“And the Word was made
Flesh and Dwelt among us.”
Goal: To come into deeper intimacy with
Jesus through a more profound
engagement with Sacred Scripture
Objectives:
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•
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What is Divine Revelation?
The Holy Bible
The Word of God
Protestant Approach to Scripture
Catholic Understanding of Scripture
Inspiration & Inerrancy
Economy and Typology
Praying Sacred Scripture
“The Church has always venerated
the divine Scriptures just as she
venerates the body of the Lord,
since, especially in the sacred
liturgy, she unceasingly receives
and offers to the faithful the bread
of life from the table both of God’s
word and of Christ’s body.” (Vatican
II Dogmatic Constitution on Divine
Revelation “Dei Verbum”, 21)
What is Divine Revelation?
•
By natural reason humanity can
know God with certainty by His works
•
But there is another order of knowledge,
which man cannot arrive at by his own
powers; the order of divine revelation.
Divine Revelation
God’s self-disclosure of who He is
and His plan for our salvation.
•
Revelation has a double focus:
•
Reveals God to man
• Reveals man to himself
What is Divine Revelation?
•
The divine plan of Revelation is
realized simultaneously by deeds
and words which are bound up
with each other and shed light
on each other
•
The words explain the deeds
•
The deeds illustrate the words
•
God reveals Himself to man
gradually (Divine Pedagogy)
•
He prepares him by stages, slowly
unfolding His revelation
•
Culminates in the person and
mission of Jesus Christ
• The question we must come to terms with
The Holy Bible
Still, the Christian faith is not a "religion
of the book." Christianity is the religion
of the "Word" of God, a word which is
"not a written and mute word, but the
Word is incarnate and living." If the
Scriptures are not to remain a dead
letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the
living God, must, through the Holy Spirit,
"open [our] minds to understand the
Scriptures” (CCC 108, Quoting St.
Bernard of Clairvaux)
The Holy Bible
•
In both Latin and Greek the term
"Biblia" means: “The Books.”
•
Originally, the Bible was not one book
but a collection of books.
•
It was in the fourth century that the
seventy-three books of the Bible
were combined to form one "volume."
•
The Council of Hippo, created the
list of the Old and New Testament
books in 393 AD which is the same
as we use today.
•
This was confirmed by the
Council of Carthage in 397 AD.
The Holy Bible
• The term " Testament," as applied to the two parts of the Bible, means: a
covenant, agreement, pact.
• The “Old Testament” refers to the
time before Christ and is the same
as the Hebrew Bible.
• Masoretic Text: Hebrew and
contains 39 books (Protestants).
• Septuagint Text: Greek and
contains 46 books (Catholics).
• The “New Testament” (27 books)
refers to the time during and just
after Christ.
• Written in Greek
The Word of God
In order to reveal himself to
men, in the condescension of his
goodness God speaks to them in
human words: "Indeed the
words of God, expressed in the
words of men, are in every way
like human language, just as the
Word of the eternal Father,
when he took on himself the
flesh of human weakness,
became like men.“ (Catechism
no. 101, DV 13)
The Word of God
• The Word of God primarily refers to
the Second Person of the Blessed
Trinity.
• The Bible is called: The Word of God.
And the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us
John 1:14
• Jesus Christ took on human nature
to save humanity from sin and death
• Fully Human & Fully Divine
• Like humanity in all things but sin
• Scripture is like Christ in two ways
• Divine and Human Authorship
• Like human writings in all things but error
The Word of God
• This does not mean that Scriptures
are divine in the same way that Jesus
is divine.
• The Scriptures are rather divinely
inspired and, as such, unique in the
world of literature.
• This inspired word resembles the
Incarnate Word in many ways.
• We therefore cannot conceive one
without the other: the Bible without
Jesus, or Jesus without the Bible
• Each is the interpretive key to the
other.
Ignorance of Scriptures
is ignorance of Christ
St. Jerome
Protestant Approach
• Sola scriptura (by scripture alone) is the
doctrine that the Bible is the only
infallible or inerrant authority for
Christian faith, and that it contains all
knowledge necessary for salvation and
holiness.
• Consequently, Sola Scriptura demands
that no doctrine is to be admitted or
confessed that is not found directly or
logically within Scripture.
• However, Sola Scriptura is not a denial
of other authorities governing Christian
life and devotion.
Martin Luther
Protestant Approach
• Sola scriptura simply demands that all
other authorities are subordinate to, and
are to be corrected by, the written word
of God.
• Sola scriptura was a foundational
doctrinal principle of the Protestant
Reformation held by the Reformers.
• During the Reformation, authentication
of Scripture was governed by the
discernable excellence of the text as well
as the personal witness of the Holy Spirit
to the heart of each man.
John Calvin
Catholic & Orthodox Approach
• The Roman Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox teach that the Scriptures are
not the only infallible source of
Christian doctrine.
• For them Scripture is but one of three
equal authorities; the other two being
Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium .
• They also believe that the Church has
authority to establish or restrict
interpretation of Scriptures because,
in part, they selected which books
were to be in the biblical canon
Pope Francis and Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I of
Constantinople
Catholic Understanding
• Oral Tradition
Divine Revelation
• By the apostles who handed on
• Written
Tradition
• By their preaching
Bytheir
the
and living
other men
By
example
• In••order
thatapostles
the full and
associated
the
apostles
• By
the
institutions
they
established
Gospel
might
bewith
preserved,
the who,
under
the
inspiration
of the Holy
• By
what
they
received
apostles
passed
ithad
on to
their
Spirit,
committed
of
• Whether
from the message
lips of Christ
successors
(bishops).
salvation
to writing.
• From his
way of life
From the
prompting
of the
• This is• known
as Apostolic
Succession
Holy Spirit
• This living transmission, accomplished
through the Holy Spirit, is known as
Tradition.
• Through Tradition, the Church in her
doctrine, life and worship perpetuates
and transmits to every generation
what she believes.
“Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture,
then, are bound closely together, and
communicate one with the other. For
both of them, flowing out from the same
divine well-spring, come together in
some fashion to form one thing, and
move towards the same goal.” CCC. 80
Catholic Understanding
Sacred Scripture must be read and interpreted in
the light of the same Spirit by whom it was
written (Dei Verbum, 12)
•
•
•
Pay attention to the content & unity of the
whole Bible
Read within the context of the living tradition
of the Church
Be aware of the “analogy of faith.” (the
coherence & connection between the truths
of the Faith)
(CCC 112-114)
Inspiration
• St. Paul tells us that, “All Scripture is
inspired by God.” (2Tim 3:16)
• “Inspired” can also be translated as:
“God-breathed” (Theo-pneustos)
• This means that God is the primary
author of the Bible.
• He did use human authors in this
task as well, but He did not simply
assist them or approve what they
wrote.
• God is the Principal author of the
Bible while human writers are
instrumental authors.
Inerrancy
• The principle of biblical inerrancy
flows from it’s divine authorship.
• God cannot lie. He cannot make
mistakes.
• Since the Bible is divinely inspired, it
must be without error in everything
the divine and human authors hold
to be true.
• Inerrancy is our guarantee that the
words and deeds of God found in the
Bible are true, declaring in one voice
the wonders of His saving love.
Economy: How God Reveals Himself to Us
Economy: How God Reveals Himself to Us
In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes
lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them.
Dei Verbum 21
Economy: How God Reveals Himself to Us
Economy: Covenant Love
The major covenants of the Bible are…
The Creation Covenant (Adam and Eve)- Couple
The Noahic Covenant- Family
The Abrahamic Covenant- Tribe
The Mosaic Covenant- Nation
The Davidic Covenant- Kingdom
The New and Everlasting Covenant- Church
Even when man disobeyed you and lost your friendship you did not
abandon him to the power of death…Again and again you offered a
covenant to man (Roman Missal, Eucharistic Prayer IV)
COVENANT
Promise of a New Covenant
I will place my law within them, and write it
upon their hearts; I will be their God and they
will be my people.
Jer. 31:33
A Promise Fulfilled
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
which will be shed for you. Luke 22:20
Biblical Typology
“It is on this harmony of the two Testaments that the Paschal catechesis of
the Lord is built, and then, that of the Apostles and the Fathers of the Church.
This catechesis unveils what lay hidden under the letter of the Old Testament:
the mystery of Christ. It is called "typological" because it reveals the newness
of Christ on the basis of the "figures" (types) which announce him in the
deeds, words, and symbols of the first covenant. By this re-reading in the
Spirit of Truth, starting from Christ, the figures are unveiled. Thus the flood
and Noah's ark prefigured salvation by Baptism, as did the cloud and the
crossing of the Red Sea. Water from the rock was the figure of the spiritual
gifts of Christ, and manna in the desert prefigured the Eucharist, "the true
bread from heaven.” (CCC 1094)
Biblical Typology
The New Testament is hidden in the Old…
The Old Testament is revealed in the New…
Biblical Typology
Examples from the New Testament
• The New Manna (John 6:30-35; Numbers 11)
• The Paschal Lamb (1 Cor. 5:6-8; John 1:29)
• Baptism (1 Pet. 3:18-22; Genesis 6-9)
• The Only Son (John 3:16; Genesis 22)
• The Spiritual Rock (1 Cor. 10:1-5; Ex. 17)
• Melchizedek (Heb. 7; Genesis 14:17-20)
Biblical Typology
Three Readings on Sunday
1st Reading from Old
Testament
2nd Reading from one of
the letters
3rd Reading from one of
the Gospels
Time Out to Process
What points in the
presentation thus far
resonate with you?
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to Him
in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27)
Were not our hearts burning within us
while He spoke to us on the way
and opened the Scriptures to us? (Luke 24:32)
The Spiritual Senses of Scripture
• Three spiritual senses of Scripture
• The Allegorical Sense reveals the
spiritual and prophetic meaning of
biblical history.
What is concealed in mystery is later
revealed in history (Passover/Eucharist).
• The Tropological or Moral Sense reveals
how the Bible should shape our moral
choices.
Faith without works are dead. (Jas 2:14)
• The Anagogical Sense points upward to
heavenly glory.
It reveals how countless events in the Bible
prefigure our final union with God in
heaven.
Praying Scripture: Receiving the Word of God
For me, the Gospel is the Body of Christ; for me, the holy Scriptures are
his teaching. And when he says: whoever does not eat my flesh and drink
my blood (Jn 6:53), even though these words can also be understood of
the Eucharistic Mystery, Christ’s body and blood are really the word of
Scripture, God’s teaching. When we approach the Eucharistic Mystery, if a
crumb falls to the ground we are troubled. Yet when we are listening to
the word of God, and God’s Word and Christ’s flesh and blood are being
poured into our ears yet we pay no heed, what great peril should we not
feel?” (St. Jerome, Quoted in Verbum Domini, 56)
Praying Scripture: Meeting Jesus in the Bible
I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient
tradition of "Lectio divina": "the diligent reading of Sacred
Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate
dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking,
and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart"
(cf. "Dei Verbum," n. 25). If it is effectively promoted, this
practice will bring to the Church -- I am convinced of it -- a new
spiritual springtime.
Praying Scripture: Lectio Divina
1.
Read: What do the verses from the Bible say that
all should understand?
2.
Meditate: What do the verses say to me today?
How do they apply to my life?
3.
Pray: What can I say to God in response to these
verses from the Bible?
4.
Contemplate: What change is the Lord asking of me
in these verses?
Praying Scripture: Guided Meditations
St. Ignatius of Loyola
Praying Scripture: The Annunciation
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of
grace, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and
considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to
her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
(Luke 1:26-30)
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
1) What is distinctive about how Catholics read the Bible?
2) What is typology and why is it important for understanding
Christ?
3) How are divine inspiration and infallibility related to one
another?
4) What is your favorite passage in the Holy Bible and why?
Further Learning and Study
The sacred synod also earnestly and
especially urges all the Christian faithful…to
learn by frequent reading of the divine
Scriptures the “excellent knowledge of
Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:8). “For ignorance of
the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”
Therefore, they should gladly put
themselves in touch with the sacred text
itself... And let them remember that prayer
should accompany the reading of Sacred
Scripture, so that God and man may talk
together; for “we speak to Him when we
pray; we hear Him when we read the divine
saying.”
Further Learning and Study
“The Scriptures grow with the one who reads them.”
(St. Gregory the Great)
How you can deepen your relationship with
Christ through Sacred Scripture?
• Make the commitment to read the Bible every day
for at least 15 minutes
• Read your Catechism in conjunction with your Bible
• Refer to a good Catholic Biblical Commentary
• Read and meditate on each day’s Mass readings
using a guide such as Magnificat or Word Among Us
• Join a Bible study group or class at your parish or the Spiritual Life Center
Further Learning and Study
What Bible translation should I use?
Revised Standard Version (RSV-CE) – The top choice for
many Catholic Bible scholars. It’s a Church-approved
translation and is literal but still very readable.
New American Bible – Revised Edition (NAB-RE) – This is
the translation used during the Mass, although it does
contain some questionably translated passages and
some even worse footnotes. But if you want to sync
your reading to the liturgy, this is your best choice.
Douay-Rheims Version (DR) – This was the standard
Bible for English-speaking Catholics from 1609 until the
twentieth century. It’s a trusted version but some
readers find it turgid, similar to the King James Version.
Further Learning and Study
How do I use my Catechism in Conjunction with my Bible?
• The Didache Bible (Ignatius Press)- Provides commentary
based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Cross reference the Bible passage you are reading with the
analytical index at the back of the Catechism or refer to the
biblical references in the footnotes of your CCC
• Read paragraph numbers 101-141 in your
Catechism to understand the Church’s
understanding of Sacred Scripture
• Use a Catholic study Bible, such as the
Ignatius Study Bible, that contains direct
references to the Catechism
Resources for Further Learning and Study
The most profound interpretation of Scripture comes precisely from those who let
themselves be shaped by the word of God through listening, reading and
assiduous meditation (Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, 48)
• Dei Verbum, the Vatican II Document on Divine Revelation (available for
free at www.vatican.va)
• Verbum Domini (The Word of the Lord), Pope Benedict’s document on
Sacred Scripture (available for free at www.vatican.va)
• The Book Bible Basics for Catholics by Dr. John Bergsma (available at
Catholic bookstores)
• Praying Scripture for a Change by Dr Tim Gray (An Intro to Lectio Divina),
available through Ascension Press
• A free reading guide to the Bible and Catechism available through “The
Coming Home Network” (http://www.chnetwork.org/readguide04.pdf)