Chapter 1 Study Guide
USE WITH NOTES
Christian Scriptures – New Testament
1. Old Testament Review – It is important to understand the OT prior to studying the NT.
a. History
i. Biblical events – Many events in the Old Testament affected the NT or the way we view
NT events.
ii. Historical events – Many events in history that occurred during OT times affected the
NT.
b. Themes
i. Covenant –
1. Covenants make family. Two individuals who enter into a covenant become
family. Marriages are a type of family.
2. God made a Covenant with the Israelites and was always faithful. Israel was not
always faithful.
3. All OT Covenants include a sacrifice and, therefore, a meal.
4. Examples of Covenants:
a. Genesis 8:20-9:17
b. Genesis 15:1-21
c. Exodus 24:1-11
ii. Sacrifice
1. Purpose:
a. Give to God what He deserves
b. The way a people sacrifice makes them unique
c. Atonement –
iii. Priest, Prophet, King
1. Priest –
a. Levites
b. Sacrifice cannot bring about Salvation
2. Prophet –
a. Overcome by God’s Spirit
b. Announced a new Covenant and the coming Messiah
3. King –
a. Either picked (anointed) by God or descendant of a king
2. Jesus Christ
a. Fully Human and fully Divine
i. Human – Evidence for:
1. Genealogy attests to the humanity and historicity of Jesus
ii. Divine – Evidence for:
1. John’s “I AM” statements (Hebrew)
a. Yahweh is too holy to say. To say it is to claim it.
b. I am the Way, Truth, Life
c. Garden scene
2. C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity – Lewis argues for the REASONABLENESS of
Jesus’ divinity. He says Jesus could not have been only a moral teacher, and that
leaves three possibilities
a. Liar –
b. Lunatic –
c. Lord –
b. Incarnation –
i. 4 reasons
1. To save us by reconciling us with God
2. To reveal God’s love to us
3. To be a model for us
4. To make it possible to share in God’s nature
ii. It is extremely important to the Catholic faith that Jesus is both fully human and fully
divine.
c. Modern division of Jesus – Modern scholars often divide Jesus into the Jesus of History and the
Christ of Faith
i. Events or characteristics of Jesus in the Bible are divided into the two categories
ii. Our faith demands that we do NOT divide up Jesus. The historical Jesus means nothing
without the Christ of Faith.
d. Names of Jesus
i. Jesus
1. Means “God saves”
2. Given by Gabriel to Mary
ii. Christ
1. Translates in Hebrew to “Messiah” – means “anointed”
2. Given to Jesus because He fulfilled the mission of the Messiah of Israel
iii. Son of God
1. Title often applies to adopted sons of God such as Jews or Christians
2. In Jesus’ case, this title also applies to His being the actual Son of God.
iv. Lord
1. In Greek it is Kyrios
2. This title is also used for God the Father.
v. Many other names (Know some of these and their origin)
e. Historical evidence for Jesus
i. Bible cannot stand alone as historical evidence for Jesus
ii. Non-Christian evidence for Jesus’ existence does exist
1. Tacitus –
2. Suetonius –
3. Pliny the Younger –
4. Josephus –
a. Some of Josephus’ work may have been altered by Christian copyists.
iii. Even though the Bible cannot stand alone as a source, the many events, places, and
people that coincide with actual history aid the evidence for Jesus’ existence.