Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics House rules/notes… 1. Online via Meetup/Zoom or In Person at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20191 https://saintjn.org/ 2. Meetup is www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy Zoom Meeting Logon info is the same every week: Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081 Password: 406952 3. I will send out Meeting Recaps the same night as our sessions – these are unedited versions without pictures. An edited version with pictures will be posted on our website https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website/recaps before the next meeting. Taylor will notify everyone at that time. 4. Questions encouraged. If you have questions about anything, you can ask in the chat box, email the Meetup group, or me at ron@hallagan.net. 5. Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between religions and Christian denominations, and we agree to be respectful at all times. Specifically, Protestants are our friends and brothers in Christ; in fact, I personally owe part of my return to the faith to them! 6. No politics. It would be easy for us to self-destruct, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to learn/understand/apply the Bible and our Catholic faith. 7. Catholic Prayer & Fellowship. Are you interested in praying with other Catholics during the week? Fellow member Jason Goldberg has started “Catholic Prayer, Fellowship, and Spirituality Meetup.” Sign up at: https://www.meetup.com/online-catholic-prayer-fellowship-and-spirituality/. 8. “The Chosen” TV series. All of us seek a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is not always easy. It can help if we have seen and heard Him. The Chosen captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended. 9. RSVP Reminder: Please RSVP whether you are attending the meeting or just reading the Recaps afterwards. The more RSVPs, the more Meetup will give exposure to “Catholic Bible Study” – a good thing! Catholic Catacombs Website: https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website Bible Study Format: Each week of the month has a repeating topic, as noted below. Each meeting: 5 min greet, prayer, 10-15 min Catholic topic, 40-45 min main topic. Week 1: Gospel Week: Week 2: Bible Week (Gen to Rev): We are in EXODUS, the 2nd book of Moses. Week 3: Survey Topics Voted on by Members:
x 1) Jesus’ Greatest Parables x 2) Hell, Purgatory, Heaven 3) Comparative Religions
4) Great Women in the Bible 5) Book of Revelation 6) Major Heresies and Church Councils
Week 4: Member Questions:
1. What are blessings? Is it possible to ask for too many?
2. Jesus says in John 14:28, “The Father is greater than I.” What does this mean? I thought they were one.
3. In Genesis and somewhere else, it says that God changed his mind. In another place, it says God repented that he made humans. I thought God was unchangeable. Can you explain this?
4. Please provide an intro or overview of the OT books.
5. What’s the difference between Charity and Love? What are the highest forms of charity?
6. Can you provide a brief review of the origin/meaning of the (12) statements in the Creed?
7. How many Gospels have the story of Jesus’ calming the storm? They seem different. Are they the same story?
8. Why does God seem full of vengeance or violence in the OT? Is this a misinterpretation?
9. Can we do a Christian Meditation one evening?
10. Is “recognition” a good thing? How does pride play into it? Glory and pride discussion
11. Angels – who are they, what do they do, and do we really have guardian angels?
Catholic Catacombs Website: https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website
Opening Prayer
Dear Father
Father in Heaven, we thank you for your Word.
We thank you for revealing to us the brokenness of our own hearts when we hear the story of the Exodus
and the story of the golden calf.
We can turn to anything instead of turning to You. Help us always be faithful to You,
not just in great things but also in small things.
In all manner of things, we wish to be Yours.
And as you taught us to pray…
Our Father
Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily Bread;
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us all.
Amen.
Major liturgical events in the Church
Feast of The Transfiguration of the Lord (Aug 6)
Solemnity of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Aug 15)
Note: We will be covering both of these in detail on the last Tuesday of August (Aug 29). Note that Sept 8 is part of Labor Day weekend, so no class. HOWEVER, there are 5 Tuesdays in August, so we will have Aug 29 be our “Gospel Week” – the Assumption and Transfiguration.
Week Two is Bible Timeline – We are in Exodus
The Exodus and the Ten Commandments – is this the freedom the Israelites were led to?
Last week we differentiated between happiness and comfort. The world (and Satan) would like to convince us that happiness is all about here and now, immediate/physical gratification, and that all suffering is bad. However, this is a superficial, dumbed-down version of happiness that is more properly called “creature/animal comforts,” and they are more often than not about oneself. Our lower, creature comforts aren’t bad in themselves, but they can become bad if we allow them to become our life’s priority vs goodness and love of others.
Is there a cost to each of these commandments? Sure, it’s called selflessness and love of neighbor. But did anyone think aligning oneself with the truth would be cost-free? God established these commandments as our path to freedom. Both here and eternally.
It may seem that the commandments are negatives – what not to do – but that was to get the Israelites started and, besides, that is only one side of the coin. Every one of these commandments are acts of love: thou shalt not kill is about love of neighbor, as is not lying, not stealing, or not cheating.
This is what Jesus meant when he said,
“You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:32).
Aside from the Judeo-Christian God, people in other societies still valued agreeable behavior because we all have God’s spirit in us. But we were bound to get some things right and miss the mark on many others due to our self-centeredness until God gave us some higher guidelines.
Q: Bonus Question: What is another word for Covenant?
Testament. The Old Testament and New Testament actually mean the Old Covenant and New Covenant.
Where we left off: God gives Moses the Commandments (Ch 20-22)
In addition to the Ten Commandments, God has numerous discussions with Moses about moral behavior, such as dealing with property damage, personal injury, trusts and loans, social and religious laws; but I would like to comment on one in particular that God discusses right out of the gate… slavery.
God puts restrictions on slavery (21:1-11)
We may wonder why God didn’t outlaw slavery completely then and there. However, we must keep in mind that slavery was a way of life in every culture until modern times. Even as late as the early 1800s, if the US Founding Fathers insisted on banning slavery out of the gate – as a number of them wanted to do – the South would have refused to join the union. Britian would have been happy to keep them as a territory, like Canada or Australia. There would have been no United States as we know it. The modern view of slavey only developed in the last 150 years. FYI, the last Muslim country to officially ban slavery was Mauritania in 2007.
But there is a second point – there are different kinds of slavery.
When we think of slavery these days, we tend to think of the worst kind, which involved kidnapping people and enslaving them (or selling them into slavery) and treating slaves as chattel (things) rather than human beings. This most despicable version of slavery is called “chattel slavery” and still exists today – even in the U.S. – under the name of “human trafficking.” The other is called limited or voluntary slavery (i.e., to pay off debts, or escape destitution).
Back to Exodus… we must recall that the Israelites had been slaves themselves for several hundred years, and in some minds they still were slaves. In fact, that’s all the Israelites knew how to be at this point. Anyway, it’s interesting that God addresses slavery right off. He reminds Moses that He just took them out of slavery; however, the Israelites were not allowed to ever treat slaves the way the Egyptians had treated them. God addresses the two worst facets of chattel slavery: kidnapped enslavement and the dignity of the person.
On the first point (kidnapped enslavement), God outlawed kidnapping as part of the 7th Commandment (thou shalt not steal), which left most slavery the result of either unpaid debts (a form of indentured servitude while one paid off his debts), a form of punishment for criminals, or the destitute person who found work in exchange for room and board but no pay. Again, this is a far cry from the enslavement we are used to reading about. And remember, these are primitive times – 1,300 years before Christ.
On the second point (dignity of the person), God instructs Moses that slaves are to be treated respectfully at all times; they were to be given the Sabbath off from work; they would earn their freedom in their 7th year without cost; and they would be allowed to leave with their families. Some decided it was better and safer to stay than to leave. But it was their decision.
Q: What about abuses of slavery in future years? For example, both Jews and Christians participated in the African slave trade (chattel slavery) during colonial times.
Following the same Jewish Biblical tradition, the Catholic Church never supported “chattel slavery” and condemned it often, especially throughout the middle ages up until the latter 18th century, at which time it came out against every form of slavery (Pope Leo XIII).
As most of you know, it was Christianity that introduced the world to the dignity of every human 2000 years ago, without which there would never have been a foundational reason for its abolition. It had been considered a normal part of all societies. It was Christianity that informed the world that all people were equal in the eyes of God.
“There is no longer Jew or Greek (race), male or female (gender), slave or free (economic condition); for all of us are one in Christ Jesus.” - Paul to the Galatians 3:28
Finally, the fact that there were Jews and Christians who engaged in the African slave trade no more denies the Bible’s prohibitions than the existence of Jewish and Christian adulterers denies the Bible’s prohibition of adultery.
For more information, see…
“Did the Catholic Church or any pope formally condone slavery?
Exodus, continued…
Chapter 23 – Ratification of the Covenant
After the Commandments are received, Moses is instructed to go back down the mountain, communicate them and tell the people God’s offer – He will be their God if they will follow His Commandments. All the people reply, “We will do everything the Lord has said” (Ex 23:3).
God also tells Moses to bring Aaron, his two sons Nadab and Abihu, and 70 elders of Israel, to come up the mountain and have a meal with Him. They do so and have a grand feast in the Lord’s “presence.”
Afterwards, God tells Moses to return up the mountain. During this time, God gives him instructions for building of the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant. The instructions for building the Tabernacle (meaning tent) and the Ark are unbelievably extensive in their detail. This time Moses is up the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.
Chapter 24 – The Collection of Materials (gold, silver, bronze, yarns of various colors, fine linen, goat hair, ram’ skins, acacia wood, oil for light, spices for anointing, incense, onyx stones, etc., etc., etc.).
Chapter 25 – The Tent Cloth, Framework, and Veils (length, width, height, weave, loops, golden clasps, curtain, multiple frames with over 100 silver pedestals…).
Chapter 26 – The Altar for Burnt Offerings (size, wood, horns, pots, basins, fire pans, utensils…).
The Court of the Tabernacle (location, size (i.e., 100 cubits long (150-175 feet) x 50 cubits wide (75-85 feet), what should be on the N, S, E, W sides of the tent panels, tent pegs made of bronze…).
Oil for the Lamps (clear oil of crushed olives…).
Chapter 28 – The Priestly Vestments
Chapter 29 – Consecration of the Priests
Chapter 30 – Altar of Incense
Chapter 31 – Choice of Artisans, Sabbath Laws, The Tablets
Q: Can anyone see the roots of the Catholic Church here?
Note the gold and fine materials, the altar, the tabernacle, the oil for lamps (candles), the incense, the priestly vestments, the consecration of the priests! The Catholic Church that Jesus started may only be 2000 years old, but its roots go back to the beginning of the Bible.
Now we enter Chapter 32, the story of the golden calf
Chapter 32 – The Golden Calf
1 Meanwhile, finding that Moses’ return from the mountain was so long delayed, the people remonstrated with Aaron. Come now, they said; fashion us a god to be our leader. We had a man to lead us, this Moses, when we came away from Egypt; but there is no saying what has become of him.
Comments:
- Many had come to see Moses as a god, which was in keeping with their Egyptian traditions. In fact, Moses had even beaten the Egyptian Pharaoh-god!
- Also keep in mind that this was a mixed crowd, not just Israelites. There were many other enslaved who escaped along with the Israelites.
- The people are lost without Moses, desperate to regain some sense of security. They were in the middle of nowhere, they had just been attacked by the Amalekites, and who was going to protect them now with Moses gone? At this point, Moses had been gone for well over a month!
Aaron is in a quandary – he is boxed in and scared. Tradition says he was trying to stop a full-scale rebellion and was trying to buy some time in the hopes that Moses would get his butt down there and take control.
- He tells everyone to bring him their gold jewelry, figuring that might slow them down. But the people respond quickly.
- Aaron melts the gold down and casts a golden calf.
Now the golden calf is good enough for the pagan Israelites; interestingly, it was similar to the Egyptian bull god Apis (god of fertility) with which they were all familiar. It was also thought to be just Moses' replacement, for they had no idea how to replace this Yahweh; but Moses was critical.
And all cried out, Here are thy gods, Israel, the gods that rescued thee from the land of Egypt.
Aaron, finding them so minded, built an altar in front of it, and bade the crier announce that there would be a solemn feast next day in the Lord’s honour.
So Aaron succeeds in getting another delay, but the people are back bright and early.
6 So when they awoke early on the morrow, they offered burnt-sacrifice and welcome-offerings; and with that, the people sat down to eat and drink, and then rose up to take their pleasure.
Back up the mountain…
7 Now the Lord said to Moses: Away, down with thee; the people have fallen into sin… They have been swift to leave the way thou didst mark out for them, by making a molten calf and falling down to worship it; brought victims to it, and cried out, Here are thy gods, Israel, the gods that rescued thee from the land of Egypt. Spare me thy importunacy, let me vent my anger and destroy them; I will make thy posterity into a great nation instead… But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God… So the Lord relented and spared his people the punishment he had threatened.
Here we are reminded of how angry God was with humankind back in early Genesis when He sent the flood to wipe our evil but spared Noah’s family. God seems ready to start over yet again. But just as he did with Abraham re: Sodom & Gomorrah, He lets Moses defend his people. Why? Because this is a quality of good leadership that is learned. Also note no ethnic favoritism on God’s part – He was ready to move on without them if they refused to follow Him.
15 With that, Moses came down from the mountain, carrying in his hand the two tablets of the law, with writing on either side.
And now, as the noise of shouting reached him, Joshua said to Moses, “I hear the cry of battle in the camp.”
“No,” said Moses, “this is no sound of battle or victory; it is the sound of revelry that I hear.”
Then they drew nearer the camp, and he saw the calf standing there, and the dancing. And so angry was he that he threw down the tablets and broke them against the spurs of the mountain.
Then Moses took the calf they had made and threw it on the fire and beat it into dust; this dust he sprinkled over water, which he made the Israelites drink.
And he asked Aaron, What harm has this people done thee, that thou hast involved them in such guilt?
Do not be angry with me, my lord, said he; thou knows how the whole bent of this people is towards wrong-doing, and it was they who said to me, Fashion us gods to be our leaders. We had a man to lead us, this Moses, when we came away from Egypt, but there is no saying now what has become of him. So I asked them, Which of you has any gold in his possession? And they brought what they had and gave it to me. I cast it into the fire, and this calf was the issue of it.
No question, Aaron is no Moses! However, before we judge him too harshly, we should ask if any of us would have done any better. In any event, most of his story was true, but it is the story of a someone who panicked.
Now comes for some tough justice, so close your ears if you are concerned…
Moses stood there at the gate of the camp, and said, “Rally to my side, all that will take the Lord’s part.” Then the whole tribe of Levi gathered around Moses and Aaron, and he said, “A message to you from the Lord God of Israel. Gird on your swords, and pass through the camp, from gate to gate, killing your own brothers, your own friends, your own neighbors who partook in this.”
So the sons of Levi did as Moses bade them, and that day some twenty-three thousand men fell slain. (3k)
Moses then informed the Levites that from that day forward, the tribe of Levites would be dedicated to the Lord’s service (Temple priests).
Q: Who served as the religious leaders prior to this?
The first-born male of every family.
Next day…
30 When the morrow came, Moses told the people, You have sinned heinously; I will go up into the Lord’s presence and see if I can make amends for your guilt.
So Moses returned up the mountain to God and pleaded their case again. God tells Moses that they can go forward and into the land He promised them, and that His angel will go before them. But He adds a warning their sins shall not be forgotten.
Q: Are our sins ever forgotten?
No. We can learn from our sins and God can remove guilt (especially eternally), but the things we did do not just disappear into thin air. Yet, the silver lining is that they become the building blocks of who we become, of who we are. It is because of these trials and mistakes that we become wise. They are part of us, but in a good way.
The more we admit our mistakes to God and learn from them, the wiser we become. The contrary is also true. The less we face our mistakes, the less we are forgiven, and the less wise we are.
Q: What arguments did Moses use to persuade the Lord?
Moses made three arguments to persuade the Lord to continue with the Sinai covenant even though the people had broken it:
(1) The Israelites were God’s own people, redeemed by God’s great power;
(2) God’s reputation will suffer if He destroys His own people just after he saved them from Egypt;
(3) The covenant with Abraham is still valid and wonderful.
The Lord’s “change of mind” is a testimony to Israel’s belief in the power of intercessory prayer (which Catholics continue).
Closing Prayer
Thank you, Father, for loving us into existence
And for giving us another chance when we fell.
Thank you for coming here personally to walk in our shoes
And show us how to live and to love.
Thank you for opening the gates of Heaven to us
And for paying our way.
Thank you for leaving yourself behind in the Eucharist and your Word
And for sending us the Holy Spirit to help us the rest of the way.
And thank you for your mother!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
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