Joshveer Chhabra - Article and Questions Vatican II on Divine Revelation by Father Kenneth Baker SJ

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Dec 6, 2023

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Vatican II on Divine Revelation by Father Kenneth Baker S.J. Read the attached article and then answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper as part of your notes. 1) What was the Catholic Church commissioned to do? - The Catholic Church was commissioned by Jesus Christ to proclaim the Gospel of God's love to all mankind. This proclamation is based on divine revelation, with Jesus as the Word of God revealing the inner nature of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Church's mission is to share the message of God's love and redemption for humanity, revealed through Jesus Christ's passion, death, and resurrection. 2) Why is Dei Verbum known as one of the most important documents of the Vatican II Council. - Dei Verbum is known as one of the most important documents of the Vatican II Council because it is the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. This document spells out in detail what the Catholic Church believes and teaches regarding divine revelation, primarily as it is contained in the Bible. It emphasizes both the Old Testament and the New Testament, as well as Tradition. 3) Why does the Council want the whole world to hear the summons to salvation? - The Council wants the whole world to hear the summons to salvation so that, through hearing, people may believe in Jesus Christ. The Council aims to spread the truth of the Gospel universally, inviting all individuals to faith. By believing in Christ, people can then hope and ultimately come to love God. 4) What is the ultimate goal? - The ultimate goal, as stated in the prologue of Dei Verbum, is to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to the whole world so that people may believe in Jesus Christ and, through this belief, arrive at the love of God. The Council emphasizes the importance of faith, hope, and love as the means through which individuals can establish fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

Chapter 1: Divine Revelation Itself 5) What is divine revelation? - Divine revelation is the act of God making Himself and the mysterious plan of His will known to humanity. It involves God revealing to humanity His nature and His plan for humanity and the world. 6) How does God do this? - God reveals Himself through both deeds and words in the history of salvation, as recorded in the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). The miraculous works of God in salvation history, as well as the words of the prophets like Abraham and Moses, verify one another. 7) How are the stories of Abraham, Moses, and the prophets tied to Jesus Christ? - The stories of Abraham, Moses, and the prophets are tied to Jesus Christ in the sense that God revealed Himself in a beginning way to these figures. He adopted Israel as His own people, teaching them to look for the promised Savior and Messiah. These Old Testament figures set the stage for the arrival of the Gospel in Jesus Christ. 8) How did Jesus prove who he was? - Jesus proved who He was through His words and miracles, especially through His glorious resurrection from the dead. His resurrection demonstrated His divine authority and confirmed the truth of His teachings. 9) What does it mean when Father Kenneth states “Jesus established a new and eternal covenant between God and man which will never be replaced”? - When Father Kenneth states, "Jesus established a new and eternal covenant between God and man which will never be replaced," he means that through His life, teachings, death, and resurrection, Jesus established a new and everlasting agreement or covenant between humanity and God. This covenant represents a permanent relationship, and there will be no new public revelation of God's will before the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ in glory. 10) What is the proper response of man to God’s revelation of Himself? - The proper response of man to God's revelation of Himself is faith. Faith is the free assent of the

individual to divine revelation, wherein one commits their entire self to God. However, faith is also considered a gift from God. To have faith, individuals require the grace of God, which illuminates their minds and moves their will to believe. This illumination and assistance come from the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, as indicated in John 6:44, where Jesus states that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws them. Chapter 2: The Transmission of Divine Revelation 11) How is divine revelation handed on from generation to generation? - Divine revelation is handed on from generation to generation through Christ the Lord, who is the fullness of the revelation of God. He taught the Apostles all that God wished to communicate to humanity and commanded them to preach the Gospel to all nations. The Apostles, in turn, bore witness to all that Jesus said and did in His earthly life. As they aged and some died as martyrs, those still living and their co-workers committed the message of salvation to writing. This sacred Tradition and the sacred Scriptures serve as a mirror in which the Church contemplates God during its earthly journey. 12) Jesus founded His Church on which people? - Jesus founded His Church on Peter and the Apostles. 13) To make sure that the Gospel remained intact, what did the Apostles do? - To ensure that the Gospel remained intact, the Apostles appointed bishops as their successors and conferred their own teaching authority on them. 14) What does it mean to say that the Church’s teaching on faith and morals are not “static”? - The Church's teaching on faith and morals is not "static." There is growth in the understanding of the faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This growth occurs through reflection on God's Word by saints, bishops, and theologians. As time progresses, the Church advances in its understanding of what has been revealed and applies ancient truths to new problems and circumstances, such as changes in the social order and in the physical and life sciences.

15) What can the ancient truths be applied to? - Ancient truths can be applied to new problems and circumstances, including changes in the social order and developments in the physical and life sciences. 16) Where does the Church draw her certainty about revealed truth? - The Church draws her certainty about revealed truth both from Scripture and from Tradition. Both sources must be treated with equal reverence. 17) Who did the Council deem as the only authentic interpreter of the Word of God? - The Council deemed the teaching office of the Church, also called the Magisterium, as the only authentic interpreter of the Word of God. 18) What do Catholics consult regarding problems or questions about true faith and morals? - Catholics consult Tradition, Scripture, and the Magisterium (the teaching office of the Church) regarding problems or questions about true faith and morals. Chapter 3: Sacred Scripture: It’s Divine inspiration and Interpretations 19) What does it mean to say that the Bible was inspired by God? - To say that the Bible was inspired by God means that, according to the Church, the 46 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament are considered to be inspired by God. Inspiration implies that God, as the primary author, worked through the minds and wills of the sacred authors, guiding them through His grace to write down the truths He intended to communicate to humanity. The Church holds that these books were written without error and firmly and faithfully teach the truths necessary for salvation. 20) If the interpreter wishes to ascertain correctly what God wished to tell us, what must he do? - If the interpreter wishes to ascertain correctly what God wished to tell us, he must strive to find the literal meaning that the sacred writers had in mind. This requires knowledge of the original language, culture, customs, date of writing, place, and author. Additionally, the interpreter must be familiar with the different literary forms used in the Bible, such as laws, history, poetry,

prayers, parables, prophecy, and wisdom. Correct interpretation also necessitates keeping in mind the divine authorship and recognizing the unity in all of Scripture, understanding that there are no errors in the Bible. Interpretation should also take into account the whole Tradition of the Church and the analogy of faith, which means considering what the Church has consistently taught. The Magisterium of the Church, exercising its divine commission, oversees and guards the interpretation of God's holy Word. 21) Who is deeply concerned about the way in which the Bible is interpreted? - The Magisterium of the Church is deeply concerned about the way in which the Bible is interpreted. All interpretations of the Bible are subject to the judgment of the Church, which has the divinely given authority to oversee and guard the interpretation of God's holy Word. The Church, therefore, is the entity deeply concerned about the proper interpretation of the Bible and is the only authority that can determine with authority the meaning of any disputed text. Chapter 4: The Old Testament 22) How did God reveal Himself gradually to mankind? - God revealed Himself gradually to mankind. He revealed Himself to Abraham and through Abraham, He gained for Himself a people - the people of Israel. God established a covenant with them and gave them the promises of a Savior or Messiah who would eventually come. The plan for the salvation of mankind had its beginning with Israel and is written down in her sacred books, the Old Testament. 23) Everything in the Old Testament point to who? - Everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus the Messiah. The Old Testament contains various figures and events, such as Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, and Job, which are seen as types or prefigurations of Christ. The Catholic Church reveres the Old Testament, and all its books, in one way or another, are believed to point to the Messiah, who is the God-man, Jesus Christ. 24) What St. Augustine quote is used in the Document?

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