The Saint John's Bible and the NRSV

In Fr. Michael Patella's book Word and Image: The Hermeneutics of The Saint John's Bible, the author devotes an entire chapter to discussing the reasoning behind choosing the NRSV as the English translation for the monumental Saint John's Bible project.  Below are a few short selections that I am sure you will find interesting:

"The factors entering into the choice of using the NRSV in The Saint John's Bible were very convincing from the start.  The NRSV is gender inclusive with strong and enduring English vocabulary and idioms, and it is a lineal descendant of the Revised Standard Version (RSV) (29)."


"Criticisms of the choice of the NRSV for The Saint John's Bible, however, emerged from various quarters.  Such reproof of revisions and translations of the Bible is nothing new, and in light of history, for someone to refer to the NRSV as 'last year's edition of the politically correct handbook' is not all that bad*.  The interesting point, however, is that one could very easily call the King James Version a politically correct handbook, especially when compared to the Geneva Bible and all its notes (30)."

*Fr. Richard John Neuhaus


"One of the goals of The Saint John's Bible is to further appreciation of the Word of God among Christians and people of goodwill everywhere.  The committee that prepared the NRSV was composed of Protestants, Catholics, and Jews from the start.  The Greek New Testament, which provided the text for the NT English, has been compiled by an international group of scholars, both Protestant and Catholic, one of whom was the former rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute*.  Both the pedigree of the NRSV and the story of its formation have won the respect of scholars' and bishops' conferences throughout the English-speaking world.  No other Bible could suffice as the text to write an illuminated Bible for the third millennium (47)."

*Carlo Cardinal Martini

Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Daniel

This volume is due to be published on September 30th.  Again, it would be interesting to know whether Ignatius Press plans to publish the OT in multiple commentaries before publishing the eventual one (or two) volume Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.  A projected schedule of release would be helpful, even if it wasn't strictly adhered to.  

The 16th volume in the popular Bible study series leads readers through a penetrating study of the Book of Daniel using the biblical text itself and the Church's own guidelines for understanding the Bible.

Ample notes accompany each page, providing fresh insights by renowned Bible teachers Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, as well as time-tested interpretations from the Fathers of the Church. They provide rich historical, cultural, geographical or theological information pertinent to the Old Testament book - information that bridges the distance between the biblical world and our own.

It also includes Topical Essays, Word Studies and Charts. The Topical Essays explore the major themes of Daniel, often relating them to the teachings of the Church. The Word Studies explain the background to important Bible terms, while the Charts summarize crucial biblical information "at a glance".

Thanks to Corey for pointing this out.

Consuming the Word 7: The Old Testament in the New Testament

One only has to read part one, chapter two of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to get a good summary of what Hahn focuses in on in chapter 7.  It looks at how the the New Testament authors utilized the Old Testament writings.  This is essential because it shows the connection between the old and the new, promise and fulfillment.

"By virtue of their office in the nascent Church, the Apostles definitively interpreted the word of the Old Testament in light of the dispensation of the New Testament (62)."

"In the Old Testament Scriptures the entire New Testament was foreshadowed.  In the New Testament dispensation, all the Old Testament Scriptures were fulfilled.  As Saint Augustine put it: 'The New Testament is concealed in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New (62).'"

Sink's "The Art of the Saint John's Bible" Available in September

Fr. Donald Senior on the Gospel of Matthew

Fr. Donald Senior C.P. is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America and was appointed in 2003 by Pope John Paul ll to the Pontifical Biblical Commission. Senior is the general editor of The Bible Today, and co-editor of the 22-volume international commentary series New Testament Message.He is author of numerous publications, including The Passion of Jesus Christ (Catholic Book Publishing, 1997), Jesus, A Gospel Portrait (Paulist Press, revised 1992) and Gospel of Matthew(Interpreting Biblical Texts; Abingdon, 1997).  He is also the general editor of The Catholic Study Bible published by Oxford University Press.  He recently retired as President of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

“Humanae Vitae” and Sacred Scripture: A Missed Opportunity

The following article was written by Rev. Ray E. Atwood from Homiletic and Pastoral Review. It is well worth your time.

This July 2013 we commemorate the 45th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life). The encyclical presented some important doctrinal principles (e.g., a total vision of man, four characteristics of love, responsible parenthood, respect for the nature and purpose of the conjugal act, the unitive and procreative dimensions of human sexuality) and offered some prophetic warnings to those who disregard the Church’s teachings in this area. It also issued some helpful pastoral directives to Church leaders, public authorities, married couples, doctors, and medical personnel. There is no question that Paul VI was right in his conclusion that artificial contraception is, and always has been, morally unacceptable. At that time, however, a change in the Church’s teaching regarding contraception was highly anticipated in many quarters.

Pope Paul’s birth control commission had issued a memorandum, dubbed a “Majority Report,” in 1966, which argued for the morality of contraception. If, the authors argued, a married couple was open to human life in the “totality” of their conjugal life, it was morally acceptable for them to use chemical or surgical techniques to prevent birth. This document was leaked the next year, causing widespread anticipation of a change in the Church’s moral stance. On the 19th centenary of the Apostle Paul’s death (1967), the Holy Father declared a “Year of Faith” and appealed for patient reflection on the matter. The outpouring of anger, scorn, and contempt when the encyclical was released in the summer of 1968 was tremendous. Part of the reason for the widespread rejection of the encyclical, especially in academic circles, could be that the Holy Father failed to make a more convincing case for the traditional teaching. This article presents some biblical passages that, if incorporated into the encyclical, would have made a stronger argument for natural fertility regulation.

You can read the rest here.

Catholic Women's Bible NABRE

Our Sunday Visitor will be publishing the Catholic Women's Bible NABRE sometime this fall.

Here is the description from OSV:

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman.- Galatians 4:4

Women played a vital role in salvation history, as well as the history of the Catholic Church. Whatever our state in life, our vocation is special, unique, and necessary. We are natural-born community builders. We sacrifice self for the benefit of families, children, and friends. We possess what Blessed John Paul II called "feminine genius." We are different.

The Women's Bible, NABRE gives Catholic women the refreshing opportunity to delve into the trusted NABRE version of the Bible plus nourish our "feminine genius" with 88 full-color inserts that feature lively stories and information of specific interest to women.

Through excellent story-telling and solid Catholic teaching you'll find inspiration and encouragement presented in a way that connects with us in the here and now. You'll learn from amazing Biblical women:

• Gomer and the amazing gift of forgiveness
• The Canaanite Woman and maintaining a sense of humor
• Herodias and Salome and a mother's influence on her daughter
• Sapphira and the importance of integrity
• Mary Magdalene on facing judgment and criticism
• And much more!

Women's Bible, NABRE is perfect for both personal Scripture study as well as daily devotion. Questions for personal reflection can be used in women's group studies.

"In fact, woman has a genius all her own, which is vitally essential to both society and the Church." --John Paul II, Angelus Address, 23 July 1995

Catholic Biblical Quarterly July 2013 Articles

I am going to begin posting, each quarter, the main articles for the most recent edition of the Catholic Biblical Quarterly.   The CBQ is published quarterly (January, April, July, October) by the Catholic Biblical Association at the Catholic University of America.

For July (Vol. 75, No.3):

"Who Would Not Write?" The Prophet as Yhwh's Prey in Amos 3:3-8
Sara J. Milstein

Newly Discovered Literary Devices in the Prayer of Habakkuk
Michael L. Barre, S.S.

Lord or God? Tobit and the Tetragrammaton
Daniel A. Machiela

Rachel's Cry for Her Children: Matthew's Treatment of the Infanticide by Herod
Eugene Eung-Chun Park

Deaf or Defiant? The Literary, Cultural, and Affective-Rhetorical Keys to the Naming of John (Luke 1:57-80)
Karl Allen Kuhn

The Eloquent Blood of Jesus: The Neglected Theme of the Fidelity of Jesus in Hebrews 12:24
Kevin B. McCruden

Synchrony and Diachrony in Contemporary Biblical Interpretation
Koog P. Hong

Little Rock Catholic Study Bible Available in eBook Soon!

Go here for more info.

A Reader's Question

 I have an older (mid-1990's) TAN Books Douay Rheims with the padded leather cover.  A number of years ago, it was on the seat of my truck in the winter and a sudden stop sent it flying onto the floor, which was wet from melted snow.  While the cover was fine, the pages absorbed some of the moisture and ended up waving and stiffening up.  I dried the Bible as best I could, but couldn't stop the page warping.  This Bible is special to me because it was a confirmation gift from my sponsor (complete with a note of encouragement on the inside of the cover).  Would you (or any of the others who read the blog) have any suggestions on how to flatten the pages and restore them to a softer/more flexible manner?

Any ideas?

Consuming the Word 6: The Church of the New Testament

This chapter, which speaks on the importance of apostolic succession and tradition, can best be summed up in this concluding sentence: "From Clement through Eusebius, from Basil through Leo, the Fathers of the early Church knew - and not only knew, but took for granted - that every written word of the New Testament presupposed the enactment of the liturgy of the New Testament in the Church of the New Testament (56)."

For Christ did not establish a school of scribes before he ascended to heaven.  Instead, it is clear that he founded a Eucharistic community, built upon the Apostles, who were sent out to proclaim the Gospel to all nations.

The Bible Promise Book - Catholic Edition

Thanks to reader Joshua for alerting me to this devotional from Barbour Publishing.

Where do you turn when you need God’s thoughts on the issues and emotions of life? The Bible Promise Book, now in a Catholic edition. Barbour’s Bible Promise Books are perennial bestsellers, with millions of copies in print, and this brand-new edition features a variety of Bible translations, including the Douay-Rheims Bible, the Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, and others. With more than 100 classic Bible Promise Book topics—Anger, Comfort, Forgiveness, Hope, Obedience, Salvation, Wisdom, Worry, and dozens more—you’ll find hundreds of verses included. The Bible Promise Book offers biblical encouragement for readers of all ages.

Semi-Regular Weekly Poll

What is your favorite NABRE Study Bible

• The Catholic Study Bible (Oxford)
• The Catholic Bible: Personal Study Edition (Oxford)
• Little Rock Catholic Study Bible
• Anselm Academic Study Bible
• Other

Freeblogpolls

More polls: Free poll

Copyright, Permission, and the NABRE

There has been a lot of talk recently regarding copyright issues concerning official Church documents, like Papal encyclicals and Bible translations.  It has often been said that the USCCB has too restrictive of a control over the use of the NAB(RE), since it, as some say, is the main cash cow of the USCCB.  This may have been the case in the past, but after checking with Mary Sperry at the USCCB, new guidelines for using the NAB(RE) were approved around nine years ago that seem to dismiss that claim.

The USCCB has a page devoted to this issue, and I have reproduced the appropriate section concerning the NAB below:

• No permission is required for use of less than 5,000 words of the NAB in print, sound, or electronic formats (for web usage, see below) provided that such use comprises less than 40% of a single book of the Bible and less than 40% of the proposed work.
• Permission must be requested for use of more than 5,000 words from the NAB (or when the use comprises more than 40% of a single book of the Bible or more than 40% of the proposed work).
• The Scripture citations should be highlighted and the reference citations must be clearly marked. The following information should be included: title, publisher, publisher address, publisher contact name, proposed publication date, print run, list price, length of work.
• All quotations must be verbatim from the text, including capitalization and punctuation. The poetic structure of some passages and books written in verse (for example, Psalms, Wisdom, Isaiah, etc.) must be preserved in verse as printed.
• The appropriate copyright acknowledgment must be given:

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition© 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Now, let's compare this with what the NCCUSA has for the NRSV/RSV, which is often said to have a far more lenient policy in regards to use of their translations:

The [New] Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted. Notice of copyright must appear on the title or copyright page of the work as follows:

"Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved." 

 "The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1965, 1966 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved."

If you compare the two, you will notice that they are pretty similar.  I think the 500 verses allowed by the NCCUSA is likely to be a tiny bit more than the 5000 words that the USCCB allows for the NAB in regards to use without permission.  However, the idea that the USCCB is very restrictive in protecting the NAB from use seems to be unwarranted.  Again, I am not sure what the situation was like pre-2000, but it seems that the NABRE is very comparable to the NRSV/RSV in this regard.  The only element that I cannot comment on is how the process is in gaining permission to use, either the NAB or NRSV, for more than the "non-permission" necessary amount.

A New Series of Posts....That Involves You!

Over the past five years this blog has been dedicated to reviewing new Bible editions, study tools, and translations.  Most often, these reviews come from yours truly, with the occasional guest blog by one you, my beloved readers.  I really do enjoy providing the "guest posts" on this blog and hope to continue to do so in the future.

However, I would really like to expand this a bit, perhaps moving in a slightly different direction.  Once a month, I would like to publish a guest post from one of you giving a description of your personal Bible.  This would be the Bible you use most often, hopefully daily! I'll call this the "Your Bible" series.  What I am asking is that those who are interested to send me an email letting me know you are interested in doing this. Once you do that, I envision that each "Your Bible" post to contain 1-2 photos of your Bible, along with a short write up focusing on that Bible and how you use it. So what do you say?  I know that there are many of you out there who are daily devoted to reading the Scriptures.  I am sure that your witness will be appreciated by many who read this blog.

As I have mentioned in the past, one of the most beautiful sights, besides my beautiful family, is someone who is reading a well worn Bible.  So, if you are interested, please send me an email letting me know: mccorm45(at)yahoo(dot)com.   If you are new to this blog or have been around from the beginning, I would love to hear from you.  Like I said earlier, I'd really like to make this a regular, perhaps monthly, post here at the Catholic Bibles Blog.  So, don't be shy!

The Next Volumes in CCSS Due in November

The next two volumes will be:

William Kurz SJ: Acts of the Apostles

Dennis Hamm SJ: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon

Both editions are due out sometime in November.  These will be the first two released, after an almost two year absence.  These are fine editions which really need your support, so consider purchasing an edition or two.  I hope they are a little more active on their website!

Utilizing the NABRE, the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (CCSS) responds to the desire of Catholics to study the Bible in depth and in a way that integrates Scripture with Catholic doctrine, worship, and daily life. The series will include seventeen volumes, offering readable, informative commentary on each book of the New Testament. The CCSS implements the theological principles taught by Vatican II for interpreting Scripture "in accord with the same Spirit by which it was written"--that is, interpreting Scripture in its canonical context and in the light of Catholic tradition and the analogy of faith (Dei Verbum 12).

The CCSS is packed with features designed to help readers use the Bible more effectively in teaching, preaching, evangelization, and other forms of ministry. Each volume provides exegesis as well as reflection and application sections. A set of cross-references links each passage to the Catechism, the Lectionary, and related biblical texts. Sidebars present information on the background of the text and on how the text has been interpreted by the Church. Abundant quotations from saints and Church Fathers enable readers to glimpse the continuity of Catholic tradition. Each volume includes a Glossary, a list of Suggested Resources, an Index of Pastoral Topics, and an Index of Sidebars. Further resources are posted at the series Web site, www.CatholicScriptureCommentary.com.

Future editions will include:
The Gospel of John by Francis Martin and William M. Wright IV
Romans by Scott Hahn
Galatians by Cardinal Albert Vanhoye and Peter S. Williamson
Hebrews by Mary Healy
James and 1-3 John by Kelly Anderson and Daniel Keating
Revelation by Peter S. Williamson

Consuming the Word Chapter 5: The New Testament After the New Testament

Hahn begins chapter 5 reminding the reader that for the early Church the New Testament was the sacrifice of the Eucharist, not a collection of books.  The books that were then collected into what would eventually be called the “New Testament” were not composed until a number of decades after the great events of Pentecost.  As those twenty-seven books eventually were written and collected, it was within the Eucharistic liturgy that “they were canonized” because they were precisely liturgical books (40-41).  

Hahn goes on to show, through those books that “were canonized” in the liturgy, that the events of the Last Supper reveal that what Jesus endured on the cross was sacrificial.  As Hahn states: “It became the offering of an unblemished Paschal victim – the self-offering of a high priest who gave himself as a victim for the redemption of others – the offering of a New Covenant (42).”  And where did Jesus speak about the New Covenant?   It is in the upper room with his apostles during the Passover meal.   This reality is shown in 1 Corinthians most especially.  First, in 1 Corinthians 10, Paul compares the bread and cup with not only Jewish sacrifices, but also Pagan ones.  Secondly, there is the fact that “the only significant narrative overlap between the Gospels and the letters attributed to Saint Paul is the institution narrative (43)."  Paul relates this narrative as, not originating with himself, but through tradition (1 Cor. 11:23).  The Eucharist was the New Testament (and remains so) before the canonized books ever were.

The final section of this chapter begins with this sentence from Hahn, which is probably the most important thus far: “The New Testament as a document presumes and depends upon the New Testament sacrifice and the New Testament meal (45).”

Your thoughts?

Hahn Duo Contest Winner

Congrats to John McBryde for being randomly selected (by my wife) to win the two Hahn books.  Please send an email to me at mccorm45(at)yahoo(dot)com with your name and address and I'll get the books out to you sometime this week.  Thanks again to all who participated.

A Discovery at Baker Book House in Grand Rapids

Last week I had delight to visit my friend Louis who works at the amazing Christian bookstore Baker Book House in Grand Rapids.  It truly is an amazing Christian bookstore, which has a nice selection of Catholic Bibles and books too!  After having lunch with Louis I began to take a look at the used book section and found a Bible I had longed to get for many years.  It is the New Oxford Annotated Bible w/ Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books published in 1991.  This is the edition that was edited by two of the most prominent Biblical scholars of the 20th century, Dr. Bruce M. Metzger and Carmalite priest Fr. Roland E. Murphy.  A truly ecumenical study Bible if there ever was one.  This was the first edition that included the NRSV translation, but before many of the changes to the annotations that were found in later editions.  These annotations are similar to, but not exactly the same, as the original New Oxford Annotated Bible RSV.  This edition, though slightly bigger in size than the previous edition, also contains very generous margins for personal annotation.  It may be the best I have seen to be honest.  The second picture below, gives you an indication of what I am talking about.

Now, what made this find even better was the fact that they had a copy available in burgundy leather.  It is a soft, genuine leather cover with sewn binding.  Since it is a used Bible, it opens very easily and has a great feel to it.  Fortunately for me, this edition has only a few pencil marks on some of the pages, which can easily be erased.  A truly great find!

There were some additional NOAB NRSV editions available in hardback, so if you are interested you can contact Baker Book House and they will ship it to you.  If you are close enough, I would highly recommend stopping by Baker Book House.  It took me a little over two hours to drive there from metro Detroit, and it was worth every minute.

Prayer for the Protection of Religious Freedom

O GOD OUR CREATOR,

from your provident hand we have received

our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

You have called us as your people and given us

the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God,

and your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit, 

you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,

bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel 

to every corner of society.

We ask you to bless us

in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.

Give us the strength of mind and heart

to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;

give us courage in making our voices heard

on behalf of the rights of your Church 

and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,

a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters 

gathered in your Church

in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,

so that, with every trial withstood

and every danger overcome—

for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, 

and all who come after us—

this great land will always be “one nation, under God, 

indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Guest Review: The Jerusalem Bible Compact Readers Edition

Thanks to reader Rolf for this guest review of The Jerusalem Bible Compact Readers Edition.

I was in the market for a leather Reader's Edition of the Jerusalem Bible (which has minimal notes), but I was not looking for a compact. It has been my experience that most compacts have a print size so small (and cramped) that I can read it for more than a few minutes at a time. It takes a lot of looking around to find anything in this category for the Jerusalem Bible.

I was online on Amazon a couple of days ago scanning through listings (most were out of print - unavailable). I found a listing for a Jerusalem Reader's Edition, near new in black leather. This was what I was looking for, but there was no mention of it being compact. The price was $38 plus $4.99 shipping. I received the Bible in a couple of days and after my first initial concern at the size of the Bible, I was presently surprised. 

This Compact Reader's edition is published by DoubleDay (ISBN# O 385 15565 4), but it looks a lot more like a Cambridge Bible! 

The Bible (see photos) measures roughly 7 1/2 inches x 5 inches x 1 1/4 inches (measurements taken on leather cover. In comparison, I have a compact 1970 NAB in leather and it measures 6 3/4 inches x 5 inches x 1 1/4 inches.

The leather has a similar texture and is a little bit softer and more flexible than my Cambridge NRSV Bible in French Morocco leather, but it is not as flexible as those goatskin Bibles that I have seen online.I checked google for the ISBN # and one of the listings came back as a compact in sheepskin leather black (but I can't find that listing after checking for it again). So I am calling it genuine leather for now.

The front and end pages are very similar as to what is in my Cambridge Bible. The book block is sewn  not glued The Bible paper has nearly the same feel and color as the Cambridge Bible, but slightly thinner. And of course slightly thinner means slightly more bleed thought but it is very well controlled. The print is in single column form, it is approx 7- 7 1/2 font size and is dark and very well spaced!

There is one black ribbon marker. There are brief introductions to all of the Bible books, and brief footnotes at the bottom of the right side facing page (which include referenced verse numbers for quotes from other Bible books).

Like I said before, I am not a fan of small print Bibles( less than size 8), but I found this one surprising easy to read (see photos). This one is a joy to carry around in you hand due to the size and the semi-yapp leather cover, which make it comfortable to carry from either end. The quality is nice and it is a good looking Bible!

Unfortunately these leather Reader's Edition Jerusalem Bibles are hard to find, and the information online can be sketchy.

Hahn Duo Contest

In honor of our summer reading, I am going to have a contest for two brand new editions of Scott Hahn's The Kingdom of God as Liturgical Empire: A Theological Commentary on 1-2 Chronicles and Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI.  Both books are outstanding and more academic than his other popular works.  

So here are the rules:

1) If you have a blog, please advertise this contest on your site. (If you don't, you can still enter the contest.)

2) This contest is only for people who are in the North America.

3) To enter, please put your name in the comment section of this post.  Winner will be drawn randomly.

4) The contest ends on Sunday, July 7th @ 11:59 PM EST. I'll announce the winner on Monday morning.  At that time, the winner must contact me, via email, with their address within one week to receive their prize.

5) One entry per person. If you post anonymously, you must leave a name at the end of your comment entry

Thank you to my friend Louis of Baker Book House for providing me the Hahn books for this contest!

Consuming the Word Chapter 4: The New Testament After the New Testament

In this chapter, Hahn looks at how the term "New Testament" was used for the two and a half centuries following the apostolic era.   Beginning with the early Fathers of the first two centuries, notably St. Irenaeus and St. Clement of Alexandria, Hahn shows that for the early Church the "New Covenant/Testament" was associated with the concept of a new family bond which was connected to the liturgy of the New Covenant, the Eucharist (29).  While St. Ireneaus uses the term "New Covenant" to focus on the new Christian dispensation, or family bond,  we see this connection of New Covenant and the liturgy most clearly with St. Celement.

St. Clement, in reference to the term "New Covenant/Testament," states that Christ: "made a New Covenant with us; for what belonged to the Greeks and Jews is old.  But we, who worship him in a new way, in the third form, are Christians.  For clearly, as I think, he showed that the one and only God was known by the Greeks in a Gentile way, by the Jews Judaically, and in a new and spiritual way by us (29)."  Later, Clement using athletic themes, states: "go and submit himself (Christian life) to the Word as his trainer, with Christ as the referee of the game; and for his prescribed food and drink let him have the New Testament of the Lord (28-29)."  (Keep in mind, what was discussed in previous chapters, that the term "New Covenant/Testament" is only uttered by Jesus at the Last Supper."

It is only when we get to the third century that the term "New Testament" is used for a set collection of sacred texts (30).  We see this in the writings of Tertullian and Origen.

Hahn concludes the chapter by looking at how many earlier church writers described the Eucharist in covenantal language.  He references Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, Origen, Augustine, and John Damascus.  All of these Church Fathers understood that the "Eucharist was the sacrificial rite required by the covenant-and by the very nature of covenant (34)."

What are your thoughts on this chapter or from what we have read through thus far?  I am just trying to pick out a few points of interest in each chapter rather than give a comprehensive analysis of each one.