The Accra Central Regional Council and Court of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall, as part of their yearly activities, held this year’s New Year School at the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka, on the theme: The Holy Bible, Treasure to Renew the Spirit, Body, Mind and Soul.
In a joint welcome address on Monday, March 31, 2025, W/Bro Ignatius Laryea Sowah-Avugrah, Regional Grand Knight, and RL Sis. Matilda Boamah-Dwirah, Regional Noble Lady, members were encouraged to allow themselves not only to gain knowledge or exchange ideas but to be transformed by the Holy Spirit and help all to know their faith and church better.
“Our goal throughout this seminar is not merely to learn but to grow in our faith, to be equipped as servants of Christ and to be empowered to serve our communities and the world with love and wisdom that He has bestowed upon us,” they jointly stated.
They therefore called on members of the Marshallan fraternity to seek a deeper understanding of the Bible as the word of God as a guide to build their faith as Catholics, driven by service and charity, and making a difference in the church, community, and humanity.
Participants were encouraged to ask God through His ordained priests to guide their hearts, thoughts, and actions as they journey through intellectual growth and spiritual renewal.
The New Year School is an initiative of the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall, which originally started as The Catechism School.
It seeks to help in educating Marshallans on the Catholic faith and deepening their knowledge of God’s Word.
Speaking at the 4th edition on the topic, “The Holy Bible, God inspires and man writes,” W/Bro. Fr. Evans Halolo, Chaplain of the Achimota Senior High School, touched on what the Bible is, the principles of Biblical interpretation, and interpreting some texts of the Bible.
“First of all, you must understand that no prophecy of the scripture is a matter of one’s interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God”, he said.
He further added that all scripture inspired by God is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct to instruct in justice. The books of scripture must be acknowledged as teaching firmly, faithfully, and without error that truth which God wanted to put into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation.
Fr. Halolo also stated that the role of the Church is to preach the gospel and that even though the application of the Bible is complex in relating to our current circumstances, the interpretation of the Bible is needed.
He said that it required more than a simple reading of scriptures and that interpretation was not to give one’s personal views, adding that the true prophet is not to preach words issuing from them but the words coming to them.
Speaking on the general principles of Biblical interpretation, Fr. Halolo said, it was the same God who reveals His saving will in both the Old Testament and New Testament.
Consequently, there is a fundamental similarity between the Old and New Testaments, he added, saying, “The unity of the Bible is not a unity that finds its expression in uniformity but in great variety and diversity”.
In interpreting the biblical text, he said, one should try to read everything first of all in the setting of its age and the context of the whole unfolding revelation of which it forms a part.
By Celestine Edem Gbologah//Newswatchgh.com
