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Apostolic age
The period of time when the apostles of Jesus transmitted the teachings and actions of Jesus through oral and written means.
Oral Transmission
The process of preaching, instructing, and passing on the teachings and actions of Jesus through spoken words, actions, and the establishment of institutions by the apostles.
Sacred Tradition
The preaching, example, and decisions of the apostles, handed on by their successors, such as the pope and bishops.
Written Transmission
The process of transmitting the teachings and actions of Jesus through written means, such as the gospels and letters written by the apostles and other men associated with them.
Sacred Scripture
The writings of the apostles, divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, which have been recognized by the Church as an authentic representation of apostolic faith and become established as the New Testament. In other words: The gospels, letters, etc. become established as the New Testament, Sacred Scripture.
Apostolic succession
The unbroken line of successors of bishops, tracing back to the apostles, particularly Peter, who was the first pope.
Magisterium
The teaching office of the Church, which is able to convey the will of Jesus for the present time, even when it is not explicitly written down.
Fathers of the Church
Early Christian writers who provide witness to the teachings, beliefs, and practices of the Church during their time.
Infallible
Unable to proclaim error or falsehood.
Faith
The response of human beings to God's revelation, characterized as supernatural faith when it is in response to God's revelation rather than human faith.
Aquinas' definition of faith
"Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace."
Foretaste of heaven
Faith is described as a preview or anticipation of eternal life, allowing believers to experience the realities that will be fully revealed in the afterlife.
Motives of credibility
Reasons for choosing to have faith in someone and believing that their words are true, as opposed to offering proof through arguments or evidence.
Proof
Offering arguments, data, or evidence to allow individuals to draw their own conclusions based on direct experience.
Credentials
Forms of identification or evidence that humans can give to one another, such as ID cards, diplomas, certifications, uniforms, or testimonies from others.
Transcendent beings
Humans are considered transcendent beings due to their possession of intellect, will, reason, freedom, and a soul that survives the death of the body.
Jesus' existence
It is provable that Jesus existed through historical study of the Bible as documents separate from their value for Christian faith, as well as secondary sources like Roman authors.
Liar, lunatic, Lord argument
Jesus cannot be considered a liar or a lunatic based on his claim to be God, as his claim did not bring him personal advantage or exhibit the psychological profile of a mentally ill person. Therefore, he must be who he claimed to be - the Lord.
Miracles of Jesus
The miracles performed by Jesus serve as proof of divine powers exercised by him at his will.
Resurrection of Jesus
The witnesses of Jesus' resurrection, including the apostles, their suffering for their testimony, and the Shroud of Turin, provide evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.
Relative value of ST and SS
They are equal
Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.
Levels of Magisterium: Creed, Dogma, etc.
Creed
Dogma
Doctrine
Three legs of the stool.
Sacred Scripture
Sacred Tradition
Magisterium → this is the “lesser” of the three still important
When is the pope infallible? When not?
When the pope “proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals,” The Holy Spirit prevents him from stating error.
Two qualities of a trustworthy speaker
Knowledgeable
Honest
Faith as response to revelation
The response of human beings to God’s revelation is called supernatural faith (as opposed to human faith).
Level of faith and trust given to God v. to human beings
You decide to let God tell you what to think and what to want. It is not safe to have this much faith and trust in human beings, but it is safe and meritorious to have this kind of absolute faith in God. This infinitely loving God will fill your mind with wisdom. God is worthy of this kind of surrender with “your whole being.”
How one receives the gift of faith
By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God.
Helping faith grow
Faith can grow through catechesis - learning the teachings of the faith - and by exercising the choice to believe.
It can also be lost through sin
Faith and freedom
Faith cannot be forced upon anyone- they cannot be coerced. God himself never forces anyone to have faith. Jesus never tried to force anyone to have faith.
Whether the righteous in heaven have faith
No they do not have faith because there is no reason to have faith. God is right before them.
Dark night of faith.
Faith does not need feelings of God’s presence to be real faith. The strongest faith can be a deep commitment to God in the absence of all feeling or spiritual joy.
motives of credibility v. proof
Motives of credibility are reasons for making the choice to have faith IN someone and faith THAT their words are true.
Proof is offering arguments, data, or evidence that will allow a person to draw his own conclusions, based on what he can experience directly.
examples of credentials that human beings can give to one another
I.D. card or badge (credentials), diploma, certification certificate, uniform, testimony of other people.
Reasons to say that humans are transcendent beings.
Humans have intellect and will, reason and freedom.
Humans have a soul that survives the death of the body. Consider: near death experiences and terminal lucidity.
That the creator revealed himself to humanity
If humans are capable of communication, God the creator must also be capable of communication. ( Basically why is a creature capable of communicating and receiving but the creator is not?)
Is it provable that Jesus existed?
Yes
- The Bible can be studied as historical documents, apart from their value for Christian faith. As such, they can help an historian to establish that Jesus truly existed.
- Secondary Sources confirm Jesus Existed ( Roman Authors etc..)
P52 what is it, why is it important
Piece of a papyrus which was originally part of the Gospel of John. Written between 117-138 a.d and proves that the gospels were written close to the time that Jesus was said to have lived, and hence they are as authentic as any ancient text could be.
Josephus
Jewish historian, who wrote a history of the Jewish people called The Antiquities of the Jews. There he mentioned Jesus and called him the Messiah.
Pliny
Wrote a letter to the emperor Trajan, saying that Christians “sing hymns to Christ as to a god.” Christ is the Greek word for Messiah or “The anointed one.”
Tacitus
Roman historians described the persecution of Christians by the emperor Nero, and said that “Chrestos,” their leader, was given “the extreme penalty” (crucifixion) by Pontius Pilate.
Jesus was not a liar.
People tell lies to gain some personal advantage. But Jesus’ claim to be God brought him only persecution and death.
Jesus had the wrong audience for that kind of lie. Jews were the last people on earth disposed to believe that a human being could be God.
Jesus was not a lunatic.
Jesus does not have the psychological profile of a mentally ill person. A delusional person makes people uncomfortable. Jesus is the opposite. He does not make people uncomfortable. They are attracted to him and go out of their way to be with him.
Jesus was lord
Jesus did Miracles.
The miracles of Jesus are proof of divine powers, exercised by him, at his will.
Jesus rose from the dead.
There were many witnesses who saw Jesus after his resurrection.
Witness of the apostles
The apostles were reluctant to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. If Jesus had not risen, and they wanted to make up a story, would they have written one that made them look so foolish?
The apostles suffered for their testimony of the resurrection of Jesus, and all of them except for John were martyred. Why make up a story that will get you killed?
Shroud of Turin
Historically identified as the burial shroud of Jesus. Scientific tests date it to the time of Jesus. It has an image of Jesus and other properties which are consistent with what is described in the Gospels about Jesus and cannot be explained by science.
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