Learning Module in

CHRISTIAn LIVING
EDUCATIon 7
1st Quarter | S.Y. 2020 -2021

Prepared by

MIDGE SEIMAN F. MAINES, CSPE, LPT

Teacher

This module belongs to:

Student
CHRISTIAN LIVING EDCUCATION 7 Week 1: What is the Bible?

INTRODUCTION
“Pax Vobiscum! (Peace be with you!) I am Sir Midge. I will be your teacher for your
subject in CLE 7. Since this is our first meeting, you must first orient yourself to the
VISION, MISSION, and CORE VALUES of the School of Saint Joseph - Naguilian.
Please familiarize yourself with these statements as these will guide you in your stay in
SSJ:
VISION
MISSION
The School of Saint Joseph
Therefore, School of Saint Joseph
(Naguilian, Isabela),Inc. A
(Naguilian, Isabela), Inc. Is committed:
Catholic School, as an
evangelizing arm of the local - to provide equal opportunity and
Church, envisions itself as a access to transformative Catholic
holistically transformed education integrating Gospel and
Christian Community Filipino cultural values responsive to
founded on the person of the signs of the time;
Jesus. - to promote a culture of excellence
that encourages individualize
formation leading to Christian
CORE VALUES community living;

Integrity | Discipleship - to reach out to people enriching faith,

Stewardship | Service life, and culture experiences essential in
building a just and humane society;
and
- to promote integrity of creation.

This Grade 7 course focuses on how God began to reveal Himself to His Chosen People
and called them into a special relationship of friendship. The course represents the
inspired narrative of how God called the Israelites to salvation—and how through these
same Old Testament accounts, he is doing the same for us TODAY. Thus the course
invites the students to enter into this study as participants, not merely as spectators, so
they will come to appreciate God’s great redeeming presence and love for them now,
and deepen their love and faith in Him through the Sacred Scriptures.

This module will guide you for the entire week in our discussion. And before each lesson,
we shall offer a brief moment for this prayer…

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Week 1: What is the Bible? CHRISTIAN LIVING EDCUCATION
7

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH

(In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen)
Oh St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the
throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.
Oh St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me
from your divine son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord;
so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my
thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.
Oh St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your
arms. I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press Him in
my name and kiss his fine head for me, and ask him to return the kiss when
I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us.
(In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen)

Before we begin our lesson, you must first understand what standards you should meet as
student and what performance is expected of you.
 CONTENT STANDARD:
The students demonstrate understanding of these truth: (1) The bible is
divinely inspired and it is the living word of God for us today; (2) the
Bible is the record of God telling us about Himself and His saving work
in human history; and (3) the Holy Spirit, who inspired certain persons to
write the books of the bile, inspires us today to understand and accept
the Bible as God’s word.
 PERFORMACE STANDARD:
The learners shall be able to study the Bible with an open mind
and heart; and celebrate the Word of God proclaimed in the
Mass through active participation in the Liturgy of the Word.
To begin our learning experience, please get your bible and read
the gospel this last Sunday. Take a moment to reflect in silence and
pray from the bottom of your heart. Let the Holy Spirit move you
into a conversation with God. You may end your prayer with an
―Our Father‖, three ―Hail Mary‖, and one ―Glory be.‖
CHRISTIAN LIVING EDCUCATION 7 Week 1: What is the Bible?

PRE-ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY
For us to know what your entry knowledge is, please answer these
questions as honest as possible. Don’t worry! This will not be graded.
This will only serve as diagnostic tool for you to track your progress or
improvement. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. What is referred to as the compilation of books both from the

Jewish Scriptures and Christian texts?
a. Revelations c. Bible
b. Apocrypha d. Deuterocanonicals
2. Who decided which books should be part of the New Testament
in the 4th Century?
a. Baptists c. Catholic Church
b. Emperor Constantine d. Protestants
3. God’s revelation has been passed down to generations through:
a. Oral and Written Tradition c. Bible Alone
b. Email and Internet d. Preachers
4. What do you call the texts that narrate the Life of Jesus Christ?
a. Tanakh c. Gospels
b. The Laws d. Bible
5. The Bible is considered to be:
a. Inspired by the Holy Spirit c. Book handed by Jesus
b. Infallible (without error) d. Both A and B
Answer this question honestly: “How often do you read your bible?
Why?” Take a moment to reflect on your answer.

”Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ…”

St. Jerome (the first translator of the Bible)

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Week 1: What is the Bible? CHRISTIAN LIVING EDCUCATION 7

LESSON 1: WHAT IS THE BIBLE?

INTRODUCTION: We begin our CLE course on discovering our

Christian roots by looking at our beginnings as a believing people.
The study of the bible is at the forefront of that discovery, being the
source of our knowledge of our Christian faith in the One True God,
who revealed Himself and the salvation he offered first to the
Israelites and who continues to reveal Himself to us today.
OBJECTIVES: This lesson will lead students to:
Doctrine: Identify what the Bible is about and know its unique characteristics.
Morals: Internalize greater appreciation for how the Bible
guides us in our daily action.
Worship: Use scriptural passages as sources of prayer.

A. DIVINE REVELATION
God in His wisdom and goodness
―desires all men to be saved and
come to the knowledge of truth‖
(1Tim.2:4), that is, of Jesus Christ.
For this reason, Christ must be
proclaimed to all, according to
his own command, ―Go forth
and teach all nations‖ (Mt.
28:19). This is brought about by
Apostolic Tradition, Scripture, and Magisterium.
One of the special ways God reveals Himself to humankind is
through the Bible. The Bible is the divinely inspired written record of
how God made Himself known to certain people in history. This is
why the bible is also called Scriptures, which means Sacred Writings.
CHRISTIAN LIVING EDCUCATION 7 Week 1: What is the Bible?

REVELATION: God's communication of himself, by which he makes known the

mystery of his divine plan, a gift of self-communication which is realized by
deeds and words over time, and most fully by sending us his own divine Son,
Jesus Christ (CCC 50).

There are two ways that God has revealed Himself to the human
family. One way is said to be Natural and the other Supernatural.
Natural Revelation
It is ordinary revelation. It is the way
God tells us about Himself through the
ordinary channels that we all have at
our disposal. They are the power of
thinking that every human being has
upon reaching what we call the age of
reason. Secondly, it is the world of
creatures that manifest the goodness and greatness of God who
created this world in which we live.
Supernatural Revelation
Supernatural revelation begins where natural
revelation ends. It is in the character of a
grace from God, who has decided to
communicate Himself in a manner that far
exceeds His manifestation through nature.
We might say that revelation is said to be
supernatural when God tells us about
Himself immediately, somewhat as we do
when we talk to another person.
Kinds of Supernatural Revelation
1. Public – ended with the death of St. John the Evangelist (Book
of Revelation) Rev. 22:18-19

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 2. Private – God communicated privately to the saints and
mystics of the Catholic Church, subject to the judgment of
Church’s magisterium.

B. THE BIBLE AS GOD’S LIVING WORD FOR US

God's revelation is sacred. The Scriptures are
not just records. They have meaning for us
today because God is a living God and His Word
is a Living Word. In the Second Vatican Council's
Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation
(Dei Verbum), the Scriptures are
described as
"sacred books where God as Father lovingly
comes to His children and talks to them.”

The Bible's truths and narratives are rich with insights that can touch
us very deeply. As we begin the course, it is good to know in a
general way what the Bible is all about.
1. The Bible is about God. Through the Bible, we can get to
know our God-His identity, His character, and His purpose
for creating, redeeming, and sanctifying us. We can learn
about how God calls people to "walk with Him." One who
acts, who involves Himself with us, and who calls us. God
is never remote, insensitive, and indifferent.
2. The Bible is about people. A part of the Bible consists of
narratives about real men and women-heroes and
villains, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters,
servant girls and queens, judges, prophets, and kings—
who were chosen to play a role in God's saving plan. We
can learn valuable lessons God wants us to learn from
their successes and failures. To look at the Bible
characters this way is to realize
 that their story is also our story; their message is also our
message.
3. The Bible is about Salvation History. The Bible records
almost 2,000 years in the history of a small but significant
group of people in the Middle East-the Israelites. However,
the purpose of the biblical writings was not to set down a
scientific and historical record of the events of Israel's
history, but to give the spiritual and religious significance
of these events and thus glorify God.
4. The Bible is about faith. The Bible is not merely a collection
of religious stories or simply one of the many surviving
examples of ancient religious literature from the Middle
East. Neither is it like modern science or history books. It is
rather, a book of faith that grew from a believing
community. It is the living witness to God and the central
source of His revelation of Himself and His gift of
salvation to us today The Bible was written primarily to
draw us to believe and, in believing, be saved.

5. The Bible is about us. Do not think that the story of the
ancient Israelites has nothing to with our lives today. While
3,000 years ago (Old Testament; 1,900 years ago for New
Testament) seems so distant from us who have entered
the third millennium, the universal themes of the Bible
speak to us like no other book or movie can. Take as
examples the stories of reluctant leaders like Moses and
Jeremiah. These speak to us about our fear to follow
God's call and to do what is right. The stories of the
mighty Israelite kings Saul, David, and Solomon, on the
other hand, speak about our weaknesses such as
overconfidence, pride, and greed. The Creation
narratives in Genesis give us the universal
 truths of our origin and the ultimate purpose and
destination of our Lives.
The Bible provides us with a unique and irreplaceable means to
understand the true meaning of the events in our lives, including
our relationships, our dreams, and our difficulties. In the Sacred
Scriptures we learn that by God's loving grace, we are saved
and we are loved.

C. GOD’S WORD IN HUMAN WORDS

Vatican II presents its descriptions of biblical inspiration in the
following passage:
“[B]oth the Old and New Testaments in their entirety, with all their parts, are
sacred and canonical because, written under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, they have God as their author and have been handed on as such to the
Church herself.” -- Dei Verbum 11

Inspiration is a mystery, a divine action. Biblical inspiration is unique

and is unlike the inspiration creative people or artists get.
1. The Bible is inspired by God: We must avoid 3 extremes in
understanding biblical inspiration:
a. We must not imagine that the Holy Spirit or an angel
dictated the stories and teachings in the Bible to its writers
word-for-word.
b. We should not imagine that the Holy Spirit acted only as a
spiritual ―watchdog‖ that kept human authors from
writing erroneous materials.
c. It is also not a magical power that makes a person
suddenly understand what Scripture really means.
Rather, we should picture the Holy Spirit as a guide who helped
the authors and interpreters (the Church Magisterium led by the
Pope) in the whole process of writing and compiling the Bible.
2. The Bible is infallible: Because the bible is inspired, the bible is
infallible or ―without error‖ regarding truths for our salvation. The
Church teaches that:
“[S]ince all of Scripture was written, compiled, and edited under the
inspiration by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of
Scripture solidly, faithfully, and without error, teach truth which God
wanted put into sacred writings”
- Dei Verbum 11

The Church’ teaching on biblical inerrancy covers only the

religious messages—truth about salvation that teaches us who
God is, who we are, and God’s ultimate plan for our lives. It does
NOT imply that the bible is free from any historical
inaccuracy. Such discrepancies do not affect religious truth but
rather proves the biblical narratives more human and real.
***
HIGHLIGHTS
 One of the special ways God reveals Himself to humankind is
through the Bible (along with Sacred Tradition and Magisterium).
 Divine Revelation is manifested in 2 ways: Natural Revelation (the
Creation) and Supernatural Revelation (beyond natural; divine
inspiration).
 In the Sacred Scriptures we learn that by God's loving grace, we
are saved and we are loved.
 The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. It has God as its
author and had been handed on to the Church herself.
 The Bible contains NO ERRORS in terms of religious messages
of salvation. Although there are graphical, historical, and
chronological discrepancies, these do not affect religious truth
but rather proves the biblical narratives more human and real.
 POST-ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY

Now let’s see if you truly understood what we have discussed from
the module. Answer the following questions with the correct letter.
1. The inerrancy of the Bible in terms of religious messages is
called .
a. Infallibility c. Beatific Vision
b. Divine inspiration d. Authorship
2. After looking at the breath-taking view of the sunset, James realized how
great God was. What revelation is this?
a. Natural Revelation c. Supernatural Revelation
b. Revelation of the Sun d. Novel Revelation
3. The purpose of the biblical writings was to ?
a. Set accurate historical record c. Make pastors rich
b. Glorify God d. Tell a story
4. The Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on
Divine Revelation Fiction is called ?
a. Encyclical b. Dei Verbum c. Noah d. Vatican II
5. God's communication of himself is referred to as .
a. Divine Inspiration c. Revelation
b. Authorship d. Tithes
END: Do you know people who interpret the Bible on their own? This is a common thing
among false preachers and cults. Be careful of them! St. Peter warned in his second
encyclical: “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from
someone’s own interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20). The only one with authority given by
God to interpret these scriptures is the Catholic Church’s Magisterium—the same
Magisterium who decided which books should become the bible. Interested to know more
about the Bible’s history?

That will be our lesson next week! God bless and Keep safe!
 References
a III, B. C. (2013). Called to discover our Christian roots. Quezon City: Sibs Publishing Hous

). The Catholic Understanding of the Bible. Inter Mirifica.

Web Sources
um” The Holy See, 18 Nov. 1965, Retrieved from: https:// ments/vat-ii_const_19651118

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