INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE
*If no one told you they love you today, remember God does and He always will*
❖ ORIGIN OF THE WORD BIBLE
➢ From the Greek word biblia, a plural of biblion,
which means “books” derived from Byblos.
➢ Biblia started to mean, in Greek, a collection of
manuscripts on papyrus.
❖ OTHER NAMES USED FOR THE BIBLE
1. Holy Scriptures
➢ From the Latin scriptus = “written” and Greek
graphe, Hebrew (mikra), the word refers to
religious writings that are considered
authoritative, foundational, and/or sacred by
some religious groups (see Mt 26:54-56; Lk 24:27-
45; 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 3:16).
2. Holy Writ
➢ “Writ” literally is something that is written. The
Bible is also called Holy Writ because it contains
salvation history that started with the call of
Abraham and climaxed with Jesus’ Paschal
Mystery.
3. The Word of God
➢ The Greek term used is logos, which means “a
word as embodying a concept or discourse.” But it
is also used of the “revelation of God’s word.”
4. The Oracles of God
➢ This name is used of the Bible in Rom 3:2 and Acts
7:38 where it is translated as oracles. For us
Christians, the whole Bible can be called “The
Oracles of God” because it contains God’s divine
utterance for humanity.
5. The Law (Torah)
➢ The Jews call their scriptures as Torah or Law.
Under this principle and because the whole of the
Old Testament is authoritative as God’s Word of
instructions to humanity on how to live well as
human beings. In Jn. 10:34, for example, Jesus
quoted from Ps. 82 and referred to it as the law.
6. The Law and the Prophets
➢ This expression looks at the Old Testament from
the perspective of its divisions- the law, the
prophets, and the writings. (Mt. 5:17; 7:12; Lk
16:16; Rom 3:21; Lk 24:27.)
❖ TWO IMAGES OF THE BIBLE
1. Big Storybook
➢ The bible is not a history book as it happened, but
the story of God’s involvement in the lives of
people, from generation to generation.
CADINGPAL, B.
➢ Some stories in the Bible want to elaborate on
events that happened historically, but many of the
pages of the Bible contain symbolic stories about
the meaning of human life and its relationship to
God.
2. Family Album
➢ Like our family album, each text in the Bible has a
story to tell. Each text draws from us a response, not
only from the head, but also from the heart. So,
when we see a text from the Bible, we try to find its
deeper meaning. We need to read critically with our
head. Yet, we also need to use our imagination and
our heart.
❖ NATURE AND PURPOSE OF BIBLE
1. Inspired Word of God
➢ It primarily means that God guided the human
authors to compose the written accounts of God’s
revelation to God’s people. God gave them a special
grace called divine inspiration. Inspiration refers to
the directing influence and guidance of the Holy
Spirit under which the sacred writers wrote all that
God wanted them to write and only what God
wanted them to write (DV 11, CFC 85).
➢ Therefore, both God and human beings are the real
authors of the whole of Scripture. The Locus of the
doctrine of scriptural inspiration is Paul’s letter to
Timothy, “all Scripture is inspired by God” (2
Timothy 3:16).
Being a divinely inspired book, Scripture enjoys
inerrancy. This means that the Scripture teaches
firmly, faithfully and without error that truth, which
God wants, be put into the sacred writings for the
sake of the salvation of all (DV 11).
2. The Living Word of God
➢ Scriptural narratives make known God who is not
silent, nor distant from the people but on the
contrary is utterly concerned with his creatures. He
speaks in many and various ways. God creates all
things through his word: “In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was in the beginning with God. All
➢ things came to be through him and without him
nothing came to be” (John 1:1-3). “He spoke to us
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through a son whom he made heir of all things and
through whom he created the universe” (Hebrews
1:2b).
➢ God reveals Godself in the historical events, God’s
covenant relationship with God’s people, Israel, and
most uniquely in his Incarnate Son Jesus Christ, the
mediator and the fullness of God’s revelation.
3. Sacramental Nature of Sacred Scripture
➢ Scripture is sacramental. Scripture is not to be
confused as one of the seven sacraments. A
sacrament is a tangible material signifying and
bringing about the presence of a spiritual reality –
God’s self-revelation.
➢ Scripture is likened to the Incarnation of the Divine
Word. “Indeed, the words of God, expressed in
human language, are in every way like human
language, just as the Word of the eternal Father,
when he took on himself the weak flesh of human
beings became like them” (DV 13).
4. Sacred Scriptures as the book of the Church
➢ Scripture is a record of God’s dealings with his
people and how they responded to, remembered
and interpreted those experiences. It is written
principally from the heart of the people of God or
the Church. It is a collection of inspired books that
are from the Church, by the Church and for the
Church.
5. Work of Art
➢ Biblical language contains profound metaphors
communicating truths about God. In the Scripture,
God communicates in a language that is intelligible
to human beings.
➢ Through symbolic language and various literacy
forms such as psalms, narratives, parables, and
allegories, God initiates ad deepens an ongoing
relationship with all people.
➢ First, it shines out and illumines truth about the
divine mystery. In aesthetics, beauty is that quality
or combination of qualities that gives pleasure.
➢ Second, Scripture has form and structure, symmetry
and integrity indicative of the beautiful – catching
the mind with its silent coherence.
➢ Finally, Scripture can inspire, guide, and empower
the readers to goodness and truth as all beautiful
things do.
CADINGPAL, B.
➢ Scripture is rich and full of poetic language,
figurative discourse, of metaphor, symbol and myth,
because this is the only way the literally
inexpressible truth of God and the essence of graced
faith can be communicated.
INTERPRETING THE BIBLE
1. EXEGESIS
- It is the process of doing critical analysis and
explanation of religious text. In respect to the Bible,
this includes the chronology, the cultural setting, the
history, understanding the original language, and
how that should be interpreted in the light of the
progressive revelation of God’s message to
mankind.
- It is the attempt to find true meaning of a text. An
exegete doing exegesis ought to approach a text
without any bias and be willing to see what the
chronological evaluation, the cultural setting and
the language tools reveal in the light of the history
associated with the particular book and its place
within the Bible.
2. EISEGESIS
- It refers to common easy way of interpreting. This
occurs when an assertion has been made and then
people use the literal-grammatical tools of exegesis
to justify the world-view of that assertion.
Sources:
Dilim, A. & Jacla, H. (2013). Becoming a household of
God in the old testament. CICM Publishing
House; Manila, Philippines.
Wostyn, L., Hecker, A., Real, G. & Sales, R. (2004). I
believe: A workbook for theology 1. Claretian
Publication; Quezon City, Philippines.
Natividad, M. (2018). Teaching the faith. Claretians
Communications Foundation, Inc.; Quezon City,
Philippines.
Requirements:
1. Writing of realizations on each topic
2. Reflection papers
3. Additional readings of attachments
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ATTACHMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL READING
FORMATION OF THE BIBLE (How the Bible came to be?)
• The bible was estimated to have been written
for more 1000 years (about 1000 BC to about
100 AD). It is from the time of Abraham and the
Patriarchs (around 1800 B.C) to the period of
the Maccabean Wars (140 BC). Note: pre-
patriarchal stories were not included here.
• New Testament:
- Written during the second half of the first
century A.D. (50-100 A.D.)
- The letters of Paul were the earliest books
to be written – dated mainly from the
decade of the 50s.
- Preaching and ministry stories of Jesus
circulated among Christian communities
during the early decades of the Church, but
actual writing of Mark only started before or
after 70 A.D.
- The rest of the gospel writers followed, and
all were completed during the last quarter
of the first century. The other parts of the
New Testament, including the revelation
were also dated during the same period.
• The bible did not come as a written text – they
were words that were proclaimed or even sung.
From the time of Moses to Abraham, the only
way the Hebrews came to know about the
creation and beginning of human race was
through the word of mouth.
• The oral traditions were transmitted from one
generation to another verbally. This is the
reason why the Jews sometimes call their sacred
scriptures as “Miqra” from the Hebrew verb
“qara” which means “to call or proclaim”.
DOMINANT PEAKS IN BIBLICAL HISTORY
A. The Exodus and the Covenant at Mt. Sinai
• The development of the Pentateuch can be
traced from this event. In order for them to
appreciate, how they were transformed from a
people enslaved in Egypt to a free and chosen
people, the Jews traced back their history in the
book of Genesis.
CADINGPAL, B.
• The narration of the exile event led to the
formulation of the book of Exodus. Laws were
formulated to govern the new type of society
that they have – laws that we find in the books
of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.
• There was also a census conducted to determine
the membership and leadership of the new
people of God and this census led to the
formulation of Numbers of which, not only the
stories that accompany the life of the Israelites
were there but also the lists of names and
tribes. The laws were later edited and resulted
to the formation of another book: Deuteronomy
(deuteron – second, nomos - law) or the second
law.
• Upon reaching the promised land, the Israelites
that God indeed could be trusted and is word is
everlasting. Their defeat of the original settlers
of the land of Canaan (Edomites, Jebusites,
Ammonites) is a proof of God’s supreme power.
B. The Establishment of the Kingdom
• The Israelites became free but still divided. Their
experience of being a confederation of tribes
unlike their neighbors, which were ruled by
Kings, led them to aspire for their own king.
• The books of Joshua and Judges were composed
to provide an understanding of the people
divided into twelve tribes. The preparation of
the Kingdom of God led to the formation of
materials that became the books of Ruth and 1
Samuel 1-8.
• How the kingdom was experienced by the
Israelites both in unity and later in their division
into two kingdoms produced the texts that we
now have from 1 Samuel 9 to 2 Samuel, 1-2
Kings and 1-2 Chronicles.
• Israel’s experience was disastrous and the
infidelity of their kings and the people to God
caused the formation of anew form of literature
in the Old Testament – the prophetic books. The
nature of the message of the prophets at this
point is a message of doom. Unwilling to heed
the denunciations of the prophets for their
blatant abuses against the poor and immoral
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idolatrous practices led to their enslavement,
dispersal, and dishonor in the Exile.
C. The Exile
• The exile produced some of the prophetic books
like Ezekiel and most of the minor prophets. The
period of exile proved to be mixture of blessing
and chastisements. It was both a both a
punishment as well as time of purification. It
was also providential for the writings of other
books of the Bible.
• Out of work, some priests turned their effort
into gathering old traditions and organizing
them into what is now known as the priestly
tradition. In the loneliness of the exile, Israel
was also able to reflect on the past goodness of
God and to consolidate its history. It tried to
make sense of the hardships of the exile. This
gave rise to the Deuteronomic history. Their
experiences made them repent and realize that
without God they are nothing. That is why the
tone of the message of the prophets changed.
• From a message of doom before the exile, their
message became a message of hope. Historical
books like Ezra and Nehemiah were also
produced to give light to these events. New
forms of literature were also composed:
historical novels like Judith, Esther, and Tobit,
poems like Psalms, Lamentations, and also the
treasures of wisdom found in the Proverbs,
Qohelet, Sirach, and the book of Wisdom.
D. The Jesus Event
• At this point, gradually the forms of literature in
the Bible will develop a more encompassing
expression of God’s relationship with humanity.
• From a Christian perspective, this universal
expression led to the “Crucial Event” that
transformed not only the types of literature of
the rest of the Bible but also the whole
relationship of God with humanity. This event is
the birth, public ministry, passion, death and
resurrection of Jesus.
• Four versions of the Gospel were developed
from the Jesus event to be understood form
different perspectives. How this event was
CADINGPAL, B.
continued in the early Church resulted to the
composition of the Acts of the Apostles. Letters
were produced to remind the early Christians of
their failure to live out the values of this Event.
Finally, the hope which was brought about by
the Jesus Event, the final goal for which it
happened was set out in God disclosing His
divine plan of salvation.
• The whole process of the development of the
Bible gives us a clear idea that the Bible is not
just an ancient document that was written once
and for all.
THE BASIC SOURCES OF THE BIBLE: THE ANCIENT
MANUSCRIPTS
A. Sources of the Old Testament:
a. The Masoretic Texts
b. The Septuagint
c. The Dead Sea Scrolls
B. Sources of the New Testament
a. Papyri Scrolls
- P52 or Papyrus 52
- P45, P46, P47
b. Majuscules/Uncials
- Codex Vaticanus
- Codex Sinaiticus
- Codex Alexandrinus
ORIGINAL LANGUAGES OF THE BIBLE
A. Hebrew
B. Aramaic
C. Greek
• PURPOSE OF SACRED SCRIPTURE
➢ By its very nature, Scripture “is useful for teaching,
for refutation and for correction, and for training in
righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may
be competent, equipped for every good work” (2
Timothy 3:16-17).
1. Literal Sense
➢ The literal sense is not to be confused with the
“literalist” sense to which fundamentalists are
attached. The literal sense is ascertained by a careful
analysis of the text, within its literary and historical
context, according to the literary convention of
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composition. Catholic biblical scholars use the
historical-critical method to determine the literal
sense.
➢ The pontifical Biblical Commission recognizes that
literal sense can have more than one level of reality
as in the case of poetry. Divine inspiration can guide
the human utterance to create more than one
meaning.
2. Spiritual Sense
a) Allegorical sense
= This sense of Scripture is the meaning derived
when individual passages are interpreted against the
background of God’s work in the world beginning
with the creation of the material world and the
human being.
b) Moral Sense
= Scripture narratives mediate God’s self-revelation
who calls and admonishes people to respond
immediately. They witness to the disastrous effects
of human evasion.
c) Anagogic Sense
= The anagogic sense training in righteousness or
holiness, directs the human race to be sharers in the
life of God in Jesus Christ through the Spirit. This
meaning brings a sense of renewed hope in one’s
life today and in anticipation of the eternal banquet.
• INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE
1. Literal Interpretation
➢ Which is expressed directly by the inspired authors
of Scripture, is discovered by exegesis that follows
the rules of proper interpretation. The primary aim
of the historical-critical method is to discover with
the greatest possible accuracy the literal sense of
the biblical text by using a wide variety of methods
such as historical studies of the background and
influence on a given writer, and the examination of
literary genres and styles of a given document, and
study of related literature of antiquity.
CADINGPAL, B.
2. Spiritual or Pneumatic Exegesis
➢ The spiritual senses are brought to light when
Scripture is read and interpreted with its divine
authorship in mind. Attention must be given to the
“content and unity of the whole Scripture the
tradition of the entire Church and the analogy of
faith” (DV 12). The spiritual senses are the deeper
meanings expressed in the symbolic language and
images that lie beneath the surface of the literal of
historical sense. These are the meanings expressed
by the biblical text when read and interpreted under
the influence of the Holy Spirit and in the light of
Jesus’s paschal mystery and the new life he gives.
3. Christian Imagination
➢ Scripture as an inspiring, living, sacramental work of
art calls for an approach that involves the
imagination that leads to encounter the presence of
the divine mystery. Imagination should not be
identified with “fantasy,” or some capricious image
called up to fulfill a felt need.
➢ Christian imagination seeks Scripture with a poet’s
sensibilities and yearning for a meaning, an
encounter with the infinite truth. It calls for an
arduous work of paying attention Scripture’s
language.
➢ Imagination enables the readers to imagine the
world Scripture imagines. This means seeing the
world as one created and sustained by God,
redeemed by God’s Incarnate Word and indwelt by
God’s Spirit.
4. Performance Hermeneutics
➢ An approach which aims to bring out Scripture’s true
nature as the living and powerful Word of God,
likens the interpretation of Scripture to the
performance of a classic symphony or stage drama.
➢ “Performance” is not simply “play-acting” or role-
playing. Rather, it refers to the total act of
communicating the ‘Good News’, involving the
communicator, the Scriptural text itself and the
receivers of the message – all in the concrete
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context of the action. This happens when the “Jn. 14:16-17”

readers and hearers receive in faith and love God’s • When the Advocate comes whom I will send
living Word through a gradual penetration of the your from the Father, the Spirit of truth that
Word into one’s mind and heart. proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me
(Jn. 15:26).
➢ “Performance hermeneutics” as an approach to
• Canonical books are those books which have
reading Scripture is not a detached academic been acknowledged as belonging to the list of
endeavor involving a historical or archaeological books the Church considers to be inspired and
pursuit of an ancient text. Rather, it is a practical, to contain a rule of faith and morals.
personal and communal endeavor. • Criteria used to determine biblical canonicity:
- Special relation to God, i.e., inspiration;
CANONICITY OF THE BIBLE - Prophetic/apostolic origin;
• The Greek word (“kanon”) originally meant - Used in Church services, i.e., used by the
“measuring rod; rule; criterion” (2 Cor 10:13-16; community of believers guided by the Holy
Gal 6:16), but later came to mean a list of Spirit.
writings that met a certain criteria. • The church did not create the canon; she
“Canonization” or to be “canonized” refers to discerned the canon. Fixed canons of the Old
the process by which a book was accepted into and New Testaments, were not known much
the official list of core scriptures. A scriptural before the end of the 2nd and early 3rd century.
canon is usually considered “fixed” or closed”,
meaning that no other books should be added
to it.
• Because God did not explicitly reveal what
books are the inspired books of the Bible, title
by title, to anyone, however the Bible itself offer
guidance in discovering the canon.
• Jesus himself will tell us that He has not
revealed all the truths to us.
“Jn. 16:12-13”
• But then He himself will assist us in knowing
other truths.

CHURCH EVENT DATE CHURCH STATEMENT

30/33 The beginning of the Church; the Church exists before a determination of
Pentecost a canon or a definitive list of books of what was later called the Bible. The
NT was not even written yet.
Melito, Bishop of Sardis 170 Produced the first Christian attempt at an Old Testament canon. His list
maintains the Septuagint order of books but contains only the Old
Testament protocanonicals minus the Book of Esther.
Council or Laodicea (A local council of Church 360 Produced a list of books of the Bible (A local council of the church in union
in union with Rome) with Rome) similar to the Council of Trent’s canon. This was one of the
Church’s earliest decisions on a canon.
Council of Hippo Carthage (Local North African 393/397 Approved a list of OT and NT canon (same as later approved by the
Church Councils in union and under the Council of Trent)
authority of Rome)
Pope Innocent I 405 Responded to request by Exuperius, Bishop of Toulouse, with a list of
canonical books of Scripture; this list was the same as later approved by
the Council of Trent.

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Council of Florence (An Ecumenical Council)
Council of Trent (An ecumenical council called
to respond to the heresy of the Reformers)
Vatican I Council
Providentissimus Deus Pope Leo XIII, Bishop of
Rome,
1878-1903
Pascendi Dominica Gregis
Pope Pius X, Bishop of Rome,
1903-1914
1441 Complete list of OT and NT canon was drawn up; this list later adopted by
the Fathers of the Council of Trent.
1545- The canon of OT and NT received final definitions: 46 books in the OT; 27
1563 in the NT; “Henceforth the books of the OT and the NT, protocanonical
and deuteron-canonical alike, in the entirety and with all their parts,
comprise the canon and are held to be of equal authority.” The ancient
Vulgate edition of the Bible was called the authoritative edition of the
Bible.
1869- Reaffirmed the decree of Trent; The Church holds the books of the Holy
1870 Scripture as sacred and canonical, not because she subsequently
approved them, nor because they contain revelation without error, but
precisely because “having been written by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, they have God as their author and, as such, they have been handed
down to the Church itself.
1893 Inaugurated a new era in Roman Catholic biblical studies. Presented a
plan for biblical study; Defined inspiration: “By supernatural power of
God so moved and impelled the human authors to write- he so assisted
them in writing- that the things he ordered and those only they first
rightly understood, then willed faithfully to write and finally expressed in
apt words and with infallible truth.”
1907 Refuted the errors of the Modernists; Scored erroneous teaching on the
origin and nature of the Sacred Books, on inspiration; on the distinction
between the purely human Christ of History and the divine Christ of faith;
on the origin and growth of the Scriptures.

Spiritus Praclitus 1920 Commends modern critical methods in biblical studies; All biblical
Pope Benedict XV, Bishop of Rome, 1914-1922 interpretation rests upon the literal sense; Goal of biblical studies is to
learn spiritual perfection, to arm oneself to defend the faith, to preach
the word of God fruitfully.

Divino Afflante Spiritus 1943 Permitted scholars to use original text of Scriptures; no claim was made
Pope Pius XII, Bishop of Rome that the Vulgate is always an accurate translation but that it is free from
1939-1958 any errors in faith or morals; The scholar must be principally concerned
with the literal sense of the Scriptures; search out and expound the
spiritual sense; avoid other figurative senses.
Humani Generis Pope Pius XII, Bishop of 1950 Instructs scholars on evolution, polygenism and OT historical narratives
Rome, 1939-1958
Vatican II Council 1962- The decree, On Divine Revelation, declares that there is one source of
1965 Divine Revelation, Jesus Christ; that there are wo modes of handing on
revelation: Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition: “in a certain way merge
into unity and tend toward the same end,” and “it is not from Sacred
Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainly about everything that
has been revealed.”
• Inerrancy of Scripture.

CADINGPAL, B. CFE 101-2