Welcome tothe Cathedral ofSt. Peterthe Apostle Catholic Church

Within the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, Bishop Joseph Latino requests that students be confirmed as juniors or seniors in high school. Prior to that age, students should be receiving religious education either through their parish Sunday School program or an area Catholic school.

The 7th through pre-confirmation Sunday School class is currently studying the Old Testament beginning with the Pentateuch.  This class goes beyond the children’s bible stories.  The Old Testament forshadows what is fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament. As we explore, we will be observing certain similarities between Old Testament and New Testament passages.

Teacher:  Julia Williams
jwilliams@cathedralsaintpeter.org

Studying the Old Testament: Beginning with the Pentateuch

The Pentateuch, which consists of the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), enjoys particular prestige among the Jews as the “Law,” or “Torah,” the concrete expression of God’s will in their regard. It is more than a body of legal doctrine, even though such material occupies many chapters, for it contains the story of the formation of the People of God: Abraham and the Patriarchs, Moses and the oppressed Hebrews in Egypt, the birth of Israel in the Sinai covenant, the journey to the threshold of the Promised Land, and the “discourses” of Moses.

In presenting the story of the birth of the People of God, the Pentateuch looks back to the promises made to the patriarchs, and forward to the continuing fulfillment of these promises in later books of the Bible.