The blue hyperlink takes you to Brisbane Catholic Education's Scripture Commentary.  The black hyperlink is to Bible Gateway.

1. Why did biblical authors use different text types?

Identify typical structure and language features of text types in the Old Testament, including a sacred myth (Genesis 1:1- 2:4a) an historical narrative (Genesis 35:1-15) a poem (Psalm 34:1-14) a legal code (Leviticus 24: 17-22) and wise sayings (Proverbs 13:20; 22:6; 25:25).

Text types in the Old Testament 

Old Testament text types Sacred myths First creation story - Genesis 1:1-2: 4a – The First Creation Story Poetry Song of Moses and of Miriam - Exodus 15: 1-21 Legal codes Leviticus 11: 1-8; 24: 17-22 Wise sayings Proverbs 13:20; 20:11; 22:6; 25:25 Historical narratives The story of Jacob and his name change to Israel - Genesis 35:1-15 

The purpose of teaching the text:  In order to appropriately interpret biblical texts it is important to understand the genre or text type.  A newspaper is filled with multiple text types or genres such as cartoons, classified advertisements, narratives, editorials, recipes and weather reports.  To make sense of the text the reader tunes in to what type of a text it is, as the text would be interpreted quite differently to the author’s intention if one read a cartoon the same way as an advertisement.  Therefore, the same applies to the skills required for reading the Bible.  The book of Leviticus is filled with legal codes that provided people with laws for living in their time.  No one today would read all these laws and interpret them literally for today.  While the Bible has books considered by scholars to be ‘historical narratives’, these books tell sacred stories rather than literal, historical fact.  While the Bible is not devoid of history, it can be impossible to determine what texts are written through the lens of history, and what texts use history to enable the author to write a story of immense meaning for people of faith.  Therefore, the naming of text types requires explicit teaching, as well as how to interpret different text types.  

Questions that may assist students to create meaning from the text:  • Why might biblical authors have chosen to use different text types?   • What could happen if we read all these texts as if they were the same type of writing?  What could happen if everyone read the Bible as historical text (everything is literally true then and now)?  • What does the word ‘myth’ mean as a text type in the Bible?  • What is the difference between ‘sacred truths’ and ‘this is all made up’?   • How would a person interpret the Bible if they believed the creation stories were myths?  How would a person interpret the Bible if they believed the creation stories were science reports?  • When older members tell family stories does it mean that everything actually happened, or can they add some details along the way to make the story more meaningful and interesting?   • What evidence would we look for in the texts to determine whether historical narratives are factual stories of history or sacred stories to tell about the Jewish people’s relationship with God? 

2.  How does God want people to live in community?

Compare the commandments of the Decalogue (Exodus 20: 1-17 and Deuteronomy 5: 1-21). 

Insights into community revealed through the Decalogue 

Exodus 20:1-17 – The Ten Commandments (Decalogue) Deuteronomy 5:1-21 – The Ten Commandments

The purpose of teaching the text:  The Decalogue was written for a particular community, at a point in time when a new covenant was needed for a new generation.  The author tells the story of the people now being out of the wilderness of Egypt, moving to the promised land.  Now the people were free, it was time to rediscover how God wanted them to live, in this new context.  In the book of Deuteronomy, there is reference to servants.  Servants in Hebrew families had been unable to have a day of rest during their time of being held captive in Egypt, but now it was time to remember that they too, needed a day of rest.  In the book of Exodus, the notion of the day of rest can be linked back to the first creation story in Genesis.  These texts have been debated by faith communities for thousands of years, and they still are today. 

Questions that may assist students to create meaning from the text:  • What might these texts (laws / Covenant) have meant to Jewish people thousands of years ago?  • Could these texts have the same meaning and relevance for people of faith today? • Do communities of faith need to all live by the same laws that were written thousands of years ago, or does every generation need to discern how God wants people to live in their time and place?   • How might these laws provide direction for communities of faith today?   • If you (or your class) could have an experience of powerful communication with God today, what laws would you write that show how God wants people to live today? 

3.   How do parables reveal Jesus’ mission?

Identify typical structure and language features of parables in the New Testament. 

Apply the worlds of the text interpretive framework to the parables of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and The Forgiving Father (Luke 15:11-32).

4.   Why might biblical authors include miracle stories?

Identify the typical structure and language features of the nature miracle story, The Calming of the Storm (Mark 4:35-41).

Understand that miracles have a three part structure (a description of the problem, the miracle and the confirmation).

Compare the typical structure and language features of the different accounts of the Feeding the 5000 (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:1-15). 

5.   How did people in New Testament times describe the relationship between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?

Identify references to God in Scripture that express God as Father, God as Son and God as Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1: 9-11; Luke 3:21-23).

Comprehend the ongoing relationship between God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; John 15:26; Matthew 28:18-19; 2 Corinthians: 13:13). 

Trinity 

Matthew 3:13-17 – The Baptism of Jesus Luke 3:21-23 – The Baptism of Jesus Mark 1:9-11​ – The Baptism of Jesus
(Father, Son, Spirit - 2 Corinthians: 13:13; Acts 7:54-56; Luke 1:35; John 14:26-28;   15:26;    Matthew 28:18-19)

The purpose of teaching the text:  There is no actual mention of the word Trinity in Scripture, however, the stories of the baptism of Jesus bring together ideas about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  To talk about the Trinity is to talk about relationship and being in relationship.  The Trinity is a way of talking about God.   

Questions that may assist students to create meaning from the text:  • What can we learn about the Holy Spirit from these stories?   • What can we learn about Jesus from these stories?  • What can we learn about God from these stories?   • How did people in New Testament times refer to the relationship between God, Spirit and Jesus? 

6.   What are some essential forms of prayer for Christians?

Identify the features (language, purpose, structures, context) of prayers of petition (intercession) (Psalm 57), sorrow (Psalm 130) and praise (Psalm 150).

7.    What are some of the key events in the Catholic Church’s early history in Australia?

8.   Why do Church communities offer sacraments of healing?

Identify aspects of Jesus’ healing ministry in the Scriptures including giving sight to a blind man at Jericho (Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43) and Jesus’ healing of a man with leprosy (Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16).

Jesus’ healing ministry 

Mark 10:46-52 – Giving Sight to a Blind Man at Jericho Luke​ 18:35-43 - Giving Sight to a Blind Man at Jericho

The purpose of teaching the text:  Much of what happens in church communities today is drawn from the mission and ministry of Jesus, and the Scriptures are the primary source for people of faith to draw upon.  The Church community decides what is the most appropriate way to ritualise these events, and this is the question that always needs to be discerned in every culture and context.  This explains why changes to practices of parishes and dioceses happen over time. 

Questions that may assist students to create meaning from the text:  • What do these stories reveal about what was important to Jesus?  • How do Christian communities currently live out what was important to Jesus. • Could the way that people live this out ever change, or would it always remain the same?  What evidence can you find of practices and characteristics of contemporary parishes and dioceses that modelled on the mission and ministry of Jesus?  • How could you find this evidence? 

Brisbane Catholic Education

Additional BCE Scripture 

Insights into the early Church community 

Acts 2:42-47 – Life Among the Believers Acts 4:32-37 - Life Among the Believers

(Prayer and worship - Acts 2:42-47 Life among the believers - Acts 4:32-37; Acts 1:12-14 Proclaiming the Good News - Romans 10:11-17 Building peaceful relationships - Romans 14: 17-19 Supporting and encouraging one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22 Paul’s belief in the resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:1-11  Caring for the marginalized -  1 Corinthians 12:26a Rejoicing in the achievements of one another - 1 Corinthians 12:26b)

The purpose of teaching the text:  Paul’s letters to the different communities he visited and wrote to in his missionary role, reveal that the communities faced many challenges.  However, the letters also reveal what Paul believed was important in community life, and no one text summarises this adequately.  No one community’s story is the same as another story.  Therefore, a variety of texts need to be explored to find connections, similarities, differences and deepen understandings.    

Questions that may assist students to create meaning from the text:  • What can we learn about communities in the time of Paul from these stories? • Why might Paul have written these letters?   • What can we learn from these texts about Paul’s ideas of Jesus?   • What can we learn from these texts about Paul’s ideas of what is important for communities of faith 

Insights into the Jewish community at the time of Jesus 

​Luke 10:25-37 – The Good Samaritan The role that women could play in the time of Jesus - Luke 8:1-3 The parable of The Forgiving Father - Luke 15:11-32 

The purpose of teaching the text:  In the time of Jesus there were multiple Judaisms and factions within the community.  Although the Samaritans and Jews had the same religious roots, for historical reasons they each had strong objections to the other.  People who worked in the Temple (Priests, Levites – one of their roles was to provide the music), had to follow strict laws about being ritually clean.  However, the highest Jewish law was preservation of life, so it is impossible to appropriately interpret the story about the upright Samaritan, unless there is an understanding of what life was like in first century Palestine.  Communities in the time of Jesus held prejudices and stereotypes about people, just as happens today.  These texts challenge some of our thinking about life in the time of Jesus, and they would have been challenging for Jewish people in the time of Jesus.  Every character in the story of the forgiving father enters into shocking behaviour for their time.  It would have been unthinkable for a son to ask for his inheritance.  It would have been even more unthinkable for a father to agree to it.  However, these stories provide insights into what life was like in Jewish communities in first century Palestine, and they are all stories that provide important insights into what the Church community needs to promote today.    

Questions that may assist students to create meaning from the text:  • What can we learn about communities in the time of Jesus from these stories?  • Why might the authors have written these stories?   • What do these texts reveal about Jesus’ vision of community?

Psalm 148 – Psalms of Praise

Brisbane Catholic Education