GRADE 8

1
st
Quarter Notes on: THE NEW TESTAMENT AND THE GOSPELS

I.THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament is the second part of the Scriptures/Bible. It deals with the new
covenant of Gods people with Jesus Christ, Gods only begotten Son who became
man to save humankind from sin. The NT fulfills what has been prophesied in the
OT about the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth of Gods revelation, the
central figure in Gods plan of salvation. He is the Word Incarnate, the Unique Word
of the Sacred Scriptures. As a whole, the NT speaks of the fulfillment of what God
has promised in the OT. All the books of the OT are oriented towards the NT in the
sense that it presents the actions of God Himself in the person of His only Son. The
NT therefore speaks of the new covenant that Jesus, the Son of God established
with His people, the Church. Thus, the name, New Testament.

The OT and the NT are distinct, yet closely linked. We are to read each one in light
of the other. The OT should be read in the light of Christ in the NT. St. Augustine
used to say that: "The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is
revealed/unveiled in the New." What he meant is that Jesus showed us how the things
that God says and does in the Old Testament pointed to what He says and does in
the New. In turn, what Jesus says and does in the New Testament sheds light on
the promises and events we read about in the Old Testament.

II. BOOKS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), which are a record and
witness of Jesus Christs life, mission, and teachings. The gospels are the
main sources for the life of Jesus Christ.
The Book of Acts describes the preaching of the apostles as well as the
beginnings of the Church.
The 21 Epistles (letters) of Paul and other Church leaders, written to instruct
and expose Christian teaching.
The Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse contains an account of vision in
symbolic and allegorical language on the ultimate salvation of man when
Christ will come in glory. It was written primarily to give hope to the
Christian undergoing persecution.


III.THE NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THE GOSPELS

The Gospels are the HEART of all the Scriptures because they are our principal
source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior. (CCC 125) We
are specifically referring here to the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which
contain the life story of Jesus Christ. The gospels present the life, teachings, death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospels were written by men (called
evangelists) who were among the first to have the Christian faith and wanted to share
it with others.

The gospels did not simply fall from heaven into the hands of their writers nor did
they develop smoothly and immediately after Jesus ended his earthly life and
mission. It took some time for the gospels to be developed before they became
what they are to us now. These four gospel writers wrote about the same person,
Jesus Christ, but they were distinct in their style and focus because their accounts
were intended for specific audiences/readers.

THE GOSPELS are the primary source of knowing Jesus. The Gospel writers, the
Evangelists did not intend to supply every detail about the person of Jesus. They
were not biographers, they chose to include those stories which would best serve
the promotion of faith. Thus, the Gospels are faith summaries. They contain
materials that will lead the readers to know and love in faith the person of Jesus.
The Gospels aim to help us in knowing and encountering Jesus personally, not just
knowing many factual details about Him.. They were written to strengthen the faith
of the believers. They were written then , from faith to faith.

As St. John put it: What we have seen and heard, we proclaim now to you, so that you may have
fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We are
writing this so that our joy may be complete (1 John1:3-4).

Further he said, Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not
written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of God, and that through this belief, you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)
Thus, we can say that the gospels are written basically to inspire faith in Jesus
Christ and to promote fellowship and community.


IV.STAGES IN THE FORMATION OF THE GOSPELS

First Stage : THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF JESUS.
This refers to the very Jesus event, the actual time when Jesus Christ
walked on earth and did His mission. This stage describes the time when
Jesus actually walked on earth as a Jew, an Israelite. He was born in
Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth, both of which were towns in Israel. He
was known to be the son of Mary and Joseph, a carpenter in Nazareth. Here
we must take seriously the fact that Jesus lived in a certain time and place,
in a certain cultural and social context, and spoke a certain language.





Second Stage: THE ORAL TRADITION.
This refers to the time between the Ascension of Jesus Christ back to heaven
and the written gospels. It was word of mouth lor oral proclamation mostly
by the Apostles and other first-hand witnesses that the story of Jesus Christ
was kept alive and passed on to others. Because of the apostles preaching,
many people became followers of Christ.

Third Stage: THE WRITTEN GOSPELS.
This stage points to the period when the apostles and early Christians
decided to put down into writing and compile what they were proclaiming
orally about Jesus Christ, the Savior. They saw the urgent need to write
down the Good News because the apostles and other original witnesses were
dying or being martyred. Aside from this, the early Christians who were
preaching outside Palestine and in the Gentile territories needed a written
record of the Good News to guide them in their preaching. This will help
them avoid errors in teaching the Good News. At the same time, the early
Christians saw the need for a more stable and permanent record which can
be preserved and handed down to the future generations of Christians.

V. THE CANON OF THE GOSPELS

The gospels had to pass certain standards in order to determine the authenticity of
their Divine Inspiration. As the principal author, God also determines the books
which belong to the Bible.This is done through the Church, in which the Holy Spirit
dwells. Canonicity is the act of the Church recognizing the Inspiration of God in a
book.The word Canon came from the Greek word "kanon" which refers to a "stick"
or reed used for measurement. Canon may mean a rule, a norm or a standard.

CRITERIA FOR CANONICITY
APOSTOLIC ORIGIN AND AUTHORITY the gospel must be attributed to
and/or based on the preaching/teaching of the first-generation apostles (or
their closest companions). Either the book was written by an Apostle or the
Apostle was used as a source.
ANTIQUITY the earliest written copy of the gospel must be close to Stage
One of the formation of the gospels or the Jesus event within the 100
years (A.D.)
WIDESPREAD AND TRADITIONAL USE the gospel must have been
acknowledged and used by most if not all Christian communities across time
and space
LITURGICAL USE (or believed to be Divinely Inspired) the gospel must have been
used in worship or praise services


ORTHODOXY AND CONSISTENCY the gospel must contain a clear narrative
and meaningful message that conforms to traditional Christian beliefs and
teachings and is internally self-consistent, meaning, it does not contradict
itself.

The gospel is the authentic source of the life and mission of Jesus Christ. It is a
material that can guide and inspire the faith. It is therefore important to establish
the credibility of the gospel from which we base our faith. The Gospel accounts that
we have now passed the set standards to establish their credibility in preaching to
us the person of Jesus Christ.



VI.INTERPRETING THE GOSPELS
There are four factors that need to be considered in interpreting the Gospels

1.The Inspired Human Author's Intention . Common sense tells us to find out what
the inspired human author had in mind when writing a text. (CFC#92,CCC110)

2. The Text Itself. We have to look at its literary form (e.g., historical narratives,
poems or parables, etc) which the author is using. (CFC#94)

3. The Readers/hearers of the Text. We recognize that the Bible brings its own
culture of meanings and framework of attitudes that help form, reform and
transform us, the readers, into the image of Christ. We must let the Bible form us,
even while conscious that we are reading it in the light of our contemporary
experience. (CFC#95)

4. The Churchs Interpretation/Teaching. In interpreting Scripture, we seek the
truth that God wishes to communicate to us today guided by Scripture and Church
Tradition (Magisterium) (CFC#9)

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VIII.LECTIO DIVINA: PRAYING WITH THE GOSPEL

Lectio Divina literally means "divine reading" and is a method of prayerfully
meditating on biblical passages. This was practiced in the Middle ages by monks
and was reintroduced in the Church after Second Vatican Council. The steps of
Lectio Divina could also help us in preparing community liturgies and celebration.
With chosen theme and passage as a basis for the design, the steps of lectio divina
becomes a process to enable the community to meditate and celebrate the Word of
God.

STEPS OF LECTIO DIVINA

1.READING (LECTIO)
Lectio Divina starts by reading the text. The chosen passage is read by the person
in a prayerful way. This process is done repeatedly in order to find more meaning
and for the Word to touch the life of the person.

2.MEDITATION (MEDITATIO)
After reading the text, the participants (students) may be led to a further step
through meditation. MEDITATIO is to dialog with the text and create a relationship
with it. The text has to be read again silently, being aware of the feelings to the
text, especially to the word or phrase already marked.

3.PRAYER (ORATIO)
After the moments of meditation, one is led to pray with the Word. In celebrating
the Word, one is led to pray in thanksgiving, asking for graces or reconciling with
the Lord. This could be done simply through the repetition of a word and phrase in
the passage.

4.CONTEMPLATION (CONTEMPLATIO)
This is the moment of savoring the gift of the Word; being touched by its message
and renewed in prayer, the person takes time to let the experience be integrated in
one's being. In Lectio Dinina, it is a moment where God and the heart of the person
meets.

5.ACTION (ACTIO)
Divine Reading should lead one to respond back to life. The Word should have such
an impact that it causes the person to renew, modify or do something concretely.






IX.References:

Verzosa-Frago, Dango. Called To Meet Christ in Scripture, Church and sacraments. Sibs Publishing
House, Inc. Quezon City. 2005
Catholic Biblical Associations of America. The New American Bible. Washington D.C.: Catholic
Publishers, Inc. 1980
Catechism of the Catholic Church. (Available online at http://www.vatican.va.)
Senior, Donald,C.P., Jesus : A Gospel Portrait . St. Pauls, Makati City.1997
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Catholic/2000/08/How-To-Practice-Lectio-
Divina.aspx#vaLY5trqXy9w4VQZ.99