IMMACULATE CONCEPTION I – COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

TH1- SALVATION HISTORY

PREPARED BY SIR. DOM
Scripture

 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for
training in righteousness so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for
every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

 The main sources of the catholic faith are Sacred Scripture and the Sacred tradition.

 Together they form one sacred deposit of the word of God. “the Church’s Doctrines, morals and
liturgy and worship are derived from these sources.”

 Scripture is the fundamental source in proclaiming and educating in the faith because it is record
of the divinely inspired word of God.

Nature of Sacred Scriptures

 Sacred Scripture is fundamentally different from all other books ever written in human history.

1. It is the inspired word of God.

 This means that God guided the human authors to compose the written accounts of his
revelation to his people.

 He gave them a special grace called Divine Inspiration.

 Divine inspiration was the directing influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit under which the
sacred writers wrote all that God wanted them to write and only what God wanted them to
write.

 Therefore, both God and Human beings were the real author of the whole of scripture.

2. Scripture is the living and active Word of God.

 The Word of God is the food of salvation and foundation of life of all people.

 God speaks to the readers today as he addressed the people of old.

 As the psalmist says “that today you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Ps 95:7-
8)

3. A story of God’s work in the world.

 Beginning with God’s creation of the material world and the human person gifted with intellect
and will.

 It continues through the story of alienation from God through sin.

 God’s call of a particular people to be the vehicle of his revelation and blessing and the climax of
saving,

 Reconciling work in the person, teaching, actions, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION I – COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY
TH1- SALVATION HISTORY
PREPARED BY SIR. DOM
4. Scripture is God’s word in human words.

 The written word in scripture are God’s words through the words of the human authors.

 God speaks in sacred scripture in human fashion.

 He chose to be part of human history by entering history long before the Incarnation of the
word in Jesus Christ.

 Instead of abandoning humanity after the fall of Adam and Eve, God patiently guided Adam’s
descendants back to himself.

 He chose to show and communicate himself and his will that all people may come to salvation.

 God communicates in scripture through tangible signs of images, parables, allegory, poetry, etc.

Biblical Interpretation

 Christian tradition identifies four (4) senses of Scripture. These are the Literal and 3 spiritual
senses (allegoric, moral, anagogic senses)

1. The literal sense simply establishes the historical event and characters in the narrative of a
particular Scripture text.

 Scripture, however, is not just a compilation of any kind of stories but are stories written from
an experience of faith.

2. The allegorical sense points to Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior. “but these are written in that you
may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may
have life in his name” (Jn. 20:21).

 Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of the Christian faith, is the center of the whole of Scripture.

 This meaning is not mere “head Knowledge” or abstract truth.

 It is a personal knowing that Jesus Christ “is may Lord and my God” (jn. 20:28).

3. The moral sense of scripture communicating a sense of urgency exhorts all to respond immediately to
God’s call to a covenant relationship with him by following Jesus’ call to discipleship (Mk. 2:14).

 Through the empowering love of the Spirit one takes up the challenge of keeping God’s
commandments and imitating Jesus’ self emptying love.

 A willing and generous response opens up to a deeper and fuller life promised by Christ.

4. The anagogic sense of Scripture directs the human person to sharers in the life of God in Jesus
through the Spirit.

 This meaning brings a sense of renewed hope in one’s life today and in anticipation of the
eternal banquet.
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION I – COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY
TH1- SALVATION HISTORY
PREPARED BY SIR. DOM
 Jesus Christ offers fullness of Life. “I came so that they might have life and have it more
abundantly” (Jn. 10:10)

 The essential part of the interpretation of scripture is how the Christian message is performed,
appropriated and live out in one’s daily life. The message touches and effect a person’s real
Christian convictions, moral values and love and serve to others, and genuine sacramental
worship that reaches out to God.

Division of Scripture

 Sacred scripture is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and The New testament.

 The word testament means a covenant that God made with His People.

OLD TESTAMENT

 The Old Testament is the story of the Israelites in the light of the various covenants God made
with them.

 It is largely a story of the infidelity of the people, and of God’s unfailing love for humankind.

 The Old Testament is collection of sacred books of the Hebrews written over a period of 900
years.

 It prepares and announces the coming of a messiah, the redeemer.

 It is divided into four major parts. These are the Pentateuch, Historical, Wisdom, and prophetic
Books.

 Pentateuch. Refers to the first five books of Scripture (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Number,
Deuteronomy).

 These books express God’s love for Humanity in creation, the fall and the formation of God’s
people.

 Historical books, describe how God intervened in the history of his times.

 After the people of God entered the Promised Land, they started to build their own nation.

 The historical books narrate all the difficulties and failures, and triumphs of the Israelites.

 These books point to God’s steadfast love for Israel amidst the people’s infidelity and
unrighteousness.

 Wisdom books. Abound with proverbs and simple sayings full of wisdom.

 They also contain the psalms or prayers of praise for the greatness and goodness of God, of
thanksgiving and love for God, of trust in God’s power in times of fear and anxiety, and of
lamentations for one’s sins and its effects on the person and other people.
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION I – COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY
TH1- SALVATION HISTORY
PREPARED BY SIR. DOM
 The Prophets appeared when the nation became weak and eventually fell captive to foreign
nations.

 Prophetic book expressed God’s sense of justice, his anger against deceit, and the oppression of
the poor and the weak.

 Most importantly, prophetic books speak of the coming messiah.

 These prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who became like us in all things
but sin.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

 The New Testament presents how God’s plan for redemption of all was achieved by sending his
own divine Son into the world.

 God made a final covenant with his people sealed in the blood of Christ (1 Cor. 11:25).

 The Old testament promise of God Leads up to the Fulfillment of the promise in the New
Testament.

 The New Testament contains 27 books written between 50-100 A.D.

 It was written in Greek, and proclaims Jesus, the Messiah, the son of God who became man.

 The 4 Gospels tell about the life, words and deeds, and passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

 They conclude with the mission which the Risen Jesus gave to all believers to bring the Good
News to the whole world and the promise of his abiding presence in disciples.

 The Acts of the Apostles is the continuation of the Gospel of St. Luke. This book describes how
the first Christian communities lived and worked, and how they spread the Good news.

 The Apostolic Letters, the earliest in the New Testament, contain the letters of apostles. Most of
them are from Paul but some are from James, Peter, John, and Jude.

 These are letters giving practical instructions and words of encouragement concerning Christian
faith and Practices addressed to members of early Christian communities.

 The Revelation is the last book of the new Testament.

 It gives John’s vision of the second coming of Christ, and the completion of the Kingdom of God.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION I – COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY
TH1- SALVATION HISTORY
PREPARED BY SIR. DOM
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION I – COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY
TH1- SALVATION HISTORY
PREPARED BY SIR. DOM

Who wrote the Bible?

 Most Hebrews (Old Testament)

Moses, Prophets, Ordinary Men

Around 1500BC when they found the OT.

 Apostles (New Testament)

Bible division into chapters and verses

 Pope Damasus I. he convened the Council of Rome in which he ordered the compilation of the
Sacred Books which eventually consisted the contents of the Holy Bible.

 St. Jerome. He translated the most of the Bible into Latin (Latin Vulgate)

 Pope Siricius. He was the first pope to call the compilation of the Sacred books as “the Bible”

 Cardinal Hugo De Caro and Cardinal Stephen Langton. They divided the books of the Bible into
Chapters.

 Ropert Estienne. He further separated the Bible’s book chapters into verses and was credited as
the person to print the Bible with verse numbers.
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION I – COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY
TH1- SALVATION HISTORY
PREPARED BY SIR. DOM
Language

 The Original language used is Hebrew. (OT)

 Mid 3rd century BC translated by 70 Jewish Scholars (Septuagint or LXX) into Greek and Aramaic
language.

 NT, around 50-125AD scriptures written (in greek)

 Over 367 books listed in NT, but 27 only can canonized.

 382 AD bible translated into latin (Latin Vulgate) by St. Jerome.

 1494-1536 bible translated into English by William Tyndale.

 1454-1455 Johann Gutenberg printed the Bible. Also the first printed book in the World.

Canonical Criteria

 Apostolic Origin. Attributed to and/or based on the preaching/ teaching of the first-generation
apostles (or their closest companions).

 Universal Acceptance. Acknowledged by all major Christian communities in the Mediterranean

world (by the end of the forth century).

 Liturgical Use. Read publicly along with the OT when early Christians gathered for the Lord’s
supper (their weekly worship services)

 Consistent Message. Containing theological ideas compatible with other accepted Christian
writings (including the divinity and Human Jesus).

Trivia

 Catholic Bible

 Old Testament

46 books

1,065

27,115

 New Testament

27 books

260 chapters

7,957 verses
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION I – COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY
TH1- SALVATION HISTORY
PREPARED BY SIR. DOM
Total: 73 books

Add. 7 books (Deuterocanonical books or second canon)

 Protestant Bible

 Old Testament

39 books

929 chapters

23,144 verses

 New Testament

27 books

260 chapters

7,957 verses

Total: 66 books

(7 books called Apocryphal or Hidden)

 Catholic Bible

Total: 73 books

1,325 chapters

35,072 verses

 Protestant Bible

Total: 66 books

1,189 chapters

31,101 verses