How To Read The Bible

Transcription

1 Level 7, Lesson Plan 2, Chapter 2 "Divine Revelation" Dinner (6:00-6:30) Aim: Divine Revelation: Sacred Scripture and Tradition Materials: Bibles, rosaries, Music Issue, Prayer handout, 3 sets of index cards with the names of each of the Books of the Bible, 3 sets of papers (8.5"x11") with names of the categories of Biblical writings (e.g. Wisdom Books, Prophetic Books, Gospels, etc.), copies of the index to the books of the Bible. Key Words (Vocabulary): New Testament: The second section of the Holy Bible. Made up of only twenty-seven books, it is the most important part of the Scriptures because it tells us about the life, teachings, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Old Testament: The first section of the Holy Bible. It is made up of forty-six books which tell us about the history and religious beliefs of the Jewish people. The main theme of the Old Testament is the coming of the Messiah. Tradition: The teachings of Christ that were preached by the apostles and handed down from century to century. Gospels: The four accounts or records we have about the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. They tell us what Christ did and said while he lived on earth. Holy Bible: The collection of books which the Church teaches to be inspired by God. There are seventy-three books in the Holy Bible, which is divided into two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The purpose of these writings is to teach us the truth about God and salvation. The bible is also called Sacred Scripture. inspiration: The special help which God gave to the men who wrote the books of the Bible. Inspiration means that these men were guided by the Holy Spirit so that they wrote down only those truths that God wanted them to write. This is why we call the Bible the inspired word of God. Creed: Creed comes from the Latin word credo, "I believe." It is a statement of our beliefs as Christians (such as the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed). The Creed is a summary of salvation history. divine revelation: The truths that we have learned from God himself about religion, mankind, and the world. Divine revelation was a free gift from God to us. Without it we would never have known about such realities as the Trinity, the Incarnation, or other important truths. Divine revelation began with Adam and Eve; it came to an end with the death of Saint John the Evangelist (about A.D. 100; it is fully revealed in Jesus Christ).

2 infallibility: The truth that the Catholic Church, by the special help of the Holy Spirit, is kept free from any error in teaching us about what we must believe (faith and how we must live (morals). Only the Pope, or all the bishops united under Pope, can teach us infallibly. Magisterium: The teaching office or authority in the Church. The magisterium is exercised by the Pope and the bishops united with him. By Christ's command, all Christians are solemnly obliged to obey the teachings of the magisterium. Explanation 1. Opening Prayer, Scripture Reading, and Key Words (Matt) (6:30-6:35 PM) Opening Prayer: The Apostles Creed Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 3: Activity (Lance, Fr. Radloff, Matt) (6:35-6:50 PM) This activity involves three competing teams separating as quickly as possible index cards containing individual books of the Bible into separate categories (e.g., Wisdom Books, Gospels) as identified on 8 ½ X 11 sheets of paper. (The activity may be modified for a different number of teams and different numbers of team members.) Prior to class, write each of the books of the Bible onto separate index cards. Repeat for the number of teams competing. Write each of the major categories of books of the Bible as found in the index of the New American Bible (Pentateuch, Historical, Wisdom, Prophetic, Gospels, New Testament Letters, and Catholic Letters) onto separate 8 ½ X 11 sheets of paper. Repeat for the number of teams competing. (Joshua, Judges, and Ruth may be added to the sheet of paper with The Pentateuch category; the Acts of the Apostles with the Gospels category; and the Book of Revelation with the Catholic Letters category.) Repeat for the number of teams competing. Divide the youth into teams of 4 to 6 members. Provide each of the team members a copy of the index of the books of the Bible. Place separate sets of the sheets of paper containing the categories onto tables in front of each team (one table for each team or at least separate areas of a large table for each team). Make sure the sheets are spread out across the table so that the name of each category is readily discernable and the index cards can be placed on them without slopping onto adjacent sheets. Hand a set of the index cards to each team. Start the activity. Continue until all of the teams have accurately placed the index cards onto the corresponding book category or until the allotted times for the exercise is exhausted. 3. God Reveals Himself: Scripture and Tradition (Matt) (6:50-6:52 PM) Message: Revelation includes both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Sacred Scripture is the Bible, or the Word of God, recorded in seventy-three books. Sacred Tradition is the entirety of God's word handed down to us through the ages from Christ and the apostles (and their successors). Which came first? (Tradition.) We know this

3 because Christ did not write books; he taught orally. had their teachings written down. His apostles taught orally and later 4. The Bible (Matt) (6:52-6:55 PM) Message: The word "Scripture" comes from the Latin word, "scriptura," which means writing. "Bible" comes from the Greek word "ta biblia," which means "the books." The Bible, or Sacred Scripture, is the written Word of God. The Bible is the inspired word of God, recorded in seventy-three books. It is divided into two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament was put together by the Jewish people. It consists of the first forty-six books of the Bible, which are chiefly concerned with preparing the world for the Messiah. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and then translated into Greek. The New Testament is the most important part of the Scriptures because it contains the life and teachings of Jesus. The New Testament fulfills the Old. It was written in Greek. The Bible was translated into Latin (the common language) by Saint Jerome around The Catholic Church defined which books would comprise Sacred Scripture by the early 400's A.D. 5. Scripture is Inspired by God and Inerrant (Fr. Radloff) (6:55-7:00 PM) Message: What do we mean when we say the Bible is the Word of God? Did God type his word and send it through the latest technology to the apostles so they could circulate it? No. God inspired human beings to write his word---and only his word. They did not add or subtract from his word. They were free to use their own style (there are letters, poetry, historical documents, stories, recorded conversations, etc.). The Bible also has various perspectives on the same events, such as those found in the Gospels (e.g., the accounts of the Last Supper, Mt 26:17-30, Mk 14:13-26, Lk 22:8-39, Jn 13:1-31, 1 Cor 11:23-30). Sacred Scripture is inerrant, which means "without error." Because God is the primary author of the books of the Bible, they are free from all error in teaching us about God and what is necessary for salvation. This is called inerrancy of Scripture. 6. Magisterium and Infallibility (Fr. Radloff) (7:00-7:05 PM) Message: "Magisterium" comes from the Latin word "magister" which means "teacher." The Magisterium is the teaching office of the Church. Why is the Church called a teacher? What does she teach? (The Church teaches the truths necessary for salvation: faith and morals.) The Church guides us to heaven. The Magisterium is made up of the Pope and the bishops in union with him. Who is the Pope today? Of whom is the Pope the successor? (Peter.) Who is our Bishop? Of whom is our bishop a successor? (The apostles.)

4 "Infallibility" comes from the Latin word "infallere," which means "cannot err." Infallibility is a special gift belonging to the Pope and the bishops in union with him. It enables them to teach without error in matters of faith and morals. Infallibility is a protective power given by the Holy Spirit. This means that the Pope cannot make up new doctrines. It means that as he teaches and further defines the truths that God has revealed, the teaching will be protected from error. When we say the Pope is infallible, it does not mean that he is sinless; rather, it means that his teachings are protected from error, but only in matters of faith (what we need to know for salvation) and morals (how we need to live in order to attain salvation). Infallibility is exercised ordinarily when a bishop teaches faith and morals and is in union with Pope and the other bishops throughout time and all over the world. Infallibility is exercised extraordinarily when the Pope calls an ecumenical council (when the Pope invites all the bishops from around the world and there is sufficient representation among them to discuss a teaching) or when he teaches ex cathedra, from the chair of Peter. 7. Evaluation (Matt) (7:05-7:10 PM) (while Father vests) Revelation consists of the and Sacred. The is the protector and teacher of God's revelation today. The Bible was inspired by. wrote the books of the Bible on paper. The is the successor of St. Peter. The are the successor of the apostles. The teaching authority of the Church is called the and is made up of the Pope and the bishops in union with him. Write one or more petitions to pray during our Intercessory Prayers. For We pray to the Lord. 6. Prayer in the Church (Fr. Radloff) (7:10-7:30 pm) Exposition Hymn: "Father I adore you" Intercessory Prayers Divine Mercy Chaplet

5 Hymn: "Sanctuary" Benediction Divine Praises Hymn: "Your Grace is Enough" (#632 in Music Issue) Dessert