Understanding the Bible: Key Themes and Teachings
Understanding the Bible
UD 1: What is the Bible?
The Bible has 73 books, distributed between the Old (46) and New (27) Testaments. Various forms of expression, called genres, were used in its composition. The Bible is the book of the People of God, and its message of salvation can only be discovered within that community.
UD 2: Israel, the People of God
Israel’s identity comes from its claim to be God’s chosen people with whom God made a covenant. Its geographical and historical events, and their cultural expressions, are interpreted, experienced, and configured from this unique identity.
UD 3: Old Testament: Origin and Formation
The 46 books that constitute the Old Testament are very different in content, composition, and how they were written. Among them, the following books are noted for liturgical use and references in the New Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.
UD 4: God the Creator
The two accounts of Genesis that tell of the creation confess that God is the source of all that exists. Moreover, man appears as a unique creature, created in the image and likeness of God, with a dignity that comes from their special relationship with their creator.
UD 5: The Mystery of Evil, Pain, and Death
Man has perverted their relations with others, with the world, with himself, and with God. This situation, which causes pain, illness, guilt, and death, is not final. The saving will of God, who acts through Jesus Christ, the New Man, is stronger.
UD 6: The Promise, the Exodus, and the Alliance
These three events reveal God as someone who cares for his people, whom he calls and frees in establishing an Alliance. These people should respond to the commitment of his God, who is faithful to the Ten Commandments received, where they can find the freedom that their God wants for them.
UD 7: The Prophets, Sages, and Psalms
The prophet is a person called by God to proclaim His Word. The sage, meanwhile, is who, reflecting and meditating on the Word of God, offers practical advice for everyday life. Finally, the book of Psalms is essentially a book of prayer for God’s people.
UD 8: New Testament: Origin and Formation
The writings that make up the New Testament are very different in size, content, interest, etc. However, they all proclaim the confession of faith of the primitive community: Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, has risen.
UD 9: Israel in Jesus’ Time
In Jesus’ time, the vast majority of the inhabitants of Palestine, a region of the Roman Empire, barely survived. Their religious, cultural, and economic center was the temple of Jerusalem, where the High Priest had political power protected by the Empire. Several groups interpreted the law and the prophets in their own interests.
UD 10: The Person of Jesus Christ
In all the Gospel accounts, Jesus invites us today to meet the Lord Himself through the Holy Spirit. The Christian, to internalize the saving power of the mysteries of Christ’s life, reflects his life in the way of life and work of Jesus.
UD 11: The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
In the person of Jesus, the Kingdom of God has entered our history and will one day reach its fullness. The announcement of the coming of the Kingdom is a message of joy that concrete actions express salvation.
UD 12: The Host of the Kingdom: The Conversion
The conversion to the Kingdom of God that Jesus announces causes a new relationship with God, with men, and with things. In this new relationship, God is revealed as Father, the other becomes a brother, and a new value of personal property is established.
UD 13: The Death of Jesus
Jesus could foresee a violent death, but he lived his life in service of his mission, the will of his Father. In the death of Jesus, we can trace the bottomless love of God, who gave His son for us, and the union of Jesus Christ to every man on the cross, which recapitulates in himself the entire human species and reunited with God.
UD 14: The Resurrection of Jesus
By raising Jesus, God has exalted him from the most extreme humiliation to his participation in the exercise of the power of God, bringing the fullness of his love and service delivery. Therefore, the person, message, and the conduct of Jesus form the living standard by which the Lord will judge men.