religion

• The question of which books were the inspired word of God was a pressing controversy for the early Christians

• The controversy over which books were truly inspired ultimately led to the formation of the biblical canon, or list of inspired books

• As important as the scriptures are, they are only one part of the revelation of God

• The Bible is translated into different languages because the Bible is the living word of god meant for everyone

• The Bible is the most well known book in history

◦ It took centuries to come together

• Old testament was written by Jewish people during the thousands of years before Jesus’ birth

• Apostles are fulfilling Jesus’ last words Mt 28:20

◦ Last words before ascension

• Apostles spread Jesus’ message

• Pentecost happens 10 days later

• Jesus says “go”, “teach”, and “baptize”

• The apostles preached as they taught since He was their example

◦ After the resurrection, Pentecost happened

◦ Now we call their preaching tradition

• Eventually some of the Apostles wrote down tradition

◦ It became New Testament

• New Testament was written by Jesus’ eyewitnesses

• How did the Bible become what it is now?

◦ Church settled in the 5th century

• Churhc declared canon as the official dogma

• Which books are sacred?

◦ Septuagint

1. Bishops were organized one Christianity was made legal

A. They organized the Church by having councils

a. Ecunmaical council

b. Synod

1. Church decalres false writing

1. Gnosticism - denied Christ’s humanity

2. Arianism’s- denied Christ’s divinity

• Once the emperor Constantine made Christianity legal in the aroman empire, bilshops were free to organize the church

◦ They organized the church by having councils

‣ Significant council = ecumenical council

‣ Smaller council = synod

• For a book to become cannon in the New Testament, it need to meet 3 requirements

◦ Apostolic Origin

◦ Universal Acceptance

◦ Liturgical Use

• Both Old and New Testament books were accepted into the Church

• The Council of Trent affirmed the biblical canon as dogma

◦ Reacted against Protestant heresies

‣ Protestants argued that some books in the Old Testament were apocryphal

• Now the original canon is. Matter of Catholic dogma

• The Bible has been translated over 500 times

◦ A variety of translations can raise questions

‣ Which version is accurate

‣ Which version does the HS endorse

‣ What if translators disagree

1. All versions are correct, they are just according to other’s opinions

2. All of them

3. They choose between two different approaches

• Remember 2 things:

◦ The language of the original Bible isn’t particularly Holy

‣ The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic

‣ New was written in Greek

◦ Scripture does not replace preaching

• As the church spread, not everyone understood the language the Bible was written in

◦ The Greek translation made it accessible to Gentiles

◦ St. Genome translated it to Latin

• As more people learned to read in the vernacular, in modern times, the church has supported more translations

• Translators still face problems

◦ They must choose between two approaches

‣ Literal translation

‣ Dynamically equivalent translation

Sacred scripture in the church

Ways to pray:

1. Church

2. Adoration

3. Rosary

4. Lecito divina

5. Liturgy of the hours

• Catholics re called to know Christ through the ways to pray

• Praying the scripture connects the faithful with anyone who has prayed throughout history

• Scripture has always been important to the church

◦ Even before the New Testament

• Reading the Bible often allows us to know Jesus better

◦ God is the author

• Reading the Bible is important

◦ The second Vatican council mandated that the Bible should be easily accessible

◦ We must study the Bible with the context of the sacred tradition

• One way we could read scripture is Lectio Divina

◦ Lectio, or reading scripture

◦ Meditatio, meditating on scripture

◦ Oratio, praying on what you read

◦ Contemplatio, contemplating in God’s presence

• Scripture has had a prominent place in the liturgy of the Church

• Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) is the public prayer of the church

◦ Split into seven periods

‣ Matnis, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline

◦ Timeless prayer of the church

• It has roots in Jewish Temple Worship, so therefore unites the church with its ancestors

• Timeless prayer of the church