Sources

Sacred Scripture - Bible; primary source

Church Teaching – different Encyclicals
Human Experience – Real-life situation
 OLD TESTAMENT
> covers God’s various covenants
with Israel especially the Sinai
covenant mediated by Moses
> classified into 3 categories:
1. The Law or Torah
2. The Prophets
3. The Writings
NEW TESTAMENT
> covers God’s definitive
covenant with all people
mediated by His Incarnate Son,
Jesus Christ
> bloody sacrifice on the Cross is
the main focus
OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS:
1. THE LAW or TORAH
> referred to as “BOOK OF MOSES”
> TORAH: a Hebrew word which means “ instruction”,
“ teaching “, or “ law “
> are called PENTATEUCH BOOKS, or five books;
the first five books of the Bible; Moses was the
author:
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
2. THE PROPHETS
> the one who speaks for another
> has 2 main functions:
1. to proclaim the word of God that he has
received directly from on high
2. to foretell the future events that depend on
human free will and that only God knows
> 4 Major Prophets:
1. Isaiah 3. Ezekiel
2. Jeremiah 4. Daniel
2.1. Lamentations
2.2. Baruch
 > 12 Minor Prophets:
1. Hosea 5. Jonah 9. Zephaniah
2. Joel 6. Micah 10. Haggai
3. Amos 7. Nahum 11. Zechariah
4. Obadiah 8. Habakkuk 12. Malachi

3. THE WRITINGS
> it includes 7 Wisdom Books: ( ITB, p.103 )
1. Proverbs 4. Sirach 7. Some Psalms
2. Job 5. Wisdom (of Solomon)
3. Ecclesiastes 6. Song of Solomon
> Other writings:
1. Joshua 9. 2 Chronicles
2. Judges 10. Ezra
3. Ruth 11. Nehemiah
4. 1 Samuel 12. Tobit
5. 2 Samuel 13. Judith
6. 1 Kings 14. Esther
7. 2 Kings 15. 1 Maccabees
8. 1 Chronicles 16. 2 Maccabees
 THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS
> fulfillment of the coming of the Messiah
> composed of 27 books:
> presents the life and works of Jesus and the way He
was received by the people who had been waiting Him
for so long
> Jesus Christ’s birth, teaching, Passion,
Death, and Resurrection are
narrated
NEW TESTAMENT:
> has four ( 4 ) categories:
1. GOSPELS
> derived from the Old English word GODSPEL,
which means “ GOOD NEWS “ or “ GLAD TIDINGS “.

> written by 4 evangelists: MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE

and JOHN

> comes from the Greek

word EUANGELION, means
“ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOOD NEWS”
 > 4 Gospels are the principal witnesses to the life
and teachings of Jesus Christ

they are faith accounts

about Jesus

> St. Jerome: a Medieval Church scholar, translated the Bible

into Latin Vulgate, which is the basis of
English Translation , and from English
into other languages and dialects

“ Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”

2. ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
> describes the early spread of the Good News to the
world and the formation of the early Church
> it comes after the Gospel of St. John;
contains 28 chapters;
> the author is St. Luke the evangelist
> the book is HISTORY, but it is also a THEOLOGY

because it continues because it

the story of Jesus in emphasis
the community or on Jesus as the
Church he founded Christ who alone
before His death and brings salvation to
Resurrection mankind
3. LETTERS
> consists of 21 Letters; also called EPISTLES

A. 14 are attributed to St. Paul:

1. Romans 8. 1 Thessalonians
2. 1 Corinthians 9. 2 Thessalonians
3. 2 Corinthians 10. 1 Timothy
4. Galatians 11. 2 Timothy
5. Ephesians 12. Titus
6. Philippians 13. Philemon
7. Colossians 14. Hebrews
 > these 14 letters are addressed to the Early Christian
communities and to the individual leaders of the
communities
> they give advice on some doctrinal positions about
the person of Jesus and practical directions or
guidelines on how to live a Christian life
( Ex. Inside the Bible, pp. 268 – 270 )

B. 7 Letters are attributed to other Apostles:

1. James 4. 1 John 7. Jude
2. 1 Peter 5. 2 John
3. 2 Peter 6. 3 John
> these letters are concerned with how Christians should
apply Jesus’ teachings, His Good News of Salvation to
their daily lives
4. REVELATION
> also called as APOCALYPSE; the only prophetic book
in the NT
means “uncovering
something hidden”
(ITB, p.367 - 368)

> it is a highly symbolic and visionary account of the

decisive struggle of Christ and His followers against
Satan and his forces
> the theme of the Book is the war between God
and Satan for the souls of men