John Bergsma - Bible Basics for Catholics

Even though this is a basic, non-intimidating overview of the Bible, the author is not afraid to deepen our appreciation of scripture by occasionally introducing some important technical terms and Hebrew and Greek words, always explaining them thoroughly and understandably.

National Catholic Register

John Bergsma brings his biblical scholarship, pastoral heart, and gift for teaching together in this charming, easy-to-use overview of salvation history. Catechists, teachers, and pastoral ministers will find this an inestimable resource, both for their own reference, and for shepherding those under their care. Perfect for use in religious education settings, small group study, and as an undergraduate course text. Highly recommended.

Edward Sri

Chancellor and Professor of Scripture and Theology

Augustine Institute

Youre a Catholic. You would like to study the Bible, but youre not sure where to start. Youd love to take a class, but youre busy. With the best of intentions and firm resolve, youve purchased several Bible study books only to wake up with their imprint on your face, but almost none of it reaching into your mind or your heart. If that sounds like you, buy this book! Let award-winning teacher John Bergsma guide you through a high-energy and entertaining walk through the Bible, illustrated with his own charming drawings. So fresh, engaging, and truly instructive that you will find yourself smiling as you read it, and youll be amazed at what you retain.

Elizabeth Scalia

Catholic blogger and author of Strange Gods

It would be worth it to go back to college just to learn from a master teacher like Bergsma. This book saves us the tuition and the trip to faraway Ohio. Instead, we go by way of history and imagination to the Holy Land, and to times long past, and we meet the most fascinating people who ever lived: Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus. We can do all this because of Bergsmas rare gifts. This book can change lives.

Mike Aquilina

Author of The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition

You will come to see the Bible in a whole new light, and find yourself reading itwith greater wisdom and insightfor the rest of your life.

Scott Hahn

Author of Angels and Saints

I knew, after completing just the first chapter of this book, that we had a treasure to give people who are serious about Bible study but dont have a lot of time or an extensive scriptural study background. Bergsma has summarized succinctly (and, many times, with delightful humor) the key elements of the Old Testament that enable us to understand the power and the glory of the New Testament. I delighted in this relatively small book that contains a wealth of foundational teachingit is a power packed treasure that leads to a deeper thanksgiving and worship of the God-man Jesus Christ! I will strongly recommend it to all my radio listeners.

Ann Shields, S.G.L.

Host of Food for the Journey

A splendid book, and acutely necessary. Every time an evangelical tries to use the Bible to attack the Church, we now have a good, accessible volume with which to respond.

Michael Coren

Author of Why Catholics Are Right

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1952 and 1965 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Nihil Obstat: Reverend Monsignor Michael Heintz, PhD

Censor librorum

Imprimatur: Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades

Bishop of Fort WayneSouth Bend

December 6, 2011

_____________________

2012, 2015 by John Bergsma

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews, without written permission from Ave Maria Press, Inc., P.O. Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556, 1-800-282-1865.

Founded in 1865, Ave Maria Press is a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province.

www.avemariapress.com

Paperback: ISBN-13 978-1-59471-291-3

E-book: ISBN-13 978-1-59471-347-7

Cover and text design by Andy Wagoner.

Illustrations rendered by K. Hornyak Bonelli.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bergsma, John Sietze.

Bible basics for Catholics : a new picture of salvation history / John Bergsma.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. ).

ISBN 978-1-59471-291-3 (pbk.) -- ISBN 1-59471-291-3 (pbk.)

1. Covenants--Biblical teaching. 2. Bible. O.T.--Criticism, interpretation, etc. 3. Catholic Church--Doctrines. I. Title.

BS1199.C6B46 2012

220.6024282--dc23

2012005037

Contents

1. Setting the Son in the Garden:
The Covenant with Adam

2. Washing Up and Starting Over:
The Covenant with Noah

4. Gods Laws, Israels Flaws:
The Covenant through Moses

6. Stormy Today, Sonny Tomorrow:
The New Covenant in the Prophets

8. Covenant Consummation:
The Wedding Feast of the Lamb

Foreword

When I was young, my father used to say, Big things come in small packages. Yet, I never really understood what that meant, especially around Christmas.

I do now.

The book youre holding may look small, but youll soon find out that it contains something really big inside. That something is a brief but profound summary of Gods plan in sacred scripture.

Given the size of the Bible, and how much time and effort it takes to read all the way through the Old and New Testaments, a little help can go a long way. And you will find that this book offers much more than a little help.

For the sake of full disclosure, I must admit that the author, Dr. John Bergsma, is a good friend and colleague, and somebody with whom Im proud to have collaborated on a variety of projects, most all of which had to do with the Bible. Perhaps I should admit to something else, namely, that Ive stood outside his classroom on more than one occasion, listening toand learning fromhis Bible lectures.

Trust me, Ive never been disappointedand you wont be either.

In Bible Basics for Catholics , Dr. Bergsma shares with you what he shares with his students. With clear prose and light-hearted sketches, he condenses deep truths from Gods Word and communicates them with great wisdom and insight, which he draws from the Churchs living tradition as well as the best of contemporary biblical scholarship.

Let him take you on a tour of salvation history, by offering you a birds eye view of the drama of sacred Scripture. By the time you are done, not only will you get the big picture of the Bible, you will find yourself being drawn into its plot, which is the covenant story of Gods fatherly plan for his sons and daughters, each and every one of us.

Along the way, youll also discover why his introductory course (Principles of Biblical Study), on which this book is based, remains one of the most popular classes at our school (Franciscan University of Steubenville). Best of all, you will come to see the Bible in a whole new light, and find yourself reading itwith greater wisdom and insightfor the rest of your life.

Take it from our Father, big things do come in small packages.

Scott Hahn

Introduction

You ought to know the Bible better than you do, and you probably feel vaguely guilty that you dont. Come on, admit it. You know its true. I know its true. Most of us Catholics who show up for Mass week after week have heard a bunch of homilies or shows on EWTN or talks on CD urging us to get to know the scriptures better. Most of us have heard someone quote one of the popes saying, The scriptures are letters from our loving Father or St. Jeromes famous line that ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.