Theology test review
What is LOVE?
is consistently acting in ways that show selfless concern for the well being (body and soul) of another person. ● Constantly respecting the whole person; body and soul.
Book of Genesis
its name coming from the Greek word meaning origin— opens with an account of the creation of the world. God is the First Cause (always existed) Creator of the universe and every part of creation is intentionally created by God for a grand purpose. The literary style used in the creation story is not intended to shed light on the scientific facts of creation or the exact dates on which each part of the universe came into existence; rather, it teaches God created the world according to his divine plan and intention.
The Creation of Angels
- Humans are the only of God's creatures to share both material and spiritual existence - God also created angels , purely spiritual beings with intelligence and free will but not physical bodies
The Catholic Bible Contains a Total of 73 Books
Old Testament = 46 Books New Testament = 27 Books
Genres In the Bible:
Old Testament: Law, Narrative (History of Israel), Poetry, and Prophecy. New Testament: Gospels, History, Epistles (letters)
Is it True?
Some Christians believe that God literally created the world in six 24-hour days Catholic interpreters of the creation account believe that the sacred authors were not interested in how God created the world but why he did: to create a relationship with human beings and to express certain truths about God and us
Human Person
1. Ability to think 2. Free will
Old Testament
1st 46 books of the Bible Written in Hebrew Old Testament Helps Us Understand: Humanity's sin and rebellion against God. God's mighty acts of rescue through which we see God's unending love and desire to bring us back to Him. Predictions of Jesus death and resurrection which were made 1000 years before it actually occurred. Prepares us for the fulfillment of God's plans, purposes and promises found in the New Testament through the saving act of Jesus' death and resurrection.
New Testament (27 Books)
2nd part of the Bible written originally in Greek Tells us about the life and teachings of Jesus Tells us about the struggles Jesus' followers and Apostles encountered when establishing early Christian communities/Churches.
Satan
: From the Hebrew word meaning "to obstruct or oppose"; an evil figure in Scripture who challenges the faith of humans; the leader of the fallen angels or devils.
What is the Bible?
A collection of books that tell the story of the inspired and inerrant history of salvation; God is the principal Author, and the human authors are secondary authors. The Bible is INSPIRED and INERRANT Scripture is inspired because God himself guided the sacred authors, who were enlightened by God
God Created Marriage for a Reason
And this one-flesh marital union of man and woman actually foreshadows the marriage of Christ to His Church at the end of time in Heaven
The Bible Reveals History From God's Point of View
Authors of the Bible viewed religion has something important that held everything together. The word "religion" comes from a Latin word meaning "binding." The authors of sacred scripture viewed history, culture, and politics, through the eyes of religion.
Religious Truths in Scripture
Genesis is not intended as a historical or scientific account, yet these early chapters in Genesis convey many profound truths about God and humanity. The truths revealed in the creation stories are not scientific truths but religious truths.
the Holy Spirit to write what God wanted and nothing more.
God (the Holy Spirit) is the principal Author of Scripture the human writers were the instruments through which he chose to reveal himself to his people.
The Six Days of Creation
God created the world and everything in an orderly manner. No part of God's creation was a mistake. Everything was created with order, intention and purpose. ★ After every part of creation, God declared that is was "good". ★ Creation culminates on the sixth day with the creation of Adam and Eve, revealing that the world was created for humanity as the pinnacle (high point) of creation. ○ After the creation of humanity, God declared his creation was "very good" ★ In the creation narrative, man and woman are made in God's image and likeness , thereby enjoying inherent dignity and a special relationship with the Creator.
It Is Not Good For Man To Be Alone
In the second Genesis story, Adam (man) is created before Eve (woman)and spends a period of time alone in the garden. During that period of solitude, Adam ached for fulfillment in union with another person created in the image of God. As created in the image and likeness of the Trinitarian God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) we are created to be in communion another person
Original Sin
In their disobedience they choose to cast God's gift of love out of their hearts and as a result they experienced a spiritual death. Their eyes were opened and were ashamed, so they hide themselves from God and one another.
Scripture is inerrant
Making no mistakes or errors Always teaches truth, never falsehood Because the Holy Spirit is the principal Author of Sacred Scripture, it is true and contains no errors.
Genres
The Bible is a collection of several kinds of writing or genres. If we try to read every part of the bible in the same way we are going to be awfully confused. You would not read a love poem the same way you would read a history textbook. Right?
Salvation History
The Bible tells the story of humanity's Salvation History The story of God's plan to save man from the consequences of sin. This plan began with Creation, is unfolding now, and will continue until the end of time at the Second Coming.
Family and Marriage
The Communion of Persons within marriage, is when man and woman become a visible sign of the Trinity (unitive) as their love overflows into new life. (procreative- family)
THE TREE OF GOOD AND EVIL
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents the source of moral order (the standard of right and wrong behavior) that is established by God as the source of pure goodness.
The Consequence of Original Sin
• Adam and Eve lost the friendship of God • Adam and Eve suffered illness and death
ORIGINAL SIN
• God gave Adam and Eve complete freedom in the Garden of Eden, except for one demand: - they were forbidden to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
Redemption Conclusion
• God made Adam and Eve out of love, gave them a world to watch over, and invited them to share in his friendship—all of which came to an end when they disobeyed him • The stain of Original Sin we inherit from them leaves each person with a wounded nature Though Adam and Eve had disobeyed God, God did not abandon them; instead, God introduced a new and marvelous plan of redemption to restore the friendship they had lost
Sin and Humanity's Need for Redemption
• God responded to Adam and Eve's fall by promising to send a Redeemer - His plan of redemption culminated in the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus • Christ came to redeem every human being • The ultimate reason for redemption is to make it possible for us to be restored to the divine life
God creates the marriage bond, so every marriage is permanent, lifelong, and indissoluble
• Human sexuality expresses the unity and fruitfulness of marriage - Marriage unites one man and one woman in a communion of physical and spiritual love - God invites husbands and wives to share in his creative power by begetting and rearing children • Husbands and wives imitate God through self-sacrifice and bringing about new life
The Trinity
• Then God commands them, " Be fruitful and multiply " (Gen 1:28). God commanded them to love as He loves, which is with an eternal exchange of love and life. (Father, Son and Holy
After the Fall, the Original Innocence and Holiness of Humanity is No More Humanity now has:
• intellect is darkened • will is weakened • passions are disordered - Concupiscence - tendency to sin as the mind and will lost their control over the emotions and passions In a sense, the whole human race is enslaved in sin and is in need of redemption.
Temptation
∗ Serpent encouraged Adam and Eve to question God's authority. ∗ Satan wanted the first man and woman to believe that God was holding them back from having everything they desired and that following God's "rules" would take away their "freedom" to be "happy". ∗ Satan wanted them to believe that they were equal to God and therefore, should have the freedom to decide right and wrong behavior for themselves
Marriage is God's Plan
○ God intended Marriage to be both unitive and procreative. ○ This is only possible through the complementary nature of the male and female human body which enabled the one flesh union ( sexual union) to become an outward expression of the inward mystery of God's life giving love. ○ As Church, it is our responsibility to protect God's divine plan for marriage, sex and family life. " Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate ." ○ He not only told His followers that marriage is a lifelong commitment , but also that no human authority can dissolve . (the sacrament of marriage is in-dissolvable in God's eyes)
The Body and Soul Can Not Be Separated Until Death
● A soul cannot die, although the body can and does because of sin. ● Both the human body and soul are sacred because they are made by God ● The Catholic Church allows for the possibility that man's body developed from previous biological forms, under God's guidance. The soul is created directly by God and infused into the human body and does not evolve.
Angels
● Exist to serve and glorify God and help carry out God's plan of salvation ● In Scripture Jesus refers to angels as messengers who are created to help and protect us ● Catholic Tradition says that each person has a guardian angel who accompanies him or her at every moment and can protect us from physical and moral harm.
Humanity's Original State BEFORE Sin
● God created humanity to share in His love and friendship. Adam and Eve's original state before sin was a state of holiness and justice. ● With the purest of intentions man and woman's only desire was to love as God loves; to be a sincere gift of self to others.
We are Created To Be In Communion With Others
● God takes a "rib" from man's side and creates woman. ● The "rib" taken from man indicates that woman comes from the very SAME substance as the man . ● In other words, in the eyes of God, men and women are EQUAL as persons created in the image of God.
With intellect and free will the human person has the ability to think before freely acting, only the human person has the ability to:
● Love as God loves ● Be responsible for our actions ● Reflect, repent and turn back to God (learn from mistakes)
God Made Them Male AND Female
● Men and women are both made in God's image and likeness and share an equal personal dignity ● Men and women are biologically different but complementary ○ Their reproductive difference complement each other for the purpose of marriage and bringing children into the world.
The Human Person (Body and Soul) Is The Summit of Creation
● No other part of creation is created in the image and likeness of God with a body and soul.
Satan and fallen Angels
● Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing." ● Scripture and Tradition reveal that Satan, or the Devil, was one of God's chief angels who rejected God's friendship and will. ● Satan and several other angels made the free and unchangeable choice to reject God. ● If an angel chooses to reject God, they can no longer repent and decide to turn back to God, just as there is no repentance for men after death. ● Jesus spoke of Satan in scripture. He called Satan "a murderer from the beginning," the "father of lies," the tempter, and the enemy who sows evil.
GOD IS BIGGER THAN THE BOGEYMAN
● The mission of Satan and his followers is to interfere with God's loving plan for his people ● God allows demons to tempt us in order to test our fidelity and manifest the merits of Christ ● Satan is powerful, but his power is as nothing compared to the saving power of God
The Human Immortal Soul
● The soul enables us to discover the secrets of created reality through the intellect ● The soul also allows every person to know, love, and serve God in this life and thus share in his friendship and love for eternity ● Thus, the human soul is the key component that gives each person his or her exalted dignity and reflects a spark of divine life
Image and Likeness of God
★ Created in the image of God, humanity is both spiritual (soul) and matter (body), which allows only humanity to have the ability to use reason (intellect) and free will. This sets humanity apart from the rest of Creation. ★ While a person's biological nature comes from his or her parents, the soul is created and infused directly by God immediately upon conception. " the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. " (Gen. 2:7; CCC 362).
Is There a Need For Sex In Heaven?
★ The earthly union of man and woman in marriage is meant to give us an image to understand our union (marriage) to Christ in Heaven! ★ Once in heaven the unity that sexual relations bring us here on earth will no longer be needed because we have reached our purpose and fulfillment in heaven where all things are brought to completion.
