LECTURE

Man of
NOTES

God
Lesson 1: Nature of Divine Revelation

Scriptural Foundation
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the
firmament proclaims His handiwork (Ps 19:1)

In our life, we have left the impression on how God

reveals Himself, God reveals Himself. God reveals
Himself in many ways.

He reveals through his works and in history.

The Christian Scriptures attest that un times past God

spoke in varied ways to our fathers through the
prophets; in this, the final age, He has spoken to us
through His Son. (Heb 1:1-2)

In our time, there will be ‘now new public revelation is

to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our
Lord Jesus Christ’ (CCC, p.29). However, the Church
still recognized some of the private revelation
throughout the ages.

The Bible
 The written word of God
1
Hermeneutics
 Interpreting and understanding the Bible

2
Revelation
 Came from the Latin word “revelare” which
means to “lay bare”.
 This is interpreted as “God’s personal loving
communication to us of who He is and His plan to
save us all in His love. It is God’s reaching out to
us in friendship, so we get to know and love Him”
(CFC, p.30).
 In the dictionary, revelation is defined as: “the act
or process of revealing, or the state of being
revealed.”
 Theologically speaking, revelations is “the act of
revealing or communicating divine truth,
especially by divine agency or supernatural
means. Or that which has been so revealed, as
concerning God in his relations to man”
 Etymological meaning of revelation is to take
away the VEIL or COVER.

The Revelation of God

God reveals in many ways. Through His revelation, we
understand that God is still working in out time not only
in history.

It is through the “natural reason that man can know God

with certainty, on the basis of His works. But there is
another order of knowledge, which man cannot possibly
arrive at by hisown powers: the order of divine
Revelation. This is through an utterly free decision, God
has revealed himself and given himself to man. This He
does by revealing the mystery, his plan of loving
goodness, formed from all eternity in Christ, for the
benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by
sending us his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and
the Holy Spirit.”

Types of Divine Revelation:

1. Immediate and Mediate

3
Immediate - a revelation received directly from God

Mediate - it is a passing of the revelation

4
2. Natural and Supernatural Revelation

Natural Revelation - (sovereign power of God)

Manifestation of God in nature and creation. It is
the revelation of God in His work.

The “heavens declare the glory of God, and the

firmament proclaims His handiwork.” (Ps 19:1)

In creation, man holds a special place. God said:

“Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness” (Gn 1:26)

God even gives us a share in His own creativity:

“Be fertile and multiply, fill the earth and subdue
it”
(Gn 1:28)

God creates the whole world for us, to support us

in life and reveals Himself to us through His
handiwork. Since the creation of the world…
God’s eternal power and divinity have become
visible, recognized through the things He has
made. (Rom 1:20)

And this is very obvious in history and in our

time.

How to receive Revelations

from Nature
Another way God reveals Himself if through
natural signs.

For us Filipinos, then, the world and everything

in it are natural sign of God - the initial way God
makes Himself known to us.

Yet in our everyday experience, we meet not only

love, friendship, the good and beautiful, but also
5
 suffering, temptation, and evil. All creation has
become affected by sin - sin entered the world,
and with sin death (Rom 5:12).

The natural signs of he creator have thus become

disfigured by pollution, exploitation, injustice,
oppression, and suffering.

So God chose to reveal Himself in a second,

more intimate way, by entering into the history of
the human race He had created. (CFC, pp21 -22)

Supernatural Revelation – a revelation above the

natural. It takes place in history.

God’s self and His will is revealed

It is made to particular individuals and groups

through particular events that happen at special
time and places.

3. Public and Private Revelation

Public - a revelation to a group of people, or to the

church, the people of God.

Private - it is given to individuals or group of people

of individuals for special reasons.

- The purpose is to enlighten the faithful on

the way they should behave…in the
circumstances in life and to be guided in their
practical, social, and spiritual activities.

6
LECTURE
NOTES Lesson 2: The Sacred Scripture

Scriptural Foundation
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for
teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and
giving instruction for right living, so that the person who
serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do
every kind of good deed” (2 Tim 3:16017)

The Sacred Scripture plays a very significant role in our

life as Christians. It is in this book that we can
understand the important events in history of our
forefathers and how they had started to grow as a
community of believers and how they have sacrifice for
the sake of their faith and following God’s will and
purpose.

Sacred
 Is interpreted as something “connected with God
or a God or dedicated to religious purpose and
deserving veneration”
 In a secular point of view, it means “too valuable
to interfere with”
 Examples: Sacred rites like the HOLY MASS for
Catholic Christians

Scripture
 Interpreted as SACRED WRITINGS of
Christianity contained in the Bible.
 The sacred writings of a religion other than
Christianity.
 “Ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of
Christ” - St. Jerome

7
Bible
 In Greek, “la biblia” meaning, “the books”. It
refers to the whole sacred volume
 In Latin, “biblia” meaning, The Book. It is
designates the eminence of the Bible
 The Bible is a collection of sacred writings which
the Church solemnly recognize as the Word of
God written by men through the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit.


How was the Bible formed?

Actual events
This refers to the actual experiences of God’s
people which they interpreted as God’s
intervention in their history

Oral tradition
So that the people will forever remember these
important events, they are handed on to
succeeding generations through storytelling

Written scriptures
These stories were sorted, edited, and eventually
put into to serve as norms against which other
stories and traditions will be verified; and to more
effectively preserve tradition.

The content was first passed on by ORAL TRADITION

over a long period of time BEFORE IT WAS PUT IN
WRITTEN FORM.

8
The OLD TESTAMENT was composed in HEBREW
and translated into GREEK around the 2nd and 3rd
centuries before Christ.

The NEW TESTAMENT was composed in Greek

during the 2nd half of the 1st century A.D. thus, the term
SACREDSCRIPTURES CREATED in a form of a
Bible.
The Holy Bible
When we read the Bible, we also realize that there are
different forms of expressing truth. The Biblical authors
were not so concerned about history itself, but
“salvation history,” how the events of the past could be
understood in relation to their faith.

Salvation history deals with God’s love for us, first

shown to the Chosen People, and then fulfilled in the
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Word of God

“God is the author of Sacred Scripture because HE

inspired its human authors; he acts in them and by
means of them. He thus gives assurance that their
writings teach without error his saving truth” - Dei
Verbum 11

To say that the Bible is the Word of God is to

acknowledge its Divine Authorship.

The Bible is the Word OF God

The word “OF” tells us three things about the Bible:

It is WORD ABOUT GOD - We learn about God

through the Bible
It is the SPOKEN WORD OF GOD – Sacred
Scripture contains God’s revelation of Himself

9
 It is WORD THAT BELONGS TO GOD – God
is the Bible’s author, custodian, interpreter, and
teacher.

Written by men through the

inspiration
of the Holy Spirit
The Bible did not fall from heaven. When God gave us
his word, he inspired some men to put in into writing.

The Bible was written by persons who lived in a

particular context, using the means available to them as
they went through the natural process of data gathering,
selection, and finally writing down scriptures.

Because the Bible was written by men, then through the

Bible God is able to speak to us in human language -
something we can understand and relate to.

“All scripture, inspired by God, is profitable to teach, to

reprove, to correct to instruct in justice” 2 Timothy
3:16

Inspiration
Lt. “in spirare” - to breathe into

“By supernatural power, God so moved and

impelled the human authors to write - he so
assisted the when writing that the things he
ordered and those only they first rightly
understood, then willed faithfully to write down,
and finally expressed in apt words and with
infallible truth.”

Providentissimus Deus, Pope Leo XIII

10
 INSPIRATION IS THE SPECIAL
INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON
THE HUMAN AUTHORS, SUCH THAT
THYE WERE ABLE TO WRITE DOWN
WHAT GOD WANTED THEM TO
WRITE.

Inspiration is NOT:
 DICTATION – God did not dictate the words to
the human authors. As stated earlier, the human
authors had to go through all the processes
involved in coming up with a written work.
 POSSESSION - The human authors were not
coerced by God to write. They did not lose their
free will when they put God’s Word into writing.
On their end, they had to cooperate with
inspiration

11
 Canonicity
Gk. “kanon” – a stick; measuring rod
- The word implies “norms” or “standards”

CANONICITY is the church’s official declaration that

a book is inspired, and is therefore a worthy basis of
faith and morals.

For a book to be declared canonical, it has to pass

certain standards. As it passes the standards, it becomes
a standard itself.

N.B. Canonicity does not make a book inspired, neither

does it add to inspiration. It is simply a formal
recognition of the inspiration which the book has always
possessed.

Canon of Sacred Scripture

Catholic Old Testament Canon contains 46 books
- 39 canonical books plus 7 deuterocanonical
books
Protestants and Jewish Old Testament contains
only the 39 canonical books
Catholic and Protestant New Testament both
contain the same 27 books

Differences
Between Protestant and Catholic Bibles

Protestant Bibles have only 39 Old Testament

books while Catholic Bibles have 46 books.
The 7 additional books are called
deuterocanonical books and include:
 Tobit
 Judith
 1 Maccabees
 2 Maccabees
 Wisdom
 Sirach
12
  Baruch
Catholic Bibles also include additions to the
Books of Esther and Daniel
The Church considers all of these books to be
inspired by the Holy spirit.

13
Old Testament Canon (46 books)
Historical Books Wisdom Books Prophetic Books
Genesis Job Isiah
Exodus Psalms Jeremiah
Leviticus Proverbs Lamentations
Numbers Ecclesiastes Baruch
Deuteronomy Song of songs Ezekiel
Joshua Wisdom (of Daniel
Solomon)
Judges Sirach Hosea
(Ecclesiasticus)
Ruth Joel
1 Samuel Amos
2 Samuel Obadiah
1 Kings Jonah
2 Kings Micah
1 Chronicles Nahum
2 Chronicles Habakkuk
Ezra Zephaniah
Nehemiah Haggai
Tobit Zechariah
Judith Malachi
Esther
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees

New testament Canon (27 books)

Gospels Letters of Paul Catholic Letters
Matthew Romans James
Mark 1 Corinthians 1 Peter
Luke 2 Corinthians 2 Peter
John Galatians 1 John
Acts of the Apostles Philippians 2 John
Colossians 3 John
1 Thessalonians Jude
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy Revelation
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews

14
 The Bible is the Word of God
“”The force and power in the Word of God is so great
that it remains the support and energy of the Church, the
strength of faith for the faithful, the food of the soul, the
pure and perennial source of spiritual life”
- (Dogmatic Constitution – Dei Verbum, 21)

The Word in the Word

“The Sacred Scriptures contain the Word of God,

and , because they are inspired, they are truly the
Word of God.”
– Dei Verbum 24

Christianity is a religion of the Word, not

of a book!
The Word is a Person: Jesus Christ. He is
God’s “final word” on everything.
Through Jesus, God has revealed
everything He wanted to reveal to us about
who He is and what He intends for our
lives.
The Word Incarnate takes on the weakness
of human nature, becoming like us in all
things except sin
The Word of God Inspired expressed in
every way like human language (cf. DV
12)

Formation of the Scriptures

There are periods of time (specific steps) involved in
the process of scriptural formation:

15
 The human event
 Collection of oral storytelling and traditions
 Collection of different writings
 Editing and redacting the final writings
 Acceptance and incorporation into the official
canon

16
 How the Bible is Organized
The Old Testament

Pentateuch - 1st five books - Torah – stories of

creation and the nation of Israel; also includes the
Law
Historical Books – tell the story of the Israelites
from their entry into the Promised Land until the
Exile
Wisdom Books – Israelite’s reflections on faith
and God’s relationship with humanity
Prophets – writings of those inspired to counsel
and confront the people their leaders

The New Testament

Gospel Accounts - four portraits and collections

of stories and words of Jesus
Acts of the Apostles – the story of the early
Christians Church after the Ascension of Jesus
Letters
 13 Pauline Epistles
 7 Catholic Epistles
Revelation – addressed to people experiencing
persecution and questioning the truth of their faith
– offers hope that God’s deliverance will come as
promised.

How to Interpret the Sacred

Scripture?
According to the teaching of the Church especially the
Catholic Church, there are FOUR FACTORS “plays a
significant part in interpreting Scripture”.

1. The Human Author

17
 - the first factor states that “common sense tells
us to find out what the inspired human Author
had in mind when interpreting a text. This
involves some basic idea of the SOCIAL,
ECONOMIC, and RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS
of the Authors in their particular HISTORICAL
SITUATIONS”. Thus, considering the present
conditions the reader will DISCERN WHAT
GOD REALLY INTENDS for His people in their
time and places.

2. The TEXT ITSELF

- the second factor states that “we have to look at

its LITERARY FORM (e.g. historical narratives,
prophetic oracles, poems, or parables) which he
author is using.” The READERS must considered
the type of books or interpretation without
separating it from the Old and New Testament
writings as a whole. This is known as
DYNAMIC UNITY.
- Example:
 Adam and Mechizedek are types of Christ
 The flood foreshadows of Baptism
 Manna in the desert is the type of the
Eucharist

3. The Readers or Hearers

- the third factor states that “we are constantly

asking Scripture new questions and problems,
drawn from our own experience”
- thus, every Filipino Christians or “Catholic
wants to know what the Scripture means to
me/us. At the same time, we recognize that the
Bible brings its own culture of meanings and
frameworks of attitudes that the help form,
reform, and transform us, the readers into the
Image of Christ. We must let the Bible form us,
even while conscious that we are reading it in the
light of our own contemporary experience.”

18
- in addition, the AUTHENTIC
INTERPRETATION must be in CONTINUITY
and HARMONY OF THE TRADITION that
“has grown out of the text’s impact on Christian
communities through the ages.”

19
4. The Common Horizon

- the fourth factor states that interpretation must

which first unites all the books of the Bible into a
basic unity, and second, links together the context
of the scriptural text and second link together of
the Scriptural text and its tradition with our
present reading context today.
- this horizon is the new and eternal covenant
God has established with is in his incarnate son,
Jesus Christ. In interpreting Scripture, we seek
the truth that God wishes to communicate to us
today, through Scripture.
- in this we are guided by the living teaching
office of the church which exercises its
AUTHORITY IN THE NAME OF JESUS
CHRIST, not as superior to the Word, but as its
servant. (CFC, pp.28-29)

20
 Lesson 3: The Apostolic Tradition

Scriptural Foundation
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual
blessing in the heavens!

God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the

mystery, the plan he was pleased to decree in Christ, to
be carried out in the fullness of time: namely, to bring
all things in the heavens and on earth into one under
Christ headship. In Him you too were chosen.”
(Eph 1:3, 9-10.3)

What is the Apostolic Tradition?

Apostolic Tradition is also known as DIVINE
REVELATION in the writing of the Fathers of the
Church.

Fathers of the Church is a technical term applied to

certain Ecclesiastical writers of Christian antiquity
(before the Middle Ages), who are distinguished for
orthodoxy of doctrine and holiness of life and have
therefore been approved by the Church as WITNESSES
OF FAITH.

Tradition
-comes from the Latin word traditio which means
“handling on”

Apostolic Tradition
– the traditions of faith and life that come from
Apostles
– Apostolic Tradition is the handling on of all of
Gods revelation from the beginning of human

21
history to the time of the Apostles, into our own
day.

22
The Tradition as handed by the
Apostles of Christ can be traced back
in two ways:
1. THE ORAL TRADITION
- this us the TRADITION HANDED BY THE
APOSTLES ORALLY. It is through by the
“apostles who handed on, by the spoken word of
their preaching, by the example they gave, by the
institutions they established, what they
themselves had received – whether from the lips
of Christ, from his way of Life and his works, or
whether they had learned it at the prompting of
the HOLY SPIRIT”. This is still preserved in the
Christians Churches until now.

2. THE WRITTEN TRADITION

- this is the tradition handed by the apostles
through WRITTEN DOCUMENTS.
- It is stated that “in writing by those apostles and
other men associated with the apostles who, under
the Inspiration of the same HOLY SPIRIT,
committed the message of salvation to WRITING”.

Sources of Apostolic Tradition

The Apostles received divine revelation from:

(1) The Old Testament – i.e. the patrimony and

history of the Law and the Prophets
(2) What Jesus said and did – e.g. the meaning of
Redemption through suffering, the Eucharist,
beatitudes, morality of the eyes, etc.
(3) All that the Holy Spirit taught the Apostles –
e.g. that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all
truly God, that they were supposed to institute
successors,

23
24
Forms of Apostolic Tradition

The Apostles passed on revelation in two ways:

(1) Sacred Tradition – their oral preaching, the

example of their lives, their institutions and
practices, the way they worshipped God.
“What you have heard from me before many
witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able
to teach other also” (2 Tim 2:2)

(2) Sacred Scripture – written word inspired by

the Holy Spirit
Apostolic tradition includes Scripture and
Tradition which from one deposit of faith
“Stand form and hold to the traditions which you
were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by
letter.”
(2 Thes 2:15)

Giving the Apostolic Tradition

The Apostles entrusted the one deposit of faith

(scripture and tradition) to:

(1) Their successors the bishops who

authoritatively guide the understanding of the
faith
(2) The whole Church who receives, believes, and
lives the apostolic tradition

Order of Apostolic Tradition

Order of Events of Apostolic Tradition

(1) History of the Old Testament

(2) The Revelation of Jesus Christ
(3) The Holy Spirit who taught the Apostles
(4) Apostolic Preaching
(5) Writing of the New Testament Scriptures
25
(6) Passing on both tradition and scripture to the
successors of the Apostles
(7) Received by the whole Church to our own day

26
Oral Tradition

Big “T” Tradition

This refers to the oral tradition that began with the
Apostles and which has been handed down through
the ages.
All the big “T” tradition is essential to our faith and
is guarded by the Holy Spirit

Little “t” traditions

These traditions come from the Church and can be
kept, changed, or abandoned under the guidance of
the Magisterium
e.g. fasts, liturgy, devotions, vestments, theological
expressions, etc.

27
The Twelve Apostles of Christ

28
29
30
Apostolic Fathers of the Church
Catholic Christians believe that the promise of the Spirit
of Truth to guide believers in truth is found in the
constant faith of the Church preserved in the writings of
the Apostolic Fathers.

The term “Apostolic Fathers” applies to certain

disciples and successors of the twelve apostles. In a
more restricted sense, the term is applied to a group of
Greek-language writers who were among the martyrs
and major figures of the 1st and 2nd centuries in the
Christian Church.

31
32
Post-Apostolic Fathers of the
Church
Paradosis or handling on or down of Divine Revelation
is affirmed in Sacred Scripture, hence, it must be found
in some contiguous historical form from age to age.
Catholic Christians believe that the promise of the Spirit
of Truth to guide believers in truth is found in the
constant faith of the Church as preserved in the writings
of the Post-Apostolic Fathers.

The term “Post-Apostolic Fathers” is the name given by

the Christian Church to the writers who established
Christian doctrine before the 8th century. The
writings of the Fathers or Patristic Literature
synthesized Christian doctrine as found in the Bible,
especially the gospels, the writings of the Apostolic
Fathers, ecclesiastical dictums, and decisions of the
Church councils.

33
34
35
 According to St. Augustine, there are
two Dimensions of Divine Revelation:
(1) The Human Word as the exterior Action of Christ

(2) Grace as the interior action of Who speaks or a

grace in or Through the HOLY SPIRIT

By Grace, the person will experience the following:

a. Attraction
b. Internal audition
c. Illumination
d. Testimony

For St, Augustine, the TRINITY is the subject of

DIVINE REVELATION. The TRINITY is made known
and must be believed as indivisible.

In the ECONOMY OF REVELATION, the time before

Christ (Old Testament) is known as age of PROPHESY
and signs (earthly kingdom) while the time of Christ
(New Testament) is known as age of reality and fullness
of revelation (heavenly kingdom).

For St. Thomas Aquinas, revelation is a saving action of

God. Because man lacks the intellectual power and had
the laziness of the mind, therefore, it is necessary for
God to reveal himself. He added that revelations is a
historical event where there is a hierarchal action
characterized by succession progress and multiplicity of
forms.

The prophetic revelation according to St. Thomas

Aquinas is an intellectual gift. This is a degree of
knowledge of God. It is not an end in itself but it exists
for the sake of the vision of God.

The end of the human person is to enter someday into

the contemplation of God.

36
37
 Lesson 4: The Magisterium

“By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ I appeal to all

of you, my friends, to agree in what you say, so that
there will be no divisions among you. Be completely
united, with only one thought and one purpose.” (1 Cor.
1:10)

The Christian church cannot continue its mission

without the assistance of the living office is the
MAGISTERIUM. This is the teaching authority of the
Church in continuing Christ Mission to humanity. This
office is the SERVANT OF GOD. The following are
discussions about the nature and functions of
Magisterium.

The Nature of Magisterium

MAGISTERIUM came from the Latin word which
means “the office of master”.

By definition, this is the “teaching authority of Roman

Catholic Church, especially as exercised by Bishops or
the Pope.”

This is also interpreted as “the authority of the Church

to teach dogmatically”.

Magisterium
Magisterium
- The teaching office of the Church
 The Pope who is the successor of
Peter
 The Bishops who are the
successors of the Apostles

38
God has entrusted the Magisterium with the task
of authentically interpreting and guarding the
deposit of faith.

39
 i.e. Scripture and Tradition
“Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God
that is within you through the laying on of my
hands…guard the truth that has been entrusted to
you”

Tradition, Scripture, and Magisterium

Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the
Magisterium are connected in such a way that one
cannot stand without the others.

By the power of the Holy Spirit all three individually

and together led to salvation

Without tradition the scriptures could not be properly

interpreted

Without the Magisterium tradition could not be

preserved

Without the scriptures the Magisterium would not

have…

What is the Magisterium?

The Magisterium is the name given to the official
teaching authority of the Church.

The Magisterium interprets the Word of God in

Scripture and Tradition

The bishops in communion with the Pope form this

body

40
41
 What does the Magisterium Teach?
The Catechism is a synthesis of the basic contents of
Catholic doctrine: t

 The Nicene Creed

 The Sacraments
 The Ten Commandments
 The Lord’s Prayer

Growth in Understanding our Faith

 Theological inquiry
 Contemplation and study
 The teaching of bishops

Indefectibility and Infallibility

The Church is incorruptible and without error

The Church as a whole possesses these charisms even

though individual members have faults and make
mistakes

Indefectibility
The Church will remain faithful to Christ’s teachings
to the end of time

Jesus promised evil would not overpower the Church

His promise ensures that all people can achieve

salvation.

42
43
 Infallibility
The Church is without error in her teachings

Infallibility is the Holy Spirit’s gift to the Church

Our leaders are protected from fundamental errors

about faith and morals

The Hierarchy of Truths

Some truths are more fundamental, and these illuminate
other truths

All Church teachings are interconnected

Dogmas are those doctrines that are central to Church

teaching

The Role of the Magisterium

1. Devotedly listens to the Word of God

The bishops before could be teacher they must

first be hearer of the word of God

2. Conscientiously guards the Word of God

To safeguard the priceless treasure of the Word

of God
It means: losing nothing of it; deleting nothing of
it; adding nothing of it
Protect against deviation, innovation, and heresy

3. Faithful explains the Word of God

It must propose or explain to the people what is

obscure to them

44
45
Human Learning Experiences:
BONES IN THE PARISH
A parish priest divided his parishioners into FIVE
TYPES of bones:

1. WISHBONES – folks always wishing for better

things, but never willing to work for them;
2. JAWBONES – the gossiping kind whose
intrigues keep the Church in turmoil;
3. FUNNYBONES – they may be funny but
sensitive and are always talking about leaving
the Church;
4. DRYBONES – stickler of Church rules and
orthodox but dead as fossil;
5. BACKBONES – the spiritual support of the
Church that keeps the body standing

46