Angeles University Foundation

Angeles City

Center for Christian Formation

MIDTERM MODULE: OLD TESTAMENT KNOWING THE SACRED SCRIPTURES AND
GENESIS: GOD AS CREATOR
Introduction Knowing the Sacred Scriptures
Today, for a self-respecting Christian, ignorance of the Bible is unpardonable. Ignorance of the
Scriptures is, in fact, ignorance of Christ. Pope St. John XXIII
Sacred Scriptures are Gods Word to us, a valid source of Gods revelation, and therefore,
must be read, studied and prayed over. This serves as an introduction to the Bible, particularly
the first part which is the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Scriptures.
Definition of Terms (Ian Knox, Theology for Teachers, 2011)
1. Christian Scriptures a collection of selected traditions of the early Christian Church
written about 100 years of the death of Christ. Believed to be inspired by God and
therefore constituting authentic revelation. Popularly known as the New Testament (The
use of the term is for the purpose of Jewish-Christian religious dialogue.).
2. Canonical (from the Greek canon measuring stick, list, rule) Books of the Bible
accepted by the Church as genuine and authoritative revelation from God, and forming
the rule of faith.
3. Covenant a mutual agreement, a contract made between God and the people, initiated
by God and freely entered into by the people, whereby God promises certain benefits if
the people observe Gods requirements.
4. Hebrew Scriptures written traditions of the Jewish people, largely written in Hebrew,
which began to be collected and written about 1000 B.C.E. Popularly known as the Old
Testament(The use of the term is for the purpose of Jewish-Christian religious dialogue.).
5. Inspiration from the Latin ins-pirare, to breathe into; the Holy Spirit breathed into
the minds of the Scripture writers so that, as true authors, they consigned to writing
everything and only those things he wanted.
6. Old Testament the covenant made between God and his Israelite people; the collective
name of the written traditions (Hebrew Scriptures) of the Israelite people.
7. New Testament the covenant made between God and ourselves in and through Jesus
Christ; collective name for the written traditions (Christian Scriptures) of the early
Christian communities (up to about 100 C.E.) about Jesus and their response to his
teachings.
8. Pentateuch the first five books of the Bible providing the earliest traditions of the
Israelite people and revered by them as representing Gods special teaching and guidance.
9. Septuagint the Greek translation of the original Hebrew of the Hebrew Scriptures made
by seventy Jewish scholars around 200 B.C.E. Includes certain books and parts thereof

not originally written in Hebrew and now accepted by the Catholic Church as inspired by
God.
10. Testament from the Latin testamentum, meaning mutual agreement, contract
11. Torah Literally means teaching. The special teaching given by God to the Israelite
people concerning their part in the covenant which is translated into a rule of life (the
Law) and found in the Pentateuch.
12. Creation - the bringing into of existence of the universe, especially when regarded as an
act of God.
13. Biblical Account- of relating to, or contained in the Bible; being in keeping with the
nature of the Bible
14. Divine Providence- is God's intervention in the world
15. Stewardship -means the management or care of something, particularly the kind that
works.
WHAT IS THE BIBLE? (Ian Knox, pp.89-94)
The Bible comes from the Greek ta biblia, which means the books, or the writings. It
is composed of two parts: the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament, and the Christian
Scriptures/New Testament.
The Hebrew Scriptures are a compilation of traditions ranging over a wide spectrum of
the life of the Jewish people: their history, poetry, story, folk wisdom, religion and theology. But,
and most important, it is the life of a believing people who understood that God had entered their
lives and was calling them to a special relationship, to which they had agreed in the covenant.
The Scriptures are inspired by God, and are documents of faith (CCC 121).
The Books of the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures
The Old Testament is not a single book, but a collection of books a whole library in
fact. The Scriptures contain historical writings, stories, poetry, songs, writings on human
wisdom, and writings on poetry. The Old Testament is, in fact, a collection of the written
traditions that spans the whole extent of Jewish life. A people rereads its life in the light of faith,
a faith that saw Gods rule extending to every aspect of that life, and in the light of the covenant
they made with God. There are many things in these books that today may offend our moral
sense and put some people off reading the Bible. These faults and failings, the sinfulness, are part
of an honest record of the life of the people, but they are not condoned; we are not encouraged to
copy them. As has been mentioned, the Bible offers us a moral code second to none that is the
basis of most moral behavior today.
Different Versions of the Scriptures
Just before the turn of the era, around 250 B.C.E., an event of great importance in biblical
history took place: the original Hebrew of the Old Testament was translated into Greek. This
work was done by a group of Jewish scholars in and around Alexandria, in Egypt. The scholars
were traditionally thought to be 70 in number; hence the Greek version came to be known as the
Septuagint. In making their translation, the scholars added other well-known books that were not

originally written in Hebrew but in Greek. The Catholic Church has accepted all these books of
the Septuagint as canonical; they constitute the Old Testament (CCC 120).
Toward the end of the first century (66 C.E.), the Jews rebelled against the Romans, who
occupied what today we call Israel and Palestine. The rebellion was crushed with greatest
severity, finally resulting in the sacking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, center of
Jewish worship. Afraid of the possible destruction of the entire Jewish religion, some Pharisees
gathered at Jamnia for a religious revival conference. This group of hardliners drew up a Jewish
canon of Scriptures that contained only those books originally written in Hebrew 39 in all.
They excluded from their canon the following books of the Septuagint: Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus
(Sirach), Baruch (Chapters 1 15), Judith, Tobit, 1 & 2 Maccabees, and parts of Daniel and
Esther that were considered non-canonical. In many Protestant editions of the Bible, these books
are listed at the end under the name apocrypha, that is, of doubtful authenticity.
Basic Divisions of the Books of the Old Testament (Ian Knox, pp. 94-103)
1. Pentateuch
The first five books of the Bible deal with the covenant between God and the Jewish
people given through Moses, the central event affecting all Jewish life.
2. The Historical Books/The Prophets
These books give us a history of how the people lived out the demands of the
covenant as they infiltrated, conquered and spread through the promised land of Canaan.
The major theme of these books is the ups and downs Israel experienced as the people
lived out the promises they made in the covenant.
The writings associated with the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) are
substantial. The Minor Prophets (Amos, Micah, Joel, Malachi, etc.) are no less important
in what they have to say, but their writings are shorter.
3. The Writings
In these, Israel reflects on human life in the light of each faith. The Book of Psalms is
a collection of hymns and prayers expressing the central themes of Israelite faith. The
Wisdom literature (Wisdom, Sirach, Qoheleth/Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs) offers us
religious insights into human behavior. The book of Job wrestles with a deep human
question the problem of suffering.
The Old Testament forms the basis of our Christian faith. Because of this we cannot remain
ignorant of its message, which is Gods revelation to us. We must honor, revere, read and pray
these Scriptures, for they speak to our own needs, show how God intervenes in our life, show
that God is a saving God, a God of love. The Bible may be a human book, written by human
authors for human readers, but it is also Gods book, given to us in love.

GENESIS: GOD AS CREATOR

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earthThe heavens declare the glory of
God and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 19:2) He is the firstborn
of all creation. In him everything in heaven and on earth was created..all were created though
him and for him..in Him everything continues in being. (Col. 1:15-17)
For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
Revelation 4:11
Men of all times have asked themselves: Where do we come from? Where are we
going? These questions are decisive for the meaning and orientation of our life and actions
(CCC 282). Human intelligence is surely capable of finding a response to the question of origins.
The existence of God can be known with certainty through his works, by the light of human
reason, even if this knowledge is often obscured and disfigured by error (CCC 286). Beyond the
capability of reason, faith enlightens the mind to discover God as the Creator of all that exist as
good. With faith, one can discover Gods love and plan of salvation as first revealed in his first
act of creation. The revelation of creation is inseparable from the revelation and forging of the
covenant of the one God with his people. Creation is revealed as the first step to this covenant,
the first and universal witness to Gods all-powerful love (CCC 288).
There are two creation story accounts in the Scriptures (Genesis 1:1- 2:4a and Genesis
2:4b-2b). Both accounts give a picture of an ideal relation between God and his creation.
Motivation
Initiating Activity: Role Playing
Students will be divided into groups. As their assignment, they will be asked to
watch a video of the creation story. They will be instructed to select a particular part of the story
to dramatize in class. Before the presentation, the group leader will give a brief background for
chosen part of the story.
Discussion
A. What is Creation?
Creation is the foundation of Gods saving plan and the beginning of salvation
history which culminates in Christ (cf. CCC 280).
The Catholic doctrine of creation basically affirms that: 1). the world and
everything in it comes from the loving power of God who is the ultimate Origin, Ruler,
and Goal; 2). All created things and human history have a meaning, purpose, and destiny;
and 3). the life of every person is not a private possession, but is created sustained and
guided now by the creative, saving will and love of Almighty God (CFC 314).

B. God as Creator
Creator is perhaps the most fundamental image we can have of God. It sets God
apart from all created things as the only Uncreated Reality. Thus God the Creator is both
transcendent (beyond) all He made, yet immanent (remaining) in it constantly sustaining it
existence (cf. CCC 300).
C. Gods Creative Action
1. Biblical Account (CFC 325)
God commits Himself to us by His free creative activity. Genesis describes
creation in two accounts. In the first (Gen. 1:1-2:4a) God appears as the sovereign Lord
who establishes creation in a formal six-day pattern. The second account (Gen. 2:4b-25)
presents God in a closer relationship with human beings. He creates and settles them in
the Garden of Eden, and puts them over all other creatures.
The Bible presents Gods creative activity as a simple act of speech. It proclaims
one Creator, source of all that exists, by a free loving act of His divine will and wisdom.
2. The Mystery of Creation (CCC 295 301)
a. God creates by wisdom and love
God created the world according to his wisdom. Proceeding from
Gods free will, he wanted to make his creatures share in his being,
wisdom and goodness (CCC 295).
b. God creates out of nothing
God needs no pre-existent thing or any help in order to create. (CCC
296)
A human artisan makes from a given material whatever he wants,
while God shows his power by starting from nothing to make all he
wants. (St. Theophilus of Antioch, Ad Autolycum II, 4)
c. God creates an ordered and good world (CCC 299)
As God creates through wisdom, his creation is ordered.
You have arranged all things by measure and number and weight.
(Wisdom 11:20)
Because creation comes from Gods goodness, it shares in that goodness.

And God saw that it was goodvery good

(Gen. 1:4, 10, 11, 12, 18, 21, 31)
d. God transcends all creation and is present to it (CCC 300)
God is infinitely greater than all his works. But as the free and
sovereign creator, God is present to his creatures inmost being.
In him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)
e. God upholds and sustains creation (CCC 301)
With creation, God does not abandon his creatures to themselves. He not only
gives them being and existence, but also, and at every moment, upholds and
sustains them in being, enables them to act and brings them to their final end.
D. Creation in the Book of Genesis (CCC 337-342)
a. The symbolism of the work week, which is crowned by a day of rest (Gen. 1:1
2:3), is an expression of how good, beautiful, and wisely-ordered creation is.
From the symbolism of the work of six days we can derive important
principles:
(1) Nothing exists that was not called into being by the Creator.
(2) Everything that exists is good in its own way.
(3) Created beings and things are interrelated and interdependent.
(4) Creation in its order and harmony reflects the surpassing goodness and
beauty of God.
b. Gods rest from his work points toward the completion of creation, which is
beyond all human efforts (CCC 349)
Although man in his work is Gods partner as steward of creation (Gen.
2:15), he can by no means redeem the world by his toil. The goal of
creation is a new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17), through a
redemption that is given to us as a gift. Thus, the Sabbath (Sunday for
Christians) rest, which is a foretaste of heavenly rest, is superior to the
work that prepares us for it.

E. Meaning of Creation for Human Person and Respect for the Integrity of Creation
1. God is creating and sustaining existence. He is the God who gives to all life and breath
and everything else.
2. Human beings, created in the image and likeness of God, have innate dignity as human
persons. Created from earth and fashioned by God, He breathed his spirit that animates
and transforms humanity with the dignity bestowed on them. This reality should compel
everyone to see the other person as human person deserving of respect, and to treat the
other not as a thing to be used, but as a human being to be treasured, respected and loved.
3. The responsibility with which all human persons are invested: Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of
air.all the creatures that crawl on the ground (Genesis 1:26) God puts purpose to into
creation, and human persons constitute its organizing force. Men and women, as images
of God, are to take responsibility not only in using creation for their sustenance, but they
are also responsible in enhancing and preserving for posterity the riches of creation.
PCP II lays great stress on the Universal Purpose of Earthly Good and the
Integrity of Creation This is a responsibility that emphasized the meaning of private property
and ecological care of the earth. In connection with this, Vatican II has proposed the basic
grounds given by our Creator regarding this responsibility Created in Gods image, we were
commanded to conquer the earth with all its contains, and the rule the world injustice and
holiness; we were to acknowledge God as Creator of all things and relate ourselves and the
totality of creation to Him, so that through our dominion over all things, the name of God would
majestic in all the earth (CFC 340).
This responsibility also involves our human solidarity that firm and persevering
determination to commit oneself to the common good. We are called to exercise responsibility
and should be manifested as Gods continuing work of creation and service to mankind (341
CFC 341)
Stewardship of Creation Respect for the Integrity of Creation (CCC 2415)
Animals, plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good
of past, present and future humanity. Use of the mineral, vegetable and animal
resources of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for moral imperatives.
Mans dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is NOT
absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including
generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.

REFERENCE:
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
CATECHISM FOR FILIPINO CATHOLICS
KNOX, IAN. THEOLOGY FOR TEACHERS
Prepared by:
MRS. ALICIA V. CARREON

Reviewed by;
MR. GINO PAULO T. MANABAT
Program Coordinator
Christian Formation Education
Approved by:
DR. JANETTE R. RODRIGUEZ
Director