Introducing the Bible

Christianity: An Introduction

The Bible: Origin of the Term “The Bible” – a collection of

writings La biblia – “the books” (Plural)

“Sacred Scripture”, “Holy Scripture”

Old Testament and New Testament Old Testament: written in Hebrew

(small sections in Aramaic), 39 or 46 books

New Testament: written in Greek, 27 books

Old Testament Overview

Five books of Law – also called the five books of Moses, Pentateuch, “scrolls”, Torah. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,

Deuteonomy Show how people came to be up until

entry to promised land Historical books –

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther

History of the people of God from entry to promised land until Babylonian Exile

Old Testament Overview

The Prophets – writings of a group of individuals, inspired by the Holy Spirit, who made God’s will known to people over a period of time

Wisdom Writings – (Often grouped with the historical books) Apocrypha – 7 books in dispute Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes; deal

with questions about how wisdom may be found

New Testament Overview

New Testament – importance to Christians, as it sets out the basic events and beliefs of the Christian gospel

Written in Greek Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke

John – “good news” – describe life of Jesus Christ, reaching climax in the resurrection Synoptic Gospels – Matthew,

Mark, Luke

New Testament Overview

Letters/Epistles – teach about Christian beliefs and behaviors Pastoral Letters –

letters to Timothy, to Titus

History book – Acts of the Apostles

Revelation – theological vision at the end of history

Continuity between Old and New Testaments

“Old Testament” and “New Testament”: Christian Theological terms The “Old” Law, prophets, writings: Torah,

Neviim, Kethuvim: T + N + K = Tanakh The “New”: Coming of Christ What do you think of using “Old?”

Two options: treat Tanakh as something unrelated to Christianity, or show continuity? Marcion – Christ was there to depose the old

testament; was the Gnostic demigurge Augustine of Hippo – “The New Testament

lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the new”

Continuity between Old and New Testaments

Matthew’s Gospel constantly brings continuity between Jesus and Moses; Paul’s letters trace lineage to Abraham

God of Israel is the God of the Christians Old Testament institutions:

prophecy, priesthood, monarchy Jesus’ identity: Priest, prophet,

king▪ How are these fulfilled?

Contents of the Bible

Christian Bible – 66/73 books; what is called “Scripture?”

Process – “fixing of the canon” Greek kanon – “a rule” or “a

fixed reference point” Luke – Canonical Thomas – “extra canonical”

Paul: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness

Contents of the Bible

Early Christian writers – Justin the Martyr, for example: to be treated with equal authority

2nd century: Irenaeus: writings show by then there were four accepted Gospels, and Acts of the Apostles and Letters had status of Scripture

Clement of Alexandria: recognized four gospels, Acts, fourteen letters of Paul, and Revelation; alongside “law and the prophets” were the “evangelical and apostolic writings” which were to be treated with authority

Contents of the Bible

367 – Athanasius – circulated a letter which identified the 27 books of the New Testament; consensus fidelium “consensus of the faithful”– was important

Three criteria of evaluation to see if a writing was canonical: Apostolic origins or connections;

attributed to or based up one of the first generation Apostles

To what extend had they secured general acceptance within Christian communities throughout the world?

The extent it could be used liturgically

Athanasius

Contents of the Bible

This process was not always easy or straightforward

Other items were seen as “regarded with favor” but not included: First letter of Bishop

Clement Didache

Basic principle: recognition, not imposition

Contents of the Bible

The Reformation: New questions about Scripture

Martin Luther – caused doubt concerning four letters in the New Testament and seven in the Old Testament

Distinction drawn: Old Testament/Apocrypha – Seven books appeared in Greek and Latin Bibles but not some Hebrew Bibles

Council of Trent (1546) – these are regarded as scriptural; some Protestant groups dismissed them

Translation of the Bible

Written in Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, classical languages In Islam, the Qur’an stays in Arabic

Vulgate – Jerome - Latin Protestant reformers Luther & Calvin

demanded access to all through the Bible being in everyday language

14th Century – John Wycliffe – “champion of Bible translation” arguing English people had a right to read the Bible in their own language, rather than be forced to listen to Latin.

John Wycliffe

Translation of the Bible

Early translations to English – from the Vulgate

Erasmus of Rotterdam “Do penance the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” “Repent, the Kingdom of heaven is at hand”

Luther – people had the right to read and interpret the Bible Translated it to German himself

William Tyndale – compiled first English translation anonymously in Coverdale Bible

1624: James I – commissioned a new translation, published in 1611, “King James Version”

King James Version

Translation of the Bible

Today, the translation is much different. For this we say until you by

the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For those translators, “prevent” means “precede”

Interpretation of the Bible Hermeneutics – (Greek “to

understand”) – method of biblical interpretation

Philo of Alexandria – Alexandrian school of thought: allowed literal interpretation supplemented by allegory Deeper meaning was needed

Eisegesis – interpreter reads any meaning he or she likes into the text

Philo of Alexandria

Interpretation of the Bible

Antiochene school: (Diodore, John Crysostom, Theodore) historical location of Old Testament prophecies important; specific message relevant to those whom it was directly addressed; developed meaning for Christian readership

Western Church: Ambrose of Milan: threefold approach: Natural sense Moral sense Rational/theological sense

Ambrose of Milan

Interpretation of the Bible Augustine : two-fold approach

Literal-fleshly-historical approach Allegorical-mystical-spiritual approach▪ Sometimes both fit; Jerusalem: earthy city,

heavenly city; others both A purely historical approach is

unacceptable; it must be a spiritual interpretation Old Testament not abolished in Christ,

but Christ opens up concealed truth

Augustine

Interpretation of the Bible: The Quadriga

Middle Ages: Fourfold sense of Scripture or the “Quadriga”:

1. The literal sense of Scripture; all is taken at face value2. The allegorical sense of Scripture; interpreted certain

passages to produce ethical guidance for Christian conduct.

3. The tropological or moral sense; interpreted passages provide ethical guidance for Christian conduct

4. The anagogical sense; interpreted passages to indicate the grounds of Christian hope, pointing towards the future fulfillment of the divine promises in the New Jerusalem

Interpretation of the Bible: Allegorical Interpretation

Bernard of Clairvaux: Song of Songs

“Beams of our houses are of cedar, and our panels are of cypress” Houses: mass of the Christian

people, bound together with those of power and dignity.

Panels – firmly attached; the ordered lives of a proper clergy and administration of Church

Interpretation of the Bible

Potential weakness: idea that nothing should be believed if not literal

Luther: “In the Scriptures no allegory, tropology, or anagogy is valid, unless that same truth is explicitly stated literally somewhere else. Otherwise, Scripture would be a laughing matter”

Interpretation of the Bible Universities tended to use the Quadriga

method Erasmus of Rotterdam: “Handbook for the

Christian Soldier”: surface meaning of the text often conceals a deeper hidden meaning, which it is the task of the enlightened and responsible exegete to uncover.

Huldrych Zwingli- early Swiss Protestant reformers: interpreter is to establish “natural sense” of Scripture, not always the literal sense. Make sue of various figures of speech:

alloiosis, catachresis, and synecdoche Christ with bread: “This is my body”

Erasmus of Rotterdam

Devotional Reading of the Bible: Christian Spirituality

Bible can be read as a historical document for people looking to learn about the time around King Solomon

A sourcebook of Christian ideas Also – spiritual refreshment

Spirituality – Hebrew ruach – “spirit” – the live of faith and what drives and motivated; lived religious experience

To achieve and sustain a relationship with God, many Christians turn to the Bible

Devotional Reading of the Bible: Medieval Conceptions

Carthusian writer Guigo II: four processes of discernment:1. Reading (lectio)2. Meditation (meditatio)3. Prayer (oratio)4. Contemplation (contemplatio)

People encounter God in this way and with these ideas: Reading without meditation is sterile Meditation without reading is prone to error Prayer without meditation is lukewarm Meditation without prayer is barren Prayer with devotion achieves contemplation

Guigo II

Medieval Conceptions

Geert Zerbolt van Zutphen: early mater of the devotio moderna – Reading of scripture prepares the reader for

meditation; meditation prepares the reader for prayer; prayer prepares the reader for contemplation

Ignatius of Loyola: imaginative engagement: imagine one’s self within the Biblical narrative First exercise: “When the contemplation is on

something that is visible…the image will consist of seeing with the mind’s eye the physical place where the object we wish to contemplate is present

Ludwig of Saxony – Life of Christ: “recount things according to certain imaginative representations”

Ignatius of Loyola

Protestant Spirituality

Protestant Reformation – 16th century – “rediscovery of the Bible” with new accessibility to laity Invention of printing press helped accelerate the

reformation Three literary resources made available by

reformers: Biblical Commentary – Calvin, Luther, Zwingli had

readers academic and lay Expository Sermon – Continuous preaching –

Calvin is known for 200 sermons on the book of Deuteronomy alone

Works of Biblical Theology – Calvin Institutes of the Christian Religion – allowed readers to gain a new appreciation

Calvin

Protestant Spirituality

Martin Luther: “A Simple Way to Pray” – written for his barber; an approach to prayer based on reading of biblical passes such as the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments

Only a framework and must not obstruct the Holy Spirit; four basic elements: Instruction – Need to trust God’s word Thanksgiving – Thanks for all God has done Confession- Acknowledge own failings and

weakness Prayer – Composes a prayer weaving these

together

Martin Luther

Protestant Spirituality

Charles Haddon Spurgeon – 19th century preacher – danger of an excessively technical approach to reading the Bible could be met by an emphasis upon meditation Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Biblical Themes and Imagery

Biblical themes and imagery are used in Christian spirituality: How has the image

been used? Sample theme:

darkness

Biblical Themes and Imagery: Darkness

In Scripture, God creates light and the universe becomes a dramatically different place “The people who walked in darkness

will see a great light” Jesus is the “light of the world”

God’s presence is also seen as darkness: Moses approaches God through

darkness and cloud: the human inability to understand God

Paul: “seeing through a glass darkly”

Biblical Themes and Imagery: Darkness

“Darkness”: illuminates the human situation and encourages action leading to its improvement or spiritual development

1. Darkness as doubt2. Darkness as symbol of sin.3. Darkness as a symbol of

divine unknowabilitySong of Songs: lovers “meeting in the darkness”

John of the Cross:“Dark wood” of the

cross