Embedded Files
The blue hyperlink takes you to Brisbane Catholic Education's Scripture Commentary.
The blue hyperlink takes you to Brisbane Catholic Education's Scripture Commentary.
Christianity, Judaism and Islam: connected through stories of the patriarchs, Moses and the prophets.
Genesis 17:1-22 - God’s Promise to Abraham & Sarah Exodus 12:1-4 The Story of the Passover Exodus 13:17-14:30The Deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt
The purpose of teaching the text: The believers of the Abrahamic religions share some common stories that are held in their respective sacred texts.
Questions that may assist students create meaning from the text:
• How and where did these texts originate?
• Which religious community first held these sacred texts as important?
• What happened that led to the development of Christianity and Islam?
• What meaning do these texts hold for Christian believers?
• What meaning do these texts hold for Jewish believers?
• What meaning do these texts hold for Muslim believers?
The significance of sacred texts for the way believers choose to live
Exodus 20:1-20 – The Ten Commandments Mark 2:23-28 – Sabbath Laws and Practices Mark 14:12-26 – The Last Supper Acts 2:1-4 - Pentecost
The purpose of teaching the text: Scripture is an ancient, sacred text that is like a treasure box for people who believe in God. For thousands of years, leaders of faith communities have turned to Scripture as the greatest written treasure for helping every generation answer the questions of what do we believe about God and how does God call people to live? The answers are not just found in one place within the Bible, but in multiple texts that echo the same themes. As a faithful Jewish person, Jesus heard texts from the Old Testament every day and then in his own ministry he interpreted these texts for his times. Every generation is called to do this same task. The texts point to authentic ways of Christian living. The community of believers around the world have established Sacraments and rituals for living out these beliefs and responding in times when people express genuine sorrow for living in ways that are not in accordance with key beliefs drawn from Scripture.
Questions that may assist students create meaning from the text:
• Why is an ancient text like the Bible so important to believers today?
Is there any substitute for the Bible?
• How could something written so long ago have any relevance for people living in our world today? In what ways do sacred biblical texts influence how believers choose to live today? • What can happen if believers forget about or ignore what is in these sacred texts?
• How do believers know, remember and discern the meaning of what is in these sacred texts?
• How could these texts be read to enable believers to obtain deep meaning (beyond the literal and obvious) that is consistent with God's dream for our world? For example, “You shall not kill“, can point to meaning beyond a physical life.
• How could the actions of people today contribute to killing the self-esteem or dignity of another?
Brisbane Catholic Education
The purpose of teaching about The Bible: The Bible is not a history book, although it does contain some historical references and events. The Bible is a theological book that provides key insights to enable people to understand important insights about God, what God is like, and how God wants people to live. Therefore, the purpose of the Bible is to present religious truth. Without understanding this distinction, students may interpret the creation stories in Genesis as scientific, historical truth, when the authors intend these stories to be read to reveal religious truth. God created the world from love, enabling humans to make their own choices and live with the consequences of those choices. Whatever science tells us about how the world was made is scientific, historical truth for our time. Likewise, the Gospel authors never set out to tell all the historical details of the life of Jesus. Instead, they set out to write stories about Jesus that are filled with religious truth that has relevance for their communities. If the Gospels were accurate historical records of the life of Jesus then only one Gospel needed to be written. For example, in the creation texts: Science – the How of creation History – the When of creation Religion – the Why of creation
Questions that may assist students create meaning from the text: • What clues can we discover from this text about the author’s purpose for writing? • What evidence is there that the Bible is a history book? If the Bible is a history book, why are there four different Gospels with four different accounts of the life and death of Jesus? • Do you think the author wrote this text thinking, ‘I really want people to know what historically happened here?’ Or do you think the author wrote this text thinking, ‘I really want people to understand something really important about God through this story?’ • What evidence could you highlight from each text to present a case for the author wanting to present historical truth? • What evidence could you highlight from each text to present a case for the author wanting to present religious truth? • Why does this matter for the way in which a person interprets the text?
Bible Commentaries
Reliable print commentaries include:
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary
Harper’s Biblical Commentary
Reliable online commentaries include:
Harpers Biblical Commentary (via logos) – resource for purchase
Online biblical resources need to be approached cautiously. Some authors approach Scripture literally and can be considered as an unreliable source by students engaged in academic research using a Catholic Christian approach. Catholics read Scripture contextually. Refer to the Apostolic Exhortation, Verbum Domini, by Pope Benedict XVI – On the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.
Michael Fallon Biblical Commentary
Bible Gateway NRSV Catholic Edition or GNT
Worlds of the Text P-10
highlighted handout Teaching Scripture
Is the Bible true? Types of truth in Scripture
Literal vs symbolic meaning
What is the Bible?
Background to the Bible BCE
Development from oral tradition to writing to editing
5 Skills for Interpreting Text The Bible Project
Using sources – historical pedagogy
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