Category: Bible

Ben Witherington III and Bart D. Ehrman have different views of the Bible. There are many differences and comparisons between the two authors. Witherington and Ehrman have different ways of summarizing the Bible and what they emphasize. The more challenging approach for me is Ehrman’s approach. We will look at why Ehrman’s approach is a more challenging one and how just looking at the facts can feel disheartening and sacreligious.

Ehrman focuses heavily on the structure of the Bible. He goes over the layout of the Hebrew Bible and the English Bible and the New Testament. Ehrman then goes on to tell a rough summary of the Bible and all its major events. He goes from the Creation, to the Garden of Eden, the Flood, Exodus, the Promised Land, the Judges and Kings, the exile and return, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the spread of the Christian church and the End of time. After this summary Ehrman then goes on to note that the stories and events that happened in the Bible did not really happen, or there is a lack of proof to be able to decide that this book is 100% truth.

Witherington immediately has a more devotional approach then Ehrman meaning he is looking at the Bible historically and literary through a faith based lense. For example Witherington talks of “A unity of the Bible” He means it isn’t just a bunch of random books and stories thrown into one. It is a connecting story with the same themes, ideas, and the same God from Genesis to Revelation. It is the same story of true salvation.

Witherington’s main view on how to read the Bible is to look at the Grand Narrative. The Grand Narrative is the grand story that is told from Genesis to Revelation. Witherington is looking at everything from top to bottom. If we have a better idea of the plot of the story entirely, we will be able to better understand what specific small things mean in the grand narrative.

Witherington also gives a brief summary of the Bible and all its stories. Witherington brushes over many historical figures like Abraham, Joseph, and even Moses. This version also focuses greatly on the death and resurrection of Jesus and just what exactly that means. Witherington also makes a note of the importance of not to just look at something historically but to also look at it theologically. To look at the Bible theologically is meant to not just talk about the facts but to “bring out the fact’s deeper significance.”

When I am reading Ehrman’s view and Witherington’s view I am looking at it through a faith based lense. The Bible holds a lot of weight and importance to me. This is heavily related to my faith and my childhood. I believe that the Bible is God inspired but also written by man. I don’t believe that the Bible is “flawless” as it was written and translated by imperfect men but it is very important to me nonetheless. I am personally sitting more on Witherington’s side as he is a more “devotional writer” as he views the Bible as one true unified story of God’s love from beginning to end. I am less of a “skeptic” that I see Ehrman more to be.

Ehrman talks of the 10 different stages of creation, the emphasis on the sabbath and the fact of sin. Where as Witherington focuses on the greatness of God, and God’s almighty power. He focuses on God’s relationship with humankind. In comparison Ehrman talks of the Bible having mistakes and how different authors have different things to say, and how we need to read the books of the Bible individually. Witherington states the exact opposite, how we need to look at the Bible as a whole and as one story of love, forgiveness and God wanting a relationship with us. I prefer Witherington’s view because it connects with my faith in God on a significant level.

The part of Ehrman’s view that was the most challenging for me was when he talked of Genesis 1-11 as “myths” and though he touched on looking at the stories and about taking all the good insights about life that are in them. I found him using the word “myth” about the stories to be sacrilegious. I don’t necessarily disagree with his definition of the word which is “they are stories about God and his activities” and they are also stories that can not be proven real. Though I can not prove that these stories are real I still believe them to be real and that is a part of what faith is to me and the reason why I found his view the most challenging.

In conclusion even though both Ehrman and Witherington have very different views they are both important to look at it and at times wrestle with. Witherington’s idea of a grand narrative helps put every story in a bigger picture whereas Ehrman’s idea of looking at every book more individualistically can help bring more context to that exact situation. With all that being said there is so much more to uncover with the Bible and this is just a start to all that Ehrman and Witherington have to talk about.

Bibliography

1. Ehrman, Bart D. The Bible: A Historical and Literary Introduction, 2nd ed. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.
2. Witherington, Ben III. Reading and Understanding The Bible. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.

In the business world, in building a career, and in the day-to-day life of an entrepreneur, wisdom and knowledge can be key to success or failure in a career or great ideas. Believing in oneself is fundamental to achieving the goals and overcoming the adversities that will surely occur throughout this journey.

Perhaps the most difficult task is to maintain the faith that we are able to overcome the challenges and nothing is safer than sticking to the word of God to guide future steps in the business world. The Bible gives us simple principles that can be applied to any business or circumstance at work. The Bible is the best source of inspiration for good business as many entrepreneurs seek wisdom to confront an increasingly competitive scenario.

In the Old Testament, King Solomon became the wisest man in the history of mankind and for being an extraordinary steward. In his initiatives to expand his kingdom he was able to maintain peace with his neighbors. In visiting King Solomon, the queen of Sheba learned that the scriptures were the basis of the king’s wisdom. She gave glory to the God of Israel for all she learned.

In addition to wisdom, knowledge of the market and its competitors can be a key factor in the success of a business. In Luke 14:31 we can find a principle about competition analysis. The text says: ‘What king is going to fight another king, do not sit first to calculate if with ten thousand men can face what comes against him with twenty thousand? ‘. The text alerts us to questions about market positioning, competition assessment, business cost, and delivery capability.

The quality of the product or service is among the main factors of success of a business. The Bible tells us in Micah 6:11 the text ‘Can I cleanse false scales and bags of deceitful weights? ‘. If we fail to fully serve our client by offering him less than our best product or service, we will be acting like the misleading scales. On the other hand, as we offer our best product and service we will be blessed by God and we will be blessing the good benefit of what we are delivering.

The financial area also had its principles covered by the biblical text while recommending caution in the use of due credit. In Habakkuk 2: 7 the text: ‘Shall not your lenders rise up suddenly? Will not those who shake you awaken? You will serve them as spoil. ‘. Many entrepreneurs make use of loans to start or expand their businesses, to settle daily expenses or for capital expenditures. The text asks us to reflect on the real need to make use of credit. If your equity is lower than all the debts you own you are likely to have been reckless in taking the credit.

Customer satisfaction should be the most attention item of the entire business. We can not always clearly identify our customers’ real needs and how best to serve them. We can not assume that just because we have no complaints we are fully satisfying our client. We need to be close and follow how change and each reaction of the market so that there is no risk of losing space for competition and identify new ways to satisfy our target audience. This principle is described in Proverbs 27: 23,24 in the text: ‘Seek ye to know the state of your sheep, and take care of your flocks, for riches do not last forever.’

In this document, it was possible to present only a few biblical citations on principles applicable to the business world. There is no doubt that the Bible can be used as a guide in doing business or building a career.

Bibliography

1. Dave Anderson (Agoura Hills, CA). How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK: A Biblical Blueprint to Bless Your Business, Revised and Expanded. 2nd edition . Translated by John C. Maxwell (Foreword). Wiley, 2011.
2. Marr, Steve. Proverbs for Business. 6th edition. Revell, 2006.

Reliability is the foundation of trust, therefore it is the base of friendship and relationships.When forming long lasting relationships, one searches for someone consistent and trustworthy. It is important to have those foundations when putting faith in someone or something. Similar to relationships, if the Bible is not reliable or accurate, how could one trust and use it in everyday life? The Bible can be known as a reliable document because of its historical and scientific accuracy, its relevance in addressing the struggles of all societies, and its truthful conviction.

Throughout historic and scientific research, the Bible has been proven to be accurate and true. In short, reliability means something is trustworthy. It can also mean that something is consistently good in its quality. In reference to the Bible, reliability has to do with whether or not what it contains, from ideas to history to geography and more, is trustworthy or not. If, for instance, the Bible is full of historical and factual errors or blatantly contradicts itself, it’s hard to trust it or view it as reliable (Velarde, 2020). Historically, through archaeology, manuscripts, and through oral communication, it is clear that many of the events in the Bible are accurate and correct. There are more than 5,000 copies of the New Testament or extensive portions of it. There are also several thousand more fragments or smaller portions of the New Testament. The manuscript evidence and copies for the New Testament far outweigh manuscript evidence for other ancient historical works. For instance, there are less than 700 copies of Homer’s Iliad and only a handful of copies of any other work of Aristotle (Velarde, 2020). If you laid the surviving copies of Aristotle, one on top of the other, it would make barely four feet. If you do the same with the surviving copies of the New Testament, the stack would be a mile high. Nothing else in History even comes close. How is that for reliable? (Gunn, 2017). Aristotle’s works have been used for centuries. There is no doubt in its historical importance. The Bible surpasses Aristotle in accuracy, quantity, and quality. Historians do not deny Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion on the order of Pilate during Passover time. Most historians even acknowledge that Jesus’ body was buried in a tomb and that his followers had experiences of appearances of Jesus soon after, risen and alive from the dead. Archaeology has also confirmed or corroborated many specific details of the Bible. Archaeologists have located towns and villages mentioned in the Bible but otherwise unknown today. They have found political and military inscriptions referring to various rulers and other major figures in the biblical world. In some instances they have found evidence confirming specific events (Bowman, 2018). The evidence and case of the Bible’s reliability is firmer than any other account in History. We have a report of the resurrection with specific Eyewitnesses that dates all the way back to within months of the resurrection itself. That source also adds that 500 separate people saw Jesus at the same time. We’re not talking decades or centuries after the cross, it’s months (Gunn, 2017). The timing of those accounts is incredibly specific. The Iliad, for example, was created about 800 years before Christ. Copies of the Iliad are found from 1100 years after the original. The time gap between those is so significant that we can assume it is not a first hand account of the original. It is proven through historic and archaeological evidence that the Bible is reliable and accurate.

The reliability of the Bible and the accounts in it are also proven based on medical science. Regarding Jesus’ physical death and resurrection, When the soldiers thrust their spear between Jesus’ ribs, blood and water came out, which we now know is a description of pericardial effusion as a result of death by asphyxiation. This is not a condition anyone could fake. So it is medically accurate that Jesus Christ died on that cross (Gunn, 2017). It is a medical conclusion that Jesus died on the cross. Eyewitness accounts prove that He was later seen after His concluded death, meaning that there was a resurrection. It is not a religious statement to confirm the death and resurrection, it is medical and recognized by even non-religious and impartial sources like The American Medical Association, which states the following. On the physical death of Jesus: clearly the weight of the medical and historical evidence indicated that Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted. Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross, appear to be at odds with modern medical knowledge (Gunn, 2017). Medical evidence shows that Jesus’ death and resurrection is accurate, meaning that the accounts of seeing him afterwards are true, therefore proving that the most important account in the Bible, and the Bible itself, is reliable.

The Bible has accurately described the struggles of society from the beginning of time. Though today’s society has technological advancements and things older times did not have, the Bible shows the struggles of the heart that continue even today; idolizing, homosexuality, adultury, murder/crimes, jealousy, unforgiveness and bitterness, pride, etc. The Ten Commandments are just as relevant now as they were so long ago. The New Testament letters are situational or occasional, meaning that they were written by the authors to address specific situations faced by the churches, and still apply to churches today. Misplacing Christ happens today still, very frequently. Many churches today put things before God and twist His word to conform to the world. The Bible serves as a guide to live one’s life according to God’s Words, so why would He make it only applicable to the world of when it was written? Historically, Christians have affirmed that God inspired human authors to compose the Scripture as a means to convey his truth through human words, reporting human circumstances and events through diverse kinds of literature (Klein, Blomberg, & Hubbard, 2017). God made His Word according to human circumstance and events, through love letters, stories and parables, direct quotes and experiences, and many more. The Bible is accurate and reliable because it presents specific examples and themes of the struggles of society.

Although the Bible is historically, scientifically, and relevant to societies of all times, it is also truthfully convicting. Why would so many people commit to serving an entity most have not truly seen in person? Conviction from the Holy Spirit. Besides the overwhelming amount of scientific and historical proof, people tend to have tremendous faith in things they feel so powerfully. True interpretation of the Bible combines both an exercise in ancient history and a grappling with its impact on our lives (Klein, Blomberg, & Hubbard, 2017). Reading the word is powerful and even if one is not religious, it provides comfort and encouragement. God certainly wants us to know biblical principles and valid applications, but His ultimate goal in communicating with us is to transform our thinking and acting so that we conform to the image of His son, Jesus Christ (Duvall & Hays, 2012). God wants us to know scripture and The Word, but He looks at our hearts. The purpose of His Word is to further our walk with Him and to live our lives to be like Jesus Christ, not to memorize historical facts from a book. God only wants the best for us. He wants us to go to heaven, a perfect and happy place, and gave up His only Son to allow us to do that. All that He asks is that we accept what He did for us and that we have a relationship with Him. He loves us and His Word only seeks to benefit and convict us. “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” -C.S Lewis. Conviction through the Bible is very powerful and it proves just how much more reliable it is.

The Bible has been backed up with large accounts of historic and scientific research, as well as its relevance to the struggles of society and its truthful conviction, to prove its reliability. It is important to know the Bible’s accuracy and relevance so that it can be used in daily life. The Bible also serves as a guide to how to live one’s life correctly and manage the struggles they will go through. The Bible is often written off as a circumstantial and purely religious book, but it is a wonderful account of history that is scientifically and historically proven to be true and reliable.

To read the bible we have to understand the way it was constructed and what it contains. The bible is not a single book but a collection of books written by many different authors over time. (Fischer & Hart 2013, p. 33).The bible is human literature, written by historical individuals in a particular cultural context. The bible is divided into two major parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. (Fischer & Hart 2013, p. 33)

Jews and Christians turn to the bible for inspiration, values and purpose that governs their lives for religious instruction. The bible is God communicating to us and it is a record of the relationship between God and the people of the culture of that time.

The Old Testament can be also named the Hebrew Scriptures. A significant figure is Moses who led the people out of Egypt liberating them from slavery. Their belief is through the things God has done for them and Moses is composed as a figure and likeness of God.

The sacred readings of the Old Testament have been categorised into three groups with headings of the Law, the Prophets and the Writings. (Fischer & Hart 2013, p. 35) It is their belief that God is calling them into a covenant relationship in which protection and guidance is provided. This faithful God gives them the law to serve as the rule of their lives.

The New Testament can also be names as the Christian Scriptures. The Christian scriptures contain twenty seven books and the well-known among them is the four Gospels. Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. Compared to the Hebrew Scriptures the main stand out is the figure of Jesus Christ. The earliest writing began 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

It also good to be aware when interpreting the Gospels that Matthew wrote for the Jewish turned Christian community, Luke writes for not for the Jews but for the Gentile converts and Mark writes for a non-Jewish audience. (Fischer & Hart, 2013, p. 40)

The process for the Gospels coming together was at first nothing had been written down and Gods words and deeds were passed down orally from original eyewitnesses. The Gospels writing is where it provides narratives of Jesus’ teachings, miracles, parables, disciples, public life, death, resurrection and Holy Spirit. The four gospels can also be seen as the bringer of Good News. As a very special kind of literature governing their selection of incidents and teachings of confessional documents in history that sustain the life of the Christian faith. (Fischer & Hart, 2013, p. 42)

The bible is a record of scriptures written in context and culture of the Creation, Fall, Israel, Jesus and The Church. To interpret the bible correctly we have to understand the first part of the bible is the religious experience of the Hebrews. The second part is the Christian scriptures that records the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and is the beginnings of his church. We have to be aware of the way the bible was composed in the way its literary forms where written based on the cultural time of the people and who it was written for. To read the bible intelligently we have to remember that the bible it has been written in different forms and getting across the idea to it intended audience using the cultural influences and use of agricultural symbols to express a point in that time.

The explanation of the different methods of interpretation available

The understanding of the place of interpretation for reading the bible is to get the plain meaning of the text and to make good sense of the text being read. We have to understand the nature of the scripture written of God communicating through the bible and also reflect on the culture of its time, by then bringing to the scripture our very own experiences and prior understandings.

To interpret the bible correctly we have to consider the culture, language, laws and social hierarchy of its time when it was originally written. We have to understand the historical context, look behind the text and the literary context. In addition we have to think about the author’s perspective and background and what it was meant to them during their cultural time.

A method of interpretation is the Historical Criticism Method which can be used in both Old and New Testament. Using this method we can based the literature context and intention in which the author wrote and the historical circumstances of the time rather than ours. The three major critical approaches while using this method is source criticism, form criticism and redaction criticism.

Source Criticism

Is the analyse for any material with in it which is not original, but of which the author incorporated from other sources. Source criticism examines what other sources did the author use to write and if the author modified the other sources in any way to produce the biblical text. Fisher and Hart state that source criticism has discovered for example stories like the creation, the fall and the flood already existed in other religions know to the Hebrews. (Fischer & Hart, 2013, p. 36) The biblical authors used these stories because they were familiar to those who they were writing for, so they modified the stories to highlight their own theological principles.

Form Criticism

Is the literary form in the text being analysed. Form criticism seeks to determine the original form and the historical context of the literary tradition. It traces the history of the many biblical genres such as parables, hymns psalms, poems, letters and other literary forms. (Lennan, 1998, p. 98) As the traditional stories where communicated firstly orally and passed down, the different literacy forms can be placed in to units and then traced back to original form and oral tradition. For example when using form criticism in the New Testament we can draw conclusions on what Jesus really said and meant in the parables and how oral tradition had led to the written accounts. (gotquestions, p. 1) We as readers of the bible must identify literary forms if we want to read with understanding.

Redaction Criticism

Is the focus on the editorial process is accepting the written sources and the various forms behind them. It examines why certain sections of traditional material where selected into the text and why other forms where not. (Lennan, 1998, p. 99) It analyses any modifications that were made to the source and why the author may have chosen to arrange the text in this particular way. For example Fisher and Hart state the redaction criticism has shown us that there are two accounts of creation in the opening of Genesis (Ch. 1 and 2). (Fischer & Hart, 2013, p. 36) Accounts were originally interlinked together as if they were the one account. If to explain that the creation in Genesis 1 is explains that humanity is the pinnacle of creation and it is Gods greatest work. In Genesis 2 God is at work each of the days of creation and creating a human.

Redaction regards the author of the text as the editor of the source focus on the editor has shaped and modelled the story to shape is theology. The choice the changes made by the author to adhere to the beliefs of that time. The goal is to reconstruct each author meaning of the final form. What is different and why did they author choose to change that or was it change for the audience theology. Jesus can be describe different ways in each of the gospels. We can compare the gospels and see the differences. (Pateras, 2015, 0.49)

The clarity of expression of your own theological and personal response.

From my readings and research I believe the very first step is to use the Exegesis strategy. By using this skill I can study the scriptures by understanding the original intended meaning. It is to have the awareness of the language and circumstances of the text when it was written in the historical time. To be Exegesis we have to remember and interpret our reading and by being familiar of how the word of Jesus was communicated in society and which was then spoken and written. Also we have to think about the translation of the meaning and language from one culture to another. To enhance our reading a valuable thing is to know the customs and cultural when Jesus was living on earth. As I am no expert and just learning about these matters, to further my understanding when interpreting my readings I can use additional resources such as Bible dictionary, listen to the commentaries and read the bibliographies if reading a book or an article to gain more understanding of when it was written. An example of this would be when reading the parable of the Good Samaritan it is worthy to know that the Samaritan people were hated amongst the Jewish groups. Having this knowledge helps the interpretation process of the scripture with more clarity. With this information also we take into the background of the author and cultural existence at the time.

My theological and personal response is to have a well-developed understanding of the Bible. To discover its nature and purpose and use a variety of methods to interpret. It is God at the heart of this faith and the bible can be used to guide and shape our faith as well as the foundations of the church. The bible is God communicating to us and the relationship between people and God. How do I see God in this and how do I see my relationship with God? How God is at work here and what is the core message?

The effort to rely on a few paragraphs to prove whether a person is reliable is itself unreliable. I think the same is true of a book, and the very mention of the word ‘bible’ is controversial to a man who already has an opinion. So it’s hard to prove that the bible is true. The fundamental way to trust a man is to be close to him, and the only way to trust the bible is to read it yourself. But the problem is, for a variety of reasons, people don’t want to.

Biblical history covers the period from the beginning of time to the 1st century AD. The first five chapters of genesis, the first book of the bible, record the origin of the world and human beings. Fortunately, the rest, more than 99.5% of it, is history from the flood, mainly the history of the people of Israel and the surrounding countries, and that falls within the scope of the historian, who can use historical methods to study and research.As for the historical authenticity of the bible, it is necessary to study whether the people, places and historical events recorded in the bible are credible by historical standards.

First, it depends on your view of history. Secondly, ‘believability’ is subjective. Some Japanese deny the historical truth of the nanjing massacre. Others doubt whether Marco Polo ever came to China. These are often referred to as historical skepticism, historical nihilism.

By the same standards by which we judge other historical works, the bible is not only reliable, but more reliable than any other comparable work. Reliability is a matter of authenticity and accurate reproduction. Works that are historically and factually correct and that have been faithfully preserved over time will be considered reliable. The higher level of historical verification and the better dissemination of confidence makes it easier to determine whether an ancient work is trustworthy. By these standards, we can consider the bible to be reliable.

As with any historical work, every detail of the bible cannot be directly verified. The bible cannot be called unreliable simply because it contains parts that cannot or have not been proven. It is reasonable to expect it to be accurate where it can be checked. This is a major test of reliability, and the bible has an excellent record in this regard. Many of its historical details have not only been confirmed, but some of the parts that were once in doubt have also been later confirmed by archaeology.

Only those who believe in the bible, only those who believe that the bible is the word of god are the chosen people of god, who reveal himself to others, who reveal the son to others, who happen to be the chosen people. However, do you like the next verse? Because it’s mysterious, we don’t know who these people are, who will come to this feast. ‘Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ God’s sovereignty is reflected in this feast. Man must cry out to god to save him, to give him life, to bring him out of ignorance, to overcome the enemy who blinds him, to discover what god himself has hidden from him. The sinner must place himself before god’s throne and cry out in the depths of his fearful soul, ‘god, have mercy on me, a sinner. Make me understand the truth.’ This is god’s work. Augustine said, ‘I believe it is to understand.’

How do we know for sure that the gospels are right about the life of Jesus? When historians try to determine whether the life story is credible, they ask, ‘did many other sources report details about the man and agree?’

Here’s how it works. Imagine collecting the life of former President Kennedy. You can find many accounts of his family, his tenure, how he handled the Cuban missile crisis, and many of the same arguments in every life. But what if you found one of them reporting that Kennedy was a pastor in South Africa for 10 years? None of your other sources mention that he was a pastor or lived in South Africa for 10 years. It is clear that the credibility of this biography is low.

Can we find the same argument in multiple reports about the life of Jesus of Nazareth? Yes, there are four New Testament books (called gospels) detailing the life of Jesus. Who wrote the gospels? They were written by people who knew Jesus personally and traveled with him for three years (Matthew and John). The other two books were written by people close to Jesus’ disciples.

Each of the four authors records an in-depth account of the life of Jesus. You might expect to learn about the lives of real people from different authors, who have consistent evidence, as well as unique and multifaceted representations. And each life is not influenced by sensationalism or presented with brilliant ideas, but in the style of a newspaper, ‘this is what it is.’ The gospels provide specific geographical names and detailed cultural information that has been verified by historians and archaeologists. And the information in the gospels is also a symbol of its authenticity.

Jesus’ statements are consistent with the culture and the audience he is addressing, yet they are inconsistent with the general teaching of Judaism. In the gospels, his teachings do not contain many of the subjects that the early church expected Jesus to deal with. This supports the claim that the life story is correct, without incorporating later ideas into the words of Jesus.

At the beginning of the bible in the book of Genesis, it is revealed in 1:26 that human beings were made in the image of God, “ And God said Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have domination over the fish of the sea …and over all the earth and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” The Bible teaches us that there is one God, this God consists of three distinct persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Bible speaks of the Father as a fundamental source of the universe ( 1 Corinthians 8:6), the Son as the mediator through whom the Father works to create and maintain the universe (John 1:3), and the Holy Spirit; the Father does everything by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). The main purpose of this essay is to prove that man was made Imago Dei (‘in the image of God’.)

Why did God create us? We were created in God’s image to serve him. One of the attributes of God is love, God created us as humans because he loved us so profusely and because he wanted us to serve Him. God is love (1 John 4:8), and his sacrifice on the cross for our sins is the ultimate act of his love and mercy towards us. God has both communicable and non-communicable attributes. The non-communicable attributes are reserved for God alone; they are omnipotence (Psalm 33:9), omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-12), omniscience (1 John 3:20), eternal (Deut. 33:27), immutability (Malachi 3:6) and self-existence (God is the source of life and does not need anything for his existence). Whereas the communicable attributes are shared with those in a relationship with God. We can find examples of these attributes in the scripture text which highlights the fruit of the spirit. Galatians 5: 22-23 states: “ But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” We can’t become God, but we can become similar to him by practicing his communicable attributes.

Genesis 5: 1-2 says, “This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.” This text states that man was created in God’s image. The day that God created man, he blessed them and made them in his image and likeness; naming them mankind. There is no valid reason behind mankind but through God. Nowadays, many of us do not live in God’s image, however, as Christians, we should believe in God’s word and share his word with non-believers.

Genesis 1:27 gives us more evidence that man was created in the image of God, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them”. We were created to look like God, think like God, reflect God, and be like God. That image was broken when sin entered The Garden of Eden and was passed down to us today, from Adam and Eve. God is not like us, he has no sin in him but he wants us to be just like him.

If we do not love our neighbor or friend we cannot profess our love for Christ. The Lord our God is an honest God, he is always truthful to man and asks that we be like him, this is proven in Exodus 20:16 “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” The Bible then goes on to say in Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord but they that deal truly are his delight.” From this text, we can see that God requires us to be truthful.

In the text John 1:17 which says, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ,” tells us where truth originates from which is through Jesus Christ. Without knowing God, we will not know how to be honest. God knows that we all make mistakes, but he is always there to pick us up and put us back on track when we come out and be truthful. The text John 8:32 says “And ye shall know the truth and truth shall make you free.” The Bible is filled with stories like this, which talks about truth setting us free.

One of these stories is the story of Esther. Originally, Esther lied about her nationality because it would be dangerous for her if anyone found out that she was a Jew. After becoming the Queen, Esther heard that King Ahasuerus wanted all Jews to be killed, she instructed all Jews to fast with her for three days and then she requested a banquet with the King to tell him that she was also a Jew. When Esther spoke up and told the truth about her origins, she was able to save her people because the king spared their lives.

From the moment God created Adam and Eve he created each and every one of us in his image and likeness. The dictionary states that the meaning of likeness is the semblance, guise, or outward appearance of someone or something. When God created man he gave us a sense of authority and leadership just like him however we are not the same as God as he is the ultimate and superior being. Even though God created other creatures of the world, in the bible it states that we are the only ones he created in his image and likeness. The attribute I’ll be focusing on is goodness. Goodness involves showing kindness and hospitality towards others. It is more of an act than a feeling. God expressed his goodness in many ways as should we. If we were created in God’s image, it’s only natural that we possess certain qualities like him. In many scriptures, God pleads with us to show goodness to our fellowmen by being kind and showing forgiveness just as he did with us. Some examples where the lord speaks about goodness are Matthew 5:15-16, which states: “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candle stick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, which is in heaven.” Another scripture is Romans 12:21: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” God wants each and every one of us to reflect all his qualities as we were made in his image and likeness therefore we must mirror his actions.

The Communicable attribute of patience, in this case, is the ability to bear provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, but still be able to maintain your composure and a firm level of understanding. The Bible describes patience as closely related to both mercy and compassion, but “How do such a mighty God and men share this trait?”. In the text (Nehemiah 9:30), the bible, speaks of God’s patience towards the sinful Canaanites. The Canaanites did not listen to God, even after his warnings, and for that, they fell into misfortune. Yet God still showed them mercy in the end, displaying a level of patience no man could achieve.

Although man is the inferior being, Genesis 29:20 shows that we can, despite our flaws, also display a great level of patience. In this verse, it stated that Jacob served Laban for seven years to marry his daughter Rachel, but because he loved her so much it only seemed like a few days. Human beings can in fact show a great deal of patience. But this patience usually tends to involve some sort of reward or faith that there is something to be benefited from as a recompense for our hardships.

In Timothy 1:16, it describes God’s patience as an example to others. After all, how can human beings be taught a virtue from God without it first being displayed to us? As God teaches us and we learn from him, our example can also be used as a learning tool for others. This shows that God’s image is not just something we are born with, but can be developed. If we are able to understand this thing called patience, it would mean that we were created by God with the capacity to do so in the first place.

The purpose of this essay is to understand what it means to be created in the image of God. The purpose of human life is seen in the first chapter of Genesis, where man is first mentioned: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Although humanity has fallen short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23) His awesome mercy and love, would not discourage His great plan for mankind. God’s image is meant to be enjoyed, his truthfulness, mercy, love, goodness, and patience are the key attributes that have impacted mankind.

It is a statutory requirement for primary school pupils to learn about: ‘God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), about Jesus Christ, and about the Bible; to develop an ability to interpret and relate the Bible to life.’ (DENI, 2007, p.1).

The Bible can be linked with many curriculum subjects throughout school life, and material from the Bible can be used in many ways to effectively enable pupils to develop an ability to interpret and relate the Bible to their life.

Stranmillis UC (2018) suggests that the Bible can be used effectively to allow primary school pupils to interpret meaning and relate the Bible to their own lives through activities such as: making a Bible library, making a scroll, and using music and drama throughout Religious Education (RE) lessons. Through these activities, the pupils may be able to make connections from the Bible to their own lives and identify similarities.

Furthermore, Stranmillis UC (2018) suggests that Bible stories can be used effectively through RE lessons to allow primary school pupils to develop an ability to interpret and relate the Bible to their life. For example, under topics such as ‘change’ or ‘family’, the Bible story ‘The Birth of Jesus’ (Luke’s Gospel, 2:1-20) could be used to link the Bible to present day life, or under the topic of ‘respect’, the story of ‘Zacchaeus’ (Luke’s Gospel, 19:1-10) could be used. However, Watson (1993) believes that the Bible is not easy material to understand and that it can quite easily appear alien to people today. Perhaps the Bible cannot be used effectively for pupils to interpret and relate to, perhaps the content of the Bible is outdated and irrelevant. This poses as a possible difficulty that present-day teachers may face.

Richards and Bredfeldt (1998) highlight another possible difficulty that primary school teachers may face. They discuss how children may find it hard to understand that Bible material is not meant to be taken literally; for example, in the Bible story of ‘The Rich Young Man’ (Matthew’s Gospel, 19:16-30), Jesus told the young man to go and sell all that he owned. Perhaps pupils will think that to be a follower of Jesus they must sell all that they own; they may find it difficult to understand that the Bible often holds hidden meaning and it is not to be taken with literal interpretation. Teachers will need to ensure that they clearly explain that we should take ideas from the Bible and apply them to our lives, not necessarily replicate the exact action.

However, to counteract this potential problem that teachers may face, Richards and Bredfeldt (1998, p.71) further suggest that life today has not really changed from Biblical times and that the Bible still holds the answer to present-day issues. Therefore, perhaps the Bible is relevant for primary school pupils, perhaps teachers should have no problem in relating material from the Bible to children’s lives through carefully choosing material and making clear links for the pupils to identify. They state:

We deal with the same issues, emotions, questions and concerns. This commonality in our lives gives the Bible a timeless quality of application.

In agreement, Doherty (1996) believes that Bible material can be taught to children to help them live in this difficult, contemporary world. He suggests a way that material from the Bible can be used effectively in primary school; he states: ‘Bible stories should be the vehicle for teaching Bible truths’. Bible stories should be used effectively to enable primary school pupils to interpret and relate the Bible to their present-day lives by allowing them to make connections and see similarities within the stories and their own lives.

However, in contradiction, Stranmillis UC (2018, p.23) state: ‘Biblical narratives shed light on how people thought and behaved in those times, they do not necessarily have a “meaning” for today’. If the Bible has no “meaning” in today’s society, perhaps this is a potential difficulty that teachers may face.

Doherty (1996) suggests a way that the Bible can be made attractive to children and taught in a simple way, he suggests that teachers could use illustrations from the Bible within lessons or use religious songs and Bible verses to portray Bible stories and meaning. These are methods in which the Bible can be used effectively to ensure primary school pupils can interpret and relate the Bible to their lives.

To conclude, evidently there are many ways in which the Bible can be used effectively to allow primary school pupils to develop an ability to interpret and relate the Bible to life. Primary school teachers must overcome the potential difficulties they face by ensuring that the Bible material they are using in their lessons is relevant, engaging and easily understood so that pupils can interpret and relate the Bible to their lives today.

References

1. Department of Education. (2007) Core Syllabus for Religious Education, available at: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/de/religious-education-core-syllabus-english-version.pdf (accessed on 29/04/2020).
2. Doherty, S. (1996) How to Teach Bible Doctrines to Children, Lisburn, Child Evangelism Fellowship, available at: https://www.teachkids.eu/pdfs/how_doctrine.pdf, accessed (28.04.2020).
3. Luke’s Gospel, 2:1-20 The Birth of Jesus and 19:1-10 The Story of Zacchaeus, The New Testament, The Holy Bible.
4. Matthew’s Gospel, 19:16-30, The Rich Young Man, The New Testament, The Holy Bible.
5. Richards, L. and Bredfeldt, J. (1998) Creative Bible Teaching, Chicago, Moody Publishers, available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Q9ny1fVppAEC&oi=fnd&pg=PA7&dq=difficulties+teachers+face+teaching+with+the+Bible&ots=M92AxeJvfP&sig=3gzBU3q3yGHOAKM5ipaGGqayFa8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=difficulties%20teachers%20face%20teaching%20with%20the%20Bible&f=true, accessed (28.04.2020).
6. Stranmillis UC (2018) Teaching Religious Education in the Primary School: An Inclusive Approach (Religious Education Handbook Year 1), Belfast, Stranmillis University College.
7. Watson, B. (1993) The Effective Teaching of Religious Education, Harlow, Pearson Education Limited.

Introduction

The lecture of college teaching is very significant for me. I got the great idea and knowledge in my life through studying this. I believe that will be useful and effective in my ministry. There are many ways of teaching but bible college teaching is most important than the secular teaching because of the God’s ministry. It’s a hard work to teach others to understand and to reach God’s purpose. Today Christian education is in the midst of challenges. Therefore, how we prepare ourselves and what shall we share for generation? It is necessary to have accuracy. I would like to express my philosophy based upon the philosophy of teaching through Mckeachie’s,

1. What is important of learning, not teaching? Teaching effectiveness depends not just on what the teacher does, but rather on what the student does. Teaching involves listening as much as talking. It’s important that is what goes on in the students’ minds. Those minds are not blank slates. They hold expectations, experiences, and conceptions that will shape their interpretation of the knowledge you present. Your task is to help them develop mental representations of your subject matter that will provide a basis for further learning, thinking and use.
2. Teachers can occasionally be wrong. If they are wrong too often, they should not be teaching. If they are never wrong, they belong in heaven, not a college classroom.
3. Classes are unpredictable. This can be frustrating, but it also makes teaching continually fascinating. Don’t be discouraged if some students don’t appreciate your teaching. You can interest all of your students some of the time, you can interest some of your students all of the time, but you can’t interest all of your students all of the time.
4. There are many important goals of college and university teaching. Not the least of these is that of increasing the student’s motivation and ability to continue learning after leaving college.
5. Most students learning occur outside the classroom. This is both humbling and reassuring for the beginning teacher. It means that the students’ education will neither succeed nor fail simply because of what you do or don’t do in the classroom. At the same time it reminds one to indirect attention to stimulating and guiding student learning outside class even more than to preparing to give a dazzling classroom performance.
6. One key to improvement is reflection thinking about what you want to accomplish, and what you and the students need to do to achieve these goals.

Teaching is one of the most important professions in today’s world. Especially, teachers’ role is important in our life to become successful in career and to approach ministry. A good teacher helps us to become a good human being in society and a good citizen of the kingdom of God. Teachers know that students are the future of any nation. Teachers communicate the data and information in the brain of students to analyze. Analyzing the situation is possible but the most important thing that we learn from teachers. God give the various kind of gift for His chosen people, especially the gift of teaching is most responsible for next generation. The gift for teachers is when students become a good relationship with God, and successful in their business and ministry. Not all teachers are good at teaching and similarly, not all students are like teachers. Some teachers are great and they are always in the heart of students. However, it’s important that the people realize of teachers and follow their lessons.

Preparing Ourselves

I recognize according to this lecture, “teaching is an intentional, deliberate family of logical and strategic acts aimed at inducing learning of skills, knowledge and values.” Firstly, we need to care about students because they don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Because teacher’ personalities effect students emotionally and intellectually. Second, we need preparing the course syllabus to achieve students’ expectations. The syllabus is a primary source of information to guide our students throughout the semester and really about carefully explain a lot of the course components. The syllabus is a planning document, it helps our plan. Syllabus refers to the content of what is to be taught and the knowledge skills and attitudes which are to be deliberately grown together with stage specific objective. The syllabus determines the basic content of instruction is a given subject and the range of knowledge and skill which the pupils must acquire and establish details. Therefore, teachers have responsible to helping students will participate in the syllabus goal. Third, we need to learn the strategy of teaching method firstly. Students have different strategies for learning effectively and efficiently. Student’s emotions affect their process of learning. Teachers must figure out what motivates their students. Students with special need must be accustomed with the proper reinforcements and support they need. We need to prepare course description and syllabus, what knowledge or skills students must already possess in order to succeed in course.

We must teach students how to learn and how to search for truth. The class presentation suggest the best instruction gets students to do “gathering data, observing (or) trying experiments, reading references, solving problems, working out projects.”

To be careful is, teacher must model the type of study and teaching. According to the David Ausebel’s “we need to focus on quality rather than quantity.” Therefore the important for the teachers is to produce the quality persons for ministry. Jesus said “Christian are the salt of the earth and the light of the world” (Matthew 5: 13-14/ NIV). That’s why; my philosophy is teachers himself will also need the taste of the salt and light, then they can influence the students very well under the aim of course syllabus.

Focusing on the Objectives

Paul said, “We were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well”(1 Thessalonians 2:7-8/ NIV). We can understand the nature of Paul ministry and leadership from this verse. Especially, we can learn from the relationship between Paul and Thessalonian believers. He builds on the idea that his effectiveness was based upon his perception of God. Therefore, the important thing in teaching is relationship with God then we can build well relationship between teachers and students. It is very supportive to achieve the goal of syllabus.

Our teaching skills that lead to positive student learning outcomes are the objective of every teacher. We need to follow Maslow’s Hierarchy that identified five facts needs for students and arranged them into a pyramid. The lower levels represent the most powerful needs. Especially it’s described physiological needs or basic needs for food, water, sleep, and shelter, the next level relates to security and the need to belong is the third level. According to this theory, we support students in all of those stages noted; students can perform at their fullest potential, which is the self-actualization stage. This theory can serve as an important reminder to educators to support all of the needs of students. If students have all of the stages met, they can achieve and create at their full potential.

Conclusion

To conclude, I believe this study will helpful resource for teachers and educators, pastors, chaplains, counselors and other Christian leaders who have some influence in our community. Especially, teaching impacts bible college educational systems as well as our churches. Every leader will need to think about the positive ways to leverage new teaching methods and adjust as more become available. However, many congregations have failed to connect with the Body of Christ and apply the resources that are already out there. Since people have come to expect the convenience that teach can potentially offer, progressive faith communities would definitely benefit from a forward-thinking leader who incorporates high-tech know how into an overall mission strategy.

Scripture says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverb 22:6/ NIV). To fulfill God’s will that teachers should handle and take responsibility to be actively involved in their education, it takes concerted effort by churches, governments, society and families to enable such a transition. We need to think about what it is doing to our brains, our hearts and our souls. We are too pervasively engaged with our teaching method to think self-reflectively about how it is affecting our lives, relationships and culture at large, how it is affecting our spiritual life. We do have responsible to improve bible college teacher training and teaching method to participate in ministry of God.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Davis, Barbara Gross. Responding to a Changing Student Body: Teaching Academically Diverse Students. USA, Published by Jossey-Bass, 2009.
2. Everett Mckinney, College Teaching
3. Hyman Ronald T. Ways of Teaching. 2nd ed (NY: Lippincott, 1974). Quoated in Evelyn McKinney. College Teaching. Lecture presented at EBC, Yangon, Myanmar Dec.9.2019.
4. Mckeachie. Teaching Tips: Getting Started. New York: Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

“The Bible is a vehicle that unveils God and God’s will” (Lennan, 1998, p.82), it is a collection of books that bring to the forefront the relationship between the Divine and human beings. Just reading the Bible may not give the depth of understanding that is needed to bring to life religious insights, interpretation of the Bible must be undertaken to make clear the importance of the intersection between God and God’s people (Lennan, 1998).

Interpretation is central when reading the Bible

Although the Bible may appear to be one large book, it is actually a combination of many books, a “library” (Lennan, 1998, p.82). The pages hold generations of stories told from cultures long gone. The Biblical world could be referred to as a tapestry of cultures that entwine and bring to life God’s love. Wright and Prologue (2005) states that “The Bible has been woven into the fabric of normal Christian life at every point” (p.5), it has taken such an important place in our lives because the Word of God has not been read, but has been interpreted and understood. The culture of the year we presently live in is very different from the culture of the Bible, but through interpretation a bridge is formed to link “the aural cultures” of the Bible to the “written and visual culture in which we live” (Lennan, 1998, p.84). These old cultures and settings need to be unpacked/interpreted in order to fully understand the context in which God’s message was made evident, helping us understand what it means to us today and how we can apply it to our lives.

Interpretation is central because of the language used in the Bible: “The language of the Bible is a language to be read and reread, to be pondered and scrutinized” (Wright & Prologue, 2005, p.131). The rich dialogues between Christ and the disciples often have multiple layers of meaning. Interpreting what was said ensures depth to the meaning of what Christ was saying or alluding to. Through the complicated language lessons were taught, ideas were developed and beliefs were formed and reformed. Metaphors build the relationship between the reader and their understanding of Christ, this can only be achieved through interpreting the language because “only the Bible is the Word of God” (Harrington, 1978, p.23). We as believers need to have a well-developed understanding of the words spoken in the Bible by Christ and the disciples in the Bible in order to continue to build our faith and devotion. The language within the letters used by the disciples, was often a language not heard today, so once again there is a need to interpret the true meaning and/or message because “the Bible is the means for an ongoing encounter between God and ourselves” (Lennan, 1998, p.94).

Wright and Prologue (2005) stated that “reading and studying Scripture has been seen as central to how we are to grow in the love of God” (p.5). Through reading and studying we can interpret God’s truth and understand how to live the Gospel of Jesus in our everyday lives. Through understanding we can grow within ourselves and then share this with those around us. It is easy to read an account of events within the Bible but through interpretation, we encounter God’s Word. “The Bible’s place in the Christian community today derives from the fact that it continues to nourish and energise that community” (Lennan, 1998, p.86). We as the community are nourished through our understanding of the Gospel and its place in our life today. It is unpacked and presented to the congregation through the Homily or in depth information within a church bulletin. Teachers use their interpretation to educate and facilitate their student’s faith journey.

Different methods of Interpretation

We are driven to interpret the Bible because we “are guided by belief that the biblical text is the medium for God’s self-revelation” (Lennan, 1998, p.94). As Christians and believers we seek God’s word, to hear the messages as they were composed and intended by God. Since the Bible is a complex combination of many books, there are also many methods of interpretation that can be employed. This should be expected today, given that we think in a very different way to that of the Bible’s original audience. Hermeneutics is the “actual discipline of explaining and exploring the very process of interpretation itself” (Dizdar, 2003, p.253). It examines the spoken and written language of the text and focuses on the contemporary relevance. “In Biblical studies, this is usually called exegesis” (Lennan, 1998, p.93). Exegesis also describes the actual process of interpreting and understanding a given text. When we are interpreting we are “attempting to hear the Word as the original recipients were to have heard it” (Fee & Stuart, 1993, p.19) so as to ensure we have the purest understanding of God’s intent.

When we interpret “we invariably bring to the text all that we are, with all our experiences, culture, and prior understandings of words and ideas” (Fee & Stuart, 1993, p.14). The Pontifical Biblical Commission (1994) proposed that there were six methods and approaches that could be used when interpreting the Bible. These methods and approaches were: Historical-Critical Method, New Methods of Literary Analysis, Approaches Based on Tradition, Approaches that use the Human Sciences, Contextual Approaches and Fundamentalist Interpretation. The Historical-Critical Method interprets the significance from a historical version and has three major approaches: source criticism, form criticism and redaction criticism (Lennan, 1998). This is where the original written source is discovered, critically investigated or there is a focus on the editorial process. The New Methods of Literary Analysis involve “rhetorical analysis, narrative analysis and semiotic analysis” (Pontifical Biblical Commission, 1994, p.8). These methods offer a way of linking the story to the human person, helping them to fully understand the Biblical message. The Literary approach employs the “tools and procedures of modern literary criticism” when interpreting the text (Lennan, 1998, p.100). The approaches based on Tradition specifically focus on interpreting the message of the canon of Scriptures, delivering it to the faith filled community. The approaches that use Human Sciences employs a sociological approach, looking at the “social conditions distinctive of the various milieus in which the traditions recorded in the Bible took shape” (Pontifical Biblical Commission, 1994, p.15). The Liberationist Approach and the Feminist Approach to interpretation come under the Contextual Approaches. The Fundamentalist Interpretation is the literal interpretation. In all its details, it does not take into account an understanding of the historical origins of the Bible (Pontifical Biblical Commission, 1994).

“Both the reconstruction of the original sense of the text and the subsequent construction of meaning by the modern reader are therefore necessary when interpreting the Bible” (Van Dyk, 2018, p.2). Text within the Bible was never meant to have one meaning. Deeper meanings need to be interpreted to ensure the text continues to speak to faith filled people (Witherup, 2010). Postmodern hermeneutics is where the reader/interpreter “has an imminent impact on the meaning of the text, the reader shapes the meaning of the text” (Koci, 2014, p.221). In essence it is the Biblical message that hermeneutics seek to unveil, bringing the Bible to life and ensuring an understanding of God’s Word.

Interpretive method most suitable for my situation

I am currently a full time Year 1 classroom teacher at a Catholic school in Sydney. Often to my Year 1 students “the language of the bible is foreign” (Pelikan, 2005, p.230). As a teacher I need to interpret in order to make religious education relevant to the lives of the students in my classroom, I must ensure I engage students, to develop their knowledge and faith journey. The students I teach are six to seven years old so my job as a religious educator is primarily to “help students learn to think about the subject matter” (Rossiter, 1988, p.10), the subject matter being the richness of the messages within the Bible.

Rymarz and Sharkey (2019) described the use of “hermeneutic spaces”, where students become actively involved in the interpretation of the Bible. I believe I use this type of interpretation within my classroom as I “systematically weave Catholic symbols, beliefs, rituals and practices into their learning” (Rymarz & Sharkey, 2019, p.97). I engage my students through Scripture storytelling, followed by “I wonder” questions where they have the chance to reflect on the stories, putting themselves within the context and challenging themselves with how they would have felt or handled that situation. Students then have further opportunities to reflect through explicit engagement and then begin a variety of higher order thinking tasks. My students are encouraged to “move out into new concepts and understandings” (Rymarz & Sharkey, 2019, p.97) through opportunities that encourage them to interpret and think about what is being taught, to ultimately develop a lifelong journey and encounter with God and the Catholic faith.

When interpreting the Bible, as the teacher I often use the Literary Analysis Method, to ensure I have a very thorough understanding before I begin teaching my students. “Biblical exegesis makes use more and more of new methods of literary analysis, in particular rhetorical analysis, narrative analysis and semiotic analysis” (Pontifical Biblical Commission, 1994, p.8). As the teacher I seek to understand the Biblical message and then communicate the teachings to my students. I strive to engage my students in discussions that allow them the opportunity to openly discuss their emotions, ideas and beliefs. The traditions of the Bible must be understood by the students, they need to have opportunities to reflect and attend to the significance of God in their world today and what it means to them (Rymarz & Sharkey, 2019).

I believe I also employ the Historical-Critical Method for my own personal interpretation. I seek to understand “the written sources that go to make up a text” (Lennan, 1998, p.97). I am interested in the significance of what I read, the historical process which paves the way to the Biblical texts. The complexity of those historical times that span such a long period, gives an insight into the Biblical passages that forge the bond between God and God’s people. This method of interpretation offers me a solid foundation of background information that I can then draw upon when I am preparing units of work for my students.

“If students are to engage with elements of the tradition as living expressions of Catholic faith, they need to be taught by teachers who both know and love that faith” (Rymarz & Sharkey, 2019, p.103). It is through a teacher’s devotion and systematic interpretation of the Bible that both the message and meaning of the Scriptures are revealed to the students of today’s Catholic school community. It is the opportunities that are used to engage and challenge our students that will develop their understanding and love of the Bible.

References

1. Dizdar, D. (2003). How to Read the Bible. In M.Ryan (Ed.), Reading the Bible: An Introduction For Students (pp.250-266). Tuggerah, NSW: Social Science Press.
2. Fee, G.D., & Stuart, D.(1993). Introduction: The Need to Interpret. (2nd Ed.), How to Read the Bible For all its Worth: a Guide to Understanding the Bible (pp.13-27). Grand Rapids, Michi: Zondervan Publishing House.
3. Harrington, W. (1978). What is the Bible. (Ed.), The New Guide to Reading and Studying the Bible (pp.23-31). Wilmington Del: Michael Glazier, Inc.
4. Koci, K. (2014). Interpreting the Bible against postmodern Biblical Hermeneutics: The role of Time and tradition. Theologica, 4(2), 219-231.
5. Lennan, R. (1998). Attentive to the Word. (ED.), An Introduction to Catholic Theology (pp.80-106). New York: Paulist Press.
6. Pelikan, J. (2005). The Strange New World Within the Bible. (Ed.), Whose Bible is it? A Short History of the Scriptures (pp.223-244). London, England: Penguin Books.
7. Pontifical Biblical Commission to Pope John Paul II. (1994). The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church. Origins, January 6. Retrieved from https://catholic-resources.org>ChurchDocs/PBC-FullText.htm.
8. Rossiter, G. (1988). A cognitive basis for affective learning in classroom religious education. British Journal of Religious Education, 11(1), 4-10. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.108/014620880110102.
9. Rymarz, R., & Sharkey, P. (2019). Religious education as Catholic Hermeneutic Space. (Ed.), Moving from Theory to Practice: Religious Education in Australian Catholic Schools (pp.97-114). Mulgrave, Vic: Garratt Publishing.
10. Van dyk, P.J. (2018). When misinterpreting the Bible becomes a habit, Herrormde Teologiese Studies, 74(4), 1-8. doi:10.4102/hts.v74i44898.
11. Witherup, R.D. (2010). The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church. Bible Today, 48(4), 195-202.
12. Wright, N.T. (2005). Prologue. (Ed.), The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding Of the Authority of Scripture (pp.3-22). San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.

Calvinism and Arminianism are argued by many Christians, showing different beliefs and perspectives. Calvinism and Arminianism are very similar, yet very different and complex. They talk about ideas of predestination and many other topics.

In the 16th century, John Calvin began to associate with Calvinistic ideas. Calvinism was the “predominant” view in the church until John Calvin started teaching. The doctrine of salvation by Calvinism was officially proclaimed by most Protestants and became their dominant religion/faith in many countries. John Calvin was born on June 10th, 1509, and died on May 27th of 1564. He was known as a theologian and a successful statesman for the church. He was a very important leader in the second generation of the Protestant Reformation.

Calvinists believe that some people are predestined to heaven and others are predestined to hell. They think that some receive the gift of faith from God’s election and some are just looked over and not chosen by God for salvation. Calvinists do believe that the death of Jesus was very important and only covers believers. Man is not capable of saving himself, but God saves us through the Holy Spirit and chooses people in His own timing. They also believe that God saves people who believe or have faith in Him until the end. The five points of Calvinism are used with the acronym: T.U.L.I.P. The “T” in tulip stands for total depravity, which means that man is unable to save himself and is basically “dead” in a way. We have to be born again to be saved and only God can do this. Some things that this belief implies/go along with are: only a born again Christian can do good works, otherwise, he is sin, a man cannot want to be born again and just “follow instructions” on how to do it, they believe that not any man can just accept Jesus so that he’s saved. Calvinists believe that only God alone can save us or make us “alive,” they believe that salvation is of the Lord that God chooses what he wants to do with us. The “U” in tulip stands for unconditional election. This means that God chooses some people to have eternal life that aren’t necessarily good or loving. This idea shows their perspective on predestination, they believe that before anyone was in existence God already decided on who would go to heaven or hell. The “L” in tulip represents limited atonement. The concept of limited atonement states that Christ died so our sins could be paid for. They also believe that Christ did not die for all men, but they are totally depraved/predestined. John 10:11 says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” This verse shows how Jesus laid down His life for His believers and followers. The “I” in tulip stands for irresistible grace. God is a very graceful God and merciful God, the Calvinistic view teaches that you cannot resist His grace to save us from eternal punishment. God’s will is put first and our’s aside, we have no choice in this instance and He knows what He is doing, He is in control. His grace is not only irresistible in the way that we cannot get out of it, but also that we cannot stand to go without it, God’s grace is amazing and awesome and truly irresistible. The “P” in tulip stands for the preservation of the saints, this means that God preserves his followers, meaning that once you’re saved you’re always saved. In John 10:28 it says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” This verse shows how God “preserves” his followers and cares for them very much.

Arminianism was originally founded/created by Jacobus Arminius. He was born on October 10, 1560, and died on October 19, 1609. Arminius was a theologian and minister of the Dutch Reformed Church. He strongly rejected and opposed the Calvinistic teachings of predestination and taught his own point of view. He thought of predestination to be too harsh or cruel and that it didn’t show human’s free will in the concept. He believed that God chooses eternal life for people who will respond in Christ’s faith to salvation.

Arminianism is a movement in Christianity that states certain ideas and beliefs that some movements support and some movements completely reject. Arminianism shows how God’s power and sovereignty and our free will can go together and that they are not apart from another in His plan. They believe in partial depravity, which allows men to be depraved, yet are still able to find God. People can choose to come to know God and accept His salvation. Conditional election is another thing that they stand by, this means that God only chooses people that He knows will believe or come to follow Him. They do not believe in predestination, they believe in free will. Another point in Arminianism is unlimited atonement. Unlimited atonement is the idea that Jesus died for the believers and non-believers. Christ’s death was enough or sufficient for all men, but only effective for believers. Anyone can be saved by believing in Him. They also believe that God’s grace can be resisted and we can choose against His salvation. The last main idea in Arminianism is of conditional salvation. It states that Christians can “lose” their salvation if they reject the Holy Spirit. They believe that you need to maintain your relationship with Christ to keep your salvation.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, the whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” This verse shows how Jesus dies for all and that whoever believes in Him will go to heaven. Arminianism and Calvinism show two very different concepts and points of view, but they do agree on some things. Calvinism focuses more on the side of God is in control and He has a plan. Arminianism focuses more on the idea that we have a free will and we choose whether we are saved or not.

I don’t think I particularly lean to one side or the other, but have a mixture of each. From the Calvinistic side, I think I agree that God is sovereign and He is in control. I’m not totally sure on the predestination aspect, I don’t fully understand it and I don’t know which side is more biblical. I believe in the Bible and the Bible is not defined by Calvin’s perspective or Jacobus Arminius. God put everything we need to know in the Bible and we should believe that and only that. We shouldn’t add or twist things to make other assumptions or statements. I think that both Calvinism and Arminianism show biblical truths and are true according to scripture in some ways, but I wouldn’t say Calvinism is the right way or Arminianism is right. I believe that God is the only truth and He is the only knower of certain things. As Christians we don’t need to know some of the answers that we are unsure about pertaining to Arminianism or Calvinism or any other religions, we can trust in God and know that what He’s doing is good. On the Calvinistic side, I think that I agree with these ideas: God does have a plan for each of us before we were even born, we are unable to save ourselves without God, He died so we could live. I do not fully know if God chose some of us that won’t necessarily be good or choose to love God, I just don’t think this fully makes sense and don’t know where to find the answer in Scripture. I do believe that God’s grace is irresistible in the fact that it’s so amazing and so hard not to accept, but I’m not sure if you actually cannot resist it, because many people do reject God, but since it wasn’t a part of His will, does it really count? I also don’t know if I completely trust the idea of preservation of the saints, I think that to be a Christian is to be fully engaged with God and be talking to Him and having a relationship. I feel that if you are just a Christian when you are wrong, but reject God and turn away from what He wants that you are not really a Christian, so I’m completely unsure about this one. On the Arminianistic side, I do agree that we have a free will, but it’s a free will under God’s plans and ways. He will let us choose some things, but they are only the options He provided and they all fit into His plan in the long run. I agree with the idea of unlimited atonement saying that Jesus died for everyone, believers, and non-believers.

In conclusion both Calvinism and Arminianism state very different beliefs in Christianity, but Jesus is the true way. The Bible does have “evidence” for each of these perspectives, but I do not think we should base our life or understanding on them. I think that we should only be concerned with the Bible and put trust in God, not in man.