Form 4 – Chapter 2

They had different traditions/writings in front of them.

It was the Holy Spirit who guided them to collect this material and formulate it in a way that reflected God’s message to humanity.

Because of this, the Bible’s message is relevant to all people of all times.

We can also call these writers ‘editors’.

In order to understand God’s message to humanity, we need to understand what the authors wanted to convey to us.

Seeing that in Sacred Scripture, God speaks through men in human fashion, it follows that the interpreter of sacred Scriptures, if he is to ascertain what God has wished to communicate to us, should carefully search out the meaning which the sacred writers really had in mind, that meaning which God has thought well to manifest through the medium of

their words (DV 12)

Seeing that in Sacred Scripture, God speaks through men in human fashion, it follows that the interpreter of sacred Scriptures, if he is to ascertain what God has wished to communicate to us, should carefully search out the meaning which the sacred writers really had in mind, that meaning which God has thought well to manifest through the medium of

their words (DV 12)

GreekGreek

HebrewHebrew

AramaicAramaic

To be able to understand what we find in the Bible, we need to pay attention to the

historical, geographical, social and cultural context in which they were

written

•The way the houses were built•The exile and the Prophet Isaiah

•The social status of Samaritans, lepers etc.

•The way the houses were built•The exile and the Prophet Isaiah

•The social status of Samaritans, lepers etc.

If we examine that which we find in the Bible, we find out that the author’s thoughts are expressed in particular

forms. E.g. To give us a precise report on what happened, he uses a journalistic style; to express

powerful emotions, he writes a poem...we can thus say that if one recognizes the style or literal form of the

book or part of it, one will be able to recognize both the author’s intention and the quality of truth which he

wants to convey through his writing

If we examine that which we find in the Bible, we find out that the author’s thoughts are expressed in particular

forms. E.g. To give us a precise report on what happened, he uses a journalistic style; to express

powerful emotions, he writes a poem...we can thus say that if one recognizes the style or literal form of the

book or part of it, one will be able to recognize both the author’s intention and the quality of truth which he

wants to convey through his writing

Find out these texts and write down their literal form:

1.Gen 2, 1-25 2.Mt 21, 28-31 3.Psalm 27

Other literal forms: historical romance (Tobit); legend; fictitious story with a lesson (Jonah); letter (St. Paul); etc. (Read pp. 37)

In order to be able to interpret well what the author had in mind, we have to look at each text in the context of

the whole book and not take the sentences out of their proper context. Moreover, we also have to read each

text bearing in mind the central message of the Bible – that reaches its

apex in Jesus Christ.

In order to be able to interpret well what the author had in mind, we have to look at each text in the context of

the whole book and not take the sentences out of their proper context. Moreover, we also have to read each

text bearing in mind the central message of the Bible – that reaches its

apex in Jesus Christ.

Żewġ karatteristiċi attribwiti lill-Iskrittura biss huma il-kanoniċità u l-ispirazzjoni.

Il-kanoni tal-kotba mqaddsa hi l-lista uffiċjali ta’ dawk il-kotba meqjusa bħala ispirati.

Il-kanoniċità hi prerogattiva tal-Knisja li tiddikjara dawn il-kotba bħala ispirati u tippreżentahom lill-komunità nisranija.

Għandna bżonn l-għajnuna tal-Knisja biex ngħarfu l-Kanoni tal-Kotba Mqaddsa u biex

inkunu nistgħu nifhmu sewwa l-Kotba Mqaddsa u naraw xi jfissru għal ħajjitna.

Huwa l-istess Spirtu tal-verità li nebbaħ il-kittieba tal-Bibbja li issa qiegħed fil-Knisja biex bil-ħajja kollha tagħha u bil-predikazzjoni tas-

suċċessuri tal-Appostli, iżżomm bil-fedeltà, tfisser u xxandar il-Kelma ta’ Alla mad-dinja. Ma nistgħux ninterpretaw sewwa l-Kelma ta’

Alla miktuba jekk mhux fid-dawl tat-tagħlim ħaj tal-Knisja (DV, 9-10)

Għandna bżonn l-għajnuna tal-Knisja biex ngħarfu l-Kanoni tal-Kotba Mqaddsa u biex

inkunu nistgħu nifhmu sewwa l-Kotba Mqaddsa u naraw xi jfissru għal ħajjitna.

Huwa l-istess Spirtu tal-verità li nebbaħ il-kittieba tal-Bibbja li issa qiegħed fil-Knisja biex bil-ħajja kollha tagħha u bil-predikazzjoni tas-

suċċessuri tal-Appostli, iżżomm bil-fedeltà, tfisser u xxandar il-Kelma ta’ Alla mad-dinja. Ma nistgħux ninterpretaw sewwa l-Kelma ta’

Alla miktuba jekk mhux fid-dawl tat-tagħlim ħaj tal-Knisja (DV, 9-10)