Category: Bible

Survey

The essential idea from Corinthians 1:17-19 is that Paul should not primarily focus on apostolic ministry and baptism. The most evident meaning of the verse is that the truth about Christ’s suffering should be saved and protected at all costs in order to preach the resurrection and His immense powers (Gorman 2020). The passage makes it clear that faith in the blood of Christ is a fundamental principle that has to prevail in order to create room for inner change. Therefore, baptism is an outward indication of the fact that every transformation should come from within. The Holy Spirit is going to conquer the hearts of believers since trust is the basis of faith and grace (Denney 2021). Accordingly, Paul’s mission was to preach the gospel and aid the dying world while focusing on conveying the message to anyone who has ears.

Contextual Analysis

From the existing context, it may also be hypothesized that the primary objective for Paul was to mediate Christian unity and bring more people together. Paul is thankful for the Corinthians because God showed him how the natural division into factions does not affect the true faith (Denney 2021). Irrespective of which Christian teacher is surveyed, the ideas of grace and belief are identical because of His eternal influence. This is why Paul’s efforts are aimed at unifying these different individuals around Christ because He is not separated. The context of this verse also suggests that Christ sent Paul to preach the gospel to help people realize the importance of eloquent words and their impact on the world around us.

Formal Analysis

The form of the passage can be described as a conventional Bible verse. Paul preaches to the dying world while knowing that baptism is not his primary objective, and Christ’s followers are going to aid him. Throughout the whole verse, the style of narration remains consistent and allows the audience to associate themselves with Paul and his ideas. To administer the ordinance, Paul was shown going beyond personally baptizing others because he was intended to spread God’s word and save all the sinners. The consistency of this verse makes it easier to grasp the inner meaning and develop a proper understanding of why Paul focuses on preaching and does not baptize.

The passage can be divided into three subtle sections that are essential for an enhanced understanding of God’s glory. The first is Paul’s mode of disputation, where he preaches his philosophy and defines his approach to followers and baptism. The second is the transition into a graceful eloquence where Paul begins appealing to all sinners through their sentiments. The final section of the verse is the exhibition of the gospel and the value of preaching, with an appeal to God and His grace (Gorman 2020). Overall, Paul’s eloquence is the central element throughout the whole verse, making it evident that preaching in the name of God is a task that goes beyond baptism.

In terms of movement, Corinthians 1:17-19 is consistent because Paul’s initial objective is to convey the philosophy of his gospel. When he introduces the topics of grace and God’s glory, he does not focus on baptism. This happens because Paul’s preaching suggests that humans do not have to be enticed, and it is their choice to either follow or disprove God’s teachings (Gorman 2020). The flow of the passage is eloquent and showcases Paul’s oratory abilities while also giving the audience a chance to focus on self-value. Paul’s ideas are simple but powerful because he does not focus on baptism and stays in line with the mission that was assigned to him by God.

Detailed Analysis

Corinthians 1:17-19 deals with the importance of the word of truth because there are numerous sinners without hope who deserve to hear it and start preaching with Paul. As a teacher, Paul was responsible for encouraging and warning men and women to proceed with caution and great patience (Denney 2021). The glorious gospel was intended to resurrect the lost and dying world just as if it was Jesus Christ, and Paul was there to teach and share his knowledge and faith with sinners. Yet, the eloquence of speech was not the only means of sharing the wisdom since intellectual arguments, and witty conversations could not give Paul the opportunity to preach Christ. Being led by the Holy Spirit, Paul embraced the grace through faith and shared the gospel with men and women to preach about witnessing the glory of believing in God (Gorman 2020). This means that humans’ fleshly selves cannot be called to witness Christ’s sacrifice since it would cause His detriment to lose its inherent supernatural meaning.

Synthesis

According to Denney (2021), Paul’s specific mission allowed him to take on a unique position created by Christ. As he was preaching the gospel, Paul found ways to complete that mission and help people realize the glory of God. From the verse, it was evident that Paul clearly understood the limits of his mission. It was not central to him to baptize individuals who believed the gospel, as the essential Christ’s idea for Paul was to make him into a missionary and an evangelist. Therefore, baptism and the gospel are not identical, and all the new believers had to be baptized by Paul’s followers and not Paul himself. This also shows how a person can be saved without being baptized (Gorman 2020). This idea is essential because it reinforces the importance of faith in Christ and eternal salvation from sin achieved through following God’s grace. Nevertheless, baptism is never deemed unnecessary by Paul because he expects to see all followers being baptized at the end of the day, showing their obedience and belonging to Christ.

Reflection

The contemporary significance of the text can be pointed out through Paul’s eloquence and a wise gospel presentation. The biggest value that can be witnessed in the verses is the rhetoric on the importance of following God and recognizing His glory and grace. One could adopt Paul’s brilliant use of words to preach their own ideas on any given topic since proper phrasing could attract different audiences and turn them into believers. The need to acknowledge God and His influence on the daily lives of humans can be expected to elicit certain responses in the audience, so Paul’s skills in the use of words have to be recognized. Paul utilized his preaching skills to communicate his faith in Christ and not persuade anyone to follow his path. The Son of God died to recompense human sins, and Paul’s powerful message was intended to remain shaped as gospel to make an impact on all sinners and believers.

References

Denney, James. 2021. Expositor’s Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Glasgow: Good Press.

Gorman, Michael. 2020. Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers. Ada, MI: BAKER Book House.

Introduction

The Holy Quran describes Satan (otherwise known as Iblis or Eblis) as an evil creature (or Jinn) that was expelled from heaven after he refused to obey Adam. His main features are his extreme pride and the belief that he is superior to Adam and those who were created after him. Moreover, Iblis continuously challenges the judgment of God as well as his commands for Iblis to obey his will. The primary activity of Satan in the Quran is to entice others to commit evil and immoral deeds. In Christianity, Satan is a fallen angel who rebelled against God and therefore was also expelled from heaven, which is similar to the idea found in the Quran (Wellman). Thus even though Christianity and Islam are considered “rival” religions that do not have many parallels between them, the figure of Satan is very similar in his characteristics in both scriptures, pointing to the idea that evil manifests itself as a unity regardless of which religion describes it.

Examples from the Bible and the Quran

Within the tradition of the Bible, Satan is considered a figure who was appointed by God to test the faith of humanity through temptation. To compare the nature of Satan in the Quran and the Bible, the Christian scripture presents him as a fallen angel, while in the Muslim tradition, he is a Jinn and thus was closer to humans in his nature. While angels are perfect creatures who never sinned, Jinns are much more prone to wrongdoing. To establish parallels between Satan in the Bible and the Quran, it is important to analyze verses from the two holy books. The first example comes from the Quran: “Behold! We said to the Angels, ‘Bow down to Adam’: they bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord” (McAuliffe 18:50).

This excerpt shows the first wrongdoing of Iblis; not agreeing to prostrate himself before Adam led to his being expelled from Heaven, as shown in the following example. “Get out from this, disgraceful and expelled. If any of them follow thee – Hell will I find with you all (McAuliffe 11:18). The first mention of Satan in the Bible is “Satan arose against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel” (The Bible, 1 Chronicle 21:1-2). This passage shows that from the beginning, Satan is presented as an antagonist to God and wanted to commit wrongdoing through inciting others to do so, which points to his nature as a demon and tempter. An example that proves that Satan was initially an angel who was considered higher in rank than the Jinns of the Quran, is the following: “One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them” (The Bible, Job 1:6-20). Examples from the Bible and the Quran show that Satan in both scriptures is presented as a once-righteous being created by God, but who became evil because of a lack of will to follow the rule of the Lord (Deffinbaugh). Significantly, the characteristic of a tempter who encourages human beings to commit wrongful actions is what also connects Satan in the Bible and Iblis in the Quran.

Satan Versus God and Allah

When discussing similarities and differences between Satan in the Bible and Iblis in the Quran, it is important to contrast them with the figures of the Christian God and Muslim Allah. In the Quran, Iblis (Satan) is in opposition to humankind rather than to Allah. Moreover, Iblis is considered subordinate to God, who has no rivals as He is “the Lord of the Creation” (McAuliffe 1:2). Another essential characteristic of Allah is that in Islam, God forgives all sins, which means that sin does not restrict mercy within the Islamic religion. On the other hand, the Bible suggests that Satan is the rival of God and not humanity. In some passages of scripture, Satan is described as having the ability to tempt Jesus and therefore challenge his power: “then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (The Bible, Matthew 4:1). In this example, Satan is capable of demonstrating that his power is comparable to God’s. While in Islam, God forgives all sins, in Christianity, sin significantly restricts God’s mercy. In these ways, drawing simple parallels between Satan in Christianity and Iblis in Islam shows that some differences cannot be ignored (Ahmad).

As seen from the quoted passages, Satan is the key rival to God and can show his authority through spreading blasphemy and tempting Jesus and humanity to choose power over submission to God (Ahmad). Therefore the power of the Christian God is significantly restricted by that of Satan. On the other hand, the Quran suggests that Iblis cannot be equal in power to Allah but is in opposition to humankind. Also, the Muslim God forgives all sins that humans commit when tempted by Satan. Another important difference between Iblis and Satan is that Allah has power over Iblis, but the Christian God cannot control the deeds of Satan (Ahmad).

Conclusion

Lastly, the discussion about Satan in Christianity and Islam may benefit from an analysis of the purpose of including the antagonist in each religious teaching. Satan is both the Quran and the Bible aims to make humankind succumb to the temptation of committing wrongdoing for personal gain. When tempting victims, Satan uses every strategy to make sin attractive to lure people into choosing the wrong path and thus deviating from the word of God. Interestingly, how Satan talks to his victims depends on their interests; for instance, ignorance is used to tempt the ignorant while scholarly disciplines are used to tempt scholars (“The Story of Satan”). In either case, Satan is considered a source of evil who is cunning and smart when it comes to luring his victims.

The purpose of introducing the figure of Satan into both the Islamic and the Christian faith is associated with teaching people that life will be filled with various temptations that they will have to withstand if they want to stay righteous. It is essential to understand that despite being opposed to one another, both Christianity and Islam teach believers to oppose evil and choose to do the right thing. The continuous rivalry between good and evil is a component of almost any religion, and a comparison of Satan in the Quran and the Bible shows that there are important similarities and differences between the two that make each religion unique in its way.

Works Cited

Ahmad, Ijaz. “A Quick Comparison of Satan in Christianity and Islam.”Callingchristians. 2015. Web.

Deffinbaugh, Bob. “Satan’s Part in God’s Perfect Plan.”Bible, 2004. Web.

McAuliffe, Jane. The Qur’an. W.W. Norton & Company. 2017.

The Bible. The New Oxford Annotated Version, 3rd ed., Oxford UP. 2001.

“The Story of Satan (Shaitaan), His Tactics, and Methods to Ward Off His Influences and Whispers.”Igrasense. Web.

Wellman, Jack. “Was Lucifer a Fallen Angel? A Bible Study.”Patheos. 2017. Web.

Ruth

The book of Ruth narrates a touching story about Ruth’s devotion, love and faith. The book’s author is unknown. However, the Talmud credits it to Prophet Samuel. The ancient writing style utilized in the book shows that it was written during the early monarchy, which occurred between 1200 and 1000 BC; this can also be attributed to the fact that Ruth’s genealogy was only three generations to David.

The main personalities in the book include Naomi, Ruth, Boaz, Orpah, Obed, and Elimelech, among others. The book outlines how Ruth, a Moabite widow, left her family and friends to come to Israel with Naomi, her mother-in-law. The book seeks to instruct, as well as entertain. Going by its genre, the book is a narrative and a poetic art. The book’s setting is significant in locating the events that occurred during the time of judges.

The book portrays ordinary events in Naomi and Ruth’s life to be the sight of God’s ingenious providential doings. The themes portrayed in the book include pathos, delight, faith, love and devotion. In essence, the story views God’s actions through the lenses of a woman. Major events include Naomi’s grief for her sons and Ruth’s emotional loyalty and devotion to her. Through Ruth’s loyalty, God accepts her among His chosen people. Moreover, God honors Ruth by including her in the family line of King David and Jesus Christ (Goodman, 2006).

Saul

Saul was the first King of Israel. According to 1 Samuel, Saul was loved by all for his looks and tall figure. Saul was a Benjaminite, the son of Kish. He was born and raised in Gibeah. It is estimated that Saul was born in 1080 BC. Besides, the estimations also confirm that he passed away in 1010 BC. Saul became king when he was 30 years old, and he ruled Israel for 42 years. Saul became King just after prophet Samuel retired as the last judge of Israel.

He was anointed King at Ramah by the prophet. Saul won many battles for Israel through God’s help. He organized an army, and he won the battle of Michmash against the philistines. He also won the war against Amelekites. In the process, Saul disobeyed God by making sacrifices to God by himself as opposed to the requirements in law. Moreover, Saul became disillusioned and withdrawn. He even tried to kill his servant David. He saw David as his inevitable successor.

Saul wanted to eliminate him so that his lineage would continue the Kingship. Saul had divided his energies since he was fighting David from within and fighting Philistines on the outside. In the process, he lost track. He abandoned his God and consulted a median. The Battle of Gilboa killed all his sons who went to the battle. Saul took his life to avoid suffering at the hand of the enemy (Hindson, 2003).

Egypt

Egypt is considered to be a place of refuge and bondage in the Bible. Egypt has rich history that transcends to pre 3100BC. The country’s history is categorized in six main periods, namely prehistoric Egypt, Ancient Egypt, classical antiquity, middle ages, early modern Egypt and modern Egypt. Egypt is one of the oldest countries in the world. The country was located along the lower part of Nile River.

Even though its expanse was large in Ancient history, modern Egypt has retained its central location in lower Nile (Anderson, 2007). The country’s civilization began in 3150 BC when both Upper and Lower Egypt came together under Menes, the country’s first Pharaoh. The Kingdom attained its pinnacle of power in the New Kingdom. The Bible notes that Egypt was a dreamland for the Israelites during drought as indicated in exodus. At the same time, according to the Bible, Egypt was a place of torment and bondage for the Israelites during the slavery period as indicated in exodus (Hindson, 2003).

Egypt has been utilized as a symbolism for torment and anguish. While Ancient Egypt existed between 3100 BC and 332 BC, the classical antiquity period lasted between 332 BC and 629 AD. Moreover, the middle ages existed between 641 and 1517 AD. Similarly, early modern period span between 1517 AD and 1914 AD. Modern Egypt began with the British occupation in 1882 AD to date. Egypt excelled in administration, agriculture and commerce. Egyptian temples were also important in administration. The country was divided into 42 regions whose heads reported to the vizier. The vizier reported to the Pharaoh (Wilkinson, 2003).

Reference list

Anderson, D. (2007). Egyptian history and the biblical record: A perfect match? Web.

Goodman, H. (2006). A literary Analysis of the book of Ruth. Web.

Hindson, E. (2003). Courageous faith: Life lessons from Old Testament Heroes. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

Wilkinson, R. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. London, England: Thames and Hudson.

The Book of Genesis portrays the creation of heaven and the earth by God in six days. Moreover, God creates man in his image, and from Adam’s rib, he created Eve. However, disobedience and temptation have led to the fall of man when the forbidden fruit is eaten, and God expels Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Humans descend into sin, scatter into different groups, and start believing in different gods. God then cleanses the world with a flood, and only Noah and his family are saved. However, Noah descends into sin, and humanity goes back to the old ways. A major personality in Genesis is Abraham, who believes in the God of Israelites and has been chosen and promised guidance, land, and blessing from God. Thus, while humans have descended into sin, the Creator plans to bring a blessing to everyone. Abraham’s son, Isaac, goes on to have children of his own, and his wife birthed Esau and Jacob (Sonek, 2019). Jacob, through cheating, deceives his father and cheats Isaac out of his blessing. Jacob’s son, Joseph, is sold into slavery in Egypt by his siblings, yet through the help of God, he is released from prison. He goes on to save the nation of Egypt, showing his devotion to God, who believed humanity deserves redemption. Genesis portrays God’s faith in humanity even when people themselves do not want to obey him. This, however, does not stop God from giving them chances, and through Abraham and his subsequent family, saving is granted.

The book of Exodus is the second one, where Joseph dies in Egypt and 400 years pass from the events in Genesis. The pharaoh does not like the growing and fruitful nation of Israelites, so he enslaves them and orders all boys to be drowned to wipe out the descendants of Abraham. Moses’s mother throws her boy into the Nile River, and the pharaoh’s family finds him and raises Moises as a part of the family. God then guides Moses to free the Israelites from slavery, punishing Egyptians through plagues and showing the pharaoh his wrongdoings by causing suffering to his nation. Moses begs the pharaoh to let the Israelites go as it is God’s will, yet no progress is made. The final plague is the pharaoh’s own wrongdoing turned onto him when all the Egyptian first-born sons die if not protected through lamb blood. The leader loses his son and lets the Israelites go before the enslaved people make their exodus.

The pharaoh then changes his mind and chases after the former slaves, who are able to pass through the sea safely while the water drowns the pharaoh’s army (Exodus 13). Afterward, God guides Moses and the Israelites into the wilderness before forming a covenant with the people on Mt. Sinai (Daube, 2020). While people break the covenant by idolizing false gods, the Creator punishes the followers by leaving them wondering for 40 years. After Moses dies, Joshua becomes the new leader and commands people to go further. The conquests that the Israelites had along the way, including the battles against Jericho and Ai, show people that following God’s lead allows them to inherit the land.

The book of Judges tells Israel’s history after the death of Joshua and how bad leadership and disobedience lead to negative consequences. The six judges, all having different character flows, do not follow the commandments that Moses wrote down, which ultimately led to their defeats. The vicious cycle of judges becoming corrupt and corrupting their nations last for hundreds of years (Judges 6). The Israelites plead with Samuel, one of the prophets, to give them a king, which the Lord consents to despite warning people about the consequences. King David is later succeeded by Solomon, who turns away from the Creator and, after his death, the kingdom is split. Both the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah are later conquered by Assyria and the Babylonians. The citizens are taken into captivity in Babylon before escaping exile after being allowed to come back and restore their religious background based on the Old Testament.

After 400 years of silence and a lack of prophets, the New Testament illustrates the fulfillment of God’s plan through the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and birthed by the Virgin Mary, Jesus is the son of God and the mediator between the Creator and mankind. When Jesus is 30, he starts teaching and preaching, as well as performing miracles.

While Jesus gains followers through his teachings, he faces opposition from religious leaders who feel threatened by his authority. This is why they plot against him and execute him through crucifixion (Luke 23). Jesus sacrifices himself to reconcile people back to God, raising from the dead on the third day (Capes, 2018). After 40 days, he ascends to heaven after telling his disciples to spread the word of God. The Church age begins with the first Christians who are facing prosecution for spreading the message of salvation. However, the word of God and the message of salvation are becoming prominent through people such as Apostol Paul, who was once against the gospel. He later becomes a follower of Jesus and advances the message to the capital of the Roman Empire. The Revelation promises people who receive God’s grace through faith eternal existence in a place with no sin, pain, death, and suffering (Revelation 21). Thus, faith will bring people peace, and they will spend eternity near God.

References

Capes, D. B. (2018). The divine Christ: Paul, the Lord Jesus, and the scriptures of Israel. Baker Academic.

Daube, D. (2020). The Exodus Pattern in the Bible. Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Sonek, K. (2019). The Abraham Narratives in Genesis 12–25. Currents in Biblical Research, 17(2), 158–183. Web.

Introduction

There are very many theories of inspiration. Some of the theories are Bible-inspired. We agree with all Christians that the bible was inspired by God and this is beyond doubt. When you read the bible you will find phrases as God said or the Lord spoke. In the Old Testament, a number of writers have quoted the statement God says or the Lord spoke.

Among the theories of inspiration that are mentioned in the Bible is the dictation theory. The other one is the dynamic theory the other one is the neo-orthodox theory. The dynamic theory holds the view that inspiration is a supernatural act or fact and it is the work of the Lord God not the work of man or any other thing. The dictation theory is the theory where inspiration comes through what one is dictated to do or to follow while a neo-orthodox theory of inspiration is when the scripture is taken on the condition that what is written there actually had occurred. it lays its foundation on the reasons that human beings were actually instructed by God to write the Bible. From the Bible 2Timothy 3: 15 the word inspiration is used.

Dictation

This holds that the human writers merely recorded whatever God dictated to them. God, then spoke the actual words of the Biblical text to the human authors. God alone is responsible for the contents of the Bible. The Bible rejects this because: (i) It does not account for different versions of the same event in the bible, for example, creation narratives in Matthew and Luke; and the beatitudes in Matthew and Luke. These differences are clearly due to the different personalities, styles, and purposes of the biblical authors. (ii) It stresses far too greatly the divine aspect of biblical authorship to the denigration of the human contribution.

A variant – Mantic theory

It states, “The human authors were possessed or taken over by God and wrote under such influence that they were in a sense possessed by divine activity. This too is denied by the church because:

1. Violates the free will of the person.
2. Belittles; the human author is given no credit for any contribution of his gifts and talents.
3. We have no evidence of this from the sacred authors.
4. Creates more problems than it solved, e.g. the contradictions inherent in different versions of the same event; and the scientific views expressed in the bible do not stand up to scientific scrutiny of today.

Subsequent approbation/ Negative Assistance

This Negative Assistance theory of inspiration holds that God approved what the human authors wrote after they were finished. This means that human authors alone are responsible for what is in the bible. God played a part in the composition of scripture by way of negative assistance. The assistance given by God was negative in the sense that only errors were prevented. The idea here is that, in a situation where the author is about to make an error, God would intervene to ensure that only the truth is written down. Subsequent approbation or Negative Assistance denies divine authorship of the Bible, which then is not the Word of God. This theory is unacceptable to the Church because it does not allow for God’s active presence in the writing of the bible.

How The Theories Relate To Inerrancy And Infallibility

In the Christian, faith infallibility is a matter of faith and morals of the church. It is administered through teaching and believing and it is protected by mere faith. For example, the Roman Catholics believe and proclaim the doctrine infallibly through the entire body of bishops, the pop, and the teaching of morality. The doctrine is said to be incapable of errors. According to the Bible, it is found in Accts 1:3. The revelation of John about Jesus Christ can be said to be infallible. First, in the modern world, it was defined in the Roman Catholic in 1870 where it is said that the pop is enabled by God to express to the world the matters of faith and morals.

Inerrancy is the view that when everything is known it will demonstrate to the world that the Bible is in its original form and is correctly translated, it does not contain errors or some falsehood. It applies in the Bible entirely from Genesis to revelation. It is believed that the present manuscript of the bible or scripture is inerrant that is it does not contain errors. for example, if there is a verse in the bible which allows more than two translations with conflicting messages the one which does not conflict is adapted.

For the purposes of belief, which is inerrant, the infallible bible is a testimony of the true scripture as God said or spoke. There is an agreement in the world today that the scripture teaches the doctrine of inerrant implicitly not explicitly. From the Bible II Timothy 3:115 which teaches that the scriptures are the true words spoken or said by God is in itself an inspiration (orthodox inspiration). This clearly shows the relationship between the theories of inspiration and the theories of infallibility and inerrancy.

In Deuteronomy 13:1 – 5 & 18 – 22, the prophet distinguished between God’s messages through a massager and prophesies from God and false prophets. They are also found in Matt 5:17 – 20 in the New Testament. The Bible teaches its authority and this requires inherency from human beings. The messages found in this book are said to have been spoken by Jesus Christ this requires total belief and infallibility. In, one of the many speeches Jesus made, he said that the Bile of the scriptures cannot be broken but there are binding. He continued to say that no word of the Bible will fail to be fulfilled. The law authority of the Bible is based on fulfillment. This authority of the Bible can only be justified inaccuracy. From general speaking, something that contains errors cannot be said to have absolute authority.

The bible has shown God’s character as a being that does not lie. Numbers 23:19, Psalm 15:29, Titus 1: 2 & Hebrews 6:18 teach that God cannot lie and if the Bible is God’s word and is the character behind it then it is inerrant and infallible. This is because of God’s character as depicted by the Bible.

Going back to the Old Testament, the writers of all testaments both prophets and other testament writers claimed to have messages from the outside world, which were from a supernatural influence. from the book of Micah, he said that the word came to Micah while Jeremiah has narrated that the hand of the Lord was extended and touched my mouth saying I place my word in your mouth. This is a clear impression of how the people of Israel regarded the scriptures. They regarded them it was inspired by God.

The Bible is unique because it contains different kinds of books and literature written by different kinds of people from farmers to doctors like Luke. This alone creates divine inspiration. The Bible attests to its inspiration from God.

The relationship between inspiration, theories, and the Bible.

The broad fact, therefore, remains certain that no ex-cathedra definition of any pope has ever been seen to the erroneous.

Take for example Mathew 19:8 which states as “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enters into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If

thou wilt is perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” This verse refers to the conversation of Jesus Christ and it is recorded as it was said. As it is I can be said to be inerrant which is characteristic of the bible.

A few brief remarks under this head will serve to make the Catholic conception of ecclesiastical infallibility still clearer. Three organs have been mentioned.

The bishop dispersed throughout the world in union with the Holy See; ecumenical councils under the headship of the pope; and the pope himself separately.

Through the first of these is exercised what theologians describe as the ordinaries magisterial, i.e. the common or everyday teaching authority of the church through the second and third magisterium solemn, or undeniable definitive authority. Practically speaking at the present day, and for many centuries in the past, only the decisions of ecumenical councils and the ex-cathedra teaching of the pope have been treated as strictly definitive in the canonical sense, and the function of the magisterium ordinarium has been concerned with the effective promulgation and maintenance of what has been formally defined by the magisterial solemn or maybe legitimately deduced from its definitions.

Even the ordinary managerial is not independent of the pope. In other words, it is only bishops who are in corporate union with the pope. The divinely constituted head and center of Christ’s mystical body. The one true church, who has any claim to share in the Christ by which the infallibility of their morally unanimous teaching is divine, guaranteed according to the terms of chrisms promises.

References

Warfield B.B.; (1951); The Inspiration and Authority of The Bible. London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott.

Warfield B.B., (1987) “Inspiration,” G.W. Bromiley, gen. ed., International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised, Vol.2. ed, Eerdmans, Michigan.

Pinnock (1985); The Scripture Principle. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

Henry C.F (1979), “The Authority and Inspiration of The Bible,” F.E. Gaebelein, gen. ed., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 1. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 13.

In today’s society, it is accepted that the church and the government should be entirely separate. Most nations have it in their laws that religion has no place in political decision-making. However, for someone to be a true Christian, they must strive to have their faith affect every aspect of their life. Only in using the Bible for guidance will man be able to come close to living like Jesus Christ. Therefore, religion must be an inseparable part of politics and political decision-making.

The Bible offers much guidance on both how rulership should be viewed and how leadership should be selected. The church can teach the leaders of man how to properly carry out their duties in accordance to the Word of God. Equally, it can offer guidance to the common man on selecting the worthy as their leaders. 1 Timothy describes the proper kind of ruler as being “above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” (3:1-13). If this advice, among other similar warnings, was heeded, many untoward choices in the political arena could have been avoided.

Moreover, it is foolish to claim that politics is somehow separate from religion. The Bible teaches us that God “changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel, 2:21) and that “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1-7). Thus, it is impossible to claim to have power without it being granted to you by God. To fully follow the path that you have been honored with, one must seek guidance from the church, which preaches the Word of God. Not doing so would be a misuse of the power granted to you, which may lead to many others being misled as well.

In conclusion, the Christian church should have a great impact on every decision that a person should have. The same ought to be said for any collective of people, including nations. When choosing their leaders and when leaders choose how to act, both must seek advice from the church to be able to follow the path designated to them by God.

Work Cited

Holy Bible. New International Version, Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.

Artistic materials are widely represented in the Bible, giving an idea of the life of Christians and the history of mankind. The primary art form used in this sacred text is music. For example, the Song of Songs, a poetic book, is comprised of the lyrics for love songs. The lyrics interfere with people’s speech meaning that it can be performed as a musical. It was composed by Solomon because he allegedly spoke many proverbs and knew songs. Visual arts are broadly depicted in the Bible as well. For instance, the image of the Ark of Covenant, the sacred chest, that represent the absolute sinfulness of humanity before the Creator (English Standard Version Bible, 2001). Its sophisticated designs with two cherubs on the lid signified the presence of the almighty power. Ultimately, poetry is seen throughout the text in such books as Job or Ecclesiastes (English Standard Version Bible, 2001). These include narratives about prominent events and people and suggest famous sayings.

As a Christian, one should use artworks as a praise of God. It presumes that while creating a poem, humans can use elevated words to honor the Creator. Additionally, when, for instance, a musician composes a melody, they shape a new worldview for people to recognize (Barrs, 2013). Finally, individuals can use art as doxology by creating for God – the value of new artworks in the name of the Creator is immense (Barrs, 2013). These artistic forms do not differ from the ones in the Bible because they are all the expression of human creativity. Currently, the contemporary Christian church offers such art forms as songs, praying in poetic forms, icons, and murals.

References

Barrs, J. (2013). Imitation, the heart of the Christian’s approach to creativity. In J. Barrs, Echoes of Eden. Crossway.

English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online.

God the Son in the Holy Scripture

The Nicene question is associated with Arius who was commissioned to deal with the interpretation of the Holy Scripture and provided the largest heresy in the history of Christianity, on the one hand, while promoted the formation of patristics, on the other hand. The independent and original interpretation of the fundamental Christian formula of the Trinity based on his deep knowledge of dialectics, Aristotelian logic, and the Holy Scripture combined with his personal charm and oratory ensured the popularity of the new doctrine.

The controversy revolved around the following question: what position in the heavenly hierarchy should Jesus Christ occupy as the further fate of Christianity as a religion depended on the solution of this question. According to Church Fathers who stood at the origins of orthodoxy, the founder of Christianity could not be either a person or a secondary deity. The followers of Arius, avoiding the hidden tritheism, tried to preserve the unity of the deity by completely separating these entities, subordinating them to each other and counting God in the absolute sense of one God the Father (Mueller 127). The struggle against Arianism is central to the history of Christianity in the era of the first ecumenical councils.

Council of Nicaea

Emperor Constantius convened the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 in order to establish the divine nature of Christ by means of voting and thereby strengthening the foundations of the imperial power (Mueller 127). Approximately 300 bishops from different countries gathered for the first time in the history of Christianity to identify the formula of worship, in which the divinity of the Son called the consubstantial Father was proclaimed. After that, the anathematizing of Arianism was omitted, and the third part of the formula was enlarged, in which the deity of the Holy Spirit was proclaimed as well as His equality to the Father and the Son. According to the Creed, God the Father is the creator of all things, both visible and invisible, God the Son is born from God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father eternally.

Alexandria Cathedral gathered in AD 362 summed up the preceding work of theological reflection on the disclosure of the doctrine of the Trinity, deciding or seriously affecting the key issues put forward by that time and making a strong impact on the subsequent events in the development of Church’s teaching. Emperor Constantius gave Church the formula to reconcile faith. However, the Arian dispute and the Nicene definition and formula, which were associated solely with the Eastern dispute, later became an event of the whole Church. The change in government created opportunities for the exiles, including those of Athanasius of Alexandria, to return to their departments, and peace prevailed in Church until there was an internecine war. Less than a year after Constantius’ death, the Council convened by Athanasius stated that even though some wanted to reflect on the account of the faith of the Council of Nicaea, the holy Cathedral was indignant on this occasion (Helfrich 146). It was to be contented with faith confessed by Fathers in Nicaea as this confession was not lacking anything, especially in the performance of piety, and it is not necessary to recite what was written in Nicaea, redefining the core postulates.

Works Cited

Helfrich, Michael. The Root of Christianity: A Layman’s Response. Xlibris, 2013.

Mueller, John J, editor. Theological Foundations: Concepts and Methods for Understanding Christian Faith. Anselm Academic, 2011.

Introduction

The Bible and the Koran are both wonderful books that have been used for numerous years to guide and counsel members of the religious cultures that these two books represent. The reason why these books are popular is that Christianity and Islam are the only two religions that command wide following in every part of the world. Although these two books draw their inspiration from different sources, they contain scenes that carry identical story lines.

This is best demonstrated in the story of Joseph that is found in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Koran. By reading the two stories, one is quick to realize that both stories contain the same foundational principles and plot. However, by closely analyzing the two stories, one realizes that the each version contain deep-seated variations that might be theoretical in nature depending on the passage being analyzed. (Submission.Org)

To begin with, the story of Joseph in the Bible that appears in the book of Genesis starting from the 37^th Chapter gives a detailed account of how Joseph spent his youth and explains why the brothers were jealous of him. In the story, we get to learn that Joseph was 17 years and that his occupation was a shepherd boy. In the Bible story, Joseph is seen intermingling with his siblings and letting them know of his frequent dreams. (New Revised Standard Version)

This differs from the Koran version where we only encounter Joseph telling his father of his recent dream. Unlike in the bible where his brothers know the content of the dream, Joseph’s father does not allow him to disclose the dream to his siblings for fear that they would “plot and scheme against” him. (Submission.Org)

However, both stories are similar in their account of the cause of the brother’s hatred toward Joseph. In both stories, the aspect of Joseph finding favor from his father is considered the cause of the hatred from his eleven brothers.

Another major contrast between the two stories appears in the way they are presented. In the bible version, the story is presented in form of a narration. In fact, the story spans from chapter 37 all the way to chapter 50 from the time when Joseph was a young boy up to a point where he is old and the brothers come begging for his forgiveness.

All throughout the narration, the story pauses to give little moral lessons. At the end of the narration, the moral of the whole story comes out when Joseph tells his brothers “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.” (Genesis 50:20)

On the other hand, the Koran version of the story is given in a summary form with only 111 verses covering the whole story. Contrary to the bible, the Koran focuses on giving God the glory that is due to His name.

This is seen at the beginning of Sura 12 when the author says “In the name of God, Most Gracious, and Most Merciful.” (Submission.Org) What this verse seems to stress is that all initial stages of doing things must begin by mentioning the name of the highest God in the land. This aspect of honoring God appears numerous times in the text.

The stressing of this verse can also be seen in Verse 91 when Joseph’s brothers tell him “By GOD, GOD has truly preferred you over us.” (Submission.Org) This clearly shows that the Koran version is more concerned with glorifying the name of God as opposed to the bible story whose main goal is to pass out key moral lessons.

In both versions of the story, we see the brothers conspiring to kill their brother. While this is the case, both versions give a different account of how the brothers carried out their mission. In the Koran version, the brothers first had a meeting where they decided to kill Joseph. After ensuring that the conspiracy was well perfected, they requested their father to allow them to take Joseph with them so they can play in the fields.

The story takes a different turn in the Bible since we see Jacob sending his son to the fields to see how his brothers were doing so he can present a report to his father. Unlike the Koran version where the brothers conspire to kill Joseph before hand, the Bible version says that they only hatched the plot once they saw him in Dothan. (New Revised Standard Version)

Another similarity of the story is seen in what transpires while the brothers are in the field. While the original plan was to kill Joseph, both accounts document that one of the brothers prevailed upon his brothers to instead throw him in to an abyss. Immediately after this, the brothers slaughter an animal and dip Joseph’s coat then take it to his father claiming that a wolf ate him.

The difference in this story is soon seen in the preceding verses where the Koran says that a caravan passed by and in the process of drawing water they discovered Joseph in the pit then took him with them to Egypt. This is in stark contrast to the Bible version, which documents that the pit that Joseph was thrown in to contained no water.

Instead of leaving him in the pit, the bible claims that the brothers sold him to Midianite traders for twenty pieces of silver whom in turn who sold him to a certain household in Egypt. Still on the same issue, a difference occurs in the way Jacob receives the news concerning the death of his son. While the Koran says that Jacob does not believe the story told by his sons, the bible version says that he believed them and mourned for his son many days. (New Revised Standard Version)

Another similarity in both stories is seen in what happens in the household to which Joseph is sold in Egypt. In both accounts, it is detailed that his masters gave him much authority and despite being in exile, he keeps on prospering. Additionally, both accounts of the Joseph story show that his wisdom and knowledge kept on increasing for the whole time he was in Egypt and was consulted regarding various things.

On top of this, both the Bible and the Koran agree that the woman of the house in whom Joseph was living tried to seduce him. According to the two versions of the story, Joseph fled the scene and was imprisoned after the woman accused him of trying to rape her. Despite this agreement on the rape scenario, the two versions give a completely different account on the outcome of this case. (New Revised Standard Version; Submission.Org)

In the Koran, it is reported that both Joseph and the woman of the house almost succumbed to their desires before he saw a proof from his Lord, which caused him to flee. While trying to flee, the Koran claims that the woman grabbed his garment and it was torn from behind.

Upon arriving at the door, the two of them found the woman’s husband standing outside and she accused Joseph of trying to molest her. With this accusation at hand, a witness from the house suggested that if the garment was torn from the front then the accusation was true but if it was torn from behind then it was a lie. As it turns out, the garment had been torn from behind and so Joseph was pronounced innocent. However, the master decided to commit him in to a penitentiary in order to please his wife. (Submission.Org)

In the bible’s version, Joseph does stop to analyze things and he flees immediately after the woman makes her advances. Unlike the Koran version, the man of the house shows up later and upon hearing the accusations brought in by the woman he immediately throws Joseph in to prison without proving his innocence. (New Revised Standard Version)

Conclusion

The bible and the Koran provide inspiration and guidance to its members. Although the writers of the two books were drawn from different backgrounds, both books contain stories bearing the same theme and teachings. Although most of the stories found in the Koran and the Old Testament part of the bible correspond in different aspects, they still have fundamental differences that make them distinct.

One story that is found in both the bible and in the Koran is the story of Joseph, which explains how God prepared the young man to save his household from future famine. Although both stories bear the same foundational message, they contain numerous dissimilarities that make them distinct.

Works Cited

New Revised Standard Version. Trans. Bruce M. Metzger. New York: Zondervan, 1983. Print.

Submission.Org. Sura – 12 Joseph, 2007. Web. <https://submission.org/index.html>

Introduction

Job is one of the Old Testament books in the Bible. It utilizes a combination of poetry and prose to explore themes of individual suffering and God’ justice. The main character in the book is Job, a staunch believer who loses wealth, friends, and succumbs to severe pain and suffering. He undergoes a dramatic transformation from wealth to poverty. Despite the loss, he does not lose his faith and continues to believe in God. Throughout the book, Job reiterates his innocence and rejects the argument that suffering is caused by sin. He is humble and faithful to God. However, his humility and faithfulness are tested when he loses his wealth and succumbs to suffering. The dialogue between Job and his three friends constitutes the greater portion of the book and covers 28 chapters (from chapter 3 to chapter 31). In the argument, Job’s self-defense, lamentation, and questions are responded to by a speech from God in a whirlwind.

Dialogue between God and Satan

The book of Job begins with a dialogue between God and Satan. Satan is asking permission from God to test Job’s faith. God validates Job’s righteousness by describing him as a righteous servant who is faithful and avoids evil. God challenges Satan by asking whether he has tested the faith of Job in the past. Satan responds by presenting a counterchallenge. He claims that Job will curse and stop believing in him if his wealth is taken away. God responds by telling him that Job’s wealth is under his power and he can do whatever he wants. As such, Satan is granted permission to test Job’s faith. However, God warns him not to touch his soul. He wants to prove to God that Job’s faith is weak and will vanish if he experiences suffering and pain. After being granted permission, Satan walks away from God’s presence.

The debate in covered in the book of job

The debate covered in the book focuses mainly on personal suffering and God’s justice in relation to Job’s life. These themes emerge in the debate that ensues between Job and his three friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) who visit to comfort him. The debate starts when Job attributes his suffering to God’s injustice and unfairness. The friends are surprised because of his attitude. Traditionally, people suffer because of their sins.

However, Job does not agree with the proposition. His friends advise him to search his conscience to uncover sins he committed to warrant God’s punishment. However, Job declines their advice because he opposes the claim that suffering emanates from sin. He maintains that he is innocent. He accuses God of injustice and argues that he does not deserve to suffer because he is humble, patient, and faithful. Job argues that his suffering is more than he can handle because his friends have abandoned him and God is taking pleasure in his pain and suffering. He prefers death other than a life of misery, pain, and suffering. Job curses life and wishes that he had died the moment he was born.

Eliphaz tells Job that God does not punish righteous people. He argues that Job is wicked and deserves to suffer as a form of punishment. He accuses him of impatience because he accuses God without finding reasons for his suffering. He maintains that Job’s suffering is characteristic of what befalls wicked people who offend God. Eliphaz tries to console him by telling him that nobody is just before God and he thus deserves to suffer. He advises Job to turn to God for help because no one else is available to help him. Job responds and claims that his friends have betrayed him by abandoning him because of his suffering. He accuses God of injustice and wishes that his life would go back to normal. He tells Eliphaz that he is justified to complain because he does not deserve to suffer.

Zophar accuses Job of wickedness and advises him to repent in order to mitigate his suffering. He tells Job that people portray either submissiveness or arrogance before God. He says that Job is arrogant and thus deserves punishment. He tells the job that God’s wisdom cannot be quantified or measured. He says that to show Job that his suffering is proof enough that he has committed sin. He maintains that sinners are rewarded by suffering.

He advises Job to repent in order to reestablish his relationship with God. Job responds by claiming that many other people are suffering and he is not the only one. He pleads with God to come to his aid and have mercy on him. In addition, he rejects the idea of life after death even though he is aware that God controls everything that exists. He rejects Zophar’s arguments and tries to reach out directly to God.

Bildad reiterates Zophar’s accusations by stating that Job is guilty of injustice against God and that is why he is suffering. He reprimands Job for lamenting because he believes that God is just and fair and does not punish good people. He tells Job that God does not make exceptions when punishing wicked people. Therefore, he should not expect God to have mercy on him because suffering is a reward for sin.

He tells Job that God punishes people who argue against him. Zophar states that God’s fairness was the reason why he is suffering because he cannot be exempted from punishment. Job responds by blaming God for his suffering. He is convinced that God has refused to give him reasons for his suffering because it is without reason. He states that he needs a mediator in order to reach God. However, after failing to get one, he begs for mercy and forgiveness from God.

The three friends maintain that God is just and does not punish the righteous, and uses suffering as a way of reminding people to repent. However, Job does not agree with their arguments. He maintains that he is innocent and God is unjust. In his misery and desperation, Job demands an explanation from God for his great suffering. In response, God answers him in a speech through a whirlwind.

Significance of God’s speech

In the debate, God’s speech is significant for the position takes by Job because of several reasons. First, it teaches that people should avoid accusing God of injustice and unfairness. God works in his own ways and people should not question them. Job’s suffering was a test of faith and patience. However, he chose to blame and accuse God of injustice. God’s speech proves that he cares for everyone despite the presence of pain and suffering in life. Third, God’s speech is relevant for Job’s position because it reveals God’s mysterious ways, which humans cannot understand. Instead of accepting God’s mysterious ways, Job decides to accuse God.

God’s speech contradicts the stand taken by Job’s friends. They argue that Job is suffering because he has committed sin. However, Job’s suffering is not because of wickedness but God’s will. According to the speech, he is suffering because God is exercising his power and has good reasons for allowing it. Moreover, God does not bring suffering upon Job as a sign of the d for repentance as the three friends claim. With regard to the stand taken by Job’s friends, God’s speech shows that human beings do not understand why God allows some things to happen to people. In addition, they ignore God’s power and control over creation.

Conclusion

The debate presented in the book of Job between Job and his friends focuses on suffering and God’s justice. The debate ensues after job accuses God of bringing suffering and pain upon him despite his innocence. Job argues that God is unjust because he lets him suffer without a proper reason. He accuses God of injustice and unfairness. On their part, Job’s friends maintain that God is just and does not punish righteous people. As such, they maintain that job’s suffering is as a result of his wickedness hence need for repentance.

In his speech that is a response to Job’s complaints, God reveals that he is ruler over all creation and his power surpasses that of all creatures. On the other hand, the speech is relevant to the stand taken by Job’s friends because it shows a lack of understanding of God’s power. They think that Job’s suffering is God’s wrath for his wickedness. The speech reiterates God’s power over creation, and his mysterious ways of doing things.