OTHCC Chapter 49: items 961 - 980

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

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When Catholics use the term ''Old Testament'' (or ''Old Covenant''), the word ''Old'' means

a.   used up, no longer in force.
b.   weakened and sick.
c.   what came before the New.

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In CCC 121 (Yes, you do have to look it up right now), the bishops teach plainly, so that no one can ever misunderstand again, that the Old Covenant

a.   ''had a temporary value.''
b.   ''has never been revoked.''
c.   ''has been revoked.''

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Something you have learned already about finding the meaning of the Bible is:

a.   anybody can read the Bible and decide for himself what it means, and the Holy Spirit will protect him from any serious mistakes.
b.   only stupid, uneducated people who never went to college make mistakes when they try to figure out what the Bible means.
c.   people have disagreed a lot about what the Bible means, even about whether the Old Testament belongs in the Bible.

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Modern biblical scholars think that many parts of the Bible were compiled from diverse oral and written traditions. This means that more than one tradition, perhaps even regarding similar or even identical subjects, was included in the Sacred Scriptures. At times, these diverse traditions were even placed near each other, even side by side, in the Bible. Read Gen 1:20-26, in which God plainly creates the animals before man. Now read, in the very next chapter, Gen 2:18-19, in which God plainly creates the animals after man and sees what man will name them.

It's a lot more complicated than this, but from this inconsistency, as well as many other technical considerations, modern biblical scholars conclude that

a.   the book of Genesis is unreliable and has no real meaning.
b.   the Catholic Church can not find the literal sense of Genesis.
c.   two separate traditions were placed side by side.

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Gen 1:20-26 states that God created the animals before man. Gen 2:18-19 states that God created the animals after man. Forget about the fact that, from time immemorial, there have been many other stories about the universe's origins, many of which flatly contradict the Bible's account. Here is plain evidence that the Bible flatly contradicts itself! So, what are you going to do about that?

a.   Leave the Catholic Church and stop receiving the sacraments.
b.   See that two traditions may have been placed side by side.
c.   Understand that absolutely everything is equally true.

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Somebody comes up to you and patiently explains that science, not a collection of moldy old stories from some pathetic desert tribe, will give us the answer to the origins of the universe. After thanking him (remember, the generic him) for his patience with you, you reply, ''I think you may be missing the point here.''

a.   ''Genesis is a collection of stories that can have any meaning you want.''
b.   ''God tells us that we can ignore scientific evidence if it's inconvenient.''
c.   ''Science may tell us what happened, but it can not tell us why.''

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OK. We have:

- a large number of contradictory accounts of the universe's origins.
- contradictory traditions of the universe's origins even in the Bible.

We would not have any strong reason to care about these contradictions except for one thing: we really do want to know the true meaning of existence. Man's questions about the origins of the universe are at root stimulated by his permanent and universal need to know the meaning of existence. Strictly speaking, the physical sciences can not help man with this question, because they can only study what happened, but not why. [CCC 284]

As many scientists themselves recognize, it is not a question of some sinister Vatican bureaucrat ''not allowing'' the physical sciences to study the meaning of existence. The physical sciences are set up purely to study what happens, not why. Forcing the physical sciences to study something else besides that is just bad science, like forcing a bicycle to be a boat - and it has similar consequences.

So, men permanently and universally ask questions like the following: ''Is the universe governed by chance, blind fate, anonymous necessity, or by a transcendent, intelligent and good Being called 'God'? And if the world does come from God's wisdom and goodness, why is there evil? Where does it come from? Who is responsible for it? Is there any liberation from it?'' [CCC 284]

Now here's a question for you. How can we sort any of this out - at least enough to be on the right track?

a.   Due to the fact that all truly intelligent people agree about the true meaning of existence, we know that a committee of very smart people with university degrees will find the true meaning of existence every time.
b.   Even though history shows that we do not necessarily find the true meaning of existence on our own, Christ himself continues to give man what he needs to study the true meaning of existence through the sacraments.
c.   Since people have been disagreeing about the true meaning of existence for thousands of years, we can't ever really be certain who is right when people disagree about the true meaning of existence.

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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.

Read Ecclesiastes, Eccl 3:1-8. Many scholars agree that the meaning of this famous poem is

a.   ''Both good and evil happen in an endless cycle beyond your control.''
b.   ''Do not worry excessively because there is time enough for everything.''
c.   ''Even if you feel bad now, rest assured that you will feel better later.''

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''Vanity of vanities'' is the Hebrew way of saying ''the greatest vanity of all.'' Read Eccl 1:1-11. Many scholars agree that the meaning of this passage is

a.   ''Both good and evil happen in an endless cycle beyond your control.''
b.   ''Do not worry excessively because there is time enough for everything.''
c.   ''Even if you feel bad now, rest assured that you will feel better later.''

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Read Eccl 3:10-11. Some scholars consider this the heart of Ecclesiastes's message. What might it mean?

a.   Both good and evil happen in an endless cycle beyond man's control.
b.   Man can see that his life has infinite meaning and value.
c.   There is a reason for man's life on earth, but only God can know it.

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Ecclesiastes proposes wisdom, pleasure, wealth, power, and honest toil as what give meaning to existence, but he says that he has learned that all of them are vanity and a striving after the wind. The sun shines just as much on the wicked as it does on the righteous, and in the end, death comes equally to all.

Read Eccl 12:1. God definitely has created all and is sustaining all. Read Eccl 11:9. Some scholars have said that ''judgment'' does not mean condemnation, but knowledge about the true meaning of existence, which God alone knows. Now read Eccl 3:12-13. This sentiment is repeated in various ways several times in Ecclesiastes.

Read Eccl 12:7-8. Despite his underlying faith that God knows what he's doing, Ecclesiastes says that man can not see beyond death, and so in the end whatever we do in life looks pointless. We all end up the same - dead.

In a sense, the Catholic Church also teaches that man can not see beyond death, but that something new has happened. Man now has a choice of deaths. The death of Jesus gives man a new ''death'' that he can choose instead of the death he would otherwise have to die. Man can be baptized and live in the death of Jesus the crucified and risen Lord, sharing with all the angels and saints in the eternal banquet of the sacrificed Lamb of God. >>

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This heavenly banquet, given in the blood of the new and everlasting covenant, in this life is made really present in the Eucharist. The Eucharist literally is a bit of heaven on earth, as the Fathers of the Church often noted. Every Eucharist is the effective sign of the meaning of life: we are meant to enjoy everlasting happiness in intimate union with God:

''God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church.''

''To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.'' [CCC 1]

Every Eucharist is the proof that Ecclesiastes lacked. Life is infinitely good and has infinite meaning in the blood of the Lamb. On the other hand, man really is created free. He really can move away from intimate union with Jesus, farther and farther away from the sacraments of his Catholic Church. A man can move more and more toward meaninglessness and genuine death, if that is what he really wants. <<

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Here is an account of when the Ark of the Covenant was brought from the ''tent of meeting'' (the Tabernacle) to the Temple that Solomon had built in Jerusalem. Read First Kings, 1 Kings 8. The prayer at the dedication of the Temple

a.   ignores God's promise and covenant.
b.   relies on God's promise and covenant.
c.   spurns God's promise and covenant.

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Read 1 Kings 8. The prayer at the dedication of the Temple

a.   ignores God's mighty deeds at the Exodus.
b.   recalls God's mighty deeds at the Exodus.
c.   rejects God's mighty deeds at the Exodus.

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In 1 Kings 8, the prayer at the dedication of the Temple is made by

a.   the high priest.
b.   the king.
c.   the people.

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In 1 Kings 8, the prayer at the dedication of the Temple is made

a.   not on behalf of the king, but of the entire people, and the generations to come.
b.   on behalf of the king and the entire people, but not the generations to come.
c.   on behalf of the king, the entire people, and the generations to come.

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In 1 Kings 8, the prayer at the dedication of the Temple is made

a.   for the forgiveness of sins and for daily needs.
b.   for the forgiveness of sins but not for daily needs.
c.   not for the forgiveness of sins but for daily needs.

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In 1 Kings 8, in the prayer at the dedication of the Temple, the Lord is asked to maintain the cause of his servant, Israel, so that

a.   all the nations can know God and Israel can remain faithful to him.
b.   all the nations can know God even if Israel can not remain faithful to him.
c.   Israel can remain faithful to him and defeat the nations who do not know God.

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The Temple is the place where God dwells on earth with his people. Our Lord referred to his own body as the temple, which would be destroyed, but raised up in three days. [John 2:18-22]

Secondly, by the power of the Holy Spirit, at Mass Jesus Christ is really present as the King who prays on behalf of his people, and as the High Priest who makes present the offering of his own body as a perfect sacrifice to the Father. [compare CCC 1367]

Thus the Church sees, in the prayer and sacrifices Solomon made to God at the Temple for and on behalf of the people, a type of the Mass and of Christ. <<

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People have often disagreed about what the Bible means. They still disagree about it. This shows that

a.   all men have the freedom to hear the Catholic Church, or to ignore her.
b.   the Bible means whatever you personally think it means.
c.   the Holy Spirit is no longer protecting the meaning of the Bible.

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copyright (c) 2001 John Kelleher. All rights reserved.
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