CFE 1 MIDTERM

INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE

GOD AS CREATOR (GENESIS)
Knowing the Sacred Scriptures
Sacred Scriptures are Gods Word to us, a
valid source of Gods revelation, and therefore, merit
to be read, studied and prayed over. This serves as
an introduction to the Bible, particularly the first part
which is the Old Testament, or the Hebrew
Scriptures.
Deepening
Books have stories and insights to share about our
personal and communal experiences. Our favorite
books provide lessons that may challenge us to seek
for authentic meaning in life, thus making us more
deeply rooted as human persons.
Deepening
Like the stories and insights we read from our
favorite books, our personal and communal
experiences, both joyous and sad, are treasures of
life and meaning, and can become opportunities to
experience an encounter with God.
Deepening
Like any our favorite book, the Sacred Scriptures are
stories and insights inspired by peoples experience
of God. It shows how people responded to,
remembered, and interpreted their common
experiences as their experiences of God.
Deepening
The people discovered and expressed the meaning
and purpose of their lives in God.
What we have in Sacred Scriptures is a series of
faith-expressions, that is, a confession of faith in God
(faith proclamation).
Sacred Scriptures/The Bible
The Bible comes from the Greek ta biblia, which
means the books, or the writings. It is composed
of two parts: the Hebrew Scriptures/Old
Testament, and the Christian Scriptures/New
Testament.
Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament
Hebrew Scriptures written traditions of the Jewish
people, largely written in Hebrew, which began to be
collected and written about 1000 B.C.E. Popularly
known as the Old Testament (The use of the term is
for the purpose of Jewish-Christian religious
dialogue.).
Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament
The Hebrew Scriptures are a compilation of
traditions ranging over a wide spectrum of the life of
the Jewish people: their history, poetry, story, folk
wisdom, religion and theology. But, and most
important, it is the life of a believing people who
understood that God had entered their lives and
was calling them to a special relationship, to
which they had agreed in the covenant. The
Scriptures are inspired by God, and are documents
of faith (CCC 121).
Christian Scriptures/New Testament
Christian Scriptures a collection of selected
traditions of the early Christian Church written about
100 years of the death of Christ. Believed to be
inspired by God and therefore constituting authentic
revelation. Popularly known as the New Testament
(The use of the term is for the purpose of JewishChristian religious dialogue.).
The Books of the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures
The Old Testament is not a single book, but a
collection of books a whole library in fact. The
Scriptures contain historical writings, stories, poetry,
songs, writings on human wisdom, writings on
poetry. The Old Testament is, in fact, a collection of
the written traditions that spans the whole extent of
Jewish life.
The Books of the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures
A people rereads its life in the light of faith, a faith
that saw Gods rule extending to every aspect of
that life, and in the light of the covenant they

made with God. There are many things in these

books that today may offend our moral sense and
put some people off reading the Bible. These faults
and failings, the sinfulness, are part of an honest
record of the life of the people, but they are not
condoned; we are not encouraged to copy them.
Different Versions of the Scriptures
Just before the turn of the era, around 250 B.C.E.,
an event of great importance in biblical history took
place: the original Hebrew of the Old Testament was
translated into Greek. This work was done by a
group of Jewish scholars in and around Alexandria,
in Egypt.
The Septuagint
The scholars were traditionally thought to be 70 in
number; hence the Greek version came to be known
as the Septuagint. In making their translation, the
scholars added other well-known books that were
not originally written in Hebrew but in Greek. The
Catholic Church has accepted all these books of
the Septuagint as canonical; they constitute the
Old Testament (CCC 120).
Jewish/Palestinian Canon
Toward the end of the first century (66 C.E.), the
Jews rebelled against the Romans, who occupied
what today we call Israel and Palestine. The
rebellion was crushed with greatest severity, finally
resulting in the sacking of Jerusalem and the
destruction of the Temple, center of Jewish worship.
Afraid of the possible destruction of the entire Jewish
religion, some Pharisees gathered at Jamnia for a
religious revival conference.
Jewish/Palestinian Canon
This group of hardliners drew up a Jewish canon of
Scriptures that contained only those books originally
written in Hebrew 39 in all. They excluded from
their canon the following books of the Septuagint:
Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Baruch
(Chapters 1 15), Judith, Tobit, 1 & 2 Maccabees,
and parts of Daniel and Esther that were
considered non-canonical. In many Protestant
editions of the Bible, these books are listed at the
end under the name apocrypha, that is, of doubtful
authenticity.
Deutero-canonicals
Tobit
Judith
Wisdom
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
Baruch
1 & 2 Maccabees
Portions of Daniel & Esther
Basic Divisions of the Books of the Old Testament
Pentateuch
The first five books of the Bible deal with the
covenant between God and the Jewish people given
through Moses, the central event affecting all Jewish
life.
Pentateuch/Torah
1. Genesis
It tells of human beings loving relationship with God
at the beginning of life; of how a broken relationship
with Him occurred, and the first promised of
deliverance made by God.
Pentateuch/Torah
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
The Historical Books/The Prophets
These books give us a history of how the people
lived out the demands of the covenant as they
infiltrated, conquered and spread through the
promised land of Canaan. The major theme of
these books is the ups and downs Israel
experienced as the people lived out the promises
they made in the covenant.
The Historical Books/The Prophets
The Prophets contain messages of warnings of
impending doom to the people due to infidelity in

keeping Gods Covenant, of deliverance upon

conversion, and the promise of forgiveness. They
also contain the promise of a Messiah, King, and
Suffering Servant who will about the promised new
covenant.
The Historical Books/The Prophets
The writings associated with the Major Prophets
(Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Baruch, Lamentations, &
Daniel) are substantial. The Minor Prophets (Amos,
Micah, Joel, Malachi, etc.) are no less important in
what they have to say, but their writings are shorter.
The Writings
In these, Israel reflects on human life in the light of
each faith. The Book of Psalms is a collection of
hymns and prayers expressing the central themes of
Israelite faith. The Wisdom literature (Wisdom,
Sirach, Qoheleth/Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs) offers
us religious insights into human behavior. The book
of Job wrestles with a deep human question the
problem of suffering.
Importance of the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures
The Old Testament forms the basis of our Christian
faith. Because of this we cannot remain ignorant of
its message, which is Gods revelation to us.
Importance of the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures
We must honor, revere, read and pray these
Scriptures, for they speak to our own needs, show
how God intervenes in our life, show that God is a
saving God, a God of love. The Bible may be a
human book, written by human authors for human
readers, but it is also Gods book, given to us in love.
GOD AS CREATOR
GENESIS: THE STORY OF CREATION
Genesis 1:1; Psalm 19:2
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earthThe heavens declare the glory of God and
the firmament proclaims His handiwork.
Colossians 1:15-17
He is the firstborn of all creation. In him everything in
heaven and on earth was created..all were
created though him and for him..in Him everything
continues in being.
Introduction
Men of all times have asked themselves: Where do
we come from? Where are we going? These
questions are decisive for the meaning and
orientation of our life and actions (CCC 282).
Introduction
Human intelligence is surely capable of finding a
response to the question of origins. The existence of
God can be known with certainty through his works,
by the light of human reason, even if this knowledge
is often obscured and disfigured by error (CCC 286).
Introduction
Beyond the capability of reason, faith enlightens the
mind to discover God as the Creator of all that exist
as good. With faith, one can discover Gods love and
plan of salvation as first revealed in his first act of
creation.
Introduction
The revelation of creation is inseparable from the
revelation and forging of the covenant of the one
God with his people. Creation is revealed as the first
step to this covenant, the first and universal witness
to Gods all-powerful love (CCC 288).
Introduction
There are two creation story accounts in the
Scriptures (Genesis 1:1- 2:4a and Genesis 2:4b-2b).
Both accounts give a picture of an ideal relation
between God and his creation.
Initiating Activity: Role Playing
1. Students will be divided into groups.
2. As their assignment, they will be asked to watch a
video of the creation story.
3. They will be instructed to select a particular part of
the story to dramatize in class.
4. Before the presentation, the group leader will give
a brief background for chosen part of the story.

What is Creation?
Creation is the foundation of Gods saving plan and
the beginning of salvation history which culminates in
Christ (cf. CCC 280).
What is Creation?
The Catholic doctrine of creation basically affirms
that:
1) the world and everything in it comes from the
loving power of God who is the ultimate Origin,
Ruler, and Goal;
2) All created things and human history have a
meaning, purpose, and destiny; and
3) the life of every person is not a private
possession, but is created sustained and guided now
by the creative, saving will and love of Almighty God
(CFC 314).
God as Creator
Creator is perhaps the most fundamental image we
can have of God. It sets God apart from all created
things as the only Uncreated Reality. Thus God the
Creator is both transcendent (beyond) all He made,
yet immanent (remaining) in it constantly sustaining
its existence (cf. CCC 300).
Gods Creative Action: Biblical Account (CFC 325)
God commits Himself to us by His free creative
activity. Genesis describes creation in two accounts.
In the first (Gen. 1:1-2:4a) God appears as the
sovereign Lord who establishes creation in a formal
six-day pattern.
Gods Creative Action: Biblical Account (CFC 325)
The second account (Gen. 2:4b-25) presents God in
a closer relationship with human beings. He creates
and settles them in the Garden of Eden, and puts
them over all other creatures.
Gods Creative Action: Biblical Account
The Bible presents Gods creative activity as a
simple act of speech. It proclaims one Creator,
source of all that exists, by a free loving act of His
divine will and wisdom.
Comparison of Priestly and Yahwist Accounts of
Creation(Thomas Mann, The Book of Torah, 1990)
Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Order
The role of human beings in relation to the earth they
inhabit
Blessing
Genesis 2:4b-25
Begins with Gods creation of humankind, and
describes how God builds up a world for humankind.
It uses human language to describe God.
Comparison of Priestly and Yahwist Accounts of
Creation(Thomas Mann, The Book of Torah, 1990)
Order
Creation is seen as a movement from chaos to order
and harmony.
It emphasizes the beauty of order, for God is the
source of all order and harmony.
Comparison of Priestly and Yahwist Accounts of
Creation(Thomas Mann, The Book of Torah, 1990)
The role of human beings in relation to the earth
they inhabit
Human beings reflect something of the divine nature
that shares in the responsibility, in dependence to
God as Creator, in making creation more meaningful
and fruitful.
Comparison of Priestly and Yahwist Accounts of
Creation(Thomas Mann, The Book of Torah, 1990)
Blessing
It is a mark of divine grace.
Genesis 1:28 tells us that blessing does not exclude
human work; indeed, it requires some human effort.
Yahwist Account (Genesis 2:4b-25)
It portrays God who works like a potter, making
humankind out of clay, stooping over him/her.

It portrays a God who showed concern about man

being alone.
It tries to make God humanly understandable
through a warm and human description of God
(sense of intimacy and closeness).
The Mystery of Creation (CCC 295 301)

God creates by wisdom and

love
God created the world according to his wisdom.
Proceeding from Gods free will, he wanted to make
his creatures share in his being, wisdom and
goodness (CCC 295).
The Mystery of Creation (CCC 295 301)

God creates out of nothing

God needs no pre-existent thing or any help in order
to create. (CCC 296)
A human artisan makes from a given material
whatever he wants, while God shows his power by
starting from nothing to make all he wants. (St.
Theophilus of Antioch, Ad Autolycum II, 4)
The Mystery of Creation (CCC 295 301)

God creates an ordered and

good world (CCC 299)
As God creates through wisdom, his creation is
ordered.
You have arranged all things by measure and
number and weight.
(Wisdom 11:20)
The Mystery of Creation (CCC 295 301)

God creates an ordered and

good world (CCC 299)
Because creation comes from Gods goodness, it
shares in that goodness.
And God saw that it was good
(Gen. 1:4, 10, 11, 12, 18, 21, 31)
The Mystery of Creation (CCC 295 301)
God transcends all creation and is present to it
(CCC 300).
God is infinitely greater than all his works. But as the
free and sovereign creator, God is present to his
creatures inmost being.
In him we live and move and have our being.
(Acts 17:28)
The Mystery of Creation (CCC 295 301)

God upholds and sustains

creation (CCC 301)
With creation, God does not abandon his creatures
to themselves. He not only gives them being and
existence, but also, and at every moment, upholds
and sustains them in being, enables them to act and
brings them to their final end.
Creation in the Book of Genesis (CCC 337-342)
The symbolism of the work week, which is crowned
by a day of rest (Gen. 1:1 2:3), is an expression of
how good, beautiful, and wisely-ordered creation
is.
Creation in the Book of Genesis (CCC 337-342)
From the symbolism of the work of six days we can
derive important principles:
Nothing exists that was not called into being by the
Creator.
Everything that exists is good in its own way.
Creation in the Book of Genesis (CCC 337-342)
From the symbolism of the work of six days we can
derive important principles:
Created beings and things are interrelated and
interdependent.
Creation in its order and harmony reflects the
surpassing goodness and beauty of God.
Creation in the Book of Genesis (CCC 337-342)

Gods rest from his work points

toward the completion of

creation, which is beyond all

human efforts (CCC 349).
Although man in his work is Gods partner as
steward of creation (Gen. 2:15), he can by no means
redeem the world by his toil. The goal of creation is a
new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17),
through a redemption that is given to us as a gift.
Thus, the Sabbath (Sunday for Christians) rest,
which is a foretaste of heavenly rest, is superior to
the work that prepares us for it.
Meaning of Creation for Human Person and Respect
for the Integrity of Creation
God is creating and sustaining existence. He is the
God who gives to all life and breath and everything
else.
Human beings, created in the image and likeness of
God, have innate dignity as human persons.
This reality should compel everyone to see the other
person as human person deserving of respect, and
to treat the other not as a thing to be used, but as a
human being to be treasured, respected and loved.
Meaning of Creation for Human Person and Respect
for the Integrity of Creation
The responsibility with which all human persons are
invested: Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the
sea, the birds of air.all the creatures that crawl on
the ground (Genesis 1:26).
God puts purpose to into creation, and human
persons constitute its organizing force. Men and
women, as images of God, are to take responsibility
not only in using creation for their sustenance, but
they are also responsible in enhancing and
preserving for posterity the riches of creation.
Meaning of Creation for Human Person and Respect
for the Integrity of Creation
PCP II lays great stress on the Universal Purpose of
Earthly Good and the Integrity of Creation This is a
responsibility that emphasized the meaning of
private property and ecological care of the earth.
Meaning of Creation for Human Person and Respect
for the Integrity of Creation
In connection with this, Vatican II has proposed the
basic grounds given by our Creator regarding this
responsibility:
Created in Gods image, we were commanded to
conquer the earth with all its contains, and the rule
the world injustice and holiness; we were to
acknowledge God as Creator of all things and relate
ourselves and the totality of creation to Him, so that
through our dominion over all things, the name of
God would majestic in all the earth (CFC 340).
Meaning of Creation for Human Person and Respect
for the Integrity of Creation
This responsibility also involves our human
solidarity that firm and persevering determination
to commit oneself to the common good.
We are called to exercise responsibility and should
be manifested as Gods continuing work of creation
and service to mankind (341 CFC 341)
Stewardship of Creation Respect for the Integrity of
Creation (CCC 2415)
Animals, plants and inanimate beings, are by nature
destined for the common good of past, present and
future humanity.
Use of the mineral, vegetable and animal resources
of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for
moral imperatives.
Stewardship of Creation Respect for the Integrity of
Creation (CCC 2415)
Mans dominion over inanimate and other living
beings granted by the Creator is NOT absolute.
It is limited by concern for the quality of life of his
neighbor, including generations to come.
It requires a religious respect for the integrity of
creation.