R210A Spiritual Formation Revelation and Scripture Lawrence Pascual IPM.

R210ASpiritual Formation

Revelation and Scripture Lawrence PascualIPM

Outline

1. Questions2. Part 1: Revelation3. Part 2: Scripture 4. Part 3: Scripture Reading

Points

Point/Goal

Understanding that we are called and gifted by the Trinitarian God, let us consider how he speaks to us: Revelation and Scripture.

Objectives

Understanding Revelation The Role of Scripture Catholic Reading of the Bible

Part 1

Understanding Revelation Definition Catholic Application Implications

Faith and Revelation

Faith: a gift by which we accept of God’s self-communication: Christ

Revelation: a gift of God’s self-communication fully realized in and through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit

Revelation

Latin: revelatio Greek: apocalypsis Literally: to unveil, or uncover

remove the veil as in marriage. Dis-closure

God’s self-communication

Revelation (CCC 50)

“By natural reasons man can know God with certainty, on the basis of his works. But there is another order of knowledge, which man cannot possibly arrive at by his own powers: the order of divine Revelation…”

Revelation (CCC 50)

“Through an utterly free decision, God has revealed himself and give himself to man. This he does by revealing the mystery, his plan of loving goodness, formed from all eternity in Christ, for the benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by sending us his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.”

1 John 4:9-10

“…God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and his Son as expiation for our sins.”

Deus Caritas Est, 17

”[God] loves us, he makes us see and experience his love, and since he has ‘loved us first’, love can also blossom as a response within us.”

Revelation

In terms of communication Everyone can come to knowledge

about God naturally Revelation is fulfilled in Christ By love, God freely chooses to

reveal

Faith and Revelation

God loved us first, we respond with love

God self-communicates love, we respond with faith: the acceptance of God’s love

Approach to understanding

There have been various “answers” to the dilemma about Revelation.

Cardinal Avery Dulles, SJ, gives us a nice summary…

Theology has a Sociology

In Models of Revelation, Cardinal Avery Dulles, SJ, identifies five basic models of understanding Revelation.

Natural

“For what can be known about God is evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.” (Rom 1:19-20)

History

Miraculous or self-evident historical events E.g., the Exodus, parting of the Red

Sea God intervenes in natural order

through deed (historic event) and word (scripture)

Propositional

Communication of truths, which are then formulated in explicit propositions

E.g., “Jesus is the Good Shepherd” “Jesus takes care of his followers as a

faithful shepherd takes care of his sheep”

Doctrines

Similarities of the Models

Revelation is God’s free action whereby he communicates saving truth to humankind, especially through Jesus Christ as accepted by the apostolic Church As witnessed by the Bible As witnessed by the continuing

community of believers.

Theology has a Sociology

In his innovation, he proposes the understanding of revelation as “symbolic mediation.”

Symbolic Mediation

We do not encounter God directly (since God is transcendent)

Revelation mediated by some experience in the world, person, event, story, or natural phenomenon

Thesis Revelation never occurs in a purely

interior experience or an unmediated encounter with God.

It is always mediated through symbol

I. The Meaning of Symbol Symbol as an externally perceived

sign that works mysteriously on the human consciousness so as to suggest more than it can clearly describe or define.

Not just an Indicator (sign)

Symbol It is a special type of sign Allow us to bring indefinite number of

memories and experiences into a kind of focus

Requires full, conscious and active participation

Symbol Defined

A sign pregnant with a plenitude of meaning which is evoked rather than explicitly stated.

Note about Symbol

This isn’t “fictitious representation.” Most people think FAKE, but NOT in academic/theological understanding.

Don’t restrict it to “literary understanding.” Natural objects, historical persons, visible

artifacts and dreams can all be symbols.

Common Properties of Symbolism and Revelation

Symbol: Gives participatory knowledge Has a transforming effect Powerful influence on commitment

and behavior Introduces us into realms of

awareness not normally accessible to general communication

Participatory Knowledge A symbol speaks to us only

insofar as it lures us to situate ourselves mentally within the universe of meaning and value which it opens up to us.

(Makes you stop and think, even wrestle with the symbol)

Transforming Effect

Occurs insofar that it involves the knower.

It does something to us when we engage it.

“Wow, that’s deep...”

Powerful Influence to commitments and behavior

Stirs the imagination, releases hidden energies in the soul, gives strength and stability to the personality.

E.g. A National Flag or anthem

A New awareness

It gives rise to thought. “Opens up levels of

reality which otherwise are closed to us” –Paul Tillich

Revelation does these 4 things

1. Gives participatory knowledge 2. Has a transforming effect3. Powerful influence on commitment

and behavior4. Introduces us into realms of

awareness not normally accessible to general communication

Participatory Knowledge

To accept the Christian revelation is to involve oneself in a community of faith and thus to share in the way of life marked out by Jesus.

Transforming Effect

Christians come to perceive themselves as personally related to God.

Adopted members of God’s family and household.

Powerful Influence to commitments and behavior

The response to Revelation (faith) must express itself in conduct.

FAITH IN ACTION.

A New awareness

Revelation obviously gives insight into mysteries that reason alone cannot make sense of.

It’s still intelligible nonetheless.

Examples of Christian Symbolism

Point and Summary

The best way of understanding the concept of revelation is by “symbolic mediation.” It makes use of the strengths of each

model and overcomes their weaknesses. Symbol can be understood as “a

visible sign of an invisible reality.” Sound familiar?

Reflection

Communication theorists tend to say that “communication is symbolic.”

Experts say that in our communication: 10% is in actual words 30% is in sounds 60% is in the nonverbal

How is all of this insightful for our faith?

PART 2

SCRIPTURE Vocab Observations Readings Discussion Theology has a sociology

Question

How would we connect our understanding of Revelation and Bible?

Vocab Overview Inspiration Tradition Scripture

Inspiration

Latin: Inspirare Literally: “to breathe in” How we understand “inspiration”

will affect how we understand Scripture.

Inspiration of Scripture

“…all Scripture is inspired by God, and is useful for righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (Tim 3:16-17)

USCCB p. 32 (cont.)

The Sacred Scripture is inspired by God and truly contains the Word of God. This action of God is referred to as Inspiration.

(CCC 105, 107; DV 11)

God is the author of Sacred Scripture, inspiring the human authors, acting in and through them. Thus God ensured that the authors taught divine and saving truth without error.

Dei Verbum, 12

“In determining the intention of the sacred writers, attention must be paid to ‘literary forms for the fact is that truth is differently presented and expressed in the various types of historical writing, in prophetical and poetical texts’ and in other literary expression.”

Biblical interpretation

Bible was written by and for real people, living in specific historical contexts, to address particular individual and community needs

“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose” (William Shakespeare, The Merchant

of Venice)


Attention to Context E.g., “Fire!” Do you read a newspaper the same

way you read a magazine? A novel and textbook? Song and dictionary?


A text without context is pretext We would be “reading into the text” Taking out context

“Jesus saves. I wonder where he shops.”


Literal/Fundamentalist Historical and Literary Critical

Historical Social Political Cultural Literary

Which Method?

The “Literal” Method has been altogether rejected.

Pope Pius XII approves the Historical-Critical Method. Divino afflante Spiritu (1943)

BIBLE INTERPRETATIONA Concise History and Teaching of Catholic

Catholic History of Interpretation

0 500 1500 1800 1960 present

Fundamentalist

Historical -Critical

Hermeneutical

1600sFrench ScholarRichard Simon

Divino Afflante SpirituPope Pius XII

1944

The RPBC1964

DeiVerbum

1965

1970s“New” Biblical

Movement

Trent

Primary Sources of Teaching

Divino Afflante Spiritu (Pius XII, ‘44)

Roman Pontifical Biblical Commission (‘64)

Dei Verbum (Vatican II, ‘65)

Divino Afflante Spiritu (Encyclical by Pope Pius XII in 1944) Within the Bible, there are

different “forms”. It may be said that it’s a library of Israel and of the Church. (35-39)

Hence, aside from the ‘historical writings’ there is also poetry, drama, epic, parable, preaching etc.

The Roman Pontifical Biblical Commission (Under Pope Paul VI in 1964)

While the Gospels are substantially historical, they are not literally historical in every word and detail. (111-15)


For the truth of the story is not at all affected by the fact that the Evangelists relate the words and deeds of the Lord in a different order, and express his sayings not literally but differently, while preserving (their) sense.


X. Unless the exegete pays attention to all these things which pertain to the origin and composition of the Gospels and makes proper use of all the laudable achievements of recent research, he will not fulfill his task of probing into what the sacred writers intended and what they really said.

PBC, 1964 and 1993

Fundamentalism confuses the words of Scripture as the actual words and precise deeds of Jesus. This method does not account for the stages of Gospel development.

The Three Stages of Gospel Development

RPBC, 1964See Raymond E. Brown’s

Biblical Exegesis and Church Doctrine

The First Stage

Jesus himself spoke and acted in the context of his own place and time. He was a Palestenian Jew living two

thousand years ago.

The Second Stage The Apostles (Jews) adapted Jesus’

message to the people (Jews-Greeks) of their time Second Third of the First century (30-60AD) Translation into another language (Greek) An effort to make sense in other circumstances

(large cities of Roman Empire) They brought to the memories (of what

Jesus had said and done) the transforming enlightenment of their post-resurrectional faith in Jesus.

The Third Stage From the preaching the writers (or

evangelists) selected stories and saying that fitted their purpose in presenting Jesus to audiences of their time.

50AD-110AD Were not written simply as records

to aid remembrance, but written as encouragement to belief and life.

Dei Verbum (Vatican II, 1965)

Used RPBC as its guide Discussed Transmission of

Revelation Way of Reading Scripture

Point of Part 2

Applying “The symbolic understanding” of revelation in light of “theology has a sociology”, we ought to understand that the Word of God is not the Bible itself, but the message that it portrays.

In other words

Scripture is the word of God in the words of men. It is symbolically mediated. Scripture is inspired, but with the

limits of human words derived from a particular time and place.

Three Considerations when Reading Scripture

The Author The Text YOU, the Reader

The Gospels

Aren’t historical biographies of Jesus as we understand them today.

First and foremost, they’re theological reflections intended to strengthen the faith of their particular audiences.

The Gospels (Cont.)

A helpful way of understanding the design of the Gospels is the concept of Mugshots Portraits

The Mugshot

All you get are “facts” and “details” about the person.

The Portrait

Designed to illustrate an aspect or reality of their character. (Symbolic)

Point

First and foremost, the Gospels were written as “theological portraits” about Jesus.

Theological Portraits of Jesus

Mark: The Suffering Servant Matthew: The New Moses Luke: The Universal Messiah/Savior John: God in the Flesh

Is it correct to say that the Gospels are NOT historical? NO! They are historical in the truest

sense in that they are based on an actual Jesus of Nazareth.

This is different from measuring the Gospels to our modern standards of history.

Remember, theology has a sociology: These are Gospels written 2000 years ago throughout the Roman Empire.

Not knowing “exactly” what Jesus said

Though it would be nice… Even his own disciples didn’t get it.

Academic opinion always changes (as it should be)

Application:Symbolic Mediation

It honors historical inquiry and biblical studies of the person of Jesus

Doesn’t dwell on literal words Yet, allows the Gospels to speak to

us as Jesus did: symbolically. Gospels clearly illustrate that.

Reflection Questions

What is both consoling and challenging about the way God has chosen to transmit his Revelation?

How does the Church help you to understand the Bible?

Why might you say it makes perfect sense for Jesus to commission followers to carry on his saving vision? How do leaders of the Catholic Church continue the vision of Jesus in our times?

Part 3: The Catholic reading of the Bible

PERFECT PLACE TO STOP PERFECT PLACE TO STOP

Short on time? Restless students?Short on time? Restless students?

Gospel Summaries

Gospel of Mark

Written sometime between 60-75 Tradition: Mark, follower and

‘interpreter’ of Peter. Identified as John Mark of Acts

Rome, where Christians were persecuted by Nero. Other places suggested.

Clearly writes to a community that experienced persecution and failure.

Gospel of Matthew

Written 80-90, give or take a decade Tradition: Matthew, a tax collector

among the Twelve. Wrote either the Gospel or a collection of the Lord’s sayings.

Antioch Region A Jewish-Christian Community with

clear tensions with the Orthodox Jews

Gospel of Luke

85, Give or take five to ten years Tradition: Luke, a physician, the

fellow worker and traveling companion of Paul.

Possibly Greece or Syria Gentile-Christian communities

affected by Paul’s mission

Gospel of John

80-110. Tradition: John, son of Zebedee,

one of the Twelve. The Beloved Disciple is not John. Likely the Ephesus area. Writing to a “Johannine”

community.

Where or where?

Mk:Rome

Mt:Antioch

Lk:Greece

Jn:Ephesus

Stuff to be aware of…

Why? Because the average Catholic High

School student is going over this material in their theology courses

Observation

Matthew, Mark and Luke The Synoptic Gospels Called this because they’re identical

Why?

Marcan Priority Note: A Theory, but widely accepted Shortest of the Gospels Mk has the most basic Greek Mt and Lk agree in their chronology

only when they agree w/ Mk Documents in the ancient

Mediterranean were normally expanded upon, not shortened.

Observations

MattLukeMark

John

243L243

MarkMark

Observations (another step)

MMatt Luke

“Quelle”

The THEORETICAL source of Jesus’ sayings.

Quelle means SOURCE in German “Q” for short

How Mt and Lk were written

Mark

LMQQ

Mark

Matt Luke

Implications of “Q”

Simply tells us that there was a Christian community solely interested in the sayings and teachings of Jesus.

Note, that this does not discount the other sayings of Jesus in the New Testament.

Other implications of Marcan Priority

The method of “redaction criticism” (a tool of historical-critical) becomes a useful tool for Bible interpretation.

The method looks at Matthew and Luke changed from the version of Mark.

In other words…

How does the changes of Matthew and Luke affect the narrative? This method is widely used and has

revealed a lot of insight about Matthew and Luke’s theological views (and intentions).

Example:

Read the Baptism story of Mark, Matthew and Luke.

What is the difference of the three? What did Mt/Lk do? What was the affect of the story?

The Letters of Paul

Written before the Gospels The earliest: 1 Thess

around 50 AD The latest: Romans

Around 57-58 AD

More stuff to be aware of… Historical scholarship has debated over

the letters of Paul, whether he wrote them or not.

Of those he did not write, the author apparently attributes to Paul (as inspired).

This was commonly accepted to be genuine authorship in the ancient world (theology has a sociology).

The Letters of Paul

UNDISPUTED AUTHORSHIP

1 Thessalonians Galatians Philippians Philemon 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Romans

POSSIBLY PSEUDONYMOUS

2 Thessalonians Colossians Ephesians Titus 1 Timothy 2 Timothy

Nevertheless…

The “letters of Paul” are accepted in the canon because of the sensus fidelium or the “sense of the faithful.” (CCC 904)

The Canon of Scripture is the library of the Church that reflects important aspects of the community. Esp. Faith and Morals.

Fascinating observations

Paul’s letters appear more “organized” as they chronologically progress. Romans (considered his last epistle) is

more theologically systematic than Thess (his first epistle)

Paul’s apocalyptic expectation tends to decrease as letters chronologically progress.

Travels of Paul

AD 36 Conversion to Christ

Damascus

Jerusalem

39 Visit to Jerusalem40-44 In Cicilia44-45 At Antioch

Antioch

Cicilia (area)

First Missionary JourneyPaul (46-49)

Derbe

Perga

Attalia

Paphos

Antioch

Antioch

Cyprus

Salamis

49 AD Council of Jerusalem

Second Missionary JourneyPaul (50-52)

Derbe

Philippi

Athens

Jerusalem

Antioch

Antioch

Caesaria

Thessalonica

CorinthEphesus

1 Thessalonians

Third Missionary JourneyPaul (54-58)

58-60 Arrested in JerusalemImprisoned in Caesarea60-61 Sent to Rome61-63 Prisoner in Rome64 DEATH

Jerusalem

Ephesus

GalatiansPhilippiansPhilemon1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansRomans

Derbe

Philippi

Athens

Antioch

Antioch

Caesaria

Corinth

ThessalonicaPaul’s 3-year stay at Ephesus[imprisoned?]

Exercise

Go over Synoptic comparison of “Q” Jesus’ Baptism Introduction of the Gospels

R210A Spiritual Formation Revelation and Scripture Lawrence Pascual IPM.

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