Background To Scripture

Bible: this means “the books” It was written by many different people who were guided by God’s spirit. The Bible is a small library of books in one. It is divided into two major parts; Christians call the books written before Jesus the Old Testament. Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Proverbs are among the books that can be found in the Old Testament. The main point of the Old Testament is to show God’s love. These books are the basis of the Jewish religion. These books are the books Jesus taught from when he was growing up. All of the apostles also followed these books. The New Testament is the second part to the Bible. This is concerned with Jesus’ Love for us. It also tells the story of the early followers of Jesus and the early church. This part includes the four gospels, the letters and the Acts of the Apostles.

How Did The Bible Develop? The Bible grew out of; The religious experience of the people of Israel. It shows their developing understanding of their relationship with God. The Bible has three types of history; Oral History: stories told, songs sung, history recounted and memorized. Written History: written stories, history recorded, instructions, guides. Edited History: selected the best of what was written and told. All three types of history happened at the same time.

What Should We Believe About The Bible? The Bible is given special respect because Jewish and Christian people believe that God communicates with people in a special way through the Bible. The Bible is one of the ways God speaks to us. He also speaks to us through persons, places, events, and our conscience. The writers of the Bible experienced God in their lives and wrote about their experience. We believe that if the Bible is read as an inspired book, then it becomes God’s special revelation. God leaves us free to hear or ignore this revelation.

How To Find A Scriptural Reference The Bible is Composed of Books, Each Books is composed of Chapters, Each chapter is composed of Verses A Scripture passage provides all the information you need to find a particular passage. Take for example the reference; Genesis 1:31 The name of the book comes first. Here the name Genesis (Often Abbreviated Gen or Gn) The Chapter number appears directly after the name of the book. The example gives the number 1, meaning Chapter 1. The last number, separated from the chapter number by a colon, indicates the verse. The example refers to Verse 31.

Gen 1:1 – 8 Genesis, Chapter 1 Verses 1 through 8 Scriptural references generally contain more detailed information. Here are some examples: Gen 1:1 – 8 Genesis, Chapter 1 Verses 1 through 8 Gen 1:3,6,9 Genesis, Chapter 1, Verses 3,6, and 9 Gen 2: 8-10, 18-25 Genesis, Chapter 2, Verses 8 through 10 and Verses 18 though 25 Gen 1-3 Genesis, Chapter 1 through 3

Locating Scriptural Passages What land did God tell Abraham to find? (Gen 12: 4-5) Where did Moses meet God to receive God’s law? (Ex 19:19-20) Who were the first people to learn about Jesus rising from the dead? (Mk 16: 1-8) When did Solomon start building the temple in Jerusalem? (1 Kg 6:1) Why did the official leave the sinful woman alone instead of stoning her? (Jn 8: 3-11) How close should people be to God? (Jer 13:11)

Terms To Know Literalist – People who read and interpret the bible passages word for word based on the actual words in their ordinary meaning. Contextualist – People who weave together the whole situation, background or environment relevant to a particular event, personality etc. when reading and interpreting the bible. Patriarch – One of the founders of the ancient Hebrew families in the Bible: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Covenant –A binding and solemn agreement made by 2 or more individuals, the promises made by God to people, as recorded in the Bible. Testament – An agreement or last will. It is also an affirmation of beliefs or convictions.

Gospel – Derived from the Old English GODSPEL meaning “good news” Gospel – Derived from the Old English GODSPEL meaning “good news”. The Good News of what God has done in and through Jesus. Christ – Derived from the Greek word CHRISTOS meaning “anointed one”. Resurrection – The rising of Jesus from the dead after his death on Good Friday and his burial. Apostle – Greek term that means “one sent out” and is related to the Hebrew term SILIAH which translates to “one who is to complete the task or acts in the place of the sender”.

Disciple –From the Latin DISCIPULUS, meaning “student” Disciple –From the Latin DISCIPULUS, meaning “student”. Any student who follows a teacher. Apostle and Disciple are not the same. The Apostles were specifically picked by Jesus to go out and spread his word. A.D. – Anno Domini (Year of the Lord) - term used to represent the period of time since Jesus’ birth. C.E. – Common Era – Term now used to represent the period of time since Jesus’ birth. B.C. – Before Christ - term used to represent the period of time before Jesus’ birth. B.C.E. – Before Common Era - term now used to represent the period of time before Jesus’ birth.

Is Scripture Really True? As Catholics we believe two important principles: Inspiration – A diviner influence upon human beings as that resulted in the writing of the Scriptures. Since all of the Bible is the word of God and it was written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Bible reveals the truth. Inerrancy – While there are minor errors in the scriptures (dates, names, etc.) there is NO ERROR in the message itself.

Kinds Of Truth Religious – God tries to communicate with people through their lives. Moral – “Thou Shall Not Kill” Symbolic – “If you eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.” Proverbial – “The early bird gets the worm.” Historical – Jesus was born in Bethlehem and lived his young life in Nazareth. Scientific – 2+2=4

The Holy Bible: Inspiration The Old Testament is the recorded history of Gods Revealing Himself to the Hebrew people. When we discuss revelation through scripture, we must mention the term inspiration. Inspiration refers to God working through the authors of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures to communicate religious truth. The authors were somehow in touch with the truth of God in their lives. This is what we mean when we say that the Bible is inspired.

It would be inaccurate, however, to imagine that God simply whispered into the author’s ear what to write, while the author merely tool dictation. To be honest, we don’t really know how God inspired the authors. We recognize that it is a mystery. What is important is the end result, the written record of God’s revelation. It is important to understand that the authors were limited in their understanding, education, and culture. Sometimes these limitations can be seen in the Bible, but the religious truth still remains. Keep in mind the Bible is the Word of God in the words of human beings.

Background To Literary Forms In The Bible Myth - a traditional story focusing on the deeds of gods or heroes, often in explanation of some natural phenomenon. List – an itemized series of names, words, etc., usually recorded in a set order. Prophecy – a prediction made under divine influence and direction. Law – a rule of conduct, moral principle, ect., derived from a generally recognized concept of universal justice. Sermon – a speech of a serious or solemn kind of pronouncement.

History – a record or account usually written in chronological order of past events, especially those concerning a particular nation or people. Letter – a written or printed message, usually of a personal nature or concerning a specific subject. Proverbs – prose or poetic statements or maxims for instruction. Parables – short allegorical stories told to bring out a moral religious truth. Psalm – a sacred song or poem.

Name That Literary Form 1 John 5:18-21 Luke 15:1-10 Matthew 5:1-5 Isaiah 65:15-17 Genesis 3:1-3 Numbers 13:5-15 Leviticus 11:24-25 1 Kings 16:15 Ecclesiastes 5:10 Psalm 40:1-3