In The Beginning…THE SALVATION STORY BEGINS

Opening PrayerCome Gracious Spirit,

Heavenly Dove,With light and comfort from above.Be Thou our Guardian, Thou our Guide,Stay close, by every child's side. Amen!

Pentateuch “five books”

“divine teachings”

• Torah

• the Law

TimelineCr

eatio

n

The Church

70 A

D1900-1300 BCPatriarchal

Period

3000-2000 BCPrimeval History

1300

-125

0 B

CT

he E

xodu

s &

Law

Truth1. God designed and

created all things.2. God created us like

Himself to be in relationship with Him.

3. God gives us all of creation and Himself in

order for us to have true life and freedom with

Him

Who are we, why are we, what is our purpose?

Slavery become freedom through relationship with God

What does that relationship entail?

Who is involved in the relationship?

The reminders we need in order to remain in relationship with God

Reading the Bible(http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/should-we-read-the-bible-literally-or-symbolically )

“Sometimes I don't know what to think about the Bible. Should we take it literally or symbolically? “It depends on the intent of the particular biblical author:

If he intended what he wrote to be taken literally, then we should take it literally. If he meant for it to be taken symbolically, then that's how we should take it.

Some things in the Bible, such as the parables of Jesus, are clearly symbolic, but what about other things, such as Christ's words about the Eucharist? Are they to be taken literally or symbolically? Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, many Lutherans, and many Anglicans take them literally. Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, and other Protestants do not.

Who decides?Scripture Scholars?

Because of the possibility (and frequency) of such scholarly impasses, the Catholic Church insists that Christ established the magisterium--the teaching authority of the Church--to propound biblical truth infallibly. The authentic explanation of the biblical message has been left neither to our own meager interpretive abilities, nor to the greater, yet still finite, exegetical skills of scholars, but has been safeguarded by God himself.