...message, the message will try harder to transform us." (Brown, 1965, 183) This essay will explore whether or not the bible should serve as an ultimate authority for Christian ethics and discover how synonymous Biblical ethics are with the ethics of Christianity. This piece will also look at what it is about the Bible that recommends it as such a major authority of morality and ethical practice. The bible is seen as a ‘guidebook’ for a Christian, giving details on how they should live according to God’s law; however, questions negating the validity of this belief in God’s law often come to the forefront. The Bible permits the stoning to death of adulterers. Something which in contemporary society seems atrocious. A point to be aware of is the huge cultural difference between the bible and contemporary life. If we focus on the difference between the Old Testament and modern day life the cultural difference is one of the chief factors behind the difficulty of using the bible in ethics today. The bible is written in a culturally conditioned format. Language, racial attitudes and the different emphasis on aspects of life including holiness and purity, all count towards the invisible barrier when discussing how synonymous biblical ethics are with the ethics of Christianity. (Rodd, 1995, 89). An issue that arises more than often when discussing biblical and Christian ethics is sexuality. Different churches hold different values and take tradition, Scripture and experience at different...
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...There is a great need for all Christians to be able to back up and defend the very material that they center their lives upon- to be able to explain why they study the word and how they can believe it to be authoritative. In 1 Peter 3:15, Christians learn the necessity of being able to defend ones faith. The ability to do so lies in having a solid understanding of foundational topics such as biblical authority, inspiration, and inerrancy. This essay will deal with such topics and give implications for how a Christian is to live their life based on these concepts. To begin, biblical authority must be defined. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, “Authority is the right and power to command, enforce laws, exact obedience, determine,...
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...Introduction How important is the Bible? To many it is just an outdated book that was written a long time ago that is not seen as being relevant to their lives. To others it is God’s word, but it is just boring and too long. However, for believers in Christ the Bible should be much more than both of these views. The Bible is God’s word, and it should be treated as such. It is the divine Word from the one who has created the universe and each person in it. This truth should drive people to desire to hear from their creator. In this book Kevin DeYoung acknowledges that the majority of those reading this book are Christians, and his goal for each reader is to see the beauty of scripture and understand how this should impact their lives. In order...
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...for Christians. Christians are different from the world. Consequently, they face judgment, hatred, and persecution. Yet, the question remains; how can Christians respond in a biblical way, towards a persecuting government. The story of Polycarp, a bishop who faced persecution from the Roman government, is a model example of a biblical response to persecution. During Polycarp’s time, the time of the early church, persecution of Christians was rampant. In that period, being a Christian usually meant torture or death. Polycarp reacted to persecution without violence or resistance. Polycarp’s response to persecution was biblical because he followed Jesus’ example, submitted to his authorities, and refused to renounce his faith. Polycarp’s reaction to persecution is an ideal and biblical model for Christians, as Polycarp is following the example of Jesus during his suffering. Christians should look to Jesus as the ideal example for everything. As Christ faced torture, ridicule, and crucifixion, he did not fight back, though he...
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...Authority comes from somebody or something that has power or control over something else. A good example of this would be my father having authority over me at a young age. At the same time I had to know and recognize that authority. This is exactly the same thing when it comes to the Bible. For the Bible to have authority over your life, you have to believe that God is real and that his word is truth. If that is not known in somebodies heart, the bible cannot have authority over them. The Bible says itself that it has authority given my God. The Bible is a unique text than other books from different religions. The Bible is from God himself. It is his gift to us to live by. Other religious texts were written by founders of the religion trying to find God. The Bible is not written to try to find God but it is where he reveals himself to us through dual authorship. [1]God used men throughout time to write the Bible but ultimately it is written by him through them. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” [3] This verse is the ultimate verse when it comes to talking about the inspiration of the Bible. Like I said earlier, God is the author of the Bible but he had other men physically put it into writing. This verse was put into the Bible for this very reason of showing Christians that God is the inspiration behind the Bible. “There...
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...Theology really made me dig deeper to fully get a clearer understanding, and broader insight of the Christian way of life. Every week I grasp on to different things; some in which I did not know nothing about and others where it enrich my mind as a teaching tool. Within this paper, I would discuss three topics that I found to be the most intriguing. The topics that will be discussed are; does the Bible have authority? If a person is a Christian, does it matter how they live their life? And what can your local church do to better communicate God’s love to your community? As you read this paper rely on your mind to indulge on the importance of God and how all three topics are surrounded by his will. II. Section One (Does the Bible have authority?) The B-I-B-L-E yes that is the book for me……A lot of people say the Bible is the authority, but you have to keep in mind that God ordained the holy men to write as they was moved by the holy spirit, and yet to remind his people of his love. Often people make the Bible their god instead of God, in other words the real authority is God; He just often shows us what to do or how to live through the Bible.Authority can be described as power to influence or command thought, opinion, behavior, or convincing force (Webster, 2002); it is illustrated in the with a good deal of elasticity. The bible is a collection of sixty-six books written by man. The bible is one book but sharing one life changing message. According to the video that was presented...
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...believed among evangelical Christians that the bible is a book made up of undisputable truths. God is truth and the truth comes from God. From the very beginning of his book, Alister McGrath introduces the bible and establishes its authority. From the reading, we can conclude that it is a universal truth that God is the author of sacred scripture” (McGrath, xxiii). McGrath writes that the Bible is inspired by God and He himself placed scripture as we know it in the minds of those who wrote it. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Because it was God who, by proxy, wrote scripture, we can believe in the purity and accuracy of His words. Therefore, if one questions the bible we are questioning God....
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...The Bible, in all its entirety, represents complete truth because it is God-breathed, it is impossible for God to speak falsely on any matter, it is certain that no fact will ever contradict the Word that has been spoken by God, and God, being the ultimate authority, has total knowledge of any subject or question. I came to this conclusion by reading Bible Doctrine, by Wayne Grudem, reading selected texts from the Bible itself, and through group discussions had in class. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (English Standard Version 2 Tim 3:16). In 2 Timothy 3:16 we can clearly read that the Scripture is, in fact, given directly from God, from His own mouth. According to Wayne Grudem, author or Bible Doctrine, “to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God” (Grudem 39). Faith in God relies on complete trust and submission by His people, and to accomplish that, we must believe the entirety of Scripture. “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the...
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...compare the Christianity faith of United Church of Christ (UCC) along with Islam. Christianity was started with Jesus and ended with the belief and practice which centers on the resurrection of Christ. I will show how the faiths split and divided into three major branches over the centuries. Protestantism, evolved in the 16th century during the Reformation. United Church of Christ (UCC) was part of the in the 1950’s Congregational Churches of the English Reformation with Puritan New England roots in America, and the Christian. Islam was started by The Prophet Muhammad and according to Muslim belief, the angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad. His life's work is recorded in the Qur'an, the sacred text of Islam. The Holy Quran is a compilation of the verbal revelations given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad over a period of twenty two years Summary of Interview Reverend Joseph Blotz, became a Minister of Faith Formation in August 2010. He is currently assigned to the United Church of Christ (UCC) in Mansfield, Connecticut. Where did everything come from? Reverend Blotz describes where everything comes from with the many stories from the Bible of how the world and everything came to be. It is God’s action that brought the world into existence and order. What is the ultimate problem with the world? A large problem with the world is ultimately broken relationship between God and people, people among people and the rest of creation. This brings us the ultimate problem with the world broken...
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...is not what it is today. Therefore, the need of orthodoxy and for cannon is presented. Orthodoxy is the “correct, conventional or currently accepted beliefs, especially in religion.”The consolidation of power under Constantine and the stretch of the empire caused a need for orthodoxy of Christianity’s belief system. It also demanded a standard of doctrine. This leads to the canonicity of the Holy Scriptures. Canon is derived from the Greek word kanon. Elwell says of the word canon, “in Christianity [canon] refers to a group of books acknowledged by the early church as a rule of faith and practice” The word carries the idea of the measuring rod or standard against which the sacred text are weighed for inclusion. It should be noted that different faith systems have different canonical books. The Jewish canon is different from the Protestant as is the Catholic. If we bear in mind that the Bible we know today did not start out as a book at all, and then the logical progression must be to ask, how did it come about? An important note bears to be inserted. In Judaism as well as its son Christianity, if we consider Abraham the father of the faithful. The belief is not in a book rather in the God of the book. Judaism and the belief in the God of Abraham existed many years without a book. Moses is believed to be the writer of the first five books of what is commonly called the Pentateuch. Yet, bear in mind this was not multiple...
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...We live in a time of forceful resistance to authority; this is an era that question every authority from the authority of the government, law enforcement, parents, teachers and the list goes on. Consequently though, this resistance do not limit itself to earthly authority but leant itself to spiritual authority as well. In a time like this, it is vital that those that bears the name Christian must define the central doctrines of their faith and without equivocation embrace the authority of God's word for what it is. The eternal battle as to the inerrancy and infallibility between orthodoxy and orthopraxy demands significant attention and largely determines the positions on which a person will side. In my view, biblical inerrancy of the Bible is at the core of the Christian Doctrine is, and rightfully so. The attestation of the authority of the Bible as the Word of God requires an understanding of the belief in its inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16 calls the Bible is the "breath of God" and that all scripture was given under the inspiration of God. The Christian doctrine is like every other religion without the truth that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God.” The close central biblical doctrine to inspiration and inerrancy of scripture is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 3:15 refers to the church as the pillar of truth because of the inspired and inerrant word of God, "if I delay, you may know how...
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...and authority. Among these changes, the Roman Catholic Church responded with the Counter- Reformation, affirmed in the Council of Trent (1545–1563). This council reconstituted Catholic teachings, cleared doctrines, and addressed internal abuses while strengthening the authority of the Pope. The Counter-Reformation aimed to bring together Catholic unity and stop the spread of Protestantism, making a significant effort to reestablish the Church's authority and moral teachings. Humanist Perspectives During the Renaissance, humanist thinkers like Erasmus gave a large amount of criticism to the Roman Catholic Church, challenging its religious grounds and intellectual practices. Erasmus, in his work "Praise of Folly," criticizes the arrogance and elitism of the clergy, whom he mocks and refers to as "divines." His satire showed their elaborate theological arguments, which he portrayed as disconnected from the real and sincere teachings of the...
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...the Christian faith. In other words, what is the essence of the Christian worldview? How does one become a Christian? • I believe the essence of the Christian worldview is that God exists and communicates with people through the Bible which teaches people the indulgent of history. Christians believe the Bible, Old Testament and the New Testament, which are sacred and that it is the ultimate authority because is trustworthy; in which people experience the power of Jesus Christ (………..). The Christian worldview has a meaning and a purpose which is “the underlying reason in which something was created and the ends for which it now exists”(….). The purpose of Christianity is to make people understand why are they here and what is their purpose. God has a plan for everyone in this world which can be sensed through their worldview. I think that Christian worldview is a new way of seeing life in which it grabs my attention and allows me to bring every believed to Jesus Christ. The purpose of the Christian worldview is to understand how we live life, how we communicate with others and the way we think and see life. How does one become a Christian is by believing in Jesus Christ and building a relationship with him. I believe a person becomes a Christian by being truthful to himself about what he believes. I believe people who become Christians get baptized, pray for building faith and seek other Christians to worship God. For instance, for me to transition to Christian, I must...
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...The Bible: A Dogma or a Set of Guidelines? Dietrich Bonhoeffer Kayla Tremblay November 27, 2012 The Bible: A Dogma or a Set of Guidelines Dietrich Bonhoeffer November 27, 2012 I. Introduction a. Dietrich Bonhoeffer i. Biography ii. Christianity and War iii. Thesis: As demonstrated by Bonhoeffer in his war against socialism, religion cannot be looked at as a dogma and instead should be a malleable doctrine that is subjective to history. II. Body b. Christian Doctrines iv. Fundamental guidelines v. Use of the bible 1. Hitler a Christian? vi. No rules in war c. Moral Ethics vii. Ethics of Conviction vs. Ethics of Responsibility viii. Rationality d. Just War Theory ix. St. Thomas Aquinas x. Guidelines for a Just War xi. Just War is applicable e. What about Christians and Pacifists? xii. “Put your sword away” xiii. No such thing as a “Just War” III. Conclusion f. Summary xiv. Thesis: As demonstrated by Bonhoeffer in his war against socialism, religion cannot be looked at as a dogma and instead should be a malleable doctrine that is subjective to history. g. So what? xv. Accomplishments xvi. Interpretation xvii. Cost-benefit analysis Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor and theologian living in Germany during the time of Nazi...
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...summoned Luther to the town of Worms in 1521 to stand trial so he could take back statements. Yet Luther refused, Charles issued the Edict of Worms and declared Luther an outlaw. Charles went to war with the Protestant princesses who followed Luther, ordering all the princesses to the city of Augsburg. There the princesses signed the Peace of Augsburg. Christina de Pizan – One of the first European writeres to question different treatment of boys and girls. She was highly educated for her time and one of the first women to earn a living as a writer. She produced many books and manual son military techniques. Desiderius Erasmus – A Christian humanist who wrote his most famous work The Praise of Folly. Erasmus believed in Christianity from the heart, not one of ceremonies or rulers. He thought that in order to improve society, all must read the Bible. Edward VI – The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, he became King when he was nine years old. Too young to rule alone, so he was guided by adult advisors and only reigned for just six years Elizabeth I – The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, she became Queen after Mary died. Elizabeth spread Anglican and had tolerance for dissenters, the dissenters had to put the loyalty of the Queen and England before...
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