Our knowledge about God

OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT GOD

Can we know God by our natural reason?

Yes, we can know God by our natural reason. By reflecting on created

things, we come to a certain knowledge of God as the beginning

and end of all things.

The Existence of the World

Order and Harmony in the World

Testimony of our Conscience

Can we know God in any other way than by our natural reason?

Besides knowing God by our natural reason, we can also know him from

supernatural revelation.

The Blessed Trinity

What is supernatural revelation?

Supernatural revelation is the knowledge God discloses in a special way about himself and his plans for

human salvation, beyond what we can know of him by our natural reason. It is found in Sacred Scripture and

Sacred Tradition.

Pre-Christian Revelation

Pre-Christian Revelation

•Began during the time of Adam and Eve.

•Ended before the birth of Jesus. •Prepared mankind for the grand

unfolding of the divine truth which God has to make known

through Jesus Christ.

Christian Revelation

Christian Revelation

•God completed the public revelation through Jesus

Christ. •Christ revealed to us all that we have to know in order to

fulfil our destiny and to achieve eternal union with

God. • Revelation ended with the death of the last apostle, St.

John the Evangelist.

The entire Bible is inspired.

GOD is the principal author of the Holy Bible.

GOD enlightened human authors to write all

those things, and only those things, that he wished to be written.

Historical Books Relates the History of the Jews.

Doctrinal Books Made up of Maxims and prayers.

Prophetical Books

The books of the Old Testament

show man’s need for God’s special

help and his desire for a redeemer.

HISTORICAL 1. Genesis 2. Exodus 3. Leviticus 4. Numbers 5. Deuteronomy 6. Joshua 7. Judges 8. Ruth 9. 1 Samuel 10. 2 Samuel 11. 1 Kings 12. 2 Kings 13. 1 Chronicles 14. 2 Chronicles 15. Ezra 16. Nehemiah 17. Tobit* 18. Judith* 19. Esther 20. 1 Maccabees* 21. 2 Maccabees*

DOCTRINAL 22. Job 23. Psalms 24. Proverbs 25. Ecclesiastes 26. Song of Songs 27. Wisdom* 28. Sirach*

PROPHETICAL 29. Isaiah 30. Jeremiah 31. Lamentations 32. Baruch* 33. Ezekiel 34. Daniel 35. Hosea 36. Joel 37. Amos 38. Obadiah 39. Jonah 40. Micah 41. Nahum 42. Habakkuk 43. Zephaniah 44. Haggai 45. Zechariah 46. Malachi

The Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John.

The Narrative Books. The Acts of the Apostles.

The Epistles. Paul, Peter, James, John, & Jude

Prophetical. The Apocalypse or Revelation

Contains the life of Christ and his teachings, centering on his Passion, death and

Resurrection.

Matthew 1 The book of the

generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David,

the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar;

and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom

begat Aram;

St. Matthew Tax Collector; Apostle

He emphasized the kingship

and humanity of Jesus.

MARK 1 The beginning of the

gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. [2] As it is written in Isaias

the prophet: Behold I send my angel before

thy face, who shall prepare the way

before thee. [3] A voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord,

make straight his paths. [4] John was in the desert baptizing,

and preaching the baptism of penance,

unto remission of sins.

St. Mark

He emphasized Jesus as a

Divine Person and Savior

Luke 1 5 In the days of King Herod of Judaea

there lived a priest called Zechariah who

belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a

wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron.

6 Both were upright in the sight of God and impeccably carried out all the commandments and observances

of the Lord. 7 But they were

childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both advanced in years. 8 Now it happened that it was the turn of his section to serve, and he

was exercising his priestly office before God.

Luke emphasized the

Priesthood of Christ.

JOHN 1

[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God.

[3] All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was

the light of men. [5] And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not

comprehend it.

Gospel Reading

•Divine Revelation was first presented and transmitted by

Tradition. • Not all the truths which God has

revealed and the Apostles have taught are written down in Sacred

Scriptures.

Sacred Traditions

Fathers of the Church Saintly writers of the first

centuries of the Christian era.

Four qualities:

• Lived when the Church was in

her youth.

• Lived a saintly life.

• His writings excel in the

explanation and defence of

Catholic Doctrine.

• His writings must bear the seal

of the Churches approval.

Doctors of the Church They are extolled by the Church not primarily as witnesses of her faith

(as are the Fathers), but on account of their brilliant exposition and

skilful defence of Catholic doctrine. .

Three requisites:

• an eminent doctrine

• remarkable holiness of life

• declaration of the supreme

pontiff

St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, St. Ambrose

The Magisterium of the Church, assisted by the Holy Spirit, has the role of preserving the deposit of revelation, penetrating it more intimately, and

faithfully proclaiming and expounding it.

The teaching office of the Church was entrusted by Christ to the Roman Pontiff and all the bishops

in union with him.

The Magisterium of the Church is her authoritative teaching power.

The Church is the guardian and teacher of our faith.