...Book Review on Augustine as Mentor CHHI 520D18 LUO (Fall 2013) Church History I Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Reed E. Harvey (ID# 24867788) December 16, 2013 THESIS STATEMENT Determine whether the mentoring approach used by Augustine, an Early Church Father is yet relevant for today’s church. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction …………….……………………….………………………………….…4 II. Brief Summary ……….…………………………………………….………………...4 III. Critical Interaction ………………………………………………………………….6 IV. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………7 Working Bibliography …………………………………………………………………...9 I. Introduction This review will provide a summarization and critical interaction with the text: Augustine as Mentor authored by Edward L. Smither. Smither is associate professor of Church History and Intercultural Studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Other areas of scholarly interest include the Early Church, evangelical missions among Arabs and the history of missions. The thesis of this text is, “that Augustine effectively mentored spiritual leaders and set them apart for needed ministries in the church.” II. Brief Summary Smither sets the table for this text through an in-depth analysis and look at mentoring in the first century. Special emphasis centered on mentoring done by Jesus with the Disciples as found in the Gospels and with the Apostle Paul from the book of Acts and Paul’s epistles. Smither’s...
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...The Canonization of the New Testament When we think about the New Testament in our Bibles today most of us pay little attention to, or have little regard for the history that surrounds how it came to be. This is partly because of the high position we as Evangelicals have for our Bibles. We are taught that the Bible is infallible and never contradicts itself. I agree whole heartedly that the Bible is God's Holy Word and infallible non contradictory. But two weeks ago if you were to ask me how the Bible was put together or "canonized", I would have told you that there was some sort of council that decided which books should be in there, but ultimately it was God's sovereign will. Now the last part would be correct, but the rest is at best debatable. So how was the Bible put together? Since the argument is extremely complex and much of the details are lost or were never recorded, we will be exploring the different events that drove the movement, along with several different opinions of when the Bible was Complete or Canonized. There were two particular movements during the second century that made the Church realize a need to have a compilation of books that were universally accepted. The first movement, although not as well know, was Marcionism. This heretical sect was started by Marcion who was born into Christianity but had a deep dislike for Judaism and the material world. He believed that the God and Father of Jesus are not the same as the creator Yahweh, and it was...
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...REL 312 Early Christianity “In the years after Jesus ‘death, how did the first Christians survive and build strong communities?” The first Christians were all Jews either by birth or conversion. The early Christians used the Jewish bible (the torah) generally in the Greek or Aramaic translations. The early Christians practiced still in the Jewish synagogs. Tension raised inside the synagogue. The Jewish leaders and Pharisees persecuted the early Christians. Especially Saul of tarsus, who converted and changed his name to Paul. This led to the Christ believers to escape to Jerusalem. The Christians needed to separate themselves from the Jewish synagogue and form their own church. They still practiced the Jewish faith intertwined with Christ’ teachings and parables. The early Christians have believed that Christ would return to them in their life time. When it became clear to them that they needed to pass down the teachings to future generations, they started writing the teachings and accounts down. They had to create their own church structure. Where baptism and the lords supper were essential. The first gospel written was the book of mark. Mark depended on written documents in Greek and oral history in his community. Later Mathew and Luke where written. Where scholars see that Mathew and Luke’s teachings were cummunative of mark and the source “Q”. “Q” being an oral community. The early church taught how Jesus was a radical reformer of the Jewish faith...
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...gospel was written before AD62 is that there is no mention of the fall of Jerusalem in the book of acts which happened in the AD70’s this was quite a big event that took place and was still not mentioned. The book of acts only seems to focus on the events that were relevant before the fall of Jerusalem. If the book of acts was written before AD62 then the gospel of Luke was written a short time before this. Luke’s purpose was to present the progression of the gospel from Jerusalem and Rome. Another possible date that is argued is the AD80’s as Luke’s knowledge of the great fall of Jerusalem as an event of the past is more apparent compared to Matthew and mark. Luke depended on marks gospel which is usually dated in the late AD70’s and the early AD80’s, but however the timing of mark and Luke’s use of it would have to require a date for Luke in the AD80’s. Luke refers to previous events or accounts he has investigated before composing them on his own behalf; this would therefore suggest a later rather than earlier date for Luke. In the book of acts Paul is made out to be an heroic and...
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...Is it appropriate to attempt to be an "Acts Church" today - that is, is it appropriate to use the book of Acts as a guide to establishing and operating a Church today? Why or why not? I would be absolutely thrilled to either be a member of or a minister in a church that is as dedicated to Jesus and spreading the word of God as the early church described on page 416 of our text book by Darrell Bock. It was difficult overcoming their life long teachings and laws but once they were enlightened they were just as stubborn holding to the word of the Messiah as they were to the laws of Moses. Acts 19:8 tells us that Paul taught in the synagogue for three months but the Jews rejected bitterly and tried to teach against Jesus and his doctrine; so they left and taught at the school of Tyrannus and some of the Jews that could not worship Jesus in the synagogue went to listen to Paul and believed. They had a hard time moving from the law to grace but now we are taught many things that just is not Bible based and has turned many away. However, I don’t believe that we can stand at the entrance and ask all who enter if they have sinned today. We don’t have to allow them to join the church without being examined to know that they are living a Christian life. There are many false doctrines, false teachings in the church today. Most are probably only a misinterpretation of the Bible by those that have little to no training. An article on the web talks about how false doctrine is introduced and...
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...For Entrance in Fall 2013 Application Supplement Office of Admissions and Financial Aid 86 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA 02138 Please indicate under which timetable you are applying: Restrictive Early Action Please return this form to us as soon as possible, and by October 15, if possible. Final deadline is November 1. Valid for entrance in September 2013 only. Please submit this form as well as the Common Application or the Universal College Application as soon as possible. Regular Decision Please return this form to us as soon as possible, and by December 15 if at all possible. Final deadline is January 1. A completed application includes all portions of the Common Application or the Universal College Application, as well as the Harvard Application Supplement, required official testing results, a Secondary School Report, two Teacher Evaluations and a $75 application fee or fee waiver request. Full legal name Goswami Last/Family IE Arunesh First Apt./Unit W Middle Jr., etc. Prefer to be called Date of Birth 02/02/1994 (MM/DD/YYYY) Address 324-D TYPE-2 BLOCK-6 NEYVELI No. and Street CUDDALORE DISTRICT PR EV NEYVELI City State/Province India Country 607803 Zip/Postal Code Telephone Number (home) 091041422683 (cell) 091809813561 Secondary School JAWAHAR HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL CEEB/ACT code 000004 If you can be reached by fax or e-mail, please provide a fax number or e-mail address and name of the contact person...
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...The question is traditionally referred to as the formation of the canon. To begin our investigation we will need to have a sound understanding of the terminology. Our English word "canon" is a loan-word from the Latin canon, which in turn was derived from the Greek kanon. For our purposes it is important to trace the linguistic development of the term. While the Greek word kanon does occur in the New Testament it cannot be translated by "canon" in English. In each case it is more suitably translated "rule" or "standard" (2 Cor.10:13,15,16; Gal.6:16; Phil.3:16). It will be noted that all the occurrences of the word are in Paul's writings, and in none of these instances is he referring to the canon of Scripture. That was to be a much later development. Movement in this direction occurred when "in the second century in the Christian church kanon came to stand for revealed truth, rule of faith." 1 Here we are distinguishing the redemptive-historical idea of the Canon, in which we may take note of three main elements: 1. That of exclusive authority, according to the authorization of the apostles by Christ himself; 2. That of a qualitatively closed unity, according to the unrepeatable and unique character of the apostolic witness; 3. That of fixation and stabilization, according to its destination as foundation and depositum custodi of the Church. At the same time, it should be stated that this concept of the Canon cannot be harmonized with the idea that the Canon...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY WHAT THE DECIAN PERSUCTION REVEALED ABOUT THE CHURCH A PAPER SUBMITTED TO … IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CHHI 520 BY KIMBERLY SOUTER LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA FEBRAURY 19, 2014 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………. 3 THE CLIMATE ON THE EVE OF DECIUS’ EDICT…………………………………… 3 The Church in the Third Century………………………………………………….. 3 The Imperial Crisis of the Third Century (AD 235-284)………………………….. 5 DECIUS’ EDICT AND ITS EFFECT…………………………………………………….. 5 Cyprian…………………………………………………………………………….. 7 EXILES…..………………………………………………………………………………... 8 APOSTATES OR THE “LAPSED”…….………………………………………………… 10 MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS………………………………………………………… 12 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………. 14 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………. 16 INTRODUCTION Certain tensions existed with the rise of Christianity within the Roman Empire. Prior to the advent of Christianity and even up to 200 AD, Rome was relatively tolerant of religions. Judaism was accepted into the mix of various pagan religions of the Empire, and in its infancy Christianity was simply considered a sect of Judaism, which seemed to pose no real threat to the Empire because Jews did not seek to proselytize. However, Christians were zealous in their worship of Jesus and their spreading of His message, so that in the third century Rome’s policy toward the Christians changed. Persecution...
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...Egyptian farmers in 1945. Dated papyrus scraps used to strengthen the bindings of the books helped date the volumes to the mid-fourth century A.D. Photo: Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont, CA. Until the discovery of the Nag Hammadi codices in 1945, the Gnostic view of early Christianity had largely been forgotten. The teachings of Gnostic Christianity—vilified especially since they were declared heretic by orthodox Christianity in the fourth century—had been virtually erased from history by the early church fathers, their gospels banned and even burned to make room for the view of Christian theology outlined in the canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But when two peasants discovered the Nag Hammadi texts, a 13-volume library of Coptic texts hidden beneath a large boulder near the town of Nag Hammadi in upper Egypt, the world was reintroduced to this long-forgotten and much-maligned branch of early Christian thought, Gnostic Christianity, from the Greek word gnosis, “knowledge.” The Nag Hammadi codices are 13 leather-bound volumes dated to the mid-fourth century that contain an unprecedented collection of more than 50 texts, including some that had been composed as early as the second century. Learn about the history of Christmas and the date of Jesus’ birth in the free eBook The First Christmas: The Story of Jesus’ Birth in History and Tradition. The Nag Hammadi codices, detail Photo: Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont...
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...The Role of Women in the Church The role of women in the Christian faith has always been matter of debate. Whether women are equal to men in the eyes of the church still presents itself as a major question as we move into the 21st century. Women are still not allowed to serve as priests or hold major positions in the churches hierarchy. This inferiority is something that is seen as tradition and rarely do people question it. However, in Paul s letters he alluded to a different role that women should take on. He presents the idea that everyone is equal in the eyes of the Lord as long as they have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Although he was not the first to ever express these beliefs, the idea that Paul presented was quite radical for his time and may not have been taken with the same authority as some of his other teachings. However, the basic formula that Paul used in some of his letters was also presented by subsequent writer’s years after he was finished with his ministry. The most straightforward presentation of Paul s view on the role of women is in Galatians 3:28, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. This statement brought up the idea of baptism and the key role it plays in the life of a Christian. Paul states that when you are baptized in the name of Jesus all worldly distinctions are no longer important. A person is not to be viewed based on past religion, life before baptism, or gender, he or she will now be viewed...
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...Across the colonies, the threat of war looms. Many fear the overwhelming might of Great Britain, and argue that war against them is a battle the colonies cannot win. But Patrick Henry feels otherwise. He argues that despite being massively outnumbered, the colonies have a force that will tip the scales in their favor. The power of God. In his “Speech to the Second Virginia Convention” Henry pushes the delegates to support war by weaving in biblical references and declaring that America has holy backing, in an attempt to portray the revolution as holy struggle for liberty. One way he reveals the holiness of the American cause is by comparing the colonies to Jesus and the early christians. Henry warns the delegates against being people who “having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not” when it comes to British oppression (3). In Jeremiah 5:21 this phrase was used to refer to non-christians — those who despite having eyes and ears, were blind to glory of God. This masterfully implies that those against war are like those non-believers, blind to the holy miracle that is occurring in front of them. It also compares the revolutionaries to the original followers of Jesus, because they are the minority that sees what is actually happening, and are fighting for a righteous cause. Building on this comparison, he warns the delegates that Britain will “[betray] them with a kiss,” referencing the kiss that Judas gave to Jesus immediately before betraying him (5). By comparing the British...
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...Evangelism in the Early Church [Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, November 14, 1985] by Joel L. Pless The primary mission of the Christian Church is to preach the gospel to all nations, it is to win souls for Christ. The fact that there are approximately one billion at least nominal Christians in the world indicates that Christ’s Great Commission has been at least partially carried out. This monograph will research how and by whom was the Great Commission enacted in the “early days” of the Christian church, during its first four centuries (100-500 A.D.) This research paper will not contribute creatively to the study of theology or methods of evangelism, but it will rather compile from a representative bibliography facts concerning evangelism in the early Church. Granted, research on this topic has been undertaken before by individuals with far greater academic credentials than the writer of these lines. But this monograph will attempt to condense the vast amount of material written on this topic into a monograph on evangelism in the early Church which is long enough to adequately cover the subject but still short enough to be interesting. This essay will approach the topic by asking the basic questions, why?, what?, who?, to whom?, and how?( William C. Weinrich, “Evangelism in the Early Church,” in Concordia Theological Quarterly, vol. XLV, (January-April 1981), pp. 61-74.) When possible, primary sources from the early Church fathers will be quoted in translation. The ultimate...
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...Background Since childhood, Becky Fuller has dreamed to work for the Today show as news producer. However, her effort to the job is off-putting to potential suitors and eventually being laid off from her job at the local Good Morning New Jersey. After this event, her mother advises her to stop her dream to make her life better; However, Becky perseveres, and continues her dream. She sends lots of résumés, and receives an opportunity from IBS for the national morning show, DayBreak. For the job interview with Jerry Barnes, it is not satisfactory. Then, Becky bumps into one of her heroes, veteran television journalist Mike Pomeroy in an elevator, and meets him. Finally, Barnes hires Becky to be DayBreak's executive producer. On her first day, Becky realizes that the show has many problems. She decides Pomeroy to replace her co-host Paul McVee as her new co-host. Pomeroy refuses to become Becky’s co-host because he wants to less workload. Becky uses Pomeroy’s contract to force him to accept her requirement eventually. However, Pomeroy is not contributed for his job due to many reasons, and the result is discouraging as ratings begin to drop; Becky is told that DayBreak may be canceled. Therefore, Becky decides to use radical approach in order to raise the ratings and save the show, but Barnes doesn’t believe Becky could success. During a staff meeting, Pomeroy shows interest in doing a story, and finally he breaks the story of racketeering on live television, and this help...
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...Management 600 Dr. Luce Blake Herner Brown –Forman Corporation Founded by George Garvin Brown and John Forman in 1870 Brown- Forman is now one of the largest competitors in the alcoholic beverage market within the United States. The company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky and is still family owned to this day. While the company sells a wide variety of products they are specifically known for their wine, spirits and whiskeys. Under an umbrella of roughly 25 distinctive brands “Brown-Forman Corporation is a diversified producer, marketer, and exporter of alcoholic beverage and consumer products”. Their top sellers are “Jack Daniel's whiskey, Southern Comfort liqueur, Canadian Mist Canadian whiskey, Early Times and Old Forester bourbon, Glenmorangie Scotch, Finlandia vodka, Korbel champagne and brandy, and Fetzer, Bolla, and Sonoma-Cutrer wines” (1) www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories, Organizational Change and strategic Bourbon was the original product Brown-Forman produced and sold giving theirs the title of ‘ Old Forester’, which is still in production today. Bourbon was traditionally sold by the barrel directly from the distiller to the retailer. At which point the bar or pub would transfer the bourbon into there own bottles. Recognizing this opportunity and understanding the power of marketing using a differentiated approach, Brown-Forman began bottling ‘Old Forester’ making sure each was corked and sealed. This was the first marketing...
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...examination questionnaire will be provided on the morning of administration. This is a closed-book examination, which means that no other materials are allowed on your desk, or within reach during testing other than a pencil (or two) and the aforementioned examination items. Your success on the examination entails an ability to correctly respond to the questions/prompts within each of the following topics: The Emergence/Spread of the Early Christian Church: 1. Know commonalities between themes in Luke and Acts of the Apostles. 2. Which disciple is chosen to replace Judas Iscariot? 3. Know the significance of the following numbers: 12, 40, and 50. 4. Why is the Pentecost significant in Judaism and Christianity? 5. Identify the three internal conflicts encountered during the spread of the early Christian church. Be able to use their key question and central concerns to identify them in a given scenario. 6. Identify the three external conflicts encountered during the spread of the early Christian church. Be able to use their key question and central concerns to identify them in a given scenario. 7. Who is the undisputed author of the Epistle to the Galatians? 8. What is the significance of temporal (worldly) law in the Epistle to the Galatians? 9. Who does the Epistle to Diognetus state is “…not distinguished from the rest of (hu)mankind either in locality, in speech, or in customs” in 5:1? 10...
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