Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature Introduction to Divine Revelation Sunday, December 06, 2015Sunday, December 06, 2015Sunday, December 06, 2015Sunday, December 06, 2015

Session 3 Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature December 6, 2015December 6, 2015December 6, Jesus Christ entrusted the transmission of His revelation to the Apostles and their successors, the bishops of the Catholic Church in union with the Pope. The sources of God’s revelation are: a. Tradition. b. Scripture. c. The magisterium.

Session 3 Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature December 6, 2015December 6, 2015December 6, Tradition is the living transmission of the Gospel message in the Church. a. Tradition started before the writing of the Gospels and was evident in the preaching and witness of the Apostles. b. Tradition includes the teachings, liturgy, life and prayer of the Church.

Session 3 Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature December 6, 2015December 6, 2015December 6, The magisterium of the Church is the teaching authority of the bishops in union with the pope. a. Because of the magisterium, the Tradition of the Church can be relied upon as authentically teaching the will of Christ. b. The magisterium extends to the authentic interpretation of the Word of God, including Scripture and tradition. Continued

Session 3 Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature December 6, 2015December 6, 2015December 6, The magisterium of the Church is the teaching authority of the bishops in union with the pope. c. The bishops in union with the Pope have the responsibility to guard and protect the Deposit of Faith, the Revelation of Christ in Scripture and Tradition.

Session 3 Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature December 6, 2015December 6, 2015December 6, The Bible narrates God’s saving deeds before Christ, the key events from the life of Christ, and the first instructions of the Apostolic Church. a. Sacred Scripture is inspired by God, co-authored by God and man, with God as the principal author and human beings as the instrumental authors. b. Through the gift of inspiration, God ensures the Bible teaches without error those truths necessary for our salvation.

Session 3 Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature December 6, 2015December 6, 2015December 6, According to the Church, to authentically interpret the Scriptures we must: a. See Scripture as a unified whole, with Jesus as the center. b. Read Scripture within the living Tradition of the whole Church, not separate from or in conflict with Tradition. Continued

Session 3 Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature December 6, 2015December 6, 2015December 6, According to the Church, to authentically interpret the Scriptures we must: c. Turn to the magisterium as the authoritative interpreters of Scripture. d. Recognize that there is a coherence of truths within Scripture because there is unity in God’s plan of salvation.

Session 3 Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature December 6, 2015December 6, 2015December 6, According to the Church, to authentically interpret the Scriptures we must: e. Recognize that there are two senses of Scripture. i. Literal – to understand the meaning of the original human author. ii. Spiritual – to see how the passage applies to Christ, the Christian, and to heaven.

Session 3 Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature December 6, 2015December 6, 2015December 6, 2015 For Discussion/USCCA P. 31. Add also: What would happen to the Word of God if one of its sources (Tradition, the magisterium, or Sacred Scripture) were missing? Why is it that all three sources are essential for keeping the Word of God accurate? Read over the following Bible passages: Matthew 28:18-20; John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:15. What do these passages tell us about God’s desire to save us? What is one action you can do this week to improve your time in Scripture?