Faith and Revelation Chapter 3

BISHOP

A consecrated successor to the Apostles, usually charged with the spiritual and administrative care of a given territory or diocese. Derives from the Greek word episkopos ("overseer"). He is constituted a pastor in the Church, to be the teacher of doctrine, the priest of sacred worship, and the minister of governance (CIC 375).

HYPERBOLE

A literary device that uses exaggeration to make a point. It is one of the improper literal senses of a text.

What is a Church Father, and what are the criteria for determining if a particular person can be considered a Church Father?

A person who meets the requirements of antiquity, holiness of life, and orthodoxy

ALLEGORY

A prolonged metaphor. Related to parables and fables, it uses a storytelling format rich with symbols to make a statement about a real-life situation. It is a type of improper literal sense.

PARABLE

A story that is told in order to illustrate a moral or spiritual truth. It is one of the improper literal senses of a text.

FABLE

A story, often fanciful, that is not based on fact and is used to illustrate a moral lesson, usually with animals or plants as characters. It is one of the improper literal senses of a text.

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

A summary of Catholic teaching. A catechism of this same name was published in 1997.

LITERALISTIC

A way of reading literature without regard to the particular literary forms being used. This kind of reading thus recognizes no symbolic language or analogy and instead takes every word, phrase, and sentence as literally true.

ANALOGY

A way of understanding by drawing a comparison or likeness and dissimilarity between two things or relationships. Theology is based on reasoning by analogy.

SIMILE

A word or term that refers to another by comparison using the words like or as. It is one of the improper literal senses of a text.

METAPHOR

A word or term that refers to another by comparison. It is like a simile, except that it does not use the words like or as in making the comparison. It is one of the improper literal senses of a text.

List and define the spiritual sense of Scripture.

Allegorical, moral (tropological), and anagogical

What are the three spiritual senses readers of the Bible must look for?

Allegorical, moral (tropological), and anagogical

What type of god is God?

An all-loving God who gave man an immortal soul and free will

How does the Church offer guidance for reading the Bible?

Apostolic authority passed down bishop-bishop. Tells what to read first and how to interpret it

Why is it important to pray when you read the Bible?

Ask God for guidance to interpret message correctly

How does the Church continue the mission of Peter?

Authoritatively and inerrantly

What is our guide in correctly interpreting the Scriptures?

Be attentive to the content and unity of the whole Scripture, read within the living Tradition of the whole Church, and be attentive to the analogy of faith

How is the Church like Adam and Eve?

Both must "gear and keep" the sacred gift of Faith

ORTHODOXY

Correctness or soundness in theological faith and beliefs.

What does it mean to say that Sacred Scripture is inspired?

Divine authorship, Holy Spirit did not simply assist the humans writers but actually authored what they wrote

How can the Church Fathers help us to understand the correct interpretation of Scripture?

Exceptional doctrinal authority, doctrine they produce transmits the Faith they received

ESCHATOLOGY

From the Greek eschaton, for "last." The study of the end of time.

APOSTLE

From the Greek for "one sent forth." Refers to the Twelve chosen by Jesus during the course of his public ministry to be his closest followers, as well as Sts. Matthias, Paul of Tarsus, Barnabas, and the enlighteners of whole nations.

(ECUMENICAL) COUNCIL

From the Greek oikoumene, meaning "the whole world." A formal synod of bishops (sometimes with other ecclesiastics) from the whole inhabited world convened to define doctrine, regulate the Christian life, or apply discipline in the Church. The first ecumenical council was held at Nicæa AD 325.

(SACRED) TRADITION

From the Latin traditio, meaning "handing down." Sacred Tradition is part of the Deposit of Faith. It is the Word of God entrusted by Christ to the Apostles and their successors and communicated by preaching and teaching to every generation of Christians under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who keeps it free from error. Sacred Tradition preceded Sacred Scripture, which grew out of Sacred Tradition with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Human traditions or traditions of men are man-made acts and rituals that did not originate with Christ.

Who is the author of Sacred Scripture?

God

How do we know there are no contradictions in the Bible?

God is the author and speaks only the truth

How can Christ be the eternal son of God?

He was not created by the Father, so the Son must be eternal

What literary forms are found in Sacred Scripture?

Historical, juridical, prophetic, apocalyptic, wisdom literature, poetry, and epistle

What is the difference between Sacred Scripture and human tradition? Does this mean that all human tradition is wrong?

Human traditions only have temporary value and are not part of Scared Tradition, no

How can there be two authors of Sacred Scripture? What is the meaning of veracity and inerrancy in relation to the Scriptures?

Intentionally affirmed, Holy Spirit narrated Scripture to writers who infallibly wrote it in own style, veracity(teaches the truth firmly and faithfully) an dinners my (teaches the truth without error) are direct consequences of its inspiration and divine orgin

Who gave the Apostles the authority in the Church? Where do the bishops get their authority?

Jesus, Holy Spirit

What are the different senses of Scripture?

Literal and spiritual

What does it mean to read the Bible literally? What is the difference between a literal and a literalistic interpretation of the Bible?

Literal- take in account every literary form used Literalistic- opposite (do not, read literally)

SENSUS FIDELIUM

Literally "the sense of the faithful," the term refers to the inerrancy possessed by all the faithful when they share a universal consent in matters of faith and morals.

What has been the function of ecumenical councils in Church history?

Make decisions about theological issues and matters of worship, confronting numerous erroneous beliefs, and practices that arose among believers.

INERRANCY

Making no mistakes or errors. Scripture is inerrant; that is, it always teaches truth, never falsehood.

(PROPER OR IMPROPER) METAPHORICAL/LITERAL SENSE

Method of scriptural interpretation based on the meaning of words in the literary and historical context. In proper literal sense, the words are understood in their ordinary meaning; in the improper literal sense or metaphorical sense, the words are understood figuratively and symbolically.

LITERARY ANALYSIS

Reading a story with full care and regard for the literary forms and styles being used. It allows the reader to fully appreciate the text by understanding what the author is really trying to communicate and thereby reaching the deeper meaning that was originally intended.

What are the sources of Sacred Tradition?

Received from Christ through the Apostles with the assistance of the Holy Spirit

COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM

Recounted in Acts 15, this synod of the Apostles around AD 49 or 50 spoke with the authority of the Holy Spirit in deciding that Gentile converts to Christianity did not have to be circumcised or obey the Law of Moses.

FATHERS OF THE CHURCH/CHURCH FATHERS

Refers to a number of Christian writers from the first through the eighth centuries whose lives reflected the teachings of Christ and whose teachings were in perfect harmony with the Church. Their value is in the fact that the doctrine they developed faithfully communicates the Faith they received from Christ and contributed to a deeper spiritual and theological understanding of natural and supernatural truths.

LITERARY FORMS

Refers to the various styles of writing that communicate a message through particular creative means. Literary forms used in Scripture include the historical, juridical, prophetic, apocalyptic, wisdom literature, poetry, and epistle.

VERACITY

Reliability in communicating the truth.

Along with Sacred tradition, what has been entrusted to the Church to increase out faith?

Sacred Scripture

According to Mt 28: 19-20, the purpose of the Bible is the same as the mission of the Church which is...

Salvation for all.

If we have Scripture, why do we need Tradition?

Scripture is only the part of Tradition that was written down

What is New Testament "slavery" called?

Sin

Who said "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ"?

St. Jerome

What is the role of the Magisterium?

Teach upon faith and moral issues infallibly

APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION

Term used to describe the lineage of the Catholic bishops and pope through the ages by which each holds office in a direct link to the Twelve Apostles.

What is Sacred Scripture?

The "Soul of Theology"

Why is it not logical that Revelation should be based on Scripture alone?

The Bible doesn't answer every faith question, but does contain everything we need for salvation

Where are the primary sources where we can find the teachings of the Magisterium?

The Catechism, Sacred Scripture, and Sacred Tradition

What is the pillar and bulwark of truth?

The Church

How can we be assured that the Deposit of Faith has been faithfully transmitted down to our present day?

The Magisterium is infallible, interprets without removing anything from the message of Christ

INFALLIBILITY

The dogma that the pope cannot err when speaking ex cathedra (when formally exercising his office as chief shepherd and teacher of all Catholics) and defining a doctrine concerning faith and morals to be held by the whole Church. The term can also refer to the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church whereby the pastors of the Church—the pope and bishops in union with him—can definitively proclaim a doctrine of faith or morals for the belief of the faithful, with that proclamation being free from all error.

What is Faith to the Bible?

The essential condition for understanding what we have read

INSPIRATION

The gift of the Holy Spirit "that assisted human authors to write the books of the Bible. God is the ultimate author of Scripture, and so it teaches faithfully, without error, the saving truth that God has willed to be communicated to us.

DEPOSIT OF FAITH

The heritage of faith contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, handed on in the Church from the time of the apostles, from which the Magisterium draws all that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed.

SPIRITUAL SENSE

The interpretation of Scripture that sees not only the literal meaning of the text but also the people, things, and events they describe as signs. The three kinds of spiritual sense in Scripture are the allegorical sense, the moral sense, and the anagogical sense.

What is the true home of the Bible?

The liturgy, alive and active

MAGISTERIUM

The name given to the universal teaching authority of the pope and the bishops in communion with him, which guides the members of the Church without error in matters of faith and morals through the interpretation of Sacred Scripture and Tradition. METAPHOR

APOSTOLIC TRADITION

The passing on of the Faith of the Apostles to each generation. St. Hippolytus's work of the same name illustrated this principle by preserving the third-century rites of Ordination, Baptism, and the Eucharist; the Eucharistic Prayer found in The Apostolic Tradition was the basis for the Second Eucharistic Prayer in the Roman Missal.

(TROPOLOGICAL)MORAL SENSE

The spiritual interpretation of Scripture that portrays the heroes of Scripture as a pattern for Christians of every age. Also called the tropological sense.

ANAGOGICAL SENSE

The spiritual interpretation of Scripture that shows how events in Scripture point to what will be in Heaven. It is a type of spiritual sense.

(TYPICAL) ALLEGORICAL SENSE

The spiritual interpretation of Scripture that shows how people and events in history suggest future people and events. For instance, the allegorical sense of Abraham sacrificing Isaac is God's sacrifice of his own son Jesus. Also known as the typical sense, it is a type of spiritual sense.

What does it mean that the teaching of the Catholic Church on Scripture is infallible? Does that prevent us from interpreting Scripture for ourselves? How might it help us?

The teaching is without error. We can still interpret it ourselves, but look to the Church for guidance and to avoid contradictions with their teachigns

What does it mean that the Magisterium is infallible?

They cannot make an error

APOSTOLIC FATHERS

Those Fathers of the Church who were direct disciples of the Apostles and wrote during the end of the first century and the beginning of the second century.

How was the fullness of God's Revelation transmitted to His people?

Through Jesus, the eternal Word of God

How does the Council of Jerusalem illustrate the infallibility of the Church?

Through the Holy Spirit

Where does the rebuilding of the unity with God start now, and in Scripture?

Today with Baptism, historically with Seth (Adam and Eve's third son)

What does Scripture say about the role of Sacred Tradition?

Tradition is prior to Scripture and encompasses the entire Deposit of Faith. To be preserved and honored

How does the Church transmit the message of Christ inerrantly?

Under the protection of the Holy Spirit

What is papal infallibility? Does this mean that the pope can never make a mistake?

Yes