Our Father’s Plan / audio

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavins

Want to learn the key to reading the Bible and understanding the big picture of Our Father’s plan for His creation? Hosts Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavins provide an overview of the Bible’s external structure before delving into its rich content.

Our Father’s Plan Back to Series List Program Name Audio File Name – Click to download 1. Reading Through The Bible

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2021.mp3 You could open up the Bible and start reading; but do you know where to start? Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavins will deal with this throughout the series as they discuss how to read the Bible in chronological order while telling us what the Bible is saying. It is important to know it’s a book of history. You can’t just open it up and start reading. It doesn’t read like a novel. They will show how to read the Bible in Chronological order. Scott outlines four key theological concepts and foundation principals. They look at what we can do with it and how we can apply it. They also describe Biblical covenants and look at the six covenants that were made throughout the Bible.

2.	History Of Early World

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2022.mp3 The first 11 chapters contain the main themes of the Bible. You can compare them to an acorn that sprouts a shoot and becomes a tree. They take a look at the first parts of Genesis 1-11. They say that genealogy acts like a camera lens. They also talk about the covenant that was made with Noah and how his sons spread throughout the land. Scott talks more in depth about the four themes and what they mean. He also describes the differences between a contract and a covenant.

3.	Patriarchs

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2023.mp3 Scott and Jeff take a look at God’s blood covenant with Abraham which takes place in the second part of Genesis (12-50). They discuss how the three promises that God made to Abraham became covenants. They also talk about the patriarchs, what they represent and why blessings were important. They highlight the Bible’s call to fidelity to Our Lord through Joseph’s bondage into slavery and his rise to power in Egypt.

4.	Israel In Egypt

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2024.mp3 Scott and Jeff look at Abraham and the three promises and covenants that were made between him and God. They talk about the book of Exodus and explain difficult areas of the book. They talk about Israel as being God’s first-born son and discuss the covenant that was made at Mount Sini. They look at why cattle, sheep and goats were sacred for Egyptians. He also explains the breakaway from Egypt and the Mt. Sinai covenant. They then talk about the “golden calf” incident and the result from it and why the Levites were the ones who became priests.

5.	Conquest Of Canaan

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2025.mp3 Scott and Jeff look at Israel’s forty year travail in the desert. They look at the books of Deutoronomy and Numbers. The book of Numbers describes the Israelite’s forty year wanderings. Scott and Jeff also cover the Dueteronomic covenant which established the political constitution for the nation of Israel from their time until the coming of Christ. It was to Israel what our Constitution is to us. They also explain why God required animal sacrifices.

6.

Judges

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2026.mp3 Scott and Jeff examine the rise and fall of the nation of Israeli. They talk about the books of Joshua and Judges. They also talk about a five point cycle of sin that takes place seven times during this period. The cycle starts out by finding ourselves in sin until we are delivered by God and then we go back to silence. Every time during this cycle, God raised up leaders who were called Judges. There were 12 judges, 6 who were major judges and 6 who were minor ones. Scott talks about the three parts of Joshua and the battle of Jericho.

7.	United Kingdom

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2027.mp3 Scott and Jeff take a look at Israel’s three major kings: Saul, David, and Solomon. The books of 1/2 Samuel and 1 Kings describe these kingdoms. The absence of a king represented a lack of holy leadership. Samuel warned the people of what a king would do and King Solomon ended up doing what Samuel said a king would do. They also look at how the second promise God made to Abraham was fulfilled in David. The kingdom lasted 120 years and was divided into 40 years for the three kings. This time is considered to be Israel’s Golden Age.

8.	Divided Kingdom

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2028.mp3 Jeff and Scott examine the rebellion against King Solomon’s son around the year 930 BC in 1 and 2 Kings and how it divided Israel in two. They explain the importance of the prophets and knowing which part of Israel they are talking to. This sheds light on what they are saying and why. They also look at the story of Jonah and the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel.

9.

The Exile

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2029.mp3 Scott and Jeff discuss the Babylonian exile and Israel’s return from exile. Judaism begins during their return. Israel endured 70 years in exile. Their return came about in 3 stages. Scott and Jeff examine the books of Ezra and Nehemiah who were among the first to return from exile. Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi wrote at this time as well. They conclude their discussion on the Old Testament by considering the Maccabbean revolt and the book of Maccabbees.

10.

Gospels I

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2030.mp3 Scott and Jeff describe how to navigate the New Testament. They discuss the New Testament’s structure, the Gospels’ main themes and intended audience and how they portrayed Christ. They also examine the similarities between Jesus and Moses.

11.	Gospels II

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2031.mp3 Scott and Jeff examine St. John’s Gospel which is considered to be the most symbolic. It gives us a reliable history that is almost sacramental in character. They talk about the sacraments that are found in John’s Gospel: Baptism and the Eucharist. They also talk about why the Eucharist is really the Flesh of Christ and not a symbol and why for many years no one questioned it. It is in John 6:4 that Jesus links himself to the Passover and the Exodus. The Old Testament lamb is a symbol of Christ.

12.

Acts I

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2032.mp3 Jeff and Scott introduce the early church. The Book of Acts is the last historical book. It fulfils the third promise to Abraham as Jesus commands His followers to spread the Gospel. They look at the Book Acts’ division in three parts which covers 29 years of the Church’s expansion. They also outline a theological approach to Acts and discuss Sola Fide and Sola Scriptura.

13.

Acts II

Host – Scott Hahn & Jeff Cavinsiq_2033.mp3 Scott and Jeff conclude the series by examining the books of Hebrews and Revelations. Hebrews sheds light on how the New Covenant fulfills the Old Covenant. Jesus is the New Melchizedek. The doctrine of the Eucharist is the basis of the New Covenant. They also talk about how to understand the heart of the message of Revelation. Through the Mass, we will win the spiritual battle. They look at the Book of Revelation’s insights into the anti-Christ and the rapture and the image of Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant.

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Women in the Early Days of the Church

The female presence in the sphere of the primitive Church was not in any way secondary… It is to St Paul that we are indebted for an ample documentation on the dignity and ecclesial role of women. He begins with the fundamental principle according to which for the baptized: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3: 28), that is, all are united in the same basic dignity, although each with specific functions (cf. I Cor 12:27f.). The Apostle accepts as normal the fact that a woman can “prophesy” in the Christian community (I Cor 11:5), that is, speak openly under the influence of the Spirit, as long as it is for the edification of the community and done in a dignified manner…

We have already come across the figure of Prisca or Priscilla, Aquila’s wife, who surprisingly is mentioned before her husband in two cases (cf. Acts 18: 18; Rom 16: 3): In any case, both are explicitly described by Paul as his “collaborators” (Rom 16: 3)…  It should also be noted that Paul’s short Letter to Philemon is actually also addressed to a woman called “Apphia” (cf. Phlm 2)… and it must be said that she must have held an important position in the community at Colossae. In any case, she is the only woman mentioned by Paul among those to whom he addressed a Letter. Elsewhere, the Apostle mentions a certain “Phoebe”, described as “a deaconess of the Church at Cenchreae”… (Rm 16,1-2). Although at that time the title had not yet acquired a specific ministerial value of a hierarchical kind, it expresses a true and proper exercise of responsibility on the part of this woman for this Christian community…  In the same epistolary context the Apostle outlines with delicate touches the names of other women: a certain Mary, then Tryphaena, Tryphosa and “the beloved” Persis, as well as Julia (Rom 16: 6, 12a, 12b, 15)… Furthermore, in the Church at Philippi two women were to distinguish themselves, Euodia and Syntyche (cf. Phil 4: 2). Paul’s entreaty to mutual agreement suggests that these two women played an important role in that community. In short, without the generous contribution of many women, the history of Christianity would have developed very differently.

Pope Benedict XVI
General Audience of 14/02/07 (trans. © Libreria Editrice Vaticana)