Theme 2: Apostolicity, Inspiration, Revelation, Assistance

Question 1

2.1.1. Which text sustains that the Christian religion is a religion of the book?

Answer 1

MUSLIMS

Question 2

2.1.2. Why does the Catechism reject that definition (from 2.1.1.)?

Answer 2

Because Christianity is the religion of the Word of God, of a word, that is, that is not a written and mute word, but of the Word incarnate and living (cf. CCC 108).

In fact, the Gospel was not initially a book, but the annunciation of the salvation that comes through Christ.

Question 3

2.2.1. Why are we certain that the canon of the NT is closed?

Answer 3

Because the Council of Trent dogmatically defined the Canon of sacred books and, therefore, we know as a truth of faith that there cannot be future modifications in the books or in their parts.

Question 4

2.2.2. What theological reason can we give to explain the fact of the closure of the Canon?

Answer 4

Revelation reached its fullness in Christ.

Only the apostles (apostolic age), who were in direct contact with Jesus Christ, were capable of transmitting this fullness.

Question 5

2.3.1. When does revelation reach completion (“pienezza”)?

Answer 5

In Christ, the Word of God made man, in particular in the Paschal Mystery.

Question 6

2.3.2. Does Scripture say? Where? (an example is enough)

Answer 6

YES.

Question 7

2.4.1. – Who received and transmitted the fullness of revelation?

Answer 7

[DV 19] – The Apostles

Question 8

2.4.2. – Is there a passage of the NT that shows it?

Answer 8

Mt 28:19-20 (the missionary mandate): “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Question 9

2.5.1. – What does the decree Lamentabili say on the completion of revelation?

Answer 9

(4.VII.1907, n. 21) It condemns the modernist thesis according to which “Revelatio, obiectum fidei catholicae constituens, non fuit cum Apostolis completa” (Revelation, which constitutes the object of the Catholic faith, was not complete with the Apostles), through which it affirms that Revelation was completed with the Apostles. The document does not talk about the death of the Apostles.

Question 10

2.5.2. – What does Dei Verbum say on the completion of revelation?

Answer 10

[DV 4] – He “speaks the words of God”, and completes the work of salvation which His Father gave Him to do. … For this reason Jesus perfected revelation by fulfilling it through his whole work …

[DV 7] – Therefore Christ the Lord in whom the full revelation of the supreme God is brought to completion …

Question 11

2.6.1. – What did Cardinal Ruffini propose to add?

Answer 11

Revelation was closed with the death of the last Apostle. With this addition he wanted to confine well the end of revelation.

Question 12

2.6.2. – What two terms of the proposal by Ruffini are not contained in the decree Lamentabili?

Answer 12

1. clausa (closed)

2. morte (death)

Question 13

2.6.3. – For what difficulty of theological terminology was the proposal of Ruffini rejected?

Answer 13

The fullness of revelation is not in the Apostles, but in Christ.

Question 14

2.6.4. – For what difficulty of an historical character was the proposal of Ruffini rejected?

Answer 14

There are later writings of the New Testament that are certainly canonical, even though they are posterior to the death of the last Apostle. To accept the proposal of Cardinal Ruffini would have put the serious problem of the compatibility and canonicity of these writings and Revelation, which would have to be considered already closed.

Question 15

2.7 – Did the Council of Trent make a pronouncement on the authenticity of the Gospels?

Answer 15

NO – The historical authenticity of the Gospels is doubted only in modernity with liberal Protestantism.

Question 16

2.8 – At the beginning of the XXth century, what did the decrees of the PBC say on the authenticity of the Gospels?

Answer 16

They were not dogmatic pronouncements on the authenticity of the Gospels, but rather were prudential interventions affirming (contrary to certain conclusions of textual criticism) that one cannot teach, for example, that the Gospel of John was not completely written by him, or that the letter to the Hebrews was not written by Paul.

Question 17

2.9 – What authority did these decrees of the PBC have when they were pronounced (“emanati”)?

Answer 17

They are affirmations that were expressions of pastoral prudence, not dogma: they said what one could do and teach, directives to follow in the study and teaching of the biblical sciences, and not what one ought to believe.

Question 18

2.10 – Are these decrees in force today?

Answer 18

NO – Having overcome the modernist crisis, these documents are no longer in force.

Question 19

2.11 – Who authoritatively declared that these decrees of the Pontifical Biblical Commission are no longer in force?

Answer 19

Cardinal Ratzinger, as Prefect of the CDF, on the occasion of the discourse of the presentation of the document “The Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian”. (cfr. Osservatore Romano 27-VI-1990)

Question 20

2.12 – What positive function did the decrees of the PBC fulfill at the beginning of the XXth century?

Answer 20

They were a shout of alarm against the exaggerations of liberal protestantism and were an invitation to moderation.

Question 21

2.13 – What document of the Magisterium affirms the apostolic origin of the four Gospels?

Answer 21

[DV, n. 19]

Question 22

2.14 – What is the meaning of the Greek term apostolos?

Answer 22

From the Greek:
απο (apo: from) and
στελλω (stello: to send)

Therefore, “SENT BY SOMEONE”

Question 23

2.15 – To whom is the term apostolos applied (i.e. who is it referring to) in 1 Cor. 15?

Answer 23

To all those who are sent by the Risen Lord (to be witnesses of his death and resurrection), that is, those to whom the risen Christ appeared: to Cephas and then to the Twelve, to more than 500 brothers gathered together, to James and therefore/then (“quindi”) to all the apostles and finally to Paul (1Cor 15:3-9)

Question 24

2.16.1 – In that passage, who are the “apostles” in a broad sense?

Answer 24

They are those who being witnesses of His death and resurrection, are sent by the Lord to bear witness.

Question 25

2.16.2 - What is the relationship between “the Twelve” and “the apostles”

Answer 25

The Twelve being witnesses of the resurrection of Christ, who sent them into the world were joined by others in their work to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Among those apostles, 12 had been chosen specifically by Jesus and they enjoy a special role representing also the renewal of Israel and the People of God. The number 12 is significant as it matches with the 12 tribes of Israel and we are able to see that as Jesus founds the Church with 12 apostles he is renewing the “new people of God” from the fallen OT.

Question 26

2.17.1. – Where does John use the term Apostle?

Answer 26

He uses the expression “apostles” in his last supper account but not as a reference to the 12 John 13:16 - Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him

Question 27

2.17.2. – Where does John speak of the 12?

Answer 27

1. [Jn. 6:67-70] - the scandal that is provoked from the Eucharistic discourse
2. [Jn. 20:24] - apparition of Thomas

Question 28

2.17.3. – What relationship exists in John between the 12 and the Eucharist?

Answer 28

John does not speak of the institution of the Eucharist nor does he explicitly speak of the 12 during the last supper. However, the relationship between the 12 and the Eucharist is recorded in John 6:67-70; when, after the Bread of Life discourse, the Lord turns to the 12 and asks them if they will also leave him as so many of the other disciples had done, to which we get Peter’s response of Where shall we go you have the words of eternal life!

Question 29

2.18. – Which Letter of the NT distinguishes between the Apostles and the Evangelists?

Answer 29

[Eph. 4:11-12] – [11] And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,[12] for the equipment of the saints, for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, - a call for the unity between Christians who hold different ministries inside the Church

According to Grelot, through Tradition one is able to know that Evangelists refers to an inspired writer. Example being Mark who was not one of the 12 but he is an Evangelist.

Question 30

2.19. – How can a written work have apostolic origin without being redacted by an Apostle?

Answer 30

A written work may be of apostolic origin without being written by an apostle or by a witness of the risen Christ. When written in the apostolic tradition or as a transmission of the preaching of the apostles or better of their teaching, which can sometimes occur in a pseudepigraphical way (ie written by another author who signs it with the famous name of the apostle to indicate that belongs to his teaching. This was a common literary tool used at the time.

Question 31

2.20. – What does the Church intend when she affirms the Apostolic origin of the Gospels?

Answer 31

1. She intends that these writings are of apostolic origin and inside of the apostolic tradition.
2. That the work is a transmission of the preaching of a particular apostle or at least a collection from the apostles preaching. At times they may be teachings written pseudepigraphical which was a common literary way to add a certain authority to a particular work.
3. [DV 18] – The Church has always and everywhere held and continues to hold that the four Gospels are of apostolic origin. For what the Apostles preached in fulfillment of the commission of Christ, afterwards they themselves and apostolic men, under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, handed on to us in writing: the foundation of faith, namely, the fourfold Gospel, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
4. [DV 19] – explains that the three phases in which the apostolic origin of the Gospels is articulated are layer out schematically:

A. Jesus acts and teaches
B. The apostles and the disciples announce
C. The sacred authors wrote the four
Gospels, selecting some things from the many which had been handed on by word of mouth or in writing, reducing some of them to a synthesis, explaining some things in view of the situation of their churches and preserving the form of proclamation but always in such fashion that they told us the honest truth about Jesus. For their intention in writing was that either from their own memory and recollections, or from the witness of those who “themselves from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word” we might know “the truth” concerning those matters about which we have been instructed

Question 32

2.21. – Until what generation are we able to find “apostles”?

Answer 32

Until the 2nd generation according the the preceding note on the apostolic origin - before 100 AD

Question 33

2.22. – Until which generation are we able to find hagiographers of the NT?

Answer 33

Until the 3rd c. or before 200 AD

Question 34

2.23. What is the difference between inspiration and prophecy?

Answer 34

INSPIRATION = the action of the Holy Spirit in the sacred writers that make him able to write a sacred book

PROPHECY = gift of the Holy Spirit that makes the person suitable to speak in the Name of God

Question 35

2.24. – What is the difference between Inspiration and Revelation?

Answer 35

INSPIRATION = The action of God in the composition of the sacred books - a privileged way to transmit revelation together with the sacred tradition - through which He (God) acts and through the sacred writers so that they would write as true authors of all and only those things that He wanted them to write

REVELATION = is the Word of God - in Person o in Word and/or works - through which God manifests and communicated his Truth and Life to men.

Question 36

2.25. – What is the difference between Inspiration and the assistance of the Holy Spirit?

Answer 36

Both Actions of the Holy Spirit –

INSPIRATION = refers to the action as it regards the composition of the sacred books

ASSISTANCE = refers to the help of the Spirit given to the Church to transmit the whole and integral deposit of the revelation of God.

Question 37

2.26. Is the hagiographer always and necessarily aware of the charism of inspiration?

Answer 37

NO – the grace builds on nature in such a way that one is not able to distinguish between the actions that have a natural and proper power with those that are due to the supernatural impulse, through which it is necessary for revelation to make the sacred writer aware of inspiration.

Question 38

2.27. – From what sources did the evangelist receive the contents on which he writes?

Answer 38

Directly from God in the case of those who are apostles, the witnesses of the risen Christ or “For their intention in writing was that either from their own memory and recollections, or from the witness of those who “themselves from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word” we might know “the truth” concerning those matters about which we have been instructed (see Luke 1:2-4).”
[DV 19]

Question 39

2.28. According to Dei Verbum, does the evangelist do any selecting from collected materials?

Answer 39

YES – The sacred authors wrote the four Gospels, selecting some things from the many which had been handed on by word of mouth or in writing, reducing some of them to a synthesis, explaining some things in view of the situation of their churches and preserving the form of proclamation but always in such fashion that they told us the honest truth about Jesus – [DV 19]

Question 40

2.29. In which texts of the NT are we able to distinguish accounts and selections of materials?

Answer 40

[Lk. 1:1-4]