OTHCC Chapter 102: items 2021

The Old Testament in the Heart of the Catholic Church < All Chapters

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Babel shows that

a.   the achievements of a society that has turned from God are not real.
b.   an impressive society with real achievements is faithful to God.
c.   an impressive society with real achievements may not be faithful to God.

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Babel shows that

a.   the unity of a society that has turned from God is not real.
b.   an impressive society with real unity is faithful to God.
c.   an impressive society with real unity may not be faithful to God.

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The bishop of Rome (the Pope) and Catholic bishops in union with him have the absolutely unique ability to give man what he needs to study the truth of the Bible (for instance, when they tell us that Marcion's ideas are wrong) ONLY because

a.   bishops are much smarter and better educated than anyone else.
b.   bishops are much more spiritually enlightened than anyone else.
c.   Christ protects his Church in and through the sacrament of Holy Orders.

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Calling the Bible ''inspired'' means that the human beings who wrote the words of the Bible

a.   had divine insight into human nature.
b.   were brilliant beyond the ability of other men.
c.   wrote whatever God wanted written, and no more.

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Calling the Bible ''inspired'' means that

a.   God is the Person who wrote the actual words in the Bible.
b.   the human authors of the Bible are not true authors of the Bible.
c.   the human authors of the Bible perfectly cooperated with God's intentions.

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When the Catholic Church says that the Bible is ''inspired,'' she does not mean that God simply dictated the words of the Bible to the human authors. The human authors of the Bible are ''true authors'' who used their own words and abilities, but perfectly cooperated with God's intentions by the power of the Holy Spirit. [CCC 106] When the Church calls the Bible inspired, she means that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, when we hear or read the Bible in faith, we with absolute certainty receive the person God intended us to receive - the real, true Word of God, Christ. <<

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The patriarchs are

a.   Abraham, his son Isaac, Isaac's son Jacob, and Jacob's twelve sons.
b.   Adam, his son Abel, Noah, his descendent Abraham, and Moses.
c.   Moses, his brother Aaron, and the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah.

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For the Catholic Church, the term ''prophets''

a.   has partly the same meaning as it has for Jews.
b.   has the opposite meaning as it has for Jews.
c.   has the same meaning as it has for Jews.

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CCC 702 makes a distinction between the meaning of the term ''Prophets'' as understood by Jewish tradition, and the ''prophets'' as understood by the faith of the Catholic Church:

''By 'prophets' the faith of the Church here understands all whom the Holy Spirit inspired in living proclamation and in the composition of the sacred books, both of the Old and the New Testaments. Jewish tradition distinguishes first the Law (the first five books or Pentateuch), then the Prophets (our historical and prophetic books) and finally the Writings (especially the wisdom literature, in particular the Psalms).'' <<

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By the faith of the Church, the term ''prophets'' includes

a.   only the inspired human authors of the Old Testament.
b.   only the inspired human authors of the Old and New Testaments.
c.   the inspired human authors of the Old and New Testaments.

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By the faith of the Church, the term ''prophets'' includes

a.   all those inspired by the Holy Spirit to proclaim God's word during both Old and New Testament times.
b.   all those inspired by the Holy Spirit to proclaim God's word in writing during both Old and New Testament times.
c.   only those inspired by the Holy Spirit to proclaim God's word during Old Testament times.

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In the Jewish tradition, ''the Prophets'' (capitalized) are particular writings in their Bible. (Remember that the Catholic Old Testament adds some writings specifically rejected by Jewish tradition as not part of their Bible, and so the Old Testament is almost but not quite the same writings as are contained in the Bible accepted by Jewish tradition). The following may help you see what Jewish tradition means by ''the Prophets.''

The three primary Jewish divisions of their scriptures:

The Law (Torah)
The Prophets
The Writings

''The Law'' (Torah):

The first five books in the Bible.
The Law is also known as ''Moses,'' or ''the book(s) of Moses,'' or the Pentateuch (PEN-ta-took) (''pentateuchos'' means ''composed of five books'' in Greek).

The Prophets:

Four writings in the Bible giving the history of the people of Israel after Moses's death (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings), along with the writings of prophets like Isaiah, etc.

The Writings:

Other books in the Bible, including Chronicles, but especially the wisdom literature of sayings, proverbs, etc., and in particular the Psalms. <<

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The patriarchs, the prophets of the Old Testament, and certain other Old Testament figures [CCC 61]

a.   have at times but not always been honored as saints in all the Catholic Church's liturgical traditions.
b.   have been and always will be honored as saints in all the Catholic Church's liturgical traditions.
c.   have never been and will never be honored as saints in all the Catholic Church's liturgical traditions.

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Read Ex 32:1-20. After being rescued from Egypt, the people

a.   made other gods to worship.
b.   waited patiently for the Lord.
c.   worshipped the Lord alone.

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The ''golden calf'' has become a symbol of all idolatrous worship. When people ''worship the golden calf,'' they have forsaken God in favor of something that seems powerful and alluring to them. <<

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Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || Tobit* Judith* Esther 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* Job

Psalms

Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah >> Malachi <<

The Old Testament books with a star * are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120], but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called ''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

You have reached the last item in this book. By the tradition of this book, the last item treats of the book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, and makes the very last word in the textbook a reference to Mal 1:11.

Many scholars place the book of Malachi as being written at a time of vast mediocrity. The Exile had ended and the Temple had been rebuilt, though not to its former splendor. Malachi very severely criticizes irreverent and indifferent worship in both priests and people, says that the priests have not been properly instructing the people, and criticizes marriage practices.

So: a far less splendid Temple, with far-from-splendid priests and people. Some scholars think that Malachi is even more outraged because so many priests and people seem to think that what they are doing is perfectly normal and OK. They don't even seem to understand that what they are doing is wrong. Malachi prophesies a day of judgment against Judah, with an eventual covenantal restoration by the LORD.

By tradition the book of Malachi is placed last in the Old Testament. Read the last verses of Malachi. Elijah will come to announce the day of the LORD. Here is what the Catholic Church professes about John the Baptist in CCC 718:

''John is 'Elijah [who] must come.' [Mt 17:10-13] The fire of the Spirit dwells in him and makes him the forerunner of the coming Lord. In John, the precursor, the Holy Spirit completes the work of '[making] ready a people prepared for the Lord.''' [Lk 1:17]

Read Mal 1:1-11. Now re-read Mal 1:11. The literal meaning of this verse (what the sacred author intended) is in dispute among scholars.

Whatever other meanings the passage has, the Catholic Church sees this prophecy of a universal sacrifice as fulfilled in the Sacrifice of the Mass. <<

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