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I. How A Catholic
Reads The Bible
http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/lesson/genesis_how_a_catholic_starts_t
o_read_the_bible

S
 A. Divine Revelation: How
God Speaks to Us

S Christian Faith is a religion of the

Word, not of a book!
S The Word is a Person - Jesus Christ.
S He is Gods "final word" on
everything.
S Through Jesus, God has revealed
everything He wanted to reveal to us
about
S Who He is

S What He intends for our lives

S What He has in His heart

S Three Moments of Divine Revelation

 FATHER

IS
GOD

SON
HOLY
JESUS
CHRIST
SPIRIT
#1) CREATIVE WORD
(GEN 1:2)
FORMLESS WASTE
LAND
CREATION
FATHER

IS
GOD

SON
HOLY
JESUS
CHRIST
SPIRIT
#1) CREATIVE WORD
(GEN 1:2)
PEOPLE OF GOD #2) CALLING WORD
FORMLESS
CREATION (GEN 11:30, 12: 11)
WASTE LAND FATHER
BARRENESS
& ISRAEL
HUMANITY

IS
GOD

SON
HOLY
JESUS
CHRIST
SPIRIT
#1) CREATIVE WORD
(GEN 1:2)
PEOPLE OF GOD #2) CALLING WORD
FORMLESS
CREATION (GEN 11:30, 12: 11)
WASTE LAND FATHER
BARRENESS
ISRAEL

IS
GOD

SON
HOLY
JESUS
CHRIST
SPIRIT

M
#1) CREATIVE WORD
(GEN 1:2)
PEOPLE OF GOD #2) CALLING WORD
FORMLESS
CREATION (GEN 11:30, 12: 11)
WASTE LAND FATHER
BARRENESS
ISRAEL

IS
GOD

SON
HOLY
JESUS
CHRIST
SPIRIT

M
#1) CREATIVE WORD
(GEN 1:2)
PEOPLE OF GOD #2) CALLING WORD
FORMLESS
CREATION (GEN 11:30, 12: 11)
WASTE LAND FATHER
BARRENESS
ISRAEL

IS
GOD

SON
HOLY
JESUS
CHRIST
SPIRIT

#3) WORD MADE FLESH WAY OF LIFE

WORSHIP
(Mt 28:16,18 Lk 1:26-27)
LAWS
VIRGIN SACRED SRIPTURE BY
THE POWER OF THE
SACRED TRADITION
HOLY SPIRIT

M
#1) CREATIVE WORD
(GEN 1:2)
PEOPLE OF GOD #2) CALLING WORD
FORMLESS
CREATION (GEN 11:30, 12: 11)
WASTE LAND FATHER
BARRENESS
ISRAEL

IS
GOD

SON
HOLY
JESUS
CHRIST
SPIRIT

PEOPLE OF GOD
#3) WORD MADE FLESH WAY OF LIFE
PRIESTS WORSHIP
(Mt 28:16,18 Lk 1:26-27)
LAWS
BISHOPS
VIRGIN SACRED SRIPTURE BY
POPE THE POWER OF THE
SACRED TRADITION
HOLY SPIRIT

M
S When God speaks and we listen
with a heartfelt YES and
AMEN in our inmost being,
S A New Reality is created!
 A. Divine Revelation: How
God Speaks to Us

S Gods revelation of Himself comes to us in

three ways:
S a. Scripture (the Bible)

S b. Tradition (especially the liturgy of the

Church - the Mass and the sacraments)
S c. The Magisterium (the Churchs teachings,
such as its dogmas and creeds)
S The Holy Spirit is at work through all three :

S He inspires Scripture,

S animates the Churchs living Tradition, and

S guarantees the teaching of the Churchs Magisterium

(Catechism, nos. 81-82).
S Because Gods revelation comes to us through
Sacred Scriptures,
S Sacred Tradition with
S the Magisterium as its guardian and official
interpreter,
S we must remember THREE IMPORTANT
CRITERIA for reading and interpreting Scripture.
 1. The Content & Unity of
Scripture

S Though Scripture is made up of different

books, we cant read them as separate books.
S We have to read each one in light of the rest,
keeping in mind that Jesus revealed that there
is a unity in Gods plan for the world, as that
plan is revealed in Scripture.
 1. The Content & Unity of
Scripture

S St. Augustine used to say that: "The New Testament is

concealed in the Old, and the Old Testament is
revealed in the New."

S What he meant is that Jesus showed us how the things

that God says and does in the Old Testament pointed
to what He says and does in the New.

S In turn, what Jesus says and does in the New

Testament sheds light on the promises and events we
read about in the Old.
The Passover of the Jews in Exodus
12 and
The Lord Jesus Passover

S The Passover story is one of the Old Testaments defining dramas.

S But more than that it points us ahead to the defining drama of all
salvation history
S the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

S Since the earliest days, the Church has understood the Crucifixion
and Resurrection as "the Lords Passover" (see The Catechism of the
Catholic Church, nos. 557-559, 1174,1337,1364,1402).
S The Eucharist, in turn, is the memorial of the Lords Passover.
S Thats why during the Mass the priest presents the consecrated Host
to us and declares:

S Behold the Lamb of God, blessed are those who are called to the
Supper of the Lamb."

S The Liturgy is putting together two New Testament passages (see

John 1:29; Revelation 19:9).

S But what made the New Testament writers talk about Jesus this way
in the first place?

S The answer is the Passover story.

S Lets look at closely St Johns account of the
Crucifixion (see John 19).

S As Christ is condemned, St John notes that it was the

"preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon."

S Why this detail?

S Because that was the precise moment when Israels

priests slaughtered the lambs for the Passover meal (see
John 19:14).
S Later, the mocking soldiers give Jesus a sponge soaked in
wine.

S They raise it to him on a "hyssop branch."

S Thats the same kind of branch the Israelites are instructed

to use to daub their door posts with the blood of the
Passover lamb (see John 19:29; Exodus 12:22).
S And why dont the soldiers break Jesus legs (see John 19:33,36)?

S John explains that with a quote from Exodus, telling us that it was
because the legs of the Passover lambs werent to be broken (see
Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:21).

S The Crucifixion is presented in the New Testament as a Passover

sacrifice - in which Jesus is

S both the unblemished Lamb, and

S the High Priest who offers the Lamb in sacrifice.

S For the New Testament writers, what were reading about here in
Exodus is a sign that points us to Jesus.
S In the Passover, Israel was spared by the blood of an unblemished sacrificial lamb
painted on their door posts.

S The lamb dies instead of the first-born, is sacrificed so that the people could live
(see Exodus 12:1-23,27).

S It is the same with the Lords Passover: the Cross and Resurrection.

S The Lamb of God dies so that the people of God might live,

S saved by "the blood of the Lamb" (see Revelation 7:14; 12:11; 5:12).

S "For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed," St. Paul says (see 1 Corinthians
5:7).

S On the Cross, St. Peter tells us, Jesus was "a spotless unblemished Lamb."

S By His "Precious Blood" we are "ransomed" from captivity to sin and death (see 1
Peter 1:18-19).
 2. The Churchs Living
Tradition

S We must always read Scripture within the

context of the Churchs Tradition.
S That means that we should always see how the
Church interprets certain Scripture passages,
especially in the prayers and readings it uses for
the Mass and for special feasts in the Church.
S The Scriptures came to us through the Church and they are read in
the Church.

S They are fulfilled by the Church through the Sacraments.

S When we look at the historical facts that the 73 books that we call the
Old and the New Testaments were gathered together officially and
published for the purpose of reading and proclamation in worship,

S we can recognize that the Bible is a liturgical book just as the

Eucharistic Liturgy is a scriptural event.

S The two are inseparably united.

S This doesnt mean you cannot read the Bible apart from the Mass.

S As you can also adore the Blessed Sacrament outside the Eucharistic
Liturgy

S But they are really meant to lead to each other.

S So that we adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament in adoration

Chapel.

S That of course comes from the Mass and that leads us back into
deeper communion with Christ the next time we attend the
Eucharistic Liturgy.
S Likewise when we read the Scriptures in the morning for devotions or
in the classroom for a course or in an evening Bible study with a
group of friends, all of that is good and really important, and
powerful as well.

S But the Scriptures that we are reading are ultimately originating from
the Liturgy and leading us back so that we can enter into the mystery
of worship and we can recognize that we are surrounded with the
angels and the saints and we are ushered into the presence of God.

S We are actually experiencing the saving fruits of Scriptures being

actualized in our own midst through the Holy Eucharist, and all
seven Sacraments for that matter.
Finding the Bible in the Mass

S The way we worship is very biblical.

S The Mass begins where the Bible leaves

off.
S In God's plan of salvation, the Bible and
the Mass were made for each other.
S This is probably news to you.

S In fact, if you're like a lot of people, including many

Catholics, you probably haven't given much thought to the
relationship between the Bible and the Mass.

S In fact, if somebody asked, "What does the Bible have to do

with the Mass?"

S many of us would probably answer, "Not much."

S After all, we hear readings from the Old and
New Testaments in every Mass and sing a
Psalm in between.
S But aside from that - and maybe the homily
which is based on the readings - it doesn't seem
like the Bible plays a big part in the Mass.
S May you have a much different perspective - and hopefully a
far greater love and appreciation for the deep mystery of
faith we enter into in each Mass.

S Let's now look at the Mass through a new, "biblical" lens.

S Every Mass begins the same way.

S We make the Sign of the Cross and say, "In the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
S Do take note that the Sign of the Cross started with the Apostles, who
"sealed" the newly baptized by tracing this sign on their foreheads
(see Ephesians 1:13; Revelation 7:3).

S The words we pray as we make this sign come straight from the lips of
Jesus.

S Indeed, they're among the last words He spoke to His Apostles

(see Matthew 28:19).

S Next in the Mass, the priest greets us.

S Again he speaks, and we respond, with words from the Bible.

S We say: "The Lord be with you" (see 2 Timothy 4:22).

S In Scripture these words are a pledge of divine
presence, protection and help (see Exodus 3:12; Luke
1:28).

S The priest might opt to use a different greeting, such as

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ . . ." but that
greeting too will be drawn from Scripture (see 2
Corinthians 13:13; Ephesians 1:2).
S The Mass continues this way

S as a "dialogue" between the faithful and God, mediated by the

priest.

S What's striking - and it's something we rarely recognize - is that

S we carry on this conversation almost entirely in the language of

the Bible.

S When we beg "Lord, have mercy" - our cry for help and
forgiveness is one that runs throughout Scripture (see Psalm
51:1; Baruch 3:2; Luke 18:13,38,39).
S When we glorify God, we use the song
the angels sang that first Christmas night
(see Luke 2:14).
S Even the Creed and the Eucharistic
prayers are composed of biblical words
and phrases.
S As we prepare to kneel before the altar, we sing
another angelic hymn from the Bible - "Holy,
holy, holy . . . " (see Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8).
S We join that to the triumphant Psalm sung by
those who welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem:
"Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes . . . "
(see Mark 11:9-10).
S At the heart of the Mass, we hear Jesus' words from
the Last Supper (see Mark 14:22-24).

S Then we pray to our Father in the words our Savior

gave us (see Matthew 6:9-13).

S We acknowledge Him with a line from John the

Baptist: "Behold, the Lamb of God . . ." (seeJohn
1:29,36).
S And before receiving Him in communion, we confess
our unworthiness - in words once used by a Roman
soldier seeking Jesus' help (see Luke 7:7).

S What we say and hear in the Mass comes to us from

the Bible.

S And what we "do" in the Mass, we do because it was

done in the Bible.
S We kneel (see Psalm 95:6; Acts 21:5)

S and sing hymns (see 2 Maccabees 10:7,38; Acts 16:25);

S we offer each other a sign of peace (see 1 Samuel 25:6; 1 Thessalonians

5:26).

S We gather around an altar (see Genesis 12:7; Exodus 24:4; 2 Samuel

24:25; Revelation 16:7),

S with incense (see Jeremiah 41:5; Revelation 8:4),

S served by priests (see Exodus 28:3-4; Revelation 20:6).

S We offer thanks with bread and wine (see Genesis 14:18;Matthew 26:26-
28).
S From the first Sign of the Cross to the last "Amen" (see Nehemiah 8:6; 2
Corinthians 1:20),

S the Mass is an aural and sensual tapestry woven with words and actions, even
accessories drawn from the Bible.

S We address God in words that He himself has given us through the inspired
writers of sacred Scripture.

S And He in turn comes to us

S instructing,

S exhorting and

S sanctifying us

S again through the living Word of the inspired Scriptures.

S None of this is accidental.

S In God's plan of salvation, the Bible and the Mass are

given for our salvation

S to enable us to penetrate the mystery of God's plan,

and to unite our lives to His.

S Scripture, Paul said, is "inspired by God" and given to

us "for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (see 2
Timothy 3:15-16; John 20:31).
S The salvation and new life that Scripture proclaims, is
"actualized"

S made real in our lives

S in the Mass.

S As Jesus said: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of

Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within
you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has
eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day"
(see John 6:53-54).
S That's why the worship of the Mass is biblical worship.

S The Bible gives the Mass its "efficacy" - its power to

deliver what it promises, its power to bring us into
communion with the true and living presence of Jesus.

S Our worship can be life-transforming because the

biblical Word we hear is "not a human word but . . .
truly is the Word of God" (see 1 Thessalonians 2:13).
S Ordinary human language, no matter how beautiful or
persuasive, could never communicate God's grace.

S It can't make us holy or bring us to "share in the divine

nature" (see 2 Peter 1:4).

S Only the sacred speech of God can perform the divine

action of transforming bread and wine into the Body
and Blood of our Lord.

S Only the sacred speech of God can bring us into

communion with the living God.
S In God's plan of salvation, the Bible leads us to the
Liturgy.

S In the Liturgy, the written text of sacred Scripture

becomes the living Word.

S The Bible's meaning and purpose is fulfilled in the

Mass

S the words of Scripture become "spirit and life . . . the

words of eternal life" (see John 6:63,68).
 3. Analogy of Faith

S The same Holy Spirit who inspired the Scriptures also

safeguards the Churchs Teaching Authority.

S That means that if were going to read and interpret

Scripture properly - the way God intends it to be read -
we have to make sure our interpretations dont
contradict the interpretations found in the Churchs
creeds and other statements of doctrine.
S The Good Shepherd

S As David was a shepherd, and as the prophets foretold, Jesus the

Messiah came as a good shepherd to save the lost sheep of the
house of Israel (see John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20; Matthew 10:6;
15:24; see also Ezekiel 34:23; 37:24).
S We see this most clearly in His feeding of the 5,000 (see Mark
6:34-44).
S The story begins with Jesus pitying the crowd "for they were like
sheep without a shepherd" (see Mark 6:34).
S Mark wants us to see Jesus as the good shepherd promised
by Ezekiel and others.

S But as we see past prophecies fulfilled in His miraculous

feedings,

S the Gospel also wants us to look ahead

S to the ongoing miracle of the Good Shepherd's care for His

flock in the Eucharist.
S Notice the precise actions of Jesus when He feeds the
multitudes:

S He takes the bread;

S He blesses it;

S He breaks it; and

S He gives it.
S Now go ahead to the accounts of the Last Supper.

S What do we see Jesus doing?

S He He takes the bread:

S He blesses it;

S He breaks it; and

S He gives it (Compare Mark 6:41 and 14:22; Matthew 14:19 and

26:26; Luke 9:16 and 22:19. See also 1 Corinthians 11:23,26).
S The Good Shepherd not only seeks
out His lost sheep, but
S He promises to feed and nourish
them, to give them their daily bread.
 C. Scripture is Divine:
Inspiration

S The Church teaches that just as

Jesus was "true God and true man,"
S the Bible is truly a work of human
authors and
S at the same time is truly the work of
God as the divine author.
 C. Scripture is Divine:
Inspiration

S This is the mystery of the divine "inspiration" of Scripture (see 2

Tim 3:16).

S The word "inspired" in the Greek, literally means "God-breathed.

S Just as God fashioned Adam out of the clay of the earth and blew
the breath of life into him (see Genesis 2:7),

S God breathes His Spirit into the words of the human authors of
Scripture and makes them the Living Word of God.
 C. Scripture is Divine:
Inspiration

S The way the Church explains it, it happened like this:

S The human authors used their literary skills, ideas and

other talents in writing the pages of the Bible.

S But while they were writing, God was acting in them

so that what they wrote was exactly what He wanted
them to write (see Vatican IIs Dei Verbum, scroll down
to nos. 11-12: Catechism, nos. 105-107).
 C. Scripture is Divine:
Inspiration

S The human writers were "true authors" of Scripture, and so

was God.

S Because God is its co-author, and because God cannot err

or make mistakes, we say that whatever we read in the Bible
is true, free from "error" and has been put there for our
salvation.

S This is called the "inerrancy" of Scripture.

 C. Scripture is Divine:
Inspiration

S Its important to always read the Bible on its own terms.

S The Bible doesnt set out to teach modern history, science or

geography or biography.
S So we shouldnt try to compare what it says about the creation of
the world, for instance, to what modern science teaches us.
S The Bible contains Gods Revelation and

S the Faith-Response (or some time lack of it) of the community of

believers to what God has revealed to them.
 C. Scripture is Divine:
Inspiration
S That doesnt mean the Bible is ever wrong.

S The Bible, entire and whole, is true and without error -

not only in what it teaches about faith and morals, but
also what it says about historical events and
personages.

S It will never lead us astray.

S But we have to interpret it responsibly - we have to

understand that it is giving us history and natural
events from a "religious" and divine perspective, and
often uses symbolic language.
S The mystery of the divine "inspiration" of
Scripture:

S The Church teaches that just as Jesus

was "true God and true man," the Bible
is truly a work of human authors and
S at the same time is truly the work of
God as the divine author.
D. Scripture is Human: The Bible as
Religious Literature and History

S Practically speaking, the "divine-human" authorship of

Scripture means we have to read the Bible differently
than we approach other books.

S When we read the Bible we must remember that it is

the Word of God told in human language.

S Its important that we understand the "human element"

of Scripture;

S this human element cant really be separated from the

divine element.
D. Scripture is Human: The Bible as
Religious Literature and History

S Three Important things to remember when we read the

Bible:

1) It is a Literature: The Bible uses literary forms, devices,

structures, figures, etc.

We must look for the "literary" clues that convey a meaning.

2. It is Ancient: The Bible is ancient.

Its not written like modern literature.

Its meaning is wrapped up with the way the ancients looked at the world
and recorded history.

Although they were interested in recording history, they were not

interested in "pure history."

History was more than just politic, economics and wars - it had a deeper
significance.

The Prohibition not to eat from the Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil (Gen 2:17)
D. Scripture is Human: The Bible as
Religious Literature and History

3. It is Religious: Today people think of religion in terms of personal

piety.

Not so for the ancients.

The word "religion" comes from the Latin, "religare," - "to bind
together."

For the ancients everything - culture, history, the economy,

diplomacy - was bound together by the religion.

The Bible gives us history, but it is religious history.

It is history from Gods perspective.

 II. Salvation History: The
Story the Bible Tells

A. Salvation History and Covenants

S The first thing to know is that the Bible gives us history

from Gods perspective.

S It shows us that all throughout time, God is working to

bring us salvation.

S Thats why we say that the Bible gives us "salvation

history."

S 2. The Covenant Principle, 2016.pptx

 B. The Old And New
Testaments

S The Bible tells the story of salvation history.

S Salvation history is the story of Gods marvelous work,

since the creation of the world, to make all men and women
His children, to form from the family of mankind a family
of God.

S He does this through a series of covenants that He makes

with key figures at key points in the Bible.
 B. The Old And New
Testaments

S These key covenants serve as the outline for reading the

whole Bible.

S If we know them and understand them, well have a good

working understanding of the "plot" of the Bible.

S Why is the Bible divided into Old and New Testaments?

 B. The Old And New
Testaments

S Lots of Christians ignore the Old Testament because it was

what happened before Jesus.
S But when you understand that salvation history began with
the creation of the world in the Old Testament and
progressed through the series of Old Testament covenants,
then you realize why the Old Testament is so important.
S The division of the Bible into Old and New Testaments is
much more than a literary or historical marker.
 B. The Old And New
Testaments

S Remember, "testament" is just another word for "covenant."

S And what goes on in the Old Testament is all about preparing the
way for and announcing whats going to happen in the New
Testament.
S Christ and His cross, is like the "hinge" between the Old and the
New Testaments.
S All the covenants that God made in the Old Testament find their
fulfillment - their full meaning and purpose - in Jesus, in His "new
Covenant."