St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church Scripture Studies Week 3

Transcription

1 St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church Scripture Studies Week 3 Genesis-Authored by Moses Overview of Genesis Genesis 1-11 Story of Creation Genesis Story of the Patriarchs Genesis 1- Can you identify the Trinity? CCC # God, the Spirit of God, and the Word of God (John 1.1) The Hebrew word for God is Elohim El- God, Elohim-Gods in unity Genesis 1.26, 3.22, 11.7 St. Augustine (AD ) On the Trinity Who said, "Let there be light," and, "Let there be a firmament," and so on through each of those days; whom we usually take to be God the Father, making by a word whatever He willed to make. For He made all things by His word, which Word we know, by the right rule of faith, to be His only Son.

2 Some Christian denominations do not believe in the Trinity God is one God- Isaiah 43.3, 44.6*, Jesus is God- John 1.1, Philippians 2.6, John Revelation 1.17 The Holy Spirit is God- Acts 5.3-4, Acts 13.2, Acts (Isaiah 6.9), Hebrews 3.7, Hebrews (Jeremiah 31.33) Scriptural evidence of the Trinity-Matthew 28.19, John 15.26, 2 Corinthians Genesis is divided into 2 sections- the creation story from Chapters 1-11, and the Story of the Patriarchs Creation Story: Day 1 Light Day 2 water and sky Day 3 land Day 4 Sun, moon, stars Day 5 fish and birds Day 6 Animals and man 2nd creation story: Land, Adam, vegetation, animals, Eve. How do we reconcile both creation stories? Are there errors in the Bible? Is Genesis myth? Provendentissimus Deus Ch.21, Divino Afflante Ch 3,37 Dei Verbum Ch.11

3 Divino Afflante Spiritus Pope Pius XII 1943 Ch. 3 Finally it is absolutely wrong and forbidden "either to narrow inspiration to certain passages of Holy Scripture, or to admit that the sacred writer has erred," since divine inspiration "not only is essentially incompatible with error but excludes and rejects it as absolutely and necessarily as it is impossible that God Himself, the supreme Truth, can utter that which is not true. This is the ancient and constant faith of the Church. Ch. 37 For as the substantial Word of God became like to men in all things, "except sin," so the words of God, expressed in human language, are made like to human speech in every respect, except error. Dei Verbum Vatican II Pope Paul VI 1965 Ch. 11 Since everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit, it follows that the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings (5) for the sake of salvation. The Bible is inerrant

4 The events of Genesis are not myths! CCC # 390. In 1950, Pope Pius XII writes Humanae Generis 38-39, Ch. 38 the first eleven chapters of Genesis, although properly speaking not conforming to the historical method used by the best Greek and Latin writers or by competent authors of our time, do nevertheless pertain to history in a true sense. Ch. 39 Therefore, whatever of the popular narrations have been inserted into the Sacred Scriptures must in no way be considered on a par with myths or other such things, which are more the product of an extravagant imagination than of that striving for truth and simplicity which is in the Sacred Books. How do we interpret scripture: literal vs. literalist? A) literal- (CCC 116) - reconcile the meaning that the author intended to convey (Dei Verbum 12) B) literalist- interpretation based on the actual words in scripture (example-cats and dogs) C) Church does not define exact details of Creation story D) The Bible is inerrant (Providentissimus Deus Ch.21) Examine two senses of the Bible (CCC ) literal and spiritual, re-affirmed through Divino Afflante, Dei Verbum A) allegorical-refers to Jesus Christ (Gen 22) B) moral- applied to our lives (10 Commandments, etc.) C) anagogical- in terms of our final destination. (heaven)

5 What does the Church teach about Creation? Pontifical Biblical Commission of Confirmed by Pope Pius X. 1) God created something from nothing (CCC ) 2) God created Adam (CCC ) 3) Eve was created from Adam (CCC ) 4) Mankind is descendant of Adam/Eve (CCC ) Also Acts 17.26, Tobit 8.6 In 1950, Pope Pius XII writes in Humanae Generis Ch. 37 For the faithful cannot embrace that opinion which maintains either that after Adam there existed on this earth true men who did not take their origin through natural generation from him as from the first parent of all or that Adam represents a certain number of first parents 5) Adam/Eve were in a state of holiness (CCC ) 6) Divine command to prove obedience (CCC ) 7) Original sin entered the world instigated by satan (CCC ) 8) Adam/Eve were evicted from Paradise (CCC 400,410) 9) Protoevangelium- promise of a Savior-Genesis 3.15, CCC # 410

6 1 st Covenant of Marriage (Gen. 2.24) CCC 1639 Discuss Original Sin-, CCC 404, Romans Original sin is the lack of sanctifying grace. CCC 399 Next week- Genesis 3.15 the seed of the woman -