Catholics for Israel's Online Course
Part I: God's Story, Our Story
Salvation history from creation to the
coming of the Messiah
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A00
- Man and His World: Why search for truth?
Introductory lesson raising questions
on the meaning of life, the
importance of seeking truth, popular worldviews, the human person as
body and spirit, the spiritual world, the problems of evil and death,
man’s longing for “more” – all leading up to the question: is there a
God "out there" who really cares for us? [no handout]
A01
- The Gospel Message: A summary of God's plan of salvation
A basic summary of God’s plan of
salvation for mankind: God has created
us out of love. But our sin separates us from Him, and we are not
capable of repairing this break on our own. Jesus the Messiah has come
to reconcile us with God and give us eternal life. He has given us the
Catholic Church through which he shares with us the way, the truth and
the life. God calls us to repent, to choose to follow Jesus and to join
ourselves to his Body, the Church. [handout]
A02
- God's Story, Our Story: The story of salvation and your part in it
A more detailed overview of salvation
history and a summary of the
entire course. God created the world and made a covenant with man, the
crown of creation. But tempted by the devil, man sinned and lost God’s
life. God gradually restored man to himself through his covenants with
Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus, who redeemed the human race in
his Paschal Mystery. Jesus appointed his apostles to continue his work
through the Church, until he returns at the end of history. [handout]
A03
- God: Does He exist? What can we know about Him?
This is the first regular lesson of
the course, following the three
introductory lessons. It describes a) how we can know with certainty,
through human reason, that God exists, by looking at the physical world
and at the human person; b) some attributes of God that we can know
through human reason: He is self-existent, infinite, one, eternal,
spirit, immanent, transcendent, intelligent and good, all-knowing and
all-powerful. [handout]
A04
- Revelation: How does God speak to us?
We can know God through human reason,
but only in a very limited way.
Yet if God exists and is personal, He may well want to speak to us. But
how? Through nature, private revelation, prayer, organized religion?
Genuine divine revelation should agree with what we have learnt about
God through reason (lesson 3). God has revealed himself progressively,
in words and deeds, to the people of Israel, leading up to the fullness
of his revelation in Jesus the Messiah. Divine revelation is God’s “map
of life” for us. [handout]
A05
- God The Father: Calling us to be His children
Now that we know that God speaks to
us through His revelation, what
does He tell us about Himself? God reveals Himself as Creator of the
world and loving Father, who calls Himself “I AM.” He is holy,
merciful, loving and true, and He provides for our every need. Includes
an optional biblical narrative on God’s providence and the mystery of
evil. [handout]
A06
- Prayer: How shall we speak to Our Father?
Prayer is our response to God’s
revelation. God has spoken to us; He
also wishes that we speak to Him from our hearts. Every person is
called to a loving relationship with God through prayer. Presents a
historical overview of prayer in salvation history and Jesus’ teachings
on prayer. Describes forms of prayer, sources of prayer, expressions of
prayer, and obstacles to effective prayer. [handout]
A07
- Creation: God builds a home for His children (Gen 1)
This lesson begins the study of
salvation history. God created the
world “out of nothing” in wisdom and love, to show forth His glory and
share His truth, goodness and beauty with His creation. He created an
invisible (angelic) world and a visible (earthly) world. Man is the
crown of creation. The Sabbath is the sign of the covenant between God
and man; the world is a macro-temple; Eden is a sanctuary, and Adam is
high priest of humanity. [handout]
A08
- Man: Made in the image and likeness of God (Gen 2)
God created man in His own image and
likeness, as the crown of
creation. God created man as body and soul, male and female, and He
calls them to love. Man and woman are to become “one flesh” and be
fruitful and multiply. By nature, man is God’s creature and servant; by
grace, man is God’s beloved son, called to partake in God’s own life of
love. Adam and Eve were created in a state of original holiness and
justice, in perfect harmony with creation and free from suffering and
death. [handout]
A09
- The Fall and Original Sin: Man loses paradise. How will he find it
again? (Gen 3)
Tempted by the devil and wanting to
be “like God, knowing good and
evil,” Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned. As a consequence, their
relationship with God was broken. They lost the grace of original
holiness and justice and became afraid of God. The harmony between them
and all of creation was destroyed. Suffering and death entered the
world, and they were cast out of paradise. Adam and Eve wounded human
nature and transmitted it to all of humanity in a fallen state,
deprived of God’s eternal life - weak, subject to ignorance and
inclined to sin. [handout]
A10
- Noah: God renews his covenant with mankind (Gen 4-11)
God did not abandon man after the
fall but promised him a future
redemption (Gen 3:15). God began to restore man to Himself through a
series of covenants. The first of these is the covenant with Noah,
through which God promised to never again wipe out the human race with
a flood. The flood was a “new creation” that prefigured baptism. [handout]
[supplement]
A11
- Abraham: Father of the faith (Gen 12-22)
The next covenant was with Abraham,
whom God called to leave his
country to come to the land of Canaan. God promised to make of Abraham
a great nation, to make his name great, and to bless through him all
families of the earth. These three promises were later fulfilled
through the Mosaic, Davidic and New covenants. Abraham’s obedience and
willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac reversed Adam’s disobedience and
prefigured Jesus’ sacrifice of the New Covenant. [handout]
A12
- The Patriarchs: The birth of Israel (Gen 23-50)
The stories of the patriarchs Isaac,
Jacob, and Joseph. Jacob’s sons
formed the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. The story of Joseph
and his brothers is a type of the relationship between Jesus and the
Jewish people. [handout]
A13
- Let My People Go! The Exodus and the Mosaic Covenant (Exo)
Through Moses, God fulfilled his
first promise to Abraham: to make his
descendents a great nation. The children of Israel became enslaved in
Egypt. God raised Moses to deliver them, inflicting ten plagues upon
the Egyptians, which culminated with the Passover. God led the
Israelites across the Red Sea and gave them the Torah at Mt. Sinai,
where He adopted them as His own people. By worshipping the golden calf
the Israelites broke the covenant, but God renewed it through Moses’
mediation. The Tabernacle was the meeting place between God and His
people. [handout]
A14
- Israel In The Desert: From Sinai to the Promised Land (Lev-Num-Deut)
The book of Leviticus describes the
laws concerning sacrifices, the
consecration of priests, moral laws, purity and holiness, etc… In the
book of Numbers, the Israelites set out towards Canaan. But because of
their unbelief they were condemned to wander in the desert for 40
years. The book of Deuteronomy is the “second law,” Israel’s covenant
rule which includes legal concessions, ritual stipulations, blessings
and curses. God promised to raise up another prophet like Moses, and
around the year 1400 B.C. He finally led His people to the border of
the Promised Land. [handout]
A15
- From Conquest To Kingdom: the Israelites in the land of Canaan
(Josh-Judg-1 Sam)
The Israelites conquered much of the
land of Canaan – but not all of it
– and divided it among the twelve tribes. In the period of the Judges
the Israelites entered a cycle of sin, oppression, repentance,
salvation, and return to sin. Samuel was the last judge: he anointed
Saul who became the first king of Israel. But God rejected him because
of his disobedience, and he was killed in battle. [handout]
A16
- The Davidic Kingdom: Jerusalem, a house of prayer for all nations (2
Sam, 1 Kgs)
Under David, God fulfilled his second
promise to Abraham: to make his
name great. David became the next king of Israel. He conquered
Jerusalem and brought the Ark of the Covenant into the city. David
transformed the national family of Israel into an imperial family and
dynastic kingdom over other states and nations. His son Solomon built
the Jerusalem temple, a house of prayer for all nations. But Solomon
later fell into sin and idolatry and the kingdom began to decline. [handout]
A17
- The Divided Kingdom and the Prophets: Division, decline and exile
(1-2 Kgs, Prophets)
After Solomon’s death, the kingdom
was divided into Judah (south) and
Israel (north). The prophets were God’s voice, warning His people of
judgment but also offering messianic hope and the promise of a “new Son
of David.” All kings of Israel were evil, and the Assyrians conquered
the northern kingdom in 722 B.C. Most kings of Judah were also sinful,
and the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and deported the population in
586 B.C. [handout]
A18
- The Exile and the book of Daniel: Hope of a new kingdom (Dan)
The dream of Babylonian king
Nebuchadnezzar and other visions foretold
of four great kingdoms (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome), the
last of which would be overtaken by the kingdom of God, which would
rule over the whole earth. The Medo-Persians conquered Babylon in 539
B.C. Daniel has a vision of the heavenly “Son of Man” who will rule
over all nations. The “70 weeks” of chapter 9 predict that the Messiah
will appear near 32 A.D. and will be “cut off.” Daniel sees a vision of
the final judgment and end of days. [handout]
A19
- Return To Zion: The Second Temple period (Ezra/Neh, 1-2 Macc)
The Jews returned to Judah and
rebuilt the temple. Nehemiah rebuilt the
walls of the city, and the people renewed the covenant with God, but
the Davidic kingdom was not restored. Alexander the Great conquered the
Persian Empire in 333 B.C. After his death, Judea was controlled first
by the Ptolemies, then by the Seleucids. Antiochus Epiphanes oppressed
the Jews, leading to the Maccabean revolt and the Hasmonean dynasty.
The development of second Temple Judaism: Pharisees and Sadducees. Rome
conquers Judea and Herod becomes king. [handout]
A20
- Messianic Expectations and Prophecies: Israel's hope
In the Second Temple period there
were high messianic expectations
among the Jews. They hoped that God would restore the Davidic kingdom
through the coming messiah. The prophets foretold that the messiah
would be of the tribe of Judah, a prophet like Moses, son of David, and
son of God, and born of a virgin in Bethlehem. He would perform
miracles, be a light to the gentiles, and would be rejected by his
people, “pierced” and sacrificed for our sins. This messiah would come
before the destruction of the temple. [handout]
A21
- Jesus - Infancy and Preparation: From the Annunciation to Jesus'
Baptism
In this lesson we begin the study of
the New Testament and of Jesus,
Messiah of Israel. The Son of God became man in order to save us, to
show us God’s love, to be our model of holiness, and to make us
partakers of the divine nature. This lesson looks at Jesus’ early
years, from the Annunciation to Mary, Jesus’ miraculous birth in
Bethlehem, his childhood and humble, hidden life in Nazareth, up to his
baptism and temptation in the desert. [handout]
A22
- Jesus - Public Ministry: The Kingdom of God has come
A brief overview of Jesus’ life,
words and deeds, from the proclamation
of the Kingdom, the Sermon on the Mount, healings and signs of the
Kingdom, the parables of the Kingdom, up to the triumphal entry into
Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Draws material from all four gospels. [handout]
A23
- Jesus - Paschal Mystery: The suffering Messiah conquers sin and death
This lesson touches upon the central
event of salvation history: the
suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. At the Last
Supper, Jesus established a New Covenant with Israel and instituted the
Eucharist. Betrayed by Judas and abandoned by all, he was condemned to
death by crucifixion. His death is the paschal sacrifice of the New
Covenant. On the third day he was raised from the dead. After appearing
to his disciples for 40 days, he ascended to heaven and returned to God
the Father. [handout]
A24
- "Who Do You Say I Am?" - Who did Jesus really claim to be?
This lesson examines Jesus’ claims
and his identity according to the
New Testament: The NT authors present Jesus as true man, messiah of
Israel, the new Adam who reversed the first Adam’s disobedience, the
new Son of Abraham and sacrificed lamb which the Lord provided, the new
Moses who leads His people on a “New Exodus”, the new Son of David and
king, the “Son of Man” spoken by Daniel, the Son of God, Lord and God. [handout]
A25
- Jesus - A Critical Examination: The Gospel accounts - myth or history?
This lesson examines the claims of
the previous lesson concerning
Jesus’ identity and asks whether they are credible. Evidence for the
historical existence of Jesus. Can Jesus really be considered to be
‘only’ a good and wise man? Examination of Jesus’ claims to divinity.
The reliability of the New Testament documents. Jesus: liar, lunatic,
or Lord? Critical examination of the resurrection: fact or fiction? [handout]
A26
- The Trinity - One God, Three Persons: Christian innovation or eternal
truth?
Jesus claimed to be divine, yet
distinct from God the Father – while
affirming Jewish belief in the one God of Israel. How is this possible?
The plurality of God in the OT and in Jewish sources. The “Word of God”
and “angel of the Lord.” The angel Metatron, a “Son of God”? The
divinity of the Messiah in the OT. God’s Spirit. The Trinity in the NT:
one God, three persons. The second person: God’s knowledge, idea, word,
Son. The third person: God’s spirit, God’s love. Introduction to the
work of the Trinity, which will be expanded upon for the rest of the
course. [handout]
A27
- Incarnation and Redemption: How the Paschal Mystery saves us
Now that we have seen that God is a
unity of three persons, we return
and examine the work of the second person: Jesus’ Incarnation and
Redemption. The Messiah’s redemptive death reconciles us to God. The
four models of the atonement: The marketplace, the battlefield, the
courtroom, and the temple. [handout]
A28
- The Holy Spirit: God pours into us his life and love
We now look at the third person of
the Trinity: the Holy Spirit -
helper, consoler, Lord and giver of life. The hidden work of the Holy
Spirit from creation to the coming of the Messiah. The Holy Spirit’s
special relationship with Mary, mother of Jesus. Jesus lived in the
fullness of the Holy Spirit, and He promised to send the Spirit to his
disciples after He would leave them. The Holy Spirit was outpoured on
the Church at Pentecost – God’s sanctifying love poured out into our
hearts. The work of the Holy Spirit in the Church and how we can
receive Him. [handout]
A29
- Pillar Of Fire, Pillar Of Truth: What kind of Church did Jesus
establish?
This lesson is an introduction to the
Catholic Church. It is a bridge
between understanding the inner life of the Holy Trinity, which we have
just studied, and living and sharing in this divine life as members of
the Messiah’s body – the Church – the subject of the second half of the
course. Jesus established His Church – one, holy, catholic and
apostolic – to dispense the mysteries of the Holy Trinity to us through
the offices of prophet, priest, and king (Scripture, Tradition and the
Magisterium). God shares His life with us through the Church’s seven
sacraments, united with the saints in heaven and on earth, and most
especially with Mary our mother. [handout]
[based on the booklet published by Catholic
Answers]
A30
- The Second Coming: What will happen at the end of times?
Jesus the Messiah will come again in
glory at the end of history, and
the kingdom of God will come in its fullness. Before His return there
will be many wars, the gospel will be preached to all nations, there
will be increased anti-Christian persecution and a great apostasy in
the Church. False prophets will deceive many, leading to the rise of
the anti-Christ. Jesus’ second coming is suspended until his
recognition by all of Israel. The resurrection of the body and the last
judgment will be followed by the creation of new heavens and a new
earth and the return of the human race to the tree of life of paradise.
[handout]
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