Chapter 1: What is the Bible? Understanding the Scriptures.

Chapter 1: What is the Bible?

Understanding the Scriptures

Syllabus. How the lessons of this text will be taught. Instructional policy. Materials. Homework.

1. Introductory Lesson – for first day of class

HOMEWORK

Reading Read Chapter 1 through the

sidebar Periods of Bible History (p. 6–9)

1. Introductory Lesson – for first day of class

ANTICIPATORY SET

Explain to the students St. Paul wrote the Second Epistle to Timothy near the end of his life when he was in prison for having preached the Gospel. St. Paul had ordained St. Timothy a bishop and gave him advice to carry out his ministry.

Have each student complete a focused reading on 2 Timothy 3:10―4:5, using the following question:

What is the nature of Sacred Scripture, and what are its purposes?

Have each student work with a partner to focus on verse 16, and, using a dictionary if necessary, explain what the verse means.

2. Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium

BASIC QUESTIONS In what two ways is the Word of God transmitted, and

who has the authority to interpret it authoritatively?

KEY IDEAS The Word of God is transmitted by Sacred Scripture

and Sacred Tradition, and its authoritative interpretation has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church.


What does inspired mean?Literally, inspired means breathed in. With respect to the Sacred Scriptures, it means God the Holy Spirit guided the Sacred Authors who wrote the books of the Bible.

Who are the two authors of the Sacred Scriptures?God is the principal author of Scripture; the human authors are also true authors who, when they wrote, acted as free, subordinate, intelligent instruments of the Holy Spirit.

What does inerrant mean with respect to the Sacred Scriptures?It means Scripture does not err in teaching the truth God wishes it to teach.

FOCUS QUESTIONS


GUIDED EXERCISE

Conduct a think/pair/share on the paragraph “Reading Sacred Scripture . . .” (p. 7), and then ask the students the following question:

How is reading Sacred Scripture like receiving the Eucharist?


GUIDED EXERCISE

Conduct a think/pair/share using the following questions to better understand the Catechism, nos. 889–892 (p. 8).

889: How do the People of God share in the infallibility of Christ? 890: What is the task of the Magisterium? 890: What is the pastoral duty of the Magisterium? 890: What charism (gift) of the Holy Spirit did Christ give the Magisterium to carry out its pastoral duty? 891: What two forms does infallibility take? 891: How should the faithful respond to an infallible teaching? 892: How should the faithful respond to an ordinary, or non‑infallible, teaching of the Pope or the bishops with him?


If Christianity is not a religion of the book, what is it?It is a religion of the divine Person of Jesus Christ, who is the living Word of God.

Who is the central Person found in Sacred Scripture?Jesus Christ is the central Person in Scripture.

Why should people study Sacred Scripture?People study so they can come to know Jesus Christ and his teachings.

FOCUS QUESTIONS


CLOSURE Have each student write a paragraph about the relationship among Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium.


HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT Reading

How the Bible Was Written through The Bible Is Religious (pp. 10–13)

Study Questions Questions 1–11.

Workbook Questions 1–8.


ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT Have each student free write for five minutes about the relationship between the four Catechism questions on page 8 (nos. 889–892) and the passage from 2 Timothy in the Anticipatory Set (p. 7).


ANTICIPATORY SET

Explain the Bible contains a tremendous variety of writing styles. This is due to its many different authors, who wrote about different events and for different reasons over thousands of years.

3. The Bible as Religious History

BASIC QUESTIONS What is the relationship between the human and divine authorship

of the Sacred Scriptures? Why is it important to understand the books of the Bible as works

of human literature? What kind of history does the Bible contain?

KEY IDEAS The Bible was written by inspired Sacred Authors who wrote only

what God wanted; consequently, it is true and without error. To understand the Bible, one needs to take into account the

authors’ intentions, which can be discovered through literary modes and circumstances.

The Bible presents religion, specifically salvation history.


GUIDED EXERCISE

The Bible contains a tremendous variety of writing styles. This is due to its many different authors, writing about different events and for different reasons across millennia.

Conduct a think/pair/share to look up the following biblical passages and match each with the category that most accurately fits the passage.


Luke 1:1–4

Song of Songs 2:8–13

Chronicles 2:1–17

Romans 6:1–4

Revelation 12:1–6

Complicated theology

Symbolic vision

Beautiful poetry

Accurate history

Family genealogy

Why is the Bible literature?The Bible uses literary forms and techniques to convey its meaning.

How does the Book of Genesis shed light on Jeremiah 4:23?Jeremiah drew on imagery from the creation narrative to communicate how terrible God’s judgment would be against Judah. It was as if God would uncreate Judah.

What does it mean to describe a Sacred Author’s intention?Intention describes what the Sacred Author wanted to affirm and what God wanted to reveal by his words. Extension: In every book of the Bible there are two intentions: what the Sacred Author intended and what God intends. God’s intention often goes beyond the intention of the Sacred Author; for example, many passages in the Old Testament foreshadow Christ without the Sacred Author having realized it.

FOCUS QUESTIONS


GUIDED EXERCISE

Conduct a think/pair/share using the following question:

How can the Sacred Author’s intention be discovered in a particular passage of the Bible?


Why are different personalities recognized in the books of the Bible?The various books of the Bible have very different human authors.

Why is the Bible—unlike any human book—completely free from error?The principal author of the Bible is God, who cannot err.

Why might some ideas in the Bible seem outdated?The Sacred Authors presented their messages in ways the people of their time could understand.

FOCUS QUESTIONS


What is the primary purpose of Sacred Scripture?It conveys religious truths, and it is ordered toward the salvation of all people.

What are the two senses of Scripture?They are the literal, i.e., that which the Sacred Author intended to express, and the spiritual, i.e., the meaning when read under the influence of the Holy Spirit in light of Christ.

How do modern people tend to view religion differently than ancient peoples, including the authors of Sacred Scripture?Modern people tend to see religion in terms of personal experience, whereas the ancient peoples saw it as an essential aspect of society; religion held together history, culture, politics, and all else.

FOCUS QUESTIONS


In what way is every human historian biased?Every human historian writes from a point of view, selecting what he considers important and interpreting the facts according to his or her viewpoint.

Why is the Bible unbiased?The principal author is God the Holy Spirit, who sees things exactly as they are.

What is salvation history?All the history in the Bible is salvation history, i.e., the gradual unveiling of God’s plan to save all people unfolding through the ages.

FOCUS QUESTIONS


GUIDED EXERCISE

Have the students analyze the illustration from the Biblia Pauperum (p. 22), and then ask them to identify the stories in the three central panels.

1. Esau sells his birthright to his brother Jacob for a pot of stew.2. The Devil tries to tempt Christ, promising him all the kingdoms of the earth if he will only worship him.3. Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit to be “like gods.”

Lead a class discussion using the following question:

How can the stories of Esau and Jacob and Adam and Eve be read in a spiritual sense, that is, in light of the mystery of Christ, who was tempted?


GUIDED EXERCISE

Conduct a think/pair/share using the following questions according to the chart “Archaeological Periods and Biblical Events” (p. 13).

How many archaeological periods span biblical events?

Which book of the Bible covers human prehistory?

When did Abraham live?

In what archaeological period was the Exodus?

When was David King of Israel?

During which archaeological period did Christ appear on Earth?


CLOSURE Put the students in groups of three or four to brainstorm reasons people might think there are errors in the Bible.


HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT Reading

What “Salvation History” Is through How the Canon Came to Be (pp. 14–18)

Study Questions Questions 12–14.

Workbook Questions 9–15.


ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT Have each student write a paragraph exploring the parallel between the human‑divine authorship of the Bible and the human‑divine Incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.

Briefly share answers.


ANTICIPATORY SET

Administer a closed‑book, open-workbook quiz.

4. Salvation History and the Canon of Scripture

BASIC QUESTIONS What is salvation history? How do the Catholic faithful understand the content of

their Faith, including the Bible? How did the Church determine which books are canonical?

KEY IDEAS Salvation history is God’s plan to save humanity,

specifically the story of the covenants made between God and his people.

The Church is a guide to understand the Faith, including the Sacred Scriptures.

The Church formally declared the canon of Scripture, based on apostolic Tradition, at the Ecumenical Council of Trent.


What is salvation history?The Bible, taken as a whole, tells the story of God’s plan to save the human race as it has been unveiled in history.

How is salvation history different from other kinds of history?Salvation history includes not only the past but the future as well.

What is a covenant in the context of the Old Testament?In the Old Testament, a covenant was an agreement between God and man made through an individual to establish a family relationship between God and his people.

FOCUS QUESTIONS


GUIDED EXERCISE

Have the students analyze the illustration of the Garden of Eden (p. 15), and then lead a class discussion using the following question:

What four vignettes of the story of Adam and Eve does the artist portray?


What are the two major divisions of the Bible?The Old Testament was written before the time of Christ, and the New Testament was written after.What prompted early Christians to determine which books are canonical, i.e., authored by God and should be included in the Bible?Early Christians tried to decide which books to include in liturgical worship. The Septuagint, or Greek translation of the Old Testament, was used in the early Church; however, there was some disagreement over which of the many writings in existence should be included in the New Testament.What are some examples of Catholic doctrine found in the deuterocanonical books?The Book of Tobit speaks of guardian angels. The Second Book of Maccabees teaches people to pray for the dead, i.e., the existence of Purgatory.

FOCUS QUESTIONS


GUIDED EXERCISE

Deliver a mini‑lecture on canonicity and the correct interpretation of Scripture.


CLOSURE Have each student use his or her notes to write a paragraph summarizing the three criteria the Church used to determine which books are canonical.


HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT Study Questions

Questions 15–23. Practical Exercises 1–2.

Workbook Questions 16–25 and Vocabulary.


ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT Divide the students into groups of three or four and complete the first part of Practical Exercise 2 (p. 21), requiring them to interpret Luke 12:51–53 two different ways.

Have a few students share their interpretations, and then lead a class discussion about the two remaining questions in Practical Exercise 2.


The End

Chapter 1: What is the Bible? Understanding the Scriptures.

Documents

Transcript of Chapter 1: What is the Bible? Understanding the Scriptures.