as Lent prepares for Easter, so Advent prepares for Christmas. The liturgy expresses the spiritual character of each of these seasons in various ways: through the prayers of the Mass, through music, through the color of the vestments and through the flowers and banners that decorate the church. One of the richest and most important ways to understand the meaning of a season is through the readings for that season. Through prayer and reflection on the readings of the season, we can come to a deeper appreciation of Christ's continued presence with us and respond more fully to his call as it is expressed in the season of the Church's year.
How is the Epistle selected? The second reading is called the Epistle. An epistle is a letter. In the New Testament there are 22 epistles, 13 of which are written by or attributed to Paul. The remaining epistles are attributed to other apostles such as John, James or Peter. Unlike the other two readings or the psalms, the second reading is not usually chosen to complement the others. Thus it may often seem to float there withdut any real connection. The exception to this occurs during the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. But for the rest of the year, which is called Ordinary Time, the secOnd reading is chosen simply to help Christians become familiar with the epistles of the New lbstament. • Over the three-year cycle portions of 16 of the 22 epistles are read (see the accompanying chart). During Lent or the other seasons, parts of three others are read. Only the second and third letters of John and the letter of Jude are not read on any Sunday of the year.
CATHOLIC
UP D questions AT E TOM'S RUTH IN MIMI
0 1979 St, Anthony Messenger Press, 1615 Republic St. Cincinnati OH 45210
seVenmostdaskeo mout the e
me New American lundreds of letters come each year to the question•andnswer column of St Anthony Messenger. They a.* about verything from the metal used in the California mission bells 3 how to get a saint canonized and why Lade Catholics make ne Sign of the Cross from-left to right while Eastern Catholics lake it from right to loft -
The Catholic Church has always insisted that Godinspired the Bible, that human beings were moved by God to write down those things and only those things God wished them to write. God was present to the whole process, and therefore the Bible is really God's word and he Is its principal author.
est among the most Polluter questions asked are thos Bible and God'sholy Word. The seven questions this eleibout 'afro& Update tries to answer ate not only some of those • lost asked by St Anthony Messenger readers, but questions most everyone asks about the Bible. Though more Ur leis nreiated, the quesdons are arranged here in the same order ley might occur to readers making their way through the pening pages of Genesis to the closing pages of Revelation. ut let's start with the mosifundamental question if lust how ;ad inspired the Bible. •;
How God did this is 'clearly described by Vatican ll's decu-. meat on Myhre Reaelation. It shows how God chose certain human beings to compose the sacred books and how he used them in such away that "they made use of their powers and abilities." With God "acting irt them and through them" they worked as "true authors," putting Into writing "everything • and only those things which he wanted." • The human authors that God used did not lose their own personalities or their own language. Some wrote as poets, some as storytellers, some as historians. To understand what God'wished td communicite to us in a given book, we have tp do a little detective work and get into the mind of the • .human author.
0) ;• the Bible written by human beings or by God? if GUtt We have to go back in spirit to the ancient times of the writers. .Aim, .13 how its do You account for the different writing styles? H SO says Pope Plus XII in the encyclical Div/no Afflante Spirltu. nd how do we know the right Interpretation toifollovqs_ o • Above: The illuatrated soma from the Bible am o from a 16thcantruy altarpiece located at the anchmati Art Museum. w Is G
The Adam and Eve story in Genesis should not be seen as an "eyewitne We have to study their languages, customs and cultures. We have to uncover the kind of literature people wrote in those days. By digging into the past we come to understand what the human authors intended—and what God intended through them. As the Vatican II document on Divine Revelation reminds us, all of God's revelation comes to a head and is summed up in Christ the Lord. Jesus, in turn, commissioned the apostles to hand on this revelation, assuring them that the Holy Spirit would keep it intact But only gradually was the preaching of the apostles written down. In any case, the first disciples and believers carefully preserved the tradition of the apostles and passed it on in speech and in writing. As part of their teaching mission, the successors of the apostles took on the responsibility of explaining and interpreting what had been handed on. Pointing out where we should look for reliable interpretations of Scripture, the document on Revelation says: "The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether In its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office ofthe Church alone."
Were Adam and Eve Reid? How should we understand Main and Eve? Did they really exist or were they only symbols?' The more we look at the Book of Genesis in the light of modern discomery,. the more we realize that the answers to questions like this are not easy or simple. This much we know: The authors wrote this book millions of years after the creation_efatworld took place and oth 731 — 'Wirth. Genesis is not an "eyewitness" account of the events utands• not even the first bookof the Bible to be written down. The 0. first book written was Exodus; Genesis came later on.
--Careful study also reveals that the author of the creation is telling us some very important religious truths in a aaccount kind of dramatic story 'form. He wants us to understand: • God is the creator of the world and all that is in it, includ— ing men and women. He made it out of nothing. • God is good, loving and provident; what he. made is good. mai • Humankind was ungrateful to God. • • The human race sinned and introduced evil into the world. tor • Despite our sinfulness there is still hope for us because of n the goodness and mercy of God. sIn looking at Genesis we cannot be sure of individual details, and we can't always find neat answers to our questions. For tua example, is the author really trying to tell us that there just one man and one woman created in the beginning? Fora . were ra2 long time we thought so. And when theories proposing a kind. of group creation began to emerge, Pope Pius XII wrOte in the ppr encyclical Human! Genesis that these theories did not seem to square with Church teaching. Pope Paul VI in his Creed of the al of God simply affirmed that "in Adam all have sinned." People aBut Pope Pius did not really rule out the pesilbility that Cath-• ttp
olic teaching could be reconciled with the idea of a multiple creation of human beings. Today many Catholic Scripture experts believe that God may well have created a number of human beings in the beginning. ,After all; the very word used:for the first man, Adam, is the Adam and Eve might possibly stand for a number of men and women who appeared in the beginning. Perhaps a contemporary example will help us see all this in perspective. A recent political cartoon (a modern literary form all Its own) depicts a mean-looldng character in a striped coat'and a tie with the initials OPEC on it. The man holds a -knife in WI-right hand, With his left hand he is grabbingfor • the neck of a frightened woman with hair standing on end and eyeballs bulging. She has "olloonsumers" written on her purse. It is hard to imagine what a generation living a hundred or a. thousand years from now—In a different part of the world and • • speaking a different janguage—might make of this cartoon. We • know that the figures are symbolic and we know the point the cartoonist is trying to make. We know, for 'example, that the man. Withthe knife represents the oil-producing economic cartel and that the frightened woman represents. 911-consuming ...illations at the mercy Of the opts!: But might It not be possible for some future generation in" • some totally differentcuthire to consider that the, man with the knife is areal person named Opec,,who for some reason IS preytngen a womenwitha strange inscription on her purse? The cartoon and iti,symbolA certainly convey a treth,,butin their own ivay. • • •aft x
tkms of an author,, literary form being and something !tail ccisnes back the to how important it isused to know. the inten- • I a givauthines•thrie en writer is sayiand ng. culture in order to understa_r_t , what aboutthe
What Was the Original Sin? Can we pinpoint the exact nature of the sin of Adam and Eve? What was the real evil they committed in eating the forbidden fruit?
,„
ccount• of the events described or as selections from Adam's diary! We simply do not know the details of Adam's sin. All we can conclude is that the sacred writers looked at the world in which they lived and, seeing the evil in it, tried to express how it all came about and what its real meaning was. With the help of God, they wrote the story in Genesis to teach that from the beginning the human race sinned, bringing upon itself the evil that prevails in this world. The writers drew upon the literature of the ancient Near East for symbols and types. They knew, for instance, a story about a plant that would confer fountain of youth). And they were familiar with a story about . immortality (something a hero who was innocent until he was seduced by a harlot. In likeworship the of false gods practiced by their neighbors, they the knew how the images of serpents were used in such rituals and how the serpent was a symbol of wisdom. The sacred writers may have used this imagery to depict the Original Sin because they knew that at the moment Israel's great sin was worshiping therr neighbors' false gods. Alexander Jones, in Unless Some Man Show Me, thinks the clue to Adam's sin is in the serpenes words, "Ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil," and in God's words, "Behold Adam is become like one of us, knowing good and evil." Jones believes that Adam's sin was indeciding for himself what is good and evil and acting accordingly! And he implies that sin is still rampant in the world today where we have "so many Adams determining each for himself what is good and what is evil." ..Roma:WO
We can say for certain that human beings were not made sinners by God. Sin is a human being's free choice. The sinful choices of one generation affect the next. Andcertainly we can say that the Original Sin was one of disobedience because any sin is disobedience of God. Conjecture that the Original Sin was one against charity or chastity is today commonly rejected.
How Does Isaiah's Famous Prophecy Apply to Jesus? How do you interpret Isaiah 4:14-15: "therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel"? Did Isaiah have Jesus clearly in mind?. Not many commentators today would say that Isaiah is speaking directly of Jesus. A common interpretation of this text is that while the prophecy is eventually completely fulfilled in Jesus, Isaiah does not have Jesus, but a more immediate successor to David in mind. At the time of Isaiah there was great fear that the Davidic line would be overthrown, that foreign kings would invade Judah and impose a puppet ruler on the country. This, of course, • meant catastrophe because Judah saw the fulfillment of God's promises In the continuation of the Davidic line. As long as there was a prince of the house of David on the throne, the Jews saw God as present with his people.
In the face of this threat of invasion, Isaiah counsels King Ahaz to act as a man of faith—to put his trust in God rather than in a foreign alliance. And Isaiah invites King Ahaz to request a sign from God that he will be with Judah. Ahaz hypocritically refusal to ask for a sign because ho is determined on an accommodation with Assyria. Exasperated and angry with Ahaz, Isaiah then prophesies and promises a sign. Many commentators believe that sign is the birth of Hezechia, who will continue the Davidic line and succeed his father Ahaz. As Isaiah prophesies, the mother of Hezechia Is probably a young unmarried woman (almah, loosely translated "virgin") at the court of Ahaz. At the same time, the Church has always followed St. Matthew in seeing the complete fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus from the Virgin Mary. As the footnote in the New
American Bible indicates, Isaiah himself need not have known the full force and complete fulfillment of his words.
What Is Meant by the 'Brothers' of Jesus? The New Testament refers several times to the brothers of Jesus. How does that square with the virginity of Mary? This has been a popular question from at least the fourth cen-
tury. True, the New Testament frequently refers to the brothers of Jesus, such as in Matthew 12:46; John 2:12; Acts 1:14. The names mentioned are four: James, Joseph (loses), Simon and Judas (see Matthew 13:55). Brother, however, in the usage of the Jews and early Christians, could mean not only a blood brother but brother in a broader sense. It commonly meant a relative, kinsman or cousin. After all, this was the time•of the extended or patriarchal family. The oldest living male, the patriarch, was the
father of the family, and air members of the tribe or clan were brothers.
Can we give evidence for this claim? Of the four brothers mentioned by name in the New Testament, it is clear that James and Joseph are not sons of Mary, the mother of Jesus. They are mentioned in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15;40 as sons of another Mary who was among the women at the foot of the cross and those who went to anoint the body of Jesus on Easter morning.
"Paul recognizes that before God there is no place for putting men above women!' And if they were sons of-Jesus' mother, it is difficult to imagine why Jesus would not have entrusted Mary to their care rather than•to the care of the apostle John (John 19:26). And finally, if any of these texts had been understood to mean blood brothers of-Jesus, how Mary's perpetual virginity ever get started? This is the belief of the Church today -tradidon because itof goes did the ancient • back to the very beginning. How do you explaimpassagei in St Paul such as "Women, be subject to yourlinsbands" (Colossians 3:18) or l'Aicordbig to, the rule observed in ail the monthlies of believers, warned should keep snaps !much gatherings"' (1 Corinthians 14:33)7 • •• • ••••• . It Is not always clear how to best interpret such Units However, the words of one of the above verses suggest St. Paul's admonitions are based on custom. Paul speaks about "the rule observed in all the assemblies of believers." Seemingly, he is referring to the practice of the time rather than to the intrinsic nature of women. As we look at the customs of those days, we do discover that women were generally treated as inferior to men. We would expect, then, that such customs and ideas would influence the Church and its writers.
The-concept of the Anti-Christ is rooted in the OldTestunent boos, especially among the prophetic books.which contain apocalyptic passages In these Old Testament passages there is the expectation of a final struggle between the forces of good and evil, between those faithful to God and those hostile to him-This struggle will end with a battle in which the victory will be won by God himself intervening on behalf of his people in the midst of greet disturbances in the earth and planets. In the New Testament Book of Revelation (Apocalypse), St. -lohn takes up this theine and concept. But St. John tells the • story in the context of the early Church. In very symbolic • and mystical language, he presents himself as part of the people of God persecuted for their faith. The people of God is, of • St, John wants to strengthen his brethren by showing them the meaning of their oppression and the glorious goal of their suffering. The peopJe of God must in the end overcome beanie God is at their head as they struggle against the Roman Empire headed by Satan.
In this book, atin the Old Testament prophets, the AndChrist appears. He is a symbolic figure. Pictured as various kinds of beasts or monsters, he is evil incarnate. In the Interpreters of the Bible have been pointing out for some time eschatological passages of the Pauline epistles, this figure that the Word of God as found in the Bible is very much condiso appears as "the Wicked One" who will lead many astray ••• •al(2-Thessal tioned by the surrounding culture. It was taken for trantet In' onians 2). Those who make him into a living historicatcharacter have identified him with everyone from Nero to New Testament times that it was proper for Vi9ri their husbands. The biblical writers are thus telling themia do' Joseph Stalin. . the right thing for the conditions of that time. •lerl During the period of the Reformation, the contending rail: •A - somewhat parallel case may be the institution of slavery. gious forces-often identified the Ant-Christ with their enemies. From 1 Corinthians 7, Philemon and elsewhere, we gather that .Catholic Writers depicted heretics and schismatics as Antit0: obey St. Paul simply accepted slavery as a fact. He tells slaves to Christ% Many Protestants (and still today some fundamentalobey their masters. Most of us today say that slavery is wrong. ists) identify the Anti-Christ as the Pope. ,..;•••••••••••••••1 One very interesting text of St Pauli however, is Galatians 3:28. Here he says: "There does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or freeman, male or female. Ali are one in Christ Jesus." it seems that Paul Is recognizing here that before God there is no place for putting men above women (or vice versa). The more we reflect on this, the More we may come to the :onciusion that In all situations and circumstances there is no iustification for exalting one sex above the other.
•
Who Is the Anti-Christ?
Is the Anti-Christ a person? Is It someone living today, iotneme out of the past, or some tigtwe whowilt appear at the end if the world? Or should we see Bas the force of evil in any Vie?
r • not any particular individual, but rather a symbol of all evil, all die evil forces Interfering with the establishment of the - and lengdom of God on earth. - inInthetheincarnate end, our faith tells us, the forces of good as embodied Christ will prevail. The. same Power that raised Jesus from the dead will bring about the destruction of , allcontained evil and the salVation of the world. Thitli The Good Newt in the Bible as a whole. C • • •
Merman Pant is a Franciscan priest and associate editor of St Anthony Messenger. He is vice provincial of the Clordenatibased Franciscans of St. John the Baptist Province and a member of the mandage tribunal of the archdiocese of anchmad.
nodis Yellow Par. Page 1 of 3
Christian virtues & character • Abundant life o John 10:10 • Citizenship O Romans 13:1-7 o Titus 3a. • Cleanliness • Consecration O RomanallasZ • Contentment O Philippians 4:11-13 o 1 Timothy 6:6 • Courage o Psalm 27:14 • Diligence o Romans 12:11 • Duty O JiAke 20:21-25 • Endurance o Luke 21:9-19 o • Faith 7 O Matthew 8:5-13 T o Mark 11:22-24 • Faithfulness i o mMatthew 25:23 • Forgiveness o tO Ephesians 4:31,32 • Freedom h O y John 8:31-36 • Fruitfulness 2 O John 15:14 : • Godliness O 3 1114111144 • Happiness o Matthew 5:3-12 • Holiness o 1 Peter 1:13-16 • Honesty O Mitinthiallidial • Honor: Parents, others o Ephesians 6:1-3 o 1 Peter 2:17 • Hope o lieteLL13— • Humility O Luke 18:9-14
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God's Yellow P.nes
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Where to look when: • Afraid o Psalm 34:4 o Matthew 10:28 o 2 Timothy 1:7 o Hebrews 13:5,6 • Anxious
0 EaaWAfi O Maithewita2=34 0 Philipplanuk6
• Backsliding
O Entail
a Bereaved o Matthew 5:4 o 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 • Bitter - Critical o 1 Corinthians 13 • Conscious of sin
0 Entymen210 o Romans 8:31-39 • Depressed 0 haW1.4 • Disaster threatens
0 klakoll 0 patthallagA • Discouraged o Psahn 23 o Psalm 42:6-11 o Psalm 55:22 O MaRligytlala o 2 Corinthians 4:8-18 o Philippians 4:4-7 • Doubting o Matthew 8:26 o Hebrews 11 • Facing crisis
Oramin.1211
O mtbremill
• Faith fails o Psalm 42:5 o Hebrews 11 • Friends fail
http://weblairmall.netidpeldyellow/yellowl.htm
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nod's Yellow Pages
Page 1 of 2
Teachings about life's problems • Adultery 0 Matthew 5:27-32 • Adversity o Matthew 10:16-39 • Anger o Matthew 5:22-24 e Anxiety
O mankelys
• Conceit O Luke 18:9-14 • Covetousness
O markzakal
• Crime o Matthew 15:17-20 • Death o John_11124,26 • Depravity o John 3:19-21 • Divorce
O markm2,42 O Matthew 14:28-31 • Drunkenness O Luke 21:34-36 • Excuses O Luke 14:15-24 • Extravagance o 1 Timothy 6:7-12 • Fault finding o Matthew 7:1-5 • Fear o Luke 12:5 • VIM' o Romans 13:14 o Greed
O Lilke-1115:21
• Hatred/Enemies O Matt ew 5:43-48 • Hypocrisy • Judging
O Matthemla
• Lip service o Matthew 7:21 • Lust O Mark 4:18,19 • Self-exaltation O Luke 14:11
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o Romans 12:14,17,19,21 • Leaving home O knimill o Matthew 10:16-20 • Lonely
O Pattlin_U
• Needing God's protection O Psalm 27:1-3
O klaintil
• Needing guidance O bakallta o Proverbs 3:5,6 • Needing peace o John 14:1-4 o John 16:33 o Romans 5:1-5 o Philippians 4:6,7 • Needing rules for life o Romans 12 • Overcome O ratliM1 o Romans 8:31-39 O 1 John 1:4-9 • Prayerful
O ftik_ut 4 O raelmAZ
O John 17 O 1 John 5:14,15 • Protected O Psalm 18:1-3 o Psalm 34:7 • Sick - In pain
O kaabun O mammy/aka
O 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 O 1 Peter 4:12,13,19 • Sorrowful
11psalm51 o Matthew 5:4 o John 14 O 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 • Tempted o Psalm 1 O Psalm 139:23,24 O Matthew 26:41
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God's Yellow 'Pones Page 2 of 3 O Philippians 2:3-11 • Joy o Luke 10:20 o John 15:11 • Kindness o Colossians 3:12,13 • Labor o John 9:4 • Love
O Ladolag7 O LCadathignam
• Obedience o John 14:15-24 O Acts 5:29 • Overcoming o John 16:33
o Hebrews 10:36 • Peacefulness o John 14:27 O Romans 12:18 • Perseverance
o Mark 13:5-13 • Prayer o Luke 11:1-13 o Rphesians 6:18 • Pure thinking o kkffipphinkfi • Purity
O Illatthem12142 O 2rimfdlly2a1
• Reading the Bible o John 5:39 O Psalm 1:2 O Psalm 119:97 • Resolution O gphesians 6:10-18 • Righteousness
O Matthew 5:6
o Matthew 6:33 • Sincerity o Philippians 1:9,10 • Steadfastness • Stewardship
O LCoriatkimula
• Temperance o 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 • Trust O Psalm 37z3-5
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elerl's Yellow Pages • Self-righteousness o Luke 18:11,12 • Sin o John 8:34-36 • Submission o I Peter 2:13-17 • Swearing o Colossians 3:8 • Tribulation 0 John 16:33 • Worldliness o I John 2:15-17
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O Hehtemaal • Weary
O Entiall O matthemuaND
o Galatians 6:9,10 • Worried O Matthew 6:19-34 O 1 Peter 5:6,7
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neA's Yellow Pages 1?age 3 of 3
o Proverbs 3:5,6 • Truth o John 14:6 o John 17:17 o Ephesians 4:14,15 • Victory o 1 Corinthians 15:57 o 1 John 5:4 • Watchfulness o Mark 13:34-37 • Worship o John 4:23,24 • Zeal o Romans 12:11
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piossary of Biblical Terms http://catholic-resources.org/BibldGlossmy.ht
A Glossary of Important Terms for Biblical Studies by Felix Just, Si.. PhD.
Basic Terms I Ancient Jewish Scriptures I Non-BiblicalJewish Literature I Christian Scriptures I Research Tools I Other Terms
Basic Terms: Scripture - Originally just meaning "writings" (<1.atin scriptus = "written"; cf. Greek ypcohl graphe, Hebrew mikra), "scripture" now almost always refers to religious writings that are considered authoritative, foundational, and/or sacred by
some religious group (see Matt 26:54-56; Luke 24:27-45; 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 3:16). Thus, there are not only Jewish scriptures and Christian scriptures, but 8193 Muslim scriptures, Hindu scriptures, etc. Canon - An official list or collection of writings that a particular religious group considers as its "core scriptures" or "authorized books," which are used by the group as the basis for its religious beliefs, moral precepts, and communal practices. The Greek word toxvcov ("kanon") originally meant "measuring rod; rule; criterion" (cf. 2 Cor 10:13-16; Gal 6:16),
but later came to mean such a list of writings that met certain criteria. "Canonization" or to be "canonized" refers to the process by which a book was accepted into the official list of core scriptures (such as the Bible) by a particular religious group.A scriptural canon is usually considered "fixed" or "closed," meaning that no additional books will be added to it. Bible - An authorized collection of Jewish scriptures (the "Hebrew Bible") and/or Christian scriptures (often simply "the Bible). We usually think of this as one "book"; but it is really a whole "library," a compilation of many different books of various literary genres. The word comes from the Greek ta, (341Xta ("ta biblia"), which is a plural word meaning "books" (see John 21:25; 2 Tim 4:13; Rev 20:12). Actually, one should always ask, "Whose Bible?" Protestant otherBible, "Bibles" areCatholic significantly different from each other (containing 24, 66, 73, or - becauseBible, the and Jewish the Bible, more books, as explained below). Although "Bible" is used metaphorically in many non-religious settings (a Golf Bible, a Bible the for computer programmers, etc.), it does not properly refer to the scriptures of other religions (i.e., there is no "Muslim Bible" or *Hindu Bible"). Testament testamentum) / Covenant between two parties, with obligations on each side and consequences for breaking the agreement. "Testament" is later also used to refer to the written "covenants" between God and the Jewish and/or Christian people, as contained in the - These "Old Testament" and/or the "New Testament" (see Jer 31:31; Luke 22:20; Heb 8:7-9:17). terms originally scriptural I canonical / biblical - When used by Jews or Christians, these adjectives seem interchangeable, referring to any referred to books contained in their Bibles (i.e., part of the "canon" of the Jewish and/or Christian scriptures). But remember: which books are considered part of the Bible depends on whom you ask! The 27 books of the New Testament are considered a "formal "scriptural/biblical" by all Christians, but not by Jews; and several books of the Old Testament are considered agreement "canonical/biblical" by Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians, but not by Jews or Protestant Christians (as " (Hebrew explained in detail below). Moreover, the "scriptural" writings of any non-JudeolChristian religion should not be called berith, "biblical"; and they should only be called "canonical" if they are part of an "official list" of writings considered sacred by that Greek religion. diatheke, non-biblical / non-canonical / non-scriptural books - Ancient writings that are not part of the Bible, including the OT Latin Pseudepigrapha (Jewish), and many early Christian writings (many of which also called Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypses). But again, beware: the same writing might be considered "biblical" by one group and "non-biblical" by another group! Caution with some possibly ambiguous terms: (Mc for ancient Jews and early Jewish-Christians who spoke Greek). both testaments in their Bibles. ancient and modern Greek-speaking Christians).
"c 1 I /2/111116 1-20
Glossary of Biblical Terms http://catholic-resources.orgiBible/Glossary.hto
Ancient Jewish Scriptures: Hebrew Bible (KB) - A collection of 24 "books" (or large "scrolls"), traditionally called the Mikra in Hebrew (orMigra, lit. "writings"), now often referred to as the "TaNaK" or "Tanakh" (from the Hebrew names of its three main sections: Torah what Christians call the "Old Testament" (see below). Most of the books in the IEB were composed between + Nevitim the 10th and 6th centuries BCE, although + Khetuvim),It is closely related, butthey not also contain some older source materials. Most were originally written in Hebrew, but a few books (or parts of them) were composed in Aramaic, a closely related ancient language. Throughout identical, to history, Jews have used these books as their "scriptures," although many ancient Jews (esp. Greek-speaking Jews living outside of Palestine) had even larger collections of scriptures (some from more recent times, some composed in Greek; see the LXX below). The official "canon" of the NB was not determined until around 90 AD, when the leading Jewish rabbis of the time limited their biblical collection to the 24 Hebrew (or partly Aramaic) writings that came from the 6th century BCE or earlier. The BB is divided into the following three categories (with the second category frequently sub-divided in two): Torah speaking - often "Torah" refers to the first five books of the KB (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), considered the "core" of the Bible by all Jews transl the traditional opinion that Moses himself wrote all of them). More broadly, the word "Torah" is sometimes used -ated to refer to thesometimes entire "Tanak" Many Jews also between the "Written Torah" (in the Bible) and the "Oral ,"Law," they are also called the distinguish "Five Torah" (other instructions given to Moses on Mount Sinai, but not written down until much later, in the "rabbinic literature" Books (due to of the 3rdofMoses" to 7th centuries). but more Nevitim accur Samuel, -ately Kings - which also contain stories of early "prophets" like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, Nathan, etc.), and the "Latter Prophets" (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and "The Twelve" Minor Prophets; note that Jews do not include meanin meani the Book of Daniel among the "Prophets," but in the following category). gng "Prophe Kduvim "Teac (or Khetuvim) Proverbs, of Solomon, and Ecdesiastes (called "Wisdom Literature" by Christians), the books of Ruth, -ts"; meaningSong "Writings"; hing" Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles (considered "Historical Books" in Christian Bibles), and the books of subdivi this or "miscellaneous" Daniel and Lamentations ded in includes the (placed among the "Prophets" in Christian Bibles). group "Instru Jewish books of Psalms, Job,of up to 53 books of ancient Jewish Scriptures written in Greek, including translations of ction" Septuagint (00C) - A collection Bibles all 24 books in of the BB (Daniel, Esther, and Jeremiah are longer in the Greek versions than in the original Hebrew), as well into as seven orthe more additional books (the "Deuterocanonical Books") that are not found in the BB. Several versions of the DOC Hebre have been "Forme w. preserved, some of which are slightly larger than others. The I.JOC was first translated and compiled around 250 BCE, probably rStrictl in or near Alexandria, Egypt. The name "Septuagint" (meaning "seventy") comes from an ancient Jewish legendProphet that tells how 70 (or 72) scholars translated the whole collection (or at least the Torah) in 70 days. All the books of y were considered "scriptures" by most Greek-speaking Jews and early Christians; thus it became the basis of the the DOC ? Christian "Old Testament" (see Immo/ In contrast to the three divisions and 24 books of the BB, the DOC rearranges, (Joshu renames, subdivides, and/or expands some of the books, and adds several more books, thus resulting in up to 53 books in a, divisions: four main Judges, Pentateuch (Greek, lit. "five scrolls") - the same five foundational books as in the "Torah" of the BB: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Historical Books - includes not only the four "Former Prophets" of the BB (although two are subdivided and renamed: Joshua, Judges, 1 Kingdoms, 2 Kingdoms, 3 Kingdoms, 4 Kingdoms), but also several of the books categorized as "Writings" in the BB (Ruth, Esther, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah), and several books not found in the KB (Judith, Tobit, 1 & 2 Maccabees, and sometimes 1 Esdras and 3 & 4 Maccabees). Poetic Books - includes some of the miscellaneous "Writings" of the HB (Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Job) and several more books not found in the III3 (Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus, and often Psalm 151, Odes, and Psalms of Solomon). Prophetic Books - placed at the end as a fourth category; includes not only the "Latter Prophets" of the HB (first the Minor Prophets, counted as 12 separate books, then the three Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel), but also the books of Daniel and Lamentations (considered "Writing? in the NB), and a few other writings associated with Jeremiah and Daniel but not found in the BB (Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Susanna, Bel
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Glossary of Biblical Terms http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Glossary.ht & the Dragon) Deuterocanonical Books I OT Apocrypha - seven (or more) entire books that are found in the LXX but are not part of the HB (Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Bamch - think of the mnemonic "T. J. Mc WEB"), as well as some additions to the books of Esther and Daniel (longer in the 1.30C than in the HB). These texts are considered part of the biblical canon by Orthodox and Catholic Christians (although recognized as later additions, and thus called "Desiterocanonical," meaning a "second canon"), but they are not considered canonical by Jews and most Protestant Christians today (who call them "Apocryphal"). Some Protestant Bibles include the Apocrypha in a separate section between the OT and NT; and some Orthodox Bibles contain even more books that are not considered canonical by Catholics (1 & 2 Esdras, 3 & 4 Maccabees, Psalm 151, etc.; see HCSB viii). Shorthand Summaiy: DLY =i the ancient Greek translation of the JIB books + the "Apocrypha" or "Deuterocanonical Books.' Overview Chart: see my comparative chart of the arrangement of the MI I OT books in the Jewish, Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant versions of the Bible. Non-Biblical Ancient Jewish Literature: Pseudepigrapha - refers broadly to other ancient Jewish writings which are not part of the HB nor of the MC, but are often attributed to a biblical figure (e.g. Jubilees, 1 Enoch, the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, etc). They were popular among ancient Jews, and thus are very valuable for historical purposes, even if they were never considered biblical by most people. Inter-Testamental Litemture and the Newcollective Testament.term for - another an even broader range of Dead Scrolls (DSS) - several collections of ancient writings (2n JewishSea literature written idn vari ous caves near the NWshores of the Dead Sea; most famous are the large scrolls and numerous smallfragments found in eleven century BCE to 2 "between" the caves near the rainOld s at Khirbet Qumran, associated by most scholars with the Essenes (a monastic group in Ancient Judaism); although nd andthere, 1956 Testament copicentury es of mostCE) booksdiscovered of the Hebrewbetween Bible were1947 also found more important are the originalwritings of the Essene/Qumran group
itself.
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Philo language and images to interpret Jewish biblical traditions (and vice-versa). -philosophical an impo Josephus - the most important Jewish historian from the late 1 rtant against Rome,CE, but surrendered early and at then wrote a history ofofthe "Jewish 11 century he was a general the beginning the First War." Jewi Jewish War Rabbinic Literature various collections of Jewish writings from the 3' sh attributed to earlier rabbis, including some famous contemporaries of Jesus. Many Orthodox and Conservative Jews believe that the chain d through 7 write of tradition goes all way backthey to Moses, who some received both the written Torah (the Bible) and the Oral Torah (other traditions) from 1h CE,the although contain traditions rGodcenturies at Mount Sinai. The most important rabbinic writings include the Mishnah, Tosefta, Tabnudim, and various collections of who Midrashim. lived Camden: the DSS contain both biblical and non-biblical writings, but neither the Pseudepigmpha, nor the writings olPhilo. Josephs's. the in Rabbis, or any other Intertestamental Literature" is considered "biblical' by anyone! Alex andri aChristian in Scriptures: the Pre-Note: Remember that the Christian Bible includes two parts: both the "Old Testament" and the early "New Testament" I dOld Testament (07) - A collection of 53, or 49, or 46, or only 39 ancient Jewish books (depending on which Bible you have), including the history of God's interactions with the people of Israel and related literary works from cent ancient Judaism Although Jesus, his disciples, and the first few generations of Jewish Christians spoke Aramaic and used CE the Hebrew Bible (), the vast majority of early Christians spoke Greek (including the four Evangelists, Paul, and all other (roug NT authors); thus, they read and quoted from the Septuagint (UM) version of the ancient Jewish Scriptures. Some hly 2nd-century Christians thought that the God of the OT was so different from the God and Father of Jesus that they wanted to cont throw away the HB and replace it with the Gospels and writings of the Apostles. Most early Christians, however, used the emp orary with
Glossary of Biblical Terms http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Glossazykin newer Christian writings (eventually called "New Testament") in addition to the Jewish Scriptures (which were contrasted as the "Old Testament"). Some modern scholars refer to the CoT as the "First Testament," in contrast to the NT as the "Second Testament" Just like the DM version of the Jewish Scriptures, the Christian OT is divided into four categories: Numbers, Deuteronomr, • Historical Books Israel, from the time of Joshua to the Maccabees (thus covering from the late 13th century to the early 2nd century - the large BCE); collection of "Historical Books" from the DM Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and a few smaller writings associated with them, such as Lamentations and Baruch), covering thethe twelve "Minor Prophets" (note these are called 'minor" not because they are less important than the followed by history the "major"ofprophets, but only because their books as significsinrly shorter!). people of Orthodox vs. Catholic vs. Protestant Versions of the OT - Some of the Eastern Orthodox Churches today include up to 53 books in their Old Testament, based on the largest version of the Septuagint. By the late Middle Ages, however, the Western Church (i.e. the Roman Catholic Church, but before the Protestant Reformation), had accepted only 46 books in its Old Testament (including the "Deuterocanonical" books of Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Ecclesiastes, and Baruch, but omitting such books as 1 & 2 Esdras, 3 & 4 Maccabees, Psalm 151, etc.). In the early 16th century, however, Martin Luther and other Protestant reformers noticed that their Bibles contained several books that were not in the Hebrew Bibles used by their Jewish neighbors ("the Synagogue down the street," so to speak). Since they knew the OT was originally the Bible of the Jewish people, Luther decided to remove those extra books from. his Bible (calling them "Apocrypha"), thus reducing the number of OT books to 39. The Protestant Reformers did not, however, go back to the arrangement of the HB, but retained the same order and categorization of the OT books as found also in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, based on the LXX version of the ancient Jewish scriptures (see my Comparative Chart of Jewish and Christian Bibles). Thus, it is totally wrong to say that the Catholic Church (and/or the Eastern Orthodox Churches) added some extra books to the Bible. Exactly the opposite is true: the Protestant reformers were the ones who removed several books that were part of the OT from the very beginnings of Christianity (recall that the UGC was composed around 250 BCE). New Testament (INIT) - A collection of 27 early Christian writings composed by various authors from the middle of the 1 st to early 2 very "First Testament" (the HB). nd centuries • All 27 of these books and letters were originally written in Greek (the "Koine" or "common" Greek of the time), CE; italisthough some may have had older Aramaic sources. sometimes • Most of these writings were already considered "biblical" or "scriptural" by Christians by the end of the 2 called the were hundreds of other works written by Christians in the first few centuries that were not included in the New •nd There century. "Second Testament. Testament, • The official list of 27 approved writings (the NT "canon") was not finalized until the end of the 4 " especially •thThe NT consists of a variety of different works in different literary genres, including the following categories: century. by Jewish Gosnels - early scholars, in Christian narratives about the words and actions, the life and death of Jesus. The word "Gospel" is derived from the Old contrast to English "god-spel" (god message; = good; velangelos the a genre of literature = particular messenger). news), which is written equivalent to (based on its use in Mark 1:1). Originally "gospel" (eu Greek eu-angelion • The NT includes three "Synoptic Gospels" (Matthew, Mark, Luke), called "Synoptics" because they see Jesus "with referred to oral = good; cmgelion the same eye", proclamations = and the "Fourth Gospel" (John), which is substantially later than and different from the Synoptics in content, style, (see Mark and theology. • Wetnow 1:14-15), butofitabout is 30 other early Christian "Gospels" that were not accepted into the New Testament (called "non-canoni later used for cal Gospels). • All four canonical Gospels were originally written in Koine ("Common") Greek between the late 60 1 the 1st century. •sThe authors andGospel early 90's of are usually called the four "Evangelists' (from Greek euangelion, lit. "good news"). • The official titles are "The Gospel according to..." (although we often use the shorter but less accurate titles "Gospel of...")
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glossary of Biblical Terms http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Glossaryll • The 0-Document ("Quelle" = "source" in German) is a hypothetical collection of sayings & teachings of Jesus. Many scholars think it was a written source (from the 50's?) used later by Matthew and Luke, but it is now lost. Acts of the Apostles - an early partial account of the historical spread of Christianity; not a complete "history" of 1st-century Christianity, since it focuses only on a few people and a few events from a particular perspective, but leaves out most of what we would want to know about how Christianity spread to other parts of the early Roman Empire and beyond. • It was written by the same person who authored the third Gospel (the evangelist called "Luke"). • Thus Luke/Acts together should be considered a two-volume work, even if the two parts are now separated by John's Gospel Epistles or Letters - written by some of the early apostles to various Christian communities or individuals, including: • Thirteen "Letters attributed to Paul" (Rom, 1 & 2 Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil, Col, 1 & 2 Thess, 1 & 2 Tim, Titus, Phhn); these are often subdivided into: O seven "authentic" or "undisputed Pauline Letters' (Rom, I & 2 Cor, Gal, Phil, I Thess, Phhn), since almost all scholars agree that Paul himself wrote these, O and six "disputed" or "deutero-Pauline Letters" (Col, Eph, 2 Thess, 1 & 2 Tim, Titus), since some scholars think these are "authentic" [written by Paul], while others argue they were written by Paul's followers; O the three letters written to early "pastors" (I & 2 Tim, Titus) are usually also called the "Pastoral Epistles." • An anonymous sermon apparently written "To the Hebrews" (but not written by or even attributed to Paull), • And seven "Catholic Epistles" (James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 & 2 & 3 John, Jude); "Catholic" means "universal, general", indicating that these letters were written to a wider audience of many different Christians, not just one community. Book of Revelation (not plural!) of Asia," a long series of highly symbolic "visions" attributed to a certain man named "John," culminating in -"Churches also called "The and Apocalypse the destruction of all evil and establishment of "a new heaven and a new earth," and "the new Jerusalem." A book containing seventhe short letters addressed to the
Translations and Editions of the Bible: kale, or Old Latin - Christians in the Western Roman Empire (Italy & environs) began translating the Christian scriptures (both OT & NI) into their own native language, Latin, during the 3rd and 4th centuries. The OT books were usually translated from the MC (the Greek translation and expansion of the NB - see above), while the NT books were translated from the original Greek texts. Vulgate - a Latin version of both the Old and New Testaments, translated in the late 4th and early 5th centuries by St. Jerome at the request of Pope Damasus; it became the "official" Latin version of the Catholic Church for many centuries (le., the one used for the readings proclaimed during the Mass, as found in the official "Lectionaries"), intended to replace the various
different "Old Latin" versions. As a true biblical scholar; Jerome was familiar not only with the Old Latin and the Greek versions of the New Testament, but also with the Old Latin, Greek (WO) and Hebrew (HB) versions of the Old Testament. While comparing all these versions, Jerome based his own new Lath translation on the original language of each book, as far as possible. Thus, he translated the books of the HE from Hebrew into Latin, the deuteroomonical books (the extra OT books found in the UDC but not in the BB) from Greek into Latin, and the NT books from Greek into Latin. Medieval Translations - Since the Vulgate was the dominant edition of the Christian Bible in the West from the 5th century onward, the earliest translations of the Bible into Anglo-Saxon, German, Fueich, and other European languages were all translations of the Latin Vulgate, rather than being produced from the original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek for the various books of the OT; Greek for the books of the INTD. In other words, they were translations of translations! Modern Translations - From the time of the Reformation onward (I6th century), scholars have stressed the need to translate each biblical book from its original language, as far as possible. That is, rather than translating the book of Isaiah from its version in the Latin Vulgate or the Greek Septuagint, one should use the original Hebrew version of Isaiah. One serious difficulty still remains, however, when there are several significantly different Hebrew versions of certain books, as is the case with Isaiah. There is not only the "Masoretic text" (medieval Jewish text), but several different Hebrew versions were discovered in the 20th century among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Summary Chart - to avoid confusion between so many different editions and versions and sections of "The Bible":
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Glossary of Biblical Terms
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Some Important Tools for Biblical Research [see also my NT Bibliography page]: Study Bible - an edition which prints not only the biblical text itself (as in a "Reader's Bible"), but also extensive "editorial material," including introductions, footnotes, cross-references, and appendices with maps, charts, time-lines, etc. Bible Atlas -geography, a book good ones include the Harpers Bible Atlas and the Macmillan Atlas of the Bible. containing Bible Commentary - a book of modern scholars' explanations of biblical texts, arranged in biblical order (book-by-book, lots of chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse); it usually includes notes on items necessary for understanding the text (historical, maps and linguistic, etc.), and a scholar's interpretation of its meaning (theological, rhetorical, and/or narrative); good geographical, diagrams, commentaries covering the whole OT and NT include the New Jerome Biblical Commentary and the Harpers one-volume Bible Commentary, multi-volume commentary series go into much more depth on each biblical book. and often also Bible Dictionary - contains articles on most biblical names, places, images, themes, and other words in alphabetical order; pictures the best ones currently available are the Anchor Bible Dictionary (ABD; 6 vols.; 1992), the Interpreters Dictionary of the and helpful Bible (DB: 4 vols. 1962; and MB& a "Supplement" vol. 1969), and the HoperCoilins Bible Dictionary (1996). discussion - a dictionary explaining the meaning of ancient Hebrew or Greek words, and usually also providing some sLexicon of biblical references for where and how they are used in ancient literature.
Concordance using English concordances, since a particular Hebrew or Greek word might be translated with various different English - a book words; ways also look up related words and synonyms! listing so allalthe passages in Parallel Bible (OT original Greek or Hebrew text) in parallel columns on the same pages so you can compare them easily; the texts follow the -the an Bible edition biblical and Ni) order in from Genesis to Revelation (or Matthew to Revelation if it covers only the NT). which prints which a several Gospel Synopsis - a book which prints similar pericopes from the Gospels (either the Synoptics only, or possibly all four particular English Gospels) in parallel columns on the same pages for easy comparison; it uses only one English translation (and/or Greek word Our is used; translations texts). Synopsis of the Four Gospels, edited by K. Aland, is based on the RSV (Revised Standard Version). Pericopes be careful are arranged (often 4, 6, roughly from the beginning of Matt to the end of John, but since pericopes are in different orders in the Synoptics, when and most of John's material is not in the Synoptics at all, many pericopes have to be printed out of biblical order or or 8 different printed twice. ones! - and sometimesBible Interlinear also the - an edition in which each line of the original it in in o. e oft a
Qlossuy of Biblical Terms http://catholic-resources.org/EibldGlossatylt containing a literal English equivalent directly underneath each Hebrew or Greek word; since the word order of the ancient languages is very different from any modem languages, the English equivalents seem very strange, chopped up, and out of order, thus a smooth English translation is usually also provided in the margins.
Other Important Terms: Genre the literary "form" or "category" of a text (not just biblical, but any literature); larger genres in the NT include Gospels, Letters, Acts, Apocalypses, Novels, Biographies, etc.; smaller genres within the Gospels include parables, sayings, controversy dialogues, healing miracles, exorcisms, nature miracles, etc. Pericope (not "periScope"; pronounced "peh-IITH-cuh-peel - an individual "passage" within the Gospels, with a distinct beginning and ending, so that it forms an independent literary "unit"; similar pericopes are often found in different places and different orders in the Gospels, pericopes can include various genres (parables, miracle stories, evangelists summaries, etc.) Parable - a metaphorical story featuring common images and vivid comparisons, but usually with a twist; many (but not all) of Jesus' parables are about the Reign of God. Caution: "parables" are only stories told BY Jesus, but not all stories about Jesus; the Gospels' descriptions about Jesus' actions are better called "passages," "paragraphs," "stories," or "pericopes." Exegesis - thecareful investigation of the original meaning of a text in its historical and literary contexts, the word comes from a Greek verb meaning "to lead out or (Greek "ex" opposite Eisegesis, which means "reading [your own opinions] into" the text (not a good idea in biblical = "out"; is "ago" studies!) = "to lead/go/drawl; the Criticisms - various methods of doing biblical exegesis, each having a specific goal and a specific set of questions; biblical "criticism" does not mean "criticizing" the text (i.e. what you don't like or don't agree with), but asking "critical" questions (based on "criteria" that are as clear, careful, and objective as possible). Some Contrasting Pairs: Primaty Literature Secondary - writings orLiterature -sources anything written by from Manuscripts ancient (or modern) texts "written by hand"; often copies of copies of copies, with significant modem scholars, ancient times, differences often interpreting the such as the- printed Print Editions copies; made after the invention of printing by Johannes Gutenberg in 1456 ancient texts biblical texts Ancient Versions themselves Modem Translations - translations into -other translations ancient into Papyrus -Spanish, an Egyptian plant; a paper-like writing material made from it; cheaper, but not as durable; see esp. English, languages, such P52 and P75 German, and other- animal skins prepared for writing much more durable, but also much more expensive; as Latin, Coptic, Parchment (Vellum) modern languages Syriac, see Vellums Armenian, etc. Scroll (Roll) - long sheets written on one side only, then rolled-up (could be made of papyrus or vellum) Codex - written on both sides, then bound in book form (could also be made of papyrus or vellum) Majuscule -ALLCAPfrALLETTERSUSUALLYWITHOUTPUNCTUATIONORSPACES early Minuscule manuscrip - later ts written manuscrip in Basic Tenns ts written I Ancient with small Jewish letters, Scriptures with Nonablical punctuatio Jewish n and Literature of 8 I Itft/2006 2-39 P? spaces
How we read the Scriptures
09-15-99
ClIIPTURE Founds
TRADITION Hermenutical circle is open-ended with historical consciousness. Thus, in terms of faith truths, doctrines won't be concreteWiressed in doctrinal fommlas. Development of doctrine expresses the truth of the Scriptures in every age. Catholic approach to biblical studies and Christian doctrine arise from one source:
Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition
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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PSALMS AND PROVERBS: â&#x20AC;˘ The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 poems praising Yahweh, whereas the book of Proverbs is a collection of astute observations that will help others mature and live good lives. Psalms are probably more familiar to the worshipping community than any other part of the Bible, and it was used for responses; whereas Proverbs was good advice to live on in their memory; There are 5 basic types of Psalms: Hymns of praise, such as Ps. 8 which were used for reflection or response Community lament, such as Ps. 44 and Judith 4:8, where the leader called the worshipping community together and they poured out their hearts to God Royal Psalms, such as Ps. 2, used at the time of a coronation of a new king which paid tribute to God but highly exalted the king Individual lament, such as Ps. 3 which was used in a private situation and for personal forgiveness of sins Thanksgiving Psalms, such as Ps. 30, thanking God for his greatness. Three types of Proverbs: Instructional proverb where the father is instructing his son Wisdom proverb Numeral sayings in which numbers were used to make illustrations. Both Psalms and Proverbs are done in parallelism where one line reinforces the other lineâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which helps in memorization. One line may mean one thing and it is repeated or one line may mean one thing and the second line is opposite.
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written traditions. CREATION IS NOT AN â&#x20AC;˘ EVENT WHICH ANY HUMAN BEING WITNESSED. The writer was not concerned with the fact that he had the world with fight but no sun! The writer organized his writing in accordance with a work week. The writer lived at a time when his society worked six days and honored the Sabbath. The writer expects us to recognize that he has chosen to teach us a spiritual truth through a story. This particular kind of story is known as a "myth." The writer uses symbols and images to speak of a reality which Is beyond our understanding. This story teaches a troth in relation to that reality. God made all that exists, and everything God made is good.
The Bible has been treasured for 2000 years because people of faith have found that it speaks to the deepest and most important truths of our lives. These truths involve our relationship with God, who is the source of our existence. They involve the reason for our existence. Why are we alive? What is our purpose? Does God exist? What is Godlike? What is our final destiny? The people who lived before the able was written, and the people who wrote what we reed in the Bible looked to their own experiences to find answers to thse most important questions. They looked into the experiences of their own lives, to the events in their own lives, to see how God was being revealed in these experiences and events. The writer of Genesis looked around him and asked "What is the source of all that exists? IfyoureadthatGeorgeWashingtonandJohnKennedyhad a conversation, you would know that the writer of this sentence was not writing a historical sentence. If a person from anotherâ&#x20AC;˘ country who knew nothing of American history read this sentence, that person would take it for a fact that these two men were talking together. Why could this not be? Understanding that the Bible is a library of different kinds of writings will help us not make that mistake.
THE BIBLE Known also as THE BOOK, THE WORD OF GOD,. SACRED SCRIPTURE, THE WORD The Bible is divided into two parts: Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures New Testament or Christian Scriptures Hebrew Scriptures are the covenant God made with the Israelites through Abraham and Moses. You will be my people and I will be your God Hebrew Scriptures contain the stories of Salvation History. Christian Scriptures are the covenant that God made with all people through Jesus Christ. There are 73 books In the Catholic Bible and only 66 in the Protestant Bible. Catholic Bible has 7 more than Protestant Bible. The first 5 books of the Hebrew Scriptures are called the Pentateuch. Themes in Genesis -There is one God God Is the creator of everything Everything God created is good Humans sin-repent-forgiven God promises us a savior. All Scripture is inspired by God which means that God was the driving force behind the writers. The writers were open to God's presence in life and events and so became people of spiritual perception. The writer of Genesis is teaching that the world was created and that all that exists was created by a loving God. The writer was not a historian or a scientist. The writer lived before the scientific age and his writing Included God. He could not choose to write as a historian because history is about those events which were witnessed and about which we have oral or
Books of the Bible P azzle to find out. In the following paragraph there Bible? Takd a few minutes are sixteen books of the Bible. See how many you can find. One preacher found fifteen f books in 28 minutes... but it took him three weeks to find the• sixteenth one. Have fun!
I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible it was lulu,a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the ita was kept but the truth finally strucklome to numbers of readers. To names of the books were not capitalized, peopl others, it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few momentsfor you. Yes, there will be • e really easy ones to spot,. others may require lookin judges to help them. twill quickly aamit it usually takes a minister to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found. One woman says g so hard she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now, for for in the story. there really are sixteen books of the Bible • facts, We know our readers are all true Biblebut sCholars for and will quickly find all sixteen books of the Bible. For added- fun, time yourself or make this a family activity and se who finds them all first. If you have exhausted all efforts and others need help, you can send a self list - of the sixteen hidden books of the Bible. addressed stamped envelope (no phone calls please) and we will promptly send you a
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THE COMPOSITION OF inE NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS 13mwn
A.D. 70•100 (Third third of century)
A.D. 30-70
A.D. -30
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(Second third of the century)
After 100
of century
SUB-APOSTOLIC ERA (Second and thirdgeneration Christians)
APOSTOLIC ERA
ERA of JESUS
(The great apostles, Peter, Paul, and James died in the '60's)
Writings incorponning Christiun Reflection on the Churchla Problems 30-50
Public
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Ministry
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of Jesus cAD 28-30
60 1 I-II Thesalonians Captivity s Letters I-II Corinthians (Colossians, Galatians, Romans Epheslans)?? Philippians Pastoral Letters (I-II Timothy, Titus) ??? Accurate Dating I Peter??? laters of a James ??? man who writes Jude ??? to Oentiles he anwerted Uncertain of dates 50's
70
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Writings concerned with the words und deeds of Jesus (Gospels) Continued preaching and first Pre-Gospel writings new lost
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Apocryphal Gospets
Gospel Author Date Audience
Major Theological Themes
injatdsttv Jewish-Christian 80's Jewish-Christians
Jesus is the fulfillment of Judaic prophecies; he is the new Moses imparting the new law of Love.
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65-70
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a suffering Christian community, perhaps in Rome
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Jesus is the Suffering Servant Messiah; imitate Jesus' fidelity by not losing heart; the way to glory is through the cross. Jesus' salvation is open to everyone, â&#x20AC;˘ especially, poor, despised Universal & womenSavior.
90's several Christian most theologically churches around sophisticated of all the Roman the gospels: Jesus Empire â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ephesus, is the Eternal Word of God, God's Son Antioch in Syria, Alexandria, Egypt who came as Bread for our eternal salvation; he is the Way, the Truth, & the Life.
(Adapted; Living the Message of the New Testament, M. Pennock, 1992)
BI3LICAL RIDDLE
When was baseball first played in the Bible? In the big inning. On what did the earliest people do arithmetic lessons? God told than to multiply on the fame of the earth. Who was the champion runner of all time? Adam * first in the human race! What was the longest day in the Bible? The one with no Eve! Did Eve ever have a date with Adam? No s it was, an apple! Why did Adam bite the apple? Because he didn't have a knife! Hour were Adam and Eve prevented from gambling? They lost their paradise. What did Adam and Eve never have but left to each of their Children? Parents! What evidence is there that Adam and Eve were noisy? They raised Cain. How long did Cain hate his brother? As long as he was Abel. â&#x20AC;˘ How do we know that three people went into the ark before Noah? The Bible states that Noah came forth. Why couldn't people play cards on the ark? Noah sat on the deck. When was paper money first mentioned in the Bible? When the dove brought the green back to the ark Why was Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt? Because she was dissatisfied with her Lot. When was tennis first played? When Joseph served in Pharaoh* . When Moses didn't feel well s court. y whet did God give him? Why was Goliath astonished when David hit him with a stone? Such a thing Two tablets. had never entered his bead before. Who was the most successful doctor in the Bible? Job -- be had the most patien s How was John the Baptist like a penny? He was one sent. ee What is the sharpest tool in the New Testament? The Acts of the Apostles. What is the worst insect in the Bible? The wicked flee. Whet three noblemen are mentioned in the Bible? Barren fig tree. Lord haw long. Count your blessings. Who set the record for the high jump in the Bible? Probably Jesus when he cleared the temple.
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English Translations of the Bible
Page 3 of 4
Since there are over 500 different English translations of the Bible, the above chart lists only a few of the most popular or important ones. For more information about these and many other English translations, including a very helpful chart showing how the translations are related to each other and to the Hebrew and Greek Bibles, see the webpage Our Bible: How It Came To Us, from the Canadian Bide Society.
Translations Grouped by "Translation Philosophy": • "Dynamic Equivalence" translations: NFB/REB, TEV/CEV, • The Amplified Bible is neither (or both); it "amplifies" the text by adding lots of extra words & phrases.
Translations Sponsored/Approved by various Churches: • "Protestant" translations: KIV/NLIV, TEV/CEV, NW RSV/NRSV • There are also several good "Jewish" translaticms of the Hebrew Bible, but these obviously do not contain the New Testament.
Additional Notes: • the Authorized Version (AV) is another name for the KJV; the Good News Bible (GNB) is exactly the same as Tot. • if you use other translations, try to find out when they were translated, by whom, and what translation philosophy was used. • many other editions of the Bible are based on the above translations; the Oxford Annotated Bible uses the RSV, the Catholic Study Bible uses the NAB, and the HcrperCollins Study Bible uses the NRSV; so these are not separate translational • for academic study of the Bible by anyone who does not know Hebrew or Greek, it is good to compare at least three or four different modern translations; use at least one "dynamic equivalence" and one "formal correspondence' translation. • the following convenient editions containin8 multiple translations are available in LW library reference: o The Complete Parallel Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. - contains NRSV, REB, NAB, NJB o The Precise Parallel New Testament. New York Oxford University Press, 1995. contains the Greek NT, KJV, Douay-Rheims, AB, NW, NRSV, NAB, NASB. http://clawww.Immedu/faculty/gust/Bible/English Translations.htm 10/22/01
English Translations of the Bilge
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biblical manuscripts that have been discovered in the last 50 to 150 years which are much older (and thus closer to the originals) than the manuscripts that were available to the translators of previous centuries.
Translation Philosophies: There are two basic philosophies or styles of translation, "formal correspondence" and "dynamic equivalence." Other popular versions of the Bible in English are not really "translations" but are "paraphrases" instead. • "Formal Correspondence Translations" try to stick as closely as possible to the ceiginal wording and word-order of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Thus they may seem more accurate or literal," but often require detailed explanations in footnotes to avoid being misinterpreted by modern readers. They are good for in-depth academic study of the Bible, but may be less suited for public proclamation, since they can be difficult to understand when heard or read aloud. • "Dynamic Equivalence Translations" try to put the sense of the original text into the best modem English, remaining close to the ideas expressed but not always following the exact wording or word-order of the Hebrew or Greek originals. Thus they may seem less "literal" than the formal correspondence translations but can be just as "faithful" to the original text, and are therefore generally better suited for public pmclamation or liturgical use. • "Biblical Paraphrases" are not (and do not even claim to be) accurate translations, although they are usually still called "Bibles.' These popular books (esp. those intended for children or teenagers, or the "Living Bible" of 1971) not only condense and/or omit much of the material, but they freely change the wording of the original texts to make the stories easier to understand and/or more "relevant" for their intended readers. For example, the system of measuring time in ancient Israel was vety different from our own. They counted twelve hours from sunrise to sundown, and subdivided the night into three (or sometimes four) "watches." Thus the same time that is called 'the eleventh hour" in a formal correspondence translation would be translated "five o'clock in the afternoon" in a dynamic equivalence version (and might simply say "in the late afternoon' in a Weal paraphrase). For more explanation of the difference between 'Tomei correspondence" and "dynamic equivalence" translations of the Bible, see chapter 3, "Transhtticins," in Daniel I. Harrington, Interpreting the NT. Many of the translations discussed by Hanington have been revised since his book was published, so the following chart gives some updated information:
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English Translations of the Bible Page 1 of 4
English Tra slafions of the Bible by Prof Felix IttsA S.J - Loyola Marytnount University
Introduction: The Bible was not written in English — not even "King James English"! Most of the books of the Old Testament were originally composed in Hebrew (with a few portions inAramak), while the entire New Testament was originally written in Greek (although some books may also incorporate Aramaic sources). Tims, what most people today read is not the original text, but other people's translations of the Bide But why are there so many diffetent English translations of the Bible? And why can't churches or scholars agree on just one translation? • No original manuscript of any biblical book has survived! All of the texts written by the biblical authors themselves have been lost or destroyed over the centuries. All we have are copies of copies of copies, most of them copied hundreds of years after the original texts were written. • The want manuscripts contain numerous textual variations! There are Bundy thousands of difibrences in the surviving biblical manuscripts, many of them minor (spelling variations, synonyms, different word orders), but some of them major (whole sections missing or added). • Important old snatuescripts werefound in the last 200 years! Recent discoveries of older manuscripts (esp. the Dead Sea Saar and the Codex Sinaiticus) have helped scholars get closer to the original text of the Bible, so that modern translations can be more accurate that medieval ones. • The meanings of some biblical tevis are unknown or uncertain! Some Hebrew or Greek words occur only once in the Bible, but nowhere else in ancient literature, so their exact meanings are =blown; and some biblical phrases are ambiguous, with more than one possible meaning. • Ancient languages are very dfferentfrom modern languages! Not only do Ancient Hebrew and Greek use completely different alphabets and vocabularies, but their grammatical rules and structures (word order, prepositions, conjugations of vetbs, etc.) are very different from modern English. • Evay "translation" is already inevitably ass 'Interpretation"! Anyone who knows more than one modern language realizes that "translations" often have meanings that are slightly claret from the original, and that different people inevitably translate the same texts in slightly different ways. • All firing languages continually change and devekr over time! Not only is "Modem English" very different from 16th century English, but the language used in Great Britain, America, Australia, and other countries are slightly different from each other (in spelling grammar, idioms, word meanings, etc.). • Cultural developments require mew sesuldrities in language! Recent awareness of the evils of racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of discrimination have shown have certain language is slanted or biased, with corresponding efforts to develop more "inclusive" language alternatives. Thus, no translation is tipetlect" (none of them can be completely "literal" or 100% identical to the original texts) and there is no "best" translation (all of them have some advantages and some drawbacks). In general, however, the most recent translations (1980's or 1990's) are better than the older ones (esp. the KW or the Douay-Rheims, both about 400 years old), not only since the English language has changed significantly over the centuries, but more importantly because of the ancient http://clawww.hu.edii/cuIty/ust/Bibl&Pnglish _
&Pro Historica l Era 1000-925BC o Time of the Davidic & r Solomonic monarchy Yahwist Height of national unithhola; vision, & trust. - Basically the product of the South
Elonist
Darterottomist
Priestly
850-750 BC Thoughtto be a document ofthe North; an attemptto change and correctSouthern beliefs; a group struggling for power andindependence
r Probably from the h North in origin, but a also Southern influm ence is finmd ; -bDtrifts begun about i550 BC t ) ,587-530 BC B Thoughtto be a product of the exile exC perience. Believed to be redactors of the Pentateuch
Literary Characteristics — Use of the name ofYAHWEH (almost slavishly, even in pre-Israelite period)
The unique and one Gt3d; the only God for all times
— A style that is crisp and lively; a "saving" history for Israel — A colorful and vivid manifestation of the sinfuhtess of key individuals
A personal God who acts in life of Israel Intended to remind Israel of its election the special choice of Israel by God Emphasizing that God's love and mercy will exceed the power of sin; with the forces of evil
Favors, speeches on the lips of famous individutds
To heighten the fulfilhnent of God's promise made through God and chosen MUMS.
Frequent use of the name of Whim in dreams or through divine messengers
Speaking of God as the "God of gods" Thought to present a transcendent God of the covenant; by this, the distance bhv God and humanity is heightened
— Distinguishes key characters as persons of learheverence;
This highlights the persons as individuals who hold God in awe, and therein receive God's blessings
— Special names used: HOREB for Sinai AMOKIES for Canaanites — Likes titles of honor: prophet
• Influenced by the ethical concerns of the prophetic tradition
—Legal language
Calling for fidelity and obedience to the covemmt precepts, if the people expect to receive blessing
—Repeated expression: 'love the Lord with all your heart, ntind, and strength"
As God gives all good things to Israel, so is all demanded The fine of Israel is not meaningless; there is a just pmishmen4 God is true to his word Explain the &kends and promises of the Covenant; IsraePs history ill to be interpreted in light ofDeut
—Dent as a Prologue to the Thrills
— Varied forms of the divine names
Expresses care and precision about the doctrinal matters; sense of solenmity Solidifies & establishes ties in history; shows God's care & election of sp.persons To be a creative force and hope for the people
— Descriptive of divine presence, temple,
& cult
Important to show God's approval on their religious institutions; importance of the central cult.
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52 Session 2: Introducing Biblical Criticism their experiences with fundamentalism. As a supplement, you may wish to present the following chart: Catholic Secular Fundamentalist Bible is the word Bible is a human Bible Is the word of God of God in human, creation only words Text is infallible Text is. Text is equivalent incatnational to any other text Concentrate on Concentrate on text context Read text Read text as Read text prayerfully literature prayerfully Emphasis is on Emphasis is on Emphasis is on literal truth religious truth readers' subjective experience ••
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