8-11-08 Bible study

Sorry for the notes being a little discombobulated today, it was a bit of a weird Bible study session and I did doze off the last 10 minutes of the first half L I tried to stay awake but it was so peaceful!

1) Finishing the saga of 1 John 4

a) Three criteria for discernment

i) Moral

ii) Doctrinal

iii) Body of Christ.

b) Feelings

i) Three types of good/bad feelings

(1) Body=physical=pain/pleasure

(2) Mind=mental=happiness/sadness

(3) Soul=spiritual=joy/sorrow

ii) One can be in physical/mental pain yet still feel spiritual joy at doing the right thing and vice versa

2) Applicability of doctrine

a) There are no lone Christians.

b) All laws/doctrine applies to the “Church”

c) Prayer brings together the moral and doctrinal life.

d) The Church is the source of the Holy Spirit.

i) This comes at odds with people’s view of the humanity aspect of the Church is not always fulfilled, e.g. the priests, etc.\

ii) Of course, doctrine does not always reflect the actions of the Church members on behalf of the doctrine.

3) On the necessity for human intervention in salvation

a) No one gives physical birth to self.

b) Likewise, no one can baptize themselves either.

c) Therefore, we must submit to the priests that have been ordained in God’s name.

4) On the Bible.

a) We believe the Bible because we have been told it is true.

b) Since the Bible is a human tradition, there must be a central teaching authority.

5) Cutting out the middle man

a) We as humans always try to cut out the middle man

b) To do so is to circumvent the very men placed here by God.

c) Socially speaking…

i) We can be any person we want to be while by ourselves.

ii) It is when we are with others that our true colors show.

iii) This view is in direct contrast with the Protestant claim of “God and myself only”, which is a spin-off of sola fide

6) Obedience is where the truth lies!

a) St. Francis in Admonitions

i) Church obedience goes as follows

(1) Obey EXACTLY what has been commanded, down to the littlest detail.

(2) Even if you’re better at something, you have the right to allow the person ot know your thoughts BUT you accept their verdict, regardless of outcome.

(3) Only reason you can disobey is if what a superior asks of you is against the Church but you must accept the consequences of your refusal with open arms and without reservation./

7) 2 John vs. 7

a) At times, it is necessary for us to judge.

i) The message of the Church has not changed since the beginning of the Church.

ii) There are no new spins on Christianity, nor any secret messages.

8) On “Packaged Christianity”

a) Most Catholics believe that following the routine below will get them into heaven.

i) Baptism

ii) Mass

iii) Eucharist

iv) On death, go to heaven.

b) Church is not a mechanical formula.

9) Purpose of the Church

a) It is to spread the good news and bring people in communion with God.

b) Church, however, is not the end-all to everything, since it is mortal and there is no Church in heaven

i) It is a vision.

c) We are all pilgrims passing through and no one gets out alive (mortally speaking, that is)

10) Real Christianity is Dangerous and Inconvenient.

a) Dangerous due to suffering required to follow the Way

b) Inconvenient because it makes one participate in the Spiritual War

i) Bible very graphic about hell and snatching people to it/from it.

11) God was an outcast

a) By today’s standards, He was an outcast.

b) Forsook by all and murdered.

c) The world will always choose Barrabas over Christ

i) He killed Jews, not Romans, and the Jews wanted him saved in place of Christ!

ii) Shows the hatred.

d) In the end, He became the slave of the world.

e) Apostles could not follow Jesus to the cross.

i) We have the Spirit through baptism

ii) The Apostles didn’t get the Spirit until Pentecost.

(1) Ran away, sold his name to save their lives, etc.

f) The purpose of Heaven/Hell

i) What is the purpose of heaven when you don’t believe in hell?

ii) Hell mentioned more times by Jesus than any other book in Scripture combined.

iii) If you reject hell because you don’t like it, then you must reject heaven as well.

12) Matthew 25:31-46

a) Only scene in Scripture where God is a judging God.

13) Saints

a) Every single canonized saint worked with the poor.

i) Every deed done to the poor will forever be written into the book of life. (Scripture?)

Private reading notes 8/10/08

These are my private reading notes that I have taken thus far in my Biblical studies. Mind you, the eye looks for what the mind wants so what you might see when reading the same passages I might have skipped over and vice versa. Also, the opinions I have are mine alone and cannot be considered conclusive or infallible in any capacity. All of this is purely for scholarship purposes.

So here we go.

1) Matthew

a) 10,37: reason for conversion

b) 11,19: “… yet time will prove where wisdom lies.”

c) 12,3-6: If you object to one thing, be careful about whatever else you don’t object to.

d) 12,29-30 Parable on complacency and being for/against Jesus

e) 12,33: you know a tree by its fruit.

f) 12,33-37: those that charge that Jesus is in league with Satan reflect a basic evil in themselves.

g) 13,4-9: seeds parable.

h) 13,13: why Jesus uses parables.

i) 13,24-30: everything will happen in its own time/come to fruition.

j) 16,24-28: following Jesus Is not about denial of himself, it is about following.

k) 18,19: congregations and Jesus’ presence in it.

l) 19,10: The basis for annulments and celibacy.

m) 19,13-15: children welcomed.

n) Ch. 20: God’s mercy is for all and in equal amounts, regardless of effort. In other words, his grace is equally applied.

2) Mark

a) 1,8: (John the Baptizer) have baptized you in water; he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

b) 3,35: Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.

i) Think Marian devotion… possibly?

c) 6, 34-44: parable parallels communion and the Eucharist.

d) 7,8: human tradition here refers to the human fallacies made separate from God’s commandments.

e) 7, 17-18: Frees people from the old law of eating certain foods.

f) 8, 1-10: 2^nd version of the fish and loaves story.

i) Only one of the 3 renditions that only uses the loaves and not both loaves and fish.

ii) Clearly reflects the Eucharist.

g) 9, 38-31: never bash a priest.

h) 10,31: reflection of Matthew 20.

i) 12, 14-23: false prophets can occur. Do not believe them!

i) Refer to notes on discernment.

3) Luke

a) 1,5- 2,52: Basis for Hail Mary.

b) 1,46-55: Mary’s canticle. NEEDS DEEPER ANALYSIS.

c) Questions I need answered.

i) Why was Zechariah made mute at 1,22?

ii) Gabriel approached him and talked to Zechariah at 1,64.

iii) Zechariah talked once he wrote down that his son would be named John (the Baptist) instead of Zachariah.

d) 2,14: Know the cantor during the mass? “Glory to God in the Highest and peace His people on Earth.

e) 2,14: Who is Simeon talking to?

f) 2,46: Third day, found in temple

i) One of many references to the three days

g) 2,49: Did you not know that I would be found in my father’s house?

i) Reflection of 2:46, ascension on 3^rd day to sit at the right hand of the Father

h) 3,7: Snake reference

i) Refers to satan.

i) 3,8: “Do not begin by saying “Abraham is my father”

i) Basically, don’t be lax in life by thinking you are saved by being the chosen people.

j) 4,4: Not on bread alone shall man survive…

i) Rhetoric against consubstantiation, perhaps?

k) 8,19-21: “my mothers and brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it”

i) Mother (Mary) is figure or type of the Christian community. She acquiesces fully to God’s will. See Lk 1,38

ii) Possibly evidence against the common Protestant claim that Jesus had brother’s and sisters?

l) 9,28-36: Transfiguration.

i) Associated with Passion and Resurrection in Mk 9,2-8 and Lk 9:31

m) 9,51- 18,14: “The Great Insertion.”

i) This whole section is unique to Luke.

ii) It is derived from special sources at Luke’s disposal.

iii) The mysterious “Q” Document?

4) John

a) Ch. 6- The Eucharist.

b) 7,14-18: Talks against those going out on their own in God’s name.

i) Possible reference to Protestantism?

c) 7,52- 8,11: Is this is in Protestant bibles?

i) Misplaced apparently.

ii) Must see if it is in Protestant bibles…

(1) Asked my friend Meg, she said it is not in the NIV….

d) 8,47: He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.

i) Have to believe to hear.

e) I do not believe I finished John. I will get around to that.

5) Acts of the Apostles

a) 1,7: Only God the Father knows when Israel’s rule will return.

b) 1,15: Peter speaks and heads selection process for Matthias.

i) Primacy of Peter, anyone?

c) 2, 1-13: … speaking in tongues?

d) 2, 42-47: Apostles instructions followed, bread broken, etc.

i) Apostolic tradition.

e) 3,1-10: First miracle by Peter.

f) 3,12: Power comes not from us

g) 3,22-23: Support for Magisterium.

h) 4,11: Jesus is the rejected building block to become the cornerstone.

i) 7, 49-50: Jesus doesn’t dwell in Jerusalem only.

j) 8,20: Holy Spirit can’t be bought

i) No indulgences allowed… held for a long time.

k) 8,30-31: Adds emphasis to the idea that when 2 or more people are joined in reading the Bible, the Holy Spirit is with them.

l) 11, 26: At Antioch, disciples called “Christians” for the first time.

i) This needs a timeline, since I thought Christians were called “Catholics” first THEN Christians came later…

m) 13, 34-35: Everlasting life.

i) Does this also extend/refer to the Incorruptibles?

n) 13, 46: Shows why God turned away from the Jews?

o) 14, 22-23: Leaving behind priests to perform Liturgy.

i) Discernment, anyone?

p) 15, 6-12: Supremacy of Peter declared.

i) Discernment being shown

ii) Notice use of council.

q) 16,15: after she and her household were baptized.

i) Reference to infant baptism?

r) 16, 31-33- Again, household baptized

i) I think infant baptism is pretty affirmed with this one.

s) 17,16: “Idols” is a term in reference to statues, more specifically statues of false deities

t) 19,12: Gives credence to relics.

u) 20,7: reference to the Eucharist.

i) This time, the day after the Sabbath (I think Monday?)

ii) Chosen by Jewish community to celebrate the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

v) 20, 28-30: warns against heresies/false prophets.

w) 21,40: “in Hebrew” is actually “in Aramaic”

x) 23,5: Don’t attack a priest!

y) 27, 33-27: Eucharist again.

Well, that’s all I have for now. Time to go to bed and see if I can squeeze in an oil change tomorrow!

Sincerely,

Nate.

Status update

So I have been doing a private reading of the New Testament in addition to Bible studies and I have gone from Matthew to Acts of the Apostles. I usually do it when I get up and go to work about 2 hours before my shift starts so I can read in peace and with relatively few distractions (plus, I get a bunch of different things to drink, yay!) I have been taking notes along the way as well so I shall post those up in short order.

I began Romans just this morning so tally-ho!

-N8

Short review of Confessions

I actually finished Confessions a few days ago and now it sits in the back of my car for those oh so random re-reading occasions. Now, while I wait for everyone to vacate the freaking bathrooms so I can clean up and go to work, I shall write a short review.

I read the book cover to cover, with the exception of the whole "What is a memory?" part. I think it may have been because I was drinking a Guiness at my local pub at that particular time, but it was just so painfully long and I didn't want to take a philosophy class to dissect it so I just kinda... you know, skipped over that part...

This book provided a lot of information on the insight of the philosophy around the year 400AD. It is really cool to see all the Bible quotes, especially since the Bible was assembled at the time this book was written.

What struck me most relevant to my life was his conversion story and the fear in the process of conversion and his in-depth analysis of Genesis, the latter more so than the former. His analysis is very airtight yet gives room for the advancing sciences to authenticate all of it, even though Genesis (nor any book in the Bible) does not claim to be scientifically accurate.

I am not really all that good at reviews and such (though I try) but in any case, I highly recommend this book for anyone and I consider it required reading for any Catholic.

I can't wait to get my Kindle so I can download all these books for free and read them wherever!

Well, got to get ready. Adios for now

-N8

8-4-08- The Morality of Discernment

So we have ventured even farther into discernment and given much more evidence to support 1 John 4 and the development of the Church doctrine regarding such matters.

Here we go.

1) Discernment

a) Romans 12:2

i) Degrees of obedience

(1) What is good (first step)

(2) What is pleasing (second step)

(3) What is perfect (third step)

ii) Spiritual life should move forward in this matter, always trying to come to a more clear understanding and maturation.

b) 2 Peter 1: 3-9

i) Lays out how life should be lived.

ii) See really badly drawn pyramid to see the pyramid of religious life.

iii) Notice there are 8 steps. 8 is the number of perfection, the new beginning.

iv) Luther said “only faith” is needed.

(1) Stated that love is not needed to get into heaven.

v) Nearly all Protestants stop at “faith” and never truly progress into the upper echelons of religious life.

c) Submission to Magisterium

i) Requirement of discernment is submission of your faith to the Magisterium.

ii) Reflected in Bible.

(1) Lepers healed, Jesus says “Go see the priest”

(2) Etc

iii) Whenever Jesus is asked a question, He gives an action that is specific to the question.

(1) “How do we pray?” He gives the Lord’s Prayer, not a faith lecture or breathing exercise.

(2) Etc.

d) Criteria of Discernment.

i) Moral Living

(1) God-Directedness.

(a) A “pull” towards God

(b) Increase in moral life.

(2) New Love

(a) Visible sign of invisible presence of God in the person.

(b) Not cordiality but a genuine desire to do good and not for own sake.

(3) Cross Asceticism

(a) Willingness to suffer (active and passive) for Christ and Gospel.

(b) Practice of true self-denial.

(4) Frugality

(a) Commit to living more simple lifestyle.

(5) Holy Dissatisfaction

(a) Desire to do better in terms of spirituality.

(6) Uncluttered Freedom

(a) Not caught up in life or cares of the world.

(b) No spiritual growth without detachment and being open to God.

(7) Fruits of Holy Spirit

(a) Common means of seeing the joy, peace, patience, etc. in one’s life.

(8) Sound Speech

(a) One speaks more of God and the Church, not money or pleasure.

(9) Hatred for Sin

(a) Even venial sins are fought against.

(b) Small infidelities are looked at more harshly.

ii) Doctrinal Orthodoxy

(1) Sound Doctrine

(a) Anyone who waters down doctrine, discipline or morality from Scripture, Tradition or the Magisterium cannot have the Spirit for God.

(2) Watchfulness

(a) Alert to danger and ready to do Lord’s bidding.

(3) At Odds with the Spirit of the World.

(a) Real God is never very popular.

(b) Person moved by Him will live a life by the standards of the Gospel without diluting or compromising it.

(4) Love for Truth

(a) Will embrace teachings of God’s word as truths for their life, not pick and choose with their own preferences.

(5) Fidelity to Deep Prayer

(a) Movement towards higher types of meditation and contemplative prayer is essential to grow in the spiritual life.

iii) Communal Connection

(1) Unity

(a) True unity occurs in discernment when every single person in a group (if truly discerning) reaches the same understanding.

(2) Love for the Church

(a) Most tangible sign of holiness is the love for the Catholic Church that Jesus Christ laid down his life for.

(3) Absence of Egocentrism

(a) More centered on God, less emphasis on the self.

(4) Obedience Given Freely

(a) Spirit-filled person obeys his superiors in the Church.

(b) Only Magisterium and those clergy can speak for God.

(c) Rejection of the divinely appointed ministers of God means you are formulating your own opinions by imposition than corporate reflection and is not of the Spirit.

iv) Other principles not listed on the paper given out at Bible study

(1) Never do chosen and willed ebil to achieve good

(2) The Double Effect

(a) If an act is good but it carries with it an evil side effect that is not the intent of the person, it can be done if 4 conditions are fulfilled.

(i) Good is purposeful and evil is not willed but tolerated.

(ii) The good happening cannot be a result of the evil.

(iii) Good must outweigh unwanted evil effect

(iv) Proportionately serious reason to perform the act (life threatening, etc)

(3) Totality

(a) General principle of medicine.

(b) Always has been a matter of Church teaching but not articulated until as of late.

(c) We can modify/destroy/remove a body part for the sake of overall health.

(i) Plastic surgery=no-no, unless it is to rebuild what once was.

(d) This is an open-ended thing and is subject to ones conscience

(i) Conscience means “with knowledge” and does not reflect the Freudian concept of the superego in any capacity.

(e) Classic example: Termination of a pregnancy due to danger to the mother

(i) Based on discernment, the mother choosing her own life over that of the baby OR letting the baby live and her passing on are both acceptable and are subject to the circumstances surrounding the situation.

(ii) Either way is acceptable.

v) Luke 5:4

(1) A reflection of searching deeper and coming to a more mature understanding of the faith.

(2) Christianity is a journey… Paul, Peter and the Church have stated that.

(3) Christians cannot be worldly philosophers.

(a) You can never do evil so good can come of it.