CFE 101 REVIEWER in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God

may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

SLU VISION MISSION
Saint Louis University is an excellent, missionary DEI VERBUM
and transformative educational institution that is Latin: Word of God
zealous in developing human resources to be “Those divinely revealed realities which are
creative, competent, socially involved, and imbued contained and presented in Sacred Scripture have
with the Christian Spirit. been committed to writing under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit.”
MISSION STATEMENTS (We commit…)
1. Joyfully animate and gratefully care for one APPROACHES OF INTERPRETATION
another . . . Mother Mary 1. EXEGESIS
-“To lead out of”
2. Work together in the good and beautiful -objective analysis
mission of evangelization . . . Fr. Theophile -act of love: respecting the words
Verbist
2. EISEGESIS
3. Nurture life-faith integrated persons, -“To lead into”
compassionate missioners, globally -subjective, non-analytical reading
enterprising leaders, socially engaged -injects own ideas; changing the meaning
professionals and ethically committed
stewards CANON OF SCRIPTURE
-authoritative list of books
FAITH OLD TESTAMENT – 46 books
-Latin: Fides (“trust” or “belief”) NEW TESTAMENT – 27 books
*belief in a personal God/God’s message
2 JEWISH TRADITIONAL CANONS:
QUALITIES OF FAITH 1. PALESTINIAN CANON
1. Faith is a gift and a response -Old Testament has 39 books
2. An act and progress
3. Reasonable, beyond natural reason 2. ALEXANDRIAN CANON
4. Certain and obscure -7 additional “inspired” books
5. Free and morally obliging -Maccabees 1, Maccabees 2, Tobit, Baruch,
6. Personal and Ecclesial Sirach, Wisdom, Judith
7. Ecclesial and Social
INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE (4 Factors)
INTRODUCTION TO SACRED SCRIPTURE 1. AUTHOR’S INTENTION
-what was in his mind: social economic,
BIBLE religious conditions of author
Greek: ta biblia – “the Books” -documentaries of the bible
*Letters of Paul – from Acts to Hebrews
Gospel – Matthew (Lion), Mark (Oxen), Luke 2. TEXT ITSELF
(Man), John (Eagle) -look into literary forms used; view text
within the unity of the whole bible
SCRIPTURES -Adam and Melchisedek are types of Jesus
-sacred writings (Heb. 6:19-20)
-source of wisdom, of belief -Flood foreshadows baptism (1 Peter 3:20-
-word of God in human language 21)
-get the meaning of the text from the whole
2 TIMOTHY 3:16 – 17 context
“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for
teaching, for refutation, for correction, and training 3. READER OF THE TEXT
 -let the bible form us -philosophical exploration
-historical retellings and short stories
4. THE COMMON HORIZON
CONNECTING THE ORIGINAL ABRAHAM
COMMUNITY CONTECT TO THE TEXT, Genesis 12: 1-3
WITH OUR COMMUNITY READING
TODAY Genesis 15: 1-18
-Common Horizon: new and eternal
covenant God established with us in Jesus Genesis 21: 1-7

-we seek the truth that God wishes to Genesis 22: 1-24
communicate to us today through Scripture
MOSES
-we are guided by the teaching office of the Exodus 3
church which exercises its authority in
Jesus’ name, not as superior to God’s Word, Exodus 14: 10-28
but as its servant
Exodus 20: 1-17
CHAPTER 1: GOD THE FATHER JOURNEYS
WITH HIS PEOPLE
-encounter of people with God

HEBREW BIBLE:
MIKRA (what is read)
TANAKH (acronym referring to traditional Jewish
Division- Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim)

1. TORAH (TEACHING)
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy
-narrative formation of the people of Israel
-laws defining covenant
 Story of Abraham and Moses

2. NEVI’IM (CALL TO PROPHETS)

-Israel’s story as a nation
 Conquer and settle
 Beset by local enemies then
imperial powers
 Political and prophetic struggles
 Battle against paganism,
neighboring groups, and among
Israelites
 Kingdom, capital and temple
were built and later destroyed
 At the end of Nevi’im, prophets
in exile taught a renewed
monotheism

3. KETUVIM (WRITINGS)
-poetry