Symbolon Session 3: The Bible: God's Love Letter to Humanity
Is the Bible more than just a collection of ancient writings, more than simply an important historical document to be appreciated but ultimately dismissed? Is it possible that God reveals his truth to us through Sacred Scripture? If so, what does that really mean for our faith?
Understanding the Bible for First-Time Readers
The Catholic Bible comprises 73 books from various prophets, Apostles, and people who were recording history at the time. The word “Bible” itself stems from the Latin word meaning “books.” The Bible is a collection of books and stories, each with its own meaning and writing style. The Bible is divided into New and Old Testaments. The Old Testament books are from before the time of Jesus and predict His coming, and the New Testament books were written after His birth and describe His ministry and sacrifice for us.
The word “testament” refers to a covenant or agreement between two parties. Dividing the Bible into New and Old Testaments calls attention to all the ways God can show His eternal commitment to His people. The Old Testament is more physical, with God helping and protecting the Israelites through the Law of Moses.
On the other hand, the New Testament is more spiritual. With this agreement, we can look forward to Heaven because of Jesus’s sacrifice for us. There are several more differences between the Old Testament and New Testament, as well.
Old Testament
The Old Testament is categorized into four sections or genres: law, history, poetry, and prophets. The first books of the Old Testament include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which are known as the Pentateuch or Books of the Law and describe God’s design to help the people of Israel reach the Promised Land.
Books of Law: The Book of Genesis starts with the story of creation and explains the plan God has to redeem the world. This book recounts how God chose one nation as His own and picked a man named Abraham, whose grandson Jacob has sons who become the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The other books in the Law genre describe how the Israelites became the people of God, such as when He chose them and rescued them from Egypt during the time of Moses.
Books of History: These books recount the history of Israel, including how the Twelve Tribes united and became a single nation and how they later separated into two kingdoms, the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the Northern Kingdom of Israel. One of the main themes within these books is many people choose to leave God and follow their desires, such as wealth, pleasure, and other idols, before turning back to Him.
Books of Poetry: This section includes five books of hymns known as Psalms, which are often used during worship. These books are also used as wisdom literature, including the Book of Proverbs. These books represent the songs and wisdom of the people of Israel and cover many topics, including children, marriage, and work.
Books of Prophets: Finally, the section of the Prophets is divided into Minor Prophets and Major Prophets. The four Major Prophets are longer books, while the 12 Minor Prophets are shorter books. The overall theme of the Books of Prophets is that those who do not turn back to God will face judgment. The Prophets provide hope that God will bring His people back to His land.
New Testament
The New Testament is divided into four sections: the Gospels, history, letters, and prophecy.
The Gospels: The four accounts of Jesus’s life are in the books of John, Luke, Mark, and Matthew. These authors each provide their unique perspective of the Savior’s life and journey. The Gospels help explain why Jesus came, what His message is, how He lived His life, and why He died and rose from the dead.
History: The Book of Acts is the only book in the history section, and it describes how Jesus’s followers continued to spread His mission and message throughout the world in the early days of the Church.
Letters: The letters are also known as Epistles and include the 13 letters written by Paul. Various followers of Jesus, including James, Peter, and John, wrote the remaining letters. These letters include teachings, instructions for the Church and its leaders, and more. Some letters were named after the city they were addressed to. Philippians, Romans, and Corinthians were written to churches in the cities of Philippi, Rome, and Corinth. Some other letters were named after their author or the recipients.
Prophecy: The final book of the New Testament is the Book of Prophecy, and it explains Jesus’s leadership at the end of time. The Book of Revelation describes Jesus’s Second Coming as the King and Judge of humankind.
Taken from catholicworldmission.org
Discovering The Eucharist On Every Page Of The Bible - https://catholic-link.org/eucharist-bible-catholic/
What Catholics Should Look For When Buying A Bible - https://catholic-link.org/what-catholic-should-look-for-when-buying-a-bible/
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