21/08/2018. RCIA Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Opening Prayer. The Bible. The Bible. One Word, Two Forms

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1 RCIA Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults The Bible Opening Prayer The Bible Greek Biblia, meaning Books Divided into Old and New Testament Testament means Agreement Scriptures mean Sacred Writings The most translated book Old + New Testament : 270 languages New Testament : 700 languages One Word, Two Forms Before any of the New Testament books were written, early Church teachings were passed down orally. One Word of God, Two Forms Written Sacred Scripture (i.e. The Bible) Various truths inspired by the Holy Spirit Sacred Tradition Teaching Authority of the Church So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. 2 The 2:15 The Bible is the book of Christianity, but Christianity is not a religion of the book. But surely, the recorded eye-witness accounts are more reliable, no? Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane Matthew 26:36-46 Mark 14:32-42 Luke 22:39-46 How did Scripture writers know it happened? 1

2 Divine Inspiration Many, many books were written. So, who gets to decide which books make the cut? How are Scriptures Inspired? Divine Dictation theory: God dictates to the writer God inspired the Church. It is the Church who gave us the Bible. Negative Assistance theory: God only intervenes when the writer is about the make an error Positive Assistance theory: God assists and enlightens the writer in a positive way The Church accepts the Positive Assistance theory Scripture writers are free to use their own talents and resources History of the Bible 4 th Century: Council of Hippo (393 AD) and Council of Carthage (397 AD) recognised the Bible as we know today. 46 Old Testament books, including the 7 Deuterocanonical books 27 New Testament books, including Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation 16 th Century: Protestants rejected the 7 books, calling them Apocrypha (false). Reformation leader Martin Luther relegated 4 New Testament books (Hebrews, James, Jude, Revelation) as secondary books. These were reinstated upon the insistence of other Protestants. Old Testament Stories of God s relationship with the Jews, his first chosen people. Old agreement between God and the Jews. 39 Protocanonical & 7 Deuterocanonical = 46 books 5 Pentateuch (Five Books, Jewish Torah) 16 History 7 Wisdom 18 Prophets 2

3 Old Testament 7 Deuterocanonical books Tobit Judith Wisdom Sirach or Ecclesiasticus Baruch 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees New Testament Jesus life story and teachings. New agreement between God and His People, as revealed by Jesus. 27 books 4 Gospel (Good News) Acts Of The Apostles 13 St Paul s Letters or Epistles 8 Other Letters Revelation or Apocalypse The Gospels Early Christians rely only on Oral Traditions, before many (not just 4) Gospels were written The Church recognises 4 Gospels : Matthew, Mark, Luke, John Matthew, Mark, Luke are called Synoptic Gospels (Greek meaning seeing together ) The Gospels Mark (Disciple of Peter) Written AD Symbol: Lion Audience: Roman Converts (False teachers. Persecuted - Emperor Nero AD) Emphasis: Might (Acts of Jesus as The Son of God) Matthew (The Apostle) Written AD Symbol: Man Audience: Jewish Christians (Destruction of the Temple 70 AD. Expelled, disowned) Emphasis: Majesty (Fulfilment of the Old Testament) The Gospels Luke (Travelling companion of Paul) Written AD Symbol: Ox Audience: Greek Christians (The educated and poor & oppressed pagans) Emphasis: Mercy (Faith & Prayer) The Letters or Epistles Each written to a specific group of early Christians Mostly written by St Paul 13 St Paul s Letters (some acronymous) 8 Other Letters John (The Apostle) Written AD Symbol: Eagle Audience: Christians under persecution (Persecution by emperor Domitian AD & the Jews) Emphasis: Mystery (Divinity of Christ) 3

4 Bible Reference E.g. 1 John 3: For the RCIA, we uses the NRSV (New Revised Standard Edition) Catholic Edition Book Chapter Verses (dot or comma means to skip over to ) Lets find this passage: Luke 18:18-25 Luke 18:18-25 (The Rich Young Man) 18 A certain ruler asked him, Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? 19 Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20 You know the commandments: You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother. 21 He replied, I have kept all these since my youth. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me. 23 But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. Interpreting Scripture Literal Sense (CCC 116) Spiritual Sense (CCC 117) Allegorical Sense: Understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ. E.g. crossing the Red Sea. Moral Sense: The events lead us to act justly E.g. St Paul s teaching. Anagogical Sense: View realities and events in terms of their eternal significance E.g. the homeland of Jerusalem. The message of Luke 18:18-25 seems to be Rich people go to hell! Message of Luke 18:18-25 Is it a sin to be rich? Not necessarily. What is the eye of the needle? It s a gate in ancient Jewish city, a shortcut to enter the city. Merchants needed to unload their camels before going through the eye of the needle. To follow Jesus, we must give up all baggage that are acting as hindrances. 4

5 The Eye of the Needle Bible Reading / Sharing Technique Read Meditate What does the passage Say? What does the passage Mean? What does the passage Mean To Me? What must I Do? Share In studying the Bible, it is important to understand the cultural and linguistic context of each passage. Know your Bible well Story of 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. But in John 4:18 For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. 1. Which of the following describes what we as Catholics believe is the Bible. 2. What does the word Testament mean? a. History book of important religious events b. Many books written under God s inspiration c. Books written about God s plan for humankind d. Books about the life of Jesus and his apostles a. Testimony b. Covenant c. Inheritance 5

6 3. Most of the books in the Bible has been written by the end of the: a. 1 st Century b. 2 nd Century c. 4 th Century d. 16 th Century 4. The books of the Bible are organised according to chronology or subject matter, and are accurate in their historical and scientific facts. a. True b. False 5. Inspiration means all the following except: 6. How many books are in the Protestant s version of the Old Testament? a. Revelation from God b. God s own word c. Dictated by God d. Guided by God to teach religious truth a. 23 b. 39 c. 42 d Which of the following is not part of the Old Testament? a. Pentateuch b. Historical Books c. Wisdom d. Epistles or Letters e. Prophets 8. Which of the following is not part of the Pentateuch? a. Genesis b. Exodus c. Psalms d. Numbers e. Leviticus f. Deuteronomy 6

7 9. Jesus tells The Church will be guided to all truth by 10. How should we read the Bible? a. Scriptures b. The Holy Spirit c. The Pope d. Sacred Tradition a. Front to back b. Back to front c. With good sense d. With the spirit of prayer 11. The Book of Revelation foretells the future. a. True b. False 12. Why are there 4 Gospels instead of one? a. Gospel writers are not able to agree on details b. Writers worked without knowledge of other Gospel accounts c. Different Gospels wrote for different communities d. Several Gospels needed to ensure accuracy 13. Many Catholics doctrines can be found in the Bible and also expressed by Sacred Tradition. By Sacred Tradition we mean: a. Council b. Creeds c. Worship d. Teaching authority 14. The Decalogue is a name for a. Ten Commandments b. The Golden Rule c. The Code of Hammurabi d. Pharaoh s 10 curses 7

8 15. In addition to the 10 Commandments, there are 2 more commandments given by Jesus. a. Love your enemies Tea Break b. Love God c. Love neighbour d. Love yourself Discussion Read Luke 18:18-25 again. Does anything strike you in particular? Do you have a favourite Bible story to share? Is there any danger in private interpretation of the Bible? Recap The Source of Christian Truth History of the Bible Old Testament New Testament Referencing the Bible Interpreting the Bible Q&A RCIA Commitment Attendance at all evening sessions Evening sessions on every Tuesday, 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm. Please be punctual. Attendance at all weekend masses (from Week 7) Inform RCIA Coordinator (Howard) if you are unable to attend any session. Support and pray for each other 8

9 Contacts Name list will be prepared midway through this Pre- Catechumenate (Finding Out) period. In the meantime, contact: Howard Ong Mobile: Or Fr Thai Vu Phone: Further Readings At Home With God s People (ISBN ) Chapter 3, 4 Path Through Catholicism (ISBN X) Chapter 3, 4 A Catholic Guide to the Bible (ISBN ) Catholic and Christian (ISBN ) Chapter 2 The Privilege of Being Catholic (ISBN ) Chapter 4, 5 Notices Copy of this presentation may be downloaded from the Parish Web Site ( COME FILL MY WORLD (O'Reilly) Come fill my world, come fill my life, Come take my hand, come walk with me. Copyright The Ichthys Community. The content of this presentation can be accessed, printed, downloaded and reproduced for religious education and personal study that is not for a direct or indirect commercial use. Any content printed, downloaded or reproduced may not be sold or licensed in whole or in part in any manner or in or on any media to any person. Without clouds, the rain won t come, Without rain, the grass won t grow, Without sun, the flowers die, Without God, we cannot be. Come fill my world, come fill my life, Come take my hand, come walk with me. Without eyes, we cannot see, Without hands, we cannot touch, Without hearts, we cannot love, Without God, we cannot be. Come fill my world, come fill my life, Come take my hand, come walk with me. Without bread, we cannot live, Without friends, we cannot share, Without joy, we cannot hope, Without God, we cannot be. Come fill my world, come fill my life, Come take my hand, come walk with me. Used by permission - WOL. Int. (77CSSR) - Lic. No