Bible

Question 1

What is the Bible?

Answer 1

• The complete collection of writings that were written under divine inspiration by God
• Intended by God to help his people and to lead them to good.

Question 2

What is a “Canon”

Answer 2

• The technical term for a complete collection of scripture such as this is “Canon”

Question 3

What are the 2 sections of the Bible

Answer 3

• Old testament (Jewish Scripture)
• New Testament

Question 4

What is the Old Testament

Answer 4

• Stories that were past down verbally
• They may be 3400 years old
• The scripture was developed over time and finish between 2000 and 2200 years ago

Question 5

What is the New Testament

Answer 5

• Developed over time and contains many scriptures that were verbally
• The 4 Gospels which tell the story of the life of Jesus Christ developed from the time of his death
• were written down between the years 60 and 90 AD

Question 6

What is the debate on the Canon

Answer 6

• The canon was decide at the Council of Rome in 382 AD
• The debate resurfaced during the Protestant reformation
• Martin Luther excluded 7 books from the Old testament

Question 7

How many book does each bible have

Answer 7

• Protestant = 66 book
• Catholic and Orthodrox = 73 books

Question 8

How should scripture be read

Answer 8

• Catholic church says be especially attentive to the content and unity of the whole scripture.
• The reader must be attentive to what God and the writter wants to reveal to us

Question 9

What are the 2 sense of scripture

Answer 9

1. Literal sense
2. Spiritual sense

Question 10

What is literal sense of scripture

Answer 10

• Understanding based on taking the words of scripture as a direct description of real world events and trust
• To use literal sense properly we must context of language and culture that changes over time.

Question 11

What is spiritual sense of scripture

Answer 11

1. Allegorical sense (Symbolic)
2. The Moral sense (Moral)
3. The Anagogical (Heaven)

Question 12

What is Allegorical sense

Answer 12

• The symbolic meaning of events in the bible that reveal truth to us about God and his plan

Question 13

What is a moral sense

Answer 13

• The truths in scripture that teaches and provide examples of how to live justly and morally

Question 14

What is the Anagogical sense

Answer 14

• Anagogical means leading
• Scripture which gives us a glipse of heaven and how to get there.

Question 15

What are the literary Genres in the Bible

Answer 15

• Law: A set of moral princeples
• Prophecy: The words of messager of God’s word
• Poetry: Poems and songs expressing relationship with God
• Letters: Communication to groups to offer guidance
• Gospels: Accounts of Jesus’s life
• Parables: Stories that connect unfamiliar idea with familiar ones
• Apocalypes: Reavle new knowldeg about God’s victory over evil

Question 16

What is Exegesis

Answer 16

• Biblical Exegesis is the critical interpretation by understand the language, symbols, culture and history that influenced the human authour.
• It seeks to understand the intention of the human authour and what God is revealing through the human author’s words.

Question 17

What is Hermeneutics

Answer 17

• Interpreting texts to help us understand what they mean for us in the twenty first century

Question 18

Example of Exegesis and Hermenutics: “When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other cheek as well”

Answer 18

• People almost never used their left hand for anything (Other than ‘hygienic’ purposes)
• Striking someone on the right cheek would only be done backhanded and this was an insult that master typically used to humiliate slaves
• Having someone slap you on the left cheek meant that even in anger they were treating you as an equal.
• Thus, Jesus’ specific reference to which side is slapped has important meaning here.

Question 19

Example of Exegesis and Hermenutics: If anyone wants to go to the law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well

Answer 19

• People were usually only sued (taken to law) Over land or wealth in Jesus’ time
• Only the poorest of the poor would have so little that they would be sued for their clothes (all they own)
• The Tunic was an undergarment worn under a cloak. Thus, if you lost that and gave the cloak as well, you would be naked.
• In Jesus’ culture nakedness was considered shameful not only for the naked person but also for anyone else who saw it.
• This, they suggested action would shame the person who had sued you

Question 20

Example of Exegesis and Hermenutics: Should anyone press you into a service for one mile, go for two miles

Answer 20

• It was common for Roman soldiers to force local civilians to carry their packs (Press them into service). Many soldiers abused this, thus engaging the locals so the roman government put limits on how far they could make people go.
• By offering to carry the bag longer the citizen takes the initiative. They show that they (not the soldier) are making the choice and force the soldier to either accept their kindness or to have to ask them to give him his pack back.
• Instead of showing that wer should be victimized this passage tell us that
  1. We should not respond violently to people
  2. We should assert our equality
  3. We should shame those who are cruel or abusive and make them publicly accountable
  4. We should take the initiative and be assertive in dealing with those who persecute us.