Word of Life

Disclaimer  –  The following article is meant for educational purposes only and not for any commercial purpose.   By Emmanuel Gomes Edited by  Fr Trevor D'Souza, OFM Genesis 1-11 provides early history of mankind as a whole. Genesis 12-50 provides the early history of Israel in particular. In the Pentateuch, the two are related in the sense that hope for all people are tied to the promises God makes to them. Genesis 12-50, tells the story of the three great patriarchs - the ancestors of Israel - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - as well as the twelve sons of Jacob from whom the twelve tribes will descend, especially Joseph. The covenant God establishes with Abraham is passed down to his heirs Isaac and Jacob and ultimately to the twelve tribes. This becomes the foundation for the plan for salvation for mankind. Thus the significance of these Chapters in both historical and theological aspects is immense. Literary Structure of Genesis 12-50 Here, we are dealing with three cy...

Note: It is recommended to read chapters 6:9-11:26 from the Book of Genesis before reading this article. Re-reading the article is also a suggestion to get a better understanding of the text. Disclaimer – The following article is meant for educational purposes only and not for any commercial purpose. Noah and The Flood: The narrative in Genesis 6 begins with the description of the wickedness of the earth being so great and so widespread that God bitterly regrets having created man. However, God does not give up on his intentions for man and creation. He is a God who wants to save. Though he takes a drastic decision to rid his creation of man’s wickedness, he still finds a way to carry out his saving plan. For this he chooses Noah who is just and pleasing to God. Throughout sacred history, God will bring the worst disasters on his unfaithful people, but he will always preserve a Remnant. He chooses a single person, a single family to achieve his saving purpose. St Paul summarizes it a...

Disclaimer  –  The following article is meant for educational purposes only and not for any commercial purpose.   By Emmanuel Gomes Edited by  Fr Trevor D'Souza, OFM   Pentateuch refers to the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy).   In this article we will share various views on the complex question regarding the origin of the Pentateuch. It is important to stress that the purpose of this article is not to settle any debate but to inform the reader of the many viewpoints on the authorship of the Pentateuch.   In Jewish and Christian tradition - The Pentatuech was always considered written by Moses. However, after the coming of scientific biblical studies, 19th century, biblical scholars have abandoned the idea that the Pentateuch was authored by Moses.    Regarding Moses as the principal author of the Pentatuch has been based on the internal evidence. There are various passages in the Bible that ...