Hello, I’m Daniel de la Vega, I’m a first-year student studying Classics and English Literature, and I’m from San Diego. I’m taking this course since I believe that it is important to understand the Bible not only from a spiritual perspective, but also in an academic/historical way to read it in its wholeness.
To me, the Bible is a divinely inspired text from God written and transcribed into written language by prophets and saints. It outlines in great detail the creation of the Universe and mankind’s role in it as we search for what it means to be truly human in the light of God. One way my home parish priest Fr. Bratso describes it: “It is a personal love letter from God to each and every one of us.” It is a product of the Church and her theologians as they compiled all the books into one volume (a miracle in itself). As Christ is described as the “Logos” in the Gospel according to St. John, we understand the Word as not only written text, but God Himself, and is truly a divine revelation.
Googling “What is a Bible” is nothing short of an informational catastrophe. The internet is a terrible source for anyone who wants to truly understand the Bible as it completely disregards the search for truth, and seems to be more of a tool of destruction to “win people over.” I recommend using the vast amounts of biblical commentaries offered by saints and theologians which have been contemplated for thousands of years and have undergone strict criticism by hundreds of other saints and theologians. To understand the Bible is not a personal endeavor or up to individual opinion, it is led by the Church, and then is it applied to one’s life personally.