What Is the Bible? - Saint Mary's Press

Photo (top facing page): This is one of the caves near Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The Dead Sea Scrolls are saidto be the greatest modern discovery for Bible scholars.What Is the Bible?The Bible is a library of books that is divided into two parts: the Old Testament(before Jesus) and the New Testament (after Jesus’s birth). Each part consists of acollection of books that are grouped into these sections:› The Pentateuch (fi ve books) tells about God’s Chosen People, theIsraelites. You’ll read about their early stories, their history, and the lawsGod gave them.› The Historical Books pick up Israelite history from 1250 BC to100 BC. You will fi nd accounts of the Israelites’ settling the PromisedLand, the rise and fall of their kings, their dispersion into exile, and theireventual return to the Promised Land.› The Wisdom and Poetry Books are a collection of hymns, poems,proverbs, and stories. They use imaginative language to make theirpoints.GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyEzraNehemiahTobitJudithEsther1 Maccabees2 MaccabeesIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsBaruchEzekielDanielMatthewMarkLukeJohnActs of the ApostlesGospels and Acts1 Timothy*2 Timothy*Titus*PhilemonHebrews*Pauline LettersJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiPauline LettersSong of SolomonWisdom of SolomonSirach*These letters may have been written by a later disciple writing in Paul’s name.› The Prophets are people who speak God’s word. In these books, youwill fi nd comfort and promise, and will be challenged to act with justiceand mercy.› The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The Gospels (GoodNews) focus on the person and teachings of Jesus. The Acts of theApostles shows how the Church was formed and how the fi rst Christiansspread the Good News. These books cover 5 BC to the early AD60’s.› The Letters and Revelation. The Letters, or Epistles (written by Paul,his followers, and other disciples), are actual letters that describe thenew Christian faith, give advice, and offer words of hope. Revelation isa collection of mystical visions written to encourage the early Christianswho were being persecuted.How Can I Find Things in the Bible?Each book of the Bible is divided into chapters; each chapter is dividedinto verses.To locate John 3:16–17, fi rst look for theGospel of John (using the table of contents),then look for the third chapter (the largenumbers), and the sixteenth to seventeenthverses (the small numbers) in that chapter.How Did We Get the Bible?It would be nice to imagine that God gave us the Bible in one neatly boundbook, but the actual process was more complicated than that! Scholarscall the result the canon—the offi cial list of sacred books.The Development of the Old TestamentAt fi rst, stories about Israel’s history were passed on from generation togeneration by word of mouth. Around 1200 BC, people started writingdown these stories. The stories, along with laws and poetry, were graduallycombined and edited, and the “books,” as we know them, began to takeshape in the sixth century BC. Most of the Old Testament was writtenin Hebrew, but by the fourth century BC, Greek had become the mostinfl uential language and many Jews could speak nothing else. Duringthe third and second centuries BC, a Greek translation of the HebrewScriptures (the Septuagint) began to take shape. It has more booksin it than the present Hebrew canon, which was established in the fi rstcentury AD. These books (called deuterocanonical) include Tobit, Judith,1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and additions tothe books of Esther and Daniel. Most Protestant bibles do not includethese books, which Protestants call the apocrypha. Many Protestants,however, still consider them spiritually useful.Copyrighted MaterialRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesians*PhilippiansColossians*1 Thessalonian2 Thessalonians*James1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelationThe Development of the New TestamentThe language Jesus spoke was Aramaic, but the New Testament waswritten in Greek. The oldest books in the New Testament are the lettersof Paul; 1 Thessalonians probably was Paul’s earliest letter (c. AD51). Stories about Jesus and his teachings, passed down orally at fi rst,were eventually written down. The earliest collection of these writings isMark’s Gospel (c. AD 70). (Gospel, evangelion in Greek, means “goodnews.”) The last book written in the New Testament was probably 2Peter (c. AD 130). In AD 367, in response to a debate that arose aboutwhich of the many new Christian books should be considered sacred,Athanasius suggested a list that comprises the New Testament today.Later councils, in the fourth and fi fth centuries AD, affi rmed this list andclosed the canon.Under the Guidance of the SpiritSo, did a bunch of old guys just decide on their own what would go intothe Old and New Testaments? No! The Holy Spirit guided the processfrom oration to composition to editing to canonization. The stories thatsurvived are the ones in which God’s people heard God speaking. Intime the Spirit inspired God’s people to write down these stories andedit them to illustrate their growing understanding of God’s plan of salvation.Finally, the leaders who selected and closed the two canonsmade their decisions based on what was already happening throughthe Spirit within God’s people.How Did We Get the CatholicTranslation of the Bible?In AD 382 Pope Damasus asked Jerome to offer a standardized Latintranslation of the Bible. Working from the Hebrew and Greek, Jeromeproduced the Vulgate (editio vulgata, meaning “common version”),which became the authoritative biblical text for Catholics for centuries. In1943 Pope Pius XII allowed scholars to use the Hebrew and Greek forsubsequent translations. Noteworthy Catholic translations are the NewAmerican Bible (NAB); the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB); the Good NewsTranslation, Catholic Edition (GNT); and the New Revised Standard Version,Catholic Edition (NRSV).What Are Some Common MythsAbout the Bible?Myth 1: The Bible provides all the answers to life’squestions.Fact: Some people wish the Bible were the answer book for our faith,but the Bible doesn’t tell us what to do in every situation in life. Insteadof preaching on hundreds of rules, Jesus focused on one law—to loveGod and others—as a way to live. In addition to the Bible, CatholicChristians believe that God also has given us the sacred Tradition of theChurch to help us with life’s questions.Myth 2: We know who wrote each book of the Bible.Fact: The real author of a book in the Bible isn’t necessarily the nameassociated with it. For instance, both the Letter to the Romans and theLetter to the Ephesians say that Paul is the author of those letters. Paulwas certainly the author of Romans (Pauline letter), but probably notof Ephesians (Deutero-Pauline letter). A common practice in biblicaltimes was to write using the name of a famous person. Today we mayconsider this fraud, but at that time it was a way to say, “I’m a followerand admirer of a certain famous person.” This practice is called pseudonymouswriting.Myth 3: The events in the Bible happened in theorder that they appear.Fact: People often start reading the Bible, beginning with Genesis, andexpect to fi nd a seamless timeline of biblical history. Even though thebooks of Genesis through 2 Kings appear to be laid out chronologically,the story line is actually interrupted with stories that are repeated (seeGen 1:1—2:3 and 2:4–25) and with genealogies and laws that oftenprove discouraging to the reader. Then the next set of books, 1 and 2Chronicles, begin by telling some stories all over again. This sometimesconfusing order occurs because there were so many authors and theysometimes had different versions of the same stories; even within asingle book like Genesis, there are several sources. When the storieswere eventually collected and edited, they were put side by side in theorder we now have in the Bible.Myth 4: The Bible predicts the future and tells uswhen the world will end.Fact: There are wonderful verses in the Old Testament that point aheadto the time of Jesus. And there are verses throughout the Bible thatassure us that God will be with us in all our future days. However, theBible is not a prediction book. Books like Daniel and Revelation seem

to mysteriously hint at something, but they are a particular kind of apocalypticliterature that uses code language to say more about the time inwhich they were written than about the future. Don’t expect to fi nd in theBible clues about when the world will end. Jesus told us only the Fatherknows the day and the hour (see Mt 24:36).Myth 5: God dictated the Bible to humans who wroteit down word for word.Fact: God did author the Scriptures by inspiring humans to write thetruth that God intended. But at the same time, those writers and editorsremained true authors with all the limitations and experiences that accompanybeing human in a specifi c time, place, and culture. Though wecan always trust the truth the Bible teaches, we cannot expect the Bibleto be a science or history book. If occasionally the Bible doesn’t seemto coincide with what we expect today from scientifi c or historical truth, itdoesn’t mean that God’s truth doesn’t shine through the Bible. However, inorder to discern God’s truth, we need to understand the contexts in whichthe authors were writing.How to Read and Study the BibleWhat Does the Bible Have to Do with Me?The Bible was written by many authors representing many time periods,all of them long ago. The culture of each of those time periods was differentfrom our own in so many ways. But the God who inspired the originalauthors inspires us as we read them. Sometimes when you pick up theBible, you’ll want to study and learn—you’ll want to read for your head.Sometimes you’ll be hungry to grow closer to God and experience God’spresence in your life—you’ll want to read for your heart. Whether you readfor your head or your heart, God will bless you!The PRIMA ProcessPrima is Latin for “fi rst.” Use this process when you read the Bible to keepGod fi rst in your life:Pray before you start to read.Read, trusting that God will help you learn and grow.Imagine what was going on when the passage wasfi rst written. (See the “Consider the Contexts” section.)Meditate on what you have read and on God’s messagefor you.Apply what you have read to your life. Live it!Consider the ContextsIn interpreting the meaning of any particular Scripture passage, it is importantto understand it in light of the larger context in which it was writtenand within the living Tradition of the Church. The process of interpretinga passage is called exegesis. You’re going to need help with this. Wesuggest that you fi nd an edition of the Bible with good notes and chapterintroductions, like The Catholic Youth Bible ® .The following are things to consider when interpreting the Scriptures:• The historical and cultural context: In order to understand theauthor’s or editor’s intention in a specifi c Scripture passage, it is importantto know the historical situation and cultural biases during the timethe author or editor wrote.• The literary form or device used: Was a certain passage intendedto be history, poetry, prophecy, a letter, a Gospel, or another literaryform? Did the passage use metaphors, parables, symbols, or other literarydevices? How were these forms and devices used during the timethe author or editor wrote?• The unity of the whole Bible: It may be tempting to look at a singleverse or Scripture passage and presume that we know everything thereis to know on that subject without reading further. But it is important toread the Scriptures within the context of the whole chapter or book. Infact, the old saying “use the Bible to interpret the Bible” calls us to seespecifi c Scripture passages within the larger context of God’s messagethroughout the whole Bible.• The sacred Tradition of the Church: In order to understand God’sword, we must read it within the living Tradition of the Church. We interpretthe Bible in light of what we know to be true about our faith and inlight of God’s whole plan of salvation. In the Catholic Church, bishopshave been given the ultimate responsibility for properly interpreting theBible, although Scripture scholars and others share in this responsibility.When in doubt, ask a priest, minister, parish leader, teacher, or parentfor help. They are God’s gifts to you.Making Sense of the ScripturesThe Church teaches that there are two main senses to interpretScripture (see Catechism, no. 117):• The literal sense: This is the meaning conveyed directly by the wordson the page.• The spiritual sense: Besides the text, events reported in the Scripturesalso convey meaning. The Catechism lists three senses: (1) allegorical—eventsare understood “by recognizing their signifi cance inChrist” (e.g., the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea is a sign of Baptismand Christ’s victory over death), (2) moral—events are interpretedby how they “lead us to act justly,” and (3) anagogical—events areviewed in light of “their eternal signifi cance” (e.g., the Church is a signof God’s heavenly Kingdom).(The quotations are from the English translation of the Catechism of theCatholic Church for use in the United States of America, number 117.Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.)Glossary of Bible BasicsAD Anno Domini, Latin for “the Year of the Lord.” Calendar yearscounting from the birth of Jesus.BC Before Christ. Calendar years counting down to the birthof Jesus.dogma Those teachings that are recognized as central to Churchteaching, defi ned by the Magisterium, and accorded the fullest weightand authority.exegesis A Greek word meaning “to draw out” or “to explain,” it isthe scholarly work of interpreting the Scriptures using various methodsto understand the languages, symbols, culture, history, and meaningsintended by those who wrote the Bible. Catholics interpret the Scripturesin union with the Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church.fundamentalism An interpretation of the Bible and Christian doctrinebased on the literal meaning of the words and without regard to thehistorical setting in which the writings or teachings were fi rst developed.heresy The conscious and deliberate rejection of a dogma ofthe Church.idolatry Worship of other beings, creatures, or material goods in away that is fi tting for God alone.inerrancy The fact that the books of the Scriptures are free from errorregarding the spiritual and religious truth that God wishes to revealthrough them for the sake of our salvation.inspiration, biblical The guidance of the Holy Spirit in the developmentof the Scriptures, whereby the Spirit guided the human authorsto teach without error those truths of God that are necessary for oursalvation. It is on the basis of inspiration that we can call the Bible theword of God.law (1) The will of God revealed to humans. (2) The Ten Commandments.(3) The collection of legal codes found in the Bible. (4) The fi rstfi ve books of the Bible (also called the Books of Moses, the Torah, orthe Pentateuch).Magisterium The name given the offi cial teaching authority of theChurch, whose task it is to interpret and preserve the truths of theChurch revealed in both the Scriptures and Tradition.Additional ResourcesThe Catholic Youth Bible ® , Revised. Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 2005. Available in both the NAB and the NRSV translations, it includes helpfulbackground information and study aids.Jenkins, Simon. The Bible from Scratch, Catholic Edition. Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 2007.O’Connell-Roussell, Sheila. Saint Mary’s Press ® Essential Bible Dictionary. Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 2005.Saint Mary’s Press ® Essential Bible Concordance. Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 2004. Available in the NAB and NRSV translations.Saint Mary’s Press ® Essential Quick Charts: Salvation History. Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 2007.Singer-Towns, Brian, et al. The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth. Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 2004.New Law The Law of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is a law of love,grace, and freedom. It is distinguished from the Old Law, or the Law ofMoses.New Testament (1) The New Covenant. This refers to the work ofJesus Christ, whose life, death, and Resurrection show God’s grace tohumankind. (2) The last 27 books of the Bible. These books (originallywritten in Greek) record the life of Christ and early Christianity.Old Law The Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments. It contrasts tothe New Law of the Gospel.Old Testament (1) The Old Covenant. This refers to the work of Godin the life of the Hebrew nation. (2) The fi rst part of the Bible; Catholicbibles have 46 books, while Protestant bibles have 39 books. Thesebooks (most of them originally written in Hebrew) record the story ofGod’s people before Christ.oral tradition In the ancient world, storytellers preserved the sacredwisdom, parables, regulations, and rules of life revealed to the ancestorsand passed down across the ages. Many of the stories and teachings inboth the Old and New Testaments were passed on by oral tradition for ageneration or more before they were written down.parable A story intended to convey a religious truth or particular teachingthrough the use of metaphors; a central feature of Jesus’s teachingministry.Revelation God’s self-communication and disclosure of the divineplan to humankind through Creation, events, persons, and, most fully, inJesus Christ.Scripture(s) Generally, the term for any sacred writing. For Christians,the Old and New Testaments that comprise the Bible and are recognizedas the word of God.Tradition The central content of Catholic faith contained in both theScriptures and Church doctrines and dogmas, as well as the process bywhich that content is faithfully passed on from generation to generationunder the guidance of the Holy Spirit.Copyrighted Material(Portions of this glossary are adapted and taken from The Catholic FaithHandbook for Youth and Saint Mary’s Press ® Essential Bible Dictionary.)ISBN 978-0-88489-942-6 $5.954330Author: Gary DreierEditor: Virginia HalburReviewer: Lorraine KilmartinPhotos: Dennis Kurtz© 2007 by Saint Mary’s Press