ŚLĄSKIE STUDIA HISTORYCZNO-TEOLOGICZNE

Punishing of the Jewish People by God as an Expression of Divine Paideia according to the Second Book of Maccabees
When studying the historical narrative context of the Second Book of the Maccabees, one can notice many theological topics that were taken upon by the author of this book. One of them is the issue of divine punishment that was imposed on the Jewish people for their infidelity towards the Law, which consisted in practicing Hellenistic customs violating rules of the Torah. Although the infidelity was committed only by a group of the Jewish people, the punishment affected virtually the entire Jewish community in Judea. Therefore, the author of 2 Maccabees tries to explain the nature and the role of the punishment that God has inflicted upon the entire Jewish community. He strongly emphasized that the punishment which was received by the Jews immediately was educational (pedagogic) in nature (divine paideia), so that the Jewish people would return to God: God, who is faithful to His covenant and has never left His chosen people; even when chastising, He always had in mind the best interests of Israel as His firstborn.

Participation of the Jerusalem Temple in the Effects of Godʼs Anger towards Israel (2 Macc. 5:17-20) in the Light of the Deuteronomistic Kerygma
When analysing the history of the Jerusalem Temple during the Maccabean period, as presented in the Second Book of Maccabees, one can clearly see features of the deuteronomistic kerygma. The chosenness of the nation of Israel was closely linked with the choseness of the temple. Its prosperity depended directly on the prosperity of the chosen people. Both Israel’s and the temple’s well-being were essentially based upon fidelity of the chosen people to the Law. Deviation from the Law evoked the anger of God who consequently sent punishment to his people. The temple was directly involved in this punishment. However, the conversion of the chosen people became the basis for God’s mercy (transforming God’s anger into divine mercy) and the blessing of God as the fruit of fidelity to the Law. Another expression of God’s mercy constituted the possibility of rebuilding or purifying the temple so that God would be able to dwell in the midst of his people, and that in this chosen place Israel could pray and exercise the righteous worship in order to receive God’s blessing and mercy.

"KINDHEITSGESCHICHTE" JESU IM KERYGMATISCHEN ASPEKT
Kindheitsgeschichte Jesu (Mt 1-2; Lk 1-2) wurde schon von vielen Autoren betrachtet. Dieser Artikel rekapituliert synthetisch die Ergebnisse der Diskussion und will die wesentliche Botschaft dieser Berichte zeigen. Zuerst werden Ursachen für die Niederschrift der Kindheitsgeschichte Jesu vorgestellt, dann literarische Probleme und theologische Motive der Kindheitsgeschichte. Dann werden einzelne Perikopen betrachtet. Immer wird zuerst der literarische Aufbau der Perikope gezeigt, dann theologischer Inhalt und endlich die Hauptbotschaft herausgegriffen. Solche Behandlung dieser Texte kann der praktischen Verkündigung behilflich sein.

“Believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Gal3:6). Abraham’s Way of Faith in the Biblical Tradition
Abraham’s faith was based on the close and personal relationship with God. The Bible describes it especially in the scenes of God’s revelation to the patriarch. During this events God gives him orders or promises. These two dimensions are often linked and follow one another. Abraham’s deeds are his response to God’s words. It is worth mentioning that Abraham does not act without a reflection but he asks questions, enters into dialogue with God and has the courage to express his own doubts

HISTOIRE ET NATURE DE LA SAGESSE BIBLIQUE
Chez les Hébreux à côté des prêtres et des prophètes il y avait aussi des sages, auxquels se rattachent les livres sapientiaux de l'Ancien Testament. L'ideé centrale de ces livres est la sagesse qui, fondée non pas sur les préceptes de Jahve mais sur l'expérience, fut considérée comme un art de vivre. La sagesse biblique, universelle et laïque avant la captivité, après celle-ci, absorbée par la foi jahvistique, devient Israélite et religieuse. Par la sagesse parle Jahve lui-même. Avec le temps, elle fut identifiée avec la Loi (Tora). La critique de la sagesse se trouve dans L'Ecclesiaste, qui indique les possibilités limitées de la sagesse et de la science humaine.

LA REDAZIONE DI LC 8,15
L'ultima proposizione dell'interpretazione della parabola del seminatore (Lc 8, 15) nella redazione di Luca presenta alcune parole paralella alle due enunziazioni di Maria dal Vangelo dell'Infanzia (Lc 2, 19.51) ed alle due altre, nelle quali si parla dell'ascoltare e del conservare la parola di Dio (Lc 8, 21; 11, 28). L'autore ha voluto rintracciare il senso delle parole paralelle, le ha comparato tra loro, ed ha concluso che le parole "coloro che hanno ascoltato la parola e la conservano in un cuore onesto e buono, producono frutto con perseveranza", Luca riferisce a Maria, Madre di Gesù.

PROCESSUS ACTIVUS FIDEI SECUNDUM QUARTUM EVANGELIUM
Quamquam Paulus et Iohannes idem sapiunt de necessitate fidei ad salutem consequendam, aliud quoddam fidei momentum in Quarto Evangelio inculcatur, nempe hominis responsio danda revelationi divinae eschatologicae (cf. J 20,29-31). In processu igitur fidei distinguenda est pars prima desuper adveniens, quae est actio divina Patris, Filii et Spiritus Sancti, ab altera, quae deorsum assurgit, hoc est a responsione humana variis obstaculis vicissitudinibusque obnoxia. Quod primam partem attinet, a Deo Patre, humanae salutis auctore, originem sumit illud medium, quod est fides salvifica (3,16-18). Hominis autem est libera sui arbitrii decisione medium illud accipere vel repudiare. Permulta igitur Iudaeorum opera salvifica hoc uno continentur oportet: credere in Eum, quem misit Ille (6,29). Solius Patris est "trahere" quempiam ad Filium a Patre missum eique homines "dare" (6, 44. 65;10, 29; 17, 6). Quod quidem prae primis fit per "testirnonium", quod suo Filio perhibet Pater (5, 32. 37-38) ita, ut fides in homine credente sit velut praesentia testimonii divini (1 J 5, 10). Filius, necessarius fidei divinae mediator, iam inde a prologo Evangelii apparet (1, 14. 16. 18); ac deinde in successivis, quae dicuntur, epiphaniis mysterii eius Personae gradatim percipiuntur singula Eius attributa: coram discipulis muliere Samaritana, caeco nato, Martha et Thoma (1,35-51; 4,9-42; 11,27; 20,28). Christus fidei mediator necessarius fit praesens non tantum coaevis suis, sed pari modo iis, ad quos Ecclesiae pervenit praedicatio (20, 29). Spiritus vero Sanctus missus est discipulis Christi operis continuator (7, 39), eiusdemque consummator eschatologicus. Quae assertio duabus astruitur praemissis, quarum una communis est omnium fere scriptorum NT* de Spiritus effusione in aevo Messiae secundum oracula prophetarum (1, 32-34), altera vero Iohannis propria de Spiritus Par aditi muñere peculiari (14, 18; 16, 7). Quae actio salvifica incipitur a regeneratione baptismali (3, 5-8 cf. 1 J 3, 1). Hoc igitur tramite gloria Unigenti transit in nos, Christi fratres natu minores. Deinde fidei initia a Spiritu Paráclito in singulis fidelibus promoventur, dum illi profundius veritatem revelatam sapiunt (14, 17.26; 16, 13). Pars processus altera, humana revelationi divinae danda responsio, varis ex partibus in Quarto Evangelio illustrata. Maximi momenti est ipsa hominis decisio "recipiendi" fidem simulque Filium Dei salvantem (1, 1012; 3, 11. 32; 5, 43), quae iure meritoque dici potest "existentialis" et eschatologica, cum iam nunc fiat iudicium (3, 18. 36). Requiritur quidem gratia fidei tamquam "attractio Patris", attamen hominis responsio libera remanet in accipienda nova prorsus vivendi ratione, postulata a fide Christi. Plura exhibentur fidei obstacula in hominibus, qui "signa quaerunt" (4, 48), "saturari" cupiunt (6, 26), vario modo naturalismo exitiali immerguntur (6, 15. 42. 52; 8, 15), quamvis noverint revelationem, ob Defectum divini amoris et superbiam (5, 42. 44). Cum fides, ut personane Filii adhaereamus, postulet, totam hominis vitam invadat performetque necesse est (11, 26). Proinde credendi synonyma fiunt verba: "venire", "testimonium perhibere", "opera faceré". Item facile dignoscitur nexus fidem inter et caritatem (16, 27), cum agatur de adhaerendo non tantum doctrinae, sed Personae. Quam ob Rem facile intelleguntur haec synonyma fidei: audire (4, 42; 5, 24; 6, 45; 10, 16. 26), videre (1, 14; 11, 40; 14, 8-10) et cogmoscere (10, 14-15; 14, 7; 20, 8-9). Processus fidei continuus est revelatio Christi diligentis (17, 26).