The Bible is a collection of sacred writings that are recognized as authoritative by Christians. It consists of the Old Testament and New Testament. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Greek, while the New Testament was written in Greek. Both divisions contain books that were written over many centuries by different human authors but were inspired by God. The Bible provides insight into God, humanity, salvation history, and guidance for how to live as Christians. It plays a foundational role for the Church as the inspired Word of God.

1. Bible : the Word of God

2. Bible

3. What is the Bible?

4. Bible
• Scripture
–“writings"
(<Latin scriptus = "written"; cf. Greek
grafe, Hebrew mikra),
–religious writings
• authoritative,
• foundational,
• sacred by some religious group

5. Bible
• Greek ‘ta biblia’ ("ta biblia"),
“the books“
–refers to the whole sacred volume
–a compilation of many different
books of various literary genres.
• Latin “biblia” , “The Book”
–eminence of the Bible

6. How did the Bible
came to exist?

7. Sacred Tradition
• The Bible is not the only source of
Christian knowledge.
• There are also beliefs which had been
preserved & handed down by the
Church, but not recorded in the
gospels.

8. The Evangelists who wrote the Gospels
were aware that they could not present
the whole of Jesus’ teaching in their
writings,
e g John 21:25 “But there were also
many other things that Jesus did;
if every one of them were written
down, I suppose that the world
itself could not contain the books
that would be written”.

9. • The first Christian communities &
Elders of the Church who had been in
contact with the Apostles, were eager
to preserve the totality of Jesus’
teaching.
• These preserved beliefs form the Oral
Christian Tradition, which was passed
on by the preaching of the Apostles &
early missionaries like St Paul & St
Barnabas.
• It became the official Apostolic
Tradition of the Church.

10. Transmission
of
Divine Revelation
• CCC 76. In keeping with
the Lord’s command, the
Gospel was handed on in
two ways:

11. ORAL TRADITION
- orally ‘by the apostles who handed on,
by the spoken word of their preaching,
by the example they gave, by the
institutions they established, what
they themselves had received –
whether from the lips of Christ, from
his way of life and his works, or
whether they had learned it at the
prompting of the Holy Spirit, ‘

12. WRITTEN
TRADITION
- in writing ‘ by those apostles &
other men associated with the
apostles who, under the inspiration
of the same Holy Spirit, committed
the message of salvation to
writing’

13. The Catholic Church
believes that
there is only one divine source of
revelation
– God alone
– from which flow
two streams of insight
– Sacred Scripture & Sacred Tradition,
composing one living
“deposit of Christian faith”.

14. THEREFORE…

15. The Bible is a collection of sacred writings
which the Church solemnly recognized as the:

17. • The Bible was
• written by persons who lived
• in a particular context,
• using the means available to
them
• as they went through the
natural process of data
gathering, selection, and
finally writing down
scriptures.

18. "All scripture,
inspired of God,
is profitable to teach,
to reprove,
to correct
to instruct in justice"
2 Timothy 3:16

19. Lt. “in spirare” – to breathe into
“By supernatural power,
God so moved and impelled
the human authors to write .
Providentissimus Deus,
Pope Leo XIII
INSPIRATION IS THE SPECIAL INFLUENCE OF
THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE HUMAN AUTHORS.

20. • Inerrancy means
“ freedom from error “
• is a consequence of its
inspiration.
• Because God is the
PRINCIPAL AUTHOR
of the Bible, then it cannot
but contain the truth.

21. The Bible
is without error
regarding the
truths of our
salvation.

22. "The books of scripture
must be acknowledged as
teaching firmly,
faithfully and without error
the truth which God
wanted to put
into the sacred writings
for the sake of our salvation“
(Constitution on Divine Revelation, #11).

23. These ERRORS DO NOT
in anyway AFFECT
the essential message
of Sacred Scriptures.
THE BIBLE
CONTAINS ERROR
BUT,
TEACHES NO
ERROR.

24. Gk. “kanon”
(kanon)–
a stick;
measuring rod
-the word
implies
“norms” or
“standards”

25. IS THE CHURCH’S
OFFICIAL
DECLARATION THAT
A BOOK IS INSPIRED,
AND IS THEREFORE
A WORTHY BASIS OF
FAITH AND MORALS.

26. A BOOK HAS TO
PASS CERTAIN STANDARDS.
IT BECOMES A STANDARD
ITSELF.
N.B. Canonicity is a
FORMAL RECOGNITION
of the ‘INSPIRATION’ which
the book has always
possessed.

28. FOR THE
OLD TESTAMENT:
•Adherence to the TORAH
(five books of Moses).
•Constant use in liturgy.
•Language
•Recognized Sacred Scriptures are stored
in the temple chests, available for public
reading.

29. FOR THE
NEW TESTAMENT:
• Apostolic origin
• Coherence with the essential
Gospel Message
• Constant use in the liturgy
• Universal Acceptance

30. refers
to the
OFFICIAL
LIST
of
INSPIRED
BOOKS.

31. Hebrew Bible
• A collection of 24 "books" (or large "scrolls"), traditionally
called the Mikra in Hebrew (or Miqra, lit. "writings“
• "TaNaK" or "Tanakh"
– Torah
• "Law,"
• "Teaching" or "Instruction"
– Nevi'im
– "Prophets“
• Former Prophets" (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings)
• "Latter Prophets" (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and
"The Twelve" Minor Prophets)
– Khetuvim
– Writings"

32. Septuagint (LXX)
• Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible
• A collection of up to 53 books of
ancient Jewish Scriptures written in
Greek.
– translations of all 24 books of the HB
– seven or more additional books
– (the "Deuterocanonical Books") that are
not found in the HB.

33. • Tobit
• Judith
• Wisdom of
Solomon
• Ecclesiasticus
(Ben Sirach)
• Baruch
• 1 Maccabees
• 2 Maccabees
• seven (or more) books that
are in the LXX but not in the
HB
• are considered part of the
biblical canon by Orthodox
and Catholic Christians
(although recognized as later
additions, and thus called
"Deuterocanonical," meaning
a "second canon / list")
• are not considered canonical
by Jews and most Protestant
Christians today
• (who call them "Apocryphal“
– hidden books/ writings)

34. PROTESTANT BIBLE
66 BOOKS
39 Books in the
Old Testament
27 Books in the
New Testament

35. ROMAN CATHOLIC BIBLE
• 73 (72) BOOKS
• 46 Books in the Old
Testament
• (45 if Jeremiah and
Lamentations are
• counted as one)
• 27 Books in the New
Testament

36. • seven (or more) books that are
in the LXX but not in the HB
• are considered part of the
biblical canon by Orthodox and
Catholic Christians (although
recognized as later additions,
and thus called
"Deuterocanonical," meaning a
"second canon / list“)

37. • are not considered
canonical by Jews and
most Protestant
Christians today
• (who call them
"Apocryphal“
– hidden books/ writings)

38. • Tobit
• Judith
• Wisdom of Solomon
• Ecclesiasticus (Ben Sirach)
• Baruch
• 1 Maccabees
• 2 Maccabees

39. Meaning & Significance of
“Testament”
Testament
means
COVENANT;
AGREEMENT.

40. Meaning & Significance of
“Testament”
A COVENANT is a sacred
agreement or relationship
between God & humans.
In ancient times, such covenants
were finalized & confirmed
through sacred rituals &
ceremonies.

41. COVENANT BETWEEN
GOD AND ISRAEL
MEDIATED BY MOSES
COVENANT BETWEEN
GOD AND HUMANITY
MEDIATED BY JESUS
The Old
Testament
finds light in
the New
Testament.
The New
Testament
finds
foundation in
the Old
Testament.
The Church
teaches that
both divisions
are equally
inspired.
Central Event: Central Event:
God’s covenant with israel
THE RESURRECTION
Language:
Predominantly Hebrew
Language:
Predominantly Aramaic then Greek

42. Old Testament Division
• Pentateuch/Torah/Law
• Historical Books
• Writings/Wisdom
books
• Prophets

43. Old Testament – 46 books classified into 4
categories:
Approx. date of
_____ compilation
1. Pentateuch or Torah 5 books c 1000 BC
2. Historical books 16 c 650 – 350 BC
3. Wisdom & Poetry books 7 c 450 – 100 BC
4. Prophecy books 18 c 750 – 450 BC
----------------
46

44. Pentateuch/Torah/Law
• Genesis
• Exodus
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy
Bereshith
Shemoth
Wayiqra
Bemidbar
Debarim

45. Historical Books
• Joshua
• Judges
• Ruth
• 1 Samuel
• 2 Samuel
• 1 Kings
• 2 Kings
• 1 Chronicles
• 2 Chronicles
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• Tobit
• Judith
• Esther
• 1 Maccabees
• 2 Maccabees

46. Writings/Wisdom books
• Job
• Psalms
• Proverbs
• Ecclesiastes
• Song of Solomon
• Wisdom
• Ecclesiasticus (Sirach)

47. Prophets
Major Prophets
–Isaiah
–Jeremiah
–Lamentations
–Baruch
–Ezekiel
–Daniel

48. Prophets
•Minor Prophets
- Hosea - Joel
–Amos - Obadiah
–Jonah - Micah
- Nahum - Habakkuk
–Zephaniah - Haggai
–Zechariah - Malachi

49. The New Testament Division
•The Gospels
•Historical Writing
•Letters of Paul
•Pastoral Letters
•Apocalypse

50. New Testament –authorship & language
• All the NT books were written in Greek, the universal
language of the time.
• The 27 books are classified into 4 groups:
Approx. date of
compilation
1 Gospels 4 books 60 – 80/95 AD
2 Acts of the Apostles 1 70
3 Letters (13 by Paul,
8 by others) 21 50 – 60
4 Apocalypse/Revelation 1 100
-----
27

51. • The 4 gospels were written between
60 – 95 AD.
• Jesus died around 33 AD.
• So for about 30 years at the beginning
of Christianity, the gospels & books of
the NT as we know them did not exist!
Why ?

52. REASONS for NOT writting:
• The Apostles were the “living books”
on which the Christian message was
given.
They had lived with Jesus, & knew Him
intimately. They were the special eye-
witnesses to what Jesus did & to his
message of salvation.
So long as the early Christians had the
Apostles with them, there was no need
of a book about Jesus.

53. • In those early days there was not much
literature available. Everything had to
be laboriously handwritten on papyrus
paper.
• Most early Christians were
poor, uncultured, common people –
they could not read.
• Jewish people preferred to
commit knowledge to memory as they
had done for centuries – oral tradition.

54. What got the
Apostles into
writing?

55. • When Jesus’ second coming
did not happen,
• the Apostles were getting old &
would die one day, they realized
that the “living books” would
be closed forever with their
demise.
• False teachings began to
appear – Jesus’ true teaching
had to be preserved.

56. • The gospel was also spreading
to new lands.
• The time had come for a clear,
definitive statement of the life &
teachings of Jesus.
• The gospel writers(EVANGELIST)
put into writing that which was at
first passed on by oral preaching
& teaching of the Apostles – oral
tradition became written tradition
( like the Old Testament).

57. The Gospels
• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
Synoptic
Gospels
Because they can be
“viewed together” or
compared in parallel fashion

58. Matthew 8:16-17 Mark 1:32-34 Luke 4:40-41
That evening they
brought to him many who
were possessed with
demons; and he cast out
the spirits with a word,
and healed all who were
sick.
This was to fulfill what
was spoken by the
prophet Isaiah, "He took
our infirmities and bore
our diseases."
That evening, at
sundown, they brought to
him all who were sick or
possessed with demons.
And the whole city was
gathered together about
the door. And he healed
many who were sick with
various diseases, and
cast out many demons;
and he would not permit
the demons to speak,
because they knew him.
Now when the sun was
setting, all those who had
any that were sick with
various diseases brought
them to him; and he laid
his hands on every one of
them and healed them.
And demons also came
out of many, crying, "You
are the Son of God!" But
he rebuked them, and
would not allow them to
speak, because they knew
that he was the Christ.

59. Acts of the
Apostles
- Luke
Historical

60. Letters of St. Paul
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians
• 1 Timothy
• 2 Timothy
• Titus
• Philemon

61. Pastoral Letters
•Hebrews
•James
•1 Peter
•2 Peter
• 1 John
• 2 John
• 3 John
• Jude

62. Revelation
- John the Apostle
Apocalypse
“Happy the man
who reads this
prophecy, and
happy those who
listen to him…”

63. Why Read
the Bible?
We read the Bible because it
tells us about….

64. a. GOD
• We get to know who
God is,
• What He is,
• His plan in creating,
redeeming and
sanctifying us.

65. b. People
The Bible is consist of
narrative about women and
men to whom the Word of
God came.

66. c. Salvation
History
• The purpose of the Bible is to give
spiritual and religious significance of the
events and to glorify God.
• The Bible leads us in reflecting on the
role that God is playing in our lives.
• The Bible is the story of God’s plan of
salvation

67. d. US
• The Bible provides us with a unique and
irreplaceable means
to understand the true meaning of
what is happening in our lives
–– our relationships,
–our dreams, and
–our difficulties.

68. Why read the Bible?
• Inspired scriptures
speak to us with
the power & authority of
God.
• Our faith should be
nourished & guided by the
sacred texts.

69. Why read the Bible?
Therefore we read the Bible:
- to know more about God
- to get closer to God when He
speaks to us through His Word
- to grow in our faith
- to know God’s will for us, how
He wants us to live as
Christians.

70. As WORD OF GOD
• The Scripture fulfills a…
– FOUNDATIONAL,
– SUSTAINING, and
– CRITICAL ROLE
for the Church , for theology, for preaching
and for catechesis.
• The Scripture is a source of the life of
faith, hope and love of the People of
God and a light for all humanity.