9.1-Come Follow Me - PDF (RE)

Contents
1
The Human Search for Truth
1. The human need to question 5

2. Jesus came to fulfil God’s answers to questions of the human heart 13
3. The Spirit guides the Church’s Magisterium 21
4. The Spirit of Truth inspired the writing of the Bible 31
5. The Spirit of Truth inspired the New Testament 61
6. How to read the Bible 79
7. The Spirit revealed Jesus as the Messiah 99
2
People Grow Stronger Spiritually
1. Young people discover new spiritual experiences 113

2. People can develop spiritual relationships 121
3. People find it hard to develop spiritually 127
4. God the Father and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit 131
5. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit 145
6. Jesus revealed how to draw on the strength of the Holy Spirit 167
7. Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit 181
3
People Can Achieve Emotional Peace
1. Emotions move people 191

2. The emotions function best when directed by the will 197
3. Jesus promises salvation 201
4. Jesus shares his power to love: sacraments and commandments 205
5. Sin and how God helps people to overcome it 219
6. Penance – Sacrament of healing 231
7. Anointing – A Sacrament of healing 247
COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9 1

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4
Christian Love and Sexuality
1. Adolescence is a time of change, challenge and growth 261

2. The Gift of sexuality 265
3. Developing a Healthy Sexuality 275
4. The Challenge of Developing a Health Sexuality 281
5. Jesus promises the power of divine love 287
6. God empowers people to live chaste lives 297
7. God calls people to develop a healthy sexuality 305
8. God’s plan for married love 311
Appendices
Our Prayers 321

Important information for Catholics 328
Sources of images/illustrations 333
Index 335
2 COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9

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1 The human need to question
This chapter presents the following key learning points:

! People ask many ‘human heart’ questions
! There are four basic questions of the ‘human heart’
! The search for truth leads to God
! People fail to recognise their ‘human heart’ questions
for many reasons.
People ask many ‘human heart’ questions
Asking questions is an important human need. Young children have a need to understand
the world around them. They often ask ‘Why?’ about many things.
People’s questions change and the more they understand, the more they seek to know
and question.
During the adolescent years teenagers become more aware of themselves as individuals.
They realise that they are capable of behaving more independently and want to do so.
This leads to new kinds of questions such as, ‘Why can’t I do what I want?’
and ‘How can I get my parents to see that I am no longer a child?’
Many teenagers find that their questions lead to conflict, especially with authority
figures. They can become frustrated when they feel as though their questions and
concerns are not being listened to or given adequate attention.
Some questions teenagers ask show that they are growing into adults.
They ask questions such as:
• How can I understand my feelings?
• What should I do when I leave school?
• How can I live a happy life?
• How can I make good friends?
• How can I be a better person?
The most important questions that teenagers begin to ask arise naturally
and continue throughout life. They are basic questions all people ask.
Since these questions stir within people’s hearts, they are

called ‘questions of the human heart’ or ‘human heart questions’.

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CONTENTS CHAPTERCHAPTER
1. THE HUMAN NEED TO QUESTION
Human heart questions can be recognised because they tend to keep coming back. The
reason the questions keep returning is because situations in people’s lives change. For
example, the question: ‘How can I live a happy life?’ is asked by:
• young people, when they start working
• adults, when they think about marrying
• parents, when they have children
• older people, when they retire from work.
There are four basic questions of the ‘human heart’
Attaining true happiness is more important to people than anything else. The questions
that revolve around happiness and the getting of happiness are more important to them
than other questions. These are the human heart questions that teenagers across the
world begin to ask.
Human heart questions can be grouped into basic categories. Though the words used
may vary from person to person and from culture to culture, the basic questions are the
same.
1. Personal questions
Understanding who we are is important. Personal questions of
the human heart are questions concerned with what people
need to understand about themselves in order to discover true
happiness. Common teenage question could be: ‘What’s life all
about?’, ‘How can I become more independent?’, ‘Why do I
have so many feelings?’.
Spend some quiet time identifying:

• those things about yourself that you cannot
understand
• those things you seem to be confused about
• any personal questions you seem to be unable
to answer.

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2. Relationship questions
Human relationships are important to everyone. Human heart
relationship questions are those concerned with how a person
can relate with others in ways that will lead to true happiness.
Common teenage examples include: ‘Who will always love and
accept me, no matter what?’ and ‘How can I make good friends?’
List human heart

questions about
relationships which
concern you and
explain why this is so.
3. Questions about the future

Humans are different from all other living things in being able
to think about and plan for the future. Questions about the
future are concerned with what is best for oneself, for the
world and for creation if true happiness is to be found.
As people begin to think about the future, many find

themselves asking questions such as:
• ‘What is my future in a world that sometimes
seems really complicated and even threatening?’
• ‘How can we create a more peaceful future
with less crime and fewer wars?’
• ‘How can we improve the way people treat
the environment?’
• ‘What can be done to make the earth a cleaner,
safer place for people and other living things?’
• ‘Can we find a fairer way of sharing the world’s
resources to reduce poverty and hunger?’
• ‘What difference can I make to the future
List questions about
of the earth?’
the future that concern
you. Explain why you
are concerned.

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4. Questions about God

Many human experiences lead people to wonder about God.
Many people sense the presence of God as they experience
creation. Examples of this might be:
• sitting on a surfboard, watching the sun set
• sitting on a beach watching the waves gently meet the shore
• gazing at the night sky or watching a TV program about the
universe
• studying a new-born baby
• seeing someone performing an unusual act of goodness.
The more aware people become of God, the more they wonder at religious
questions such as:
• ‘Who is God?’
• ‘What is God like?’
• ‘What does God expect of me?’
• ‘How can I live the way God wants?’
• ‘What will happen after I die?’
• ‘Why does God allow suffering?’
• ‘Why should I concern myself with religion?’
• ‘How do I know that what I have learned about God is true?’
• ‘How can I really know if God exists?’
Questions that seem to be negative can be signs of a desire to seek the truth about
God and all that God has taught.
As people become aware of the Creator who made all such life experiences
possible, they begin to understand that creation is not static – it is constantly
changing and being renewed.
1. Do you have any religious questions of

your own that you could add to the list?
2. In your own words, explain why you think it is

important for some people to ask negative
questions about religion.
In Class Work
Share examples of how people experience God through creation.

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The search for truth leads to God
‘Human heart’ questions frequently recur in people’s search for truth and are not
satisfied with short term or simplistic answers.
People who are in touch with the questions of the human heart discover two things.
They discover that they will never find lasting happiness or find complete answers to
their basic questions on their own. They also realise that to find this happiness they
need to look beyond the created universe to the One who created it.
Those who remain open to asking and learning answers to the questions of the human
heart discover that the source of complete human happiness is found only in God.
Becoming open to God’s truth

‘Human heart’ questions recur in people in their search for truth. Simplistic answers are
not enough to satisfy people in the long term. Some answers may lead to harm. For example:
• ‘How can I make good friends?’ may lead to the mistake of choosing friends who are
fun in good times but who do not remain friends when things go wrong
• ‘How can I be a better person?’ can lead to doing things for the wrong reasons and
to feelings of guilt and regret
• ‘What should I do when I leave school?’ can lead to jobs and careers that do not
bring real happiness and fulfilment in life
• ‘How can I deal with my feelings?’ can lead to ignoring feelings or dealing with them
inappropriately.
Answers to questions of the human heart can be challenging. For example, the answers to:
• ‘How can I be a better person?’ can require changes in behaviour
• ‘How can I make friends?’ requires people to think of the needs of others as well as
their own needs or work on building their self-confidence
• ‘What does God expect of me?’ requires religious worship and keeping God’s
commandments.
Over thousands of years and in all human cultures, people have realised that by themselves
they cannot discover complete answers to the important questions of the human heart.
This has led people to discover that only God knows the correct answers. Each human
heart question is an invitation to enter into a loving relationship with God.

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People fail to recognise their ‘human heart’

questions for many reasons
People desire true happiness but do not understand that to find it they need to focus on
their human heart questions. The pace of life today leaves little or no time for the quiet
time and reflection needed to become aware of the questions that stir within people’s
hearts. Healthy personal development requires a life-style that provides for every aspect
and need of a person, including the need for times of quiet and reflection.
Healthy personal development requires a life-style that provides for every aspect of a
person. It requires that time be made for:
• exercise • sufficient rest
• relationships • family
• learning • work
• recreation • time spent with God in personal prayer
• time spent in community worship.
Many people spend too much time providing for some aspects of their lives and not
enough time for other aspects of their lives.
Sometimes people resist spending quiet time to find out what is going on within them
and questioning how they can find true happiness. Instead of trying to understand their
inner feelings and questions, they try to avoid them.
They often try to find happiness in other ways, through such things, for example, as
gaining greater wealth, success, social status and possessions. The human heart however
cannot be fully satisfied by wealth, status or possessions.
God created the ‘human heart’ to stir the questions in people that lead to true
happiness. These questions, in their turn, lead to God.
The answers to questions of the ‘human heart’ guide people towards true happiness.
To find these answers, people need to turn to God. As their Creator, God alone understands
them fully. Only God knows how to satisfy the human heart to bring true happiness.

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In Class Work
Draw up a plan of how you Kim’s Week

spend your time in a typical
week. If possible, do this in a
spreadsheet and then present
this as a chart like the pie chart
shown for ‘Kim’s Week’. The
following areas are to be
included but these could also
be expanded further (for
example: ‘family’ could include
socialising with grandparents,
parents, siblings and extended
family):
– exercise – family
– rest – school
– work – recreation/leisure time
– prayer
When you have finished reflect on your lifestyle.
• Do you think you lead a balanced life? Explain.

• How do some teenagers try to escape their inner feelings and questions?
In Class Work
Using suitable illustrations and captions, prepare a wall chart that highlights
the four basic questions of the human heart.

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2 Jesus came to fulfil God’s answers
to questions of the human heart

! Jesus thought, questioned and understood like anyone else but
he was incapable of sin
! Jesus came to complete the teachings of the Father
! Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide his followers
! The Holy Spirit guides Jesus’ followers to answer the questions
in their hearts.
Jesus thought, questioned and understood like anyone

else but he was incapable of sin
God wants people to find answers to the
questions stirring within their hearts. To
provide them with these answers Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, was born a human
being. He grew up, lived and worked in the
town of Nazareth until he ‘was about thirty
years old’ (Luke 3:23). Jesus then began
the public ministry that led to his death
and Resurrection.
Jesus was both fully human and fully

divine. Being fully human, Jesus thought,
questioned and understood like any other
human being but overcame all temptations.
The Youth of our Lord, 1847–56 (oil on canvas)
by Herbert, John Rogers (1810–90)
For your information…

The belief that God became fully human is
Being fully divine, Jesus was incapable
called the ‘Mystery of the Incarnation’.
of sin. This meant that his thoughts,
questions and understandings could
The ‘Incarnation’ means that Jesus, the Son
never lead him to do anything that
of God, was born of human flesh and blood.
would damage his relationship with
the Father.
It is called a ‘Mystery’ because the truth of
this event and what it means is beyond
complete human understanding.

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2. JESUS CAME TO FULFIL GOD’S ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS OF THE HUMAN HEART
The Gospels, which explain who Jesus is, tell stories that show how he thought like
other humans. For example, he:
• questioned as a teenager:
It happened that, three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among
the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions… (Luke 2:46)
• learned carpentry skills:
This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary… (Mark 6:3)
• learned to read:
He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue
on the Sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read… (Luke 4:16)

‘Nazara’ is another name for Nazareth. It is a hill town about 25km west of Lake Galilee.
Like all people, Jesus was born with human knowledge which needed to be developed.
As a result:
• his wisdom developed as he grew older:
And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with
people. (Luke 2:52)
• he had to ask questions such as:
Jesus said[to his mother], ‘Woman, what do you want from me?’ (John 2:4)
• he could not answer all questions, such as ‘When will the world end?’:
‘But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels in heaven,
nor the Son; no one but the Father.’ (Mark 13:32)

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Jesus came to complete the teachings of the Father

Jesus was the Son of God, yet in his humanity he had to grow in wisdom and knowledge
through learning, experience and the influence of other people in his life. As Jesus grew
in wisdom he developed a deeper understanding of the questions that are continually
being asked in the human heart and the answers God provides, and so he:
• pleaded with people to repent and to believe in the good news he came to teach:
‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent,
and believe the gospel.’ (Mark 1:15)
• cried at the thought of those who would not accept the way to God:
As he drew near and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said,
‘If you too had only recognised on this day the way to peace!’ (Luke 19:41–42)
God the Father responds fully to questions of the human heart in the person of his only
Son. The early Christians gradually realised that, in the person of Jesus, they were
taught by God. His every thought, word and gesture communicated God. This is why
they could say:
At many moments in the past and by many means, God spoke to our ancestors
through the prophets; but in our time ... he has spoken to us in the person of his
Son ... (Hebrews 1:1–2)
God’s revelation ceased

with the death of the
last Apostle but, as
Jesus promised, the
Holy Spirit will
continue to deepen
people’s understanding
of all Jesus revealed
until the end of the
world (John 16:5–16).
Christ teaching surrounded

by the Apostles (fresco) by
Paleo-Christian, (3rd century)

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Jesus came to complete the teachings of the Father in several ways, for instance:
Jesus revealed the Trinity

In Old Testament times belief in one God as Creator of the world was central to the
Jewish religion. Jesus revealed that this one God is a Trinity – that is, in the One God
there are three divine Persons.
‘…baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…’
(Matthew 28:19)

The Holy Trinity is sometimes described as the ‘divine communion of love’. This expresses
the Christian belief that the Persons of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy
Spirit live in perfect love within a unity of being, that is, as One God. In other words, there
exists a perfect communion (or ‘community’) of love amongst the three Persons in the
One God. The Trinity is a mystery beyond full human understanding.
Jesus revealed that

God’s love is a love
of service
In Old Testament times God
revealed much about how to
relate with others. Jesus, by his
actions and his words, revealed
that genuine love is shown by
serving the good of others.
Jesus demonstrated that service

is the most basic characteristic
of human love when he
washed his disciples’ feet (John Ms 404 fol.7v Christ washing the disciples feet,
12th–13th century (vellum) by Armenian School
13:1–17). After this he told his
followers that they must:
‘… love one another just as I have loved you.’ (John 13:34)
Jesus also revealed that he and creation are signs of God’s love and how the Father
provides for all (Matthew 6:25–34).

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Jesus gave his Church

the Eucharist
In Old Testament times God taught the Jews
to worship in community gatherings and to
pray to God personally each day.
Jesus revealed to his followers how he

wanted them to worship. He did this during
the Last Supper when he gave his Church
the Eucharist, telling his Apostles:
‘…do this in remembrance of me.’ (Luke 22:19)
Jesus revealed what happens when people die

Old Testament teachings could not provide a full answer to the question: ‘What happens
when I die?’ Jesus answered this question, teaching that as soon as people die, they are
destined for eternal friendship with God in heaven.
Jesus had a special love for those who kept on asking him
religious questions
Sometimes teenagers ask questions about religion. Examples include:
• ‘Why do I need to go to Mass?’
• ‘What is the value of going to Reconciliation?’
It is important to remember that Jesus loves people who ask these questions, especially
when they are genuinely seeking answers.
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide his followers
People would still have questions after Jesus had gone and would still need to ask
questions about his teachings. To help his followers as they continued to ask questions,
Jesus promised:
‘I shall ask the Father, and he will give you ... the Spirit of truth ... the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you
of all I have said to you.’ (John 14:16, 17, 26)
This promise was fulfilled at Pentecost when the disciples were filled with the
Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–12).

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The Holy Spirit guides Jesus’ followers to answer the

questions in their hearts
From Pentecost onwards, followers of Jesus would be guided by the Holy Spirit.
They would be filled with the Holy Spirit through the sacraments of Baptism and
Confirmation. In the sacrament of Confirmation Jesus gave his Church the seven gifts
of the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen Christians to discover and live answers to
human heart questions.
Baptism and Confirmation

Jesus gave his Church the Sacraments of
Baptism and Confirmation so that his future For your information…
followers could be filled with the Spirit. The seven gifts of the Ho
ly Spirit are:
They also receive the seven gifts of the Holy • Wisdom
Spirit, all of which relate either to: • Understanding
• guiding people to discover answers to • Right Judgement
their ‘human heart’ questions, or • Courage
• strengthening them to live the answers. • Knowledge
• Reverence
From Pentecost onwards, followers of Jesus • Wonder and awe in
God’s
would be guided by the Holy Spirit as they presence.
tried to understand how his answers to the
questions of the human heart applied to
their personal and community lives.
The Spirit continues this today as baptised and confirmed Christians pray for guidance
on such human heart questions as:
• ‘How can I show more love at home?’
• ‘How can I forgive someone who has hurt me deeply?’
• ‘How can I stop giving in to peer pressure?’
• ‘How can I do what is right when my emotions urge me to do wrong?’
• ‘Why do I find it hard to pray?’
In Class Work
Write a prayer to the Holy Spirit for guidance on a question of your heart.
God’s answers to questions of the human heart lead to true happiness. It is the Holy
Spirit that guides followers of Jesus who worship, pray and live as he taught, to answer
the questions in their hearts.

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Imagine how different people’s lives would be if they

could have answers to:
• religious ‘human heart’ questions such as:
– ‘What will happen to me after I die?’
– ‘How can I relate more closely with God?’
• personal ‘human heart’ questions such as:

– ‘How should I deal with strong feelings?’
– ‘What should I do after I leave school?’
• relationship ‘human heart’ questions such as:

– ‘How can I make good friends?’
– ‘How can I get on better with my parents?’
• ‘human heart’ questions relating to creation such as:

– ‘How should I relate with the environment?’
– ‘To what extent am I personally responsible for the
care of creation?’
Picture yourself in a one-to-one conversation with Jesus.
What questions would you ask him? Describe how different

your life would be if Jesus answered all of your questions.
In Class Work
Use the information in Chapters 1 and 2 to help you to answer these

questions:
1. What are the four basic questions of the human heart?
2. Jesus is both _______________and __________________.
3. What is meant by the “Incarnation”? Why is it described as a ‘mystery’?
4. What is the Holy Trinity?
5. Why did Jesus send the Holy Spirit to his followers?
6. Which are the two sacraments that fill people with the Holy Spirit?
7. What are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit?
8. From __________________ onwards the followers of Jesus would
be guided by the Holy Spirit.

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3 The Spirit guides the
Church’s Magisterium
! The Magisterium of the Church preserves Jesus’ teachings
! The Holy Spirit guides the Pope and bishops
! Tradition is the handing on of the teachings of the Apostles
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
! The Pope is the successor to Saint Peter
! The infallibility of the Church is a gift of the Holy Spirit
! The Magisterium serves the Church by teaching, explaining
and applying Jesus’ teachings.
The Magisterium of the

Church preserves Jesus’
teachings
It is very important for people to be clear

about what Jesus taught. They need to
know how to apply the teachings of Jesus
to situations in their lives. This leads to
the question: ‘How can we know that the
Christian teachings people believe today are
really what Jesus taught two thousand years
ago?’
St. Peter Placing the Papal Tiara on the Head
of St. Clement, from ‘The Life of St. Peter’
Jesus’ solution to this question was to appoint (wool tapestry) by French School, (15th century)
leaders from among his followers and to give
them special spiritual gifts. Through these
gifts the Holy Spirit would continue to guide
Jesus’ followers as they sought to live in their
particular time and culture. The meaning of Magisterium
comes from the Latin word
Those appointed by Jesus to lead his Church magister, meaning teacher.
then passed on this authority to those who
succeeded them as leaders of the Church.
‘Magisterium’ refers to the leaders within the
Church who today have the spiritual gifts for guiding and preserving Church teaching.
It is essential that people understand the origins, the authority and the limits of the
Church’s Magisterium in order to understand why the Church cannot make the
changes in its teachings and practices called for by some people today.

CONTENTSCONTENTS CHAPTER CHAPTER
3. THE SPIRIT GUIDES THE CHURCH’S MAGISTERIUM
Apostles Peter and Paul, 1708 (tempera on gesso) by Klimentov, Feoktist (18th century)
The Holy Spirit guides the Pope and bishops
The leaders within the Church who today have the spiritual gifts to guide it are called
the Pope and bishops. They are the successors of the first leaders of the community
called the Apostles.
Apostles
The ‘Apostles’ are so called because they were sent by Jesus. He told them:
‘Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them ... and teach them to
observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the
end of time.’ (Matthew 28:19–20)

Apostle derives from the Greek word apostolos meaning ‘one who is sent.’ For St Paul, an
Apostle was someone specially called by God and sent out to preach the gospel.

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Jesus gave the Apostles special authority

Jesus gave the Apostles special authority to lead other members of his Church when he
said to them:
‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed
in heaven.’ (Matthew 16:19)
In Jesus’ time the owner of a property gave someone the authority to govern by giving
them the keys of the property. In those times, ‘to bind and loose’ was a phrase that
meant a person had the power to make decisions about the accuracy of teachings and
laws.
The special spiritual gifts the Apostles received meant that they could be certain they
would be guided by the Holy Spirit. The power ‘to bind and to loose’ gave them the
authority to determine the authentic teachings and beliefs of Jesus. There are many
examples of the Apostles using this power. One example is the Council of Apostles and
elders which met in Jerusalem around 48AD to decide on whether or not non-Jewish
converts to Christianity should follow Jewish laws. After debating the issues they made
a decision and sent a letter which began:
The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings…It has been decided by
the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to impose on you any burden beyond these
essentials… (Acts 15: 23, 28)
Jesus gave his Apostles five basic responsibilities in their leadership of the Church:
• to be the principal teachers of the Gospel
• to interpret the Gospel
• to govern the Church in the name of Jesus
• to guide his followers to live as he taught
• to ensure that the sacraments were celebrated properly.
How does a bishop receive the special gifts Jesus gave the Apostles?
The Apostles received the fullness of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1–2:10).
After Pentecost, the Apostles shared their special gifts and authority with others
as the Church spread to other countries.
The spiritual gifts and authority Jesus first gave the Apostles have been passed
down through the centuries. Today, those who have these powers are called bishops.

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The Church Militant and Triumphant, detail of SS. Thomas and Peter confuting the heretics, from the
Spanish Chapel; c.1369 (fresco) (detail of 31612) by Andrea di Bonaiuto (Andrea da Firenze) (fl.1343–77)
Tradition is the handing on of the teachings of the

Apostles under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
Since earliest times, the teaching of the Apostles has been handed down from generation
to generation. In particular, the story of Jesus’ Resurrection, his life and teachings and
what is needed to live the Christian life were all handed on.
‘Tradition’ (always with a capital ‘T’), is a special word which refers to the handing on
of the teachings of the Apostles under the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
When speaking of Tradition, Catholics mean:

• the teachings handed on by the Apostles – the Creed, the sacraments, the moral
teachings of Christ and the Lord’s Prayer
• the ways these teachings are handed on under the Holy Spirit’s guidance
(liturgies, official teachings by the Pope and bishops, and the essential elements
of the Christian life, especially prayer and moral teachings).
Through Tradition, the Holy Spirit protects the Church from losing or misrepresenting
the teaching of Jesus.

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The Pope is the successor to Saint Peter

Jesus told the Apostles to spread his teachings across the earth. They were to:
‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all…’ (Mark 16:15)
This meant that they needed to go out and work in different parts of the world.
The distances between places meant that in an age of much slower transport and
communications, the Apostles found it very difficult to come together to work out
a correct understanding of Jesus’ teaching.
To ensure this correct understanding, Jesus had given Peter special spiritual gifts and
authority among the Apostles. He:
• called Peter first (Mark 1:16)
• changed his name from Simon to Peter (Matthew 16:18, John 1:42)
• told Peter that he would be the ‘foundation stone’ of the Church (Matthew 16:18)
• gave Peter the ‘keys of the kingdom’ (Matthew 16:19)
• prayed for Peter to keep the faith and so support the other Apostles (Luke 22:32)
• appointed Peter to guide and support the whole of his Church (John 21:15–17).
Why did Jesus change Simon’s name?

In those days, to change a person’s name was to give them a new mission and
responsibility. Jesus did this when he said:
‘Simon son of Jonah … You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community.’
(Matthew 16:17–18)
Jesus spoke of himself as the

foundation stone of God’s For your information…
kingdom. Changing Simon’s
Peter comes from the Greek petros, meaning ‘rock.’
name meant that he was to
lead the Church on Jesus’
behalf.
Jesus spoke of himself as the ‘Good Shepherd.’ To further emphasise Peter’s special role
in the Church, Jesus gave Peter the responsibility for his ‘flock’. Jesus said to Peter:
‘Feed my lambs ... Look after my sheep ... Feed my sheep.’ (John 21:15–17)
The early Christians realised that Peter was chosen for a special role of leadership in the
Church. His leading role or ‘primacy’ is clearly evident in the gospels such as the way he
is always named first in any list of the Apostles.

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Peter was martyred in Rome around 64AD. The special gifts and authority he received
from Jesus were handed on to his successors as head of the Church – first Linus, who
was martyred around 78AD, then Cletus, Clement and so on down to the present day.
Today the head of the Church who has these gifts and authority is called the Pope.
How is a Pope chosen?

The Apostles were faced with
the question of who should
succeed them. As their
successors would receive their
powers from God, the
Apostles would need to find a
way that enabled the Holy
Spirit to decide who would be
chosen. The Spirit guided the
Apostles to choose the method
of election, either by drawing
lots or voting (Acts 1:26, 6:5).
Popes today are elected by

special bishops called
‘cardinals’. The gathering
during which the cardinals
elect a Pope is called a
‘conclave’.
Sistine Chapel ceiling and lunettes, 1508–12 (fresco)
(post restoration) by Buonarroti, Michelangelo (1475–1564)

The word ‘conclave’ is derived from a Latin word meaning ‘a lockable room’. The cardinals
who elect a new Pope meet in the Sistine Chapel. The Chapel is locked while the cardinals
vote in a secret ballot (or, if required, a series of ballots) for a new Pope.
Apostolic succession
The passing on of the spiritual gifts and authority in the Church from the
Apostles to the bishops today is called ‘apostolic succession’. The successors of
the Apostles were called either elders or bishops. ‘Apostle’ is reserved out of
respect for the first Twelve who actually saw, knew and were sent out by Jesus.
The Holy Spirit continues to guide the Pope and bishops today as they use these
same spiritual gifts.

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The infallibility of the Church is a gift of the Holy Spirit

Jesus gave his followers the Holy Spirit,
‘the Spirit of truth’, to guide them. This
means that, since God cannot make
errors, the whole Church cannot err
in its understanding of:
• the teachings of Jesus
• how these teachings are to be lived.
Infallibity is the name given to the gift of

the Holy Spirit that protects the Church
from error when solemnly defining
matters relating to Jesus’ teachings and
how they are to be lived. Infallibilty does
not apply to matters outside the areas of
faith and morals.
The infallibility of the Pope

This gift, given to the Church, means
that the Holy Spirit protects the Pope
from making errors when he solemnly
teaches what is essential to the message
of Jesus and how it applies to Christian
living.
The gift of infallibility does not protect

the Pope from any other errors.
How often is infallibility

exercised?
The gift of infallibility has been used
rarely over the last two thousand years.
Infallible doctrines include:
• the Creed used during Sunday Mass
• the Incarnation (that Jesus is both
divine and human)
The Immaculate Conception by Murillo, Bartolome Esteban (1618–82)
• the Trinity (that in One God there are
Three Persons – the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit)
Likewise, the Pope has rarely used the gift of infallibility. The Pope has exercised this
gift in the declaration of the following doctrines:
• the Immaculate Conception (that Mary was conceived free from original sin)
• the Assumption (that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven when her life
in this world ended).

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The Magisterium serves the Church by teaching,

explaining and applying Jesus’ teachings
The Church’s Magisterium is the teaching
body of the Church. Ordinarily, this For your information…
consists of the Pope and the bishops
It is important for people to understand
throughout the world, working within
that the Magisterium cannot change
their dioceses. The Extraordinary
the teachings of Jesus by permitting
Magisterium consists of the Pope and
something that contradicts a teaching
bishops meeting at a Council representing
of God.
the whole Christian world. This is called
an Ecumenical Council.
Jesus told Peter and the Apostles to teach people
‘…to observe all the commands I gave you.’ (Matthew 28:20)
Their authority, therefore, was limited. They

could only teach, explain and apply the
teachings of Jesus. They could not change his
teachings.
Likewise, the spiritual gifts and authority of the

Pope and bishops today are limited. They can
not go against a teaching of Jesus.
Many today argue that ‘the Church needs to

change its teachings’ because people are ignoring
them and ‘times have changed’. They do not
realise that the teachings of Jesus cannot be
changed. The Church’s Magisterium has no
power to do so.
Many want the Pope and bishops to change:

• the fifth commandment to allow the killing
Christ with a kneeling Bishop,
of unborn children (abortion) or the killing 15th century (stained glass)
of those who are suffering painful terminal
illnesses (euthanasia)
• the sixth commandment to allow married people to have sex with people other than
their wives or husbands (adultery) or to allow sex between unmarried people
• the command of Jesus that married people not remarry while their husband or
wife is alive (Mark 10:10–12).
Neither the Pope nor the bishops have any

power to change the teachings of Jesus.

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In Class Work
Use the information in Chapter 3 to help you to answer these questions:

1. List the five basic responsibilities that Jesus gave the leadership of his
Church. Who has these leadership responsibilities in the Church today?
2. Explain what is meant by Tradition. What work does the Holy Spirit do
through Tradition?
3. Explain how each of the following words is significant to the story of
St Peter, the first pope: Simon, keys, rock.
4. Popes today are elected by special bishops called __________.
A _________ is a gathering during which these men elect a new pope.
5. _____________________ is the gift of the Holy Spirit which protects the
Church from error when solemnly defining matters of faith and morals.
It protects the _________ from making errors in understanding and
teaching the essential aspects of Jesus’ message and how it applies to
_________________ and _______________.
6. List two Church doctrines (teachings) where infallibility has been used.
Why do you think infallibility was used in each case?
7. Explain what is meant by the Church’s Magisterium. What teaching is
it unable to change?
8. What is the name of the Pope?

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4 The Spirit of Truth inspired
the writing of the Bible

! God reveals answers to questions of the ‘human heart’
through the Bible
! The writing process of the Bible involved four broad steps
! The historical development of the Bible occurred over seven stages:
– the Patriarchs of the people of Israel
– the Exodus and entry into the Promised Land
– the Monarchy
– the Exile
– the Post Exile
– the Greek conquest
– the Roman conquest.
God reveals answers to the questions of the

‘human heart’ through the Bible
The experiences of God recorded in the Old
Testament are central to an understanding of
Christ’s ministry and the foundation of the
Christian Church.
Around four thousand years ago, God began

revealing answers to questions of the ‘human
heart’ in a special way through Abraham, the
father of the Jewish people. God continued
this special revelation until the conclusion of
the ministry of Jesus.
All that was revealed by God over this period

was written down under the direction of the
Holy Spirit. These writings were collected and
recorded in a library of seventy-three books
called the Bible.
Christ in Majesty with the Symbols of the
Evangelists, illustration from The Bible of Alcuin
Inspired by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, (735–804) completed in 801AD (vellum)
writers especially called by God wrote and
edited the Bible. The inspired writers of the
Bible presented God’s teachings in many different
ways including poetry, stories and hymns.

CONTENTS CONTENTS CHAPTER CHAPTER
4. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH INSPIRED THE WRITING OF THE BIBLE
When completed, the Bible

contained all that God wanted For your information…
taught and only what God wanted
The word Bible comes from the two Greek words
taught.
– ‘ta biblia’ – which mean ‘the books’.
The two Testaments

Within the Bible, the two collections of books
are called the Old Testament and the New For your information…
Testament.
The books of the Bible were first
divided into chapters in the
The books of the Old Testament tell about God
thirteenth century by Stephen
forming the people of Israel as God’s own
Langton, Archbishop of
people and preparing them for the coming of
Canterbury. The use of numbered
Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
verses was finalised by Robert
Estienne in 1555.
The books of the New Testament tell about
Jesus Christ and his teachings.
The writing process of the Bible involved four broad steps
Each part of the Bible was written in four broad steps:

• the people’s experience of God
• the development of an understanding of what these experiences meant
• the inspiration of writers who recorded these understandings
• the selection of inspired texts and the discarding of inaccurate and non-essential
texts.
1. Experiences of God
Over a period of nearly two thousand years the descendants of Abraham had many
experiences of God. Their greatest experience of God occurred when God acted to
rescue the people from slavery in Egypt. Before this experience was recorded in the
Book of Exodus it was remembered and celebrated through story, song and ritual.
Handing on knowledge of experiences of God in this way is called ‘oral tradition’.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of
Australia have oral traditions that go back more
than forty thousand years. These are the oldest
living oral traditions in the world.

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In Class Work
Locate and read some Aboriginal stories that have been handed
on orally. Explain why indigenous people think it is important to
hand these stories on from generation to generation.
2. Coming to understand the experience

The Holy Spirit inspired people to come to understand the experiences through which
they encountered God. It often took the people a long time to understand their full
significance. For example, it took centuries for them to realise fully that God always
cared for them, and not just while they were slaves in Egypt. God was always close to
them – not distant and disinterested.
3. The Holy Spirit inspired writers

As God wanted everyone to learn about these experiences, the Holy Spirit stirred
thoughts and feelings in individuals and groups who recorded these in writing.
The Book of Exodus, for example, preserves some of the earliest writings. Fragments of texts
and information from various sources were collected to produce a record of the Passover.
As many people wrote about God’s teachings, it was not always immediately clear what
was inspired by the Spirit and what was not. Over time editors inspired by the Holy
Spirit were able to recognise what was not from God and they deleted these writings.
4. The selection of inspired texts

Sometimes, those who edited the Bible joined different inspired writings together and
occasionally did not even worry about apparently contradictory details which did not
touch the essentials of the teaching. One example is the story of the Passover. As the
Hebrews were escaping Egypt, God protected them. In the following text the inspired
editor’s concern was about God’s power over the seemingly invincible Egyptian army:
Then the angel of God, who preceeded the army of Israel, changed station and
followed behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from their front and took
position behind them. It came between the army of the Egyptians and the army
of Israel. (Exodus 14: 19–20)
Here the editor combined two texts. One told of an angel of God protecting the army of
Israel and the other tells of a pillar of cloud performing the same function.
In Class Work
Read 1 Samuel 17:50–51 and write down the contradictions within this text.

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The historical development of the Bible occurred

over seven stages

On timelines based on Christian history the abbreviations BC and AD are used. BC means
‘Before Christ’ and AD means ‘Anno Domini’ (Latin for, ‘In the Year of Our Lord’).
Any number followed by BC represents a year that occurred before Jesus was born, e.g.
210 BC occurred two hundred and ten years before Jesus’ birth.
Many texts now use the abbreviations ‘BCE’ (Before the Common Era) instead of ‘BC’, and
‘ACE’ (After the Common Era) instead of ‘AD’.
The revelation of God was gradual and the people’s understanding of God developed in
response to human experience in history. The books of the Bible were composed and
compiled over seven periods of Jewish history.
It is not possible in the remainder of this chapter to give a detailed outline of these
periods of Jewish history. The people, events and changes which influenced the
historical development of the Bible have been highlighted to illustrate how people came
to understand the experiences through which they encountered God.

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Periods of Jewish History from 1850BC to 135AD
FIRST PERIOD
The Patriarchs of the people of Israel
1850–1700BC (ie. 150 years)
INTERIM PERIOD 1
Descendants of the Patriarch Jacob in Egypt
1700–1300BC (ie. 400 years)
SECOND PERIOD
The Exodus and entry into the Promised Land
1300–1050BC (ie. 250 years)
INTERIM PERIOD 2
Final years of rule under the Judges
1050–1020BC (ie. 30 years)
THIRD PERIOD
The Monarchy
1020–587BC (ie. 443 years)
FOURTH PERIOD
The Exile in Babylon
587–539BC (ie. 48 years)
FIFTH PERIOD
The Post Exile
539–333BC (ie. 206 years)
SIXTH PERIOD
The Greek conquest
333–63BC (ie. 270 years)
SEVENTH PERIOD
The Roman empire
63BC–135AD (ie. 198 years)

Some of the dates presented in this chapter are disputed by scholars. The dates given for
the periods follow those of The New Jerusalem Bible (1985).

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First Period: The Patriarchs of

the people of Israel (1850–1700BC)
The people of Israel had

their origins in nomadic
tribes who roamed the
region of Mesopotamia
from around 3000BC.
Little is known about the
fathers or ‘Patriarchs’
of the people of Israel.
Around 1850BC Abram

was called by God to leave
his home in Mesopotamia.
God made a covenant with
him and changed his name
to Abraham, promising him Elijah, Jewish pictorial rug, from Tabriz in Iran,
1930s–40s (cotton and silk)
many descendants (Genesis
15:5) and land. This
eventually became known
as the Promised Land (Genesis 15:18).
Abraham was the first Patriarch. The second Patriarch was Isaac, the son of Abraham
and his wife Sarah. The third Patriarch was Jacob, the younger of Isaac’s two sons. God
eventually changed Jacob’s name to Israel.
Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon and Levi, Judah, Zebulun and Issachar,
Dan, Gad and Asher, Naphtali, Joseph and Benjamin. The most famous was Joseph who
was sold into slavery by his brothers and who eventually became an important
administrator of Egypt. Jacob’s twelve sons were the Patriarchs of the twelve tribes of
Israel. Their descendants were referred to as ‘Israelites’ or ‘Hebrews’. Around 1700BC
the Israelites settled in Egypt.
Although writing existed, very few people at this time could read or write. The Holy
Spirit guided oral tradition so that the people never lost their memories of how this new
God discovered by Abraham was experienced. Until the time of Moses, the Patriarchs
and the people thought of the God revealed to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as a kind of
‘family’ or ‘clan God’. The Israelites handed on their memories through returning to the
holy places where God had been experienced through worship and ritual.

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Some of the holy places the Israelites returned to include Shechem (Genesis 32:31–33),
Mamre (Genesis 18:1), Bethel (Genesis 28:19) and Peniel (Genesis 32:31–33). These
were holy places where the Patriarchs had experienced God. Such places came to be
called ‘sanctuaries’ because they kept alive the stories of what happened in those holy
places.
As part of their worship the Israelites celebrated ritual feasts to honour the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to recall the experiences of the Patriarchs. Such feasts
included the sacrifice of animals.
The Israelites also celebrated a special ritual involving circumcision. Circumcision

was a sign, commanded by God, that every male Israelite carry from the eighth day
after his birth. Through this custom the Israelites would remember that, as
Abraham’s children, they had a special relationship with God.
In Class Work
Write down a story that is part of your family’s oral tradition. It might be a story
often recalled at family gatherings or a story about a family member’s
childhood that your mother, father or grandparent recalls. Are there special
people, places or events in this story? Share your story with the person
sitting next to you.

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Second Period: The Exodus and the

entry into the Promised Land (1300–1050BC)
Around 1300BC the Israelites were forced into slavery by the Egyptians. God heard
their cries for help and appointed Moses to lead them to freedom (Exodus 2:25–3:12)
and safeguarded the Hebrews as they escaped from slavery.
This event is remembered and celebrated by the Passover through rituals and songs.
In Class Work
Revise your understanding of the Passover. Read Exodus 12:21–28.
1. What instructions did God give the Hebrews to celebrate the Passover?
2. What happened to the families of the Hebrews?
3. What happened to the families of the Egyptians?
After their escape from Egypt, God had Moses lead the Israelites through the Sinai
desert to a mountain. There, God appeared to the Israelites in signs that people at that
time associated with a powerful God (Exodus 19:16–20).
God made a sacred relationship treaty with the people, called a covenant. As part of this
covenant, God told Moses that the people must behave in ways that would not damage
their relationship with God. God identified appropriate behaviour in laws. These laws
were grouped under ten sayings called the ‘Ten Words’ (Exodus 34:28).
Moses died before the Israelites moved into the Promised Land. The people were led
into this land by his successor, Joshua, who was appointed by God.
Today, these Ten Words are

called the Ten Commandments.

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Stories of Joshua

The ancient Hebrew name, Joshua means ‘Yahweh is salvation’. A later form of Joshua
was ‘Yeshua’. In the Greek of the New Testament this became ‘Jesus’.
The Book of Joshua records the story of the Israelites entering and settling the Promised
Land. Eleven of the twelve tribes of Israel then spread throughout different regions of
Palestine. Members of the twelfth tribe, the tribe of Levi, were scattered among the
other tribes to serve the people as priests.
Notes: *The sons

of Joseph, Ephraim
and Manasseh, were
given the status of
independent tribes.
The tribe of Levi was

scattered among the
other tribes to serve
as priests. The Levites’
lands were located
in various places
throughout Palestine.

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During this time the Israelites did not always remain

faithful to the Sinai Covenant. There developed a pattern
to their experience. They:
• turned away from God, ignored God’s guidance and
protection and broke the Ten Commandments
• suffered conquest and oppression by other nations
because they made decisions without God’s guidance
and direction
• turned back to God and recalled the covenant Recall a time when
• again enjoyed God’s guidance, protection, freedom you have followed a
and deliverance from the oppression of other nations. similar pattern in
your life.
Judges
Those who led the Israelites after Joshua were called
Judges. From stories of the Judges, it seems that they were
liberators who were also military leaders of the Israelites.
Some of the notable Judges were Deborah, Gideon and Samson.
In Class Work
Research the story of one of the leaders of the people in the Book of Judges
and present your findings to the class.

Even though many people think that the earliest parts of the Bible to be written were the
opening chapters of the Book of Genesis, in fact these writings were not gathered into
books until many centuries after Moses.
Today, Bible scholars believe that the hymn of Deborah (Judges 5) is the oldest written
part of the Bible.
Oral tradition
The oral tradition of the Israelites continued to develop through new stories and poems,
new feasts, rituals and religious laws. Sacred places and objects served as visible
reminders of the special relationship they had with the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob.

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Third Period: The Monarchy

(1020–587BC)
The development of the Kingdom of David (1040–931BC)

Around 1040 BC the Israelites needed to unite against the neighbouring Philistines and
to become a nation. Their enemies had a king and they demanded a king too.
Samuel, a great prophet revealed that God had called a young man called Saul to be the
first king of Israel. As king of the Israelite tribes Saul was successful in many battles, he
disobeyed God however, which led God to call a young shepherd, David son of Jesse, to
become king.
David’s military successes and growing popularity with the people led Saul to try to
assassinate him. David and his supporters fled into the wilderness and managed to evade
the troops sent by Saul to kill him.
After some time, David and his followers sought the protection of the Philistines. In the
end, the Philistines fought Saul’s army and Saul was killed. David then became king of
the southern tribe of Judah around 1000BC.
Seven years later, after the assassination of Saul’s last surviving son, Ishbaal, David
became the king of Israel. The kingdom of Israel comprised the remaining ten tribes of
Israel and their lands to the north.

The Philistines, the inhabitants of Philistia, were one of the ‘Sea Peoples’ of the ancient
Mediterranean world. They had access to iron which made their weapons superior to
those of the people of Israel. The Philistines and Israelites were ethnically different and
competed with each other over several centuries for land, trade and military supremacy.
David’s victories over the Philistines put an end to them as a threat to the Israelites.
David needed a capital acceptable to both the Israelite kingdoms. He conquered

Jerusalem around 1000BC making it the royal and religious capital of his ‘united
kingdom’ of Judah and Israel. This period saw further development of the oral
tradition including stories of David and of how God, through David, united all
the Israelites into one kingdom.

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In Class Work
Read the story of David and Goliath

(I Samuel 17). This version is based on
sources from the oral tradition.
1. How have the authors favoured David

over his rival Saul and the Philistine
enemy?
2. What does the story teach about the

power of ‘ordinary people’ to do
good?
David Slaying Goliath, 1620 (oil on panel)

by Rubens, Peter Paul (1577–1640)
David was the greatest of the Israelite

kings. Although at times unfaithful to
God, he always repented. He was
succeeded by one of his sons, Solomon in
about 970BC and the kingdom became a
hereditary kingdom.
About 966BC, Solomon began building a

great Temple in Jerusalem to house the
Ark of the Covenant, which was to be the
dwelling of God. This Temple was
dedicated around 960BC. From then until
its destruction around 587BC, much of
the oral tradition reflected the position of
the Temple as the centre of Jewish faith.
Solomon did not remain faithful to God

for he allowed other religions to grow in
his kingdom and tried to dominate the
twelve tribes of Israel. This led to deep
resentments that culminated in the
division of the kingdom soon after his death.

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In Class Work
Read 1 Kings 3: 16–28. How is the wisdom of Solomon illustrated

in his judgement?
The Prophets
During the period of the Monarchy God called
special people known as ‘prophets’. In the Old For your information…
Testament a prophet was someone who spoke
The word ‘prophet’, from the
publicly on God’s behalf, usually to the kings or
Greek ‘prophetes’, means ‘one
religious leaders. On occasions they addressed
who speaks for another’.
their messages to an assembly of the whole people.
They explained God’s thoughts and the meanings
of events and experiences. The most famous of the
early prophets of this time were Samuel and Nathan.
Prophets were inspired by the Spirit through various experiences, such as dreams,
visions, great joy and also mystical experiences. They were distinctive by their
appearance, for instance, wearing clothing made of hair (2 Kings 1:8).
There were hundreds of prophets in the history of Israel. Often they were grouped into
‘schools’ or ‘brotherhoods’ (e.g. 1 Samuel 10:11; 1 Kings 20:35; 2 Kings 2:3). They
were usually led by a great prophet such as Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2:15).
The Judgement of Solomon, 1649 (oil on canvas) by Poussin, Nicolas (1594–1665)

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The greatest prophets

in the Old Testament:
• Moses
• Samuel
• Elijah
• Elisha
• Amos
• Hosea
• Isaiah
• Micah
• Nahum
• Zephaniah
• Habakkuk
• Jeremiah
• Ezekiel.
Detail of the Portico

de la Gloria with the Old
Testament prophets (stone)
by Mateo, Master (fl.1168–88)
In Class Work
Read Jeremiah 1:1–10 and Amos 7:14–16.
Put yourself in the shoes of one of the prophets, Amos or Jeremiah, and list
some of the feelings you think you would have experienced if you had been
called by God to be a prophet.
True prophets served as a conscience to the people of Israel. Their role was to remind
people to live as God called at Mount Sinai. They were generally unpopular with kings
and the people because what they said was often contrary to social trends. Sometimes
they told people what they did not want to hear. Often prophets warned about the
political and social consequences of being unfaithful and turning from God.

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In Class Work
As a class discuss modern day ‘prophets’ who have spoken out to remind society
of God’s Law. Who are recent Australian examples who serve as a conscience
to society on issues such as the environment, poverty and justice?
The Bible
The writing of the Bible began to develop rapidly
during the period of the Monarchy. The books of
the Old Testament can be grouped under three
headings:
• the Law
• the Prophets
• the Writings.
Most biblical scholars believe that the books of

the Old Testament were written and edited by
various different traditions and writers over
many centuries, amongst these are four major
‘sources’ (or ‘schools’). Each of these sources
probably drew upon a number of other sources
for their material. The Old Testament is the
product of hundreds, if not thousands, of
contributors – some as writers, others as editors. The four major sources are known as the:
– Yahwist: thought to have been compiled eight or nine hundred years before Jesus,
around the time of David’s son, King Solomon
– Elohist: thought to have been compiled around the same time as the Yahwist
– Deuteronomist: thought to have been compiled around 600 years before Jesus
– Priestly: thought to have been compiled around 400 years before Jesus.
The Law
During the early years of the Monarchy the Holy Spirit inspired authors, known today
only as the ‘Yahwist’, to begin writing about God as Creator of the universe, the story of
the Exodus, the covenant at Sinai and the entry into the Promised Land. The Yahwist
repeatedly refers to God as ‘Yahweh’.
The Prophets
The Yahwist also wrote stories of the prophets Samuel and Nathan, the great Israelite
kings such as Saul, David and Solomon and the early history of this period. This Yahwist
material and material from the Elohist and Deuteronomist were used by later editors,
probably the Priestly school, to produce the books of Kings 1–2 and Samuel 1–2.

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The Writings
At this time the use of proverbs and special hymns called psalms began. The psalms
developed as a result of people worshipping God in the Temple. Inspired writers
continued to develop these forms of writing over the following eight centuries.
The division into two kingdoms – Israel and Judah (931–721BC)

When Solomon died around 931BC, he was succeeded by one of his sons, Rehoboam
who threatened to dominate the tribes even more than his father.
David’s united kingdom broke apart. This led to a revolt and reformed into the two
earlier kingdoms – the northern kingdom (kingdom of Israel), and the southern kingdom
(kingdom of Judah). Jerusalem remained the capital of Judah.
The destruction of Israel (721BC)

The northern kingdom of Israel was
destroyed by the Assyrians in 721BC.
They captured its capital, Samaria, after
a three-year siege. People from other
areas of the Assyrian empire were
moved into the conquered kingdom to
break down its ethnic, racial and
religious unity.
The people of both kingdoms went

through periods of keeping and
breaking the Sinai Covenant. Often,
however, it was the kings and people of
Israel who tended to break God’s
commandments. Following the pattern
of unfaithfulness, they eventually turned
away from God and lost God’s guidance
and help. This led to their conquest and
oppression by the Assyrians.
The people of both kingdoms went through periods

of keeping and breaking the Sinai Covenant.
Often, however, it was the kings and people of Israel
who tended to break God’s commandments

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The Law
After the division of the kingdoms,
God inspired another writer in the For your information…
northern kingdom to write about
Bible scholars believe that the combining of
topics similar to those of the
existing written stories was probably the work
Yahwist. This author also drew from
of a ‘school’ of scholars from the Jewish order
the oral tradition and referred to
of priests, the tribe of Levi or scholars closely
God as ‘Elohim’. Today this writer is
associated with them or at least sponsored by
known as the Elohist.
them. The work of this Priestly tradition was
carried out over a long time, possibly
When the northern kingdom was
centuries.
conquered by the Assyrians in 721
BC, many Israelites fled to Judah.
In Jerusalem, the writings of the
Yahwist and the Elohist were gradually combined. In this way, writings in both sources
that were not inspired by God began to be discarded.
At this time, God inspired another writer to begin writing from the oral tradition. This
author is called the Deuteronomist. This writer filled out the Law in much greater detail
than had either the Yahwist or the Elohist writers.
Deuteronomy: Frontispiece in which God makes the Laws

(coloured woodcut) by German School, (15th century)

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CONTENTS CHAPTER
The Prophets
During this time major prophets such as
Amos and Hosea and others such as Elijah
and Elisha (1 Kings 17; 2 Kings 7) became
active in the northern kingdom. This is
recorded in the Books of Kings which
drew upon the royal historical documents.
There were other prophets in the southern

kingdom. The most famous are Isaiah and
Micah who have books in the Bible named
after them.
There were also many less significant

prophets inspired by God, called the
‘Minor Prophets’. Their teachings were
also put into written form.
In Class Work
Search through your Bible

to find and then list in
writing those books
named after prophets
(e.g. Isaiah).
The Writings
The third group of books in the Bible, known
as ‘Writings’, also started in this period. The
Fr 13091 f.29v The prophet Micah (vellum)
Writings include the Book of Psalms, the by Beauneveu, Andre (c.1335–1403/13)
Book of Proverbs and the Song of Songs.
There were other prophets in the southern kingdom.

The most famous are Isaiah and Micah who have
books in the Bible named after them.

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Fourth Period: The Exile

(587–539BC)
Following the pattern of disobedience, the king and people of the southern kingdom of
Judah turned away from God just as the northern kingdom had prior to 721BC. God
called a new prophet, Jeremiah, to urge them to convert back to God. Jeremiah warned
that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the people exiled if they did not convert.
Jeremiah was ignored. The king made bad political decisions that upset the Babylonians and
their king, Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonians conquered and destroyed Jerusalem in 587BC.
This was one of the greatest turning points in the history of the Jewish people,
comparable in importance with the Exodus almost five hundred years earlier. The
conquerors not only destroyed the city and the Temple; they forced nearly five thousand
of the leaders into exile among other nations within the Babylonian empire. Their
purpose was to destroy the identity of the Jewish people by removing political and
religious gathering places and to make those left in Palestine vulnerable to oppression
by other nations.
The most devastating event of all for the Jewish people was the destruction of
Solomon’s Temple, the plundering of the valuable sacred vessels and the loss of the Ark
of the Covenant. The symbol of God’s presence among them was gone. Everything but
the religious beliefs of the Jewish people was gradually destroyed or lost.
Building The Temple of

Solomon, illustration from
the Raphael Bible (gouache
over an etched base on
paper) by Italian School,
(18th century)

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Their experiences led them to realise that they were nothing without God. This led the
people to wonder about the Covenant of Sinai. How could their nation be destroyed,
the Temple desecrated, and the Ark of the Covenant with the tablets of the Covenant be
lost? Were they not God’s people? How could God’s people be destroyed?
The period of the Exile began an important stage

in the development of the Bible. There were
hundreds of scrolls in existence and during this
period they were collected together into books but
the Bible was not completed at this time.
The Law
During the period of Exile in Babylon, God
inspired more writers. One group became known
as the Priestly tradition.
This group collected and organised all the

Scriptures related to the creation of the universe,
the beginning of God’s people, Abraham and the
Patriarchs, Moses, the Exodus and the Sinai
Covenant. The foundation was laid for the
Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.
The Prophets
The first of the great prophets of this period was
Jeremiah. His warnings that Judah and Jerusalem
would be destroyed and his prophecies about a
future restoration and a Messiah are found in the Add 11639 f.522r The Ark of the Covenant, illumination from a
Book of Jeremiah. Two other great prophets of this volume of a large selection of Hebrew texts, copied by Benjamin, a
pupil of Yehiel of Paris and illuminated by Christian artists from
time were Ezekiel and Isaiah. Parisian workshops (vellum)
The Writings
During the Exile, many of the other Scriptures were refined and new writings begun
such as the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel and Kings. Inspired writers gathered
and organised historic traditions which recalled the pattern of success and failure the
people experienced in keeping the covenant God had made with them at Mount Sinai.
Other writings inspired by God continued to grow. These include important psalms and
sorrowful songs (or lamentations) about the Exile.
During the period of Exile in Babylon, God inspired

more writers. One group became known as the
Priestly tradition.

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Fifth Period:
The Post-Exile (539–333BC)
Tomb of Cyrus the Great (reg.559–c.529BC) 6th century BC (photo)
In 539BC the kingdom of Babylon was conquered by a Persian king, Cyrus. In the
following year (538BC) Cyrus decreed that the Jews could return to Palestine. He also
allowed them to rebuild their Temple at state expense and returned sacred vessels
plundered by Nebuchadnezzar.
On their return to Palestine the Jewish people remained small in number. The
restoration of the Temple and Jerusalem was slow. This situation continued for about
ninety years, when a Jewish official at the Persian king’s court, Nehemiah, had himself
appointed governor of Judah.
For your information… For your information…

The name ‘Jew’ dates from the Post-Exile A ‘province’ is a name for the
period. The only tribes of Israel to survive principal administrative area in a
the invasions and exiles of the eighth to certain country. What Australians
sixth centuries BC were the tribes of Judah call ‘states’, such as Queensland,
and Levi. The other ten tribes were ‘lost’, that other countries, e.g. Canada,
is, they disappeared from history. The name South Africa, call ‘provinces’.
‘Jews’ is derived from Judah.

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This appointment meant that Judah became recognised as a province within the Persian
empire. Now that Judah was no longer divided between surrounding provinces of the
Persian empire under other governors, Nehemiah began its rebuilding.
Nehemiah began many reforms, the most important of which were religious. Nehemiah
realised that the fortunes of the Jewish people depended upon them turning back to
God and drawing upon God’s guidance and strength. He proved a strict ruler,
determined to rebuild Judah as a viable community with Jerusalem as its capital.
Once its walls were rebuilt, Jerusalem became safe and attracted a larger population,
again becoming a major city. During this period another prophet, Ezra, came to
prominence. A scribe who represented Jewish interests at the Persian court, Ezra
returned to Jerusalem and worked to re-impose the Laws of the Sinai Covenant,
especially the Ten Commandments.
Handing on the experiences of God

Through the developments in Judah that
were happening under Nehemiah and Ezra, For your information…
the Jews realised that God was re-forming
‘Messiah’ means ‘Anointed one of God’
them as the people of God. The re-
in Aramaic. The equivalent term in
commitment of the people to the
Greek is ‘Christos’, the Christ.
conditions of the Covenant at Sinai,
including the Ten Commandments, and
worship in the Temple, became the
national concerns.
Finally, it was during this period that the Jewish people eagerly anticipated an ‘anointed
one of God’. Many thought that this Messiah would restore the religious kingdom of
David.
A scribe who represented Jewish interests at the

Persian court, Ezra returned to Jerusalem
and worked to re-impose the Laws of the
Sinai Covenant, especially the
Ten Commandments.

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Moses with the Ten Commandments and Solomon, from a series of portraits of illustrious men
(oil on panel) by Joos van Gent (fl.1460–75) and Berruguete, P. (c.1450–1504)
The Bible
By now, the Old Testament had been organised into the three parts we know today:
• the Law (the first five books – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and
Deuteronomy)
• the Prophets (writings related to prophets and books named after them)
• the Writings (all inspired writings other than those related to the Law and the
Prophets).
The Law
In the Post-Exile period, the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible were
completed.
Together these books are called the Torah or the Law. Jesus referred to these books
when he said that he had come to ‘complete’ the Law (Matthew 5:17).
The Writings
After the Exile, many of the writings, particularly Psalms and the wise sayings of a writer
named Qoheleth, were completed. Others continued to be developed.
The memories of Nehemiah and Ezra, dealing mostly with the return of the Jews from
exile in Babylon and the construction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, were included
in the Bible in the books that now bear their names.

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Sixth Period:
The Greek conquest (333–63BC)
In 333BC the Persian empire was conquered by a young Greek king, Alexander the
Great. Within the next two years, Alexander moved through Syria and conquered Egypt.
He founded the city of Alexandria. This later became an important city for the Jews as a
centre of learning and scholarship, especially for the Greek translation of the Bible.
After Alexander’s death in 323BC, his empire

was divided into two parts, each becoming a
kingdom under one of Alexander’s generals.
One was the kingdom of Egypt, ruled by
Ptolemy. The other was the kingdom of Asia,
ruled by Seleucus.
For the next hundred years Palestine was within

the kingdom of Ptolemy. It was left relatively
free and could continue its religious traditions
and community life. Gradually, however, Greek
culture and influences began to grow. This led
to divisions between those Jews who remained
faithful to Jewish traditions and those who did
not. Coin depicting Alexander the Great
(356–323BC) (gold) by Greek School, (4th century BC)
In 200BC conditions changed and Antiochus a
successor of Seleucus took control of Israel and sought to impose Greek religion and
culture upon all in his kingdom, including the Jews.
Antiochus conducted a cruel persecution of the Jews between 167 and 164BC. On
15 December 167BC, he had the Temple in Jerusalem desecrated and an altar built
to the Greek god, Olympus.
Many Jews resisted Antiochus. They remained faithful to God, even under torture to the
point of death. In due course, this led to a rebellion headed by a prominent Jew, Judas
Maccabeus, and his family. Judas made an alliance with the Romans who had a policy of
supporting rebels in areas beyond their borders.
Over the next forty years a degree of independence was achieved as the Maccabees
fought for freedom. They were helped by the fact that the Romans wanted peace. This
led the Romans to pressure the successor of Antiochus to make peace with the Jews.
The Maccabee family became the High Priest family in Jerusalem, however, the Jewish
people who remained faithful to God divided into three sects – the Pharisees, the
Sadducees and the Essenes. These three groups continued to exist during the lifetime
of Jesus.

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In Class Work
Read 1 Maccabees 1:1–15. This gives a brief background on how some

Jews ignored God’s requirements for living good lives.
Handing on experiences of God

During the Greek period the sufferings of the people raised many questions such as
‘Why does God seem to have deserted us?’ ‘Why is there so much suffering?’ and ‘Why
remain faithful to God when so many are giving up their religion?’
The Law
No further writings were added to the Law because the first five books of the Bible had
been completed.
The Prophets
The books of the Prophets were completed in this period. These include the books of
Jonah, Joel and Zechariah.
The Writings
During this period the Holy Spirit inspired most of the books grouped under the
Writings. These include the books of Baruch, Tobit, Judith, Esther and Daniel. Wise
sayings inspired by God, in addition to those in the Book of Proverbs, were also
completed. These are found today in the books of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Ecclesiastes
(Qoheleth) and Wisdom. The Book of Psalms was finally completed, as were the Books
of Maccabees.
The Old Testament completed

Though the Old Testament was now completed, the Jews did not fully understand the
lessons from God it contained. There was a range of views about its meaning and
interpretation. There were disputes about how the Law should be lived. There were also
debates about how the teachings of the prophets related to the religious life of the
nation.
One of the greatest issues of debate was the coming Messiah. Some thought he would be
a great prophet, while others thought that he would be a great king.
Confusion about God’s guidance

The confusion of the Jews about the correct meaning of God’s teachings in the Old
Testament meant that many misunderstood God’s answers to questions of the human
heart. Now that the Old Testament was complete, the time had arrived for the final
stage of God’s plan for the human race. This began when Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
came into the world.

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Seventh Period:
Roman conquest and rule (63BC–135AD)
The New Testament

The New Testament was completed
in the seventh stage called the
Roman Period.
A new empire, the powerful

Roman empire, expanded
throughout the known world.
In 64BC a Roman army led by a
general named Pompey the Great,
conquered Syria and the last of the
Seleucid kings.
In 63BC Pompey entered

Jerusalem. Gradually Roman
power grew throughout Palestine
and the Romans installed the first
of the Herods as King.

The Herods were a family of kings who ruled small Jewish kingdoms within the Roman
empire over a period of about 100 years. The first Herod, called ‘the Great’, was at most
half-Jewish. Later Herods were recognised as being fully Jewish. Herod the Great was King
of Judaea, the Roman name for Judah, at the time of Jesus’ birth. He rebuilt the Temple in
Jerusalem at enormous expense. His son, Herod Antipas, was ruler of Galilee at the time of
Jesus’ public ministry and crucifixion. Both Herods appear in the Gospels (e.g. Herod the
Great: Matthew 2:1, Luke 1:5; Herod Antipas: Mark 6:14; Luke 23:7–12). A grandson of
Herod the Great, Herod Agrippa, is also mentioned in the Bible. He was the last of the
Herods. His death was sudden and extremely painful. The Bible says that, ‘He was eaten
away by worms and died’ (Acts 12:21–23).

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Over the next two centuries the Romans crushed several Jewish revolts. They were
sensitive to any threat against their power. They ruled through governors, the most
famous of whom was Pontius Pilate, who held office from 26–36AD.
The Roman occupation encompassed Jesus’ lifetime. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in
Judea around 6BC when Caesar Augustus was emperor, Quirinius was the Roman
governor of Syria and Herod the Great was king of Judea. His mother Mary and her
husband Joseph travelled to the Judean village of Bethlehem from their home in
Nazareth situated in the hills of the northern district of Galilee. They did this to take
part in a general census of the empire. Jesus grew up in Nazareth and learned the trade
of his step-father. He began preaching and working miracles about 27AD. After about
three years as a wandering preacher he was crucified under the orders of Pontius Pilate
on a Friday in early April around 30AD. He rose from the dead early the following
Sunday. His followers realised that Jesus was both the Son of God and a human being.
They understood that, through Jesus, God spoke directly to people. God taught them
and answered their questions.
The Jews rebelled against Rome from 66 to 70AD. In 70AD the Romans destroyed
Jerusalem and the Temple. Ancient historians estimated that the Romans massacred
600,000 Jews after the city fell.
The Jews rebelled against Rome again in 113AD and war raged for three years before
the Romans put down the revolt.
In 132AD the third and last of the great Jewish revolts began. The Romans crushed this
revolt in 135AD and forbade any Jew from going within sight of the ruins of Jerusalem.
This was the final stage of the dispersal (diaspora) of the Jews throughout the world.
In Class Work
Research the fall of the Jewish stronghold of Masada

in around 74AD.

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In Class Work
Use the information in this chapter to help you to answer these questions:
1. What is a Patriarch? List some of the Jewish Patriarchs.
2. What is a sanctuary? What role did sanctuaries play in the life of the Jewish
people?
3. Explain what is meant by oral tradition.
4. Give one example of a covenant that is written about in the Old Testament.
What characteristics did it have that were in keeping with the nature of
covenants?
5. Who is this person from the Old Testament? (Where there is a space in the
text, supply the missing word.)
‘I am a king and a successful military leader, however early in my life I was a

humble shepherd. I was not always a fighter. My friends and I fled into the
wilderness to avoid troops sent to kill me by the first king of Israel, ______.
The Sea People, _________________ sheltered me and later fought and
killed my enemy. I became the king of _________ but eventually I had to
fight my former friends, the Sea Peoples, because they threatened my
people. I am famous for killing _______________ with a _____________
I relied on the help of ______________ to unite my people into one
kingdom, however at times I was unfaithful and needed to reconcile our
relationship by _________.’ (Hint – my story is told in the first and second
books of Samuel)
6. What is a ‘prophet’? List some of the prophets.
7. Biblical scholars think that the books of the Old Testament were written and
edited by four main sources or ‘schools’. Match the name of the school to its
appropriate description:
Yahwist thought to have been compiled around 600 years

before Jesus
Elohist thought to have been compiled 400 years before Jesus
Deuteronomist thought to have been written 800 or 900 years before Jesus
Priestly thought to have been compiled around the same time as

the Yahwist

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In Class Work
8. Match the words and statements:
Event /Person Description
Destruction of Many Jewish people separated from their land and

Solomon’s Temple sent to live within the Babylonian empire, attempts
to destroy the Jews’ political and religious identity
Messiah First five books of the Bible
Roman Period Roman governor of Judea who tried Jesus
Herods Inspired the books of the Old Testament called

the Writings
Pontius Pilate Stage during which the New Testament was

completed (63BC–135AD)
Exile The most devastating event that faced the Jewish

people in Old Testament times
Holy Spirit Aramaic for ‘anointed one of God’
Pentateuch Kings who ruled the Jewish kingdom within the

Roman Empire during the lifetime of Jesus.

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5 The Spirit of Truth inspired
the New Testament

! The Holy Spirit inspired each of the three stages
in the development of the New Testament
! The New Testament contains Letters written by several
authors
! The process of writing of the Gospels revealed who Jesus is
! The Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the growth of the
early Church
! The story of Paul records his conversion and missionary
journeys
! The Book of Revelation is an example of apocalyptic literature.
The Holy Spirit inspired each of the three stages

in the development of the New Testament
Those who followed Jesus experienced God in completely new ways. These were
experiences of what Jesus called the Kingdom of God, the power of God’s love
present among them. Jesus told them to share these experiences of God with
others. He laid the foundation of what later was to become the Church so that
all who joined it could have these experiences. One way of sharing these new
experiences was through the written word. Those texts that were accepted by
the Church as inspired were collected into what became known as the
New Testament.

CONTENTS CONTENTSCHAPTER CHAPTER
5. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH INSPIRED THE NEW TESTAMENT
Like the Old Testament, the New Testament was written by many inspired writers. It
developed in three stages:
Stage One: The life and teachings of Jesus.
Stage Two: The development of an oral tradition about Jesus.
Stage Three: The writing of the New Testament Scriptures.
During each stage the Holy Spirit played a central role in:
• guiding and strengthening Jesus, in his life and work (Luke 4:1,14)
• giving the early Church a full understanding of who Jesus is, and guiding its
teaching about Jesus (Acts 2:1–13; 8:29-32; 10:38, 44–47)
• inspiring both the New Testament authors in their writing and the community
to omit those books that were not to be part of the New Testament.

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Stage One: The life and

teachings of Jesus
Jesus Christ showed himself
to be the Messiah
prophesied in the Old
Testament. As Son of God,
he completed God’s public
revelation to the human
race and provided his
followers with many
experiences of God.
Christ and His Apostles by Spanish School, (13th century)
During his life, Jesus told his followers to teach others what he had taught them. From
the New Testament, it is known:
… he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs, giving them
authority over unclean spirits. ... So they set off to proclaim repentance; and they
cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.
(Mark 6:7,12–13)
After this the Lord appointed seventy two others and sent them out ahead of him
in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself would be visiting. And he said to
them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest
to send labourers to do his harvesting.’ (Luke 10:1–2)
Before leaving them, Jesus told his followers:
‘Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them ... and teach them to
observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the
end of time.’ (Matthew 28:19–20)
‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation.’ (Mark 16:15)
He said to them, ‘Peace be with you ... As the Father sent me, so am I sending
you.’ (John 20:19–21)

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The Trinity, 1427–28 (fresco) (detail) by Masaccio, Tommaso (1401–28)
Stage Two: The development of an oral tradition about Jesus

The oral tradition of the early Church developed as the Apostles repeated stories about
Jesus, as well as his sayings, parables and proverbs.
In developing the oral tradition of the Church, the Apostles repeated the story of Jesus’
suffering, death and Resurrection and called others to believe (Acts 2:22–24, 37–41)
that he is the Son of God. They explained Jesus’ teachings and answered people’s
questions about them (Acts 15:19–21). They also taught in different ways to different
audiences to help them understand (Acts 17:21–31).
Another important way in which the oral tradition was passed on was through
the celebrations of Baptism and Eucharist in the Christian communities.
These early Christian communities:
…remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the

breaking of bread and to the prayers. (Acts 2:42)

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The teaching of the Apostles

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‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and
with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second
resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two
commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets too.’ .BUUIFXo
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Pater Noster – The Lord’s Prayer,

illustration for ‘The Life of Christ’,
c.1886–94 (w/c & gouache on
paperboard) by Tissot, James Jacques Joseph
(1836–1902)

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The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.

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The Apostles commissioned others

The Apostles shared with others the spiritual gifts Jesus had given them and
commissioned others to share in their work. These people taught as the Apostles did
about the Resurrection of Jesus. They also taught that he is the Son of God and told
stories about his life and repeated his teachings.
In this way they continued the oral tradition and the Christian message began to spread
throughout countries known today as Israel, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and
Italy.
Most of the Apostles were persecuted

and killed within the four decades For your information…
after the Ascension of Jesus.
Of the twelve Apostles, the last to die was John, the
Increasingly, his teachings were spread
son of Zebedee who, scholars think, died peacefully
by people who had never seen him or
in about 100AD. John was the brother of another
heard him teach. More and more
of the Twelve, James.
people were wondering about both
Jesus and his teachings.
To answer their questions, the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the New Testament of
the Bible.
Stage Three: The writing of the New Testament Scriptures

God wanted the teachings of Jesus to be known by all people so that all could learn how
to relate as closely with God as Jesus had during his life on earth. To carry out God’s
wish, the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the New Testament.
The New Testament of the Bible consists of

twenty-seven books and they appear in the
following order:
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The first New Testament book of the Bible

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Scholars generally agree that this letter was
completed in 51AD, about fourteen years
before the first of the Gospels was
completed.
Scenes from the New Testament

(vellum) by Italian School, (14th century)

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CONTENTS CHAPTER
The New Testament contains Letters written by

several authors
The writings of Saint Paul
St Paul was perhaps the most
famous of all who preached
the teachings of Jesus. From
34–67AD Paul preached the
Gospel and made converts
wherever he went. As he
travelled, converts from the
places he had been sent him
questions. He kept in touch
with them through
messengers.
Plaque depicting St. Paul disputing with Greeks and Jews,
mid 12th century (champleve enamel on copper)
Paul wrote letters explaining the teachings of Jesus and challenging and encouraging
early converts to live moral lives. Early Christians copied and exchanged his letters.
The inspired writings of Paul were

gathered into some of the books known For your information…
today as the Letters of Paul. For
The letters of the New Testament are also
example, the First and Second Letters
called epistles after the Greek word
of Paul to the Corinthians are the
for letter, ‘epistole’.
compilations of several letters to the
Christians in the Greek port of Corinth.
Of the fourteen letters attributed to Paul, at least half were his own personal writings.
There is uncertainty about the others. Possibly, they were written by other inspired
writers who based what they wrote on the preaching of Paul. At that time many people
did not sign letters personally but used the names of others on whose teaching their
writings were based.
There are seven Letters in the New Testament not attributed to Paul. They are named
after other authoritative teachers in the early Church: James, John, Peter and Jude.
Read one of the letters of St Paul to the Corinthians.
Choose a verse that you find relevant to your life.

Write this verse in your journal and reflect on how
St Paul is speaking to you.

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How the New Testament

Letters were written
There are twenty-one Letters
in the New Testament. These
were written in either one of
the following ways:
1. A person could write a
letter in much the same
way as today
2. Someone could dictate a
letter and have a secretary
write it. This person
would then sign the letter,
perhaps adding a few
personal words at the end.
St Paul used this method
at times (1 Corinthians
16:21–24; Colossians 4:18;
Galatians 6:11–18;
2 Thessalonians 3:17).
During New Testament times

more letters about how to live
the Christian life were written
than appear in the Bible. Most
of these letters are not included
in the Bible. The decision to
leave them out was taken by the
leaders of the early Church, who
came to understand that God
did not inspire these letters.
St. Paul the Apostle (oil on canvas) by Fracanzano,

Francesco (1612–56) (attr.)
There are twenty-one Letters in the

New Testament. They were either written
individually or someone dictated a letter
and the secretary wrote it.

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The process of writing of the Gospels revealed who Jesus is

By the time Jesus returned to the Father, his followers had many stories to tell about
him. They also recalled the different things that Jesus said. In the years that followed
many of these stories and sayings were collected and written down.
In preserving these stories Gospel writers selected from the life-events, stories and
sayings of Jesus to achieve their purpose of revealing who Jesus is. Each Gospel was
originally written for particular communities of Christians. These communities were
seeking to understand who Jesus is and what he revealed about the circumstances they
experienced as Christians.
In Class Work
Working in groups each person is to write and describe the day as they see it
when looking out of the window. Then they are to compare what they have
written with all the other members in the group.
The writers of the Gospels drew from many of the same sources. Some also made use of
other Gospels that had already been written. Most of Mark’s Gospel is repeated in
Matthew and Luke. They used whatever they needed to help their readers understand
who Jesus is and his teaching about God and the Kingdom of God.
The writers of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John had no interest in providing an exact
historical biography of Jesus or in writing down all they knew about him. The Gospel of
John concludes:
There were many other signs that Jesus worked in the sight of the disciples, but
they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ... (John 20:30–31)
The Holy Spirit inspired more than four people to write the four Gospels. The Gospels
today include all that God wanted taught about who Jesus is and his teaching about God
and the Kingdom, but nothing more.
This is why John’s Gospel has two conclusions (John 20:31 and 21:25). The same is
true of the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:8 and 16:20).
Those who wrote the Gospel of Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. The Gospel of
Luke teaches who Jesus is, and the Acts of the Apostles shows that Jesus shares the Holy
Spirit with his Church.

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The completion dates of the Gospels

Each of the Gospels was completed over
many years, even decades. Though no one
knows the dates for certain, they were
finalised at different times in the forms in
which we have them today:
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similar teachings and language.

‘Synoptic’ means with the same eye.
The first three Gospels are called the
‘Synoptic Gospels’ because of their
similarities. St John’s Gospel is quite
different from these.
Four Evangelists, 14th century (vellum) by Cione,

Jacopo di (fl.1362–98)
Many other gospels

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after Christian communities such as the Hebrews. The Holy Spirit guided the early
Church to understand that, though these gospels present some interesting and possibly
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Scholars believe the Church’s acceptance of only four Gospels was finally settled around
200AD, a century after completion of John’s Gospel and over 160 years after Christ.

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The Acts of the Apostles

The Acts of the Apostles is placed as
the first book after the Gospels.
The Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the growth of

the early Church
The Acts of the Apostles is placed as the first book after the Gospels. It was written by
the author of the Gospel of Luke. Originally this author intended that Acts be like a
gospel that focussed upon the Holy Spirit. His intent was that just as the Gospel of Luke
responds to the question: ‘Who is Jesus?’ the Acts of the Apostles responds to the
question: ‘Who is the Holy Spirit?’
The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles were separated by the Gospel of John
in the final editing of the New Testament. This was to ensure that the four books
dealing with the question ‘Who is Jesus?’ were placed together.
In Class Work
1. Read the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
2. What do you think is the most important event described?
3. List some of the individuals who are mentioned.

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The Spirit in the Church

The Acts of the Apostles is the story of the growth of the early Church under the
power of the Holy Spirit. It begins with the Church in Jerusalem and ends with
the Church spreading to Rome, the centre of the empire.
The Acts of the Apostles is written in the style of ancient history, that is,
historical events were used to teach what God wanted revealed in this book. It is
not a history in the modern sense of the word.
Contained in the Acts of the Apostles are many famous stories about the early
Church, including:
• the Resurrection appearances of Jesus and his Ascension (or return)
into heaven (Acts 1:6–11)
• Pentecost (Acts 2:1–13)
• the cure of the crippled man by Peter and John (Acts 3:1–10)
• the martyrdom of Stephen during the first of the persecutions of the
Church (Acts 6:8–15; 7:55–8:1)
• the conversion of St Paul (Acts 9:1–19)
• the conversion of the first Gentiles to Christ (Acts 10:1–48).
The Acts of the

Apostles is the story
of the growth of
the early Church
under the power of
the Holy Spirit.
The Martyrdom of St. Stephen

by Cigoli, Ludovico Cardi (1559–1613)

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The story of Paul records his conversion and

missionary journeys
Saul had been born in the city of Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia
(southern Turkey). Citizens of this town had been granted the privileges of Roman
citizenship by the Roman general, Mark Anthony. Later, the emperor, Caesar Augustus,
confirmed citizens of the city of Tarsus as Roman citizens, which is why Saul had the
privileges this rank brought (Acts 22:25–29). He was a gifted student of one of the most
famous Jewish teachers, Gamaliel.
The conversion of Saul

Saul of Tarsus was a young Jew who thought that the teachings of the Apostles were
blasphemous. He became a leader in the earliest persecution of the Christians and was
a witness at the death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:58).
When he was leading a group to persecute Christians in the town of Damascus, Jesus
appeared to him in a vision. Jesus asked:
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ (Acts 9:4)
Saul then had what is called a conversion experience. Following his conversion, Paul realised
that he was being called by God to preach especially, to those who were not Jews (Gentiles).
In Class Work
Read the following accounts of the conversion of Saul: Acts 9:3–19;

Galatians 1:11–24.
Imagine you are a contemporary spray-paint artist such as Australian artist/

academic James Cochran (examples of his work can be found on the internet).
You have been commissioned to create a wall mural representing the
conversion of Saul. Make a suitable design on paper. Include a word or
a phrase to give an insight into how Saul felt about the experience.

A ‘convert’ is a person who adopts the beliefs of a religious tradition. Conversion is a
turning towards God and towards the Church by accepting its teachings (Latin
convertare – to turn towards).
From Saul to Paul

It was the custom of Jews dealing with non-Jews at that time to use Roman names. Saul
was a Jewish name but he was known as ‘Paul’ to the Gentiles (Acts 13:9).

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The missionary journeys

Initially, Paul preached to Jews and Gentiles, however, twelve years after his conversion
he began the first of three missionary journeys to other countries (around 45–49AD).
In major cities of these countries he preached and made Christian converts.
He made two other missionary journeys in 49–53AD and 53–58AD. In 58AD,

Paul returned to Jerusalem where he was arrested by the Jewish authorities.
Being a Roman citizen, Paul was taken into

custody by the Roman army. For safety For your information…
reasons, he was moved away from Jerusalem
A procurator is an official appointed
and sent to the city of Caesarea where a
by the Roman emperor to govern a
corrupt Roman procurator named Felix
province of the empire.
governed. Felix kept Paul in prison for two
years, hoping to be bribed to release him.
In 60AD there was a new procurator

named Festus. When he came to
power, Paul exercised a right that
Roman citizens had by requesting a
trial in Rome. Paul arrived in Rome
in 61AD and was put under house
arrest for a further two years.
What happened after 63AD is

uncertain. Paul was freed after his
trial, possibly for lack of evidence
against him. There are suggestions
he then went to Spain to preach the
Gospel.
Eventually he was imprisoned again

and then executed in Rome some
time before 67AD, during a
persecution of Christians by the
Emperor Nero. Being a Roman
citizen, Paul could not be crucified
but was beheaded with a sword.

People who give witness to their
faith by willingly suffering death
rather than give up their
religious beliefs are called The Execution of St Paul (oil on canvas) by
Tintoretto, Jacopo Robusti (1518–94)
martyrs. Martyr is a Greek word
meaning ‘witness’.

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The Book of Revelation is an example of

apocalyptic literature
The Book of Revelation is the last book of
the Bible. It is written in a literary form For your information…
called ‘apocalyptic literature’. The main
Persecution is a deliberate attempt
characteristic of biblical apocalyptic
to make individuals or a group
literature is its use of visions and symbols. It
suffer or die for their beliefs.
always relates to the future.
Generally the persecutors try to force
the believers to give up their faith.
Apocalyptic literature was used in times of
great persecution to remind people of God’s
promises. The Book of Daniel is one Old
Testament example and the Book of Revelation a New Testament example.
Christians experienced very severe sufferings and persecution in the first century after
Christ. The Colosseum in Rome is an example of the kind of places in which many
Christians were killed and eaten by wild beasts, crucified or burnt alive.
Their sufferings led many to question why God was allowing terrible things to happen
to them. God revealed answers to their questions and these are found in the Book of
Revelation.
The Book of Revelation teaches Christians that God’s promises will always be fulfilled
and that God’s power will always overcome evil in the end. Whilst many of the visions
and symbols in the Book of Revelation are hard for people today to understand, the
people for whom Revelation was written would have understood them.
Many visions recall the basic promises of Jesus. For example:

• the second coming of Christ as conqueror of all evil (Revelation 19:11–16)
• the Last Judgement (Revelation 20:11–15)
• a vision of heaven as a city in which all who are saved live with God
(Revelation 21:1–4).

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In Class Work
1. As a class, brainstorm widely recognised symbols in modern society,

eg. corporate logos, famous public buildings, events or individuals.
Hint: sometimes, modern symbols are described as ‘icons’.
2. In small groups, identify what each symbol or ‘icon’ represents. Compare and
discuss findings as a class.
3. Read Revelations 21:1–7 and answer these questions:

a) What does ‘the new Jerusalem’ represent?
b) How will the coming of the ‘new Jerusalem’ change the lives of humanity?
c) What is meant by ‘Alpha and Omega’?
d) Where can you see these symbols in Catholic churches?
4. List any other symbols used in the passage and suggest some possible
meanings for them.
In Class Work
Use the information in this chapter to help you to answer these questions:
1. List the three stages in the writing of the New Testament.
2. Explain how the oral tradition of the early Church was passed on.
3. The New Testament consists of books that appear in the following order:
• Four __________________
• The _______ of the ____________
• Twenty one Letters or ____________
• The Book of ________________
4. Explain what synoptic means. List the three synoptic Gospels.
5. Which book of the New Testament focuses on responding to

the question: ‘Who is the Holy Spirit?’
6. What is a convert? Name a famous convert who is also a contributor

to the writings of the New Testament. What was his name prior
to his conversion?

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6 How to read the Bible

! The Bible includes a range of literary forms
! As a literary form, gospels are used to announce good news
! There are various reasons for differences between Gospels.
The Bible was written over a long time and in a culture

whose language and ways of seeing the world were very
different from those of people today. To discover God’s
answers to the questions of the human heart people must
learn to read the Bible according to the meaning intended
by the sacred writers.

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CHAPTER CHAPTER
6. HOW TO READ THE BIBLE
The Bible includes a range of literary forms

When an Old or New Testament writer realised that God wanted a truth or an idea to
be written down, the writer was faced with a question: ‘What is the best way to write
down God’s teaching so that everyone will understand it?’
People write what is important to them in different ways. Some write in prose, others in
poetry, songs, drama and letters.
There are many factors that influence the choice of a particular form and style of
writing. A person writing must ask ‘Why am I writing this?’ ‘For whom am I writing?’
‘How will my writing be used?’ and ‘What is the best way of writing this so that people
will understand?’
No deeply human experience can be expressed fully in one way and no single kind of
writing can achieve God’s purpose in communicating his love and will for all humanity.
It is not surprising, then, that the Bible contains a variety of literary forms written by
writers in specific periods of history, for particular communities, and with certain
purposes in mind.
One example describes God’s love in prose:
…God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in faithful love and
constancy, maintaining his faithful love to thousands, forgiving fault, crime and
sin… (Exodus 34:6–7)
Another writer was inspired to record God’s love through poetry:
‘Can a woman forget her baby at the breast, feel no pity for the child she has
borne? Even if these were to forget, I shall not forget you.’ (Isaiah 49:15)

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How should the Bible be interpreted? The Catholic approach

The Catholic Church believes that the Bible should be read with an understanding that
the Sacred Authors did not intend people to take every detail in their writings as exact
historical fact.
Ancient historians often used historical figures and events in ways that best illustrated
the lessons they wanted to teach. They selected and reorganised events to suit their
purposes, frequently expressing these truths in the form of a story.
The Holy Spirit used the skill of biblical historians to present God’s teachings by:
1. leading the historian to understand the lessons God wanted written
2. guiding the historian to select historical people and events relevant to the lessons
3. guiding the historian to present these people and events in writing in ways that
would pass on the lessons.
One of the ways of sharing the truth they learned about God was to present it
symbolically. To do this, they used stories, poems, myths, wise sayings, and so on. This
is not to say that the Bible is without factual material; actually, it contains a great many
facts. Beyond any mere concern for what was factual, the prime concern of the authors
was to convey to the people the truth they knew about God.
Reading the Bible with the idea that every detail about every event actually took place is
called ‘biblical fundamentalism’: People who take this literal approach can misinterpret
the Bible. Some believe that it teaches that God created the universe and all living things
on earth in seven days or that Adam and Eve were the first two human beings and were
created in exactly the way the Bible says they were created.
Catholics are not obliged to take literally every detail contained in the Bible. For
example, the Church does not dismiss the theory that the universe may have started
with the ‘Big Bang’ as proposed by many scientists nor the idea that human life may
have evolved over hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of years. The essential thing
is that Catholics recognise God as the Creator of the universe, of human life and the
human soul by whatever means God chose for their creation.

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Important teachings were recorded in biblical stories

In the ancient world, stories were an important literary form used to teach and help
people remember important lessons. Storytellers or storywriters would think about the
lessons their stories should convey and then develop story details to present each lesson.
The Bible begins with six very important stories. Five of these stories were basically
composed by the Yahwist and completed around four centuries later by the Priestly tradition.

None of the stories from the biblical world were being told as far back in time as some of
the stories developed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia.
These peoples have lived on the continent and islands of Australia for tens of thousands
of years. They told their stories over that vast period of time and many of the stories
continue to be told in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities today. It is very
important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to pass on their traditions
to younger generations and so keep alive cultures that go back farther in time than any
other culture in the world.
Pope John Paul II said in a speech to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
at Alice Springs in 1986:
“Your culture, which shows the lasting genius and dignity of your race, must not be
allowed to disappear… Share (your gifts) with each other and teach them to your
children… Your songs, your stories, your languages must never be lost.”

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The first story: the Priestly creation account

Neither the Priestly creation story nor any of the five Yahwist stories were meant to be
scientific explanations of historical events. Their authors would have been surprised to
learn that people, thousands of years later, would imagine that they were suggesting God
created the universe in seven days or, for instance, that there was an actual Tower of
Babel.
The authors of both these stories borrowed ideas that were widely accepted in their time
and drew on these for their own purposes. In those days, everyone thought that the
earth was an island in the middle of a sea and was set on firm foundations. They
believed that there was another ocean above the sky, supported by a solid vault or dome
in which there were trapdoors that opened to let rain drop on the earth before closing
again. The sun, moon and stars moved along the vault, and were called ‘the hosts of
heaven’. Light was thought to be independent of the heavenly hosts because light came
in the morning before the sun rose and went after the sun set. There were three levels of
heaven: the first, where birds fly; the second, where the sun, moon and stars move
across the vault; and the third, above the waters above the vault, where God lives.
In Class Work
As a class discuss how lack of information has resulted in people being

misguided about the world or cosmos. A well known example is the ‘flat-earth’
theory.
The author of the first biblical creation

story, the Priestly account, obviously For your information…
drew on this scientific understanding in
The Bible has many examples of
writing about God creating the universe
symbolic numbers. Seven was the most
in seven days. Seven was a symbolic
sacred. The numbers three, four, ten,
number in the ancient world it
twelve and forty were also significant.
symbolised perfection or completeness.
Multiples of symbolic numbers such as
The ancient world, on hearing about God
49, 70 and 144 were correspondingly
on the seventh day, would have
important. Many scholars have written
understood that the Priestly author was
on the subject and referring to a
teaching that God is perfect and
reputable internet site may prove
complete, as is creation. There is no
fascinating.
imperfection in God – nor does God need
to develop any further.

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Facsimile copy of Genesis 2 22 God created Eve (colour litho)

by German School, (15th century) (after)
The five Yahwist stories

The Yahwist author initially composed the remaining five stories that open the Book of
Genesis. These tell of God creating human beings, how they sinned against God and
three common consequences of this sin in human society. The Yahwist’s stories were
refined by other authors. The last were those of the Priestly tradition.
Second Creation Account

God’s teaching in the Second Creation Account
Story detail Example of God’s teachings:

God shaped the man from the God created human beings. By sharing with God the
soil and breathed in him the sacred breath, the human was created sacred
breath of life (Genesis 2:7)
God created a garden in Eden God created the human environment

(Genesis 2:8)
God created animals and birds God created all other living things. All things are
from the soil (Genesis 2:19) precious to God
God brought each for the man Humans were charged with the stewardship of
to name (Genesis 2:19–20) God’s creation
God created the woman from The woman shares the same nature as the man in
the man’s rib (Genesis equal dignity before God
2:21–23)

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The Story of the Fall

The story of the Fall uses symbols to explain how sin came into the world.
God’s teaching in the Story of the Fall

God created trees, the man God called for obedience from the man, who
being forbidden from eating depended upon God for everything
the fruit from two of them
(Genesis 2:9–17)
The Devil, disguised as a snake, The devil tempts people to disobey God
tempted the woman, deceiving
her into thinking she and the The devil appeals to people’s pride, their desire to
man would become gods if live independently of God
they ate the fruit of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil
(Genesis 3:1–6)
The woman ate some of the The man and the woman disobeyed God
fruit, sharing it with her
husband (Genesis 3:6)
God walked in the garden to God created the man and the woman to be in close
see the man and the woman friendship with their Creator
(Genesis 3:8)
The man and woman hide The original human relationship between God and the
from God (Genesis 3:8–11) man and woman was broken
The man blames the woman The relationship between the man and the woman
for his sin (Genesis 3:12) was, in turn, damaged: peace was replaced by discord
God tells the couple they will As a consequence of sin, the harmony of God’s
die (Genesis 3:19) intended order was disrupted (now symbolised in the
reality of death)
God expels the couple from The man and woman had to accept the consequences
the Garden (Genesis 3:20–24) of their sin yet God continued to care for them.
and clothes them with tunics of
skin
The Story of Cain and Abel

The Story of Cain and Abel shows that the breakdown of the relationship with God
leads to the serious breakdown of human relationships, even to the point of one brother
murdering another.
Cain and Abel

Cain kills Abel (Genesis 4:1–8) One result of the Fall was violence entering human
behaviour
God puts a mark of protection God’s love and forgiveness is always present no
on Cain (Genesis 4:9–16) matter how serious the sin.

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The Story of Noah and the Flood

A further consequence of the Fall was the spread of evil and sin throughout human
society and creation.
Noah and the Flood

God regretted making human God cannot bear sin
beings, deciding to destroy
them (Genesis 6:5–9)
God tells Noah to make an God saves those who are faithful
ark, filling it with his family
and pairs of creatures (Genesis God wants, not the destruction, but the salvation of
6:14–16) the human race
The flood destroys all other Human sin also affects the rest of creation: the
living things (Genesis 7:21–23) original human harmony with creation was destroyed
God makes a promise to Noah God will deal patiently with sinful humanity, even
(Genesis 8:21–22, 9:9–11). though God is repelled by sin, hoping always that
people will repent.

Ark comes not from the original Hebrew but from the Latin translation of the Bible.
Arca is Latin for ‘chest’ or ‘box’.
The Story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9)

Another consequence of the Fall was the spread of self-centred pride in human beings,
that is, the desire to live independently of God.
People today would find it impossible to understand how someone could imagine
building a tower to reach ‘heaven’, however, if we think of the three levels of heaven
imagined in the ancient world, the Story of the Tower of Babel becomes easier to
understand.
The Tower of Babel

The people decide to build a The Fall led to the human race no longer recognising
tower high enough for them to the need to depend upon God
enter heaven (Genesis 11: 1–4)
God confuses their language Separation from God leads to chaos and confusion.
(Genesis 11:5–9)

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Detail of the Isaiah Manuscript, c.100 BC, discovered in Qumran in 1947 (parchment) by Jewish School
Poetry is a major literary form in the Bible

In ancient times people used stories, such as the story of Cain and Abel, to help
remember God’s teaching. Poetry was also used by people for thousands of years to
express what a story could not express.
The Spirit of Truth inspired some biblical writers to use poetry in the Old Testament to
illustrate God’s response to many human heart questions.
Some of the most famous biblical poems are those found in the Book of Isaiah which
was completed over a period spanning at least two centuries. Over this period there
were three prophets called ‘Isaiah’.
In Class Work
1. Why did biblical writers and editors use poetry?
2. Look through the Bible and find examples of poems from books such as
Isaiah, Psalms and Job. List the references for these poems.
3. Find a poem that you like in the Bible and briefly describe:
– what it is saying
– why it appeals to you.

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Isaiah: prophecy of a child born to a virgin

The first Isaiah began preaching in Jerusalem around 742BC. The king, Ahaz, his
advisers, and many of the people had broken the condition of the Sinai Covenant
which required the Israelites to:
‘… obey me and keep my covenant ...’ (Exodus 19:5)
In both the kingdoms of Judah and Israel at this time people commonly disobeyed God’s
laws. There was widespread social injustice as stronger and wealthier members of society
ignored weaker and poorer people. Many even took advantage of the poor.
Ahaz turned from God

Isaiah lived during a period of
great political turmoil between
Judah and the surrounding
nations. The most powerful
nation was Assyria (now part
of modern Turkey, Syria and
Iraq).
Ahaz wanted the kingdom of

Israel to remain free of the rule
of other nations. He ignored
God and God’s guidance and
planned to achieve his goals by
human effort alone.
The kingdom of Israel was

conquered by the Assyrians in
723BC. The Assyrians then
conquered Syria in 722BC and
forced Judah to become a
vassal state.
When the people of Judah were oppressed by the

For your Assyrians they began to wonder whether or not God
information… had deserted them. God responded to their cries
through a poem in the Book of Isaiah. The poem is
To be a ‘vassal’ is to be
about the Messiah who would bring peace to the
subject to the power of a
people of Israel. It describes the end of war and
dominant authority.
oppression and the Messiah coming as a special
child.

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The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light;

on the inhabitants of a country in shadow dark as death
light has blazed forth ...
For the yoke that weighed on it, the bar across its shoulders,
the rod of its oppressor,
these you have broken ...
For all the footgear clanking over the ground
and all the clothing rolled in blood,
will be burnt, will be food for the flames.
For a son has been born for us,
a son has been given to us,
and dominion has been laid on his shoulders;
and this is the name he has been given,
’Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,
Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace’,
to extend his dominion in boundless peace ...
(Isaiah 9:1, 3–6)
In Class Work
1. Why had the people of Israel walked in darkness?
2. Who will be the light?
3. Why would soldiers’ footgear and blood-soaked clothing be burnt?
4. What type of king would the prophesied child be?
Another example of biblical poetry in the Old Testament is the vision described in the
Book of Daniel. Daniel has a vision of Antiochus IV being destroyed by God’s power.
Daniel sees the ‘Son of Man’ coming from heaven whose rule would extend across the
whole world and would never end:
I was gazing into the visions of the night,

when I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,
as it were a son of man.
He came to the One most venerable
and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred rule,
honour and kingship,
and all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His is an everlasting rule
which will never pass away,
and his kingship will never come to an end.
(Daniel 7:13–14)

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In Class Work
1. Who does the ‘son of man’ in Daniel’s vision represent?
2. What is meant by ‘on him conferred rule, honour and kingship’?
This vision is of a future event. The people of Israel came to understand this figure to
represent the Messiah – the one promised by God, ‘the anointed one’ who would restore
God’s power and rule throughout all creation.
In the Gospels Jesus referred to himself as the ‘Son of man’:
‘... the Son of man has authority to forgive sins ...’

‘... the Son of man is master even of the Sabbath.’
‘... if anyone ... is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of man will also be
ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father ...’
(Mark 2:10, 28; 8:38)
Proverbs are used as a major literary form in the Bible

Most cultures have wise, short sayings called proverbs. Many inspired writers of the
Bible used sayings and proverbs to teach lessons revealed by God. Many of God’s
teachings about life are contained in the Wisdom literature including the Book of
Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs.
In Class Work
Reflect on some proverbs you have encountered in your life or read a section of
the Book of Proverbs and select some that you find meaningful. Write them in
your journal and explain how they have deepened your understanding of
yourself, life or your faith.
Proverbs 10:23
A fool takes pleasure in doing wrong,
the intelligent in cultivating wisdom.

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God revealed teachings

in the Hymns of the Old
Testament
Hymns or songs have always
been a popular way of
teaching a message. God
inspired many of the authors
of the Bible to write songs
that expressed what God
taught. The people of Israel
had a long tradition of
singing songs for prayer or
Temple worship.
An ancient example is the

hymn of praise to God for
freeing the Israelites from
slavery and rescuing them
from the Egyptians at the Sea
of Reeds. The writers of the
Book of Exodus included this
song of victory, known as the
Hymn of Miriam, after the
story of the crossing of the
sea (Exodus 15:1–21).
52:Miriam, designed by Burne-Jones,

executed by Morris Marshall Faulkner
and Co., chancel south window

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Psalms express deep feelings through poetic imagery

Among the hymns of the Israelites, special hymns called psalms were sung to the
accompaniment of stringed musical instruments. One hundred and fifty of these psalms
were inspired by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of preserving God’s teachings and were
eventually gathered together into one of the books of the Bible, the Book of Psalms.
Psalms usually express deep feelings and use poetic images. People come to understand
the psalms by getting in touch with the feelings they express and the teachings of God
they contain.
In Class Work
1. Read Psalm 9.
2. What feelings does the writer of this psalm express?
3. List some words from the psalm which helped to create this feeling.
4. How do you as a reader feel in response?
5. What is God’s teaching in this psalm?
PSALM 9
I thank you, Yahweh, with my whole heart,
I recount all your wonders,
2 I rejoice and delight in you,

I sing to your name, Most High.
3 My enemies are in retreat,

they stumble and perish at your presence,
4 for you have given fair judgment in my favor,

seated on your throne as upright judge.
5 You have rebuked the nations, destroyed the wicked,

blotted out their name forever and ever;
6 the enemy is wiped out - mere ruins for ever -

you have annihilated their cities, their memory has perished.

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See,
7 Yahweh is enthroned forever,

keeping his throne firm for judgment;
8 he will himself judge the world in uprightness,

will give a true verdict on the nations.
9 May Yahweh be a stronghold for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble!
10 Those who revere your name can rely on you,

you never desert those who seek you, Yahweh.
11 Sing to Yahweh who dwells in Zion,

tell the nations his mighty deeds,
12 for the avenger of blood does not forget them,

he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
13 Have pity on me, Yahweh, see my affliction,

pull me back from the gates of death,
14 that I may recount all your praises

at the gates of the daughter of Zion
and rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have fallen into the trap they made,

their feet caught in the snare they laid.
16 Yahweh has made himself known, given judgement,

he has ensnared the wicked in the work of their own hands.
17 May the wicked turn away to Sheol,

all the nations forgetful of God.
18 For the needy is not forgotten for ever,

not for ever does the hope of the poor come to nothing.
19 Arise, Yahweh; human strength shall not prevail.

The nations shall stand trial before you.
20 Strike them with terror, Yahweh;

the nations shall know that they are no more than human!

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Psalm 23 is another example. It is based upon two

images; that of a shepherd who cares for his For your information…
sheep and that of a royal banquet.
A lament is a passionate
expression of grief, a cry of
In ancient times, shepherds cared for small flocks
mourning.
of sheep. They came to know and love each sheep
in the same way owners today often come to A petition is a prayer asking
know and love their pets. Life for shepherds was for God’s help.
sometimes dangerous as they were killed by
wolves as they protected their sheep.
The second image, that of a royal banquet, is one of a king trying to show great
hospitality and generosity by providing more food and drink than would ever be needed.
There are many kinds of psalms which reflect the five elements of prayer, including
psalms of praise, lament, thanksgiving, sorrow for sins and petition. Many psalms
include a mixture of two or more of these elements.
Speeches
Stories based on historical events may use a speech or a number of speeches. The author
might then attribute these speeches to great historical figures. To keep his listeners
interested, before or after each speech, he might retell stories of battles or other events
in which the historical figure was involved. His purpose would be to interest his
audience, so he might exaggerate some aspects of the events and ignore other aspects
that did not suit his purposes.
One example is found in the Book of Leviticus, where God is talking to Moses.
‘…This is the law to be applied on the day of the purification of someone who has
suffered from a contagious skin-disease. Such a person will be taken to the priest,
and the priest will go outside the camp. If he finds on examination that the person
has recovered from the disease, he will order the following to be brought for his
purification: two live birds that are clean, some cedar wood, scarlet material and
hyssop.’ (Leviticus 14:1–4)

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As a literary form, gospels are used to

announce good news
In ancient times a gospel was an announcement of good news.
The Greeks used this form of announcement to bring good news of victory after a
war. As reports of conquest, gospels focussed on describing the final victory.
The Gospel of Mark was the first to use this style of announcement to tell the
story of the victory of Jesus and the Kingdom of God over Satan and evil.
He gave the greatest portion of his Gospel to the final victory of Jesus, his
Resurrection over suffering and death.
There are various reasons for differences between Gospels
The four Gospels have the same basic structure though there are many differences
between them.
1. The Gospels are historical writings just as the Old Testament historical writings were.
Their writers sought:
• to use historical events and sayings of Jesus to present God’s teachings
about Jesus
• to present stories that appealed to the imagination and were easy for
people to recall
• to keep God’s teachings about Jesus interesting.
2. The Gospel writers often used stories of historical events in different ways to make
clear what they were teaching. For example:
• Matthew records that Jesus sat on a hill as he taught eight beatitudes. He was
teaching his largely Jewish community that the Beatitudes begin the New Law of
the Covenant of Jesus; just as the Ten Commandments were the basis for the Old
Law that Moses received from God on Mt Sinai as part of the Old Covenant
• Luke writes of Jesus teaching four beatitudes and four woes (or warnings) while
standing on level ground with his followers (Luke 6:17ff.). Luke is correcting the
ideas of some in his community that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing and that
poorer people are not favoured by God.
In this example, both Gospels refer to Jesus teaching beatitudes, but they present
them differently to preserve revealed teachings from God for their different communities.

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3. Each Gospel was first written for a different community:

• Mark was written for Christians and those thinking about becoming
Christians in Rome
• Matthew was written for a community of Jewish Christians living in Antioch
in Syria, the third largest city in the Roman Empire
• Luke was written for a community of mostly non-Jewish and financially
well-off Christians, also living in the city of Antioch
• John was written for a community of Jewish Christians, probably living in
Ephesus, now part of modern Turkey experiencing persecution from Jewish
authorities.
4. Though common stories are shared, different Gospels use different stories as well.
For example, Luke emphasises stories about people in his community that many did
not care for, such as the poor, women and outcasts. More famous ones include:
• the shepherds (Luke 2:15–20), the parable of the rich man and the beggar
(Luke 16:19–31), and the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector
(Luke 18:9–14)
• the prophetess Anna (Luke 2:36–38), the sinful woman (Luke 7:36–50),
and Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38–42)
• the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:29–37).
5. Stories were adapted to best pass on God’s teachings within the culture of the
community. For example, when retelling Jesus’ teaching that married people should
not remarry while their spouses were alive, Mark includes women in his stories who,
under Roman law, could divorce their husbands (Mark 10:11–12). Other Gospels do
not, because only men could divorce their wives in Greek and Jewish cultures
(Matthew 19:9).
6. Gospel writers adapted the language they used to the sensitivities of their
communities. Matthew, however, knew that Christians of Jewish background felt the
word ‘God’ was too sacred to be spoken. Therefore, he replaced the term ‘kingdom
of God’ with ‘kingdom of Heaven’, as in Matthew 4:17.

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The New Testament books of the Bible were completed less than one hundred years
after the Ascension of Jesus. All but one was completed within the first sixty years.
The order of the New Testament books today is different from the order in which they
were completed. The Gospels have been placed first in the New Testament because they
announce the good news about Jesus and the new covenant he offers.
Interpreting God’s teachings in the Bible is not simple. The more informed the reader
becomes about the Bible and how it was written, the more revealing the message of God
becomes.
Apart from Jews who became Christians, the New Testament was also written for people
of different non-Jewish cultures and backgrounds. God knew that people from later
generations and cultures would not easily understand the Bible and how it was written.
To read a text of the Bible, therefore, people need to ask a number of questions. These
include:
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The most important truth revealed by God is the reality of

his love communicated to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

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7 The Spirit revealed Jesus
as the Messiah

! The Book of Isaiah prophesied the coming of a Messiah
! Jesus, is the Suffering Servant prophesied in Isaiah
! The Gospels provide accounts of the Resurrection
! Jesus’ Resurrection gives new meaning to the lives of
Christians.
The most important truth revealed by God is

the reality of his love communicated to us in For your information…
the person of Jesus Christ.
The Scriptural meaning of ‘deliverance’ is ‘to be set
free’, in the sense of being rescued from something
Jesus is the Son of God. Through the power
bad. Jesus offers ‘deliverance from sin’. He set
of God, Jesus offers people deliverance from
humanity free from the power of sin by his death
sin. Humanity is able to share in everlasting
and Resurrection.
life because Jesus has freed people from the
power of sin.
‘Everlasting life’ is the sharing in the life of God,
beginning at Baptism and reaching fulfilment in
Christ offers people the guidance and
the eternal, face-to-face vision of God.
strength needed to draw closer to God.
By living as Christ lived, he leads them
to true and lasting happiness.

CONTENTS CONTENTS CHAPTER CHAPTER
7. THE SPIRIT REVEALED TO JESUS AS THE MESSIAH
The Book of Isaiah prophesied the coming of a Messiah

The prophets of the
Old Testament
prophesied the coming
of a Messiah –
someone filled with
the Spirit of God who
would deliver his
people and establish
God’s reign in the
world.
Among the most

famous of these
prophesies found in
the Old Testament are
those in the Book of
Isaiah. God inspired
Isaiah to prophesy the
Isaiah and Moses, detail from the Creation Window,
coming of one who 1861 (stained glass) (see 120153) by Campfield, George (fl.1861)
would later be recognised
as the Messiah:
The Lord will give you a sign in any case: It is this: the young woman is with child
and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
In the midst of the poems related to this coming Messiah, four of these prophesy that, as
God’s servant, he would bring about God’s salvation of the human race through
suffering.
Jesus eventually identified himself as this ‘Suffering Servant of God’ (Luke 22:35-38,
Matthew 12:18). These poems, called the ‘Suffering Servant Songs’, are most important
for understanding Jesus.
The first poem announces that the salvation God brings will be unexpected. It will be
for all ‘nations’ – not just the Jews.
I have sent my spirit upon him, he will bring fair judgement to the nations (Isaiah 42:1)
The servant in the third song suffers at the hands of others because he remains faithful
to God.
Lord Yahweh has opened my ear and I have not resisted, I have not turned away. (Isaiah 50:5)

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The Fourth Suffering Servant Song (Isaiah 52:13–53:12)

In the fourth song, the Suffering Servant would obey God and so suffer at the hands of
those opposed to the coming reign of God, offering himself to free the people from
their sins. To understand this, it is necessary to remember that God told Moses that God
would forgive the sins of the people if animal sacrifice was offered to God (Leviticus 16,
also 4 and 5). The Suffering Servant would offer his own life instead of that of an
animal.
Thus Yahweh says,
Look, my servant will prosper,

will grow great, will rise to great heights.
As many people were aghast at him

- he was so inhumanly disfigured
that he no longer looked like a man –
so many nations will be astonished
and kings will stay tight-lipped before him,
seeing what had never been told them,
learning what they had not heard before.
Who has given credence to what we have heard?
And who has seen in it a revelation of Yahweh’s arm?
Like a sapling he grew up before him,
like a root in arid ground.
He had no form or charm to attract us,
no beauty to win our hearts;
he was despised, the lowest of men,
a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering,
one from whom, as it were, we averted our gaze,
despised, for whom we had no regard.
Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing,
ours the sorrows he was carrying,
while we thought of him as someone being punished
and struck with affliction by God;
whereas he was being wounded for our rebellions,
crushed because of our guilt;
the punishment reconciling us fell on him
and we have been healed by his bruises.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each taking his own way,
and Yahweh brought the acts of rebellion
of all of us to bear on him.
Ill-treated and afflicted,
he never opened his mouth,
like a lamb led to the slaughter-house,

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like a sheep dumb before its shearers

he never opened his mouth.
Forcibly, after sentence, he was taken.

Which of his contemporaries was concerned
at his having been cut off from the land of the living,
at his having been struck dead for his people’s rebellion?
He was given a grave with the wicked,
and his tomb is with the rich,
although he had done no violence,
had spoken no deceit.
It was Yahweh’s good pleasure to crush him with pain;
if he gives his life as a sin offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his life
and through him Yahweh’s good pleasure will be done.
After the ordeal he endured,

he will see the light and be content.
By his knowledge, the upright one, my servant will justify many
by taking their guilt on himself.
Hence, I shall give him a portion with the many,

and he will share the booty with the mighty,
for having exposed himself to death
and for being counted as one of the rebellious,
whereas he was bearing the sin of many
and interceding for the rebellious.
(Isaiah 52:13–53:12)

The Fourth Suffering Servant Song is written in verse of extraordinary power with a style
that is heavy, lamenting and that matches the thoughts expressed. The words, ‘Yahweh’s
good pleasure will be done’, do not mean God will be amused by the suffering but that
the servant will remain true to God and suffer as a consequence. This is exactly what
Jesus did in his life of obedience to God

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In Class Work
Read the entire Fourth Suffering Servant song (Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12) and answer
the following questions:
1. What metaphor is used for the Suffering Servant in the song?
2. How is this reflected in the Mass? Quote one response from the Mass that
also uses this metaphor for Jesus.
3. List events from the last days of Jesus’ life that are referred to in the song.
Next to each event, record the verse number from Isaiah.
4. The composer Handel based one of his most famous compositions on this
song. Research the name of the work and some of its history. Listen to a
recording of this section (Clue: look at some of the arias in the second part
of Handel’s composition)
5. The concept of an innocent person giving up his life to save others intrigued
Handel. Many other writers, philosophers, theologians and ordinary people
have wondered at and continue to wonder at Jesus’ sacrifice. List some
questions that it raises in your mind and spend some time reflecting on
them in your journal.

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tl: Entry of Christ into Jerusalem, tm: The Washing of the Feet, tr: The Kiss of Judas, bl: The Agony in
the Garden, bm: Christ Before Caiaphus, detail all from panel three of the Silver Treasury of Santissima
Annunziata, c.1450–53 (tempera on panel) by Angelico, Fra (Guido di Pietro) (c.1387–1455) (and workshop);
br: Christ on the Cross between the Two Thieves, detail from panel four of the Silver Treasury of
Santissima Annunziata, c.1450-53 (tempera on panel) by Angelico, Fra (Guido di Pietro) (c.1387–1455)
(and workshop)
Jesus, is the Suffering Servant prophesied in Isaiah

During Holy Week, the story of the last days of Jesus’ life recalls Jesus obeying God as
the servant who would:
• free the human race from the power of sin and death
• usher in the New Covenant between God and his people.
The accounts of the last twenty-four hours of Jesus’ life as told by the four evangelists
are read in Catholic Churches during Holy Week. These are found in:
• Matthew 26:17 through to 27:61
• Mark 14:32 through to 15:47
• Luke 22 – 23:55
• John, chapters 18 and 19.

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In Class Work
Read or listen to the account of the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life, as told by one of
the four evangelists, and note the events that lead to the death of Jesus. Note
also:
• those people on Jesus’ side and those strictly against
• those people who stood by
• those people who ran away
• those people who came forward in the crisis
• any forces that were at play behind the scenes.
In Class Work
As a class, write your own play of the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life and perform it during
Holy Week. You might find the following character and setting list a useful guide:
Some characters in the Passion Story

The High Priest Barabbas Herod
Chief Priests and Elders Simon of Cyrene Caiaphas
Joseph of Arimathaea The Sanhedrin Mary
The Pharisees Annas Mary Magdelene
The Sadducees Peter Mary, wife of Cleopas
Guards Judas Joanna
Soldiers Pilate’s wife
Women of Jerusalem The two thieves
Pontius Pilate The young man in the linen cloth
Places
The Mount of Olives
Gethsemane
The Kidron valley
Golgotha
Gabbatha
Time
Mainly at night. The Gospels differ to some extent about which events
occurred during the night and which during the following day, eg. Mark
and Matthew have Jesus taken before the Sanhedrin during the night;
Luke has him taken before them the next morning.

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The Stations of the Cross is a devotion that consists of prayers and meditations that recall
the sufferings and death of Jesus as he carried his cross to Calvary and was crucified.
Representations or pictures of the following fourteen stations are usually found on the
walls in churches:
1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus takes up his cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets his mother
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls the second time
8. The women of Jerusalem weep for Jesus
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb and, at some point over the next day or so,
raised to new life by God the Father.
As a private or communal devotion the Stations are a reminder of God’s great love for
his people and are recalled at many times of the year, especially on Fridays and during
the Season of Lent.
Praying the Stations of the Cross can be done in a variety of settings and ways. For
example, in communal worship, a leader in prayer may move from one station to the
next reciting prayers whilst people respond to these prayers as they reflect on the
sufferings of Jesus.
In Class Work
1. Create a series of pictures that depict the events of the last 24 hours of
Jesus’ life.
2. Write a poem or song about Jesus’ last 24 hours.

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The Gospels provide accounts

of the Resurrection
The Gospels do not actually have eyewitness
accounts of the raising of Jesus, though there
are accounts of people who saw Jesus after he
was raised from the dead. The empty tomb
raises the question, ‘Where did the body of
Jesus go?’
Fol.126v The three Marys carry an ointment
For the writers of the Resurrection story, the to the tomb to annoint the body of Christ
(vellum) by Italian School, (15th century)
empty tomb signifies that Jesus is not here,
he is elsewhere.
‘He has risen from the dead and now he is going ahead of you to Galilee; that is
where you will see him.’ (Matthew 28:7)
The appearances of Jesus

Many appearances of Jesus after the Resurrection are reported in all four Gospels, the
Acts of the Apostles and by Saint Paul. These are even more important to people in the
early Church than the empty tomb.
In Class Work
Many of the stories of the four evangelists differ in detail. Read the descriptions
of the scene at the empty tomb:
– Matthew 28:1–7
– Mark 16:1–8
– Luke 24:1–7
– John 20: 1–10.
1. How many differences can you find in these stories?
2. Compare Mathew 28:16–20, Luke 24:36–43 and John 20:19–23. Where did
Jesus appear to his disciples – Galilee or Jerusalem, or both places?
3. To whom did Jesus appear first – was it the women or Peter?
4. From where does the tradition come that Jesus first appeared to his mother?
For the writers, it is not the descriptive details that matter. The stories have been handed
down within different groups in different ways. The people in the stories have met Jesus
during his life and now experience the Risen Christ. They are the witnesses to the
Resurrection.

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In Class Work
Read one of the Resurrection stories and see if you can discover the
following pattern in it. In writing, record the verses in which each
part of the pattern is evident.
The Resurrection stories, though they differ, do have a great deal in common:
• Those to whom Jesus appears are not expecting a resurrection. It surprises and
changes them.
• It is Jesus who takes the initiative – he appears to strengthen their faith and to give
them a mission – ‘Go tell!’
• Jesus greets personally those to whom he appears. They are his friends
• There is a moment in the story when the persons or group ‘see’ – that is, they
recognise Jesus as Lord.
Jesus, as he appeared after the Resurrection, is the same but different. He is not
recognised at first (Luke 24:16, John 21:4) and some people doubt what they see even
though they are filled with joy and wonder (Matthew 28:17).
Jesus seems to be in another form (Mark 16:12) but he stresses his reality for those who
see him by touching (John 20:27), eating (Luke 24:41–43), talking and listening (John
21:15–22).
The disciples are convinced

that they have seen Jesus, a
transformed Jesus whom
they meet and to whom
they witness by a new title:
Jesus is Lord! Because Jesus
is raised from the dead,
Christians are able to share
his risen life.
Christ Appearing on the Road to Emmaus (fresco)

by Bartolommeo, Fra (Baccio della Porta) (1472–1517)

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Jesus’ Resurrection gives new meaning to the

lives of Christians
Christians believe that Jesus came to fulfil God’s purpose and to help people discover
the truth that provides answers to the questions of the human heart.
The Resurrection is a call to believe in Jesus. It is the cause of joy and hope for all
Christians. It proclaims the truth that God transforms sin into freedom, death into
life and – most wonderful of all – human into divine:
‘“For the Son of God became man so that we might become God”…“so that he, made
man, might make men gods.”’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church 460, quoting Saints
Athanasius and Thomas Aquinas)
Through his death and Resurrection, Jesus reveals how God loves all people and wants
them to be united in God – to ‘become God’.
When people draw on the power of this love, they are able to overcome the power of
sin and death in their present lives and allow God’s own Spirit of Love, the Holy Spirit,
to live within their hearts.
Christians celebrate the truth that Jesus achieved this for all humanity through his death
on the cross. The Son of God goes to a hideously painful, criminal’s death. Amazingly,
it is ‘a death he freely accepted’ (Eucharistic Prayer II from the English translation of
the Roman Missal).
On his last visit to Jerusalem, Jesus knew that it was his Father’s will that he stay there,
though his own human instinct for self-preservation would have urged him to leave the
city and return to the comparative safety of Galilee (Luke 22:42). Jesus knew that in
accepting the Father’s will his enemies would destroy him (Luke 18:31–32).
At the Passover meal Jesus shared with his Apostles in Jerusalem, the Last Supper, he
instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In doing so, he revealed that he was the new
Paschal sacrifice – a sacrifice that would have the power to free all people enslaved by
sin and lead them back to the Father’s love (Matthew 26:28–29).

The word ‘Paschal’ comes from an ancient Aramaic word, pasha (Hebrew, pesah)
meaning ‘Passover’.
The Gospel of John makes a clear reference to Jesus’ pesah – his passage – from this
world to the Father:
‘Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to pass
from this world to the Father…’ (John 13:1)

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CONTENTS CHAPTER
Catholics name this truth the ‘Paschal mystery’.
The Paschal mystery – Jesus’ death and

Resurrection – is a living reality for Christians.
It is not just an event that happened 2000 years
ago; in fact, it is the presence of the Risen Jesus,
his Spirit and his kingdom, today and always.
The Paschal mystery continues to draw people

into communion with God. Catholics experience Fol.135v Jesus Appears to the Disciples
this communion in the most profound way Gathered Under One Roof for Fear of the
Judges (vellum) by Italian School, (15th century)
when they receive Jesus in Holy Communion.
Here, Jesus’ followers come together in unity,
share life and receive the spiritual food – Jesus himself in the Eucharist – that gives them
the strength and energy to reach out to others in love and compassion.
The Paschal mystery, therefore, enables Christians to know Jesus in a relationship that
grows ever more loving and ever more life-giving.
Christians relate closely with God during their life in this world, especially in the
Eucharist, but complete communion with God – Father, Son and Spirit – is possible only
after death. This perfect life with God, in which people live with Jesus forever, is called
‘heaven’.
In Class Work
Use the information in this chapter to help you to answer these questions
1. The Book of ___________ from the Old Testament prophesied the coming
of a _____________________.
2. The suffering servant is the central figure in the prophetic songs of Isaiah.
To whom do Christians consider these songs to refer?
3. All four Gospels detail the passion and death of Jesus. List several differences
between these accounts.
4. A traditional meditation on the suffering and death of Jesus is conducted

around the walls of churches. This is called _________________________.
5. Jesus appeared to many after the Resurrection. How did his appearance
differ from how he looked before his death?
6. Did Jesus have any choice in his death? Explain.
7. What is the Paschal mystery?
8. Explain why the Resurrection of Jesus gives new meaning to the

lives of Christians. What did Jesus reveal through his death and
Resurrection?

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Contents

1. The human need to question 5

1. Young people discover new spiritual experiences 113

1. Emotions move people 191

COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9 1

1. Adolescence is a time of change, challenge and growth 261

Our Prayers 321

2 COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9

This chapter presents the following key learning points:

People ask many ‘human heart’ questions

Since these questions stir within people’s hearts, they are

COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9 5

There are four basic questions of the ‘human heart’

Spend some quiet time identifying:

6 COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9

List human heart

3. Questions about the future

As people begin to think about the future, many find

COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9 7

4. Questions about God

1. Do you have any religious questions of

2. In your own words, explain why you think it is

Share examples of how people experience God through creation.

8 COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9

The search for truth leads to God

Becoming open to God’s truth

COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9 9

People fail to recognise their ‘human heart’

10 COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9

Draw up a plan of how you Kim’s Week

When you have finished reflect on your lifestyle.

• Do you think you lead a balanced life? Explain.

COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9 11

This chapter presents the following key learning points:

Jesus thought, questioned and understood like anyone

Jesus was both fully human and fully

For your information…

COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9 13

• learned carpentry skills:

This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary… (Mark 6:3)

For your information…

• his wisdom developed as he grew older:

• he had to ask questions such as:

14 COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9

Jesus came to complete the teachings of the Father

God’s revelation ceased

Christ teaching surrounded

COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9 15

Jesus revealed the Trinity

For your information…

Jesus revealed that

Jesus demonstrated that service

‘… love one another just as I have loved you.’ (John 13:34)

16 COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9

Jesus gave his Church

Jesus revealed to his followers how he

‘…do this in remembrance of me.’ (Luke 22:19)

Jesus revealed what happens when people die

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide his followers

COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9 17

The Holy Spirit guides Jesus’ followers to answer the

Baptism and Confirmation

18 COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 9