MODULE 2: THE BIBLE – A GUIDE FOR LIFE

TOPICS:
a. Meaning, Origin and Nature of the Bible
b. Divisions of the Bible
c. Relationship Between Bible and Tradition
d. Reading the Bible Today
d.1. Pre-text: our lives
d.2. The text as scientific exegesis
d.3. Context: The Faith of the Church

OBJECTIVES:

 Describe the nature of the Bible as the Word of God

 Radiate evidence of reverence to the Bible
 Practice and instill Biblical reading messages in life

Creative discussion follows.

ABSTRACTION:

LECTURETTE
 The Love Story of God and His People, Fr. Luc Colla, CICM
 Faith in Real Life, Fr. Leslie Hope, OFM
 New American Bible
 Readings in the Old Testament
 All About God.com
 Article, ‘A Catholic Moment’,Laura Kazlas

I. OVERVIEW/COMMON QUESTIONS
 What exactly is the Bible?
 Why are there two parts of the Bible?
 Who is the author of the Bible?
 Is the Bible free from errors?
 What can Christians today learn from the Old Testament?
 Why do we read the same Bible stories over and over again?
 Why is ‘suffering’ a major theme in the Old Testament?
 Is the God of the Old Testament vengeful?
 In a nutshell, what is the main teaching of the Old Testament?
 Is it easy to understand the contents of the Old Testament?
 The idea of ‘community’ is so important in the Old Testament…why?
 What is meant by the Old Testament’s talk of Covenants?
 Does the meaning of Covenant change when Christians talk about the New
Covenant?
 II. BIBLE 101
A. It is a collection of books through God’s inspired words.
B. It is a library of books written over a thousand years (950BC-100AD).
C. It is a sacred literature which describes God’s plan for our salvation and eternal
life – a unique revelation of God centered on Jesus Christ, God Incarnate and
Savior of the world.
D. PARTS
1. Old Testament – a record of ‘Covenant’ between God and His chosen people
and describes mankind’s preparation for the coming of the Messiah.
2. New Testament – a record of the new ‘Covenant’ made by God and the whole
human race through the life-death-resurrection of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
E. AUTHORSHIP
GOD is the author of the Bible through revelation (messages and events
occurred in mankind’s history.
F. INSPIRATION
‘Divine Inspiration’ which assures us that the Bible is free from errors in
matters of faith and behavior. God did not personally write the Bible, rather, He
chose men to write what He wanted.
G. CONTENT
It is simply the story of ‘God’s Love’. No doubt, God loves us that was
known-shown-guided for a life pleasing to Him. “Reading the Bible does not
mean understanding the Bible”….since it was written long ago in a language we
do not understand plus the fact that culture and history of authors are strange to
us. Hence, the CHURCH has the duty to help us understand the Bible by
explaining and interpreting the message.

The word "testament", Hebrew berîth, Greek diatheke, primarily signifies the covenant
which God entered into, first with Abraham, then with the people of Israel. The Prophets had
knowledge of a new covenant to which the one concluded on Mount Sinai should give away.
Accordingly, Christ at the Last Supper speaks of the blood of the New Testament.
The Canon of the Old Testament, its manuscripts, editions and ancient versions are
treated in the articles BIBLE; CANON OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES; CODEX
ALEXANDRINUS, etc.; HEBREW BIBLE; MASSORAH; MANUSCRIPTS OF THE BIBLE;
VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE. Questions concerning the origin and contents of the single books
are proposed and answered in articles on the respective books. 

III. BIBLE SYNOPSES

The ‘PENTATEUCH’ refers to the First Five Books of the  Bible (Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), or book of the Five Scrolls. For the most part, both
Jewish and Christian tradition credit Moses with primary authorship of the Pentateuch. These
five books form the theological foundation of the Bible.
 It contains the story of the formation of God’s people, viz;
a. Abraham and the Patriarchs
b. Moses and the oppressed Hebrews in Egypt
c. Birth of Israel in the Sinai Covenant
d. Journey to the threshold of the Promised Land
e. ‘Discourse’ of Moses
Four Traditions/Sources/Strands:
a. Yahwist – preference for the name ‘Yahweh’, represented in translation as Lord.
b. Elohist – prefers ‘Elohim’, as a generic name for God…more sober and moralistic
c. Priestly – emphasizes on genealogy, more theological in tone.
d. Deuteronomic – characterizes the intense hortatory (encouraging) style as in Deut. 5-
11.
The word PENTATEUCH is formed by two Greek words, pente (five) and teuchos
(book). It means "five vessels," "five containers," or "five-volume book." In Hebrew, the
Pentateuch is TORAH, meaning "the law" or "instruction." These five books, written almost
entirely in Hebrew, are the Bible's books of the law, given to us by God through Moses. Another
name for the Pentateuch is "The Five Books of Moses." Written more than 3,000 years ago, the
books of the Pentateuch introduce Bible readers to God's divine purposes and plans and explain
how  sin entered the world. In the Pentateuch we also see God's response to sin, his relationship
with mankind, and gain keen insight into the character and nature of God.