Chapter 4: Sacred Scripture: The Inspired Word of God

1. Chapter 4: Sacred Scripture: The Inspired Word of God FAITH AND REVELATION

2. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel BASIC QUESTIONS Who is the principal author of Sacred Scripture? How is Christ the basis of the unity of the Sacred Scriptures? KEY IDEAS The Bible, consisting of two Testaments—the Old and the New, each containing many individual books written over a long period of time—is one book whose principal author is God. The inner unity of Scripture is found in Christ and his Covenant, which are hidden in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament.

3. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel Anticipatory Set—Small group assignment Below are seven passages from Matthew 5:17–48. Each group’s job is to explain how its passage presents a new law that perfects the Old Law. The Law in General: vv. 17–20. Anger: vv. 21–26. Adultery: vv. 27–30. Divorce: vv. 31–32. Oaths: vv. 33–37. Retaliation: vv. 38–42. Love of Enemies: vv. 43–48.

4. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel Why is the Bible a book of the Catholic Church? Catholics wrote and assembled the Bible as we know it today.  What are the two parts of the Bible? The Old Testament books were written before the time of Christ, and the New Testament books were written after Christ.  What is the essential relationship between the two Testaments? The New Testament fulfills and completes the Old.  What is the first thing St. Matthew reveals about Christ? He records Christ’s genealogical roots in Old Testament history as a descendent of David and Abraham.

5. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel What is the overall story told by the Old Testament? It recounts the long journey of salvation history toward redemption. Does the Church in any way reject the Old Testament? No; Christians venerate the Old Testament as the Word of God. According to the Catechism, no. 122, what does the Old Testament contain? It is a storehouse of sublime teaching about God, contains sound wisdom about human life, provides a treasury of prayers, and presents the mystery of our salvation in a hidden way.

6. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel THE OLD LAW PREPARED THE WAY FOR THE GOSPEL According to the Epistle to the Hebrews, who speaks throughout the Bible? God speaks throughout. What is the difference in quality of God’s messengers between the Old and the New Testaments? In the Old Testament, God spoke through prophets; in the New, he spoke through his Son. Given that it is a collection of many books, why is the Bible called the “Bible,” or “Book,” and not the “Bibles,” or “Many Books”? This name reflects the inner unity of these books due to God being their principal author.

7. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel Guided Exercise Think/Pair/Share: Why is it impossible for there to be any true contradictions between the various books of the Bible or any erroneous teachings in them?

8. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel What is the analogy of faith? Because of the absolute unity among the truths contained in the Bible, each truth can help understand the other truths and the total plan of Revelation. How does the analogy of faith help to understand the Bible? The truths in one part of the Bible can help to understand truths contained in other parts. How does the Person of Christ express the Bible’s inner unity? Both Testaments are centered on Christ; the Old Testament prepares the way for Christ, who is revealed in the New Testament.  How is Christ present in the Old Testament? He is present in prophesies he fulfills and in types, that is, events that prefigure him. How is the Church prefigured in the Old Testament? The Chosen People in the Old Testament prefigure the People of God in the New Testament, which is the Church.

9. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel Guided Exercise Work with a partner to answer the following question in writing. Based on the allegorical spiritual sense of Sacred Scripture presented in the last chapter, explain how Christ is prefigured in the Old Testament in the figures of Noah’s Ark and the manna in the desert.

10. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel Sidebar: THE OLD TESTAMENT IS FULFILLED IN CHRIST How is the entire Old Testament fulfilled in Christ? As a series of covenants between God and his people, the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Covenant between the Person of Jesus Christ and his people. In this way, the New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old is revealed in the New.

11. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel Closure Write a paragraph explaining how the books of the Bible form one, unified book.

12. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel Homework Assignment Reading • THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. • THE LAW. • HISTORY. • Sidebar: J, E, D, and P. Study Questions • Questions 1–4. Workbook • Questions 1–6.

13. 1. The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel Alternative Assessment In the Old Testament we learned that Jesse is the father of King David, the founder of the line of the Kings of Israel. In St. Matthew’s Gospel we learned that Jesus is a descendant of Jesse and David. Read Isaiah 11:1–3 in which Jesse is depicted as the stump of a tree from which a Messiah shall grow. Search online for examples of how Christians have depicted the “Tree of Jesse” artistically, showing the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.

14. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History BASIC QUESTIONS What are the four genres of books found in the Old Testament? What is the importance of the first five books of the Old Testament? What is the scope of the historical books of the Bible? KEY IDEAS The Old Testament contains books of law, history, wisdom and prophecy. The first five books of the Old Testament are books of law that contain the Mosaic Covenant, which God made with his Chosen People. The fourteen books of history tell the story of Israel from the conquest of Canaan—through the establishment of the kingdom in Jerusalem and Israel’s downfall and exile to Babylon—to the restoration of Jerusalem. The two Books of the Maccabees bring Jewish history up to the time just before the Roman Empire, in which Christ was born.

15. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History Anticipatory Set Open your Bible to the table of contents for the Old Testament. Notice the four major divisions: Law: Genesis through Deuteronomy. History: Joshua through Esther, plus the two Books of Maccabees. Wisdom: Job through Sirach (sometimes called Ecclesiasticus). Prophecy: Isaiah through Malachi.

16. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT How many books are in the Old Testament? There are forty-six books in the Old Testament.  Over what period of time were the books of the Old Testament written? They were written over a period of nearly 1500 years, from the time of the Exodus through about a century before the coming of Christ.  What are the four basic genres of books found in the Old Testament? The Old Testament includes law, history, wisdom, and prophecy.

17. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History THE LAW What different names are given to the first five books of the Bible? The Books of the Law, the Torah (Hebrew for “Law”), the five Books of Moses, and the Pentateuch are used.

18. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History Graphic Organizer Complete the table on the major highlights of the first five books of the Bible.

19. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History

20. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History Sidebar: J, E, D, and P How certain are scholars about the sources of the Pentateuch? Scholars are not very sure. Attempts to identify the sources of Scripture are scholarly conjecture and speculation. What did the Pontifical Biblical Commission observe in the year 1948? Moses is the substantial influence as author and legislator in the Pentateuch. What constitutes the Sacred Scriptures: the books that exist today or their original sources? The books that exist today are the inspired Scriptures; therefore, one need not worry if scholars cannot locate or perfectly trace their sources.

21. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History Graphic Organizer Work with a partner to complete the following table on the four-source theory of the Pentateuch.

22. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History

23. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History HISTORY Which Old Testament books tell the story of David? The two Books Samuel and the First Book of Chronicles tell of David. Which three historical books have a woman as their main character? Ruth, Judith, and Esther have women as main characters. What two historical books retell four historical books? The First Book of Chronicles retells the story of 1 and 2 Samuel from a more religious point of view, and the Second Book of Chronicles retells 1 and 2 Kings with more emphasis on the Kingdom of Judah.

24. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History Guided Exercise Complete the following table to record one memorable fact about each the historical books of the Old Testament.

25. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History

26. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History Closure Write a one-paragraph essay on either the books of the law or of history using one of the corresponding completed Graphic Organizers from this lesson.

27. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History Homework Assignment Reading • WISDOM. • PROPHECY. • Sidebar: “What is Wisdom Literature?” • Sidebar: “What is Prophetic Literature?” • Sidebar: “Finding the Date.” Questions • Questions 5–9. Workbook • Questions 7–8.

28. 2. The Old Testament: Law and History Alternative Assessment Free write on why the Book of Genesis could be considered as a book of history rather than of law.

29. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy BASIC QUESTIONS What is the aim of the wisdom literature of the Bible? What is the content of the prophetic books? KEY IDEAS The seven books of wisdom tell stories in poetry or prose and offer advice to help guide life according to God’s wisdom. The eighteen prophetic books warned Israel over her infidelity, consoled her in her sufferings, and foretold the Messiah, Jesus.

30. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy Psalm 23 [1] The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; [2] he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; [3] he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. [4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. [5] Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. [6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

31. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy WISDOM What is the subject of Job? It is about the suffering of the innocent. Which is the greatest book of religious poetry, and to whom is it attributed? The Psalms are attributed to King David. What is the subject of Ecclesiastes? The vanity of worldly things is decried.

32. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy Sidebar: What is Wisdom Literature? What is a didactic work? The primary purpose of a didactic work is to teach. What are some didactic books of the wisdom literature? Proverbs and Sirach provide wise sayings and principles to teach people the right way to live. How does the Catholic Church use the Psalms in the Liturgy of the Mass? They almost always constitute the Responsorial Psalm. They are also a common source for the Entrance, Offertory, and Communion Antiphons.

33. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy Guided Exercise Locate one saying from Proverbs that speaks to you especially. Share your proverb with the class and why it appeals to you.

34. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy PROPHECY To what extent is it true to say that the prophets warned, comforted, and predicted? Often the prophets warned of coming disaster if the people of Israel would not return to God. When disaster struck, the prophets gave the people messages of comfort. Many prophets also predicted the coming of the Messiah. Which prophet has some of the clearest prophecies of Christ? Isaiah prophesied clearly the Messiah. What were people’s reactions to Jeremiah’s foretelling the destruction of Judah? They hated him for giving unpleasant news.

35. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy Sidebar: What Is Prophetic Literature? How many prophetic books are in the Old Testament? There are eighteen. What is a prophet? A prophet is called by God or speaks on God’s behalf, announcing his message.

36. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy Why are the prophets from Hosea to Malachi known as the “Minor” Prophets? Their books are shorter than those of the other, “Major” Prophets. How was Hosea’s marriage a metaphor for God’s relationship with Israel? Hosea’s wife was unfaithful to him, but he took her back. God entered into a covenant with (“married”) Israel, and she was unfaithful to him by worshiping other gods; nonetheless, God took her back despite this infidelity. Which prophet foretold Christ would be born in Bethlehem? Micah said a savior to rule Israel would be born in Bethlehem.

37. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy What are the three divisions of the prophetic books? The divisions are the Prophets, the Minor Prophets and the Post-exilic Prophets. Which two prophets are associated with the rebuilding of the Temple? Haggai and Zechariah rebuilt the temple.

38. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy Guided Exercise Work with a partner to complete the following table about Isaiah 9:6 as it applies to Christ.

39. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy

40. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy What is the subject of the two Books of Maccabees? They recount a Jewish revolt led by the Maccabeus family against the Greek rulers of Palestine who tried to force the Jews to adopt Greek culture and religion. Sidebar: Finding the Date How does our dating system put Christ at the center of history? The designations BC and AD number the years before and after Christ’s Birth.  How did the ancient Israelites number their years? They counted the years from the beginning of the reign of the current king or from an important event in the recent past. Why are many dates about events in the Old Testament conjectural? Historians have to add together the reigns of kings and make certain assumptions about the lengths of generations.

41. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy Closure Write a paragraph on the overall message of the prophetic books with one example of each of the following: • Warning Israel over her infidelity; • Consoling her in her sufferings; and • Predicting a Messiah.

42. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy Homework Assignment Reading • THE NEW TESTAMENT. • THE GOSPELS. • SUPPLEMENT: THE NAMES TO DESIGNATE SACRED SCRIPTURE. Study Questions • Questions 10–12. Workbook • Questions 9–11.

43. 3. The Old Testament: Wisdom and Prophecy Alternative Assessment Read Sirach 4:1-10 and then free write for five minutes on whether you think this is good advice and why.

44. 4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels BASIC QUESTIONS What are the four genres of books in the New Testament? What are the basic features of the Gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? KEY IDEAS The New Testament mirrors the Old Testament with books of law, history, wisdom, and prophecy. St. Matthew shows Christ to be the heir to David’s Kingdom. St. Mark shows Christ to be the leader of a new Exodus. St. Luke composed his Gospel for Gentile Christians. St. John completes the other three Gospels, emphasizing Christ as the incarnate Word of God.

45. 4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels Anticipatory Set Perform a Focused Reading of Jeremiah’s prophecy based on the following question: What is the essence of the New Covenant that Jeremiah foresees?

46. 4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels THE NEW TESTAMENT What is the essential relationship between the Old and New Testaments? The New Testament does not replace but fulfills the Old. What is the Old Testament without the New Testament? It is a collection of tragic stories and unfulfilled promises.  What is the Old Testament with the New Testament? It is the story of the gradual unfolding of God’s plan of salvation, which reaches its climax in the Death and Resurrection of Christ.

47. 4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels What is the essential content of the New Testament? It is the story of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the earliest years of the Church. What were the two phases by which the Gospels came to be written? First was oral tradition, by which the Apostles handed on what Christ had said and done. Second was the written Gospels, by which the Sacred Authors wrote down some of what had been handed on by word of mouth. Which were the first written Christian works? Most likely the Epistles of St. Paul were first.

48. 4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels Guided Exercise Work with a partner to complete the following table on the four genres of literature in each of the Testaments.

49. 4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels

50. 4. The New Testament and the Four Gospels THE GOSPELS Why are the Gospels the heart of all the Scriptures? They are our principal source of knowledge regarding the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.  Who are the authors of the four Gospels? Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote them.  What is an Evangelist? He is an author of one of the Gospels. Extension: The word comes from Greek euangelion, which means “good news.” What were the personal relationships between the Evangelists and Christ? Sts. Matthew and John were disciples of Christ and eyewitnesses of the events they narrate. Sts. Mark and Luke were disciples of the Apostles.