How was the Bible formed? (The Events – Part One)

“Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul”

(Fr. Joseph Kentenich – Founder of the Schoenstatt Movement)

Holy Spirit, you are the soul of my soul. I humbly adore you. Enlighten me, strengthen me, guide me, comfort me.  And as far as it corresponds to the eternal plan, Father, God, reveal your desires to me.  Let me know what eternal Love desires in me.  Please let me know what I need to do.  Let me know what I must suffer.  Let me know what I must accept, carry, and bear with quiet modesty and prayer. Yes, Holy Spirit, make known to me your will and the will of the Father.  For all my life, I do not want to be anything other than a perpetual, continual Yes to the desires and will of the eternal Father God. Amen!

Introduction:

The process of the formation of the Bible is the culmination of the time period of over two millennia. It reflects many historical facts, oral tradition, written tradition (for good of the biblical communities), editions of the texts and canonicity or formation of the canon. The Bible is the culmination of the complex interaction of historical events, divinely inspired revelation, and inspired people who preserved and interpreted the Bible for the benefit of subsequent generations of readers and listeners. Learning how the Bible was made helps us to realize how significant it is for Christians because in each piece of this monumental book, there is the story of God’s relationship with people. For Christians, the Bible is the sacred book that reveals to us God’s unchanging relationship with his people throughout time. The Old and New Testaments provide knowledge of the Lord’s teachings, in turn, drawing people to think and find answers. We can better understand the process of its formation and how the words of the Bible are inspired.

HOW WAS THE BIBLE FORMED? THE EVENTS…

In the adult catechesis class, I sometimes tell my students that if we want to learn a new language, we must first make a vocabulary. In this way, little by little, we go deeper and deeper into the whole process of learning the new language.

It is the same when we want to learn a profession. We need to establish a vocabulary of the profession that we want to learn. The same is usually done in the life of Christians, if we want to delve deeper into the Catholic faith we also need to develop a vocabulary that will serve as a foundation for maturing in our faith.

The expression “Holy Scriptures” in Koine Greek is said Αγία Γραφή (singular: άγια γραφή) (transliteration or its pronunciation: Agía Graphi) αγία (agia), that means “holy” or “sacred” (the masculine of “agia” is “agios” that means “holy” or “sacred”) and γραφή (grafi) is “written.” In this way, we have the word “hagiographer” which means “sacred writer.” The Holy Scriptures is a collection of books, these books are divided into two parts: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

The word “bible” comes from the Koine Greek βιβλία that means books (τὰ βιβλία means “the books”) in consequence is a “collection of books”; in other words, a “library.” Βίβλος (biblos) and βιβλίον (biblion), are singular and plural respectably. It must be borne in mind that in Greek, “biblios” is plural and its singular is “biblion,” which means “book.” [1]

These Greek terms βίβλος (Biblos) also have, so to speak, refers to a geographical area which is Biblios which was a Phoenician city (the Phoenicians were expert navigators and traders) near where Beirut is today, in Lebanon and more precisely the city of Jubayl, in Lebanon. But all this until now is only a partial answer to what the Bible is. To understand what the Bible is, we need an informative background, which enables us to comprehend this matter.

The Bible for Catholics (and for the whole Christian) is a sacred text that contains the Old and New Testaments. It is the word of God that tells the story of His relationship with His people. The Bible is a record of the significant events in the history of God’s interaction with man. It begins with the book of Genesis, which narrates the creation of the world and man. The subsequent books of the Old Testament describe the history of God’s chosen people, the Israelites, and His covenant with them. The New Testament tells the story of the coming of Jesus Christ, His life, death, and resurrection, and the salvation He offers to all who believe in Him.

Christians have been taught that God is the author of the Bible and that we should not ask questions about how God made it. Did God dictate the Bible to individuals in character? How did the Bible come into existence? There are many more questions that we can ask ourselves. It is not my intention to answer them all (for I would not be able to cope with a thousand articles, dissertations or books like this). But I do want to leave clear and solid foundations so that each reader has the opportunity to create a study (clear and simple) on what the Bible is.

How was the Bible formed?

The formation of the Bible took five steps that took a little over two thousand years to complete. The formation of the Bible is a process that took centuries and that moved from historical events to oral tradition to written tradition to edition and canonicity.[2] Historical events were combined with a process of handing down stories by word of mouth, to the point of writing them down, then editing and writing. It is strongly advisable that we stop and talk about each one of these steps.

As in any historical process, a sequence of events must take place. God, too, was revealed not by dictation but by a series of events. Events which took place within a community. The events by which the passage of the Holy Scriptures were marked took place over a period of 2,000 years from 1850 B.C. (approximately) to the first century after Christ. All events in the Holy Scriptures in one way or another are directed toward God’s Plan of Salvation.

The first great biblical event is creation, and creation includes the creation of Adam and Eve. The Catechism of the Catholic Church in a number of ways seems to declare that Adam and Eve were our first parents and not just symbols of our first parents. The Church teaches us that Eve was in some sense created from Adam (CCC # 371).

The Catechism contrasts the first Adam with Christ (CCC # 359). It names Adam and Eve our “first parents” and teaches that they were created in an original state of justice and holiness (CCC # 375) and lost it when they sinned (CCC # 399-400). It names Adam as the source of sin and contrasts him with Christ as the source of grace (CCC # 388).

The Catechism affirms St. Paul’s teaching in Romans 5:18 that all men are affected by the sin of one man (CCC # 402). It teaches that all men are descendants of Adam and that all men are implicated in his sin (CCC # 404). It also teaches that Adam and Eve passed on to their descendants human nature wounded by their first sin (CCC # 417).

In these passages, or in the many other places in the Catechism where it refers to Adam and Eve, there is no hint that the Church teaches that the biblical Adam and Eve were a number of our first parents.

Let see now an structural pattern of the creation.

Day 1st Light

Day 2nd Sky, separation of the upper and the lower waters

Day 3rd Earth and vegetation

Day 4th Heavenly lights

Day 5th Birds and fish

Day 6th Land animals and humanity

Verbal explanation:

Catholic interpretation of Genesis emphasizes themes of God’s sovereignty, the goodness of creation, human dignity, sin, and God’s covenant with his chosen people, providing a foundation for understanding key doctrines such as creation, the Fall, Original Sin, and salvation history.

Creation:

Genesis presents God as the creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them. This affirms God’s absolute sovereignty and the goodness of creation. The Catholic Church teaches that God created the world out of nothing by the power of his word and out of love and reason, not necessity. The creation accounts also underscore the transcendence and immanence of God, who is greater than the creation yet present within it, upholding all things in being.

Humanity:

The creation of humans in the image and likeness of God, male and female, highlights human dignity and special status among creation. Humans are given dominion over creation, but their calling to reflect God’s image includes an inward aspect—the spiritual soul. The Church teaches that humans are made from the earth, highlighting their material aspect, while the soul is directly created by God, affirming the spiritual dimension of human nature.

Original Sin:

Adam and Eve’s disobedience, by eating the forbidden fruit, introduces sin and its consequences (suffering, death) into the world. The Church interprets this event as a voluntary choice with universal effects, marking the entry of sin into human history. The discussion of original sin also includes the contrast between Eve’s role in the fall and Mary’s role in salvation, with Eve being called “mother of all the living” and Mary as “mother of the living”.

Early Patriarchs:

The stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph foreshadow God’s covenant with his chosen people and the coming of Christ. They show God’s providential care, the faith of the patriarchs, and God’s faithfulness to his promises despite human failings. God establishes a covenant with Abraham, promising him descendants and a promised land. These covenants are seen as part of God’s unfolding plan of salvation, which reaches its fulfillment in Christ.

The Importance of the Days:

The early Church fathers often held a literal view of the seven days of creation. However, modern Catholic theology understands these as symbolic representations of the order and purpose of creation. “God himself created the visible world in all its richness, diversity and order. Scripture presents the work of the Creator symbolically as a succession of six days of divine "work", concluded by the "rest" of the seventh day. On the subject of creation, the sacred text teaches the truths revealed by God for our salvation,205 permitting us to "recognize the inner nature, the value and the ordering of the whole of creation to the praise of God” (CCC # 377). The six days of creation are not to be understood as denying the complexity and development of the history of the world. The Catechism also clarifies that the “days” of creation are symbolic, highlighting the work of God in creating and bringing all things to fulfillment, culminating in the Sabbath rest.

The timeline of the book of Genesis covers the creation of the universe, the creation of man, the fall of man, the flood, and the covenant with Abraham. The Genesis timeline is traditionally dated before 4000 BC to 2000 BC. However, there are different interpretations and theories regarding the exact dating of events in the Genesis timeline.

Here’s a detailed outline for the book of Genesis:

I. Creation and the Fall (Genesis 1-3):

Genesis 1-3 is the biblical account of creation and the fall of humanity. It tells how God created the heavens and the earth in six days, culminating in the creation of humans in his image. It then describes how sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, resulting in their expulsion from the garden and the introduction of suffering and death into the world.

Creation (Genesis 1-2):

Day 1: God creates light and separates it from darkness, calling them “Day” and “Night”.

Day 2: God creates the sky (firmament) to separate the waters above from the waters below.

Day 3: God gathers the waters, forming seas and dry land. He then creates vegetation, including seed-bearing plants and fruit trees.

Day 4: God creates the sun, moon, and stars to govern the day and night.

Day 5: God creates sea creatures and birds.

Day 6: God creates land animals and finally, humans, Adam and Eve, in his image. He gives them dominion over all creation. Adam and Eve are placed in the Garden of Eden and given a specific commandment.

Day 7: God creates light, the sky, land, seas, vegetation, the sun, moon, stars, and various creatures over six days. God rests, sanctifying the seventh day.

The Fall (Genesis 3):

Temptation: A serpent (often interpreted as Satan) tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, telling her it will make her like God.

Disobedience: Eve eats the fruit and then gives some to Adam, who also eats it. Adam and Eve disobey God by eating from the forbidden tree, resulting in sin and its consequences (death, suffering) entering the world.

Consequences: Adam and Eve become aware of their nakedness and hide from God. God confronts them, and they blame each other and the serpent. God pronounces curses upon the serpent, the woman, and the man.

Expulsion: God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden to prevent them from eating from the tree of life and living forever in their fallen state.

Consequences of the Fall: The consequences of the fall include suffering, death, a strained relationship with God and each other, and the introduction of sin into the world.

II. Humanity’s Downward Spiral and the Flood (Genesis 3-11):

Genesis 3-11 documents the downward spiral of human sin after the Fall of Adam and Eve. The spiral consists of increased violence, corruption, and alienation from God and reaches its peak with the Great Flood. Although God’s grace is manifested in the preservation of Noah during the flood, humanity still repeatedly sin after the flood. Humanity’s sinful pride and rebellion are manifested in the construction of the Tower of Babel.

Here is a summary:

Fall and its Consequences

The Fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 introduces sin and its consequences: expulsion from the Garden of Eden, broken relationships, and the introduction of suffering and death.

Cain and Abel

The downward spiral begins with the murder of Abel by his brother Cain, exemplifying the increased impact of sin on human relationships.

The Days of Noah

Genesis 6-9 describes the rampant wickedness of humanity that results in God sending a devastating flood to cleanse the earth. The story emphasizes God’s sorrow and grief over humanity’s sin, not pleasure in the destruction.

The Tower of Babel

After the flood, humanity, united in pride and ambition, attempts to build a tower to reach heaven, defying God’s will. God responds by scattering them and confusing their languages, illustrating the continued consequences of sin.

Signs of Grace

Amidst the darkness, God’s grace is also seen. He chooses Noah and his family for salvation during the flood, and later establishes a covenant with him, promising never to destroy the earth with a flood again.

Humanity’s Continued Struggle

Despite God’s grace, humanity continues to struggle with sin, as evidenced by the Tower of Babel and other events in Genesis 3-11.

The Big Picture

These chapters are not just a collection of isolated stories, but rather a unified narrative that highlights the pervasiveness of sin and the need for God’s intervention and redemption. This doesn’t erase the consequences of the human’s. decision so God informs them that now every aspect of their life together.

Why did God Flood the World ?

The story of the flood is found in Genesis 6-9, but it really begins a bit earlier. We can’t forget that this story is part humanity.

Covenants: The Backbone of the Bible

Genesis 9-11 traces the downward spiral of mankind, peaking in the story of the tower of Babel. There, humans tried to overthrow God.

Cain and Abel: The first murder occurs between the brothers Cain and Abel, further illustrating the extent of sin.

The generations of Adam: The genealogy from Adam to Noah is presented.

The Great Flood: God judges the wickedness of humanity with a global flood, sparing only Noah and his family.

III. The Call of Abraham and the Covenant (Genesis 12-50):

Genesis 12:1-3: The Call of Abraham . He will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. The families of the earth will be blessed through you.

Genesis 17:9-14: The Sign of the Covenant (Circumcision) . As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful; I will make nations come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be their God and the God of their descendants after them. I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land where you are now a foreigner, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding, and I will be their God.

Genesis 22:15-18: God’s Promise to Abraham Renewed . So the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son from me, that very certainly I will bless you and multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens and like the sand that is on the seashore; and your offspring shall take possession of the gate of their enemies; and in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

God is faithful to his promises to bless the whole world through Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 12:2-3; 15:5; 17:4-7; 22:18). Abraham, however, struggles with being faithful to God himself (Genesis 12:10-20; 20:1-18; 26:1-11; 31:1-20; 32:1-21). Yet God is faithful even to those who are faithless, so that by His very faithfulness, He may be shown to be faithful (2 Timothy 2:12; cf. Genesis 17:2).

This pattern, which is repeated again and again through the Abraham story, in Genesis 12–50 is the familiar covenant with Abraham. It begins in Genesis 12 and is repeated with expanded detail and additional rituals (such as the sign of circumcision in Genesis 17) and ratified at different points through the Abraham story in Genesis.

Elements of the Abrahamic Covenant and Narrative:

1. The Call of Abraham (Genesis 12): God calls Abram (later Abraham) to leave his homeland and family, promising to make him a great nation, bless him, and make his name great.

2. The Promise of Descendants and Land: God promises Abraham numerous descendants and a specific land, Canaan, as his inheritance.

3. Circumcision as a Sign (Genesis 17): God establishes circumcision as a visible sign (sacrament without grace yet) of the covenant, marking Abraham and his male descendants as belonging to God.

4. God’s Faithfulness Despite Human Failure: The Abraham narrative also emphasizes the struggles of Abraham and his descendants to remain faithful to the covenant, highlighting human fallibility.

5. The Blessing for All Nations: The covenant with Abraham ultimately extends God’s blessing to all families of the earth through his descendants.

Significance of the Covenant:

1. Foundation for Israel’s Identity: The Abrahamic covenant is foundational to the identity of the nation of Israel, establishing their special relationship with God and their role as His chosen people.

2. Foreshadowing of Christ: The covenant with Abraham anticipates the coming of Jesus Christ, who fulfills the promise of blessing for all nations through his sacrificial death and resurrection.

3. A Model of Faith: The story of Abraham, despite his flaws, serves as an example of faith and obedience, encouraging believers to trust in God’s promises and to live in accordance with His will.

God calls Abraham (initially named Abram) to leave his homeland and promises to make him the father of a great nation. The narratives of Abraham’s son Isaac, grandson Jacob, and great-grandson Joseph are told, focusing on the development of God’s covenant people. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, rises to power in Egypt and plays a key role in preserving his family during a famine. The book of Genesis provides the foundation for understanding the rest of the Bible, as it lays out the central themes of creation, humanity’s relationship with God, sin, redemption, and God’s covenant with his chosen people.

It was God’s calling or vocation to Abraham[3] to depart from his country to the Promised Land, which God would show him. After Abraham, God disclosed Himself in a series of events in the four generations to come. They are known as the generations of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph). The narratives of the History of Salvation in the patriarchs are contained in the book of Genesis.

If we go from the book of Genesis to Exodus we skip around 400 years of events by the time of Moses (1250 B.C.). We know nothing of the events between the patriarchs and can only say that the promises given to Abraham (great descent and the Covenant with God) became the identity of the chosen people and this was transmitted from generation to generation because the call to Moses was from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was a direct call for Moses to lead the people out of slavery in Egypt to the land that was promised to Abraham.

After Moses, we have the historical era we call the time of the judges. Judges were charismatic leaders, chosen by God, to lead the people, and to lead them to defeat their political enemies. It is during this era that about 200 years elapsed during which the people of Israel lived as tribes, and had no central political organization. It was not until the threat of the Philistines began, that a proper central government was formed. The Philistines had stolen the Ark of the Covenant,[4] that people had been carrying in the wilderness with Moses since time immemorial.

The kingdom of Israel was led by its first king Saul, and its best soldier David. David was very young when he defeated Goliath. Saul was jealous of David for his great victories (cf. 1 Samuel 18:7). David became the second king after Saul. His reign was praiseworthy, for he gathered the twelve tribes of Israel, he defeated the Philistines (and recovered the Ark) and set the capital in Jerusalem.

David was a noteworthy person to the people. David was understood as the embodiment of God’s promise to preserve the people. Through him, the conception developed that the King of kings (God) would send another מָשִׁיחַ (mashiach) “anointed one” or messiah in times of trouble, as with David. Solomon (son of David) was the third king, who built the temple (and many other structures).

After King Solomon's death, around 930 BC, the united kingdom of Israel split into two separate kingdoms: the northern kingdom, also called Israel, and the southern kingdom, called Judah. The northern kingdom consisted of ten of the twelve tribes of Israel, while the southern kingdom was composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

Israel (the northern kingdom, also the Kingdom of Samaria) was conquered and ended by the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 722 or 720 BC. In this way the northern kingdom as an independent entity came to an end. For many years (until about 720 BC) both countries were further in the same way with their kings and prophets. It was more clearly distinguished in the south (Judah) that the king was chosen by God. Jerusalem continued to be the capital.

The influence of the prophets was greater in the north (Israel). The two kingdoms existed side by side until the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom. The ten northern tribes became known as the Lost Tribes of Israel. They intermarried with their conquerors and in this way removed themselves from the context of the Old Testament. But now thanks to the DNA it has been possible to determine areas (China, the Middle East like Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan amount others) populations with a possible connection with ancient Israel.[5] Although we will see events in the New Testament, such as the encounter with the Samaritans, the Samaritans were considered unclean by the Jews (Judah) because they were descendants of the Assyrians and the northern tribes.

The Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and exile of much of the city's population in 587 BC (or 586 BC depending on the source) is an essential event in Jewish history. The King of Judah, Zedekiah, had rebelled against the Babylonians, who had at the time controlled Judah. Nebuchadnezzar II laid siege to Jerusalem. The city was eventually destroyed; the walls were torn down, the Temple of Solomon, the First Temple, was burned to the ground, and its treasures were looted. Zedekiah was captured and made to watch his sons being killed. He was then blinded and taken to Babylon as a captive.

Large numbers of the upper-class of Judah, its leadership and many of its artisans and laborers were exiled to Babylon, along with the royal court and priests. While the beginning of the Babylonian Exile is sometimes dated at the first siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and the following exiles are dated at 587/586 BC. This event would greatly affect the Jewish people who were taken as exiles and had to live in a foreign land and continue their traditions and identity. The Exile also led to more attention to scripture and ritual practices, in the place of the Temple. It would end when Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC. Cyrus allowed the exiled Judeans to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, which became known as the Second Temple. This would signal the next chapter for the returning Jews, the Second Temple period, starting in 516 BC.

Some later returned to Judah: after the Persian king Cyrus defeated Babylon in 539 BC. Not all of them returned to Judah; some stayed in Egypt, which began the diaspora (expanding to all existing nations). With the return from the Babylonian exile, construction of the Second Temple started to (see and read the Book of Ezra).

Alexander the Great became king in 336 B.C. He conquered Persia and all of India. The spread of Greek culture and rule is called Hellenization. His empire ranged from Greece to Persia to India. As his armies moved across Asia, they spread Greek ideas. The land and culture he conquered became Greek in influence.

Except for a brief period (167 B.C.) during the Maccabean revolt, the Jews would never again be free in the Promised Land. “The Greeks dominated the field of the game” or area until 63 B.C. After this time, the Romans dominated that area of the Middle East. Jesus was born during a time that was known as the “Pax Romana” (Latin for “Roman Peace”).

From the dawn of revelation (Abraham), God set in motion a Covenant of Love towards his people. This is a Covenant of redemption, a covenant of deliverance. Many of the events that were crafted in the Old Testament were really a living out of what we call prefigurations of the consummation of that Covenant of Love (which we will talk about in detail later).

The events reported in the New Testament took place in the first century of the Christian era. Jesus was born and led a private life for all but the last years (perhaps three years) of his life. The life of these final years is what we call the public ministry or public life of Jesus.

Jesus’ public ministry refers to the period of time when he openly preached, taught, performed miracles and healed the sick, and publicly proclaimed the Kingdom of God. It lasted for about three and a half years and took place mainly in Galilee, but Jesus also traveled to other regions, such as Judea and Perea. Jesus’ public ministry included teaching and preaching in synagogues and open-air gatherings, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, healing the sick and casting out demons, and calling and teaching his disciples.

Jesus taught in synagogues, on hillsides and by the seashore, using parables and direct instruction to teach about God’s will and the Kingdom. Jesus preached the “gospel of the kingdom” (Mark 1:14-15). He called people to repent and believe in the good news of the gospel, and he announced the coming of a new era of righteousness and peace, which would be brought by the Son of Man (a title Jesus used for himself). Jesus healed the sick, restored sight and hearing, cast out demons, and even raised the dead to life. He performed miracles to demonstrate his power and authority and to foreshadow the future restoration of all things. Jesus called and trained a group of twelve apostles who would continue his work after his ascension, as well as commissioning seventy others to preach the gospel.

The public ministry of Jesus is the central focus of the Gospels of the New Testament. Jesus went about Galilee on foot, traveling from town to town, teaching people, healing the sick, and proclaiming the nearness of the Kingdom of God. Jesus called people to repent and believe in the good news of the gospel, and he healed people and cast out demons by his divine authority. Jesus also performed many miracles, such as feeding the hungry with just a few loaves and fishes and walking on water. In this post, we will provide an overview of the public ministry of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We will summarize his major teachings, miracles, and the events leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection.

As the gospels inform us in the account of his passion, he died on the cross, was buried, and, as we say in the Creed, rose again on the third day. He appeared to disciples (Emmaus) and apostles. The apostles and disciples, by the power of the Holy Spirit, carried out a mighty ministry in word and deed (read the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul).

After Jesus Ascension began the Apostolic Evangelization.

The apostles began evangelizing after Jesus’ ascension. They received the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and started proclaiming the Gospel in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, as Jesus had told them to. This is when the mission of the Church to make disciples of all nations began. Jesus had told his apostles to “go and make disciples of all nations” before he ascended into heaven. This is called the Great Commission.

Ten days after the ascension, the Holy Spirit came down and gave the apostles the power to preach and speak in different tongues. The apostles then preached in Jerusalem, and the Church began to grow quickly, with thousands of people being baptized. The apostles then went to different areas, bringing the message of the Gospel to Judea and Samaria and beyond. Each apostle was given a role in the early Church, but there is no single agreed upon role or territory for each apostle. The overall mission of the apostles was to spread the Gospel and make disciples.

The apostles’ ministry was validated by the performance of miracles such as speaking in tongues and healing the sick. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles were still assured of his presence with them through the power of the Holy Spirit and in the Sacraments, especially in the Eucharist.

Conclusion:

The Bible was not formed overnight. The five steps of Bible formation that I have learned include historical events, oral tradition, written tradition, edition and canonicity. It is the result of an organic process of God continuing to pursue His people by revealing more of Himself. It is interesting that the whole process is unique, but took place over two thousand years, in each of which something equally important was created. At the heart of the Bible’s formation are a series of key events that ultimately inform our understanding of what salvation is and where we fit into the big picture of God’s work. Each step of the way, from the actual events to the oral tradition to the written text and finally to what we have today, we see God at work in history to redeem His creation.

The peculiarity of the four studied steps allows us to consider the Bible as a text that is read and explained, influencing the life of each person for better or for worse. The historical events that are described in it, whether this is the creation or the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, take place in their way in a person and try to either destroy him or open to him the true meaning of life. In this context, knowing how the Bible was made is of vital importance because it gives us a different understanding of the individual parts of the text.

It is crucial to study the Bible because it helps each person to find the true meaning of life and salvation from God. This understanding of the formation of the Bible opens up a fascinating world of history, culture, and literature, and through it, a greater appreciation of the power of the Scriptures. As we learn more about the process by which the Bible was formed, we will be able to understand and apply the amazing treasure of these writings to our lives.

[1] In Greek, βίβλος (biblos) and βιβλίον (biblion) were both words for books and writing materials, although with slightly different connotations. Biblos originally and primarily meant the inner bark of the papyrus plant, used for making the material to write on; it later came to mean a book or scroll. Biblion, the diminutive of biblos, more often meant a "little book" or a scroll. The "Bible" is ultimately named for these words: "ta biblia" means “the books.”

[2] Margaret Nutting Ralph Ph.D.; Catholic Basics a Pastoral Ministry Series: Scripture Nourished by the Word (pp. 1-2).

[3] The timeframe of Abraham’s life has been generally assigned to the Middle Bronze Age. This places Abraham contemporaneous with the Mesopotamian Ur III and Isin-Larsa periods, along with the Southern Levant’s Middle Bronze Age I (MB I) and Middle Bronze Age II (MB II) periods. In calendrical years, this translates to the period c. 2100–1750 BC.

[4] See and read 1 Samuel chapters 4-6

[5] When I was deployed in Iraq with the US Army in 2004. I saw two occurrences that I never thought of living. The first was hearing people in mountain villages call themselves “Beni Israel” (Children of Israel) and second, a military chaplain took me to a community of Disciples of John the Baptist that still existing to this day. These communities of Disciples of John the Baptist are unfortunately suffering from high taxes and even death at the hands of extremist Islamic groups because of their religion.