Basic Scripture
By: William G. Most

(c) Copyright by William G. Most, 1993

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CHAPTERS

- Introduction
- A Revolution by Vatican II?
- What is Inspiration ?
- A Revolution by Pius XII?
- Using Genre to defend Inerrancy
- How to Interpret Scripture
- The l964 Instruction of the Biblical Commission
- Which are the Inspired Books?
- The Pentateuch
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
- Joshua, Judges and Ruth
- Samuel, Kings, Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah
- Pre-exilic Prophets
- Exilic and Post-exilic Prophets
- The Psalms
- The Wisdom Literature
- Daniel
- The Two Books of Maccabees
- Judith, Esther, and Tobit
- The Gospels
- The Acts of the Apostles
- St. Paul's Epistles
- The Catholic Epistles
- Study Questions
- Selected Answers

Books/Resources
by Fr. Most

- EWTN Scripture Q & A
- Basic Scripture
- Bible Commentaries
- Our Lady in Doctrine And Devotion
- Outline of Christology
- An Introduction to Christian Philosophy
- The Living God
- The Holy Spirit and The Church
- Catholic Apologetics Notes

Apologetic Resources

- Ask Father
- Biblical Catholicism
- Theology/Philosophy
- Scripture Resources
- Scott Hahns Lectures
- Apologetics Links

Other Services

- Catholic Chaplaincy
- St. Anthony Communications

QUESTIONS FOR BASIC SCRIPTURE COURSE 525



The following are a number of study questions designed for the Basic Scripture course by Father William Most. Some answers are also provided (just click onto the corresponding right arrow). Note that these answers are not complete however, but rather are brief, and restricted to the more difficult questions.








  1. What documents do they say made a revolution in Scripture study?
    Is it true?
    What did DV (Constitution on Revelation) say about previous councils?





  2. What charge of error was made about Daniel 1:1?
    How can we answer it?



  3. What pattern of writing do we have in a modern historical novel?
    What is the name for these patterns?
    From where did we get our English patterns of writing?
    May we assume that Scripture follows the same patterns?
    Why?
    What is the key word to watch in studying genre?





  4. How do we answer those who claim to find many errors in Scripture?





  5. Did ancient Semites try for precision in speaking of time and other things?
    What Pope informed us about this?



  6. How do the leftists try to support their claim that DV lets unthink there are all kinds of errors in Scripture?
    Answer them.





  7. What did Vatican I say about in-errancy in Scripture?
    Did Vatican II mention that?
    What did Pius XII say about that text of Vatican I?
    What did Leo XIII say about errors in Scripture?
    What principles did Vatican II give for Scripture study?





  8. What difference is there between our time and the start of this century in answering claims of errors in Scripture?



  9. What are the seeming problems abut the three accounts of St.Paul's conversion in Acts?
    How solve them?



  10. Is it enough to say a book is inspired if it contains no error?
    Why?
    Is it enough to say a book is inspired if the Church has checked and approved it?
    What is the essential requirement for saying a book is inspired?





  11. Why is there a problem in knowing which books are inspired?
    What is the only way to determine which books are inspired?





  12. How do we answer the problem: "There is no such thing as an unbiased account"?





  13. Do we need to know the names of the Evangelists?
    Why?
    What do we really need to know about them?



  14. What chances did the Evangelists have to get the facts about Jesus?





  15. What are the six points needed for apologetics?





  16. How did Luther try to determine which books are inspired?
    Was he right?
    Why?
    What did Luther think Paul meant by faith?





  17. What is the genre of the first chapters of Genesis?
    Did the Church ever teach fundamentalism on Genesis?
    What did St.Augustine say about the account saying God made a clay figure and breathed on it?
    What did St.John Chrysostom say about the rib to Eve incident?





  18. What did the Biblical Commission say about Moses as author of the Pentateuch?
    Does that point pertain to faith or to history?



  19. What is the documentary theory?
    Do all hold it today?





  20. May we consider evolution as possible?
    What decision was reached by a meeting of scientists at the Field Museum of Chicago in October, 1980?





  21. What is the probable genre of Pentateuch 12?
    of Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Jonah, Daniel?





  22. Does the book of Joshua seem to contradict Judges?
    Explain.



  23. What is the genre of Jonah?
    What are the chief messages of the book of Jonah?



  24. What is Apocalyptic?
    How long did it run?
    Give an example or two of it.


  25. What does apocalyptic show us about the texts that speak of the sun being darkened and the stars falling?



  26. What is the nature of the Wisdom genre?



  27. What are variant traditions?
    Do they mean an error in Scripture?
    Explain.
    Give one or two examples of such traditions.



  28. Do angels have bodies?
    How did some early writes make a mistake on this?



  29. Isaiah 64.5 says all our justifications are filthy rags?
    So was Luther right on this?
    Explain.



  30. What is academic freedom?
    Does it warrant contradicting the Church How?



  31. What is the fuller sense of Scripture?
    What did Vatican II do about it?



  32. St.Paul quotes Malachi quoting God as saying: I have loved Jacob but hated Esau. Does God hate some?



  33. 1 Samuel 4:3 reports the Jews after a defeat said:"Why did God strike us today before the face of the Philistines"?
    Comment.


  34. What are Targums?
    What help do they give us?
    What about the date of writing them?





  35. What does Hebrew hesed mean?
    How do our translations usually render it?



  36. Why do we now often say covenant where we used to say testament?



  37. What can we learn from ancient Hittite treaties about the meaning of the word love?



  38. What is the most basic concept of sin found in Scripture?



  39. What does it mean to read Scripture "by or in the Spirit by which it was written?
    What is the analogy of faith?



  40. What levels of teaching does the Church use?





  41. What is Form and Redaction Criticism?
    Does the Church approve of using Form and Redaction Criticism?
    What are the dangers in Form and Redaction criticism about which the Church warns.
    What are the three stages in the development of the Gospels?





  42. How can we show that the Church has something more basic than the Gospels?



  43. What did Vatican II say of the historicity of the Gospels?



  44. May we believe that the Gospels do not always use the same words that Jesus used?
    If not, what follows?



  45. Who made a Form Critical analysis of the episode at CaesareaPhilippi in Mark 8?
    What conclusion did he draw?
    What does the same writer say today about Form Criticism?



  46. What claim did Wrede make about the Messianic Secret?
    How answer him?



  47. Jesus is reported to have predicted His death and resurrection at least three times yet the Apostles, when it happened, acted as if they had never heard of it?
    How can it be?



  48. Why was the Church slow to draw up a list of the Canon of Scripture?
    What is the Canon?
    When was it made final?
    What are protocanonical and deuterocanonical books?



  49. What is the genre of Genesis 1-11; of the rest of Genesis?



  50. What scientific developments are there on polygenism?





  51. What is the nature of original sin?
    What improvements in language about it have there been in our time?





  52. What was the coordinating gift (gift of integrity)?





  53. Did the Jews see original sin in Genesis?
    How can we show it is there?



  54. Was there an Adam and Eve?
    Could the human writer of Genesis have made use of Mesopotamian stories?
    What Babylonian epic has a flood story?
    Is it like that of Genesis?



  55. What do we make of Genesis 6:1-4 telling about the sons of God having children by earthly women?



  56. What reasons can we give to support the historical character of the stories of the patriarchs?



  57. Compare Abraham's faith with the standard set by St.Paul for faith.



  58. What do the Targums say about Genesis 3:15?
    About Genesis 49:10?
    What did Vatican II say of Gen 3:15 and Is 7:14?





  59. How is Gen 49:10 fulfilled?





  60. What reasons have we to show that there was an Exodus?



  61. What are the two chief proposals for the date of the Exodus?
    On what is each chiefly based?
    What do we do if archaeology seems to contradict Scripture?





  62. Could the plagues in Egypt have come from natural causes?



  63. How were the Israelites taught reverence at Mt.Sinai?



  64. Explain the Sinai covenant?
    What did it provide?
    Was Sinai bilateral or unilateral?
    To what kind of ancient treaty has the Sinai covenant been compared?
    Comment?





  65. Is Sinai legalistic?
    Relation to love?



  66. Need we believe that all the numerous laws of the OT were directly revealed by God at Sinai?



  67. What do we say of the Talion law?



  68. How many laws are there in Leviticus?
    Is that too large?



  69. What can we learn from the ordination of Aaron and his sons and events soon afterwards?



  70. What was sheggagah?





  71. Tell of the revolts against Moses?





  72. What did the spies sent into the promised land report?
    What was the outcome?





  73. What is the general nature of Deuteronomy?





  74. What is the story of the reform under King Josiah later?



  75. Why did God give commands?





  76. What is the Shema?
    What did the Israelites understand by the command to love neighbor?



  77. In what way did Moses put before them a blessing and a curse?





  78. Is it unjust for God to say (Exodus 20:5-6) He punishes the iniquity of the fathers to the third and fourth generation?
    Compare to His words in Jer.31:29?



  79. Was the ban (herem) immoral?



  80. What is the problem raised by archaeology about Jericho?
    Solution?





  81. Did Joshua cause the sun to stand still?



  82. What is the Deuteronomic theme?





  83. What is the probable relation of the books of Samuel, and of those of Kings?
    What is the genre?





  84. What pattern shows strongly in the books of Samuel and Kings?



  85. Tell the story of Samuel.
    How did he come to appoint a king?



  86. Tell the story of Saul.
    Why was he rejected while David was not?



  87. What do we learn from necromancy in the actions of Saul?





  88. Who built a temple?
    Why did not David do it?





  89. Why was there a split into north and south?
    How did the northern kingdom fall?
    The southern kingdom?


    Œ


  90. Tell the story of Elijah.
    The story of Elisha.



  91. What is the nature or Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah?





  92. Who let the Jews return from exile?
    Why?
    How did they react then?





  93. What kinds of prophets are there in the OT?
    Does the fact that ecstatic prophets are spoken of in OT as having the spirit of God prove they really did have it?
    How could Amos say he was not a prophet?



  94. When a prophet says :thus says God, does it always mean hehad a new revelation?



  95. How far in advance did Amos foretell the fall of the northern kingdom?





  96. Where do we first find the remnant theme?
    What does it mean?



  97. What is Hebrew parallelism?
    Source?
    Why did Amos say: for three crimes and for four?



  98. What is relation of Amos to the deuteronomic pattern?
    Relation to Isaiah's pattern?



  99. When and where did Hosea prophesy?
    What is a very distinctive feature of the words of Hosea?
    What did he mean to convey by it?
    What did it mean to say: "I want mercy and not sacrifice"?





  100. What is multiple fulfillment?



  101. Describe the chief messianic prophecies of Isaiah.
    How do the Targums treat each of these?
    What special problem?
    What did Vatican II say of each?





  102. Why do many think there were three Isaiah's?
    May we admit it?



  103. What defect did Isaiah find in the sacrifices of his day?





  104. What are the Servant Songs in Isaiah?
    Are they messianic?



  105. When did the ministry of Jeremiah begin?
    Was his life ever in danger?
    Why?



  106. What prophecy did Jeremiah make about the covenant?
    How was it fulfilled?
    Did Jeremiah understand all about it?





  107. Did Jeremiah know the redemptive value of suffering?



  108. What is the Day of the Lord?
    Who spoke specially of it?



  109. What prophet did St.Paul use for a basic quotation?
    Did Paul attend to the original setting?



  110. What did Ezekiel say about the watchman?
    What did Ezekiel say about conversion and individual responsibility?





  111. What is the date for Haggai?
    What did he say to induce the Jews to rebuild the temple?
    What messianic prophecy did he make?



  112. Who next to Isaiah has the most messianic prophecies?
    What are some striking features?





  113. What prophet did St.Peter quote on the first Pentecost?



  114. Who is the last of the OT prophets?
    Are we sure we have his name?
    Did he foretell the Mass?
    What did he say of the coming of the Messiah?



  115. What two numbering systems are there for the Psalms?
    Did David write all the Psalms?
    What do the NT authors say of authorship?



  116. Name two important Psalms that we know from NT are messianic which the Targums did not see as such?





  117. Does Ps 22 show Jesus did not know who He was when dying?



  118. Which Psalms seem to show an awareness of being able to be with God in an afterlife.



  119. How do we explain the "cursing psalms"?



  120. What is the general characteristic of wisdom literature?
    What other nation influenced Israel's writing in this genre?
    How does Sirach and Wisdom describe Wisdom?





  121. Did Job or Sirach deny an afterlife?
    When did the Jews come to know of an afterlife?
    What two opinions on that today?
    What about their belief in future retribution?
    What principles do we need to use to explain?
    Did Qoheleth know of an afterlife?





  122. What can we say of the claim that the Hebrews had a unitary concept of man?
    What of nefesh?



  123. What is the problem raised in Job?
    What answer is given?
    Did Job know of future retribution?
    Who said in Job 14:13 ff Job denies an afterlife?
    How answer that claim?



  124. Which OT book is the first to speak clearly about afterlife and retribution?



  125. What genres are there in Daniel?
    What languages?
    When was Daniel written?
    Who is the Son of Man in Daniel 7?





  126. Which text shows a belief in purgatory?





  127. What is the subject of 1 & 2 Maccabees?
    What is the genre of each book?
    What reference is there in 2 Mac to purgatory?



  128. Where do we find the theme of filling up the measure of sins?
    What does it mean?
    Where else in Scripture is it found?



  129. What is the genre of Tobit, Judith, and Esther?
    What reason for saying this?





  130. What is to be said of the names of the four Evangelists?





  131. What is the value of the testimony of Papias?
    What other witnesses are there.
    What is the value of the other external sources?
    What did Hengel say about Mark?



  132. What is the Synoptic problem?
    What two sources does it suppose for Mt.and LK?
    Was Mark the first Gospel written?
    What is a doublet?
    What do they prove?





  133. Which Gospel shows the most Semitisms?
    Why?



  134. What is the genre of the Gospels?
    What ideals did the pagan Greek and Roman historians hold for their writing?



  135. Is there such a thing as an uninterpreted report?



  136. Do the Gospels always follow chronological sequence?
    Do they always keep to the exact words of Jesus?
    Why not?





  137. What is the genre of the infancy Gospels?
    What do we learn from Paul VI, Vatican II, and John Paul II on it?





  138. How solve the problem of the census in Luke?





  139. How solve the problem of discrepancies in the genealogies in the Gospels?





  140. Why did Jesus spend most of His life at home?



  141. Why did Jesus let His parents worry at age 12?
    What about His attitude at Cana?
    When He said: "Who is my Mother"?



  142. Why did He not explain what He really meant when promising the Eucharist in Jn 6?



  143. What is the problem of Mark 3:20-35?
    How solve it?
    What did His Mother know about Jesus?
    When did she first learn it?





  144. How solve the problem of the brothers of Jesus?





  145. What was the purpose of the parables?
    What are the two spirals?





  146. What is retrojection?
    Can it be found in the Gospels?
    What limits?
    May we say that the Gospel explanations of the parables, put on the lips of Jesus, did not come from Him?
    Some claim the disputes of Jesus with Pharisees happened only later when the Christians began to argue.
    Can we accept this?
    Why?
    Give examples of foolish disputes by the rabbis.





  147. Did Jesus reveal self gradually?
    Why?
    In what way did He do this?





  148. What did Jesus mean by the title Son of Man?
    Prove He meant Himself.



  149. What was the Messianic secret?
    What did Wrede claim?
    What was his chief proof?
    Answer it.





  150. Why did Jesus say at various times your Father, my Father?



  151. What was implied in Jesus' about the coming of Elijah?



  152. How can the words such as "Before Abraham was, I am" be genuine when the Synoptics do not have anything like them?



  153. What does the Church teach on the consciousness of Christ?
    What can we learn from theological reasoning on it?
    Is this Church teaching infallible?
    Did Jesus suffer and have anxiety all His life long?
    How explain?
    How could He experience fear in the garden?





  154. When did His Mother learn of His future suffering?
    How can we measure her suffering at the cross?





  155. Lk 2:52 says Jesus advanced in wisdom?
    What problem and answer?
    In Mk 13:32 Jesus said He did not know the day of the end.
    What problem?
    Answer?





  156. Does the Kingdom ever mean the Church?
    What evidence?





  157. Jesus said He came not to destroy but to fulfill the law.
    Yet He broke the law.
    Explain.
    Did Paul contradict this?
    How did Jesus extend the law?
    He said one should turn the other cheek.
    Yet He Himself at His trial in the Jewish court did not.
    Explain.





  158. Who were the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes?





  159. Who was really guilty of the condemnation of Jesus?



  160. How answer those who deny the miracles of Jesus?
    Were some cases in the Gospels that were called exorcisms really cures of epilepsy?





  161. Were the miracles of Jesus the same type as those of rabbis or pagans?
    What of Apollonius of Tyana?





  162. NJBC says Jesus consistently refused to do miracles to show His power.
    Comment.





  163. Do the Synoptics conflict with John on the Passover supper?
    How solve the problem?
    Was the Passover supper a sacrifice?
    Is the Eucharist a sacrifice?
    Explain.
    What is the relation of the Last Supper to the Cross and to the Mass?





  164. What is the New Covenant?
    What is the relation of Our Lady to it?
    Did she cooperate in the redemption on Calvary?
    In what way?
    Show this from Vatican II.





  165. How did the Redemption operate?
    What is the problem of the price of redemption?
    How solve the problem?





  166. What title to forgiveness and grace was generated for each individual human?
    How?
    How then could anyone be lost?
    If the merits of Christ are infinite, then we cannot add, need not do anything?





  167. How do we know He promised to be with the Church until the end of time?





  168. How can we work out the sequence of events after the resurrection?





  169. Who was the Beloved Disciple?
    Evidence?





  170. What of the Johannine school or community?
    When John's Gospel speaks of the Jews, who are meant?



  171. What reasons are given for saying Luke, author of Acts, did not know Paul?
    What is the problem about the report on Council of Apostles in Act 15?
    How solve it?





  172. Where does Paul say the Jews are filling up the measure of their sins?
    Why?



  173. Is it certain everyone will die?
    Why?
    What reason is given for thinking Paul expected to see the end?
    Will there be a rapture?





  174. Does Paul teach God offers all the grace of final perseverance?
    Compare to the teaching of Trent.





  175. What signs does Paul give that must happen before the end in 2 Ths?



  176. What is the main subject of Galatians?
    Why did Paul curse an angel?



  177. What led Paul to say we are free from the law?
    In what sense is that true or not true?
    Does Paul teach justification by faith?
    In same sense as Luther?





  178. Explain focused and factual views of the law.





  179. Did Paul rebuke the first Pope?
    Doctrinal problem?



  180. What is the special importance of Gal 2:20?



  181. Does Paul in Gal 3:28 defend ordination of women?





  182. How did Paul in Gal. correct the misunderstanding of his words that we are free from the law?



  183. In Phil. does Paul show he believes he could be with Christ between death and resurrection?
    How?





  184. In what sense did Christ empty Himself?





  185. How can we reconcile Phil.2:13 with free will?





  186. How can Paul say all things are rubbish - God made them good?





  187. Paul in 1 Cor says Christ crucified was nonsense to the Greeks and a scandal to the Jews?
    Explain.





  188. What does Paul say about inheriting the kingdom in 1 Cor?



  189. In 1 Cor 6:11 Paul says only some of the Corinthians were guilty of the great sins.
    But in Rom 1 he says all are guilty.
    How explain?





  190. How can Paul say virginity/celibacy is a better state than marriage - then those who marry could not reach perfection - but the Church says they can.
    Explain.
    And in what way is celibacy better?
    (Use Mt.6:21).





  191. How does Paul show he does not have infallible salvation?





  192. Why does Paul do so much personal pleading in 2 Cor?



  193. How can Paul say in 2 Cor 3:5 we cannot even get a good thought by our own power?





  194. What is the chief thrust of chapters 1-3 of Romans?
    How does that rule out speaking of mere tendencies to sin?



  195. St.Justin Martyr says many who seemed to be atheists were really Christians, e.g., Socrates.
    Paul says atheists are inexcusable?
    Contradiction?





  196. What is the "righteousness of God" in Rom 1:17?
    Most usual view?
    Is it right?





  197. What two kinds of predestination are there?
    Of which does Paul speak in Romans 8:29 ff?
    Where does Scripture speak of predestination to heaven or hell?
    What new solution can we have for the question of predestination to heaven?





  198. What does the word saved mean in Scripture?
    On what does God base His decision to give or not full membership in Church?





  199. What is significance of Col 1:24?





  200. What great mystery, once unknown, does Paul reveal in Col and esp.in Eph?





  201. What does 2 Tim.2:2 call for?





  202. What genre is Hebrews?
    What could account for the special style in it?





  203. Heb.9:28 says Christ was offered once. Does this rule out the Mass?





  204. If a person violates one commandment, how is he guilty of all?





  205. What does 1 Peter mean by "spiritual sacrifices"?





  206. 1 Pet 2:10 says they were once without mercy.
    Does not God have mercy on all?



  207. How are we sharers in the divine nature?



  208. Which Apostle said Paul is hard to understand?



  209. How can 1 John speak both of antichrist and antichrists?



  210. First John 3:9 says anyone begotten of God cannot sin.
    Explain.



  211. In what sense can we love God?



  212. How does 2 John define love of God?



  213. What of the authorship of Apocalypse/Revelation?
    What is the genre?



  214. What are chief tendencies of interpretation of Apoc.?





  215. Who is the woman clothed with the sun?
    Give reasons?



  216. Does Apoc. teach two resurrections and a millennium?