An Introduction To the Bible

What is Sacred Scripture? Scripture is the Living Word of God written down and passed down to us throughout History. Sacred Scripture is a love letter from God to His people. “In the Sacred Books the Father who is in Heaven comes lovingly to meet his children and talks with them” (CCC 104). Give students a firmer understanding of what the Bible is. Emphasize the importance of the Bible not only being a Historical document but one of the ways we encounter God in our lives. The Bible is the means by which God continues to communicate to us today.

Salvation History The Scriptures comprise the story of our Salvation known as Salvation History. Salvation History: The history of God coming to meet man in time through the revelation of His words and deeds so that we might be saved from eternal separation from Him. St. Augustine called Salvation History the “Narratio” or THE story. Salvation History is what should inform and give meaning to our lives. It in a sense provides the “plot” of our life and mission on this earth. Studying Salvation History helps us understand where we’ve come from but also informs our mission going forward.

A Living Word The Scriptures are a living Word. We must ask God to open our minds to understand the Scriptures and apply them to our own lives. Scripture is the word of God incarnate in human words. St. Jerome says, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” The Word of God has relevance for us today, right now. Yes the stories are ancient but the meaning and message remains ever present and ever new.

When Was the Bible Written? Between 1100 B.C.-A.D. 100 Old Testament: Parts during 1100 B.C., the bulk of it was written 700-100B.C. New Testament: A.D. 70-A.D 100

Who Was the Bible Written By? The Old Testament was written by Jews and Israelites. The New Testament was written by Jewish Christians. The Authors lived in the Holy Land, but also in other parts such as Greece and Egypt.

How Did the Canon Come to Be? The Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit has the authority to determine what books belong in the canon of Scripture. Canon of Scripture: The Definitive list of inspired books. A.D. 393 - Council of Hippo- List of Books for the Canon issued. A.D. 397 - Council of Carthage- Same list given again. A.D. 1546 - Council of Trent makes a definite decree that the Canon as we know it today is the list of books inspired by God. It is important that students understand that the process for deciding on the Cannon was not arbitrary. It was taken seriously and guided by the Holy Spirit. This also emphasizes the point from an earlier lesson in this unit that Tradition is important. Christianity existed for several hundred years without a “Bible”.

Division of Books in the Old Testament Torah/Pentateuch (1st five books of the Bible) Historical Books Prophetic Books Wisdom Books

Old and New Testaments Testament: something that serves as a sign or evidence of a specified fact, event, or quality. The Old Testament is fulfilled in the New and the New is hidden in the Old. The Old Testament is the story of God preparing his people for Christ. It needs to be read in the light of Christ. The Old Testament is valuable in and of itself, and a lot can be learned from it independent of the New Testament. Scripture cannot be read and understood properly without seeing the unity of the Old and New Testaments. The notion that there is a God of the Old Testament and then a God of the New Testament is false. The Old and New Testaments tell the story of the One God revealing himself to humanity over time. It is ONE story.

Old and New Testaments The New Testament focuses on the life, teachings, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ along with the beginnings of the Church. The Gospels are the primary source we have for the life of Christ. The Old Testament and New Testament are a collection of several smaller stories that make up ONE story!