Raymond Brown (2)

This work is a simplification of the verse by verse work entitled "The New Jerome Biblical Commentary" which it excerpts. Following the same order of the Commentary, this handbook does not provide much text, but outlines every book of the Old and New Testament.

Illustrated quite brilliantly, and with a short Index. ["Vespasian" is mentioned in the text, but is not in this short Index.] Concludes with "General Articles on the Bible", parts 64 - 76:

For example:

64: "Inspiration". Noting that "early Christianity shared with Jewish tradition the belief that the (Jewish) Scriptures were inspired", this section concludes that "Christians of various backgrounds should be able to approve and accept the language of Vatican II about Scripture's teaching without error that truth which God wanted put into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation." 322.

This claim about "Jewish tradition" traduces Judaism, and Deuteronomy 30:11-14. In the article on "Canonicity", no Jewish canonization is mentioned, and the confusion over "deuterocanonical" inclusion, and the lack of any Hebrew or Aramaic text, is admitted. [323]. The portion cites Paul saying "All Scripture is inspired by God..." in 2 Timothy 3:16, before the "New Testament" was canonized as "Scripture". The Canonization process is apparently still taking place - as different sects still do not agree on the composition of the Canon. Luther himself excluded the deuterocanonical books. [323]

76: "The Church in the New Testament". It concludes..."..the four characteristics just discussed (church structure, idealism about the church, the role of the Spirit, and the relationship to Jesus as disciples), which were already explicit in New Testament Christian life, gave the church the ability to survive the death of the apostles and a rupture of unity. Those characteristics have kept the church alive from the 2nd century to our own times."… (altro)