...The Bible’s teaching on spiritual gifts indicates that we should not expect to be all the same in our gifting. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-26, Christians are likened to a human body made up of different parts with different functions. The most important factor related to spiritual gifts within marriage is that the person uses their gifting for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). So whatever strengths or weaknesses are brought into the marriage by each spouse, it is important for each spouse to use their strengths and spiritual gifts in a positive way for the benefit of the marriage. It also is important for each spouse to know and understand the others spouses strengths and weakness. Unfortunately, many spouses tend to focus on the other spouses weaknesses. Larry and Judy Keefauver (2002, p. 7) highlight this problem, “when you really know someone it’s so easy to dwell on weakness instead of strength. The focus often becomes negative instead of positive. A husband or wife tries to correct...
Words: 487 - Pages: 2
...other offerings were excepted. With the arrival of Christ some people continue to question how His fulfillment of the law impacts the instructions of the tithe and giving found in the Old Testament. Some will look at the Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians as examples of a new rules for Christian giving. Was it Paul’s goal to abolish the concept of tithing or was he referring to some other form of offering? Using Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians this paper will argue that the New Testament offers new paradigm for giving separate from the Old Testament commandment to tithe. Historical Background Paul writes his second canonical letter to the church at Corinth in response to the report of Titus’ visit. Paul had spent a large portion of his ministry at Corinth, but in recently the relationship between Paul and the church at Corinth had been strained. After his departure from Corinth some problems and conflicts began to arise. In response to this Paul writes his first letter which was non-canonical to the Church at Corinth. During his ministry in Ephesus Paul heard of more difficulty and received a letter from the church in which they sought clarification to his instructions resulting the the letter now known as 1 Corinthians. Paul’s letter resolved some of the issues, however a new threat began to develop. Certain teachers calming to be apostles from Jerusalem started teaching and began to draw people away from Paul and the truth of the Gospel. This treat resulted...
Words: 3506 - Pages: 15
...What Does It Means to Be a Christian Name:Kuwantu Cammon What does it mean to "be a Christian " and how to be a Christian in today's world ? In some ways being a Christian is easy. Christian is a pupil and friend of Christ, both of these concepts are adjacent, although there are differences. On the one hand, we are disciples of Christ and His followers, and therefore must learn from Him through the Gospel that in which he believes the way he teaches us to live. During its development, Christianity experienced numerous changes, changes in the structure, rituals, views on certain things. As for the ritual, then I think it is worth to consider related to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and a milestone in the history of Christianity - the emergence of Calvinism and explain its features, its content and the filling, the difference. Meaning of Baptism for us is that if we dare to participate in it, then we are free to live the kind of life that does not apply to death. Instead of living in fear, we are able to love - to love God (it's not as easy as it sounds ), and to love our neighbor ( it's even harder ). Calvinism is the name given to a system of philosophical thought, we have inherited from Jean Calvin. He is recognized as the spokesman of the system, but not the generator of ideas in its foundation. Calvinism is not just a set of ideas shared by Calvin and his followers, but the organic...
Words: 1138 - Pages: 5
...Research Paper Living the Christian Life : According To Romans 8 By Randy E Brown Bible 425-D11 Presented To Prof. Jerry Hall Department of Religion Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va Date: Introduction The Christian Life, according to Romans 8, should not be based on condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Based on the fact through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death (verse1-2). In the early Christian Practical Issues, The Apostle Paul forms the main character in relation to examining the respective entities attached to the issue. He was charged with three different assignments which were; preaching the gospel to the gentiles, providing the church leaders with the biblical instructions and encouragements, and lastly to teach the Christian community ways to live righteously in an unsaved world. Through endless efforts and dedication, Paul was able to accomplish these tasks via his ongoing missionary journeys plus the letters he wrote to various churches. It is evident that while Jesus’ life and teachings tend to offer Christianity with the required foundation...
Words: 3091 - Pages: 13
...Reflection Paper #2 Introduction On this reflection paper, the topics I choose were the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” and the “Rapture”. I choose these topics because they both bring topics of debate with them. There are many different views on these two topics and I will try to shed some light on them. Through Biblical research and theological definitions, we will try to discover the purpose and meanings of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Rapture. The first topic of discussion is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This topic stirs up much debate in the denominational realms of the church. There are many different views and standpoints on this topic. John 1:33 states that when John the Baptist, after witnessing the descent of the Holy Spirit as a dove at the baptism of Jesus, recorded these words: “He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost”. Later Jesus promised His disciples, “Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5). On the day of Pentecost, the disciples had a number of experiences involving the Holy Spirit, including the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The disciples spoke in tongues to address the gospel of Christ to many different nations in attendance of Pentecost. This event was the start of the church and its spread of the gospel of Christ to all nations. Many Christians today have confused...
Words: 1274 - Pages: 6
...Calvinism and Arminianism The purpose of this paper is to compare two theological positions, namely Calvinism and Arminianism. These are two positions on either side of the extreme concerning free will and predestination. There are those who believe that we have the free will to love and obey God or deny God, and there are those who believe that God, in his sovereignty, has predetermined who will be saved or who will not be saved and neither group is willing to budge. Both sides claim to have the support of Scripture, and both have specific verses that are twisted and manipulated to show support and reasoning. The problem is that both sides appear, on some levels at least, to be right. The question that can be answered from a comparison of these two views is this: What are the basic differences between Calvinism and Arminianism, as well as, their relation to theology, biblical evidence and worldviews? This research paper covers the five key points or articles of Calvinism and Arminianism, as well as, the history, view of God and biblical evidence or support for each position. History The history of Calvinism and Arminianism dates back to the 16th century, where a man named John Calvin was born in 1509. John Calvin was a son of a lawyer and born in Noyon, France where he developed a love for theology and literature. In 1523 he went to the University of Paris where he studied theology, yet in 1528 he went to Orleans and a year later Bourges to study law. With Calvin’s...
Words: 2202 - Pages: 9
...A Case Study of the Illegal and Unethical Behavior in Corinthian Colleges, Inc. Benancio Varela benancio.varela@yahoo.com GM 591 Leadership and Organizational Behavior Professor Horst August 10, 2011 Introduction Corinthian Colleges, Inc., (CCi) by way of more than 102,000 students enrolled as of March 31, 2011, is one of the leading post-secondary education companies in North America. Their duty is to change students' lives. They present diploma and degree programs that prepare students intended for careers in demand or for advancement in their chosen fields. The corporation operates 105 schools in 25 states and 17 schools in Canada. CCi has 122 Everest, Heald and WyoTech campuses nationwide. CCi serves the great and growing segment of the population seeking to acquire career-oriented education. They propose programs in areas that include health care, business, criminal justice, transportation technology and maintenance, construction trades and information technology. CCi in addition offers students the chance to take classes online through Everest College in Phoenix and Everest University in Florida. Their business was founded in 1995 and they completed an preliminary public offering in 1999. Historically, CCi has developed through acquisitions as well as through organic growth. Organic growth consists of opening new division campuses, remodeling, escalating or relocating existing campuses and adopting curricula into existing colleges. As of December 31, 2010...
Words: 2241 - Pages: 9
...Hermeneutical paper Hermeneutical Paper ICST 300 The first passage of 1 Peter 2:18 refers to a command which tells slaves that they must obey the bidding of their masters under any circumstances. The passage further explains its unconditional approach by stating that the type of person that the master of the slaves is is of no consequence, whether he is a good and kind man or a very cruel person, makes no difference. This particular passage would fall under the Hermeneutical guideline of a non-moral or non-theological situation, command, or principle which pertains to an individual’s specific circumstance that has been revoked or is no longer applicable to people in my culture. This is the compatible guideline with this passage due to the fact that slavery has been abolished and found to be illegal and indecent in the United States for quite some time. The Civil war brought about the turning point in which the government made the ownership of slaves illegal. Because slavery is now illegal, there is no principle base on which to establish a worthy context for that particular passage to relate to the American culture of today. The only other take on this passage is to research the original words used and in doing so one can see that in some versions the translation of slaves is actually commoners, and the translation of masters is actually to head of house. If this were the case, Peter was extending word to the people that were to deal with the hardships placed...
Words: 1130 - Pages: 5
...A BIBLICAL EVALUATION OF THE MULTI-SITE CHURCH —————————— A Paper Presented to Dr. Michael H. Windsor Central Baptist Theological Seminary of VA Beach —————————— In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course 354 Systematic Theology 4 —————————— Submitted by: Matthew E.Vanderwarker February 27, 201 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................3 THE DEFINITION OF MULTI-SITE CHURCH ..............................................................4 THE MEANING OF ΕΚΚΛΕΣΙΑ ......................................................................................6 Lexical Definition .....................................................................................................6 Biblical Usage ...........................................................................................................7 Profane Usage ...........................................................................................................8 Etymology and Meaning ............................................................................................8 ΕΚΚΛΕΣΙΑ AS THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH ...................................................10 NEW TESTAMENT EVIDENCE FOR MULTI-SITE CHURCH ..................................11 The House Church and Paul's Writings ............................................................................12 The House Church and Luke's Writings ...
Words: 9340 - Pages: 38
...Theology of Missions Paper GLST 500: Liberty University Spring 2016 Introduction Theology of missions is one of the most significant and enduring aspects of the Christian faith. The theology of missions is about witnessing and bringing the word of Christ to others and is a foundational aspect of individual religious works as well as the works of fellowships, worshippers, and the whole of Christianity. "Mission [is] 'looking beyond', being involved in God's worldwide adventure with people from many culture" [1]. As exciting as the ideal sounds the importance of mission is foundational in a changing context of faith, as more and more people step away from traditional religious worship and multiculturalism and ecumenical ideals stress transition in the faith [2]. Thus, through this paper, I will discuss the relevance of missions within the Old Testament and the New Testament, how the nature of God relates to missions, some key themes of the theology of missions and how mission theology relates to missionary, church leaders and lay people not in fulltime ministry. Old Testament and New Testament “The mission of God lies behind the whole of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament and the particular task which we call missions today” [3]. In the Old Testament, God is a sending or missionary God. In Mark 16:15-16 (NIV), God said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…”. Just as Saul did, in 1 Samuel...
Words: 1325 - Pages: 6
...Bradley Isbell Doctor James Strange Life and Letters of Paul 5.6.2010 Biblical Studies and the Gender Question in the Church The role of gender in the church is one of the toughest issues facing the church-body today. In fact, the role of women in all parts of society has come under scrutiny over the years. Concern and sharp disagreements across the globe are shedding light on the role women should play, do play, and are restricted from playing in the church. Many answers have emerged but no definitive conclusions have come to the surface. This is in part due to the apparent conflicting evidence that we see in biblical texts. It seems that everyone has an opinion on what it actually says. While some churches whose traditions and practices are less rigidly tied to Biblical doctrines have begun placing women in leadership positions such as pastor or teachers, others that interpret the Bible more literally have been slow to adopt changes. The opposing egalitarian and complementarian views on gender illustrated by the following interpretations can be attributed to differing approaches to exegetical techniques, hermeneutical principles, outside authorities, and contrasting ideas on authenticity both literal and situation-specific in scripture. These ideas will be explored a bit later. To begin our discussion we need a general explanation of what is meant by an egalitarian or complementarian view. Egalitarianism is a moral code that holds that everyone should be...
Words: 4115 - Pages: 17
...Same-Sex Marriage The topic that I have chosen to research and discuss is the issue of Same-Sex Marriage. This topic is very controversial and has caused a bit of an uproar recently in society. The biggest argument is whether or not individuals who are gay/lesbian should be legally allowed to marry. Many people feel strongly about this topic and, because of this, a lot of viewpoints have come into play when trying to come up with the “correct answer”. These viewpoints include, but are not limited to: religion, equality, moralism, and constitutional rights as an American citizen. Because of these different elements, there is no way to know for sure who is right or wrong, but in this paper I will inform you on both sides of the topic and let you decide for yourself. Those who oppose the union of two men or two women through marriage argue that this covenant is to only be fulfilled by a man and a woman. Why? Well, one reason is religion. In Christianity, the Bible speaks on marriage being between a husband and a wife. It also counts all acts of homosexuality as a sin and in verses such as Genesis 19:1-13, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9, this can clearly be identified. Individuals who partake in this religion strongly believe in the word of God and have based their opinions of the topic solely upon on that alone. They feel that God’s word cannot and shall not be compromised by any circumstance and if it is then that...
Words: 689 - Pages: 3
...Running head: Biblical & Secular Views Biblical & Secular Views on Counseling John Smith Liberty University Abstract Whether a counselor comes from a strong Christian background, or a secular one, the goals of the professional should remain in the best interests of the client. Still, it remains important where the views of that counselor originated from and where the source of their motivation and ethical standards are derived. This paper attempts to compare and contrast the viewpoints of secular and biblical worldviews, as it relates to the counseling profession. Biblical & Secular Views on Counseling No matter what philosophical background counselors come from, the theme of their work should remain the same: It is all about the client. Whether a counselor uses the Code of Ethics adopted by the American Counseling Association, (2005) or the code adopted by the American Association of Christian Counselors, (2004) the goal of the professional still need to keep the client’s best interests at heart. Still, with this thought in mind, Christian and secular groups differ in the ways in which they go about not only helping clients, but how they define their perspective roles in the exchanges between the therapist and the client. In order to accurately evaluate the ways in which Christians view the role of the counselor, it is first important to go to the source of their opinions of the matter;...
Words: 4259 - Pages: 18
...Forever 21: Dealing with America’s fear of aging and death Abstract This paper is about confronting America’s fear of the issues of aging and death. Over the years, American culture has grown uncomfortable with matters of growing old and death. The basis of this thinking is rooted in the mind and influenced by society. There is an ever increasing desire that’s rampant across our nation to remain young. This can be seen in the media, marketing for different products from makeup to apparel. Americans want to remain young for as long as they possibly can. In 1984, the band Alphaville came out with the song “Forever Young” to express America’s heart cry. However, aging and death is a part of life and a direct result of the fall of man. Aging and death were not the original condition of humanity, rather punishment that resulted from rebellion against God’s commandment. This paper examines why there is aging and death, America’s response to it, and a solution to rightly mature in the process. Since long ago America’s heart cry has been to stay young forever. In 1984, the band Alphaville came out with the song “Forever Young” to communicate the nation’s desire. In cities across the country and around every turn, materialism is vocalizing the longing for youth everlasting. This constant struggle with “wants” versus “reality” has left individuals searching for ways to cope. In addition, the lifespan of human beings was not always an average of eighty years. One thing to take into...
Words: 2099 - Pages: 9
...Research Paper Of “A Select Issue in Contemporary Theology: Charismatic Theology." THEO 510-C03 LUO (Fall 2012) Survey of Christian Doctrine Dr. Eunice Abogunrin, Professor Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Carol H. Montgomery (ID# 24993689) November 11, 2012 CONTENTS COVER PAGE 1 CONTENTS 2 THESIS 3 INTRODUCTION 3 CHARSMATIC GIFTS DEBATE 3-12 CONCLUSION 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY 13 INTRODUCTION This research paper will show that biblical referred to as glossolalia; the ability to “speak in tongues” is fiercely debated. While the Bible gives clear examples of genuine glossolalia, which will be examined later, the modern debate centers around the need or not, nature, importance, and usage of “tongues” today. Lastly, this paper will examine the biblical accounts of glossolalia along with more occurrences that are contemporary to determine whether modern episodes of “tongues” are needed or not needed. Out of all the gifts, the one that Paul speaks of the most controversial is the gift of tongues. "Glossolalia" is the most commonly accepted term for "speaking in tongues." It comes from the Greek words meaning "tongues" or "languages," and "to speak." Although not exclusively, "speaking in tongues" is primarily practiced by Pentecostal Christians. Glossolalia is the "prayer language" of Pentecostal churches. Some Christians who speak in tongues believe they are speaking in an existing language. Most believe they are uttering a heavenly...
Words: 3542 - Pages: 15
