Theology
Chapter 1
Miss McCann
2013-2014
Scripture
Luke 4:14-22a:
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and
news of him spread throughout the whole region. He
taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He
came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went
according to his custom into the synagogue on the
sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a
scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and
found the passage where it was written:
Scripture
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring
glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me
to proclaim liberty to captives and
recovery of sight to the blind, to let the
oppressed go free, and to proclaim a
year acceptable to the Lord."
Scripture
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to
the attendant and sat down, and the eyes
of all in the synagogue looked intently at
him. He said to them, "Today this
scripture passage is fulfilled in your
hearing."
God listens to us
We listen to God
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In prayer, we talk to God - but we should also let God
talk to us - both in prayer and in other ways. We
should remember to "be still" and listen from time to
time - but sometimes that can be difficult to do.
God reveals Himself to us in many ways -- indirectly,
through the natural world of space and time, through
the prophets of the Old Testament, and
Directly, through the Incarnation of His Son, the
incarnate inspired Word, and through the New
Testament, which is His record.
Scripture
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The basic idea is that for us, today, God
reveals himself to us through the writings of
inspired human authors in Scripture
Remember that even His disciples often had
difficulty understanding what He was trying to
tell them - so it's understandable that we might
not always understand.
But don't be overwhelmed by Scripture
Scripture
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In some ways, it's pretty simple
Perhaps the Bible can be summarized in 50
words:
Scripture
“God made, Adam bit, Noah arked, Abraham
split, Joseph ruled, Jacob fooled, Bush talked,
Moses balked; Pharaoh plagued, people
walked. Sea divided, tablets guided, Promise
landed. Saul freaked, David peeked, prophets
warned, Jesus born. God walked, love talked,
anger crucified, hope died. Love rose, Spirit
flamed, Word spread, God remained.“
By Rev. Dana Livesay, Wanganui, New Zealand. Source: "Top of the Morning" Book of Incredibly Short
Stories, selected by Brian Edwards, 1997, Tandem Press, Aukland, New Zealand, p. 41
Scripture
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God created the universe from nothing, created human
beings and gave them free will
They exercised their free will and chose to do wrong
He chose the Hebrew people to be uniquely His own,
and made a Covenant with them, but they constantly
disobeyed Him
He sent them prophet after prophet, but every time He
turned His back on them (so to speak) they made a
golden calf or did something else equally obnoxious
Scripture
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Even so, He miraculously intervened throughout their
history to save them from almost certain destruction
and extinction
He promised to send them a Messiah, and did
But they rejected him. He was crucified, died and was
buried, but rose from the dead as he had said he would
The principal purpose of the Covenant was to prepare
for the coming of Christ, to announce his coming by
prophecy, and to indicate its meaning through various
"types." We see these in Scripture.
Inspiration
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We often hear the words inspiration, aspiration,
perspiration, respiration, . . . Spirit
They're all related to the Latin word spiritus - soul,
courage, vigor, breath - which is also related to the
Latin word spirare, to breathe
We often speak of artists, writers, composers, as
"inspired" - maybe even philosophers and scientists too
We sometimes hear people say "I had a sudden
inspiration and the solution to the problem came to
me."
Inspiration
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In every society, in every time, there are
probably certain individuals who are just a little
more perceptive or sensitive than others
Perhaps they're the ones who are chosen by
God to be inspired
Inspiration
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To say that they were inspired does not mean
that God simply dictated to them word for word
what he wanted them to say
It means that He guided them to compose in
their own language and in their own literary
form a composition which would reveal some
aspect of Himself.
Scripture – Literary Forms
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Parable: a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral
attitude or religious principle or spiritual truth. The
point is not the details of the story but the message.
E.g., the parable of the sower - if the story is just about
a man who went out to sow some seed (What man?
Where? What kind of seed?), there's not much point to
the story. The point is not whether or not the story is
"true" - it's a message presented in imagery familiar to
the hearers. We'll talk more about inerrancy in a
moment.
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We'll talk more about inerrancy in a moment
Scripture – Literary Forms
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Allegory: a "figure story" (an expression by
means of symbolic figures and actions) with a
veiled meaning, e.g., the creation stories of
Genesis. Again, the point is not the details but
the message
Scripture – Literary Forms
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Fable: A story, usually a legendary story of
supernatural happenings, intended to enforce a
useful truth or moral lesson. Many of these
may be what is called "Beast Fables" in the
model of Aesop, e.g., the Balaam and his
talking ass in Numbers 22:22-35. Again, the
point is the message, not the story itself.
Scripture – Literary Forms
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Short Story or Historical Novel: the core of
the story may be historical, but the author did
not intend to write history in the same sense
that we understand history today. Rather, the
intent is to interpret the past in an edifying way
as a religious lesson.
Scripture – Literary Forms
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Problem Story: A story which illustrates a
general solution to a general problem - e.g.,
the Book of Ruth as a study of the problem of
foreigners, intermarriage, tolerance, etc.
Scripture – Literary Forms
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Speech: some of the speeches of Solomon, or
some of the speeches of Paul (e.g., Acts
17:22-31) may not be exactly word for word
what was said on a single particular occasion.
As a literary device, the point of a speech may
be to invoke the authority of a person who has
authority, for the purpose of illustrating a
spiritual or moral truth.
Scripture – Literary Forms
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Poems, Songs and Prayers are also literary
forms used in Scripture
Inerrancy
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It is important to remember that to suggest that
a particular story is an allegory or a fable, or to
suggest that a particular account is not
historically or scientifically accurate is NOT to
suggest that Scripture is in error in any way
Since everything in Scripture is inspired by the
Holy Spirit, it must be without error in teaching
the truth that God wishes us to learn from it
Inerrancy
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But this is not the same thing as saying that
Scripture is "literally true" in the sense of
presenting accurate historical accounts or
teaching scientific principles
That is not what it was intended to do.
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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14,000,00,000,000 BC
Universe created
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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3500-3200 BC
Beginning of the Bronze Age
c. 1800-1700 BC
Time of the Patriarchs; Abraham; general migration of
people in the Middle East draws the descendants of
Jacob into Egypt; Joseph
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c. 1792 BC
Hammurabi in Babylonia, early lawgiver
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 1560-1250 BC
Silence in the Bible for five centuries, the period
between Joseph and Moses
c. 1347-1338 BC
Tutankhamun in Egypt
c. 1301-1234 BC
Ramesses II ("The Great") reigns in Egypt, believe by
some to be the Pharaoh of Moses' time
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 1250-1225 BC
Deliverance from Egypt, Exodus through Sinai into a semisedentary life near Kadesh; Moses
c. 1200 BC
Hebrew tribes have arrived in Canaan by this date; beginning of
the Iron Age
c. 1200-1025 BC
Installation of Hebrews in Canaan under the Judges; seminomadic royalty, no capital, no administration, no professional
army
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 1043 BC
United Kingdom, Samuel anoints Saul
c. 1043-1010 BC
Saul
c. 1000 BC
Capture of Jerusalem, establishment of a fixed
capital, mercenary army
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 1000-950 BC
Yahwist (J) tradition written down, southern
kingdom
c. 1010-976 BC
Unified monarchy; north (Israel) and south
(Judah) united under King David; Nathan the
Prophet ("You are the man.")
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 970-931 BC
Solomon; construction of the First Temple, built
after the death of David and dedicated by his
son Solomon (1 Kgs 8:1ff); this Temple was
destroyed approximately 364 years later, c.
586 BC, by the Babylonians; collection of
Yahwist traditions, beginning of wisdom
literature; splendor, royal administration, high
taxes, signs of decadence
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 931 BC
Schism between Judah and Israel; divided
kingdom, Judah (southern kingdom) under
Rehoboam I and Israel (northern kingdom)
under Jeroboam I
c. 922 BC
Elohist (E) tradition of Torah written down,
northern kingdom
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 874-853
Ahab and Jezebel
c. 860-840 BC
Elijah, Elisha
c. 786-746 BC
Reign of Jeroboam II; Hosea's prophetic
career; Amos' prophetic career
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 742 BC
Death of King Uzziah
c. 740 BC
Isaiah receives his call to prophecy
c. 735 -700 BC
Hosea's prophetic career begins
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 721 BC
Fall of Samaria, capital of Israel (northern kingdom):
captured by Assyrian King Sargon II; captives deported
to Ninevah, never to return; these are the "lost tribes.“
c. 701 BC
Jerusalem besieged by Sennacherib
c. 700-650 BC
Deuteronomic (D) tradition of Torah written down
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 690 BC
Micah's prophetical career
c. 687-680 BC
End of Isaiah's prophetic career
c. 650 BC
Jeremiah born
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 640-609 BC
King Josiah's reign; Zephaniah's prophetical career;
urged reform
c. 629 BC
King Josiah begins his reforms
c. 628 BC
Zoroaster founds Zoroastrianism in Persia; Ahura
Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom, dualism of good and evil,
people judged by their actions
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 627-580 BC
Jeremiah's prophetic career
c. 615 BC
Nahum's prophetical career
c. 612 BC
Babylon conquers Assyria; Ninevah (in
Assyria) falls
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 609 BC
King Josiah killed at battlefield of Megiddo
c. 605 BC
Babylon defeats Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish.
Egypt is destroyed as a power in the Middle East,
Babylon is now the dominant power
c. 605-597 BC
Habakkuk's prophetical career
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 600 BC
JED (Yahwist-Elohist-Deuteronomic) sources of Torah
probably conflated by this time
c. 593-559 BC
Ezekiel's prophetical career in Babylon
c. 598-587 BC
Jeremiah attempts to counsel Zedekiah in the face of
bitter opposition
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 587 BC
Babylonian Empire conquers and destroys Jerusalem
(capital of Judah, southern kingdom) under King
Nebuchadnezzar; beginning of the Exile; deportation of
King Jehoiachin and the elite of the Jewish population
to Babylon with only the "inferior classes" remaining in
Palestine; the Diaspora; destruction of the First Temple
(which had been built c. 950 BC by Solomon); Ark of
the Covenant lost; sacrificial worship replaced by
prayer meetings (beginning of synagogal worship);
Jeremiah's "New Covenant;" Temple lies in ruins until
c. 522 BC
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 586
Priestly (P) tradition of Torah written down
c. 585 BC
Ezekiel
c. 563-483 BC
Buddhism founded by Siddarta Gautama (the
Buddha) in India
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 561 BC
Jehoiachin released from Babylonian prison
c. 551-479 BC
Confucius active in China; Sun Tzu
c. 538 BC
Jews return to Palestine from Exile (decree/edict of
Cyrus, King of Persia); limited self-government as a
province of the Persian Empire, but united; religious
community directed by the priests; Samaritan factions
block the rebuilding of the Temple until c. 522 BC
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 522 BC
Reign of Darius (Persia) begins; Darius gives
permission to rebuild the Temple, and
rebuilding begins; completed c. 516 BC; stands
until c. 70 AD, approximately 592 years
c. 520 BC
Haggai's prophetical career begins;
Zechariah's initial prophecy
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Second ("Zerubbabel's") Temple
completed, Temple dedicated; First Temple had been
destroyed 70 years earlier; Second Temple will be
destroyed 70 AD by the Romans; since the Ark of the
Covenant was lost when the First Temple was
destroyed by the Babylonians, the Holy of Holies is
now an empty room inhabited only by the presence of
God. Some say the Ark was hidden under the Temple
Mount, where it still remains
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 508 BC
Book of Haggai written
c. 485-464 BC
Xerxes (in the Deuterocanonical Book of
Judith, called Ahasuerus) king of Persia
c. 470 BC
Birth of Socrates
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 460 -400 BC
Book of Malachi (pseudonym) written
c. 455 BC
Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem
c. 438 BC
Parthenon built in Athens; Birth of Plato
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 420 BC
Ezra
c. 400 BC
Books of Joel, 1 Chronicles written; Torah
(Pentateuch) edited in final form ("JEDP")
c. 399 BC
Death of Socrates
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 384 BC
Birth of Aristotle
c. 347 BC
Death of Plato
c. 335 BC
Alexander the Great becomes king
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 331 BC
Defeat of Darius III, end of Persian Empire
c. 323 BC
Death of Alexander the Great
c. 322 BC
Death of Aristotle
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 287-212 BC
Archimedes in Greece
c. 270-260 BC
Old Testament translated from Hebrew into Greek
(Septuagint) for Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora
c. 261 BC
Punic Wars begin (Rome)
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 200-175 BC
Book of Sirach (Deuterocanonical) written
c. 169 BC
Second ("Zerubbabel's") Temple desecrated by
Antiochus Epiphanes
c. 168-142 BC
Jewish kingdom revived under the Hasmoneans
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 167-164 BC
Persecution of Antiochus IV Epiphanes; Book of Daniel
written
c. 165 BC
Judas Maccabeus
c. 100 BC
1st Book of Maccabees (Deuterocanonical) written
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 63 BC
Jerusalem captured by the Romans
c. 44 BC
Julius Caesar assassinated in Rome on March 15
c. 19 BC
Restoration of Second ("Zerubbabel's") Temple begun
by Herod the Great; renovated and enlarged, almost
completed ("Herod's" Temple) when it was destroyed
by the Romans c. 70 AD. The "46 years" of Jn 2:20
begin here.
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 19 BC
Death of Virgil
C. 8 BC
Death of Horace
c. 7-4 BC
Birth of Jesus
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 4 BC
Death of Herod
c. 30 AD
Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
c. 35 AD
Martyrdom of Stephen, Deacon and first
Christian Martyr
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 36 AD
Death of Pontius Pilate
c. 50 AD
Earliest oral traditions of the Gospel written
down
c. 51-52 AD
Paul's Letters to the Thessalonians
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 50-55 AD
Early Aramaic version of Matthew probably
written
c. 50-60 AD
Letter of James
c. 54 AD
Paul's Letter to the Galatians
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 56-67
Other Letters of Paul written
c. 64-70 AD
Gospel of Mark written
c. 64 AD
1 Peter written
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 67 AD
Paul writes 2 Timothy; later beheaded
c. 70 AD
Jewish Revolt, capture of Jerusalem and
destruction of Second Temple by the Romans
c. 67-70 AD
Gospel of Luke written
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 68-70 AD
Gospel of Matthew written
c. 75 AD
Acts of the Apostles written
c. 70 AD
Letter of Jude written
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 95-98 AD
Book of Revelation, Gospel of John written
c. 99 AD
2 Peter written – New Testament complete
c. 131-135 AD
Second Jewish Rebellion
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 130 AD
Irenaeus lists New Testament canon; omits Hebrews,
James, 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Jude
c. 185 AD
Origen lists New Testament canon, omits James, 2
Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Jude
c. 134 AD
Capture of Jerusalem by the Romans
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 135 AD
Sanctuary of Zeus and Hadrian established on the site
of the Temple
c. 296 AD
Athanaeus lists New Testament canon we have today
312 AD
Battle of Malvian Bridge (October 23), Emperor
Constantine victorious after seeing a vision of the cross
(or Chi-Rho) ("In hoc signo vinces"), Christianity
becomes the established religion of the Roman Empire
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 306-337 AD
Reign of Constantine
325 AD
Council of Nicaea
382 AD
Pope Damasus defines canon of Scripture in
Roman Code
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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383 AD
Council of Hippo (non-ecumenical) defines canon of
Scripture
397 AD
Council of Carthage (non-ecumenical) defines canon of
Scripture
c. 400 AD
St. Jerome's translation of the Bible into the Latin
Vulgate, based on Septuagint version
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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c. 500 AD
Unified Roman Empire has ended by this date
c. 529 AD
Plato's Academy closed by Byzantine Emperor
Justinian I
c. 611 AD
Muhammad
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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787 AD
Second Council of Nicaea (ecumenical) ratifies canon of
Scripture as defined by the African councils (Hippo and
Carthage)
1054 AD
Schism between Orthodox (Eastern) and Catholic (Western)
churches
1206 AD
Chapter divisions of Scripture introduced by Stephen Langton,
professor at University of Paris, later Archbishop of Canterbury
and Cardinal
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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1335 AD
Council of Florence reiterates ratification of canon of
Scripture
1370 AD
John Wycliffe, "Morningstar of the Reformation“
1409 AD
Council of Pisa; attempt at reform of the Church
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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1454-1455 AD
Gutenberg Bible printed; Septuagint/Latin
Vulgate canon
1517 AD
Martin Luther, 95 Theses
1522 AD
Ulrich Zwingli
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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1533-1534 AD
Henry VIII breaks with Rome; Church of England
established
1536 AD
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion
1545 AD
Council of Trent convenes; Septuagint/Latin Vulgate
canon again confirmed
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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1551 AD
Verse divisions of Scripture introduced by
Robert Estienne (AKA Robert Stephanus)
1560 AD
Geneva Bible published
1609 AD
Douay-Rheims version of the Bible published
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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1611 AD
King James Version of the Bible published
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute

But in the midst of all this, something else
happened that is important to our
understanding of Scripture

c. 587 BC
The Babylonian Empire conquers and destroys
Jerusalem; this is the beginning of the Exile,
the Diaspora
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A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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King Jehoiachin and the elite of the Jewish
population to deported to Babylon with only the
"inferior classes“ remaining in Palestine
Solomon's Temple is destroyed and the Ark of
the Covenant is lost
The Jews were allowed to return to Palestine
some time later, the Temple was rebuilt, etc.
but many of them never returned, and some
were "dispersed" (hence Diaspora) in the
Greek-speaking world
A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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Over time, they were assimilated and Hebrew
was no longer their vernacular language. But
they were still Jews and read the Scriptures so . . .
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c. 270-100 BC
Translation of Septuagint (Old Testament
translated from Hebrew into Greek), including
some books written after the Exile, outside
Palestine, in languages other than Hebrew
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A Tentative Chronology of Scripture
NOTE: virtually all dates are subject to dispute
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So, the Old Testament was "complete" at this
point, but there was not a "list" of books that
everyone agreed on

It remained for Pope Damasus, the Councils of
Hippo and Carthage, and the Second Council
of Nicaea to arrive at the "standard" canon we
have today
Tradition

So . . . Where did the Bible come from?

Revelation was objectively closed with the
death of the last Apostle, c. 98-99 AD
Although all of the New Testament had
essentially been written down by that time, it
had not yet been collected into the definitive
collection called the New Testament that we
have today
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Tradition
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The first generation or two of Christians didn't
have a Bible
From c. 33 AD until c. 50 AD, nothing (or at
least nothing we have today) was written down
The New Testament as we know it was not all
written down until perhaps as late as c. 98 AD
It was probably not collected into the "New
Testament" (in the sense of including certain
books and excluding others) as we have it now
until almost 200 AD
Tradition

How did the early Christians know what to
believe?

There wasn't a "Bible," but there was a
"Church" - a group (maybe several groups) of
people who were taught by the apostles, or
(then) by people who were taught by the
apostles
Tradition
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This is essentially the basis for what we call
Tradition (as distinguished from “traditions”)
The living transmission, through the Holy Spirit,
of the Truth, of all that we are and believe, the
Word of God transmitted from Jesus to His
apostles, and from them to their successors.
Tradition

The apostles entrusted the sacred deposit of faith
(Scripture and Tradition) to the whole Church, to be
transmitted through its teachings

Tradition may be defined as the way the Church
understands the teachings of Jesus at any particular
moment in time

Tradition and Scripture form the one deposit of the
Word of God - it is important to remember that
Scripture and Tradition NEVER contradict each other
Tradition
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We must distinguish between Tradition (articles
of faith) and traditions (rules of fast and
abstinence, when to kneel and when to stand,
calendar issues, etc.)
True Tradition is that which has been held
always, everywhere and by all
Magisterium
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The other source of what we believe is the
Magisterium
The teaching authority (Magisterium) of the
Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Councils, encyclicals, etc.
The Canon of Scripture
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A “canon” is a “measuring stick”
How do we know which books are in the Bible?
If it says everything in the Bible, where (in the
Bible) does it say that it says everything in the
Bible?
If it says everything in the Bible, where (in the
Bible) does it say which books are in the Bible?
The Canon of Scripture
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HINT: it's NOT 2 Tim 3:16
"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful
for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and
for training in righteousness,“
It says "all," not "only,“
Although 2 Tim was written fairly late, it was
before several other NT books were written the "Scripture" to which Paul refers was (in a
general sense) the OT
The Canon of Scripture

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Without the Church, there would be no
Scripture
St. Augustine said that without the Church, he
would not believe in Scripture
The Canon of Scripture
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The Old Testament (OT) canon
At the time of Jesus, there was no canon
(definitive list of books) as we would
understand it today
There was a collection of books that were
accepted and understood, but there was no list
The Canon of Scripture
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In fact, there were at least two collections,
probably more
Remember that the Jews had been dispersed
c. 587 BC, and not all of them came back to
Palestine
Those who did live in Palestine generally used
a collection of works in Hebrew
The Canon of Scripture
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But the Jews of the Diaspora (those who lived
in the Greek-speaking world) used an
expanded collection
This is now called the Septuagint
It had been translated into Greek by about 100
BC
The Canon of Scripture

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The Septuagint contained 46 books
It included 7 books and parts of 2 others which
were not found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old
Testament) used in Palestine
The Canon of Scripture
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Tobit
Wisdom
Judith
Sirach
Baruch
Parts of Esther
Parts of Daniel
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
The Canon of Scripture
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These books and parts of books are what we
Catholics call the Deuterocanonical books
Others sometimes call them the Apocrypha
All are Old Testament books
The Canon of Scripture

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In the early days of the Church, there was not
general agreement on which books should be
"in" and which books should be "out.“
There are various lists - Bishop Melito of Sardis
(quoted in Eusebius), the Muratorian
Fragment, etc.
But they don't agree with each other, and
sometimes list deuterocanonical books while
omitting protocanonical books
The Canon of Scripture
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So, how did books get into (or out of) the
Bible?
Just because a book SAYS it's inspired doesn't
mean it is
Answer: the Church decided
The Canon of Scripture

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The Old Testament canon was drawn up by
the Council of Rome (382) under Pope
Damasus
The Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage
(397, 419) also dealt with issues of the canon
When St. Jerome translated the Septuagint
from Greek into Latin about 400 AD, he
included the Deuterocanonical books
The Canon of Scripture
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The Deuterocanonical books were included in
the Gutenberg Bible (1455)
They were even included in the original 1611
King James Version
Although there had been some disputes about
the Old Testament canon in the early church,
they had been pretty much settled
There really wasn't much controversy about it
until the Reformation
The Canon of Scripture
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There has never been much controversy about
the canon of the New Testament (at least since
the late 2nd century AD)
Virtually all Bibles have the same New
Testament
There are many other books which various
people have claimed “should have” been in the
Bible over the centuries
Trivia
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The Hebrew version of Esther does not
mention God
The "Samaritans" had a different canon (just
the Torah)
There are other canons still in use today
among the Jews of the Diaspora in certain
places
Trivia
Stephen Langton, professor at
University of Paris, later Archbishop of
Canterbury and Cardinal, divided the
Bible into Chapters in 1206
 Robert Estienne (AKA Robert
Stephanus) divided the Bible into verses
in 1551 AD
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Translations
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Since the earliest days, there have been Bibles in
languages other than the languages in which they were
written
The Septuagint is one example
There were translations of parts of Scripture into
English as early as the 6th Century, although it would
not be what we today would recognize as English
If you've ever read Beowulf in the original Middle
English, you have some idea what it looks like
Translations
Even as late as Wycliffe's version (1382),
we'd hardly recognize it
 Matthew. 2:16: "Thanne Eroude seynge
that he has dusseyued of the astomynes,
was full wrooth; and he sent and slewe
alle the children that weren in
Bethlehem."
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Translating the Bible

There are two basic methods of translating the
Bible (or anything else, for that matter):
Translating the Bible

Formal Equivalence: form-centered, wordfor-word, literal translation, in which the original
word meanings, word order and sentence
structure are preserved as much as possible.
This usually results in fairly "traditional" nonidiomatic language and possibly convoluted
sentence structure
Translating the Bible

Dynamic Equivalence: (AKA Functional
Equivalence) content-centered, thought-forthought translation into idiomatic English,
which (the translator hopes) is exegetically
accurate but adjusted to contemporary
language usage. The translator hopes to have
the same effect on the readers today that the
original had on the readers then.
Translating the Bible
Translating the Bible
TRANSLATIONS
Translating the Bible

Wycliff (1382): John Wycliff was an ex-priest,
sometimes called the Morningstar of the
Reformation, involved with the Lollards, a sect
that held many positions not supported by
Scripture and Tradition. He translated the
Bible into English and was burned at the stake,
though probably less for translating the Bible
than for other reasons.

Tyndale (1525): also burned at the stake
Translating the Bible
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Coverdale (1537): sanctioned by Henry VIII,
the first English Bible not to be suppressed
Geneva Bible (1560): contained a footnote at
Revelation 9:11 which indicated that the Pope
was the angel of the bottomless pit of hell
Douay-Rheims (1609): also had a footnote on
the '"two masters" passage that indicated the
two masters might be God and Baal, Christ
and Calvin, the Catholic Church and Heretical
Conventicles
Translating the Bible
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Douay-Rheims (1609): the first "Catholic"
translation, long the "official" translation, still
used by some "traditional" Catholics today. It
was a "formal equivalence" translation from the
Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome
It has some of the same stately, majestic tone
of the KJV done about the same time. The
intent was to make a translation for Catholics
which was not "subversive" to their faith
Translating the Bible
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King James Version (1611): a "formal-equivalence"
literal translation from the original languages (to the
extent that they were available at the time)
One of the most popular and enduring, but some words
and expressions are less familiar to us today and may
even have different meanings to us than they would
have had to 1611 readers
The language of the KJV can be archaic and confusing
Translating the Bible

For example:

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
only he who now letteth will let, until he be
taken out of the way." (1 Thes. 2:7)
Translating the Bible
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Revised Standard Version (1952): a "formal
equivalence" literal translation, an attempt to
improve on the KJV while preserving the style,
taking into account the changes in the English
language and advances in textual scholarship
The 1973 edition includes the
Deuterocanonical books and tried to avoid
sectarian problems
It is the most often used by scholars today
Translating the Bible
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New Jerusalem Bible (1985): a thought-forthought translation from the original languages
into French, then from French into English
Has excellent explanatory notes, Catholicoriented
Translating the Bible
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New American Bible (1970): an entirely new
translation not dependent on any earlier
translation in any language
This is currently the "official" Catholic
translation, but tries to avoid sectarian axgrinding
Seeks clarity in English, not conformity to the
idiom of the original
A literal translation, but with freedom to be
idiomatic
Translating the Bible
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You should have a copy of the New American
Bible (preferably the Youth Edition)
You should bring it to class every day
Translating the Bible
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New English Bible (1970): a "dynamic
equivalence" translation based on the idea that
words are socially agreed-upon symbols which
mean that their users intend them to mean
This translation attempts to identify all facets of
meaning intended by the original author and
express them naturally in English
Translating the Bible
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Living Bible (1971): a loose "dynamic
equivalence" translation, really a paraphrase
It is the work of one man (Kenneth Taylor),
who attempted to say as exactly as possible
what the original writers meant at an 8th-grade
reading level
It is translated from a "rigid ultraconservative
evangelical" perspective
Translating the Bible
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It sometimes imports things into the text that
are not there because Taylor thinks they are
"implied.“
It may even include deliberate mistranslations
to support a particular position
NOT recommended by most Scripture scholars
Translating the Bible
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Today's English Version (1976): AKA "Good
News for Modern Man,“ a "dynamic
equivalence" translation intended to sound well
when read aloud
Intended to be easily understood by people
unfamiliar with traditional "biblical" language
Translating the Bible
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Somewhat independent of the sentence
structure of the original
Some versions include the Deuterocanonical
books
It is sometimes described as a good choice for
"less-experienced" readers
Translating the Bible
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New International Version (1978): a "formal
equivalence" translation done by a group of
scholars committed to "traditional Christian
doctrines as expressed in the classical
Protestant creeds.“
Some say that this translation was done so that
the evangelical Protestants wouldn't have to
use the RSV
Translating the Bible
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No one translation is best for everyone
A new translation is needed every 30 years or
so as language changes.
We now have better knowledge of the original
scriptures and texts. A copy of Isaiah was
found among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran
(after 1947) that was 1,000 years older than
any copy of Isaiah we previously had
Translating the Bible
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We now have better knowledge of the
languages and vocabulary of the original
writers
English has changed and continues to change
How to Read Scripture
 It
has often been said that ignorance
of Scripture is ignorance of Christ
 We do not "worship" the Bible
 But it is critical to our faith and
understanding
How to Read Scripture
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Be attentive to the content and unity of the
whole of Scripture
Look for the coherence of the truths of faith,
the whole plan of salvation
Don’t look for just the parts that you're reading
Especially don’t look for just the parts that
support your position, or sanction what you
want to do or not do
How to Read Scripture
 Look
for the Mind of Christ
 WWJD?
 Read Scripture within the living
Tradition of the Church
How to Read Scripture
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Read systematically in some way
Genesis --> Revelation
Genesis --> Malachi, PLUS Matthew --> John,
PLUS Epistles. Don't forget Acts and
Revelation
Pick a book and do a study. Jonah and Ruth
are recommended
Then do another one
How to Read Scripture
Read the Lectionary - read the daily
readings
 If that's too ambitious, read the readings
for the following Sunday
 There's a list in the back of the Bible
 2012 is B-II
 When Advent begins, it'll be C-I
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How to Read Scripture
 Lectio
Divina
 When you come to a passage that
strikes you, stop and meditate on it
at length
 We’ll talk more about that later
How to Read Scripture
 How
NOT to read Scripture
 Don't ignore Scripture until you're in
dire straits and then turn to it in time
of need and open it at random
looking for an answer
 The answer might be . . .
How to Read Scripture
 Matthew
27:5 " . . . he departed and
went off and hanged himself.“
 Luke 10:37: " . . . Go and do
likewise.“
 John 13:27 " . . . What you are
going to do, do quickly."
How to Read Scripture
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However you read, LISTEN. If you have
doubts about the meaning,
1. When in doubt, pray and read again
2. If still in doubt, read footnotes,
commentaries, etc.
3. If still in doubt, ask
4. If still in doubt, repeat 1-3 as needed.
What about “interpretation?”
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All Scripture is in a sense "interpretation."
It's an interpretation by those who wrote it inspired by God, written by the authors in their
own words.
It's a translation (i.e., interpretation") from the
original languages by whoever did the
translation
Whoever did the translation chose one word
over another, one way of expressing
something over another