...The tension between the universal and the particular has always been a major topic in Bible studies. Since this dichotomy is also important in daily lives, there are many cases in the Scripture that reflects and discusses about it. Here I would like to present four examples from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Then from these examples and other reading materials, which perspective of the dichotomy the Church privilege shall be evident. Let me introduce the first example of the dichotomy, which compares the Book of Proverbs and the Old Testament as a whole. As the name Hebrew bible suggests, the Old Testament mostly concerns about the history of the Israelite people. For example, one of the most important parts in the Old Testament is the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses that focuses on the history of Jewish people. In these books, it appears that God chooses the Israelites among all the races of men. He leads the Israelites out of slavery and suffering in Egypt and brings them back to the Promised Land. He also makes a covenant with them on Mount Sinai, thus indicating the special status of the Israelites. In Exodus 3:6, God says to Moses: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” In this sentence, God specifically addresses that He is the God of the Israelites people and shows his favor toward them. This is a good example of particularism. Furthermore, later in the Old Testament the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua...
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...and God? Clearly not. The dominant theme in the gospels and the center of Jesus' proclamation was the reign or kingdom of God. This one phrase sums up his whole ministry and his whole life's work. Every thought and saying of Jesus was directed and subordinated to one single thing: the realization of the reign of God upon the earth. 2The Bible, also called the Scriptures or the Sacred Scriptures, is a collection of books written by human authors inspired by God. They are an account of God's revelation and plan of salvation for the human race. The Bible is made up of seventy-three books and is divided into two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. 3 Do you realize that if you are a Christian, and have read the entire Bible, you are in the minority? Does this scare you? Well, it should! If you study the Bible yourself, you are in an even greater minority that even most pastors do not fall into! Yet, all of them would have an opinion of the Bible, teach, and make decisions based on their understanding of the Bible. 4 66 BOOK OF THE BIBLE 1. Genesis -22. Song of Songs -43. John -64. 3 John 2. Exodus -23. Isaiah -44. Acts -65. Jude 3. Leviticus -24. Jeremiah -45. Romans -66. Revelation 4. Numbers - 25. Lamentations -46. 1 Corinthians 5. Deuteronomy -26. Ezekiel -47. 2 Corinthians 6. Joshua -27. Daniel -48. Galatians 7. Judges -28. Hosea -49. Ephesians 8. Ruth -29. Joel -50. Philippians 9. 1 Samuel -30. Amos -51....
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...Christ the Coming King Steven Collier Crown College Abstract In this paper I will discuss the different views on the second coming of Christ, the rapture of the church, how the second coming of Christ affects missions, and I give an exegesis of Revelation 20:1-6. I will also discuss why I believe the pre-millennial view is the correct view concerning the return of Christ. There are three schools of thought in the area of the thousand year reign of Christ. They are the amillennial view, postmillennial view, and the premillennial view. Those who believe in a amillennial view do not believe in a literal or an actual future kingdom of peace and prosperity here on earth that will last one thousand years. Those who hold this view tend to view Scripture in a more figurative way than a literal way. They believe the thousand year reign of Christ is symbolic of the church age between the resurrection of Christ and His return. Most amillennialists believe that a spiritual form of the Kingdom of God is present now. Amillennialism reject the idea of a rapture. They believe good and evil will increase in the world as God’s Kingdom parallels the kingdom of Satan. They believe Satan is bound but yet evil increases. They believe when Christ returns the end of the world will occur with a general resurrection and a judgment of all people. They believe Christ will never reign on earth in a literal way but the Kingdom of God exists on earth in the...
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...PHILIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH (Acts 8:26-40) A Paper by Sharon D. Norman Presented to Dr. John Hanna In partial fulfillment of the requirements of Biblical Interpretation Nazarene Bible College Colorado Springs, CO March 16, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................3 ORIENTATION AND CONTEXT......................................................................3 SIGNIFICANCE OF TEXT .............................................................................3 HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL SETTING ...........................................................4 LITERARY CONTEXT .................................................................................4 PRESENTATION OF TEXT ...............................................................................6 SCRIPTURE PASSAGE .................................................................................6 TEXT CRITICAL NOTES .............................................................................7 OUTLINE OF PASSAGE ...............................................................................7 PHILIP HEADS TO GAZA…………………………………………………… 9 PHILIP EXPLAINS THE GOSPEL MESSAGE………………………………10 THE EUNUCH IS BAPTIZED………………………………………………...11 PHILIPP CONTINUES SPREADING THE GOSPEL MESSAGE……………12 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………13 SUMMATION…………………………………………………………..13 APPLICATION…………………………………………………………15 ...
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...Introduction to the Bible as Literature English/Religious Studies 115 CRNs: 32306, 32307, 32306, 35587 Lincoln Hall 120 Monday and Wednesday 9:00-9:50 am Friday Sections Professor Rachel Havrelock Associate Professor Department of English raheleh@uic.edu Office 1909 University Hall Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1:00-2:00 pm Professor Scott Grunow Lecturer Department of English Cobelli@aol.com Course Description This introductory class presents a literary perspective on the Bible. Texts from the Bible stand at the center of analysis, while accompanying textbooks help us to contexualize biblical materials within history. Each week revolves around a particular theme with one lecture on the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and one on the New Testament. Themes include creation, birth, the hero, the mountain, the community, the Temple, suffering, and the end of time. As we place biblical texts in their historical contexts, we will consider the Bible as a literary work with distinct genres, themes and conventions. The thematic connections between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament will be explored at the same time that differences in their style and message are investigated. While reading the Bible, we will develop a vocabulary for discussing literary texts as well as a vocabulary specific to texts from the ancient world. This lively and pluralistic course provides a thorough introduction to the literature of the Bible. Course Objectives ...
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...http://www.khouse.org Second Printing 2004 Third Printing 2011 ISBN 978-1-57821-072-5 Design and production by Koechel Peterson & Associates, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may reproduced in any form without the written permission of the Publisher. Printed in the United States of America. ******ebook converter DEMO - www.ebook-converter.com******* ******Created by ebook converter - www.ebook-converter.com****** “Cosmic Codes was the authoritative resource that we relied on in the research of our PAX-TV/Discovery Channel television special Secrets of the Bible Code Revealed. It’s absolutely packed with fascinating factual information on all of the Bible-related codes.” DAVID W. BALSIGER PRODUCER, SECRETS OF THE BIBLE CODE REVEALED “Chuck Missler writes from a technological and Biblical background in this cutting-edge analysis of the hidden codes of the Bible. This thoroughly researched book assists those investigating the inerrancy of the Word of God.” JOHN ANKERBERG ANKERBERG THEOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE THE JOHN ANKERBERG SHOW “Chuck Missler has searched the entire range of the Bible and documented the presence of messages held beyond a simple reading of the text. For many, the information in Cosmic Codes: Hidden Messages...
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...------------------------------------------------- PREFACE Recognizing that the Bible is the very Word of the Living God to man, and understanding the priority of knowing and obeying its truths, Grace to You is committed to teaching Scripture with diligence and authority. Thus, the central ministry of Grace to You is the continuous imparting of biblical truth to the people of God that they may become equipped to do the work of the ministry. This statement presents our convictions regarding the theological truths of the Bible, built on years of study and teaching. They are the primary doctrines of the Christian faith, and they reflect the heart of the teaching of Grace to You. John MacArthur ------------------------------------------------- The Holy Scriptures We teach that the Bible is God's written revelation to man, and thus the sixty six books of the Bible given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the plenary (inspired equally in all parts) Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21). We teach that the Word of God is an objective, propositional revelation (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Corinthians 2:13), verbally inspired in every word (2 Timothy 3:16), absolutely inerrant in the original documents, infallible, and God-breathed. We teach the literal, grammatical-historical interpretation of Scripture which affirms the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis present creation in six literal days (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 31:17). We teach that the Bible constitutes the only infallible rule of faith and...
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...INTRODUCTION This paper was written based on the faith of Christians. Furthermore, the research referenced the Holy Bible as it is the sole basis of Christians for their doctrines and faith. The progression of the essays was written in accordance on how I think the doctrines of Christians were regarded. Section one: Did Jesus claim to be God?, discloses the dissimilar stand for Christians on the true state of Jesus Christ whether His is God or is He a man or is He God and a man at the Same time. Section two: Does the Bible Have Authority, discusses how the Christians were made to accept as true that the Bible is the sole basis for the words of God. Section three: How can we be confident that Jesus is returning?, opens the notion on where we are heading after our journey in this world. DID JESUS CLAIM TO BE GOD? The confusion on the true state of Jesus Christ often disrupts the mind of the believers on choosing their stand. However, the Holy Scriptures have the apparent stand on the issue on how to recognize Jesus Christ. Believers were divided to three groups on their belief on Christ’s true status such as: Jesus Christ is God, Jesus Christ is a man and last of all, Jesus Christ is God and a man at the same time. According to Apostle Paul, Jesus Christ is a man however a man that serves as the lone mediator of man to God (I Timothy 2:5). According to Apostle Peter, Jesus Christ is man approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs (Acts 2:22). Moreover, Apostle...
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...Massive confusion exists within Christian churches about the “Millennium,” a unique thousand-year period depicted in the book of Revelation. Some teach this period is entirely symbolic, and not worth fretting over. Others say we’re in the Millennium now, and that it began when Jesus Christ defeated Satan by His death, burial, and resurrection. Most prophecy teachers contend that this apocalyptic period is still future, that it will immediately follow the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and will be a time of universal peace on earth as Jesus Christ governs all nations from Jerusalem. But what is the real truth about the thousand years? To discover the answer, one must carefully examine the only authoritative source where it’s taught, the Bible, especially chapter 20 in the book of Revelation. (Wohlberg, 2007) Here’s Revelation 20 in its entirety: And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after...
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...DIVINE DESTINY Kenneth Omeje Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica] Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright...
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...Religion is a topic that has been universally debated tracing back to the beginning of time. Religion shapes our lives and the way we live our lives as well as the way people behave. There are too many religions to study and discuss in a single paper; therefore, this paper will take a closer look at Christianity as it is the most common religion in the world covering 33% of the world’s population (Fisher, 2005). Why do so many people believe the words of the Holy Bible and claim the Christian faith? Is Christianity the truth? To truly understand Christianity, we must dive deep into the Biblical teachings and share the primary foundation of their beliefs. “Christianity is a faith based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus” (Fisher, 2005, pg. 284). In the beginning of this story we must start with Jesus’ mother, the Virgin Mary was visited by an angel, whom told her that she would conceive a baby and he would be the Messiah. She should name him Immanuel, which means God with us. An angel visited Joseph as well, who told him that Mary was blessed by the Holy Spirit and would have a son, who would save the people from their sins. Mary and Joseph obeyed God, the baby was born in a stable, laid in a manager and they called him Jesus, meaning God with us (Matthew 1:18-25, New International Version). At the age of 30, Jesus started his mission and selected a group of 12 disciples to help him share his message. He went place to place and preached about God’s love...
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...healed. How do we know what God wants the pastor to preach. To get the right message the Preacher like his brethren Apostles, evangelists etc. The PREACHER must listen to God, He must tarry with the Lord, He must get a message from him. This process of getting a message from God is what is called SERMON PREPARATION. To prepare a sermon, the preacher must bear in mind THREE ACTIVITIES that must be done. These three activities are studied in our Theological Seminaries as: 1.Hermeneutics, 2. Exegesis, 3. Homiletics A sermon should have the following in whatever order. The acronym is THECIA RESEARCH OR FACT FINDING SKILL 1. THEME/TEXT (Caption of the message) 2. HERMENEUTICS: Meaning of the theme or text 3. EXEGESIS: Other Related Bible references 4. CHRISTOLOGY HOMILETICAL OR ELOCUTION SKILLS 5. ILLUSTRATION 6. APPLICATION 1 THEME OR TEXT The theme or text is the caption of the sermon which runs through all the parts of the message. A THEME is the main thought or the idea that runs through the sermon. A theme could be “THE GREAT GIFT OF GOD” A TEXT is the PORTION OF THE SCRIPTURE from which a sermon is developed from. The text...
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...I Am Sayings Paper BIBL 323 B12 The Gospel of John Liberty University Abstract Jesus Christ was the most influential and the most controversial of all God’s teachers and prophets. His time spent discussing His deity by use of metaphors such as the I AM sayings lead the Pharisees to believe less in Him as the messiah, and more in him as being crazy. To understand Jesus’s claim to be the good shepherd, it is important to review the evidence of the claim compare it to the Old Testament which points toward Christ and apply the finds to the claims of Jesus’ deity. Jesus the Good Shepherd John wrote his Gospel of Jesus Christ for two reasons. The first reason was to communicate the message of Christ by providing examples of His miracles and his teaching in order to generate belief in the unbeliever that Jesus was who he said he was: the Son of God (Towns, 2002). The second reason was that those who then believed would have eternal life because of the faith that Jesus Christ was truly the fulfillment of the Messianic prophesies as Savior and Lord (Ibid). Jesus’ teaching style was not always easy to understand, and often created dissention between those who believed, and those who did not. He lessons linked who He was to prophesy about Him made by Old Testament prophets. In John’s Gospel there are eight lessons that are known as the “I Am” sayings that exemplify this teaching style by linking Him to well-known images and symbols provided in the Old Testament...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY What is usury in Nehemiah 5? Submitted to Dr. Daniel S. Steffen, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the course 2015 RTCH 500-B01 Introduction to Seminary Studies by James E. Thomas October 1, 2015 Introduction to Usury in Nehemiah 5 Usury was a practice of charging interest on money that was loan to God's people. God forbade usury and, Nehemiah hastily took care of the dilemma by uniting the people to do what was right. In Nehemiah 5:14-19, Nehemiah is blessed for rebuilding the wall and is made governor. He does not use his position for his personal gain. He says, in verse nineteen "Remember, me O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people." Usury was the sum paid for the use of money, hence interest; not, as in the modern sense, exorbitant interest. The Jews were forbidden to exact usury (Lev. 25:36, 37), only, however, in their dealings with each other (Deut. 23:19, 20). The violation of this law was viewed as a great crime (Ps. 15:5; Prov. 28:8; Jer.15:10). After the return, and later, this law was much neglected" (Nehemiah 5:7, 10). What is usury in Nehemiah 5 ? Nehemiah 5 was an "offensive practice before God." Charlie Summers gives a clear understanding of just exactly what usury was and how it came about that point in time. The definition of usury meant the charging of interest on loans. Usury in Judaism has its roots in several biblical...
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...| World Religions Report | Jehovah’s Witnesses & Judaism | Axia College of the University of Phoenix | Christopher C Bewley | 1/26/2012 | | Introduction In this paper I will be comparing two religions respectively. I will show you an interview I have conducted with a practicing Jehovah’s Witness. I will use the information acquired within that interview to display the differences and similarities between their beliefs and those of the Judaism faith. So brace yourself for an in-depth discovery of two faiths that almost completely contradict one another. Research Overview I have found that the Jehovah’s Witnesses have had a hard time gathering recognition amongst the world and many people disregard them entirely. The only historical figures that are honored in this faith are prophets whose recognition originates in the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures and Jehovah God. Their central beliefs focus on living a life based off of the examples Jesus Christ set forth in his time through his actions and instruction to his twelve apostles. The Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in a Trinitarian God, they believe Jesus Christ and Jehovah God are two deities and Jehovah God is the superior deity. The Clergy are not paid; they volunteer their teachings to serve the purpose of spreading the word of Jehovah. There is no collection plate that gets passed around during the meetings; people can donate if they feel they can afford to do so. They...
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