ReEd

• The Bible today—a printed bound volume that we can hold in our hands—is relatively a modern development
• It grew out of Israel's experience of God's gradual revelation of Himself ― from His promise to Abraham to His personal appearance in Jesus of Nazareth.
• Its making is long and complex, so we speak of stages in its growth.
• A book has to pass certain standards to become canonical.
• Parts of the Old Testament

  • Torah
  • Historical books
  • Wisdom books
  • Prophetic books
• Parts of the New Testament

  • The Gospels
  • Historical book: Acts of the Apostles
  • Pauline Epistles
  • General Epistles
  • Revelation
• Micah: 'This is what the Lord asks of you, only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God'
• Jesus: 'Always treat others as you would like them to treat you: that is [the meaning of] the Law and the prophets'
• The Bible is not a book neatly planned by its human authors, nor did it come out as a single completed work printed for the Jewish people.
• Stage I: God’s Actual Revelation


  was God’s actual revelation of Himself in the history of His people. For instance, when he made His promise to Abraham, saved His people from slavery of Egypt, made a covenant with them in the desert, and helped them conquer the Promised land --- these were some of the concrete experiences that make up the beginning of the Bible.
• Stage II: Oral Stage


  The Jewish people naturally desired to communicate and preserve their memorable experiences with God. They had no plans though, of producing the Bible as we understand the term now. They simply communicated these experiences orally in prose, poetry, songs, sermons, epics and other forms of communication common to them.
• Stage II: Oral Stage


  This stage is the oral tradition of the Divine Revelation, the longest of all stages of scriptural development.
• Stage III: Writing and Editing


  The historical climate of this first writing venture is noteworthy. It was at this period when the country had reached the peak of its power.
• Accordingly, its first written records were about the existing court histories of the kingdom. Then came the tracing of the nation’s roots.
• “Kanon” (kanon) – a stick; measuring rod; the word implies “norms” or “standards”.
• Canonicity is the church's official declaration that a that is inspired, and is therefore a worthy basis of faith and morals.
• Criteria for Canonicity

  For the old testament:

  1. Adherence to the Torah (five books of Moses)
  2. Constant use in liturgy
  3. Language
  4. Recognized Sacred Scriptures are stored in the temple chests, available for public reading
• Five books of Moses, aslo known as the Torah

  1. Genesis
  2. Exodus
  3. Leviticus
  4. Numbers
  5. Deuteronomy
• 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
• Protestant Bible


  66 Books; 39 Books in the Old Testament and 27 Books in the New Testament
• Covenant between God and Israel mediated by Moses, that is, God’s covenant with Israel. This is predominantly Hebrew.
• Covenant between God and Humanity mediated by Jesus, that is fulfilled in His resurrection. This is predominantly Greek.
• 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.