ABOUT AGAPE BIBLE STUDY

The word agape [pronounced ag-ah-pay'] is the Greek word for "spiritual love." 1^st century AD Christians, however, gave this word the uniquely Christ-centered meaning of "self-sacrificial love." "Agape" is the word Jesus used when He commanded us to love one another as He has loved us in John 13:34: I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

In Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation on evangelization, he wrote: "The study of the Sacred Scriptures must be a door opened to every believer. It is essential that the revealed Word radically enrich our catechesis and all our efforts to pass on the faith." He further explained: "Evangelization demands familiarity with God's Word, which calls for dioceses, parishes and Catholic associations to provide for a serious, ongoing study of the Bible, while encouraging its prayerful individual and communal reading" (Evangelii Gaudium, November 24, 2013). This is the mission of Agape Bible Study. We are dedicated to providing free Bible study materials to everyone who desires to explore the fullness of God's Truth in Sacred Scripture and in the Tradition that has been passed on to the Church by Jesus to His holy Apostles and from them to their successors.

About our Logo:
The three blocks of color in our logo represent the mystery of the Triune God. The red block represents God the Father. Sacred Scripture tells us that God manifested Himself to Moses in a fire blazing from the middle of a bush (Exodus 3:2), He manifested Himself to the Israelites as a holy fire on the heights of Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:18), and the inspired writers of both Deuteronomy and Hebrews described God as a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:29) in His desire to purify His children to bring them to salvation (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). The bright yellow block represents God the Son, the Light of the World (John 1:4; 8:12) who brings God's gift of salvation to mankind (CCC# 432; 2466). The blue block represents God the Holy Spirit who imparts new life in the Sacrament of Baptism through water and the Spirit (John 3:5; CCC# 720). The positions of the blocks also represent the progression of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son (CCC# 245-248; Latin Rite Nicene-Constantinople Creed; the Council of Florence). The cross symbol is presented on top of the blocks, which represent the Most Holy Trinity, as a sign that the cross of Jesus Christ is the only ladder to heaven (John 17:2-3; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:3-6).

Agape Bible Study follows the guidelines of Catholic teaching on Sacred Scripture which is drawn from five authoritative sources:

1. Pope Leo XIII: Providentissimus Deus (Encyclical on the Study of Holy Scripture; November 18, 1893)
2. Pope Benedict XV: Spiritus Paraclitus (Encyclical on St. Jerome; September 15, 1920)
3. Pope Pius XII: Divino Afflante Spiritu (Encyclical on Promoting Biblical Studies; September 30, 1943)
4. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council: Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation; November 18, 1965)
5. Catechism of the Catholic Church (first edition, October 11, 1992; second edition, August 15, 1997)

Every Agape Bible Study course follows the guidelines for Biblical studies set forth in the Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC]:

1. CCC #101-117:  Each study teaches that God inspired the human authors of the sacred books ...
2. CCC#106: The inspired books teach the truth ...
3. CCC#107: Sacred Scripture must be read and interpreted in the light of the same Spirit by whom it was written...
4. CCC#101: Sacred Scripture must be studied within the living Tradition of the whole Church ... (CCC#113).  In every lesson the Biblical text is studied in accordance with the ancient tradition of the two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral, and anagogical senses (see CCC# 115-117).

In order to discern the sacred writer's original meaning and intent every lesson takes into account:

1. The conditions of the time the passages were written (historical background) and the culture and literary genres in use at the time.
2. Attention to the original language employed by the inspired writer: Hebrew in the Old Testament as well as Greek in the Septuagint Old Testament translation, and the Greek language used in the New Testament.
3. An understanding of the entire context of the passage and the relationship between that passage of Sacred Scripture and other Old or New Testament passages (prophecy and typology).

Several years ago Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI expressed his concern for modern-day methods of interpreting the Bible that are too limiting in which some scholars and Bible teachers read Scripture in an attempt to pluck out answers from unrelated texts. Instead, Pope Benedict encouraged the faithful to study Sacred Scripture as one whole, as the inspired word of God in which everything relates to everything else in salvation history, with the whole of the Bible leading to Christ and its message forever in the present, addressing each generation (see what Jesus said about [Old Testament] Scripture and the events of His mission in Luke 24:26-27, 44-48).

Organization of the Agape Bible Study Website:
Each study also provides numerous charts to illustrate teaching points of Biblical events and charts to illustrate typological relationships that assist students in understanding complex biblical themes. Information is also included concerning archaeological discoveries which support the Biblical account. Each of the Bible study courses emphasizes the study of Sacred Scripture in the light of the cumulative effect of Salvation History with an emphasis on Christianity's Jewish, Old Covenant roots - taking as a guide St. Augustine's statement ...for the New [Testament] is hidden in the Old and the Old [Testament] is fulfilled in the New.

You will find that Agape Bible Study is divided into Bible Studies, Documents, Charts, and the Sunday Lectionary Readings. The Documents and the Charts sections contain the various resources that may be referenced in the lessons. All materials are free. There is no sign-up. There is no registration. The studies that are currently offered are divided into Old Testament, New Testament and Topical Studies:

• Old Testament Studies
• The Book of Genesis [ 20 Lessons ]
• The Book of Exodus [ 18 Lessons ]
• The Book of Leviticus [ 12 Lessons ]
• The Book of Numbers [ 12 Lessons ]
• The Book of Deuteronomy [ 17 Lessons ]
• The Book of Joshua [ 10 Lessons ]
• The Book of Judges [ 7 Lessons ]
• The Book of Ruth [ 3 Lessons ]
• The First Book of Samuel [ 10 Lessons ]
• The Second Book of Samuel [ 7 Lessons ]
• The First Book of Kings [ 10 Lessons ]
• The Second Book of Kings [ 10 Lessons ]
• The Book of Ezra [ 5 Lessons ]
• The Book of Nehemiah [ 6 Lessons ]
• The Book of Esther [ 5 Lessons ]
• The Book of Isaiah [ 24 Lessons ]
• The Book of Jeremiah [ 23 Lessons ]
• The Book of Ezekiel [ 17 Lessons ]
• The Book of Daniel [ 8 Lessons ]
• The Book of Hosea [ 10 Lessons ]
• The Book of Joel [ 3 Lessons ]
• The Book of Amos [ 4 Lessons ]
• The Book of Obadiah [ 2 Lessons ]
• The Book of Jonah [ 1 Lesson ]
• The Book of Micah [ 4 Lessons ]
• The Book of Nahum [ 2 Lessons ]
• The Book of Haggai [ 1 Lesson ]
• The Book of Zechariah [ 5 Lessons ]
• The Book of Malachi [ 2 Lessons ]
•  
• New Testament Studies
• The Gospel of Matthew [ 26 Lessons ]
• The Gospel of Mark [ 10 Lessons ]
• The Gospel of Luke [ 16 Lessons ]
• The Gospel of John [ 28 Lessons ]
• Acts of Apostles [ 12 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's Letter to the Romans [ 17 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians [ 6 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians [ 4 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians [ 4 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians [ 3 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians [ 4 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians [ 3 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians [ 3 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians [ 1 Lesson ]
• St. Paul's First Letter to Timothy [ 3 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy [ 2 Lessons ]
• St. Paul's Letter to Titus [ 2 lessons ]
• St. Paul's Letter to Philemon [ 1 lesson ]
• The Letter to the Hebrews [ 14 Lessons ]
• The Letter of St. James [ 10 Lessons ]
• The First Letter of St. Peter [ 2 Lessons ]
• The Second Letter of St. Peter [ 1 Lesson ]
• The First Letter of John [ 4 Lessons ]
• The Second Letter of John [ 1 Lesson ]
• The Third Letter of John [ 1 Lesson ]
• The Letter of St. Jude [ 1 Lesson ]
• The Apocalypse of John, also called the Book of Revelation [ 25 Lessons ]
•  
• Topical Studies
• Salvation History: A Study of God's Plan of Salvation for Humanity From Genesis to the Birth of the New Covenant Church [ 28 Lessons ]
• The Advent of the Messiah [ 6 Lessons ]
• Lenten and Easter Study [ 6 Lessons ]
• The Sermon on the Mount [ 10 Lessons ]
• The Beatitudes [ 10 Lessons ]
• A Bible Study of The Didache [ 3 Lessons ]
• How to Study the Books of the Prophets [ 1 Lesson ]
• The Eight Last Things: Crossing the Threshold to Eternity [ 8 Lessons ]

As you study the lessons, if you have any questions, please contact us by clicking on the contact box. We are here to encourage and assist you in your studies.

Required texts for all Bible studies:

• Catholic Bible with complete canon
• Catechism of the Catholic Church

For more information on the study of Sacred Scripture, please see the document A Guide to the Study of Sacred Scripture in the main menu under "Bible Studies." There is no "sign in" and all the studies and resources are free for you to download and print out. If you distribute any materials, please observe our copyright requirements that the author and the www.AgapeBibleStudy.com website must be listed on all materials. Before you begin each Agape Bible Study lesson, please pray that God the Holy Spirit will guide you in your study, and that He will reveal to you the truth of God's Living Word, our Savior Christ Jesus. In pursuing the truth contained in Sacred Scripture please also keep in mind St. Thomas a Kempis' advice:
Mankind is always changing; God's truth stands forever. And he has many ways of speaking to us, regardless of the human instruments he uses. Often enough, our reading of Holy Scripture is distracted by mere curiosity; we want to seize upon a point and argue about it, when we ought to be quietly passing on. You will get most out of it if you read it with humility, and simplicity, and faith, not concerned to make a name for yourself as a scholar. By all means ask questions but listen to what holy writers have to tell you; do not find fault with the hard sayings of antiquity - their authors had good reason for writing as they did.
St. Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ: "On the Reading of Holy Scripture," 1.5.2

Per Crucem ad Lucem: "Through the Cross to the Light"

Agape Bible Study staff: Jerry (WebMaster), Ashliegh, Mike, Jason

Our Table at the Indianapolis Catholic Men's Conference

Senior Editor: Lucille

In fact, preaching the Gospel gives me nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion and I should be in trouble if I failed to do it. If I did it on my own initiative I would deserve a reward; but if I do it under compulsion I am simply accepting a task entrusted to me. What reward do I have, then? That in my preaching I offer the Gospel free of charge to avoid using the rights which the Gospel allows me.
1 Corinthians 9:17-18