Lesson 3

Old and New Testaments
15. The principal purpose to which the plan of the old covenant was directed was to prepare for the coming of Christ, the redeemer of all and of the messianic kingdom, to announce this coming by prophecy (see Luke 24:44; John 5:39; 1 Peter 1:10), and to indicate its meaning through various types (see 1 Cor. 10:12). Now the books of the Old Testament, in accordance with the state of mankind before the time of salvation established by Christ, reveal to all men the knowledge of God and of man and the ways in which God, just and merciful, deals with men. These books, though they also contain some things which are incomplete and temporary, nevertheless show us true divine pedagogy. (1) These same books, then, give expression to a lively sense of God, contain a store of sublime teachings about God, sound wisdom about human life, and a wonderful treasury of prayers, and in them the mystery of our salvation is present in a hidden way. Christians should receive them with reverence.

The Old Testament is shaped and written down in a different culture and language. To fully appreciate it, we must understand the events that shape it and the culture it arises from.
We must not project our culture and language onto the text. We read it in English but translation is never exact.

Much is packed into the text. For example following the Annunciation in the Gospel of Luke, the text says "Mary wsent in haste into the hill country to the house of Elizabeth" What we unpack is the fact that it was a journey of 90 miles through roughed country, perhaps taking 5-6 days each way. The text presumes knowledge of the geography.

19. Holy Mother Church has firmly and with absolute constancy held, and continues to hold, that the four Gospels just named, whose historical character the Church unhesitatingly asserts, faithfully hand on what Jesus Christ, while living among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation until the day He was taken up into heaven (see Acts 1:1). Indeed, after the Ascension of the Lord the Apostles handed on to their hearers what He had said and done. This they did with that clearer understanding which they enjoyed (3) after they had been instructed by the glorious events of Christ's life and taught by the light of the Spirit of truth. (2) The sacred authors wrote the four Gospels, selecting some things from the many which had been handed on by word of mouth or in writing, reducing some of them to a synthesis, explaining some things in view of the situation of their churches and preserving the form of proclamation but always in such fashion that they told us the honest truth about Jesus.(4) For their intention in writing was that either from their own memory and recollections, or from the witness of those who "themselves from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word" we might know "the truth" concerning those matters about which we have been instructed (see Luke 1:2-4).

God worked through the human authors who were writing in a particular context.

Lesson 2

How Divine Revelation is handed on
8. And so the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved by an unending succession of preachers until the end of time. Therefore the Apostles, handing on what they themselves had received, warn the faithful to hold fast to the traditions which they have learned either by word of mouth or by letter (see 2 Thess. 2:15), and to fight in defense of the faith handed on once and for all (see Jude 1:3) (4) Now what was handed on by the Apostles includes everything which contributes toward the holiness of life and increase in faith of the peoples of God; and so the Church, in her teaching, life and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes.

Stage One was the experience of Jesus Christ

Stage Two was the preaching of the Apostles, the witnesses to Jesus Christ
This tradition which comes from the Apostles develop in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit. (5) For there is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down. This happens through the contemplation and study made by believers, who treasure these things in their hearts (see Luke, 2:19, 51) through a penetrating understanding of the spiritual realities which they experience, and through the preaching of those who have received through Episcopal succession the sure gift of truth. For as the centuries succeed one another, the Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness of divine truth until the words of God reach their complete fulfillment in her.
Stage Two contains reflections on their experience. After the Resurrection, the Apostles understood better what Jesus had been teaching them. After Pentecost, the Apostles grew in wisdom and understanding.

Stage Three is the actual writing of the Scriptures. This took place over many years. Paul writes between 50 and 64 AD (Date of his death). Mark writes between 60-65; Matthew and Luke between 65-70; and John 80 to 90 AD.

Stage Four is the definition of the canon of Scripture
The words of the holy fathers witness to the presence of this living tradition, whose wealth is poured into the practice and life of the believing and praying Church. Through the same tradition the Church's full canon of the sacred books is known, and the sacred writings themselves are more profoundly understood and unceasingly made active in her; and thus God, who spoke of old, uninterruptedly converses with the bride of His beloved Son; and the Holy Spirit, through whom the living voice of the Gospel resounds in the Church, and through her, in the world, leads unto all truth those who believe and makes the word of Christ dwell abundantly in them (see Col. 3:16).

Stage Five is the ongoing experience of the living Word of God
10. But the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, (8) has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, (9) whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed.
We receive the Scriptures as they were handed on by the Church; from oral transmission to written form to discernment of the canon

Lesson 1

Read "Dei Verbum", the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation.

Paragraph 1:  Preface

There are correct and incorrect ways of interpreting Scripture.  This study will help to clarify them.  There is no such creature as a "non-denominational Bible Study".  All interpretation comes from the perspective of the leader's background.  

If the leader is a fundamentalist, his or her interpretation of Scripture will be based upon a "literal" understanding that makes no room for recognizing "literary forms".  If the leader is a liberal, his or her interpretation of Scripture will tend to make everything "figurative".

Dei Verbum is basic to understanding how we as catholics read and understand the Scriptures.

Paragraph 5 reminds us we should start with a proper disposition.  Always pray before reading Scripture, asking the Holy Spirit to guide us.  In Scripture, we expect to encounter God's Self-Revelation and Truth.  

The constitution first defines the meaning of REVELATION, then speaks of HOW REVELATION IS HANDED ON.  We will deal with these in future lessons.  The constitution explains INSPIRATION and INTERPRETATION.  Technical concepts like Revelation, Inspiration, and Interpretation need to be defined correctly to avoid errors.

New Study

Our Friday Morning Bible Study is starting "How to Read the Bible:  A Catholic Introduction to Interpreting and Defending Sacred Scripture".    After an "Introduction to Sacred Scripture" we will address questions of the Canon of Scripture; the "Bible Alone" issue; Practical points on Bible Reading; Principles for Interpretation; and How to pray with the Bible.

We will take a special look at Miracles and Parables in the Gospels.  Questions are welcome at anytime.

33rd Sunday

Hardship and suffering seem to be a part of the readings for this weekend. Perseverance is the virtue required of the followers of Jesus. According to the Catechism: Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: "Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith ."To live, grow, and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; it must be "working through charity," abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church.

Perseverance requires other virtues, such as fortitude and courage. Scripture speaks of our struggle as “war”. Preparations for that spiritual warfare include our “basic training.” Know your faith. Renew your faith. Strengthen your faith through Word and Sacrament. Exercise your faith through the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Read paragraphs 162-165 in the Catechism for thoughts on perseverance, and 2426-2429 for instruction on human work as duty and vocation. Works of Mercy: 1458, 1473, 1815, 1829, 1853, 2044, 2447

32nd Sunday

Life after death is the issue in the first reading and the Gospel for this weekend. A clear belief in the afterlife was a late development in Israel. Today’s reading from the Second Book of Maccabees, written in the second century before Christ, finds this belief placed in strong relief. Jesus’ words to the Sadducees in today’s Gospel points the difficulty involved in imaging our future life on the basis of our present life experience.

We are reminded of the Spiritual Works of Mercy, especially to pray for the dead. "In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and 'because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins' she offers her suffrages for them." Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping
them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.

Final purification of those who die in God’s friendship but are still imperfect is the basis for our belief in purgatory. All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still
imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.

This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."

31st Sunday

Paul's 2nd letter to the Thessalonians is timely today. They were concerned about the parousia and not focused on living their faith. Paul urges a sane approach. We do not know the day of the Lord's coming. We should be prepared each day. With all the Rapture nonsense being advocated by other Christians, we have an obligation to keep people focused. Paul was concerned about some alleged prophetic insight, an oracle or a fraudulent letter attributed to him that was upsetting people. Read the Gospel and pay attention to what Jesus had to say (be ready at all times).