Basic Scripture

8/17/2019 Basic Scripture

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BasicScripture

by the Rev. Fr. William Most


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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: A Revolution by Vatican II?Chapter 2: What is Inspiration - Which Books are Inspired?Chapter : A Revolution by !ius "II?Chapter #: $sin% the &enre Approach to de'end InerrancyChapter (: )o* to Interpret Inspired +criptureChapter ,: he 1.,# Instruction o' the Biblical Co//issionChapter 0: Which are the Inspired Books?Chapter : he !entateuchChapter .: he Book o' &enesisChapter 1: he Book o' 34odusChapter 11: he Books o' 5eviticus6 7u/bers6 and 8euterono/y

Chapter 12: he Books o' 9oshua6 9ud%es and RuthChapter 1: he Books o' +a/uel6 in%s6 Chronicles and 3;ra-7ehe/iahChapter 1#: he !ree4ilic !rophetsChapter 1(: 34ilic and !oste4ilic !rophetsChapter 1,: he !sal/sChapter 10: he Wisdo/ 5iteratureChapter 1: he Book o' 8anielChapter 1.: he *o Books o' s 3pistlesChapter 2#: he Catholic 3pistles and Revelation

Addenda: Course in'or/ation study @uestions and ans*ers


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Introduction

he ne* Catechis/ o' the Catholic Church is heavily +criptural6 and loaded*ith teachin%s o' the athers o' the Church= We are no* to be%in to /ake apreli/inary e4ploration o' that +criptural riches= )ence it is %ood 'or us to

open *ith a sketch o' *hat the Catechis/ says about +cripture and radition=

1= A desire 'or &od is *ritten into the heart o' /an: &od has /ade our heartstoo lar%e6 too de/andin%6 to be lled *ith anythin% less than )i/=

We be%in to kno* )i/ and thin%s about )i/ by reason= he Church teaches6*ithout endorsin% any particular set o' proo's6 that *e can by reason alonebe certain o' )is e4istence= And in seein% the /ani'old per'ections o' creatures6 *e can kno* that these per'ections e4ist in the hi%hest de%ree6and *ithout alloy6 in )i/=

2= 3ven thou%h *e can kno* )i/ so/e*hat by reason6 history sho*s thateven the best /inds /ake so /any errors in thinkin% about )i/= )ence )e%raciously has provided us *ith revelation about )i/sel'= )e revealed)i/sel' to our rst parents6 and ri%ht a'ter their sin6 )e li'ted up their hopeby the pro/ise o' a Redee/er in &enesis :1(= A'ter the delu%e6 )e /ade aper/anent covenant *ith all hu/ans= But soon )e be%an to prepare 'or a'uller revelation6 in choosin% Abraha/ and his descendants= But the 'ullrevelation o' )i/sel' ca/e in )is o*n +on= his does not /ean *e do nothave specic truths about that +on6 and about the ather= We do o' course=

Christ conded )is truths to the Apostles6 and co//issioned the/ to teach

others= +acred +cripture and +acred radition co/e 'ro/ the one source6 &od)i/sel'= he Church by teachin% and by its *orship6 perpetuates these truthsabout )i/ to every %eneration=

)e %ave to us6 )is people6 a *onder'ul sense to discern *hat is trulyrevealed6 so that i' the *hole Church6 people as *ell as authorities6 has everaccepted a thin% as revealed6 that belie' cannot be in error= )o*ever6 thetask o' %ivin% an authoritative and clear interpretation o' the /eanin% o' both +cripture and radition )e entrusted solely to the livin% teachin% oceo' the Church6 *hose authority is e4ercised in the na/e o' Christ=

In 'act6 it is only throu%h this Church that *e can kno* *ith certainty *hichbooks are inspired and contain )is revelation= here are #, sacred books o' the Dld esta/ent6 and 20 o' the 7e*= he central part o' these books is the&ospels6 'or they speak to us o' )is +on= hese sacred books contain *hat )e*illed us to have 'or our salvation= his does not /ean that other points /aybe in error in the/= 7o6 everythin% that is asserted by the +acred Writers isasserted by the )oly +pirit= We need the action o' that +pirit to 'ullyunderstand the deposit o' 'aith=


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+ince the chie' Author o' all o' +cripture is the )oly +pirit6 *e cannot assu/ethat one part o' +cripture *ill clash *ith another= he unity o' the divinedesi%n /eans that the Dld esta/ent prepared 'or the 7e*6 *hich 'ullls theDld= +o6 the t*o testa/ents shed li%ht one another=

Chapter 1 Revolution by !atican II"

)as the Church in our ti/es reversed /any teachin%s about +cripture? hisclai/ is /ade about the +criptural 3ncyclical Divino afante Spiritu o' !ius"II6 and still /ore about Vatican II6 *hich is supposed to have revolutioni;edtheolo%y= he ans*er is: 8enitely no= But *e should see the specics=

We are %oin% to see the chie' positive aspects o' +cripture study= But rst *e/ust clear a*ay so/e very serious obEections=

We be%in *ith Vatican II= he Constitution 8ei verbu/ on +cripture had astor/y history at the Council6 and *as not nally approved until 7ove/ber16 1.,#=

he peak o' the proble/ ca/e on Dctober 26 1.,#6 *hen Cardinal oeni% o' Vienna rose and said that there are errors in +cripture in the /atter o' history= FC'= A= &rill/eier6 in )= Vor%ri/ler6 ed=6 Co//entary on the8ocu/ents o' Vatican II6 )erder G )erder6 1.,.6 III6 pp= 2(-,H= +adly6 /anyBishops chi/ed in *ith hi/6 and there *as at least no public correction by!aul VI= et6 the )oly +pirit *as present= Really6 considerin% the at/osphere

at Vatican II6 our 'aith in 8ivine !rovidence should be stron%er6 'or the naldocu/ents le't no trace o' such un'ortunate thin%s Fit is only the nal te4tsthat are divinely protected: Joor speeches and debates are not protected=And the diKerence *as evident at Vatican II6 as also at the very rst &eneralCouncil6 7icea6 in 2( A86 *hen about 1( Bishops denied the divinity o' ChristH=

We *ill ans*er every one o' the specic cases Cardinal oeni% alle%edpresently6 and also the broader char%es /ade today in 7e* 9ero/e BiblicalCo//entary *hich dares to assert6 in re'erence to Cardinal oeni%>sintervention6 Lpre-votin% debates sho* an a*areness o' errors in the BibleL

Fp= 11,.6 02:1# - *hich re'ers to other state/ents in ,(:( and 0-01 in thesa/e veinH=

But rst6 let us %et the settin% 'ro/ the pre'ace to 8V *here the Council said:Lollo*in% in the 'ootsteps o' the Councils o' rent and Vatican I6 MthisCouncilN intends to present the true doctrine about divine revelation and itstrans/ission=L his o' course does not t at all *ith an idea o' reversal o' previous teachin% or an acceptance o' error in +cripture=


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We be%in *ith the specics 'ro/ Cardinal oeni%6 and then *e *ill /eet thebroader char%es Eust /entioned= here *ere three cases %iven by theCardinal:

1H In


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used the sa/e patterns= By accident they /ay at ti/es6 or /ay overlap= But*e need to check *hat patterns *ere actually in use in that ancient cultureat that ti/e= hen and then only do *e kno* ho* to take the various styleso' *ritin%= We o'ten call these patterns literary %enres= 7o* in 8aniel6 alla%ree there are t*o patterns or %enres= Dne is apocalyptic - *e *ill see

about it later on= he other see/s to be the edi'yin% narrative= It contains/uch 'act6 but also 'ree use o' ll-ins6 so/e*hat like *hat *e kno* in the/odern historical novel= he passa%es that one /i%ht /istakenly think *ereintended by the *riter as our kind o' history6 are not such: they are theedi'yin% narrative %enre= We kno* 'or certain that such a %enre *as in use inthe ancient 7ear 3ast6 e=%=6 in the story o' Ahi@ar=

here'ore6 *ithin such a 'ra/e*ork6 the author /ay or /ay not bother toobserve historical precision= What is i/portant is this @uestion: What does he/ean to assert? or e4a/ple in our historical novel he does not assert thatthe ctional ll-ins really happened= 7or does a *riter usin% the edi'yin%

narrative %enre assert that all details are historical= In this vein6 !ius "II6 inhis %reat Divino afante Spiritu FEnchiridion Biblicum O ((.H told us theancient +e/ites o'ten used /ore e4a%%eration than *e do6 and also6 used/ere appro4i/ation= 7o /an then *ould ask his *i'e to /eet hi/ do*nto*nat #:1( !


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r/ly6 'aith'ully6 and *ithout error6 that truth *hich &od6 'or the sake o' oursalvation6 *anted to be conded to the +acred 5etters=L

he *riters o' 79BC 'ocus on the clause at the end6 *hich *e haveunderlined= hey *ant to say that it /eans that D75 thin%s needed 'or

salvation are protected= here /ay be error in all else=

Reply: 79BC clai/s the clause is restrictive6 *hich is not i/possible6 but it is/ore nor/ally taken as Eust descriptive= he char%e is astoundin%6 sho*in%co/plete ne%lect o' all nor/al rules o' interpretation:

1H he Council itsel' adds notes on 8V O 11 *hich re'er us to olderdocu/ents o' the


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*ould ask us to think that Vatican II intended to contradict a sole/ndenition - and even re'erred us to that denition and @uoted it

Ironically such char%es are /ade today *hen nally *e have the ne*techni@ues that allo* us to handle success'ully char%es o' error *hich earlier

in this century *ere insoluble= We *ill %ive so/e presentation o' thosetechni@ues in this book= or /ore details6 c'= W/= &=


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stran%ely ironic that at the very ti/e *hen *e have the /eans to solve the'or/erly insoluble proble/s6 so /any today are clai/in% it is all hopeless= In'act6 they say so/e thin%s are hopeless *hose solution *as kno*n be'ore6e=%=6 as to the see/in% contradictions in the three accounts o' +t= !aul>sconversion in Acts6 it is said that in .:0 the /en *ith !aul heard the voice6

but sa* no one6 *hile in 22:. it says they sa* the li%ht but did not hear thevoice= he ans*er is so easy: in &reek6 akouein has a broad span o' /eanin%- so does 3n%lish listen - so it can /ean to perceive a sound6 or to perceive itand also understand it Fc'= 9ohn 12= 2-2.H= A%ain it is noted that in 2,:1# the/en all 'ell to the %round6 *hile in .:0 it says they stood a/a;ed= Dne needsno &reek to solve this one: rst they 'all to the %round6 but as soon as theycould6 scra/bled to their 'eet and stood in a/a;e/ent=

Dur conclusion thus 'ar: Vatican II is not %uilty o' the char%e o' contradictin%earlier docu/ents=


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Chapter #What is Inspiration $ Which Boo%s are Inspired"

We have Eust seen a 'alse notion o' inspiration as proposed in 79BC= 7o* *e

should see *hat the true doctrine is=

Athena%oras6 an apolo%ist o' the second century6 said the )oly +pirit usedthe hu/an *riter6 Las i' a Jutist breathed into his JuteL FLegation or theChristians .H= 7ot /uch later6 around 11 A=8=6 +t= heophilus o' Antioch*rote FTo Autolcus 2= 1H: L


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he adds - as his /e/ory *akes up in sta%es - that he also bapti;ed thehousehold o' +tephanas= +till 'urther6 he adds that he is not sure i' hebapti;ed any others= +o clearly6 this could not t *ith a steno%raphicdictation theory - such a theory *as %enerally %iven up by the end o' the1.th century=

We really have a re/arkable picture= &od can so e/ploy the hu/an *riter as)is instru/ent that the *riter *ill *rite all that &od *ills6 and do so *ithoutany error6 but yet retain his o*n literary style and %ra//atical ability=

I' *e ask precisely ho* this can be6 *e /ust take re'u%e in divinetranscendence6 that is6 *e kno* )e is above and beyond all our cate%oriesand classications=

o illustrate *e think o' the @uestion o' ho* &od kno*s thin%s= We hu/anskno* thin%s in either the active or the passive /ode= In the passive /ode6

*e receive6 *e take on an i/pression 'ro/ outside6 %ainin% so/ethin% ne*=But &od cannot be passive6 nor can )e lack anythin%= In the active /ode: i' ablind /an is pushin% a chair6 he kno*s the chair is /ovin% only because heis pushin% it= But *e /ust not /ake &od like a blind /an=

+o/e have *anted even so to say &od kno*s thin%s only by causin% the/= Itis true6 )e does cause all thin%s= But +t= ho/as A@uinas does not li/it )is/anner o' kno*in% to that= +everal ti/es over6 +t= ho/as deals *ith theproble/ o' ho* &od can kno* a 'uture 'ree decision6 'or e4a/ple6 one I *ill/ake to/orro* at 1 A


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about )is eternity /akin% the thin% present= ho/as *ould /erely say: )ekno*s it because )e intends to cause it=

+o *e a%ain appeal to )is transcendence *hen *e say )e is the Chie' Author6 and the hu/an author is a real author too6 *ith his o*n style6 but yet

&od causes the hu/an to *rite all that )e *ills6 and to do so *ithout anyerror *hatsoever=

7o* that *e kno* *hat inspiration is in %eneral6 it is obvious *e need to ask*hich books are inspired= or in the rst centuries there *ere /any so-called&ospels in circulation in addition to the 'our *e reco%ni;e6 *ith the na/es o' Apostles on the/= +o *e ask: )o* can *e tell *hich is *hich?

We /ust not start out by sayin%: Ask the Church= or there could be a viciouscircle: believe the Church because the &ospels say so - believe the &ospelsbecause the Church says so=

o avoid such irrationality6 *e *ill indeed start *ith the &ospels6 but *e *illnot at the start look on the/ as inspired= hat is so/ethin% still to be proved=Rather6 *e look on the/ at rst as /erely ancient docu/ents= here is nodoubt they are such=

We ask rst: has the te4t co/e do*n to us substantially correctly? e4tualCriticis/ deals *ith this proble/= It is especially easy *ith the &ospels= In thecase o' pa%an *orks6 e=%=6 9ulius Caesar>s *ars6 there is a %ap o' nearly 1years bet*een the copy he *rote or dictated6 and the oldest /anuscript *e

have= But 'or the &ospels the %ap is 'ar less= he +inai and Vatican Codiceseach date 'ro/ around ( A= 8= We have others6 the Ale4andrian Code4 andthe Code4 Be;ae 'ro/ around # A= 8= We can narro* even this s/all %ap=We have papyri %ivin% parts o' the 7e* esta/ent= he Chester Beatty!apyrus II co/es 'ro/ the early 2s6 and includes /ost o' the 3pistles o' +t=!aul= Bod/er !ayprus ! 0( also co/es 'ro/ around 26 and has parts o' 5uke and 9ohn=

here are /aEor ne* nds= In the library o'


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But really6 no scholar at all *orries about the accuracy o' our te4ts6 'or thevariations bet*een the /anuscripts are /ostly triJin%= hey surely have noeKect at all on the si4 key points *e are %oin% to be usin% soon=

A sad /istake *as /ade by the 'a/ous scholar 7or/an !errin o' the

$niversity o' Chica%o= In his Rediscoverin% the eachin% o' 9esus6 p=2, heclai/ed L7o ancient te4ts reJect the attitudes o' the /odern *estern *orld=L)e clearly had not read /uch i' anythin% o' the ancient historians o' &reeceand Ro/e= ro/ (th century BC= )erodotus F!re'ace 1H and hucydidesF1=22H and Ro/an 5ivy F0=,=,H and acitus6 Annals 1=1H and nu/erous others*e see that their chie' ai/ *as to record 'acts= hey added interpretations/ore than *e do6 but there is no har/ in that= hey also includes speeches6*hich *e do not do= But hucydides e4plains he tried to %et the actual te4tor at least he *rote *hat see/ed to t= +ince he so honestly tells us this6 *eneed not be deceived=


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8= he *riter says !eter and !aul *ere o' his o*n %eneration - that isobvious6 'or !eter and !aul died around ,, A8= Cle/ent beca/e !ope ineither or .2= We *ould e4pect he *as around to hear the/ - as *erecountless others still livin% later= F2HQuadratus6 the earliest &reek apolo%ist6*rote around 12 A8= )e says that in his day6 so/e *ere still alive *ho had

been cured by 9esus or raised 'ro/ the dead by )i/= his need not be as lateas 12 o' course= But it *ould surely cover the period -. *hen le'tiststhink


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#H We *ould e4pect this ite/: In the cro*ds )e had a s/aller %roup to *ho/)e spoke /ore=

(H We *ould also e4pect this: )e told the/ to continue )is *ork6 )isteachin%= We cannot i/a%ine &od sendin% a /essen%er *ith such po*er 'or

Eust one %eneration=

,H A%ain6 kno*in% )e is a /essen%er sent 'ro/ &od6 and seein% )is po*er soo'ten6 *e are not surprised *hen )e pro/ises &od *ill protect their teachin%:L)e *ho hears you hears /eL F5uke 1:1,H= We notice that althou%h )eidenties *ith the poor as poor6 in this case )e identies *ith )is teachers as)is teachers= A%ain: LI' he *ill not hear the Church6 let hi/ be to you as aheathen and a publicanL Fs protection on that teachin%=7o* it is not only intellectually per/issible6 but /andatory - i' *e have'ollo*ed the reasonin% - to believe *hat the %roupSChurch says= It can thentell us *hich books are inspired6 it can tell us that the


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Chapter & Revolution by 'ius (II"

here is no doubt that the %reat +criptural 3ncyclical o' !ius "II6 Divino

afante Spiritu6 issued in 1.#6 *as and has been a %reat encoura%e/entand help to +cripture study= But *as it a real turn-about6 so that Wil'red)arrin%ton *as ri%ht in sayin% Fhe 7e* &uide to Readin% and +tudyin% theBible6 3nlar%ed 3dition6 &la;ier6 Wil/in%ton6 1.#6 p= 2H that Lthe eKect o' that docu/ent had chan%ed Ro/an Catholic biblical studies beyondreco%nition=L

A /aEor clai/ is that it *as 'or/erly 'orbidden to use the approach vialiterary %enres - so/e pro/inent scholars had been disciplined 'or bein%rather 'ree=

irst a *ord about disciplinary actions - 'or *e /ust care'ully distin%uish suchdecrees 'ro/ doctrinal decrees= es6 so/e scholars did suKer6 but the reason*as the need 'or precautions a%ainst t*o thin%s: the ne* teachin% o' evolution6 and the *idespread heresy o'


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need o' &od>s intervention every ti/e hi%her bein% appearsH6 that )e %avethe/ so/e co//and F*e do not kno* i' it *as about a 'ruit tree - that /aybe sta%e dressin% in the story6 so/ethin% not assertedH6 that they violated)is orders and 'ell 'ro/ 'avor FU lost %race and so did not have it to pass onto their childrenH= !ius "II in the 3ncyclical )u/ani %eneris6 in 1.( *rote F8+

.H that6 Lthe rst chapters o' &enesis6 even thou%h they do not strictly/atch the pattern o' historical *ritin% used by the %reat &reek and Ro/an*riters o' history6 or o' historians o' our ti/es6 yet in a certain true sense -*hich needs 'urther study -do pertain to the %enre o' history=L We have Eustsu%%ested in *hat *ay they do pertain to history6 na/ely6 in that they reportthin%s that really happened6 throu%h the vehicle o' a story=

)ad the Church once tau%ht a 'unda/entalistic vie*? irst6 to retell the storyo' &enesis in the sa/e or si/ilar *ords6 does not a/ount to aninterpretation= But 'urther6 the athers o' the rst centuries seldo/ tried tond *hat the ancient author really /eant to say FUassertedH= We co//ent

that the *ords Lliteral senseL have t*o /eanin%s6 one *hich *e have Eustindicated6 *hich tries to nd *hat the author /eant to assert6 takin% intoaccount %enre6 diKerences o' lan%ua%e and culture etc= he other *ouldtreat the te4t as thou%h *ritten by a /odern A/erican and i%nore %enre andall such thin%s= he athers instead pre'erred alle%ory6 in *hich one thin%stands 'or another= When they did seek the proper literal sense6 they o'ten*ere not at all 'unda/entalistic= or e4a/ple6 +t= Au%ustine6 in his De %enesiad Litteram ,= 12= 2 F5iteral +ense o' &enesisH *rote: Lhat &od /ade /an*ith bodily hands 'ro/ the clay is an e4cessively childish thou%ht6 so that i' +cripture had said this6 *e should rather believe that the *riter used a/etaphorical ter/6 than to suppose &od is bounded by such lines o' li/bs as

*e see in our bodies=L +t= 9ohn Chrysosto/ /ade a si/ilar co//ent on theepisode o' the creation o' 3ve 'ro/ Ada/>s rib in &enesis 2:21-22= )e said6 inhis )o/ily on &enesis 22= 21: L+ee the condescendence Madaptation tohu/an *eaknessN o' divine +cripture6 *hat *ords it uses because o' our*eakness= >And )e took>6 it says6 >one o' his ribs=> 8o not take *hat is said ina hu/an *ay6 but understand that the crassness o' the *ords ts hu/an*eakness=L +t= 9ohn did not su%%est *hat *as the sober *ay to take the te4t=A ne su%%estion *as /ade by !ope 9ohn !aul II in his Audience o' 7ove/ber06 1.0.= )e said puttin% Ada/ to sleep could stand 'or a return to the/o/ent be'ore creation6 so that /an /i%ht ree/er%e in his double unity as/ale and 'e/ale=

What o' the clai/ that the approach via literary %enres had once been'orbidden? It is not really true= Dn 9une 26 1.(6 the Biblical Co//ission%ave a reply: LCan that be accepted as a principle o' sound interpretation*hich holds that so/e books o' +cripture that are considered as historical -partly or totally - do not at ti/es6 %ive history strictly and obEectively socalled6 but instead6 have Eust the appearance o' history6 so as to conveyso/ethin% other than a strict literal or historical sense o' the *ords?L he


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reply *as: L7o6 e4cept in the case in *hich *hen the sense o' the Churchdoes not oppose it6 and subEect to the Eud%/ent o' the Church6 it is proved bysolid ar%u/ents that under the appearance and 'or/ o' history6 the sacredauthor intended to %ive a parable6 an alle%ory6 or a sense diKerin% 'ro/ theproperly literal or historical sense o' the *ords=L In the case o' evolution6

there *as dan%er 'ro/ a 'alse psycholo%y= In the case o' literary %enres6there *as dan%er 'ro/


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Blenkinsopp o' 7otre 8a/e in his revie* o' R= 7= Whybray6 The &aking o thePentateuch F #ournal 'or Stud o (ld Testament Supplement (= +heeld61.0H *rote FCBQ 9an= 1..6 pp= 1-.H: LIt is *idely kno*n by no* that thedocu/entary hypothesis is in serious trouble6 *ith no viable alternative yetin si%ht=L )e continues sayin% that Whybray has easily sho*n the 'ra%ility o'

/any o' the ar%u/ents %iven 'or the theory6 so/eti/es re@uirin% anunreasonable level o' consistency *ithin the sources6 at other ti/es not=urther6 7e*s*eek o' +ept= 26 1.16 p= (. reported that ehuda Radday6coordinator o' the echnion Institute in Israel6 'ed the )ebre* te4t o' &enesisinto a co/puter6 and concluded: LIt is /ost probable that the book o' &enesis *as *ritten by one person=L

+o *e cannot be sure


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present= +i/ilarly6 the tone varies in the three parts - 'ro/ threats - to sorro*- to consolation=

It is @uite possible that there *ere three authors6 'or this is a proble/ o' history6 not o' 'aith= )o*ever6 the ar%u/ents %iven are inade@uate= Dne

Isaiah could have been %iven a prophetic vision to see the e4ile and thereturn= Really6 the 8euterono/ic pattern Fthreat6 punish/ent6 rescueH alone*ould su%%est that6 'or it too /oved 'ro/ threat to punish/ent6 torestoration= Dne *onders: *as this theory o' several authors ori%inally/otivated by the conviction that there can be no real prophecies?

dH s !riority: or lon% /ost scholars have held that


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/eant by the *ord 'aith6 and thou%ht it /eant Eust the conviction that the/erits o' Christ count 'or hi/ FLtakin% Christ as personal +aviorLH= A'ter that6as 5uther *rote to


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he chie' diculty a%ainst !auline authorship is the style= But anyone *hohas ever read acitus> historical *orks in the ori%inal 5atin6 and has alsoco/pared the/ *ith his 8ialo%ue on Drators *ill never be /oved /uch bystylistic diKerences= he style o' acitus in his historical *orks is hi%hlydistinctive6 even pun%ent= It is day and ni%ht diKerent 'ro/ that o' the

8ialo%ue= et other ar%u/ents have convinced practically all scholars that itreally is by acitus=

It is easy enou%h to conclude that *hile the 3ncyclical o' !ius "II *as a reali/petus it *as not a revolution6 and surely did not reverse any previousdoctrinal positions= We add that it encoura%ed translations 'ro/ the ori%inallan%ua%es= here had been a /isunderstandin% 'ro/ the 'act that theCouncil o' rent had declared the Vul%ate LauthenticL= It /eant /erely that it*as a proper base 'or reli%ious discussion= It did not /ean to 'orbidtranslations 'ro/ the ori%inal=


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Chapter )*sin+ the ,enre pproach to defend Inerrancy

We already sa*6 in ans*erin% Cardinal oeni%>s char%es6 an e4a/ple o' this

use o' the %enre approach= It is hi%hly likely that the narrative parts o' 8aniel*ere /eant as the edi'yin% narrative pattern= here is apt to be a core o' history6 but alon% *ith it %o so/e rather 'ree additions= A%ain6 the key *ordis assert or clai/= he *riter does not assert or clai/ he is *ritin% purehistory= !art o' it *ill t *ith history6 but he does not assert that the ll-insare historical=

In usin% the literary %enre techni@ue *e are not bein% un'aith'ul to +cripture=Rather6 *e are bein% co/pletely 'aith'ul6 and usin% a %reat /eans to de'end+cripture a%ainst attacks= or it is clear that *e should try to nd out *hatthe inspired *riter really /eant to say= o nd that6 *e /ust ask: What did he

/ean to assert? o i%nore that is to i/pose our o*n ideas on +cripture= hatis bein% very un'aith'ul=

+o the poor /is%uided unda/entalists think they are respectin% the sacredte4t6 but actually they are not= hey are i/posin% their o*n ideas on+cripture=

%enesis -.--+ When *e looked at the rst eleven chapters o' &enesis *esaid the %enre *as that o' an ancient story6 *hich still conveys thin%s thatreally happened= !ope 9ohn !aul II6 in his series o' audiences on &enesis6 on7ove/ber 06 1.0. called this narrative L/ythL= )e e4plained: Lhe ter/

/yth does not desi%nate 'abulous content6 but /erely an archaic *ay o' e4pressin% deeper content=L +o *e need not say &od created in , ti/es 2#hours= +till less need *e say creation *as # years be'ore Christ= hatnu/ber *as reached by addin% up a%es o' patriarchs and others= Centuriesa%o6 +t= Au%ustine kne* better= In his Cit o %od 1(=0 he noticed that Cain*as said to have built a city6 and na/ed it 'or his son 3noch6 at the ti/e*hen &enesis listed only about three /en alive= )e replied that the purposeo' the sacred *riter *as not to /ention all hu/ans6 but only enou%h to sho*the line o' descent o' the t*o cities=

E/odus+ he books that describe the departure 'ro/ 3%ypt and the

*anderin% in the desert very probably use so/ethin% like an epic %enre= hat%enre tells o' the %reat be%innin%s o' a people= he story is basically history6yet has so/e ll-ins *hich are a bit ctional6 *hich the *riter does not assertreally happened= But in spite o' this6 it is clear that there *as an e4odus6 andnot Eust a revolt o' peasants in Canaan *ho never le't there= he story o' a%reat people be%innin% in slavery is not likely to be invented=


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the *hale *as bein% cut up6 they 'ound Bartley inside6 still @uite alive= FC'=Wallechinsky G Wallace6 People,s Almanac6 8oubleday: &arden City6 761.0(6 p= 1.H=

Another inconclusive obEection co/es 'ro/ the lan%ua%e o' the te4t= It has

so/e *ords that are later than the supposed date= But *e kno* that the 9e*s so/eti/es deliberately updated the lan%ua%e o' the ancient te4ts= +othe obEection is not stron%=

But there are /ore serious diculties: 9onah : says6 L7o* 7ineveh *as ane4ceedin%ly %reat city6 three days> Eourney in breadth=L he re/ains 'oundthere do not sho* a city that si;e= A= !arrott F0ineveh and the (ld Testament 67e* ork6 !hilosophical 5ibrary6 1.016 pp= (-,H su%%ests perhaps 7inevehcould have re'erred to a 2, /ile strin% o' settle/ents in the Assyriantrian%le= Dr else6 since people %athered at the city %ates6 9onah *ould speakthere= And since there *ere /any %ates there6 and 9onah *ould talk /uch at

each6 it could have taken three days=

Dn the other hand6 no /atter *hat the %enre o' the book6 it surely doesteach t*o /aEor lessons= irst6 the Assyrians then *ere considered the*orld>s *orst people6 because o' their deliberate terroris/ in *ar= et &odsho*ed concern 'or the/= +o )e /ust love everyone= +econd - and this isnot co/pli/entary to us - *hen prophets *ent to the ori%inal people o' &od6they had a hard ti/e6 suKered /uch= But the pa%an 7ineveh *elco/es 9onahreadily= he 9e*s kne* this: In the late #th century


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Apocalptic+ Besides the narrative parts o' the book o' 8aniel6 there are partsin the apocalyptic %enre= his %enre rst appeared in 'ull-blo*n 'or/ about 2centuries be'ore Christ6 had a run o' three or 'our centuries= In it the authordescribes visions and revelations - not usually clear i' he /eans to assert hehad the/6 or is Eust usin% the account as a *ay o' /akin% his points= here

are hi%hly colored6 bi;arre i/a%es6 secret /essa%es= he ori%inal readerskne* better than to take these thin%s as i' they *ere sober accounts= F+adly6so/e today have taken so/e o' the apocalyptic i/a%es about strea/s o' reetc= as proo' there *ere ancient astronauts *ho overa*ed the si/ple peopleo' the )ebre*s= hat *as 'oolish6 'or *e /ust reco%ni;e the %enreH= or avery stron% e4a/ple o' apocalyptic6 please read 8aniel chapter 0=

Touches o Apocalptic+ 7o* it happens at ti/es that a *riter *ill use so/etouches o' apocalyptic in a *ork that is on the *hole o' a diKerent %enre= hus Isaiah 1:1 includes so/e denitely apocalyptic lan%ua%e in speakin%o' the 'all o' Babylon: Lor the stars o' the sky and their constellations *ill

not sho* their li%ht6 the sun *ill be dark *hen it rises6 and the /oon *ill not%ive its li%ht=L In 'oretellin% the Eud%/ent on 3do/6 Isaiah #:# said: LAll thestars *ill be dissolved6 the sky *ill roll up like a scroll and all the host o' theskies *ill 'all6 like *itherin% leaves 'ro/ the vine6 like shriveled %s 'ro/ theirtree=L 3;ekiel 2:0- uses /uch the sa/e lan%ua%e to prophesy the Eud%/ent on 3%ypt: LWhen I blot you out6 I *ill cover the skies and *illdarken their stars= I *ill cover the sun in a cloud and the /oon *ill not %iveits li%ht=L We cannot help thinkin% o' the lan%ua%e o'


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%ive standin% roo/ 'or that= +o it /ust /ean so/e sort o' spiritual revelationo' the Eust Eud%/ents o' &od at the nal resurrection= In apocalyptic6 *e donot /ake close co/parisons6 'or the *hole is loose=

+o the bu/per sticker is *ron%6 *hich said: LIn case o' rapture6 this car *ill

be un/anned6L and *ill crash into others= But no proble/6 only the badpeople are le't

9ust incidentally6 /any *ho are not 'unda/entalist err in thinkin% that the*ords L*e the livin%L6 *hich co/e t*ice6 sho* that !aul /ust have e4pectedto be alive at the end= +o they reEect his authorship o' +econd hessalonians6in *hich he very clearly sho*s he does not e4pect that= hey do thatcontrary to all the ancient *itnesses *ho say both are by !aul= hey reEecthis authorship 'or the sake o' an e4pression *hich is at /ost6 a/bi%uous=Really6 /any teachers *ill o'ten say I or *e to /ake so/ethin% vivid6 *ithoutintendin% to %ive any in'or/ation about the/selves at all=

2isdom literature+ his %enre is one the )ebre*s had in co//on *ith otherancient near 3astern peoples= With /ost peoples it is basically a %roup o' *orldly *ise counsels6 especially 'or the youn%6 on ho* to %et alon% in thisli'e= 3%ypt *as specially 'a/ed 'or it6 and the 9e*s /ay *ell have %ottenideas in their lon% stay there= he 3%yptian Wisdo/ o' A/ene/opet has/any parallels to the Dld esta/ent= or e4a/ple6 !roverbs 22:10-1 says:LIncline your ear6 and hear the *ords o' the *ise6 and apply you /ind to /ykno*led%e 'or it *ill be pleasant i' you keep the/ *ithin you6 i' all o' the/are ready on your lips=L A/ene/opet says: L&ive thy ears= )ear *hat is said6%ive thy heart to understand the/= o put the/ in thy heart is *orth*hile

F'ro/ A73 #21H= +peak6 old /an6 at aban@uet6 'or it is proper 'or you=== +peak Myoun% /anN6 i' there is need o' you6do it scarcely *hen asked t*ice=L


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!ariant Traditions+ here is another kind o' see/in% error that *e can solveby the use o' %enre and deter/inin% *hat is asserted=

In 34odus 1#:21-2( *e nd: Lhen ssheep= Dne day his 'ather sent hi/ to brin% 'ood to his brothers *ho *ere inthe ar/y o' +aul= 8avid hears o' the %iant &oliath6 and the %reat re*ard thekin% oKers to one *ho *ill kill &oliath= +o 8avid %oes to +aul6 boasts o' havin% killed lions and bears6 oKers to %ht &oliath= +aul %ives 8avid ar/or6but 8avid is not used to *earin% ar/or6 and discards it= +o he %ets so/estones 'ro/ the brook and a slin%6 and kills &oliath=

In chapter 1, Fverse 1H6 8avid is called a /i%hty %hter6 a gibbor = But in

chapter 106 a'ter 8avid has killed &oliath6 +aul asks his captain Abner *hothat is= Abner says he does not kno* Fthou%h in chapter 1, 8avid haspreviously been in the service o' +aulH= Abner takes 8avid to +aul6 holdin%the head o' &oliath= +aul asks *ho he is=

Clearly6 the t*o accounts do not t to%ether= But *e ask a%ain: What did theinspired *riter /ean to assert? )e /eant to assert only: I 'ound these t*o6


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and do not kno* *hich is ri%ht= But you can see both o' the/= )e asserts no/ore than that=

Poetic %enre+ In any culture6 poetry is apt to use 'anci'ul i/a%es ande4a%%erations= +criptural poetry does the sa/e= But i' one does not

reco%ni;e that a passa%e is poetic6 /istakes can result=

+t= 9ustin 'ood=L 9ustin does not understand !sal/0:2# *hich speaks o' bread 'ro/ heaven6 re'errin% to the /anna in thedesert=

Isaiah #:2 says Israel has received double 'or all her sins= 7o* o' course

&od *ould not punish t*ice as /uch as *hat *as due: We need to reco%ni;eIsaiah is a lo'ty poet6 andSor take this as +e/itic e4a%%eration=

!sal/ 12#= has &od sayin%: LAll o' the/ have turned6 to%ether they have%one astray= here is no one doin% %ood6 not oneL= Dne /i%ht i/a%ine thiscould apply only to people o' the ti/e o' co/position6 but +t= !aul in Ro/ans=1 cites it as /eanin% everyone= A%ain6 *e need to recall this is poetry=!aul had a diKerent reason 'or citin% it= )e *as out to prove that i' one tries'or Eustication by keepin% the la*6 all are hopeless= o understand this6 *eneed to kno* +t= !aul at ti/es uses a sort o' 'ocused vie* in *hich as it *erehe *ould say: he 5a* /akes heavy de/ands6 but %ives no stren%th= o be

under heavy de/ands *ithout stren%th o' course /eans a 'all= In the 'ocusedvie* Fa /etaphor6 as i' one *e *ere lookin% throu%h a tube6 and could seeonly *hat is 'ra/ed by the circle o' the tubeH one does not see the *holehori;on= DK to the side6 in no relation to the la*6 divine help *as availableeven be'ore Christ= I' one uses it6 then the result is @uite diKerent= F


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Chapter -o/ to Interpret Inspired Scripture

We sa* 'ro/ our sketch o' ho* to nd *hich books are inspired that it is the

Church alone that can tell us= We co//ented too that *e really *oulde4pect that a /essen%er sent 'ro/ &od6 *ith such a /ission and suchpo*ers as )e displayed6 *ould arran%e to protect the teachin%s o' those )esent out= )e did it6 e=%= 6L)e *ho hears you hears /e=L

+o/e today are clai/in% that in order to nd the truth6 they /ust be 'ree o' any outside authority - includin% the Church= What i/possible 'olly heydiscard the very pri/e /eans o' %ainin% the /ost absolute certitude o' thetruth6 includin% the /eanin% o' +cripture= hey also clai/ LAcade/icreedo/=L Really6 it belon%s only to a properly @ualied pro'essor teachin% inhis o*n eld= 7o* a/on% the thin%s needed to be properly @ualied is6 o'

course6 that the pro'essor kno* and use the /ethod that is correct in hiseld6 as called 'or by the very nature o' the /aterial= heolo%y starts *iththe sources o' revelation - +cripture and radition - but *hen so/ethin%appears in the/ that is not obvious in /eanin%: )o* does he decide? I' he isCatholic6 the nal *ord co/es 'ro/ the teachin%s o' the divinely protectedChurch= Vatican II6 in spite o' /isrepresentations o' its teachin%s6 did say in8V O1: Lhe task o' authoritatively interpretin% the *ord o' &od6 *hether*ritten or handed on M+cripture or raditionN6 has been entrusted e4clusivelyMunderline addedN to the livin% teachin% oce o' the Church6 *hose authorityis e4ercised in the na/e o' 9esus Christ=L We notice the Council appeals toprecisely the sa/e thin% as *e did in our sketch o' apolo%etics6 na/ely the

authority %iven by the 8ivine


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pleased &od to /ani'est6 there'ore the te4t indicates that &od /i%ht intendto say /ore than *hat the hu/an *riter sa*= Fhis is the theory o' the L'ullersenseL6 sensus plenior H= he heolo%ical Co//ission at Vatican II Fc'=&rill/eier6 p= 22H reported that i' the te4t had used the connector -3ueinstead o' et 6 the Council *ould have settled the @uestion in the ar/ative6

/eanin%: es6 there is a 'uller sense= Fhe connector .3ue is /uch closer thanet = Both /ean andH=

3ven thou%h the Council at that point did not see t to e4plicitly ar/ the'uller sense6 yet the Council itsel'6 in 5& O (( actually used it: Lhesepri/eval docu/ents Mthinkin% chieJy o' &enesis :1( and Isaiah 0:1#N6 asthey are read in the Church6 and are understood in the li%ht o' later and 'ullrevelation6 %radually brin% be'ore us the %ure o' the *o/an6 the


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We note *ith pleasure that the Council stressed the /atter o' *hat the *riter/ean to assert=

he Council indicated *hat !ius "II brou%ht out still /ore clearly F3B ((H:Real research is needed into *hat %enres *ere actually in use at the ti/e o'

*ritin%= It *ould be very *ron% to Eust use our i/a%inations6 and suppose *ekno*= his is *hat the Biblical Co//ission also insisted on6 as *e sa* be'oreFin 3B 1,1H=

It said *e /ust pay attention to everythin% in the culture and conditions o' the *riter= +o the interpreter really should kno* *ell the ancient lan%ua%es6chieJy &reek and )ebre*6 and the history and the culture=

ailure to kno* )ebre* could lead to horrid conse@uences6 e=%=6 +t= !aul *hokne* )ebre*6 in Ro/ans .:1 @uoted


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he plea is that *e do not kno* the date o' co/position= But *e do kno*that they *ere /ade *ithout hindsi%ht - *ithout seein% the/ 'ullled inChrist= or they hated Christ *hen )e ca/e= )ence they surely reJectancient 9e*ish understandin% o' the


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)ittite treaties reveals that they re@uired the subordinate kin% to LloveL hisoverlord= In conte4t6 it /eans obey= We see 'ro/ 9ohn 1#:1( G 21 that inpractice6 love to*ards &od /eans obedience= or love to*ards all othersbesides &od /eans *illin% %ood to the/ 'or their sake= We cannot *ish that&od have any %ood6 )e is innite %oodness= But yet +cripture pictures )i/ as

pleased *hen *e obey6 displeased *hen *e do not= It is not that )e %ainsanythin% 'ro/ our obedience= 7o6 but 'or t*o reasons )e *ants us to obey:1H )e loves everythin% that is ri%ht and %ood= It is ri%ht that creatures shouldobey their Creator6 children their ather= 2H )e *ants to %ive us %ood thin%s -it is in vain i' *e are not open to receive= )is co//and/ents tell us ho* tobe open= hey also steer us a*ay 'ro/ the penalties 'or sin that lie in thevery nature o' thin%s Fc'= +t= Au%ustine6 Conessions 1= 2: L3very disorderedsoul is its o*n punish/entLH= C'= also 2 9ohn ,: Lthis is love6 that *e *alkaccordin% to )is co//and/ents=L

A study o' 9e*ish literature o' all periods - Dld esta/ent6 Intertesta/ental

5iterature6 7e* esta/ent6 and Rabbinic te4ts helps us understand thethou%ht *orld o' +cripture= +t= !aul o' course *as trained as a Rabbi= 7o* ani/portant concept in those *ritin%s is that sin is a debt6 *hich the )olinesso' &od *ants repaid= FC'= W/= &=


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the content and unity o' the *hole o' +cripture6 takin% into account the livin% radition o' the *hole Church6 and the analo%y o' 'aith=L

he e4pression in the rst part *hich says +cripture /ust be interpreted LbyFor: LinLH the sa/e +pirit by *hich it is to be *ritten is open to /ore than one

interpretation= It is certain that the )oly +pirit in %ivin% 'aith6 %ives theconte4t in *hich +cripture is to be read= We think too o' the *ords o' +t= !aulin 1 Cor 2= 1-1, *here he e4plains that Eust as only the spirit or soul o' aperson kno*s his depths6 so only the +pirit kno*s the depths o' &od= And headds: the /erely natural /an - the one *ho has not received the +piritd*ellin% in hi/ by %race - does not understand the thin%s o' the +pirit= Butthe spiritual /an does= +o one *ho does not have the +pirit d*ellin% in hissoul by 'aith *ill 'ail to understand /any thin%s even thou%h the *ords arethere6 and their sense6 obEectively6 is at hand to be seen= It is true6 'urther6that the 'arther one advances in the spiritual li'e and 'ollo*s the lead o' the)oly +pirit /ore 'ully6 the %reater is his understandin% o' spiritual thin%s6 by

*hat *e /i%ht even call a sort o' connaturality=

In 'act6 so/eti/es even intelli%ent people 'ail to understand thin%s *hichthey could even recite= here /ay be a positive obstacle6 a subconsciousblock *ithin the/6 in that they perceive at last subconsciously that i' theyaccept the 'aith6 it *ill entail conse@uences 'or their livin% *hich they *ouldnot *ant to accept6 e=%=6 in avoidin% contraception and divorce= hen they*ill not accept6 *ithout kno*in% 'ully consciously *hy they are notacceptin%=

It is also certain that the *ords o' +cripture see/ to have a special kind o'

po*er6 *hich ordinary e4planations alone do not have=

7e4t the te4t o' 8V O 12 tells us *e /ust take into account the unity o' all o' +cripture= +ince it all has the sa/e chie' Author6 the )oly +pirit6 there can beno contradictions= +o/e today6 in noticin% that one 3van%elist6 'or e4a/ple6/ay have a diKerent scope and slant than another6 have %one so 'ar as tosay that one contradicts another= or e4a/ple6 they *ill say that


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*ords o' 3li;abeth at the visitation F5k 1:#(H: LBlessed are you *ho havebelievedL

In re%ard to 'ollo*in% the Lanalo%y o' 'aith6L the sense is si/ilar= !ius "II inDivino afante Spiritu had said F3B (,(H that there are 'e* te4ts *hose

/eanin% the Church has declared6 and si/ilarly6 'e* 'or *hich *e haveunani/ous teachin% o' the athers= his is obviously true= But the sa/e !opealso e4plained F3B ((1H that *e /ust 'ollo* the analo%y o' 'aith= hat is6 anyinterpretation that *e /i%ht consider acceptin% /ust be checked *ith the*hole body o' the truths o' 'aith6 *ith the teachin%s o' the Church= I' it *ouldclash even by i/plication6 it is to be dropped= +o even thou%h there are 'e*e4plicit teachin%s on the sense o' individual te4ts6 yet indirectly6 by /eans o' this analo%y o' 'aith6 *e kno* e4ceedin%ly /any thin%s about the /eanin%so' parts o' +cripture= or e4a/ple6 the teachin%s o' the Council o' renta%ainst 5uther>s errors settle the sense o' /any thin%s in +t= !aul=

+o/e today have %one so 'ar as to say6 contrary to !ius "II that there are note4ts *hose /eanin% the Church has dened= hey clai/ that *here itsee/s *e do have a denition6 the te4t o' +cripture is cited only to illustrate=But this is not realistic6 i' *e e4a/ine individual te4ts o' the Christ did not establish the Apostles as priests6 or didnot ordain the/ so that they and other priests /i%ht oKer )is Jesh andblood6 let hi/ be anathe/a=L It takes so/e stran%e /ental contortions to saythat the Council cited L8o this in co//e/oration o' /eL only to Lillustrate=L7ot at all6 it says that *hen 9esus said those *ords6 )e really did ordain the

Apostles=

We have been speakin% o' denitions by the Church o' the sense o' parts o' +cripture= We /ust not 'or%et that there are other levels o' teachin% inaddition to the sole/n denition= here is a second level6 o' *hich Vatican IItau%ht F5& O 2(H: LAlthou%h the individual bishops do not have the %i't o' in'allibility6 they can still teach Christ>s doctrine in'allibly6 even *hen they arescattered around the *orld6 provided that6 *hile /aintainin% the bond o' unity a/on% the/selves and *ith the successor o' !eter6 they a%ree on ateachin% as the one *hich /ust be held denitively=L I' they can do this even*hen scattered6 o' course they can also do the sa/e *hen %athered in a

Council *ith the !ope6 even i' they do not put thin%s in the 'or/ o' adenition= he key *ord is denitively= Whatever /ode o' teachin% /ay beused6 i' the


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plea that in the/ the pontiKs do not e4ercise the supre/e po*er o' their/a%isteriu/= hese thin%s are tau%ht *ith the ordinary /a%isteriu/6 about*hich it is also true to say6 >)e *ho hears you6 hears /e= >F5k 1:1,HL= hisreally /eans that the !ope alone6 in as /uch as he speaks 'or the *holeChurch6 can do alone *hat a Council can do6 as described in the second

level= )e can brin% so/ethin% under the pro/ise L)e *ho hears you6 hears/e=L D' course that pro/ise o' Christ cannot 'ail= +o the teachin% is in'allible=

his does not /ean that everythin% in an encyclical is in'allible= 7o6 !ius "II*ent on to speci'y the conditions in *hich this *ill co/e true: LI' thesupre/e pontiKs in their acta e4pressly pass Eud%/ent on a /atter debateduntil then6 it is obvious to all that the /atter6 accordin% to the /ind and *illo' the sa/e pontiKs6 cannot any lon%er be considered a /atter open 'ordiscussion a/on% theolo%ians=L or the !ope has sho*n he is /akin% adenitive decision on so/ethin% currently bein% debated= A special case o' this ca/e in the 3ncyclical on the


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is not denin%6 in such a *ay6 na/ely6 that the Eud%/ents /ade by hi/ aresincerely adhered to accordin% to his /ani'ested /ind and *ill6 *hich is cleareither 'ro/ the nature o' the docu/ents6 or 'ro/ the repeated presentationo' the sa/e doctrine6 or 'ro/ the /anner o' speakin%=L Me/phasis addedN=We /ust6 in other *ords6 look to see i' a thin% is presented as denitive or

not=

)o* can *e believe so/ethin% *hich is not in'allible? In daily li'e *e do it=Routine openin% o' a can *ill not detect Botulis/6 a deadly 'ood poisonin%= et *e do not send each can to a lab to be checked= We kno* there is are/ote chance6 but take it= 5i'e *ould be un*orkable *ithout doin% so= hechances o' an error on this level by the Church is even /ore re/ote= Dnlythe &alileo case6 in 2 years6 co/es close= 3ven there6 the !ope hi/sel'6$rban VIII6 stated in 1,2# as to the theory that the earth *ent around thesun6 that Lthe )oly Church had never6 and *ould never6 conde/n it asheretical6 but only as rash=L

+o/e scholars today dare to assert that the Church has very little ability totell us *hat a te4t o' +cripture /eant ori%inally - it can usually Eust tell us*hat it /eans to people today= o kno* the ori%inal sense6 *e /ust dependon scholars his is a clear contradiction o' 8V O16 cited above6 *hich saysthat the task o' interpretin% belon%s e4clusively to the


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Chapter 0The 10) Instruction of the Biblical Commission

Dn April 216 1.,#6 he !ontical Biblical Co//ission issued an )nstruction on

the $istorical Truth o the %ospels= 5e't *in% scholars o'ten @uote only theparts they like6 and o/it other i/portant thin%s= We *ill try to %ive a broadcovera%e o' the docu/ent=

he /ost i/portant 'eature o' the docu/ent is *hat it has to say about or/and Redaction Criticis/=

Be'ore lookin% at the co//ents in the Instruction6 *e notice so/ethin% thatis @uite obviously true6 *hich the or/ and Redaction critics consider basic:in the production o' the &ospels there *ere three sta%es:

1H he actions and *ords o' Christ= We notice )e *ould adapt )is *ordin% tothe current audience= Any %ood speaker does that=

2H he *ay the Apostles and others o' the rst %eneration reported andpreached *hat )e did and said= A%ain6 *e *ould e4pect the/ to adapt the*ordin% to the current audience= here'ore it is not necessary to supposethey used al*ays the sa/e *ords 9esus had used= But they *ould keep thesa/e sense=

H +o/e individuals *ithin the Church6 /oved by inspiration6 *rote do*nso/e part o' *hat 9esus did and said= his beca/e the &ospels=

Be'ore %oin% ahead6 *e inEect the co//ent: In this *ay *e see that theChurch has so/ethin% /ore basic than the &ospels6 its o*n on%oin%teachin%= or the &ospels are Eust part o' that teachin%6 *ritten do*n underinspiration=

he critics *ould like to nd at *hich o' the three sta%es the te4t *e no*have took its present 'or/= In this *ay they hope to nd out so/e help'ulthin%s=

he study o' the rst t*o sta%es is called or/ Criticis/= he study o' the

third sta%e is called Redaction Criticis/=

hus 'ar there can be no @uarrel *ith this type o' study= But proble/s be%into arise *hen *e atte/pt to take the ne4t steps=

he *ork be%ins *ith t*o thin%s= irst *e try to classi'y each unit in the&ospels accordin% to the literary 'or/= his is /uch like literary %enre6 butatte/pts a /ore detailed classication= We /i%ht even speak o' /ini%enres=


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he critics think each passa%e in the &ospels is /ade up o' several o' theseunits=

In the early days o' or/ Criticis/6 the critics co//only said the 3van%elists*ere not authors at all= hey *ere Eust Lstrin%ers o' beads=L Various people

*ho had heard 9esus *ere reportin% each Eust one thin% )e did or said= he3van%elists /erely put these to%ether in a strin%= oday the pendulu/ hass*un% 'ar: no* the critics see very re/arkable artistry in the *ork o' the3van%elists= FWe recall that inspiration does not aKect the literary style o' anauthor one *ay or anotherH=

he second thin% the critics *atch in order to separate out the various unitsis *hat they call Sit5.im.Leben= It /erely /eans the li'e situation in *hicheach 'or/ or unit arose6 *hich called 'or the type o' 'or/= At this pointalready the critics be%in to sho* their %reat subEectivity=

he t*o %reat pioneers *ho rst applied this techni@ue to the &ospels are R=Bult/ann and


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*ere creations o' the Church= We could visuali;e it thus: t*o %roups in theChurch are disputin%= &roup A has no sayin% o' 9esus to prove its point6 so it/akes one up= &roup B does the sa/e=

But on the contrary6 the concern these Christians had 'or their o*n eternity

*ould prevent such 'akery= +t= I%natius o' Antioch *as sent to Ro/e to beeaten by the *ild beasts6 around 10 A=8= )e *as eaten= )e *rote a heroicletter to Ro/e6 *hich *e still have6 in *hich he says he *ants to die 'orChrist= I' one o' the Christians there /i%ht have inJuence6 and could %et hi/oK6 I%natius still *ants to die 7o* i' anyone is te/pted to think theco//unity *as creative6 let hi/ take a copy o' I%natius> letter to Ro/e tothe ;oo6 and read it in 'ront o' the lions> den and ask hi/sel' i' a /an aboutto be eaten *ould be creative and indul%e in 'akery=

7ot stran%ely6 in vie* o' the alle%ed creativity6 the critics nd it hard to besure o' anythin%= hey propose 'our criteria to see i' a thin% is %enuine: 1H

8ouble dissi/ilarity or irreductibility: his /eans that i' an idea is unlike thee/phases o' both ancient 9udais/ and early Christianity6 it /ay co/e 'ro/ 9esus 2H


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D' course persons like Bult/ann have these preEudices= In re%ard to OO1 G26Bult/ann *rote that today Lnobody reckons *ith direct intervention bytranscendent po*ersL F9esus Christ and s +ons67==6 1.(6 p=,H= Dn p=1( o' the sa/e book he says that the *hole

conception o' the *orld supposed in the 7e* esta/ent is /ytholo%ical= Inhis ery%/a and


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In contrast6 8V 1. tells us: L)oly


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disciples *ho people says )e is= hey report various vie*s= 7o* *e *illnu/ber the units uller thou%ht he 'ound: 1H )e asks the Apostles *ho theysay )e is= !eter replies: ou are the


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!errin6 e4pect the end soon= But 5uke has settled do*n to Lthe lon% haul o' history=L +o there is a clash=

A%ain6 the ans*er is easy= All three synoptics put this line Eust be'ore the rans%uration6 so that could be *hat they *ould see= But better6 /any

scholars ad/it Fe=%=6 9ohn 5=


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*as one o' the 'all o' 9erusale/= +till 'urther6 )ebre* dor can /ean%eneration6 but can also /ean a ti/e period - here - the Christian re%i/e -and so the sense could be that the Christian re%i/e is the last phases o' &od>s dealin%s *ith our race= It is never to be replaced as the Dld esta/ent*as= 8V # assures us this is the case=

Dne /ore e4a/ple= When 9esus says that i' anyone *ould co/e a'ter )i/6he /ust take up his cross= 7o* the cross in the literal sense *as kno*n to allthe people o' his land and ti/e= But )e /eant it in a /odied sense6 in thesense o' i/itatin% hi/ by sel'-denial and acceptance o' providentialsuKerin%s= We %ather then6 that it is not very likely that 9esus used these*ords about takin% up one>s cross6 thou%h )e e4pressed the sa/e thou%ht inanother *ay= It *ould be only later6 *hen the Church had /editated on thispoint6 that such lan%ua%e *ould be understood by /ost persons=

or/ and Redaction criticis/ today is under so/e attack= Re%inald )= uller6

a chie' critic6 and author o' the analysis o' the scene at Caesarea !hilippi *e Eust sa*6 has no* char%ed that or/ criticis/ is bankrupt6 and that thebankruptcy should be overco/e by 'eedback 'ro/ the believin% co//unityuller sho*ed bad Eud%/ent t*ice= irst there *as bad Eud%/ent *hen heand others *ere so very condent they had scientically proved thin%s6 *henreally the *hole historical critical /ethod Fo' *hich or/ Criticis/ is a part6as also the approach via literary %enresH seldo/ %ives conclusive proo' o' anythin%6 since it relies /ostly on internal evidence Fe=%=6 the clai/ that 5uke*rote the prophecy o' the 'all o' 9erusale/ a'ter 0 A8 since he spoke o' anyar/y surroundin% 9erusale/H= Internal evidence by its nature seldo/ %ives/ore than probability= uller sho*s bad Eud%/ent a second ti/e in thro*in%

out the baby *ith the bath6 'or these techni@ues really are use'ul i' only oneuses the/ *ith keen a*areness o' their li/itations=

urther6 the critics6 as *e sa*6 think it i/portant to discover the li'esituation6 the Sit5.im.Leben o' each 'or/= But there is heavy uncertaintyabout a very /aEor case o' this= he traditional vie* *as that


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In re%ard to the possible rearran%e/ent o' /aterials by the 3van%elists6 *e/ust ask about retroEection? It consists in *ritin% up so/ethin% that reallyhappened a'ter the resurrection as i' it happened be'ore= Could this bele%iti/ately done? es under so/e conditions6 chieJy that the *ordsattributed to 9esus *ere really said by )i/6 even i' in diKerent 'or/=

Dther*ise retroEection is a lie6 and contrary to inspiration= oday there is/uch 'er/ent about the @uestion o' *hether it *as chieJy the Ro/ans6 orthe 9e*s *ho *ere %uilty o' the death o' 9esus= Vatican II6 in 0ostra aetate #said there is a special and a %eneral %uilt= All *ho sin have the %eneral %uilt=But only those 9e*s *ho *ere be'ore !ilate screa/in% 'or )is bloodcontracted the special %uilt= We could add that even those 9e*s not present/ay have ac@uiesced or ratied it by their persecution *hich ca/e verysoon=

But to bla/e /erely or chieJy the Ro/ans is to /ake a lie o' +t= 9ohnXs%ospel6 and parts o'


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ne* kno*led%e= But those *ho 'ollo* *hat *e have Eust e4plained need notbe /isled=

We need to notice too that +e/ites are apt to use appro4i/ation6 as !ius "IIre/inded us in his 3ncyclical= 3specially is this the case on nu/bers= hus

the )ebre* o' 9onah says &od *ill destroy the city in # days= But the &reek5"" /akes it days= In &alatians 1-2 !aul says that a'ter his conversion he*ent to Arabia6 and then a'ter three years *ent to 9erusale/= We do notkno* *here to start countin% the three years= Also he says in 2=1 that a'ter1# years he *ent to 9erusale/ a%ain-*e do not kno* *here to start countin%the 1# years= And in 7u/bers 2(=1 *e read that 2#6 9e*s 'ell--but !aul in1 Cor 1= %ives only 26=

+e/ites are not /odern A/ericans=


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Chapter 2The 'entateuch

In chapter 6 in order to ans*er so/e obEections6 *e needed to say a 'e*

thin%s in passin% about the !entateuch= 3specially *e sa* the /odern vie*son the


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he ah*ist docu/ent F9H pre'ers the na/e ah*eh6 it stresses events a'terthe !atriarchs as the 'ulll/ent o' the pro/ises &od /ade to the/= It speakso' &od in hu/an ter/s - anthropo/orphis/s - and speaks o' &od as an%ryand re%rettin% that )e had /ade /an6 and as co/in% do*n to see the to*er

o' Babylon= he 3lohist docu/ent F3H pre'ers the na/e Elohim6 and is /uchless inclined to use anthropo/orphis/s= he !riestly Code F!H is noted 'or itsspecial interest in cultic thin%s and reli%ious la*s= hus the Book o' 5eviticus*ould be entirely != he 8euterono/ist F8H is 'ound especially in8euterono/y6 *ith inJuence 'ro/ that vie* also seen in 9oshua6 9ud%es6 1and 2 +a/uel6 1 and 2 in%s= he 8euterono/ist docu/ent F8H tends to beoratorical or ho/iletic in tone6 and stresses the i/portance o' delity to&od>s la*s6 resultin% in re*ard or punish/ent=

hese docu/entary belie's *ere especially pro/oted by 9ulius WellhausenF1##-1.1H *hose study o' Israelite la*s led hi/ to think Israel be%an *ith

a naturist reli%ion6 then the prophets introduced ethical /onotheis/= he!entateuch reached 'ull develop/ent durin% and a'ter the 34ile6 c= #( B=C=

)e thou%ht he could %ive a relative datin% o' the docu/ents= )e held thatthe la* book discovered in the 1th year o' in% 9osiah F2 in%s 22H *as8euterono/y=


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second rin%6 *hich also adds the distinction o' cleanSunclean ani/als bH in,:1.-2 the )ebre* is shenaim - *hich is a dual endin% Fbesides sin%ularand plural6 )ebre* had dual6 'or a pairH= 7o* one cannot add a plural endin%on top o' a dual6 hence *e see the 'or/ *hich indicates pair6 *ithout sayin%ho* /any pairs= In 0:2- *e translate Lseven pairsL= Actually6 the )ebre*

has shivah shivah U seven seven= )ebre* is not rich in 'or/s=

Another /aEor ar%u/ent proposed 'or the docu/entary theory is thevariation in divine na/es6 bet*een Elohim6 and 8ah"eh Elohim= A%ain6itchen has 'ound parallels to this sort o' thin% in other ancient 7ear 3asternliterature Fpp= 121-22H: here are three na/es 'or the %od (siris on the Berlinstela o' )khernoret In the Lipit.)shtar la*s Enlil is also called 0unamnir6 andin the prolo%ue to the Code o' )a//urapi *e have )nanna7)shtar7Telitum inthe Babylonian Enuma elish epic6 three %ods have double na/es= he sa/epheno/enon is seen in Canaan6 Dld +outh Arabia6 and a/on% the )urriansand )ittites= In none o' those cases do scholars try to invent t*o or three

docu/ents=

hose *ho 'avor the 8ocu/entary theory also point to stylistic diKerences:the style o' the ah*ist has unied scenes bound to%ether by a continuousthread= )e pre'ers the concrete6 is %ood at character portraits= he 3lohistlacks the pictures@ue /anner6 has less dra/atic vi%or= he ah*ist %oes in'or anthropo/orphis/s6 the 3lohist does not= But *e reply: he reasonin% isin part a vicious circle: the alle%ed docu/ents *ere diKerentiated on thebasis o' the styles - then the styles are used to prove diKerent docu/ents=A%ain6 itchen helps us Fp= 12(H by sho*in% that style variations are co//onin the 7ear 3ast= )e /entions the bio%raphical inscription o' an 3%yptian

ocial $ni Fc 1# B=C= H6 *hich contains Jo*in% narrative6 su//arystate/ents6 a victory hy/n6 and t*o diKerent re'rains repeated at suitablebut varyin% intervals= A si/ilar pheno/enon is 'ound in the royal inscriptionso' the kin%s o' $rartu=

o su/ up: *e have not disproved the 8ocu/entary theory6 but *e havesho*n that its proponents are 'ar 'ro/ provin% it too=

Dne 'urther @uestion 'or no*: Could *e believe that so/e o' the na/es and'acts *ere really trans/itted orally 'or centuries? We kno* denitely thatsuch a thin% is possible= or e4a/ple6 the rst na/e on the Assyrian in% 5ist

is in% udia= or lon% it *as thou%ht he *as only a le%end= But no* thepicture has chan%ed: An Italian archaeolo%ist6 !aolo


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dynasty o' Assyria= +o *e no* are certain that udia is not le%endary buthistorical - the Assyrian kin% list %ivin% the na/e o' udia dates 'ro/ about1 B=C=6 *hile the tablet 'ro/ 3bla sho*s udia /ade that treaty around2( B=C= +o /e/ory preserved correct data on udia 'or about 1 centuries=FC'= &= !ettinato6 The Archives o Ebla6 8oubleday6 1.16 pp= 1-( also 0

G 0H=

Roland 3=


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Chapter The Boo% of ,enesis

Dur rst /ove is to try to deter/ine the literary %enre o' &enesis= )ere *e

clearly /ust distin%uish bet*een chapters 1-11 and the rest o' &enesis=

We have already seen in chapter 6 in ans*erin% obEections6 the state/ent o' !ius "II on &enesis 1-116 that &enesis 1-11 is in a %enre that pertains tohistory in so/e *ay6 *ithout bein% the sa/e as the pattern used by &reekand Ro/an or /odern historians= We sa* too that 9ohn !aul II called the%enre L/ythL6 but e4plained he did not /ean a /ere 'airy tale6 but /eant anancient story devised to brin% out so/e thin%s that really happened=

We sa* too the re/arkable state/ent o' 1, /aEor scientists that the 'or/o' evolution proposed by 8ar*in *as 'alse6 since the 'ossil record si/ply did

not support it= hey proposed instead an unsupported supposition o' Lpunctuated e@uilibriaL that is6 that a species /i%ht stay the sa/e 'or/illions o' years6 and then by a sudden Juke6 leap up to so/ethin% /uchhi%her in the sa/e cate%ory=

It is %ood to add so/e /odern scientic *ork that bears on poly%enis/ - thetheory that our race ca/e 'ro/ /ore than one pair= !ius "II6 in $umanigeneris in 1.(1 a'ter sayin% that *e /ay consider evolution provided it is notatheistic6 added that *e are not so 'ree about poly%enis/ Lsince it is by no/eans clear ho* such a vie* could be reconciled *ith *hat the sources o' revelation and the actions o' the


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)o*ever6 on the side o' natural science so/e i/pressive evidence has co/eto li%ht a%ainst poly%enis/= +cience 7e*s o' Au%ust 16 1.6 p= 11reported that Allan Wilson o' the $niversity o' Cali'ornia at Berkeley asserts6as a result o' *orld*ide research on /itochondria6 that *e all %o back to one

/other6 *ho lived (6 years a%o= At rst other scientists did not 'avorhis vie*= But that has chan%ed= 7e*s*eek o' 9an 216 1. in a lar%e articlereports that vie* is no* *idely accepted6 e4cept that they have lo*ered thea%e to 26 years a%o= D' course6 this *ould not disprove poly%enis/6 'orit could be that6 e=%=6 , pairs started our race6 and the lines o' all but onedied out= or /ore see +cience 7e*s vol= 1#06 p= 2,=

9ohn !aul II6 in a &eneral Audience o' Dct 16 1., claried the concept o' ori%inal sin= )e said that it Lhas not the character o' personal %uilt= It is theprivation o' sancti'yin% %race6L that is6 it is the lack o' so/ethin% that shouldbe there6 not a positive presence= +o the trans/ission by heredity really

/eans that %race is not trans/itted= In the audience o' Dct 6 1., he addedthat *hen *e say our /ind is darkened and our *ill *eakened6 this re'ers toa Lrelative6 and not an absolute deterioration=L hat is6 *e are put do*n nolo*er than *e *ould have been had &od created our race *ith no added%i'ts beyond essential hu/anity= +uch a nature6 havin% /any drives *ithin it6each operatin% blindly6 *ould need /ortication to ta/e it= his disorder*ould /ake the /ind relatively less clear6 and the *ill relatively *eaker=

ro/ the cleverly desi%ned story o' &enesis6 it is evident that &od had %ivenour rst parents *hat could be called a coordinatin% %i't6 that is6 a %i't to/ake it easy to keep all the drives in their proper place= Fhis has o'ten been

called the &i't o' Inte%rityH= When &od called6 LAda/6 *here are you?L Ada/said: LI hid /ysel' 'or I *as naked=L &od said: L)o* did you nd that out6 i' you did not eat the 'orbidden 'ruit?L In other *ords6 be'ore and a'ter the 'all6Ada/ *as naked= But it 'or/erly did not bother hi/ - he had thecoordinatin% %i't= A'ter*ards6 *ithout that %i't6 it did bother hi/=

8id the )ebre*s see ori%inal sin in the &enesis story? +urely6 they did nottalk /uch about it= here are Eust a 'e* doubt'ul te4ts in the Dld esta/entthat could6 but need not6 re'er to it: F9ob 1#:# !sal/ (1:( +irach 2(:2Wisdo/ 2:2-2# and 1:1-2H= here are Eust a 'e* places in theintertesta/ental literature F9e*ish *ritin% a'ter the end o' the Dld esta/entH

in *hich *e /i%ht see ori%inal sin: IV 3;ra = 2 and 0= #,-#. Fprob= late 1stcentury A8H II Baruch 1= 2 2= # #= #2-# (#= 1(-1, (,= (-, Fearly 2ndcentury A8H esta/ent o' Ada/ = F2nd -(th century A8H !seudo !hilo,2=( Fprob= 1st century A8H=

)o*ever6 even i' the 9e*s did not notice it6 it is clearly i/plied in &enesis= or&od had %iven to Ada/ and 3ve the %i't o' %race6 )is 'avor= hey lost it - orrather6 cast it a*ay by sin -and so could not pass it on to their descendants=


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o be born out o' &od>s 'avor is to lack %race= And that is *hat ori%inal sin is=We need to notice as to the *ord 'avor6 i' *e /eant /erely that &od as it*ere s/iles at us6 but %ives us nothin%6 *e *ould do %ood by our o*npo*ers: the heresy o' !ela%ianis/= +o in practice6 to lack )is 'avor /eans tolack *hat )e %ives us6 )is %race=

here are other thin%s brou%ht out by that *ell-desi%ned story6 chieJy: &od/ade all thin%s - in so/e special *ay Fleavin% roo/ 'or theistic evolutionH )e/ade the rst hu/an pair - )e %ave the/ so/e sort o' co//and F*e do notkno* i' it *as or *as not about a 'ruit tree - that /ay be sta%e dressin%H-they violated )is orders and 'ell 'ro/ 'avor= In addition the story tells us thepsycholo%y o' every sin= or 3ve kne* &od had said they *ould die i' theyate it - but she believed the te/pter *ho said that they *ould insteadbeco/e like %ods - and she looked at the 'ruit6 and as it *ere said: L&od /aykno* *hat is %ood in %eneral - but ri%ht no*6 I kno* better I can see 'or/ysel'L +o pride is the essence o' every sin=

What o' the na/es Ada/ and 3ve? We do not kno* i' they used those na/es- but that does not /ean *e should say there *as no Ada/ and 3ve= here*as a rst pair6 re%ardless o' the na/es they used=

+o/e scholars today think the *riter o' &enesis used so/e then currentstories6 probably 'ro/


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a creation story6 sho*s so/e stron% si/ilarities in the order o' thin%s createdon each day FC'= Ale4ander )eidel6 The Bablonian %enesis6 $niv= o' Chica%o61.(16 pp= 12-2.H= )o*ever6 as )eidel hi/sel' ad/its 6Lthe diKerences are'ar too %reat and the si/ilarities 'ar too insi%nicantL to /ake us supposethat the Enuma elish contributed /uch to &enesis=

+o/ethin% /uch closer is the creation account 'ound at 3bla F!ettinato6 op=cit=6 pp= 1## and 1(.H: L5ord o' heaven and earth6 the earth *as not6 youcreated it6 the li%ht o' day *as not6 you created it6 the /ornin% li%ht you hadnot MyetN /ade e4ist=L )o*ever6 !ettinato>s translation *as pro/ptlychallen%ed by Archi6 his successor as epi%rapher o' 3bla FBAR 7ov= -8ec=1.6 p= #2H=

+o/e today char%e error in &enesis because it speaks o' Abel as aherds/an6 and Cain as a 'ar/er - these develop/ents belon% /uch later inthe history o' our race6 they say= urther6 &enesis #:21- 22 speaks o' 9ubal6

the ancestor o' those *ho play harp and Jute6 and o' ubalcain as the 'athero' all *ho *ork in bron;e and iron= A%ain6 /uch too early= )o*ever6 once *e%rasp the 'act that &enesis 1-11 consists o' stories desi%ned to brin% outso/e thin%s that *ere really true *e have no proble/ here= hat *holestretch is desi%ned to sho* ho* /ankind *as sin'ul 'ro/ the start6 to suchan e4tent that &od repented o' /akin% /ankind and sent the delu%e= Withinthis 'ra/e*ork6 then6 the odd little episode o' ,:1-# in *hich the sons o' &odhad children by hu/an *o/en is likely to be so/e ancient tale6 *hich theauthor o' &enesis 'ound suited his purpose *ell - sho*in% the *ickedness o' all= Who the sons o' %od are is /uch discussed= +o/e su%%est it /eans sonso' +eth6 takin% *ives 'ro/ the dau%hters o' Cain= +o/e athers o' the Church

thou%ht it /eant an%els Fe=%=6 +t= 9ustin


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)o*ever6 our interest is other= he land o' +u/er6 bet*een the i%ris and3uphrates6 had annual Joods in those ti/es= o speak o' the Jood in such aconte4t surely stands 'or a kin% si;ed Jood=

he Babylonian story is 'ound in the 3pic o' &il%a/esh6 and probably %oes

back to at least 2 B=C= In both stories6 there is a hero *ho is to be saved -7oah in &enesis6 $tnapishti/ in &il%a/esh= 3ach is told to build an ark6 *ithdetailed specications= hen co/es the cataclys/= he ark nally rests on atall /ountain= Both 7oah and $tnapishti/ release series o' birds to see i' the*ater has %one do*n= 3ach account /entions a dove and a raven= 3ach herooKers sacrice6 but there are %reat diKerences: he biblical Jood is apunish/ent 'or sin there is no /otive %iven by the %ods in the Babylonianversion6 it is /ere caprice= In the Babylonian te4t6 the %ods co*ered in 'earo' the Jood= When $tnapishti/ oKered sacrice a'ter the Jood6 they ca/edo*n and Ls*ar/ed like JiesL around the sacrice - the %ods neededsacrices 'or 'ood= he %ods ad/it $tnapishti/ to the ranks o' the %ods6 he

beco/es i//ortal= Fhe co/plete te4t o' the &il%a/esh epic can be 'ound inAle4ander )eidel6 The %ilgamesh Epic and (ld Testament Parallels6$niversity o' Chica%o6 1.#.=

We do not kno* the relation o' the t*o= !erhaps the *riter o' &enesis tookthe Babylonian account6 puried it o' polytheistic ele/ents6 and used it= Dnthe other hand6 the t*o accounts could have been independent accounts o' ahistorical Jood=

But there are ne* discoveries today6 *hich /ake the delu%e certain= A hi%hpenta%on ocial told /e he had been per/itted to see hi%h resolution

photos taken 'ro/ our satellite6 *hich sho* the ark up on s Ark !ark 'arther do*n= Ron Wyatt and associates discovered there aburied ship6 o' the sa/e /easure/ents= $sin% subsur'ace radar --*ithtrained e4pert operators-- he 'ound there is a pattern o' re%ularly occurrin%spots6 *hich he takes to be /etal brackets in a pattern o' lines 'ro/ ste/ tostern6 and also %oin% cross*ays=

here can be no reasonable doubt about the ark seen 'ro/ space= WhatWyatt 'ound is so/ethin% real6 but diKerent= hou%h not hi%hly trainedhi/sel'6 he did e/ploy radar specialists= )e has published a video sho*in% indetail the e4plorations and the results FWyatt Archaeolo%ical Research67ashville6 7H=


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As to the Babylonian to*er6 *e note that te/ple to*ers *ere co//on inancient Babylonia= We cannot Eud%e the historical character o' this account=But *e notice the clever play on *ords *ith popular ety/olo%y: &en 11:,speaks o' it as Babel6 the place *here the 5ord con'used ton%ues6 playin% on)ebre* babel6 Lcon'usionL= et Babylonian bab.ili /eant L%ate o' the %ods=L

he *riter o' &enesis /ay have been /akin% 'un o' the L%ate o' the %odsL=

We notice the stron% anthropo/orphis/ in this account: &od co/es do*n tosee the to*er=

&enesis 12-(

)ere *e see/ to leave the real/ o' /ere ancient stories contrived to brin%out so/e thin%s that really happened= We no* have the history o' thepatriarchs6 Abraha/6 Isaac6 and 9acob= 3ven so6 *e ask about the %enre=


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Chapter 13The Boo% of 45odus

he %enre o' this book is /ost likely epic6 thou%h so/e today *ould

co/pletely deny that there *as an 34odus at all= )ershel +hanks6 editor o' Biblical Archaeolo%y Revie*6 in the


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R= Wilson6 in &enealo%y and )istory in the Biblical World Fale6 1.006 p= 1,,Hsho*s that %enealo%ies o'ten *ere articial in the ancient *orld6 to brin% outrelations other than 'a/ily lines=

As to these %ure *e can also notice that !ius "II6 in Divino afante Spiritu

F3B ((.H speaks o' +e/itic appro4i/ation= )e is ri%ht6 the +e/ites caredlittle 'or our precision in datin%= We can see that in the *ay in *hich +t= !aulreports his o*n activities in &alatians 2:16 *here he says he *ent to 9erusale/ a%ain a'ter 1# years - *ith no indication o' *hether he countedthat 'ro/ his conversion6 'ro/ his return 'ro/

Arabia6 or so/ethin% else= And the )ebre* o' 9onah :# has 9onahthreatenin% destruction to 7ineveh in # days= But the +eptua%int o' thesa/e te4t said three days= Apparently the sy/bolic or broad usa%e /adeboth see/ e@uivalent to the translators o' the +eptua%int=

It is usual to su%%est that 9oseph *on readier acceptance in 3%ypt durin% theti/e o' the 'orei%n rule by the )yksos6 *hich be%an around 102 BC6 sincethey probably included so/e +e/ites= But this overlooks the 'act that 9oseph>s acceptance *as basically due to divine help in %ivin% hi/ theinterpretation o' the kin%>s drea/s= he Israelites6 accordin% to 34odus 1:6be%an to have trouble *hen a ne* kin% ca/e on the throne6 *ho did notkno* 9oseph= But any chan%e o' dynasty - and there *ere /any - could %ivethe sa/e eKect=

+o/e recent eKorts 'avor the earlier date 'or the 34odus= 9ohn 9= Bi/son6Redatin% the E/odus and Con3uest Fcited aboveH puts the 34odus at about

1#0= his solves /any proble/s o' archeolo%y about the cities con@ueredby 9oshua6 leavin% a proble/ chieJy about Ai and )eshbon= Bi/son repliesFpp= 21(-2(H that the later villa%e o' Ai /ay not be the one destroyed by 9oshua - 'or there *as o'ten site shi't in ancient cities - and adds Fp= ,.H that)eshbon need not have been a 'ortied site at the ti/e o' 9oshua=

In Biblical Archaeolog revie* 'or +ept-Dct= 1.06 Bi/son6 Eoined by 8avid5ivin%ston6 repeats his proposal6 %ivin% a date 'or 34odus as 1#,= his *ouldentail chan%in% the date o' the end o'


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9ericho around 1#= In spite o' the %reat reputation o' = enyon6 this is@uite plausible= An intervie* in BAR6


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updated 'or/ anachronistically inserted at &en #:2,= It is also possible thena/e *as rst kno*n and later 'or%otten by the ti/e o' Abraha/=

he *ord 9ehovah is /erely a /istake= A'ter the 34ile6 the 9e*s developed so%reat a respect 'or the sacred na/e6 that the ordinary person never *ould

pronounce it= Instead he *ould say Adonai6 5ord= When the


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/y husband>and never /ore >/y Baal>=== I *ill betroth you to /e 'orever= >L A%ain6 )e saidthrou%h 9ere/iah 2:2 L&o and cry in the ears o' 9erusale/ I re/e/ber thecovenant-devotedness Mhesed - /ore on this *ord presentlyN o' your youth6the love o' your espousal=L Fc'= also 9er :1 3; 1,: Is (:1 ,2:(H= helan%ua%e o' 8euterono/y 2,:10-1 is so bold that /ost versions do not dareto render it literally= he )ebre* uses the causative hiphil 'or/ o' the verbt*ice here: Lou have caused the 5ord today to say )e *ill be a &od to you===and the 5ord has caused you today to say you *ill be to )i/ a people6 a

special possession=== and to keep all )is co//and/ents=L +uch lan%ua%esee/s to put &od and )is people both on the sa/e plane In spite o' theirreverential %reat 'ear6 they also did understand )e *as their ather= In Is,:1,: Lou are our ather= M3ven i'N Abraha/ *ould not kno* us6 and Israelnot ackno*led%e us: you6 D &od6 are our ather6 our redee/er is your na/e'ro/ everlastin%=L )ere 'or redee/er the )ebre* has goel6 *hich /eans thene4t o' kin *ho in ti/e o' need has both the ri%ht and the duty to rescue his'a/ily /e/bers *ho are in diculty= +o &od by the covenant beco/es as it*ere a /e/ber o' the 'a/ily= C'= Roland de Vau46 Ancient Israel Ftr= 9=


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prolo%ue: %ives 'oundations 'or obli%ations o' the vassal6 H +tipulations: listo' obli%ations o' the vassal= he vassal is o'ten told to avoid L/ur/urin%Land /ust love MUobeyN the +un F)ittite in%H6 #H 8eposit and public readin%6perhaps ti/es a year6 (H 5ist o' *itnesses - nu/erous %ods6 ,H Curses andblessin%s=

But there is no place in the Dld esta/ent in *hich all o' these provisions are'ound in that order= Rather6 the /aterial is spread out a bit= 8ennis 9=s sake= &od spelled out *hat thin%s *ereneeded6 in the nature o' thin%s6 to /ake the people to open and capable o' receivin% *hat )e so %enerously *anted to %ive= Dther*ise6 they *ould run

into the evils present in the nature o' thin%s 'or *ron%doin%=

34odus also contains the en Co//and/ents and a lar%e body o' other la*s= 9oseph 9ensen Fop= cit=6 p= ,H says that the tradition that represents s Code= +o/e la*s *ere %iven in Jat 'or/6and are called apodictic others *ere in case la* 'or/:=== i' so/eone doesthus=== then==== It is the case la*s that /ost rese/ble the Code o' )a//urabi=

+o/e authors do not read care'ully enou%h 34 2:2#-2( and 8t 12 and as aresult say there is a conJict= 34odus6 they say6 per/its /any places o' sacrice6 *hile 8t speaks o' only one= But i' *e read care'ully *e nd that in8t= 126 especially at verses 1-116 that &od tells the/ that a'ter they havecrossed the 9ordan and a'ter &od has %iven the/ rest 'ro/ their ene/ies-*hich *ould co/e only in the ti/e o' +olo/on6 then they shall have an altaronly in the place *hich &od *ill choose=


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34odus 12:0 see/s to %ive the nu/ber o' Israelites *ho departed in the34odus as ,6 /en on 'oot6 not countin% *o/en and children= hat*ould probably result in a %ure o' t*o to three /illion total= But the entirepopulation o' 3%ypt at the ti/e *as about /illion= Dne e4planation is thatthe nu/ber co/es 'ro/ gemetria6 that is6 addin% up the nu/erical value o'

the letters o' bene srael6 *hich *ould be ,6 = But this does not see/to be consistent *ith other passa%es= Another su%%estions is to take the*ord ele to /ean 'a/ilies= +till another su%%estion is to say the nu/ber is/a%nied6 /ultiplied by ten6 'or the honor o' &od= hen *e *ould have ,66 a /ana%eable %ure= +ince the %enre see/s to be epic6 this proposal is@uite plausible= Interestin%ly6 the &reek historian6 )erodotus6 tells us F0= 1(Hthat the !ersian ar/y in the second invasion o' &reece had 26 ,#16 ,1%htin% /en6 and that *hen *e add the nu/ber o' those providin% supplies6the %rand total *as (6 26 22 /en=

+o/e are surprised at the talion la* - eye 'or eye etc= - in 34= 21:2 K= he

ans*er is that it *as actually a /eans o' holdin% do*n /uch /ore severe/easures apt to be taken=

inally6 +t= !aul in 1 Cor 1 sees several pre%urin%s - prophecies by actioninstead o' by *ords - in 34odus6 chieJy6 o' Baptis/ and 3ucharist= And o' course the paschal /eal pre%ures the 5ast +upper=


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itchen Fop= cit6 pp= #.-( sho*s that seasonal occupation o' the 7e%ebre%ion on the +W border o' !alestine is archaeolo%ically attested 'ro/ the21st to the 1.th centuries6 but not 'or the thousand years earlier or 'or years a'ter*ards= Abraha/ and Isaac spent ti/e in this area and *erekeepers o' Jocks and herds6 and at ti/es %re* %rain= +o they *ould t best

in the period about 21- 1 B=C=

3specially si%nicant is the 'act that 9oseph *as sold as a slave F&en 0:2H'or 2 shekels= hat is the correct avera%e price 'or a slave in about the 1thcentury B=C= Be'ore that6 as sho*n in the Code o' )a//urabi and in s order to sacrice Isaac *hen Isaac *as still a little boy6 too youn% tostart the 'ulll/ent o' &od>s pro/ise about a %reat posterity throu%h hi/=

he picture o' Abraha/>s 'aith corresponds e4actly *ith +t= !aul>s idea o' 'aith= !auline 'aith includes 'our ele/ents: belie' in &od>s *ord Fc'= 1 hs

2:1H6 condence in &od>s pro/ise Fc'= &al (:(H6 obedience to &od>sco//ands Fc'= Ro/ 1:(H6 all to be done in love F&al (:,H= Abraha/ didbelieve &od>s *ord6 had condence in )is pro/ise even *hen that see/edvoided by the co//and to sacrice6 and his obedience *as so %reat as to be*illin% to sacrice his dear son6 thereby6 as *e said6 see/in% to cut oK thepro/ise o' a %reat posterity - in *hich he *as yet re@uired to believe=

We note in passin% ho* diKerent this concept o' 'aith is 'ro/ 5uther>s6 *hoheld 'aith /eant /erely the conviction that the /erits o' Christ applied tohi/sel'= he standard !rotestant re'erence *ork6 Interpreter>s 8ictionary o' the Bible6 +upple/ent6 p= 6 %ives precisely the sa/e picture o' !auline

'aith as *e have Eust done= 5uther thou%ht i' one had his version o' 'aith6 hecould disobey &od>s la*s *ith i/punity F3pistle (1H= But 5uther did not seethat 'aith includes obedience -- so 'aith does not dispense 'ro/ obedience=

here are so /any other thin%s in &enesis on *hich *e could co//ent -such as a the beauti'ul story o' 9oseph6 *ith its /a%nicent pay-oK scene6*hen he reveals hi/sel' to his brothers= But *e have space 'or Eust a shortco//ent on t*o %reat prophecies6 those o' &en :1( and &enesis #.:1=


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We are 'ortunate in havin% a %reat ancient resource to understand theseprophecies6 as *ell as so/e other thin%s in the Dld esta/ent: the ar%u/s= hese are ancient Ara/aic versions o' the )ebre* te4t6 /ost o' the/ 'ree6and includin% ll-ins6 *hich sho* ho* the 9e*s understood the prophecies= D'

course6 they did this *ithout the hindsi%ht o' seein% the/ 'ullled in Christ6*ho/ they hated= +o even i' *e kne* no /ore about the date o' the ar%u/s6 *e *ould still be able to use the/ to see ho* the 9e*s the/selvesin ancient ti/es understood their o*n +criptures= But *e do have /ore help= 9acob 7eusner o' Bro*n $niversity6 probably the %reatest o' /odern 9e*ishscholars6 in his book6 &essiah in Conte/t F!hila=6 ortress6 1.#H /ade a 'ullsurvey o' all 9e*ish literature 'ro/ a'ter the 'all o' 9erusale/ in 0 A=8=6 up toand includin% the Babylonian al/ud6 *ritten (-, A=8= )e 'ound thatbe'ore that al/ud6 there *as no interest in the


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9acob 7eusner6 in the book Eust /entioned6 on p= 2#2 says: LIt is dicult toi/a%ine ho* &en #.:1 can have been read as other than a /essianicprediction=L +o a ne 9e*ish scholar can see it6 *hile so /any Catholicscholars cannot= hey say that the *ord shiloh is %ra//atically 'e/inine6*hile the verb *ith it has a /asculine endin%= +o they say the te4t is corrupt6

they /ust e/end it= But +hiloh is /asculine in sense6 even thou%h 'e/ininein %ra//atical 'or/= And besides6 there are other cases in the Dld esta/ent*here the sa/e /i4ture occurs6 and the sa/e scholars do not *orry aboutthose: 9er #.:1, and 3; 1= (-1= he pattern beco/es co//on in


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Chapter 11The Boo%s of 6eviticus7 8umbers7 and 9euteronomy

Leviticus

5eviticus interrupts the narrative o' the 34odus= It is al/ost entirely la*s= heDld esta/ent contains ,1 co//and/ents6 o' *hich 2#0 are in 5eviticus= I' that see/s a %reat nu/ber *e could think o' the output o' the $= +=Con%ress=

he chie' thin%s that are not la*s are the description o' the ordination o' Aaron and his sons6 and the deaths o' sons o' Aaron=

Chapter describes the ordination cere/ony 'or Aaron and 'or his sons= Dnthe octave6 the th day a'ter the ordination6 a special sacrice *as oKered=

But in chapter 1 the sons o' Aaron oKered pro'ane re6 re that *as notholy6 to the 5ord= hen re ca/e 'orth 'ro/ the presence o' the 5ord6 andsle* the/= his *as to teach the absolute holiness o' the 5ord: everythin%/ust be per'ect= hen6 re/arkably6 in chapter 1,6 &od tells


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!atristic literature has /any instances= !ope +t= Cle/ent I6 in his 3pistle toCorinth 2: Lou stretched out your hands to the al/i%hty &od6 be%%in% )i/to be propitious6 in case you had sinned at all un*illin%ly=L Cle/ent o' Ale4andria FStromata ,:,H says i' one repents6 &od *ill 'or%ive sins o'

i%norance= he 3astern Rite 5itur%y o' +t= 9ohn Chrysosto/ has a prayerbe'ore the 3pistle: Lor%ive us every oKense6 both voluntary andinvoluntary=L

Numbers

7u/bers takes up a%ain the narrative o' 34odus6 *ith so/e additional la*sinterspersed6 usually in so/e relation to the /atter o' the narrative= At theend o' the book6 the Israelites are opposite 9ericho=


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rock t*ice6 *hen once *as enou%h - neither


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8euterono/y uses the literary 'or/ o' a series o' speeches by


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ri%ht and %ood6 and it is ri%ht and %ood that creatures obey their Creator2H)e6 bein% &enerosity6 loves to %ive us abundant %ood thin%s= But )is %ivin%is all in vain i' *e are not open to receive= )is co//and/ents e4plain *hatis needed to be open to receive= hey also steer us a*ay 'ro/ the evils *e*ould encounter in the very nature o' thin%s i' *e did not obey= or e4a/ple6

a'ter a drunk co/es a headache a'ter /uch pre/arital se46 there is %reatdan%er o' a loveless /arria%e= or to love is not a 'eelin% - even thou%h'eelin%s tend to %o alon% *ith it - rather it is to *ill %ood to another 'or theother>s sake= o use another>s body 'or sensory pleasure6 thereby puttin%hi/Sher into a state such that i' death ca/e6 they *ould be /iserable'orever - this is not *illin% %ood6 it is closer to the opposite= )ence +t=Au%ustine *rote *ell6 in Con'essions 1= 2: L3very disordered soul is its o*npunish/ent=L

he Shema is 'ound in 8t= ,:#-(: L)ear6 D Israel6 the 5ord our &od is one5ord= ou /ust love the 5ord your &od *ith all your heart6 and *ith all your

soul6 and *ith all your stren%th=L 3very Israelite *ould recite this daily= As *elearned 'ro/ the )ittite treaties6 to love &od /eant to obey )i/=

he /ost do/inant 'eature o' 8euterono/ic theolo%y appears stron%ly in#:2#-20=


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you6 and *ill not leave a stone upon a stone6 because you did not kno* theti/e o' your visitation=L

+o/e 'oolish co//entators6 convinced there can be nothin% supernatural6no such a thin% as a real prophecy6 say this prophecy o' our 5ord is so clear6

it /ust have been /ade up a'ter the event= hey 'or%et that in any ancientsie%e this is the nor/al thin%: an ar/y surrounds the city until it no lon%ercan hold out= Co/pare also the sad i/plications o' the i/a%es o' the t*oolive trees in the 3pistle to the Ro/ans6 11: 10-1=

In 8t= (:2-


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one /ortal sin6 a person /erits death= I' his sins reach their 'ullness6 %o theli/it6 this is all the /ore 'ully

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