LESSON I: THE BIBLE AS GOD’S WORD IN LIFE AND HISTORY

A. Scripture:

The Bible tells us of God revealing himself in Human History. It is about the saving acts of God
experienced first as a promise and then realized in concrete events in the course of human history. God
revealed himself as a God of mercy and compassion. His final saving act is the sending of His Son, whose
passion, death and resurrection assured as of God’s saving love forever in the whole course of history and
in our present life journey.

The Bible was written over many centuries by different people. God inspired the writers in such a way
that their words revealed His loving will and plan. It was written in the language of the people of the time
and was to be originally understood in the light of their history. The Biblical truth lies primarily in the
intended meaning of the sacred authors – the saving message God wants to convey. To have a proper
appreciation of the truths in scripture, one must have a proper appreciation of the various ways truth is
communicated through different literary forms.

Some examples of literary forms used in the Scripture are the following:
1. Myths 7. Epics 12. Prophecy
2. Folklore 8. Elegies 13. Prose Prayers
3. Legends 9. Contracts 14. Parables
4. Legal documents 10. Narratives, Prose 15. Letters
5. Sermon and Poetry
6. Political Speeches 11. Psalms, Proverbs

The Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word
testament is from the Latin word testamentum that translates the biblical word for “covenant”, which
means a close bond between God and His people. The Old Testament recounts God’s covenant with Israel
which was marked by His unfailing love and faithfulness despite Israel’s disobedience, while the New
Testament recounts God’s covenant made available to all in Christ through His life, passion, death and
resurrection (Luke 22:20).
I. The 46 books of the Old Testament with their abbreviation are the following:
a. The First Five Books: The Law or the Pentateuch
1. Genesis (Gen)
2. Exodus (Ex)
3. Leviticus (Lev)
4. Numbers (Num)
5. Deuteronomy (Dt)

b. The Historical Books

1. Joshua (Jos)
2. Judges (Jgs)
3. 1 Samuel (1 Sm)
4. 2 Samuel (2 Sm)
5. 1 Kings (1 Kgs)
6. 2 Kings (2 Kgs)

c. The Prophetic Books

1. Three major prophets (longer books)
a. Isaiah (Is)
b. Ezekiel (Ez)
c. Jeremiah (Jer)
 2. Twelve minor prophets ( shorter books)
a. Hosea (Hos)
b. Amos (Am)
c. Jonah (Jon)
d. Joel (Jl)
e. Obadiah (Ob)
f. Micah (Mi)
g. Nahum (Na)
h. Zephaniah (Zep)
i. Zechariah (Zec)
j. Haggai (Hg)
k. Malachi (Mal)

d. Thirteen Later Books (The Writings)

1. Psalms (Ps)
2. Proverbs (Prv)
3. Job (Jb)
4. Daniel (Dn)
5. Ezra (Ezr)
6. Nehemiah (Neh)
7. 1 Chronicle (1 Chr)
8. 2 Chronicle (2 Chr)
9. Song of Songs (Sg)
10. Ruth (Ru)
11. Lamentations (Lam)
12. Ecclesiates (Eccl)
13. Esther (Est)

e. The Seven Deuterocanonical Books

1. Tobit (Tb)
2. Wisdom (Wis)
3. Baruch (Bar)
4. 1 Maccabees (1 Mc)
5. 2 Maccabees (2 Mc)
6. Judith (Jdt)
7. Sirach (Sir)

II. The 27 Books of the New Testament:

a. The Four Gospels

1. Matthew (Mt)
2. Mark (Mk)
3. Luke (Lk)
4. John (Jn)
b. Acts of the Apostles
c. Fourteen Epistles or Letters written by Paul or his disciples
1. Romans (Rom)
2. Galatians (Gal)
3. Ephesians (Eph)
4. Colossians (Col)
5. 1 Timothy (1 Tim)
 6. 2 Timothy (2 Tim)
7. Hebrews (Heb)
8. 1 Corinthians (1 Cor)
9. 2 Corinthians (2 Cor)
10. 1 Thessalonians (1 Thes)
11. 2 Thessalonians (2 Thes)
12. Titus (Ti)
13. Philemon (Phlm)
14. Philippians (Phil)

d. Seven other letters or Epistles which were written by Apostles to a more Universal group.
1. James (Jas)
2. 1 John (1 Jn)
3. 2 John (2 Jn)
4. 3 John (3 Jn)
5. 1 Peter (1 Pt)
6. 2 Peter (2 Pt)
7. Jude (Jude)

e. The last book

1. Revelation or Apocalypse (Rv)

B. Church Teaching

Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum), 11

Those divinely revealed realities which are contained and presented in Sacred Scripture have been
committed to writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. For holy mother Church, relying on the belief of
the Apostles (see John 20:31; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-20, 3:15-16), holds that the books of both 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. In composing the sacred books, God chose they made use of their powers and abilities, so
that with Him acting in them and through them, they, as true authors, consigned to writing everything and
only those things which He wanted.

That scripture is inspired means that its writing was under the guidance and direction of the Holy
Spirit, who made use of the powers and abilities of the human authors that they may write only what He
wanted them to write for our salvation. Therefore, the scripture have both divine authorship and human
authorship. Since God is the divine author, who acted in and through the human authors, Scripture is
preserved from error insofar as the truths it contain are for our salvation.

B. Summary of Key Points

1. The Bible as God’s Word unfolds the great love of God for His people who, in their own times,
struggled to respond to this love with and in His grace. It is an inspired written work born of the
drama of life itself, understood and interpreted in the light of faith.
2. Authored by men who were inspired by God, the Bible contains the truths, which God wanted to be
written for our salvation.
 LESSON 2: THE BIBLE AS THE STORY OF GOD MAN ENCOUNTER

A. Scripture: Exodus 19: 1-8

This passage speaks of the spiritual relationship of Yahweh and Israel. Because of the covenant God
made with the people of Israel and their descendants, they were given a special identity and destiny: God’s
special possession, a holy nation, a people dedicated to God.

Proclaimed in this passage, one of the most beautiful in the Old Testament, is the mystery of the divine
choice of Israel as God’s covenanted people. They enjoy a special and unique relationship with Him, but in
turn, much is required of them. They are to be holy as their God is holy.

The Old Testament contains the collection of inspired oral and written accounts which describe the
religious experience of the Jewish people through the marvelous turn of events in their history. These
accounts reflect the character of the nation in its sacred covenant with God. They demonstrate forcefully
the faithfulness of God despite Israel’s unfaithfulness. It was this divine faithfulness which sustained Israel
through the darkest years of its history.

B. Church Teaching

The books of the Old Testament reveal who God is and the ways in which He, being just and
compassionate, deals with His people. Containing sublime teachings about God, wisdom-saying about
human life, narratives of sacred events and a wonderful collection of prayers, the Old Testament books
disclose the mystery of our salvation. We regard the Old Testament with great respect, for it contains the
revelation of God in His saving words and deeds in the history of Israel towards the fullest disclosure of
Himself in Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

C. Summary of Key Points.

1. The scriptures which contain the revelation of God in His saving words and deeds, is an inspired
sacred book which we must read with great respect so that we may grow in our understanding
of who God is and deepen our faith in Him.
2. The Old Testament is an account of the special covenant between God and His chosen people.
It presents to us the truth about the call of Israel to be God’s special possession, a Kingdom of
Priest and a holy nation. It also tells us about God’s great love and compassion for Israel, His
faithfulness despite Israel’s unfaithfulness.
 LESSON 3: GOD’S PROMISE TO ABRAHAM

A. SCRIPTURE: Genesis 12: 1-3

In ancient times, there was a man who did not believe in what the people around him believed in. These
people Idolized many gods. His ancestors or forefathers in fact must have worship the moon and the sun
but he recognized and listened to only one God.  He obeyed and followed this God in a way which no one
had ever done before.
This man was Abraham. He was born in Ur but his father moved his entire family to Haran where they
settled for a living. Here Abraham encountered God in a deep faith experience which brought about a big
change in his simple life and in the lives of many others

History dramatically unfolded when in one special time of his life. God made Himself known and told
him, “ Go out from your land and your clan and your father's house and go to a land that i will show you”
(Gen 12: 1). The passage clearly shows that it was God who first reached out to Abraham. The initiative
was God’s, not Abraham’s. What God asked of abraham was not easy. He was to leave the land of his
birth, all that he had known in all his life and go to an unknown land that God will show him. Abraham left
Haran, took his wife Sarai, his brother's son, Lot, and his relatives and his possessions. Stories tell that
Abraham did not have as many possessions like the city dwellers but that he was rich in livestock’s, silver
and gold (Gen 13:2)

 Abraham went ask the lord instructed. He responded with faith. He trusted the Lord saying “yes” sure of
nothing except that it was God who called. And so began his “journey of faith”

God's reward for his faith is his special divine blessing for him and all his descendants

I will make of you a great nation, and i will bless you;

  I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
   i will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.
All communities of the earth, shall find blessing in you.

  Abraham will be the father a people who will receive a land, will grow into a great nation and enjoy a
special relationship with God. Through this promise, God made a covenant with Abraham and his
offsprings.

B. Church Teaching

National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines, 154

It is clear, then, that coming to know God in faith is accomplished only through grace. that faith
itself is a grace,  i.e. an unmerited gift.

Abraham was blessed with a knowledge of the God who called him to be the “father of his people”.
In faith, he followed the command of God. His call is a gift coming from the initiative of God's saving love.
His response of faith to God’s call to leave everything behind must have been made with the support of
grace. On His own strength, Abraham could not have been able to say “yes” to God's demand which
required a great act of faith. 
God freely calls us by revealing Himself to us. The holy spirit inspires us to understand and accept
God's self-revelation. It is through grace that we are able to respond freely to his revelation in an act of faith

C. Summary of Key Points

1. The response of obedient faith of Abraham to the call of God was not only in words but in deeds. He
left his country and all that was dear to him of the land of his forefathers. He went forth to the
strange land where God told him to go.

2. The faith of God was rewarded with the great promise that he would be blessed as the father of a
people who would become a great nation. All people shall find blessing in him. 
 3. The response of faith is made possible by the support of the grace of God. Thus, faith is a gift to
which one responds freely.
“Walk in my presence and be blameless. Between you and me I will establish my covenant.” Gen 17:1-2

LESSON 4: GOD’S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM

A. Scripture. Genesis 17:1-11;15-16

In God's third encounter with Abraham he renewed his promise to make him the father of many
nations . The change in name means that the covenant of God with Abraham has made him a different
man from Abram to Abraham- which means “father of a multitude”. The sign or symbol of the sealing of
God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants is the rite of circumcision. The right makes every
individual Israelite a member and part of the covenant community inasmuch as his submitting himself for
circumcision is an expression of his acceptance of God's covenant. The circumcised is recognized as God's
covenant partner.

God announced to Abraham the good news that Sarai will   bear a son and him also He will bless.
Sarah also shares in the covenant blessing and thus her name is changed from Sarai to Sarah.

In the entire passage, we see the sealing of the covenant between God and Abraham, God and
Israel through the rite of circumcision. This becomes the symbol of the covenant band of God with every
Israelite.

B. Church Teaching

Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, (Nostra Aetate), 4

The church of Christ acknowledges that according to the mystery of God's saving design, the
beginning of her faith and her election are already found among the Patriarchs, Moses, and the prophets.
She professes that all who believe in Christ, Abraham's son according to faith (cf. Gal 3:7), are included in
the same patriarch’s call, and likewise that salvation of the church was mystically foreshadowed by the
chosen people’s exodus from the land of bondage.

The church recognizes the beginnings of the Christian faith are traced back to the covenant faith of
Israel in God.  The mystery of God's saving plan was first realized in God's love for Israel and his call for
Israel obedience. The church of Christ was foreshadowed in the formation of the people of faith in the old
testament. All those who believe in Christ are men and women of faith who are truly sons and daughters of
Abraham, the father of faith.

C. Summary of Key Points.

1. God revealed to abraham specific promises of his covenant:

a. He will give Abraham many descendants.
b. Many nations will descend from him.
c. He will keep his covenant with Abraham descendants.
d. He will give Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan.

2. God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants was sealed in the right of circumcision.

3. The change of the names of Abram and Sarai into Abraham and Sarah, respectively, signified a true
change in their persons and of their way of life because of God's special covenant with them.

4. the plan of salvation which began in Abraham reach its fullest realization in Christ. We, who are
believers in Christ, are truly sons and daughters of Abraham. for there is only one plan of salvation
for all humankind.
 LESSON 5: ABRAHAM’S FAITH TESTED

A. SCRIPTURE: Genesis 22: 1-28

Abraham faced trials which challenge and put to test he's faith in God. The first trial occurred
when there was famine in the land and Abraham was forced to “seek refuge in Egypt”. While in this
strange place, he risked the honor of his wife in his attempt to save his own life (Gen 12: 10 to 20). The
second trial involved a family conflict over land with his nephew, Lot, which led to their parting ways .
Lot decided to take the Jordan valley while Abraham remained in Canaan. (Gen 13: 5-12). The third trial
came when after 10 years of childlessness, the promise of a son was not fulfilled. Sarah took matters
into her hand by giving Abraham her personal servant to bear the child. Abraham and Sarah resorted to
the providence of the law (a sterile wife is allowed to take another woman to bear her husband a child)
rather than to the providence of the divine promise (Gen 16: 1-16)

The greatest and ultimate trial came when God asked him to offer his own son Isaac as a sacrifice
to God. Isaac, the “reward of faith” becomes now the “test of that same faith”. But as he was about to fulfill
God's command in the most extra ordinary act of faith, Abraham was told not to lay his hand on his son. A
ram caught by its horns was sacrifice in place of Isaac. God swearing by Himself, affirmed once again his
promise to Abraham. (Gen 22: 16-18)

The story of Abraham tells us that complete faith and trust in God is the only acceptable offering to
him.

B. Church Teaching

 National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines (NCDP) , 142

Faith is one’s initial and basic positive response to the revealing God. It is the person’s total “yes”
to God's total gift of Self in Christ, a response of “utang na loob” to “kagandahang loob” and “tuloy po kayo”
to Christ who stands at the door and knock (cf. Rev 3:29). It is the total surrender of oneself to the God who
is trusted completely

God freely calls us through his loving revelation and the Holy Spirit inspires us from within to fully
grasp and accept the signs of His revelation. Encouraging, Inspiring and Uplifting, faith moves us to give of
ourselves to God as our loving and grateful response to His love and goodness.

C. Summary of Key Points

1. Abraham's faith in God's faithfulness to his promise was put to test in God's demand for him to
sacrifice his only son, Isaac. The test was to strengthen and deepen his faith commitment to God

2. The only sacrifice that is truly acceptable to God is the offering of one's self to Him, in complete faith
and trust in the firmness of his promise.

3. Faith is basically a response of gratitude to god's loving and goodness 

 LESSON 6: THE PROMISE OF GOD FULFILLED

A. SCRIPTURE: Genesis 25: 21-34

Genesis 27: 1-45
Genesis 28: 10-15
Genesis 32: 23-29
In the bible narrated a family drama which unfolded the deep conflict over the elder son’s birthright.
The story is about Jacob whose twin (older) brother Esau was the favored son of the father , Isaac. Jacob,
the mother’s favorite, wished that the birthright of his brother be given to him. Taking advantage of Isaac
old age and his failing sight, Jacob and Rebekah conspired to get Isaac to give Jacob the blessing that
belong rightfully to Esau, being the eldest son. Upon learning of the deception and conspiracy which denied
him forever of his father's blessing, Esau planned to kill his brother Jacob. But with Rebeka's protection,
Jacob escaped his brother's plan.
At Bethel, away from his father's home, and despite the sins he committed against his family, Jacob
through a dream, was given the reaffirmation of the promise God made to Abraham and his father, Isaac
(Gen 28: 13-15). This was the promise of land and of divine protection. “Know that I am with you; I will
protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I
promised you” (Gen 28: 15).

 Fleeing from the danger of his brother, Esau, Jacob took his entire family and stayed at a place
called Jabbah. After he brought his family to safety, Jacob was left alone. A mysterious being (called an
angel by the writer) wrestled with him until the break of dawn. Jacob was purified by the strength of God.
Having come to his conversion, his name was changed into Israel, a name that will stand for the
descendants God has promised.

 Jacob conversion led to his tearful reconciliation with his brother Esau. He went back to Bethel in
the land of Canaan, the place where he experienced God's presence in a dream and where he was blessed
with the same promise of God to his forefathers “the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac I now give to
you and to your descendants after you will I give this land”

 The story about Jacob is a real as the stories of Abraham and Isaac. It gives witness to the
faithfulness of God to his promise despite sin. Deeper is His promise that the sins of men, and stronger is
his faithfulness than their unfaithfulness.

B. Church Teaching

 Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum), 13

 In the sacred scripture while the truth and holiness of God always remain intact, the
marvelous “condescension” of eternal wisdom is clearly shown “that we may learn the gentle
kindness of God, which words cannot express, and how far He has gone in adapting His
language with thoughtful concern for our weak human nature”

 National Catechetical Directory of the of the Philippines (NCDP), 123

The revelation of God through saving acts and words constitutes a real self-giving, or grace

 God's very own self is involved in our life and history. He takes our side, becoming our partner
against anything that blocks our growth as persons and Christians. He looks upon us with great mercy,
ever mindful of our weak human nature. Through his saving words and deeds, He offers Himself as our true
salvation.
C. Summary of Key Points

1. Jacob whose new name Israel means “he is struggle with God” stayed close to God and
trusted in his faithfulness despite his own sin of infidelity. He trusted and depended on God
who continued to bless him and took a firm hold on him

2. The promise of God to Abraham was realized through Jacob, despite the sin of Jacob. It is
God's love and fidelity that makes it possible for us to become better person despite our
sinfulness
 
3. God is involved in our life. He always takes our side against all the forces that make it difficult for
us to become good and loving person. He is a faithful God. he never turns his back on us despite