1. Origins of the Bible

2. Before 2000 BC
No written language
Stories told orally

3. Eventually written down
Old Testament

4. After Jesus
Stories told orally for several years

5. Letters written first (Epistles)
Used in Church
Apostolic authority important

6. Different styles of writing/types of Literature
Poetry
Prose
Wisdom
History
Prophecy
Parables
Etiological stories (how something came to be)

7. The Bible is Like Christ
Fully human (Uses human words and actions), uses the language of men
Fully divine

8. Original Languages of the Bible
Hebrew
Greek
Aramaic

9. Diaspora (Dispersion)
Jews living outside the Holy Land
Created a need for Greek Scriptures

10. Septuagint
Greek or Alexandrian canon

11. Canon
List of Books in the Bible

12. Deuterocanonical Books
Books written originally in Greek and were removed from Protestant Bibles
2nd Canon
Jesus quoted from
Septuagint, which
Included Deut. books

13. The Church existed before the New Testament was Written
Preaching was emphasized
Most apostles did not write anything
Thousands became Christians without reading any of the NT!
1-50 AD – Oral (apostolic) teaching/preaching
AD – NT written

14. Timeline of the Bible

15. After Jesus 1-50 AD: Oral teaching – Apostolic teaching (preaching)
AD: NT written. Epistles, then Gospels and Acts, then Revelation

16. After Jesus and the Apostles, no new Public Revelation

17. Hebrews 1:1-4. Jesus is the fullness of Revelation
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word. When he had accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, as far superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

18. How canonicity is decided
Orthodoxy – Is it conformed to Christ’s message?
Apostolicity – Is it traceable to the apostles?
Catholicity – Was it used consistently in the liturgy? (Universality)
*All NT books can be traced to the apostles!

19. Apocrypha
False writings

20. Protestants use Hebrew (Palestinian canon)
Developed by Jews at Council of Jamnia in 90AD
Problem: Why let people who deny the divinity of Christ determine the canon?

21. Protestant
Christian not in communion with the Catholic Church

22. Council of Rome (382)
OT – 46 books, including all books of the Septuagint
NT – 27 books we include today
*Documents of the Council of Rome are still around!

23. Vulgate Latin translation of the Bible
St. Jerome translated around 405 AD
Official Bible of the Church

24. Council of Hippo (393 AD)
Upheld Catholic canon

25. Council of Trent (1546)
Upheld Catholic canon (made it official)

26. King James Version (1611)
Most popular protestant Bible

27. Translation used in Mass
New American Bible
Translation used in Mass

28. Catholic
Universal