Theology

Who were the Pharisees? The Sad'duccees?

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What is Divine Revelation? What are its TWO sources? What are the THREE things communicated to us by Divine Revelation?

Divine Revelation is God's self communication through which he makes himself known the mystery of his divine plan. Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition are the two sources of divine revelation. The written, inspired word of God and the living transmission of the word of God communicate effectively the whole of Divine Revelation. Divine Revelation is a gift accomplished by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit through the words and deeds of salvation history.

What are the three origin languages of the Bible's writing?

Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek

Why should the Bible be though of as a library rather than a single book?

Many books, not just one. Many authors. Many genres.

Who are the four writers of the Gospels?

Matthew, Mark , Luke, and John

What is Natural Revelation? Why is human reason not enough to fully understand God?

Natural Revelation is the process by which God makes himself known to human reason through the created world. Historical conditions and the consequences of Original Sin, often hinder our ability to fully know God's truth through natural revelation alone.

four types of books in the old testament? in the new?

Old- Books of the Law, Historical Books, Wisdom, and prophetic. New- acts of the apostles, gospels, epistles, and revelation

Magisterium

The Church's living teaching office, consisting of al bishops, in communion with the Pope.

What did the Gnostics believe?

The Gnostics believed that everything physical was bad and only our soul was good. Therefore we could do anything we want with our bodies.

What is the Canon of Scripture? How was it formed and by whom? What are the four standards used? Did they have help from the Holy Spirit? How do we know?

The canon of the Bible is the official collection of inspired books. It is the true, authoritative record of God's saving plan. It was formed by the early bishops, who used four standards to discern the validity of a book. The Four standards include apostolic origin, universal acceptance, use in liturgical celebrations, and consistency with other Christian and Jewish writings. The bishops did have help help from the Holy Spirit. We know they had help because the books of the Bible contain the truth of God's revelation.

Who are the descendants of the Apostles? What is Apostolic Succession?

The descendants of the Apostles are the bishops. Apostolic succession is the uninterrupted passing on of apostolic preaching and authority from the Apostles directly to all bishops. It is accomplished through the laying on of hands when a bishop is ordained in the Sacraments of Holy Orders as instituted by Christ. The office of bishop is permanent, because at ordination a bishop is marked with an indelible, sacred character.

What are the FIVE elements of most good stories? Why do human beings seem to like happy endings? How does this relate to what we learned about salvation history?

The five elements of most good stories include a situation, conflict, struggle, a final battle, and a resolution. Human beings like happy endings because God put a want for love in us, so we have a deep longing for love and happiness. Just like how in stories we want the good guy to beat the bad guy. This is because we always want good to beat evil, and for the good person to end up happy. We want to relate ourselves to the story or the character because we try to relate to them. This relates to salvation history because in salvation history God reveals his presence and saving actions. Happy endings show proof of God and shows how he was a part of whatever action made us happy.

What is the Deposit of Faith?

The heritage of faith contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. It has been passed on from the time of the Apostles. The Magisterium takes from it all that it teaches as revealed truth.

What is meant by the oral tradition? The written tradition?

The oral tradition is the handing on of the message of God's saving plan through words and deeds. Written tradition- Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the synthesis in written form of the message of salvation that has been passed down in the oral tradition.

main two divisions of the bible

old testament and new testament

What does the Latin word tradere mean?

to hand down, to pass down

What is meant by the concept of covenant? What people does God make covenant with in the Old Testament? In the New?

A convenant is an agreement. In the O.T. God forms a covenant with the Hebrew people. In the New he makes one with everyone.

Who were the principle witnesses to the teachings of Christ?

Apostles

What is Biblical Inspiration? What is Biblical Inerrancy? Explain the relationship between the two?

Biblical Inspiration is the doctrine that the authors of the Bible were influenced by the Holy Spirit, with the result that their writings are in some sense the word of God. Biblical Inerrancy is the doctrine that the books of the Scriptures are free from error regarding the truth God wishes to reveal through the Scriptures for the sake of our salvation. Since God is the main author of the Bible, and the bible is without error, we can conclude that God is perfect.

What is Sacred Tradition? How does it help us understand where the Bible came from? Name and explain the first THREE stages in the formation of the Gospels? Use examples.

Sacred Tradition teaches the fullness of Divine Revelation. It began with the preachings of the Gospel by the Apostles, was written in the scriptures, continues to be handed down and lived out in the life of the Church, and is interpreted by the Magisterium under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Tradition helps us to understand the Revelation of Jesus Christ found in the Scriptures. The first three stages in the formation of the Gospels are: The Life and Teachings of Jesus, the oral tradition, and the written Gospels. The life and teachings of Jesus: Jesus, the Son of God, walked the Earth, teaching and preaching the truth of salvation. The oral tradition: The Apostles, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, handed on to their hearers all that Jesus had revealed. The written Gospels: Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and without error, the Evangelists synthesized in writing what had been handed on orally or had already been written regarding the Incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ.

Who translated the Bible into Latin? What was this version called?

Saint Jerome translated the Bible into Latin. This version was called the Vulgate.