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ONLINE CLASS PORTALINQUIRY 4- Sacred Scripture & Sacred TraditionWednesday, September 23rd, 2026Evangelists:
Dr. Nathan Spencer |
REAL QUICK HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS:PLEASE TEXT Shannon Counihan at 661-805-0218 IF:
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Mini Marriage retreat - Saturday September 26th
PARISH FALL FESTIVAL - SUNDAY September 27th - come help!
- Parish festival this coming Sunday 9/27/26, 11am-5pm
- Silent auction, bingo, bounce houses, lots of food, live entertainment
- OCIA will have a booth for face painting - come join us!
- Silent auction, bingo, bounce houses, lots of food, live entertainment
prayer journal homework:
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Prayer Journal Assignment:
Write down the most meaningful traditions you share in your family.
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catechism of the catholic church (ccc)
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Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
Record the following topic numbers in your prayer journal, and later this week, start exploring them in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. CCC 101–102 CCC 105–119 CCC 121–130 |
Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition
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1 Kings 19:11-12
He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. |
“Love Has Come” by Matt Maher
With one voice, the Angels sing
Songs that make creation ring
Prophets hear and call us to
Live in spirit and in truth
Word of God enthroned
Dwell in us forevermore
Love has come to show the way
Hallelujah, peace be with us
Love has come to show the way
Songs that make creation ring
Prophets hear and call us to
Live in spirit and in truth
Word of God enthroned
Dwell in us forevermore
Love has come to show the way
Hallelujah, peace be with us
Love has come to show the way
When was the Bible completed?
- The Church discerned which writings belonged in Scripture. Regional councils at Hippo (393) and Carthage (397 and 419) gave lists corresponding to the Catholic canon.
- Later ecumenical councils affirmed the list. Florence (1442) listed the books, and Trent (1546) formally reaffirmed them amid Reformation disputes.
The Old Testament
- Pentateuch (the Law): Creation, the patriarchs, the Exodus, and God’s covenant with Israel. Examples: Genesis, Exodus, and Deuteronomy.
- Historical books: The history of Israel, including the monarchy, exile, and return. Examples: Joshua, Kings, Tobit, and Maccabees.
- Wisdom and poetry: Prayers and reflections on suffering, love, and faithful living. Examples: Psalms, Proverbs, Wisdom, and Sirach.
- Prophets: Calls to repentance and hope, with promises of restoration. Examples: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets.
New Testament
- Gospels: The life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
- Acts of the Apostles: The Holy Spirit’s work in the early Church.
- Letters (Epistles): Apostolic teaching for Christian communities and individuals. Examples: Romans, James, and 1 Peter.
- Apocalyptic writing: Symbolic visions of Christ’s victory and the fulfillment of God’s plan. The Book of Revelation.
God reveals himself
- Hebrews 1:1–2. God spoke through the prophets and has spoken through his Son.
- Revelation is God making himself known, with Jesus Christ at its center. (CCC 101–102)
Jesus is the center of Scripture
- Luke 24:25–27. The risen Jesus explains how Moses and the prophets point to him.
- Through the Bible’s many words, God speaks his one Word, Jesus Christ. (CCC 102, 108)
- Example: Return to the road to Emmaus when explaining why Christians read the Old Testament.
God and the human authors
- 2 Timothy 3:14–17 on the inspiration and purpose of Scripture
- God inspired living breathing human authors. Their language, circumstances and intentions matter. Scripture teaches the truth God wished recorded for our salvation. (CCC 105–107)
How to interpret the Bible
- Luke 24:44–45. Jesus opens the disciples’ minds to understand the Scriptures.
- First ask what the human author intended. Then read each passage in the unity of Scripture, within the Church’s living Tradition and in harmony with the faith. (CCC 109–114)
- Example: Compare how we read a psalm, a parable and a historical account.
The TWO senses of Scripture
- Exodus 14:21–31, then 1 Corinthians 10:1–2.
- Begin with the literal sense: what the text communicates.
- Then the spiritual sense: ask how it points to Christ, guides our lives and directs us toward our eternal destiny. (CCC 115–119)
- Example: Israel’s passage through the sea becomes a way to discuss liberation, Baptism, conversion and the journey toward heaven.
One story, two Testaments
- Exodus 12:1–14 alongside 1 Corinthians 5:7.
- The Old Testament prepares for Christ; the New Testament reveals his fulfillment. Both are Scripture for the Church. (CCC 121–130)
- Example: Trace the Passover lamb through the Last Supper and the Cross.
Lectio Devina- Learn to pray the scriptures
- Read — lectio: Read a selected scripture passage slowly. What does the passage say?
- Reflect — meditatio: What word, image or action draws your attention? How does it relate to your life?
- Respond — oratio: Speak honestly to God about what you noticed.
- Rest — contemplatio: Spend a quiet moment in God’s presence.
- (Act — actio: Carry one concrete response into the day.)
historical timeline of challenges to Church doctrine
(also known as schims and heresies)
1st–2nd centuries — Docetism: Claimed Jesus only appeared to be human and to suffer. Early Church writers opposed it; no single council defined the response.
2nd century — Gnosticism: Various groups taught salvation through secret knowledge, often treating the material world as evil. Early Church writers, especially Irenaeus, opposed these teachings.
Mid-2nd century — Marcionism: Rejected the Old Testament and claimed its God differed from the Father of Jesus. Marcion was rejected by the Church in Rome; no ecumenical council addressed the movement.
Late 2nd century — Montanism: Claimed a new prophetic authority the Church did not accept. Local synods in Asia Minor addressed it.
3rd century — Sabellianism: Treated Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as manifestations of one person. Local synods opposed it; Nicaea I (325) and Constantinople I (381) later clarified Trinitarian teaching.
Early 4th century — Arianism: Taught that the Son was created and was not fully divine. Addressed by Nicaea I (325) and Constantinople I (381).
Early 4th century — Donatism: Held that a minister’s moral standing determined whether a sacrament was valid. Addressed by Arles (314), a local council.
Late 4th century — Apollinarianism: Denied that Christ had a complete human mind. Addressed by Constantinople I (381).
393–419 — Recognition of the Scripture canon: Hippo (393) and Carthage (397 and 419) were regional councils that listed the books received as Scripture.
Early 5th century — Pelagianism: Denied original sin and the necessity of grace for salvation. Addressed by Carthage (418), a local council, and also by Ephesus (431).
Early 5th century — Nestorian controversy: Threatened the unity of Christ’s person by dividing his divinity and humanity. Addressed by Ephesus (431).
Mid-5th century — Eutychianism: Compromised Christ’s full humanity by speaking of only one nature after the Incarnation. Addressed by Chalcedon (451).
6th century — Semipelagianism: Held that a person could make the first movement toward faith without God’s grace. Addressed by Orange (529), a local council.
7th century — Monothelitism: Taught that Christ had only one will. Addressed by Constantinople III (680–681), which affirmed his divine and human wills.
8th–9th centuries — Iconoclasm: Rejected the veneration of sacred images. Addressed by Nicaea II (787).
12th–13th centuries — Catharism / Albigensianism: Taught a radical dualism that rejected the goodness of the material world. Addressed by Lateran III (1179) and Lateran IV (1215).
Late 14th–early 15th centuries — Teachings of Wycliffe and Hus: Disputed aspects of Church authority, the sacraments, and the Eucharist. Addressed by Constance (1414–1418).
1442 — Scripture canon: Florence listed the books of the Old and New Testaments.
16th century — Reformation disputes: Concerned Scripture and Tradition, justification, the sacraments, the Eucharist, and Church authority. Addressed by Trent (1545–1563).
1546 — Scripture canon: In Session IV, Trent formally reaffirmed the Catholic canon during the Reformation.
2nd century — Gnosticism: Various groups taught salvation through secret knowledge, often treating the material world as evil. Early Church writers, especially Irenaeus, opposed these teachings.
Mid-2nd century — Marcionism: Rejected the Old Testament and claimed its God differed from the Father of Jesus. Marcion was rejected by the Church in Rome; no ecumenical council addressed the movement.
Late 2nd century — Montanism: Claimed a new prophetic authority the Church did not accept. Local synods in Asia Minor addressed it.
3rd century — Sabellianism: Treated Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as manifestations of one person. Local synods opposed it; Nicaea I (325) and Constantinople I (381) later clarified Trinitarian teaching.
Early 4th century — Arianism: Taught that the Son was created and was not fully divine. Addressed by Nicaea I (325) and Constantinople I (381).
Early 4th century — Donatism: Held that a minister’s moral standing determined whether a sacrament was valid. Addressed by Arles (314), a local council.
Late 4th century — Apollinarianism: Denied that Christ had a complete human mind. Addressed by Constantinople I (381).
393–419 — Recognition of the Scripture canon: Hippo (393) and Carthage (397 and 419) were regional councils that listed the books received as Scripture.
Early 5th century — Pelagianism: Denied original sin and the necessity of grace for salvation. Addressed by Carthage (418), a local council, and also by Ephesus (431).
Early 5th century — Nestorian controversy: Threatened the unity of Christ’s person by dividing his divinity and humanity. Addressed by Ephesus (431).
Mid-5th century — Eutychianism: Compromised Christ’s full humanity by speaking of only one nature after the Incarnation. Addressed by Chalcedon (451).
6th century — Semipelagianism: Held that a person could make the first movement toward faith without God’s grace. Addressed by Orange (529), a local council.
7th century — Monothelitism: Taught that Christ had only one will. Addressed by Constantinople III (680–681), which affirmed his divine and human wills.
8th–9th centuries — Iconoclasm: Rejected the veneration of sacred images. Addressed by Nicaea II (787).
12th–13th centuries — Catharism / Albigensianism: Taught a radical dualism that rejected the goodness of the material world. Addressed by Lateran III (1179) and Lateran IV (1215).
Late 14th–early 15th centuries — Teachings of Wycliffe and Hus: Disputed aspects of Church authority, the sacraments, and the Eucharist. Addressed by Constance (1414–1418).
1442 — Scripture canon: Florence listed the books of the Old and New Testaments.
16th century — Reformation disputes: Concerned Scripture and Tradition, justification, the sacraments, the Eucharist, and Church authority. Addressed by Trent (1545–1563).
1546 — Scripture canon: In Session IV, Trent formally reaffirmed the Catholic canon during the Reformation.
The Council of Jerusalem
“Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders.” Acts 15:1-2
- The Church through her apostles settles an early dispute.
The Biblical support for Tradition:
- So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. 2 Thesalonians 2:15
- 1 Corinthians 11:2 - Paul praises the Corinthians for holding fast to the traditions he handed on.
- 2 Timothy 2:2 - Paul instructs Timothy to entrust what he heard from Paul to others who can teach it in turn.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3–5 - Paul says he received and then handed on the proclamation of Christ’s death and resurrection.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6 - Paul again refers to the tradition the community received from the apostles.
Sacred Tradition vs the traditions of man
- Human traditions are practices people develop over time. Some are valuable expressions of the faith, but they can be changed or set aside. Others can become harmful if they obscure God’s commandments.
- Sacred Tradition is what the Church has received and must hand on; human traditions are ways people choose to express or practice the faith. The first is binding apostolic teaching. The second must be measured against that teaching.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
- 75 "Christ the Lord, in whom the entire Revelation of the most high God is summed up, commanded the apostles to preach the Gospel, which had been promised beforehand by the prophets, and which he fulfilled in his own person and promulgated with his own lips. In preaching the Gospel, they were to communicate the gifts of God to all men. This Gospel was to be the source of all saving truth and moral discipline."
76 In keeping with the Lord's command, the Gospel was handed on in two ways:
- ORALLY "by the apostles who handed on, by the spoken word of their preaching, by the example they gave, by the institutions they established, what they themselves had received - whether from the lips of Christ, from his way of life and his works, or whether they had learned it at the prompting of the Holy Spirit";33
- IN WRITING "by those apostles and other men associated with the apostles who, under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, committed the message of salvation to writing".34
77 "In order that the full and living Gospel might always be preserved in the Church the apostles left bishops as their successors. They gave them their own position of teaching authority."35 Indeed, "the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time."36
78 This living transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition, since it is distinct from Sacred Scripture, though closely connected to it. Through Tradition, "the Church, in her doctrine, life and worship, perpetuates and transmits to every generation all that she herself is, all that she believes."37 "The sayings of the holy Fathers are a witness to the life-giving presence of this Tradition, showing how its riches are poured out in the practice and life of the Church, in her belief and her prayer."38
79 The Father's self-communication made through his Word in the Holy Spirit, remains present and active in the Church: "God, who spoke in the past, continues to converse with the Spouse of his beloved Son. and the Holy Spirit, through whom the living voice of the Gospel rings out in the Church - and through her in the world - leads believers to the full truth and makes the Word of Christ dwell in them in all its richness."
- ORALLY "by the apostles who handed on, by the spoken word of their preaching, by the example they gave, by the institutions they established, what they themselves had received - whether from the lips of Christ, from his way of life and his works, or whether they had learned it at the prompting of the Holy Spirit";33
- IN WRITING "by those apostles and other men associated with the apostles who, under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, committed the message of salvation to writing".34
77 "In order that the full and living Gospel might always be preserved in the Church the apostles left bishops as their successors. They gave them their own position of teaching authority."35 Indeed, "the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time."36
78 This living transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition, since it is distinct from Sacred Scripture, though closely connected to it. Through Tradition, "the Church, in her doctrine, life and worship, perpetuates and transmits to every generation all that she herself is, all that she believes."37 "The sayings of the holy Fathers are a witness to the life-giving presence of this Tradition, showing how its riches are poured out in the practice and life of the Church, in her belief and her prayer."38
79 The Father's self-communication made through his Word in the Holy Spirit, remains present and active in the Church: "God, who spoke in the past, continues to converse with the Spouse of his beloved Son. and the Holy Spirit, through whom the living voice of the Gospel rings out in the Church - and through her in the world - leads believers to the full truth and makes the Word of Christ dwell in them in all its richness."
THE Deposit of Faith
Sacred Tradition is handed down through the Church's doctrine, life, and worship, perpetuating and transmitting to every generation all that she herself is and believes - Dei Verbum Paragraph 8
aDditional resources
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (USCCA)
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FOR FURTHER READING:
Chapter 3: Proclaim the Gospel to Every Creature Chapter 4: Bring about the Obedience of Faith |
Some books for deeper study:
live session Video
We are actively working to improve our audio quality for our live sessions. This may take more time than we anticipated. We apologize for the inconvenience. It is always better to join us in person, if you can!
OUR NEXT SESSION WILL BE:
THE CHURCH THE BODY OF CHRIST
Presented by Father Greg Beaumont
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, | 6:30 - 8:00 PM in McMullan Hall
We warmly invite you to join us in person next week. While attending in-person sessions is preferred, online recordings will be available within three days for those who are unable to attend.
Presented by Father Greg Beaumont
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, | 6:30 - 8:00 PM in McMullan Hall
We warmly invite you to join us in person next week. While attending in-person sessions is preferred, online recordings will be available within three days for those who are unable to attend.
You have completed this session and may submit your questions to be addressed during one of our live sessions here:
inquiry session 4: Sacred SCRIPTURE SACRED TRADITION
You have completed this session and may submit your questions to be addressed during one of our live sessions here:
Thank you for attending in person and/or online! This session has been completed.
We encourage you to spend time with us on Wednesdays from 6:30-8:00 pm in McMullan Hall.
We encourage you to spend time with us on Wednesdays from 6:30-8:00 pm in McMullan Hall.