Do you have a favourite passage in the

Bible?

What is it? What does it mean to you?

I will say of the LORD, "He is my
refuge and my fortress, my God, in
whom I trust." Surely he will save
you from the fowler's snare and
from the deadly pestilence. He will
cover you with his feathers, and
under his wings you will find
refuge; his faithfulness will be your
shield and rampart. Psalm 91
 WHAT IS
THE
CATHOLIC
BIBLE?
WHAT EXACTLY IS
THE BIBLE?

•The Bible is like a library of books

that were written over the course
of a thousand years, from about
950 B.C. to 100 A.D. It is the
most important book that has ever
been written in the history of
mankind.
W H AT E X ACT LY I S T H E
BIBLE?
•The Bible is considered sacred
literature because it is the unique
revelation of God, inspired by the
Holy Spirit, and it describes God’s
plan of salvation and eternal life. It
centers entirely on Jesus Christ,
who is God incarnate and the
Savior of the world.
W H AT E X A C T LY I S
THE BIBLE?
•The Bible is a collection of books that
the Catholic church believes are the
inspired words of God.

•God chose certain men to write these

books under the direction of the Holy
Spirit for the benefit of all mankind.
“St. Jerome ( 347-419) father of
the church, Doctor of the church,
Interpreter and translator of the
Bible. According to him, The Bible
is God’s love letter to us “Ignorance
of the Scriptures is ignorance of
Christ.”
St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)Founder of
religious order, MYSTIC
“To read the Scripture means to turn to
Christ for Advice
The books of scripture must be acknowledged as teaching
firmly, faithfully and without error that truth which God
wanted to put into the sacred writings for the sake of our
salvation" (Constitution on Divine Revelation, #11).
 The Bible -is a Canon Books
Greek: “KANON” – meaning measuring rod, rule,
norm}: The authoritative collection of sacred
Scriptures in the OT & NT of the Bible
Is the church’s official declaration that a book is
inspired, and is therefore a worthy basis of faith and
morals. For a book to be declared Canonicals, it has to
pass certain standards. As it passes the standards, it
becomes a standard itself.
TWO PARTS OF THE
B I
THE OLD TESTAMENT is a
B L E
record of the old covenant
THE NEW TESTAMENT is a record of the
between God and His new covenant made by God with the entire
chosen people. It describes human race, through the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of God.
mankind’s preparation for
the coming of the Messiah.
OLD TESTAMENT Scripture from Latin
word “testamentum”- meaning “covenant,
will”
The first part of the complete Bible and
the Sacred scripture of the Jews.
Tells the Story of the people who entered in
a covenant with their God.
 What significance does the Old
Testament Have for Christians?

In the old Testament God reveals himself

as the creator and preserver of the world
and as leader and instructor of
humankind
 T H E AU T H O R O F T H E B I B L E

THE BIBLE IS THE WRITTEN RECORD OF GOD’S

GOD IS THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION OF HIMSELF THROUGH THE MESSAGES AND
BIBLE. HE REVEALED HIMSELF EVENTS THAT OCCURRED THROUGHOUT MANKIND’S
THROUGHOUT MANKIND’S HISTORY. GOD REVEALED WHO HE IS, THROUGH THE
HISTORY BY COMMUNICATING WORDS IN THE BIBLE , BUT ALSO THROUGH THE EVENTS
WITH HUMAN BEINGS HIS THAT OCCURRED IN THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE
MERCIFUL PLAN OF SALVATION. STORIES ARE RECORDED
IN THE BIBLE.
 THE BIBLE IS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

•The Holy Spirit’s supernatural

inspiration motivated the writers of
sacred scriptures to record the truth that
was conveyed to them, in such a
manner that could be interpreted
correctly and understood by the people
of their time and ours as well.
 THE BIBLE IS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF
GOD
•The Bible is like a love
letter written by God for His
people through the
promptings of the Holy
Spirit.
INSPIRATION- Lt. “in spirare” – to
breathe into
INSPIRATION- IS THE SPECIAL INFLUENCE OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT ON THE HUMAN AUTHORS, SUCH THAT
THEY WERE ABLE TO WRITE DOWN WHAT GOD
WANTED THEM TO WRITE
INSPIRATION IS NOT:
DICTATION – God did not dictate the words to
the human authors. As stated earlier, the human
authors had to go through all the processes
involved in coming up with a written work.
POSSESSION – The human authors were not
coerced by God to write. They did not lose their
free will when they put God’s Word into writing.
On their end, they had to cooperate with.
 CHRISTIANS AND JEWS AGREE THAT
INSPIRATION MEANS:

1. The impulse to write came from God;

2. The Bible contains things God wills man to
know about him;
3. God guided his people in their choice of
what writing was to be included in the final
version of the Bible.
. 4. The mind and the will of the human
author were somehow influenced by
God to write what was written without
taking away the author’s own will or
ability to write or power to express
things in his own way for the people for
whom he was writing.
 D E U T E R O N I C A L B O O KS
O F T H E O L D
T E STA M E N T
DEUTERONICAL BOOKS
• These are the seven “ extra” books that the
Catholic Bible contains. The reason the Catholic
Bible has seven extra books is that when the Catholic
church originally put together the 73 books of the
Bible, these books were included as part of the canon.

The seven books are:

•Baruch , Sirach, I Maccabees, 11
Maccabees, Wisdom, Judith
& Tobit
 DIVISION OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT
The Old Testament contains 46 books and are divided into four
sections:
Pentateuch- – known as the Torah or Law

Historical Books- history of the early roots of the people

The Didactic Books- the other writings in the Old Testament

Prophetic Books- books written by the Prophets

 THE PENTATEUCH

T H E P E N TAT E U C H C O N TA I N S T H E
FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE OLD
T E S TA M E N T:
•G E N E S I S , E X O D U S , N U M B E R S ,
L E V I T I C U S , A N D D E U T E R O N O M Y.
•T H E S E B O O K S T E L L A B O U T T H E
E A R LY H I S TO RY O F G O D ’ S
C H O S E N P E O P L E A N D H I S L AW S .
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
•I T B E G I N S W I T H T H E D I V I N E O R I G I N
OF THE UNIVERSE AND MANKIND, THE
H E B R E W R A C E T H AT C A M E I N T O
BEING THROUGH ABRAHAM, AND THE
H E B R E W N AT I O N U N D E R M O S E S . T H E
REMAINING BOOKS OF THE OLD
T E S TA M E N T C O V E R A T H O U S A N D
YEARS OF MANKIND’S RELIGIOUS
H I S TO RY L E A D I N G U P TO T H E T I M E O F
J E S U S C H R I S T,
 •T H E H I S TO R I C A L B O O K S
O F T H E O L D T E S TA M E N T
ARE THE BOOKS OF:
HISTORICAL •J O S H U A , J U D G E S , R U T H ,
BOOKS OF 1-2 SAMUEL, 1-2 KINGS,1-
2 CHRONICLES, EZRA,
THE OLD NEHEMIAH, 1-2
TESTAMENT M A CC A B E E S , T O B I T,
JUDITH, AND ESTHER.
 THESE BOOKS TELL
T H E H I S TO R Y O F
ISRAEL BEGINNING
W I T H S TO R I E S A B O U T
HISTORICAL THE PROMISED LAND,
BOOKS OF KING DAVID, KING
THE OLD S O LO M O N , T H E
TESTAMENT B A B Y LO N I A N E X I L E A N D
THE STRUGGLE FOR
FREEDOM UNDER THE
M A CC A B E E S .
 •T H E S E V E N B O O K S O F W I S D O M A R E :
•J O B , P S A L M S , P R O V E R B S ,
BOOKS E CCL E SIA STE S, SON G O F SO NG S ,
OF WISDOM AND SIRACH.

WISDOM • ALL OF THESE BOOKS EXCEPT FOR THE

BOOK OF WISDOM ARE WRITTEN IN
POETRY OR VERSE FORM. THESE ARE
EXPRESSED THROUGH AN EQUAL
D I S T R I B U T I O N O F T H O U G H T, B U T I N
S E P A R AT E L I N E S O F V E R S E . T H E Y O F T E N
R E P E AT T H E S A M E T H O U G H T U S I N G
DIFFERENT WAYS OF EXPRESSING IT AND
THEIR INTENT IS TO TEACH OR INSTRUCT
THE READER.
 •THE SONG OF
BOOKS SONG IS MORE OF A
OF NUPTIAL HYMN .
WISDOM
• THE PSALMS ARE
MORE OF A FORM
OF PRAYER AND
PRAISE.
 THE BOOK OF
PROVERBS ARE
S TAT E M E N T S O N
M O R A L M AT T E R S .

THE BOOK OF
JOB IS A
BEAUTIFUL
E X A M I N AT I O N O F
HUMAN
SUFFERING AND
EVIL.
 •T H E E I G H T E E N
( 18) PROPHETIC BOOKS OF
T H E O L D T E S TA M E N T A R E :

• THE MAJOR PROPHETS

PROPHETIC
BOOKS OF •I S A I A H , J E R E M I A H ,
L A M E N TAT I O N S , B A R U C H ,
THE OLD EZEKIEL, DANIEL
TESTAMENT •
 • THE MINOR
PROPHETS

HOSEA, JOEL,
AMOS,OBADIAH, JONAH,
MICAH, NAHUM,
HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH,
HAGGAI, ZECHRIAH,
MALACHI
 THE PROPHETS
WERE TO BE THE MORAL
AND RELIGIOUS
TEACHERS OF THEIR
N AT I O N , P O L I T I C A L
ADVISERS TO THE
KINGS, DEFENDERS OF
THE OPPRESSED LIKE
THE ORPHANS, WIDOWS
AND THE POOR, AND
THEY FORETOLD THE
FUTUR E COMING OF THE
M E S S I A H , J E S U S C H R I S T,
THE SON OF THE LIVING
GOD.
 •F I V E H I S T O R I C A L B O O K S
•T W E N T Y- O N E D I D A C T I C B O O K S
•O N E P R O P H E T I C B O O K

BOOKS •T H E N E W T E S T A M E N T
OF THE REFLECTS THE HISTORY OF
T H E E A R LY C H U R C H D U R I N G
NEW THE BIRTH OF
C H R I S T I A N I T Y. I T I S A
TESTAM CO L L E CT I O N O F T W E N TY
SEVEN BOOKS WRITTEN
ENT DURING THE ONE HUNDRED
YEARS BETWEEN 30-36 A.D.
•A L L T H E 2 7 B O O K S A R E
ABOUT JESUS.
New Testament- was written
in Greek ( 27 Books)
 Also called Christian Scriptures
 Is a collection of writings in the
early church which reflect the
church belief in Jesus
 T H E N E W T E S T A M E N T O R
C H R I S T I A N S C R I P T U R E S
•T H E N E W T E S T A M E N T B O O K S R E V O LV E
E N T I R E LY A R O U N D J E S U S C H R I S T. T H E Y
TELL ABOUT THE MYSTERY OF TIME, THE
WORLD, AND HUMAN BEINGS IN GOD’S
P L A N O F S A LV AT I O N .

•T H E B O O K S I N T H E N E W T E S T A M E N T
R E F L E C T S O U R E X P E C T AT I O N O F T H E
C O M I N G O F C H R I S T I N A L L H I S G L O R Y AT
THE END OF THE WORLD.
FIVE HISTORICAL BOOKS
OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

•THE FIVE HI STORI CAL BOOKS

OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ARE:

•THE GOSPELS OF MATTHEW,

MARK ,LUK E AND JOHN, AND
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
 F I V E H I STO R I C A L B O O KS O F
T H E N E W T E STA M E N T

•THESE BOOKS PROVI DE A

RECORD OF THE LI F E, DEATH
AND RESU RRECTI ON OF JESUS
CHRIST, THE SAVI OR OF THE
WORLD, AND THE VERY
BEGINNINGS OF THE CHURCH
FOUNDED.
 GOSPELS
•T H E W O R D “ G O S P E L ” M E A N S T H E
G O O D N E W S O F S A LV AT I O N
P R O C L A I M E D B Y J E S U S C H R I S T.

•T H E F I R S T T H R E E G O S P E L S A R E
C A L L E D T H E S Y N O P T I C G O S P E LS .
 GOSPELS
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN IS THE LAST
GOSPEL WRITTEN BY THE APOSTLE
JOHN IN THE YEAR 90 A,D, IT IS THE
M O S T T H E O LO G I C A L O F A L L T H E
G O S P E LS A N D I S V E R Y D I F F E R E N T
F R O M T H E S Y N O P T I C G O S P E LS I N
T H E W A Y I T I S W R I T T E N A N D I TS
CO N T E N T.
•I T I S C A L L E D T H E G O S P E L O F LO V E .
 T H E A C TS O F T H E A P O ST L E S

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES IS THE LAST

H I S TO R I C A L B O O K O F T H E N E W T E S TA M E N T
A N D W A S W R I T T E N B Y S A I N T LU K E , I T
D E S C R I B E S H O W T H E E A R LY C H U R C H W A S
FORMED AND SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE
W O R L D , T H R O U G H T H E P O W E R O F T H E H O LY
S P I R I T.
I TS A CCO U N T B E G A N A F T E R C H R I S T
A S C E N S I O N I N TO H E A V E N A N D CO N T I N U E D
U N T I L S A I N T PA U L W A S I M P R I S O N E D B Y T H E
ROMANS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
 DIDACTIC BOOK OF
THE NEW TESTAMENT
•T H E T W E N T Y D I D A C T I C B O O K S O F T H E N E W
T E S TA M E N T I N C LU D E :

•T H E T H I R T E E N L E T T E R S O F S A I N T PA U L , W H I C H
ARE:

•R O M A N S , 1 - 2 CO R I N T H I A N S , G A L AT I A N S ,
E P H E S I A N S , CO L LO S I A N S , P H I L I P P I A N S , 1 - 2
T H E S S A LO N I A N S , 1 - 2 T I M O T H Y, T I T U S A N D
PHILEMON.
 •THESE EARLY
DOCUMENTS TAUGHT
THE FAITH, INCLUDED
THE DISCIPLINARY
LETTER ACTIONS,PRACTICAL
OF THE ADVICE, AND
HEBREWS ENCOURAGEMENT FOR
THE EARLY
CHRISTIANS.
 •T H E S E E A R LY
D O CU M E N TS TAU G H T
T H E FA I T H , I N C LU D E D
THE DISCIPLINARY
LETTER ACT I O N S , P R ACT I C A L
OF THE ADVICE, AND
HEBREWS E N CO U R AG E M E N T FO R
T H E E A R LY C H R I ST I A N S .
 •THE SEVEN
CATHOLIC LETTERS
T H E ARE:
L E T T E R S
TO T H E
H E B R E W S •JAMES, 1-2 PETER ,
1,2 AND 3 JOHN AND
JUDE
 LETTER TO THE
HEBREWS
•
SOME OF THE REMAINING LETTERS
A R E A B O U T S A I N T PA U L’ S J O U R N E Y S ,
C A P T I V I T Y A N D PA S T O R A L C O N C E R N S
ABOUT THE NEW CHURCH.

•T H E L E T T E R T O T H E H E B R E W S I S
AT T R I B U T E D T O P A U L A N D H A S T O D O
W I T H T H E O L O G Y, T H E P R I E S T H O O D , T H E
S A C R I F I C E O F C H R I S T, T H E N E W
COV E N A N T A N D T H E C H R I ST I A N W AY O F
LIFE.
 •T H E S E V E N C AT H O L I C
L E T T E R S E N CO U R A G E T H E
CHRISTIAN WAY OF LIFE BY
STRESSING THE GOOD
S E V E N WORKS, THE JOY OF
C AT H O L I C B A PT I Z E D C H R I S T I A N S A N D
L E T T E R S THE UNITY OF THE
FA I T H F U L .

•T H E S E V E N C AT H O L I C
L E T T E R S A LS O A N S W E R T H E
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND
U R G E S T H E E A R LY
 •T H E P R O P H E T I C O F T H E N E W
T E STA M E N T I S T H E B O O K O F
R E V E L AT I O N .
•I T I S C O N S I D E R E D T H E M O S T
MYSTERIOUS BOOK IN THE BIBLE.

•I T I S K N O W N A S A P R O P H E T I C
P R O P H E T I C BOOK.
B O O K O F
T H E N E W •T H E B O O K O F R E V E L AT I O N
T E S T A M E N T C A N N O T B E A D E Q U AT E LY
CO MPR E H E ND UNL E SS YO U
U N D E RSTA N D T H E H I STO R I C A L
CO NTE XT IN W H ICH IT W A S
WRITTEN.
T H E B O O K O F R E V E L AT I O N

•T H E B O O K O F R E V E L AT I O N
E NCO URAG E S CHR ISTIA N S TO
STA N D F I R M I N T H E I R FA I T H A N D
AVOID COMPR OMISING WITH THE
NON- BELIEVERS.
• WE ARE TO WAIT FOR THE
FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S
P R O M I S E S . A LT H O U G H T H E
TRIUMPH OF GOD IN OUR WORLD
REMAINS A MYSTERY TO BE
ACCE PTE D TH R O UG H FA ITH A ND
LO O K E D FO R W A R D TO IN H O PE .
T H E B O O K O F R E V E L AT I O N
•I T I S A T R I U M P H T H A T C O N T I N U E S
TO UNFOLD IN THE LIVES OF EACH
INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN, WHO
PROFESSES JESUS CHRIST AS THE
SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.

• T H E U LT I M A T E S A LV A T I O N O F
MANKIND AND VICTORY OF CHRIST
W I L L TA K E P L A C E AT T H E E N D O F
THE PRESENT AGE WHEN JESUS
CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN IN
G LO R Y , D E F E AT I N G S ATA N A N D
HIS FOLLOWERS AND USHERING
THE EVERLASTING REIGN OF GOD.
Tools of interpretation
A.Literary Analysis or criticism
B.Historical Analysis
C.Redaction Analysis
D.Study of Biblical Languages
A. Literary Criticism-The Bible
consists of a variety of “Literary Forms”.
These include religious History, myth,
poetry, gospels, epistles, songs, short stories
and letters . In order to understand what we
are reading it is essential to have a sense of
its literary form.
B. Historical analysis-
 a term to describe the study of times, culture,
surrounding nations and influences on the biblical
writers.
C. Redaction Analysis
 A redactor is an Editor or in the case the biblical
author. This technique tries to focus on the intent
of the author.
 D. Study of Biblical Languages.
 The Old Testament was written in Hebrew.
The New Testament was written in Greek.
Scholars have translated the Bible by going
back to the Original languages and better
capturing the original meanings of the
words.
 Ways of interpreting the Bible

1.Fundamentalists-
believe that the Bible” says what it means
and means what it says. It means they
interpret the Bible in a very literal fashion
 Ways of interpreting the Bible
2. Most Christians & Most Jews as well-
They interpret the Bible contextually. That is,
they understand the words in the Bible in the
broad context in which they were written.
( Time, Place , author’s concerns, the type of
literature , the historical and intellectual
circumstances)
 Ways of interpreting the Bible
3. Catholic Church - believes that the
Bible is truly the word of God written not solely
by people but through God’s guiding
inspiration. However, it believes that the
inspired meaning can only be understood if we
read the Bible in the context in which it was
written
 Part of the celebration of the Mass
which include selection from the
Bible
1. An old Testament passage
2. A psalm ( read as a response)
3. An epistle from the New
Testament
4. A passage from one of the
 Developing a life of Prayer with the
scriptures:
1. Plan your readings ahead of time.
2. Find a quiet place where you
know you will be free of
distractions for a while.
3. Relax. Try to slow your self down
 Developing a life of Prayer with the
scriptures:
4. Read the Passage you have chosen.
5. Ask your self the following questions?
 What is this passage trying to say to me?
 How does it apply to my life now?
6. Finish with a closing prayer
7. Don’t always expect to feel inspired
8. Don’t give up.
 PHILIPPIANS
4:8
F I N A L LY, B R O T H E R S A N D
S I S T E R S , W H AT E V E R I S T R U E ,
W H AT E V E R I S R I G H T,
W H AT E V E R I S L O V E LY,
W H AT E V E R I S A D M I R A B L E - I F
ANYTHING IS EXCELLENT OR
P R A I S E W O R T H Y-T H I N K A B O U T
SUCH THINGS.
 LUKE
1:37

F O R T H E W O R D O F G O D W I L L N E V E R FA I L .