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SACRED SCRIPTURE

Anne Shore

Assumption [email protected]



Revelation

• God has chosen to revealGodself to humanity in concrete

Words and Deeds.• This Revelation is interpretedand passed on to us through

Scripture and Tradition.• Bible is without error incommunicating what God wantsus to know



Context

Context: We must take intoaccount the culture & beliefs of

time, the literary form, & processof revelation

The culture of the authors of Genesisdid not distinguish between knowledgeand belief, science and philosophy,history and religion. Ideas wereexpressed in a way that would engagethe entire person; body, mind and soul.



What is the bible?

THE INSPIRED WORD OFGOD

– Authors’ words but God’sinspiration

– Knowledge we need forsalvation

– Requires discernment A LIBRARY 73 Books

– collection of many booksfrom many authors (1000BCE – 100 ad)TWO MAINSECTIONS

SACRED WRITINGS TWO SECTIONS

Old TestamentNew Testament



Writing Styles

allegory ( symbolicrepresentation) ,

biography, autobiography,

genealogy, historical narrative, political, legal, prophetic, poetry, prose, memoirs, sermon, song, fable, personal letters, (parable), myth, etc.



Scripture Authorship

In composing the sacred books, Godchose humans and while employed

by God (2) they made use of theirpowers and abilities, so that withGod acting in them and throughthem, (3) they, as true authors,consigned to writing everything andonly those things which God

wanted. (4) “Dei Verbum”



Formation of Scriptures

Events: grew out of real experiences in lives

of Jewish people & early Christians

Oral Tradition: oral stories told from group

to group

Written Tradition: Various parts of oral

tradition began to be written down – servecontemporary audience

Edited Tradition: editors went over &

arranged in connected narrative

Canon: chosen as truthfully representing

faith experiences & nourishing them; OT

Council Jamnia; NT Trent 1545-1563



Canonical Criteria

Apostolic Origin - attributed to and/or based onthe preaching/teaching of the first-generationapostles (or their closest companions).

Universal Acceptance - acknowledged by allmajor Christian communities in theMediterranean world (by the end of the fourthcentury).

Liturgical Use - read publicly along with the OT

when early Christians gathered for the Lord'sSupper (their weekly worship services).

Consistent Message - containing theologicalideas compatible with other accepted Christianwritings (incl. the divinity and humanity Jesus).



HEBREW SCRIPTURES(THE OLD TESTAMENT)



World of Old Testament



Old Testament

A covenant between Godand Hebrews

46 books

Four major sections – Pentateuch – Torah

stories of creation, sin,origin of God’s chosenpeople

– HistoricalTell how Israelitessettled in PromisedLand. Stories of kings



Old Testament

- WisdomBooks of poetry and

collected wisdom ofIsraelites- Prophets

Collected speeches andbiographies of Israelite

prophets and about constantcall to be faithful to covenantrelationship during years ofsettling & living in Holy Land



Covenant

Idea of covenant pervades all scripture

Solemn agreement between God & human beings; involvesmutual promises; binding on both parties

Central theme: God has entered into relationship ofcovenant love with us.

God cannot stop loving us because it is God’s nature tolove

Exodus: powerful sign of God’s saving love for humanity:God chooses to set us free from slavery; God suffers with

oppressed & leads them to freedom Saving event of Jesus Christ – death & resurrection

Exodus & Easter about freedom – being set free forcommitment to God’s people



Old Testament

CATHOLIC BIBLE – Catholics recognize 7 books

which are not included incanon of most other

Christian traditions – TOBIT, – JUDITH, – WISDOM, – ECCLESIASTICUS, – BARUCH, – 1 AND 2MACCABEES, – PORTIONS OF DANIEL AND

ESTER



New Testament CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURE

– Jesus & birth, growth andteaching of Christian Church

Twenty Seven Books

– Four Gospels (the good news)convey meaning of Christ’s life& teaching as their centralmessage

– Acts – the birth of the Churchand how church was spread

– Epistles (oldest book 1 Thess51 AD) 21 letters by Paul &others give teaching &guidance to early churches

– Revelation records visions of

early Christian named John



World of New Testament



Who Do You Say That I Am?

We are not given one pictureof Jesus. Each of the Gospelstell the story a little differently.

– Different literary structure anddevices

– Different chronologies

– Different images and metaphors

– Different emphases

– Authors members of differentcommunities, facing differentconcerns and difficulties

– Not historical biographies



Gospels

Although the Gospels differ onthe details, they agree thatcertain events in Jesus’ life are

crucial to understanding themeaning of his life.

– Proclamation of theKingdom of God

– Actions at the Temple – Passover

– Crucifixion

– Resurrection



Gospels

Each gospel organizedchronologically & not as concernedwith details of Jesus’ history as withhis message

Written approximately between 65 –100 CE

Doubtful any one person wasresponsible for total development of

any one of gospels Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke are

similar in so many ways calledSynoptic Gospels



Proliferation of Apocrypha

Gospels attributed to individual apostles or

groups: – Peter, James, Philip, Thomas,Judas, Mary, pseudo-Matthew,

Matthias, Bartholomew, the Twelve Apostles, Ebionites,Hebrews, Nazaraeans, Egyptians,

Gospels under general titles: – Perfection, Truth, the Four Heavenly Regions

Gospels attributed to heretics:

–Cerinthus, Basilides, Marcion, Apelles, Bardesanes, Mani

Other apocryphal literature: – Apocryphon of: John, James; Apocalypse of John, Peter;

Correspondence between Paul and Seneca; Shepherd of

Hermas



New Testament: Paul

Paul’s Letters (50 to 62 AD)

– The Main Epistles (6)

• Galatians

• 1 Thessalonians

• 2 Thessalonians**

• 1 Corinthians

• 2 Corinthians

• Romans

(**= Paul’s authorship disputed by modernscholars)



New Testament: Paul

– The Prison Epistles (4)• Philippians

• Colossians**

• Philemon• Ephesians**

– The Pastoral Epistles (3) (felt today to bewritten by others after Paul died)

• 1 Timothy**

• 2 Timothy**

• Titus**

(**= Paul’s authorship disputed by modernscholars)



New Testament

Hebrews

– Kind of extended sermon

– In early Church, Paul felt to most likely be

author Most modern scholars feel it is unlikelyPaul was the author

General or Catholic Letters (7)referred to as catholic or universal epistles, because they

are addressed to believing Christians as general audiencerather than specific communities

– James

– 1 Peter, 2 Peter

– Jude

– 1 John, 2 John, 3 John



Paul’s Three Journeys



New Testament

Book of Revelation

Book with highly symbolic andmysterious language which reflects a

kind of writing popular with Jews since200 years before Jesus. Written for firstcentury Christians who sufferedpersecution at hands of Romans fortheir beliefs. Book encourages them to

remain faithful to Christ. Deals with theirexpectations that Jesus will return inglory at end of time to fulfill God’s workon earth

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