Introduction to Sacred Scriptures Flashcards
This deck is designed to assist you in understanding the Sacred Scriptures.
Describe the origin of the word biblos/biblia.
Greek: biblion (a book), ta biblia (the books), biblos (a written book/papyrus scroll)
Latin: biblia
Describe the origins of the word sacra Scriptura.
Latin: sacra (sacred, holy, of the Lord), Scriptura (a writing)
What are the writers of the Old Testament called?
Prophets
What are the writers of the New Testament called?
Apostles (apostol=the sent)
How many books are in the OT?
46
How many books are in the NT?
27
What langauge was the OT written in?
Hebrew
What language was the NT written in?
Greek
What was the OT about?
The history of the Jews
What was the NT about?
The life of Jesus and after His Resurrection
How are Eve and Mary correlated?
Eve- deceived God and cursed the following generations of humanity with her disobedience
Mary- obeyed God and brought to us Salvation/life
What does the consistency of the translations of the Bible prove?
That the message of the Bible is accurate
What was the difference between the covenants of the OT and NT?
Old Covenant- between God and the Jews
New Covenant- between God and the entire human race
When was the Old Testament translated into Greek?
3rd-2nd century B.C.
What is the Septuagint (LXX)?
The Greek Old Testament
Why is it called Septuagint (LXX)?
Church leaders wanted a faithfully translated God’s word from Hebrew to Greek, so they gathered 70 translators and had them individually translate it; they all came up with he same translation; this was a mark of God
What were the languages of the NT?
- Koine (common) Greek
- Hebrew
- Aramaic
When was the OT and NT translated into Latin, and who did these translations?
4th century A.D.; St.Jerome
What is the Vulgate?
The Sacred Scriptures in Latin
Why was Koine (common) Greek used in the NT?
This was used because the writers of the NT were ordinary men (fishermen for the most part), so they used common Greek to reflect this
Why was Hebrew used in the NT?
It was used because it was the langauge of the writers of the NT’s ancestors
Why was Aramaic used in the NT?
It was the common language of the Jews who were captured in Babylon and allowed to return; the ancient nation spent 72 years in Babylon until Cyrus the Great (the Persian emperor) allowed them to return; their langauge was mixed with the Babylonian language.
It was also the langauge spoken ordinarily by Our Lord Christ and His Apostles
Name the first definition.
Sacred Scriptures contain the written word of God. (Refer to CCC 105 and Hebrews 1:1-2)
Name the second definition.
Sacred Scriptures contain salvific truth. (Refer to CCC 107)
Name the third definition.
God wrote through the unique experiences and circumstances of His chosen human authors. (Refer to CCC 106)
What is the first step of the formation of the Bible?
Individuals experiencing God in a unique way, treasuring and preaching it.
What is the second step of the formation of the Bible?
Individuals finding the need, courage, motivation, and materials to write.
What is the third step of the formation of the Bible?
Writings copied, spread, preached, and preserved.
What is the fourth/last step of the formation of the Bible?
Church Fathers deliberating and finalizing which writings are inspired by God (Canonical books).
What were the three councils that defined the canon of Sacred Scriptures.
Council of Hippo, AD 393
Council of Carthage, AD 397
Council of Rome, AD 419
When did the Council of Trent occur?
1545
Why did the Council of Trent occur?
It was a response to Martin Luther’s new canon. He believed that there were seven books in the Old Testament that did not contain salvific truth.
What were the seven books that Luther believed should not be part of the Canon?
Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sorach, and Baruch
What did the Council of Trent respond with?
The deuterocanonical books; it contained teaching opposing sola fide (e.g., 2 Maccabees 12: 41-46); it contains books considered to be UNINSPIRED, NON-CANONICAL, AND APOCRYPHAL by Marin Luther and the Protestant population
What are the four broad categories of the Canon of Sacred Scriptures?
OT and NT: Law History Wisdom Prophecy
What are the Books of Law for the OT?
The Pentateuch; Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy
What are the Books of History for the OT?
Joshua to Esther
What are the Books of Wisdom for the OT?
Job to Sirach
What are the Books of Prophecy for the OT?
Isaiah to 2 Maccabees
What are the Books of Law for the NT?
The Four Gospels; Matthew Mark Luke John
What are the Books of History for the NT?
The Acts of the Apostles
What are the Books of Wisdom for the NT?
The Epistles;
Romans to Jude
What are the Books of Prophecy for the NT?
The Revelation (of St. John)
Why did the writers of the NT write in Greek if they spoke Aramaic?
- Only a small population of the Roman Empire spoke Aramaic; most spoke Greek.
- Since many people spoke Greek as opposed to Aramaic, writing in Greek would allow the writers to reach a broader audience by word of mouth even if there were not many copies of the NT made; it was therefore an easier way of getting people interested in the faith and joining the Church
What does CANONICAL mean?
Part of the Canon
Inspired by the Holy Spirit
Contains the sacred words of God
Contains salvific truth