Category: Bible

The Koran, the main religious script of Islam, is also considered as the Muslim text reciting the divine rule. God’s words are revealed through the angel Gabriel who retells the narrative to Muhammad, God’s prophet. The sacred scripture is also believed to be the evidence of Muhammad’s utmost mission. It should be stressed, however, that the Koran acknowledges the reference made to the persons that are recounted in the Hebrew Bible, which summarizes various interpretations and narratives. Although both the Hebrew Bible and the Koran have evident similarities, there are also important differences.

According to the Sacred Islamic texts, Allah is a unique God, the creator of the world. His will is learned through the Koran, transferred by the prophet Muhammad. The core belief of Muslims is revealed through the Muslims’ confession of commitment and faith expressed in shahadah (Puchner et al. 610). The fundamental beliefs of Islam involve faith in angels, the Doom’s Day, a range of prophets, a pilgrimage to Mecca, and a welfare tax, which is called zakat.

Along with the profession of commitment and strong faith, these four elements shape the Five Pillar of the Islamic belief system. The book is composed of 114 Surah or chapters, and all of them begin with the phrase “in the name of God; Most Gracious, Most Merciful” (Puchner et al. 611). Each chapter is classified either as Meccan or as Medinan, depending on whether the texts are revealed prior to or after Muhammad’s migration to Medina. Chapter title originates from the name discussed in the text. Longer chapters occur in the earlier versions of the Koran. Each chapter has several verses called ayat, which is translated as ‘evidence’ and ‘sign’ sent by Allah. The number of ayats differs, and, therefore, a verse may count either from several letters to several lines.

Both the Koran and the Hebrew Bible make reference to the account about Adam and Eve. According to the Koran, Adam and Eve are seduced by Shaitaan, who lures them with the ever-prosperous kingdom and immortality (Puchner et al. 15). In contrast, the Hebrew Bible tells the story of Adam and Eve’s seduction by the apple from the tree of life. According to the text, the serpent lures both to partake the apple from this tree, persuading them that they could become as powerful as God.

The story of Cain and Abel is represented in both scriptures, albeit with a number of differences. Specifically, the Hebrew Bible tells the story about two brothers, Cain, the eldest, and Abel, the younger brother. However, both brothers made a sacrifice to God, only Abel’s gifts, whereas Cain’s were withdrawn. The Koran introduces a different version of the two brothers. Specifically, Good accepts the sacrifice from one brother and withdraws from the other because He believes that the former has stronger faith in God.

Hence, Abel warns Cain that God can accept the gift from the righteous people. After Abel’s murder, God forwards a raven who shows Cain how he can conceal the murder of his brother. Being ashamed, Cain starts cursing himself by realizing his sin. Cain confesses that his action was horrible, and he confesses. The Koran states that the story of the two brothers brings in a message for humankind about the outcomes of killing. Despite this message, people continue murdering and committing grave sins.

An interesting interpretation of the story about Noah and the Ark is represented in the Hebrew Bible and in the Koran. In the Bible, Noah is characterized as a righteous and highly moral man who lives among sinful and evil people. God decides to exterminate the wicked humankind with a flood and save the righteous people. Noah gathered seven pairs of animals and birds and took them on Ark. In contrast, Muslims disagree with the scale of the flood.

Specifically, the Koran refers to the interaction between Noah and immortal people, in which Noah tries to express his negative attitude toward the countrymen who ignored God’s will. There is no mention of the dialogue in the Hebrew version. In the Koran, one of Noah’s sons and his wife die in the flood because they reject his attempts to build the Ark, whereas other families agree and join him on board. Finally, there are also different interpretations of the location of Ark. In the Bible, the Ark has situated on the mountain Ararat, whereas, in the Koran, the Ark rests on Al-Joudi. Although the hills are located in a different place, they still form part of the Ararat range.

There are also tangible discrepancies between the Hebrew Bible and the Koran in the story of Joseph. Specific attention requires the reasons for Joseph’s imprisonment by his Egyptian master. In the bible, Joseph’s master did not believe his confession about his wife’s attempt to seduce him and immediately imprisoned him. However, the Koran produces a much more complicated story. Joseph’s master first decides to verify who tells the truth and who lies.

After the verification, it turns out that the master’s wife lies and she is to blame for adultery, whereas Joseph’s story is true. Later in the story, Joseph is imprisoned despite his innocence. Further, the story of Joseph differs in the Bible and in the Koran in terms of the reasons and circumstances under which he is freed from prison. Despite this difference, both scriptures focus on the identical interpretation of the pharaoh’s dreams by Joseph.

The final episode of the story also differs a bit. Specifically, the Koran tells that Joseph’s brothers traveled to Egypt in need of food during the famine, leaving the youngest sibling at home. Although Joseph finds out about his brother’s arrival, the brothers fail to recognize him. Joseph orders his brother to bring the brother with them in case they want to get food, and they agree. In the Bible, the story repeats, but the youngest brother is recognized as Joseph’s only full blood sibling, whereas other brothers are half-blood relatives.

In conclusion, both the Hebrew Bible and the Koran have a number of similarities that relate to the major themes represented in the scriptures. These similarities are not rejected in both religions. However, there is also a tangible difference that relates to the plot and the narrative of the story.

Divergence in facts is also presented in terms of location, names of the characters, and places. Specific attention is also given to the complexities of narration style in the Koran. The Bible provides a less sophisticated plot, which allows the readers to understand its scope and message to humankind. The messages delivered by Koran delve deeper into philosophical conceptions. Overall, the differences do not relate to the presence or absence of specific events or heroes involved in the account.

Works Cited

Puchner Martin, Akbari Suzanne Conklin, Denecke Wiebke, Dharwadker Vinay, Fuchs Barbara, Levine Caroline, Lewis, Pericles, and Emily Wilson. Northon Anthology of World Literature. US: W. W. Norton & Company. Print.

Religion can defined as a set of common beliefs and practices generally held by a group of people, often codified as prayer, ritual, and religious law. Religion also refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction.

According to my own opinion if a new potential scripture is discovered and approved to be authentic, such a scripture would not get into the scripture canon of religion. This is because

Changing people’s belief and culture is the difficult activity a person can ever do.

Christianity is centered on the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth. Christianity was developed to counteract the growth and development of Judaism. The followers of Christ are known as Christians.

Christians belief in the Ten Commandments, which all the Christians should strive to follow. The greatest commandment as a taught by Jesus Christ was, “to love the Lord your God with all your heart soul, mind and strength.” Therefore by trying to change any of his teachings as laid down would mean blasphemy which is highly condemned. The bible teachings should be followed without any alteration.

People’s mind have been set to the existing teaching so withdrawing their minds from their beliefs is very difficult for example Christians fully belief that Jesus is the son of God. The Christians would not accept any new teaching that Jesus is not the Son of God. Teachings of the birth of Jesus are found in the Bible and every Christian belief that the Bible is a holy book. Even many governments usually use the bible for making oaths. Bible is also used in the law courts for a person to testify that he is telling the truth.

Children try to follow their parents since its childhood; a child is exposed to a given religious teaching. For instance Christians get engaged in their teaching right on their childhood in Sunday schools. During this tender age the students get teachings which stick to their minds up to their late ages.

Christians belief that their teachings which are from the bible where written by God’s inspired men. These men died long time ago. Therefore no one should come over with new teachings. It clearly says that no one should add or deduct anything from the bible. They belief that what was written is enough to guide a person live a happy and prosperous life on earth.

The religious teachings have been recorded and changing it would not be possible. Many of the bible teachings are taught in school and colleges. There teachings are examined. This makes the learners fully understand and practice what they learn in class. Tutors should be true follower of the religion they teach. The tutors also should exhibit good example to those they teach.

In order to ensure that there is strong mastery of religious teachings, religion should be taught in the public schools. I would propose a one semester course, taught by non-credentialed community volunteers. Let’s say 5 days each for Catholicism, “fundamentalist” Protestantism, “mainline Protestantism,” Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and even secular humanism. Each week should be taught by a person who is a “believer/follower” of the religion in question. The curriculum should be standardized and approved by the local boards of education. It should be academic/historical/factual in nature, but it is recognized that believers/followers will inevitably convey, at least subliminally, their own beliefs.

Religion is so important in today’s world that every educated person should understand the world’s most prominent religions. Christians belief that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Active participation in Christian has dropped over recent years. Declining recruitment for the priesthood and monastic life has contributed to decline in active participation in Christian religious life. Also dismissing attendance to church.

Christianity which teaches about Jesus Christ has the greatest growth by numbers. It is spreading rapidly in Far East and Northern Africa.

Many religious teaching like Christian are taught by use of parables. The parables insist a teaching thoroughly without going directly. It requires one to interpret and make conclusions. For example the parable of the sower in the Bible.

Budhism, which is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, means roughly the “teaching of the awakened one”.

S.Gantama in Lumbire, Wepal, developed Budhism. Due to the respect and honor of its founder, the followers of Budhicism tend not to alter any of his teachings. Such an act would mean blasphemy which is highly condemned. Religion has been supporting most community-based activities for example sponsorship and bursary awards to the orphans and poor children. Also religion has been providing relief foods to the poor families in the society. By so doing, it becomes very hard for a beneficiary to try to change the existing beliefs. Christianity has been considered as a belief of the poor and destitute in the society. Therefore it provides consolation to the oppressed and weak in the society.. Any person trying to change it will be seen as a social misfit.

Religion usually provides jobs to those who provide teachings. Therefore they will be reinforced to work hard abiding to the teachings and trying to follow it to the letter. Any attempt to change the teachings would mean being expelled from the job hence loosing their means of livelihood.

Every religion has some council establisher, which overlooks the activities of the religion. Such councils get reports of whoever tries to provide different teachings from the established ones. Severe punishments may be reveled to those who try to go against the expectations.

May governments in different countries have provided freedom of worship. This has necessitated the establishment of different denominations with their own rules and regulations. Government has been withdrawn.

Religion members normally have social gathering whereby several teaching are taught. This gathering acts as a bond that unites the followers of that religion. In Christianity Bible studies are normally organized. During these studies the leader is bound to teach as per the doctrines of the religion. Missionary schools have been established whereby the students are taught based on the religion. The students are supposed to be true followers. Sessions of worship are normally provided. The students are “fed” with spiritual nourishment whereby to deviate would be very hard.

Theological and Bible schools have been established whereby students are taught the fear of God and how to deliver the Bible teachings to their audiences. This has made them have a strong mastery of the Bible teachings hence it becomes very hard for them to bring in new ideas or deviating from the teachings they received from class.

Christians belief that God is omnipresent and if they try to bring new teachings, God will punish them. Christians belief that God’s punishment is severe although it may take a large long for it to be effected.

There is a belief that there is a direct reward for the true believers. Those who truly follow the teachings will be rewarded for their obedience. There is a strong belief that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.

Christians belief that those who defy the Bible teaching will perish in eternal fire with the devil at the close of ages. Therefore they follow to the letter the Bible’s teaching to avoid eternal fire.

Those who bring new teachings or new scriptures are considered as false prophets who have been prophesied in the Bible and would be shunned by the other members of the religion. For example the Bible has prophesied that there will come false prophets towards the end of time.

Confucius was born in a noble family in 551 BC during spring and autumn period. His followers see him as the greatest master. The greatest teaching of Confucius may have been the spuriously of personal exemplification over explicit rules of behaviour.Confucius is considered a great proponent of conservatism. Therefore, altering any of his teaching will be considered not rightfully. Confucius teaching gained wide acceptance because he championed strong familial loyalty, ancestors worship and respect of elders by their children. Children are taught to be loyal and respectable to their elders. Once they grow up they are supposed to abide to those teachings. An attempt to bring in new teachings will be seen as an act of disloyalty.

In conclusion trying to bring in new scripture or any teaching in any religion will not get into the scriptural canon of its religion.

Works cited

Confucius. Lun yu, (In English the Analects of Confucius). Translation and notes by Simon Leys. New York: W.W. Norton,1997

Confucius. Confucius: Analects With Selections from Traditional Commentaries,2003.

Molloy M.K.Experiencing the World’s Religion McGraw Hill Higher Education. 2006;

Translated by E. Slingerland. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing. (Original work published c. 551–479 BCE)

The term “love” has been recorded several times in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. For instance, in Genesis, “Love ” is used to illustrate the interaction of God, Adam and Eve, Garden of Eden, the people of Israel. However, in Revelation, it shows how love will either save people from the earth or make the sinners languish in pain as Christ comes back to take the righteous. In other words, it is the main determiner in how people will be judged during the end times.

However, in all the Bible usage, 1 John demonstrates in-depth use of the word “Love” on several occasions. John establishes an objective standard against which to understand the letter. In 1 John, the author uses the concept of love to illustrate human connection with God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Christians, the world, and salvation.

The word “love” has been used on several occasion in 1 John to illustrate the connection between humans and God. 1 John 3:17-18 states that “Whoever has this world’s goods and beholds a brother in need, and closes up his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?…let us not love with word or tongue, but indeed and in truth.” In most cases, people believe that love is usually a feeling that individuals express towards others.

However, the verse illustrates that it is an action that should connect society. It demonstrates good deeds that people should accord to those in dire need, but it also reveals that God Himself will reward those who express love to others by sticking with them in whatever situation. Therefore, love originates from God first before it flows down to human beings. In short, God is happy when individuals share whatever earthly possessions they have with others.

Also, the verse uses “love” to show a connection to God through obedience. In 1 John 5:3, the author illustrates that “For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments.” Through this, it is evident that God requires people to follow his commandants that he gave to Israel’s people in Mount Sinai. The commandments were given to guide the Israelites by God, who had delivered them from the Egyptians’ bondage.

John, therefore, reminds the audience that God requires obedient people who respect his commandments. This is further emphasized in 1 John 2:5, which illustrates that persons who chose to keep God’s commandments provide more space for the love of God to dwell in them. In other words, “love” shows a connection to God through obedience.

The book of 1 John also uses the word “love” to illustrate the connection with Jesus Christ, God’s son. In Mathew 22:39-40, Jesus explained the meaning of love by telling the disciples to accord their neighbors the same love they give themselves. In short, he gave a new standard of expressing love. 1 John 2;7-8 further shows the in-depth relationship with Christ when it states that love is a long-standing commandment that extended ever since the earth was created; however, it is a new commandment in the essence that Jesus summarized the ten commandments.

Additionally, when individuals claim to love God, they will obey the Creator by abiding by his commandments. Jesus came to earth to save the lost, and he could only do this by making the work of the believers easy. Many believers found it difficult to obey every law that God gave, and therefore Jesus had to find a way of simplifying the laws; hence, he used the term love to make the laws simpler.

Additionally, the gospel of 1 John illustrates the connection of “love” with the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4 illustrates that every spirit that comes from God accepts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was sent by the Lord Himself in the form of flesh to save humankind. Therefore, the term “love:” is used to appeal to the believers who acknowledged that God is the Supreme Being. People cannot claim that they love the Lord, yet they reject his only begotten son.

The spirit can also not be touched but can be illustrated by the actions of an individual. Therefore, an individual has to believe that the spirit of God dwells in him. Therefore, the book of 1 John demonstrates the love of God dwells on those who believe in Jesus Christ as a true son of God. But to accept this notion, one has to have the Holy Spirit that God gives.

Christians are the believers in the second coming of Jesus Christ, and they are the main group of people who John addresses. The book of 1 john illustrates what is expected of a person who is regarded as a Christian. In most cases, the believers claim to know God, yet God is invisible and cannot be seen nor touched. It is, therefore, through love that this kind of people experiences the presence of the Lord. 1 John 4:12 states that “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

Love is used in this context to act as a connection between God and his followers. This implies that God’s love imparted to Christians when they believe in God is manifested through other fellows’ love. Since Christians regard God as love, they should exhibit the same traits as God since they were made in God’s image and likeness, and they regard themselves as the children of God. However, they can show their love to fellow humans whom they can physically see their presence.

Moreover, John uses the word “love” to demonstrate a connection with the world. In 1 John 2:15, the bible states that “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” This implies that the author instructs the believers not to concentrate on the valuables that the world offers.

Christ-followers should only love fellow humans and God and not the possessions that they interact with daily. The phrase ‘world’ is not used in this context to demonstrate the planet, but instead, it refers to an individual who is controlled by society’s systems. The term “love” in this setting is therefore used to show a sharp contrast between the love of God and the world since it claims that believers who love God cannot cherish the earthly materials because they are vanity.

Finally, “love” is used to illustrate the connection between people, God, and salvation. Love is essentially the origin of the gospel that was used to save perishing humanity. If it were not for the love of Christ that made him descend from heaven to ear, then the offspring of man would have been doomed to death after Adam and Eve had sinned in the garden of Eden.

Moreover, it all originates from the word “love”, which encompasses everything to do with becoming holy.1 John 3:11 states that “this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” This clarifies that every preacher must always show love as the first step of preaching the gospel of Christ.

In conclusion, John’s use of the concept of love in 1 John effectively unmasks the heretical nature of the secessionists’ teaching by demonstrating that the word “love” is holy. For instance, Love refers to God, who is regarded as the Supreme Being that reigns over the world and heaven. Therefore, believers should not claim to be holy when they don’t love their neighbors, yet, God is love. Additionally, it shows the contrast between the desire for worldly possessions and the universe’s creator. Therefore, the term is widely used in 1 John to illustrate many issues that Christians value.

Bibliography

Brandin, Evgeny. “Human Evangeliyezation and Diaconic Service of Believers to Neighbors in Unity of Liberty According Law of Love.” International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 7 (4) (2020): 1-8.

Crammer, Kevin D. “The Extent of God’s Love as Based on the Greek Word Kosmos in the Johannine Corpus.” Diligence: Journal of the Liberty University Online Religion Capstone in Research and Scholarship 1, no. 1 (2016): 14. Web.

Hansen, Serena Michal. “Permit Me to Hope: The Deconstruction of an Eternal Torment with Love.”

Stovell, Beth M. “Love One Another and Love the World: The Love Command and Jewish Ethics in the Johannine Community.” In Christian Origins and the Establishment of the Early Jesus Movement, pp. 426-458. Brill, 2018. Web.

Van Der Merwe, Dirk G. “‘Lived experiences’ of the love of God according to 1 John 4: A spirituality of love.”In die Skriflig 51, no. 3 (2017): 1-8.

Introduction

A critical analysis of the status and concept of women in the Bible has been one prominent method of understanding the varied perceptions of women through the history of men. It is very significant to comprehend the fact that women, throughout the biblical texts, figure extensively in different ways and the treatment of women by different biblical authors has been elemental in the varied notions of the women through the biblical history. In other words, the biblical authors have written about women or have used women as metaphors or symbols in a variety of ways.

Thus, women in the Bible are sometimes presented as playing high-flying roles, or as a primary metaphor or symbolic figure for an author, or viewed, at times, as problematic figures. Through these versions of women presented in the various books of the Bible, one gets the different aspects of the concept of women. All through the various Books of Bible, the role of women keeps changing. In certain of the books, they play a vital role in the course of action, while in some others they are insignificant creatures without any specific role or duty. There is also a view that the authors of the various books of the Bible have been significant in the deteriorated position of women in the biblical narratives. In another notable feature, the biblical narratives use the figure of women as a symbol or metaphor to present important ideas. They are treated as representing significant life situations or concepts.

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Sometimes they are also treated by the biblical authors as problematic figures.

It is very evident that the women portrayed in the pages of the various books of the Bible “played decisive roles during the thousands of years covered by the biblical narrative. What is particularly intriguing about them is that most of them circumvent male authority in a patriarchal society, and some even subvert it. Even more remarkable is the fact that these women, other than the ruthless Jezebel, are never punished for their unconventional conduct. On the contrary, the biblical scribes treat the women with deep sympathy and are sensitive to their plight. Most of the women defy male authority when it is unjust or fails to answer their needs or those of their family or people.” (Religion: Daughters of Eve)

Women in the Bible are represented differently by different authors and there are several examples that suggest this varied representation of women. Thus, Eve, the first woman is represented as the first rebel, a risk-taker not a temptress or victim. Then, Sarah and Hagar are presented as dueling mothers, Zipporah as the woman who stood up to God, Bathsheba as a wife, mother, queen and object of royal lust, Jezebel as the reigning icon of womanly evil, or temptress, Esther, “the beautiful orphan who becomes queen of Persia and saves her people from destruction,” as a clever heroine, Ruth as a mixed message and “her story lends itself to a wealth of conflicting interpretations,” Delilah whose “life is a morality play, a feminist discourse, or a caution to lovesick men” as one fiesty femme, and Deborah as facing down ‘900 chariots of iron’ and “in answering God’s call, she became a singular biblical character: a female military leader.” Therefore, it is crystal clear that all through the various books of the Bible, “the ‘daughters of Eve’ play a number of roles in the Old and New Testaments.” (Religion: Women of the Bible).

When the lives of various woman characters of the Bible are analyzed separately, it becomes evident that the biblical authors treat them as distinct from each other. Genesis presents varied ideals of women and they are symbols of frailty, wickedness, subordination and subjugation to man etc. Thus, Eve, the first woman, is treated as a problem figure, the root cause for all the suffering of mankind to the day. She is the symbol of sin, the root for all the evils, and is represented as much less a creation of God than her counterpart. It becomes evident, through the narration of the character of Eve, that the Bible serves the greatest stumbling block in the true development of women’s personalities. “God fashions a woman out of one of Adam’s ribs.

This was necessary since Adam couldn’t find a “helpmeet” in any of the animals that God made for him (Gen 2:20-22)… Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the serpent (3:12-13)… God punishes Eve, and all women after her, with the pains of childbirth and subjection to men (3:16)… Adam is also punished, although less severely. He now will have to work for a living because he “hearkened unto the voice” of his wife (3:17).” (Women in the Bible). Thus, the representation of Eve, as a symbol as well as a degraded woman suggests the role of women in the biblical narration. It is the socio-historical and religious context of the author that affected the portrayal of woman in such a fashion.

In another example of the varied representation of women, the book of Esther narrates the story of the beautiful orphan who hides her Jewish identity, becomes queen of Persia, and becomes important figure in saving her people from damage. Though the book is meaningful in diverse ways, “the real meaning of Esther’s story, some biblical scholars say, is a lesson about hope and how to deal with assimilation. In Esther, Jews can find a model of strength and determination: one who shows how even in persecution, they can survive and prosper. “Esther provides hope for the Jewish people, in good times and bad. They hope for someone like Esther to deliver them,” says Carey Moore.” (Brophy). Thus, the woman in this book is represented as a prominent figure, a metaphor for courage and redemption.

Summary

The representation of women by different biblical authors varies and the books of Ketuvim also illustrate the varied status and representation of the concept of women. Therefore, in a significant conclusion of the narration of women through the different biblical narratives, it is clear that women become symbols and metaphors of the author’s intention.

Works Cited

Religion: Daughters of Eve. US News and World Report. 2008. Web.

Religion: Women of the Bible. US News and World Report. 2008. Web.

Brophy, Beth. Religion: Esther has Shown Jews How to Survive Persecution: A Clever Heroine. US News and World Report. 2008. Web.

Women in the Bible. the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible. 2008. Web.

Introduction

The “Canon of Scripture”, written by F.F Bruce in 1988 is a well-structured book, which pertains to historical and theological matters regarding canonicity in a rational way. As the statements he made in the introduction part of the book, Bruce lays more stress on the New Testament than the Old, mostly as his field of domain is the New Testament, but also for the reason that the concerns regarding the New Testament canon are complicated, and conceivably more arguable (Bruce 1988).

Discussion

The book has four sections. Bruce’s work’s introduction, which opens and seals the first part of the book, is brief and has its focus on the promulgation of terms and language pertinent to the discussion.

In the second part of the book, the author deals with the matters pertaining to Old Testament canonicity, taking account of the canon that was made use of by Jesus and the apostles, and the basis of and consequences of the dominance of the Greek Old Testament in the early church.

Bruce give details of the textual reasons from the New Testament and the Ante-Nicene Fathers for accepting what has come to be known as the TaNaKh to the Jews. He concludes the debate by a healthy assessment of the material; comprising much ground from the codices all the way from the writing of the great personalities of the eighteenth century (Bruce 1988).

F.F Bruce also analyzes the customary historical-critical outlook of the canonization process of the Old Testament in further detail. The author defies the supposition that there existed a three-step process of canonization of the Hebrew Scriptures, one concerned to each one of the main sections in the Hebrew Bible, and the assumptions on the basis of which these were made, for instance the late date of composition of the book of Daniel.

Bruce describes that a much logical analysis in view of the proof is that many of the books of the Old Testament were canonized just about instantaneously after their composition, and that the traditional threefold (or twofold) division was not a fixed custom in ancient times. He validates this with reference to primitive sources such as Josephus and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Bruce 1988).

Next discussing the New Testament era, the author uses up a considerable part of his time examining the proof from the first two centuries after Christ. The era was largely influential in regards to thinking about the canon; also this was the period when much of the discrepancies in the makeup of the canon were evidenced. Regrettably, it is also deemed to be the most lacking in existing evidence (Bruce 1988).

Following the review of the initial post-apostolic era, F.F Bruce spends plenty time analyzing the impact of Marcion and the reaction by the rest of the church, assessing that Marcion did not ‘create’ the New Testament canon by compelling the church to react to his thoughts.

Instead, by putting forward his tainted New Testament as the single authentic Scripture, he forced the church make prescribed what was already broadly accepted. Following Marcion, several other church fathers are examined with reference to their views and impacts on the canon, and also the documentary proof like the Muratorian Fragment. The author expands this debate to the reformers and others since the emergence of the printing media (Bruce 1988).

The third part of the book offers the similar sort of detailed undertaking for the New Testament, which covers not only significant minds but boards and decrees also to drive out any idea which politics during and prior to the second century were the key factors.

In the fourth section of the book, the author combines the proofs which he has assesses throughout the rest of his work and gives a few closing interpretations. He sketches the core criteria which the church fathers appear to have used while devising their individual views:

Orthodoxy

“Only those books which were recognized to have content in line with the apostolic teaching were accepted into the canon” (Bruce 1988).

Conclusion

This book “The Canon of Scripture” is a result of fine research and study, as would be expected from a recognized academic like F. F. Bruce. The author has offered in his book plentiful explanation, a first-rate bibliography, and his resources and point of views are well structures through the book. Bruce displays great knowledge of the primary sources regarding to his work, in spite of his dependence on B. F. Westcott’s work for study in quite a few places.

Bruce’s assessment in the book is fair and well thought out, nearly continually treading a logical middle ground between moderate and evangelical thinking. A weird exception to this is his acceptance of C. H. Dodd’s view that Matthew 13 is Matthew’s interpretation of Jesus’ words as opposed to an exact portrayal of Jesus’ words (Bruce 1988).

The book would be well-suited to theological students who need to study the issues of church history and canonicity, as well as informed readers who wish to have an outline of the historical church’s views on Scripture.

References

Bruce, F.F. The Canon of Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1988.

The verse brings to light several principles which can be applied in the current life situation. The day of the Lord is the judgment day. This day will be marked with darkness as will people dance to the tunes that they set for themselves. This day will come after the Lord gives man a lot of time to repent and come back to Him.

God will have no mercy at the wicked during this time because they chose their own path. Many people who long for the day of the Lord are not aware of the meaning attached to this day. It is a day when the Lord will ensure that the long suppressed justice prevails. All the wicked people will come face to face with God’s wrath. People associate God with light but the converse will be realized during this time. Darkness will be evident across the universe as the Lord unleashes His anger to the people due to their wicked ways.

The Lord has mentioned the wicked deeds that He is not pleased with. He does not like the façade presented by the people who bring to Him offerings and hold festivals in honor of His Name. This is because, these people pretend to love God but fail to love their fellow men by subjecting them to oppression and treating them unfairly. Before having love for God, one ought to have love for his or her fellow men. It is because of the pretence of these people that the Lord refuses to accept their offerings.

There are so many times when we ask ourselves why our lives are filled with a series of misfortunes. However, we do not sit back to reflect on our actions. We should evaluate out deeds to determine if we can be called righteous. Are we just to other people, the poor and oppressed, do we treat them fairly? When we go to the church to serve God and offer to Him what He has blessed us with, are we true to ourselves and to Him? These are some of the questions that as believers we need to reflect on.

The call for justice and righteous in the reading applies to the present world. The Lord is interested in justice and righteousness of the people and not the offerings and festivals held in accordance with His name. The songs, festivals and offerings accorded to the Lord are synonymous to a façade due to lack of sincerity from deep within the people’s Souls. The world hosts a lot of injustice and wickedness. Injustice presents itself in the form of oppression, theft, destruction of other people’s property and corruption.

People deemed to be inferior are oppressed by those who deem themselves as superior. These superior people are the leaders and prominent persons in society.

The inferior people are the common poor individuals who have no place in society. The inferior people are denied important rights to life which the superior people can easily obtain through corruption and unjust means. After engaging in such inhumane acts, these people go ahead to worship God and offer offerings and hold festivals in honor of the Lord, yearning for the day of the Lord.

There are so many court cases between rich people and poor people whose ruling end in a very unjust way. The words of the rich are heard while the poor man is always treated with contempt. These are the unjust systems that the Lord is against. “God is not a respecter of persons” (Attridge 2006). To Him, everyone is the same and should be treated equally.

The verse shows that the very same Lord who blesses is capable of destroying that which he has blessed if it turns away from Him. However, with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, God is ready to give us another chance if only we turn away from sin and repent. God’s anger is not instant, but he warns us through our own life situations.

Reference

Attridge, H. W. (2006). The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised & Updated. Yale: HarperOne.

Inductive Bible Study Form

Text: The Healing at the Pool, John 5: 1-15 (Attridge, 2006)

Facts

What: Jesus has the power to heal. He healed a sick man near the pool of Bethzatha. Upon healing the sick man, Jesus asked him to get up and carry his mat. In addition, Jesus does not like it when people engage in sin. He asked the sick man to stop sinning when He found him at the temple (Attridge, 2006).

Who: Jesus healed a man who had been sick for 38 years. He had stayed by the pool for this long time as he did not find someone to help him get to the pool.

Where: The healing took place near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem where there was a pool with five porches. The pool was considered to be sacred and when it was stirred up by an angel, “the blind, lame and paralyzed bathed in this pool so that they could be healed” (Alexander & Alexander, 1999)

When: The healing took place on a Sabbath. Jesus had come to Jerusalem for a religious festival and that was when he found this man who had stayed by the pool for such a long time waiting for someone to help him get into the water.

Interpretation

Context

Jesus is Lord and Savior. It is because of the love and mercy he had, that he healed the sick man by the pool. The fact that it was on a Sabbath, thus healing was not in accordance with the Jewish law, Jesus showed that there are no limits for love and kindness. Jesus was love and he came to the world because of salvation of mankind (Alexander & Alexander, 1999). This is seen by the fact that he asked the sick man to stay away from sin when He found him in the temple.

Compare Scripture

According to the Jewish law, the Sabbath was a holy day and no one was allowed to do anything during that day. Jesus, who is Lord, proved to the Jewish that it was not an offence to show an act of kindness and love towards others on a Sabbath. The Jewish law symbolized the old covenant while Jesus came to bring the new covenant, which He summarized into two parts. These are:

1. Love for your God
2. Love for your neighbor

When Jesus healed the sick man, it was an act of love. While the Old Covenant preached punishment to sinners, the New Covenant brought by Jesus preached forgiveness and repentance.

Consecrated Common Sense: The act portrayed by Jesus when he healed the sick man is an act of kindness and is part of worship. The Sabbath was a holy day for the Jews during which, worship was carried out. Therefore, when Jesus chose to heal the man on a Sabbath, he implied that healing was part of the Sabbath and worship. In addition, Jesus came into the world for the sake of mankind and especially the sinners. That is why He asked the healed man to stay away from sin.

Christ

Christ Jesus showed the people that it was not wrong to heal on a Sabbath. He brought the New Covenant to the people and with regard to the New Covenant; Jesus taught people how to love.

Application

The situation of the sick man is similar to most situations in people’s lives. Many are the times when people will sit back in sorrow waiting for someone to come to their aid. It may be that they are seeking for employment, love or peace. The Bible advocates that people should put their whole trust in God as He is capable of helping them where fellow men fail.

The sick man healed by Jesus was alone meaning that he had been abandoned by his family, friends and relatives. That is what happens when someone is in trouble. Everyone leaves but, Jesus assures the people that He is there, ready to help if called upon. The only problem is that people do not realize this and instead rely on unreliable fellow men. The Bible asks the people to put their trust and faith in Christ Jesus as He is the only one who will be there by their side, when everyone else turns away.

The very same verse is preaching love. Jesus portrayed an act of love despite the fact that working on a Sabbath, for instance healing as performed by Jesus, was against the law. Therefore, by following Jesus’ example, people are asked not to limit their selves in loving other people. In addition, this verse calls on people to stay away from sin as it can bring about dire consequences.

References

Alexander, D. & Alexander, P. (1999). Zondervan Handbook to the Bible. Canada: Zondervan.

Attridge, H. W. (2006). The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised & Updated. Yale: Harper One.

Introductory Summary

Faith is defined as an act of being assured in things we hope for and believing in what we cannot see. Faith can only be complete, if coupled with relevant actions. In this regard, one has to portray his faith by assuming actions that demonstrate believe in hope and things that cannot be seen.

The Bible stories of Abraham and Rahab have a similarity in violation of telling the truth. Both Abraham and Rahab are referred to as hall of faith, in the book of Hebrews. The essay will feature instances of deceit that Abraham and Rahab applied and relevance to their faith in God. Actions are essential in future praise and success associated with faith.

Abraham’s Deceit

Abraham is widely referenced for his faith and close relationship with God. There are however two instances of deceit that Abraham engaged in, which demonstrated little faith in God.

When famine struck the land of Negev, Abraham went to Egypt in search of food and pasture for his cattle. Abraham made his wife Sarai lie that he was his brother, so that he wouldn’t be killed. The lie demonstrated that Abraham did not believe that God could protect him from Egyptians. Abraham was afraid that Pharaoh would order his execution, so as to keep Sarai.

In this regard, Abraham’s faith was not sufficient to protect his wife. Similarly, Abraham told Abimelech that Sarai was his sister, since he did not know whether the people of that land believed in God. Despite the fact that Abraham had faith in God, he failed to assume relevant actions that could demonstrate his assuredness in God’s power, in both instances. The acts of deceit by Abraham were wrong and did not accredit him to be regarded as hall of faith in Hebrews 11 (Carr & Conway, 2010).

Rahab’s Deceit

Rahab was a simple prostitute who was disregarded in the society. Despite the low and dirty life she led, her deceit demonstrated great faith in God. Rahab saved the lives of the Israelites by hiding them in her house. It should be noted that, Rahab hid the two Israelites because of great faith that she had in God.

Rahab chose to betray her people because God’s power surpassed that of local authority. Rahab believed in God to extent that, she trusted in His salvation from pending destruction. Rahab’s act of faith in God was demonstrated when she hid people she did not know, just because of great things that God had done for them.

Rahab believed that God would destroy Jericho and sought for her salvation, as well as that of her family. Rahab’s act of deceit was therefore praised and she was worthy to be regarded, as a hall of faith in the book of Hebrews. Rahab put her life in danger, as opposed to Abraham who was too afraid to do so. The act of faith by Rahab was associated with success, since her entire family was saved from destruction. Further, Rahab was given privilege of being an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Public Domain, 1965).

Bible Absolutes and Commandments

The seventh commandment warns against adultery. It should however be noted that, in both instances of deceit by Abraham, there was no attempt to prevent his wife from committing adultery.

As a matter of fact, he told pharaoh and Abimilech that Sarai was his sister. In this regard, pharaoh and Abimelech were at the verge of committing adultery unknowingly. There is divine intervention that prevents adultery from taking place. In both instances, God strikes people involved with a plague, so as to prevent them from defiling Sarai (International Bible Society, 1973).

God promised Joshua to guide him and enlarge territories of his land. The act of deceit by Rahab can be interpreted as, fulfillment of God’s promise to Joshua. Rahab concealed the plans of Israelites by hiding the spies and thereby helping them to conquer Jericho. Further, Joshua abided by law just like he was commanded by God. Joshua kept his word to Rahab and saved her entire family from destruction. Rahab was not destroyed and was made an ancestor of Jesus Christ, as a reward for her faith in God.

Conclusion

Faith has to be accompanied by actions, for it to yield results. Actions of faith should demonstrate level of assuredness that an individual has on unknown and degree of faith God. In the instances of deceit by Abraham, he was afraid to believe that God would save him from pharaoh and Abimelech. As a result, he ended up surrendering his wife and exposing her to adultery. A health professional would have a lot to learn from the plagues that God caused on Pharaoh and Abimelech, as a way of preventing adultery.

God struck the people who wanted to defile Sarai with strange sickness (Wilson, 1989). Notably, the sickness disappeared when Abraham prayed for Abimelech. Pharaoh was also healed after he returned Abraham’s wife. A health professional would learn that some health conditions can be brought by divinity and that God has the power to heal.

References

Carr, D. &Conway, C. (2010). An Introduction to the Bible: Sacred Texts and Imperial Contexts. New York: John Wiley & Sons Press.

International Bible Society. (1973). New International Version Holy Bible. Web.

Public Domain. (1965). King James Version Study Bible. Web.

Wilson, M. (1989). Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Massachusetts: Eerdmans Publishing.

The book of Exodus in the Bible is the second after Genesis. It is among the books of Torah. It mainly explains the salvation of Israelites from mistreatments by the Egyptians. It outlines the events that occurred as the Israelites were in the process of leaving Egypt for Canaan under strict protection of God. However, the views held by Islam and Judaism varies a lot with those embraced by Christianity (Hopfe & Woodward, 2012).

Jews treat Exodus as one of the most significant events in their lives. They link their nationhood to everything that happened on their journey from Egypt to the land of independence in Canaan. Exodus remains the foundation stone of their unity as a nation, which reminds them of their mistreatment and salvation from Egypt as they maintained togetherness. They also treat it as a symbol of God’s fulfillment of the promise He made to their father Abraham. Jews believe that God brought the passage to them in order to make them unique from the rest of the people in the world (Arnow et al., 2013).

Christianity, which mainly originated after the coming of Jesus Christ, views Exodus differently. During the celebration of Passover before the death of Jesus Christ, the disciples started looking at the event from a different perspective. This view of the disciples then spread down to the subsequent generations of Christianity (Arnow et al., 2013). Christians only celebrate the occasion to remember the death of Jesus Christ. They believe that the problems Jesus went through started on the day that people were celebrating Passover to mark the journey to Jews’ freedom during the era of Moses as their prophet. Christians then changed the definition of Passover from celebrating the freedom of Jews, to celebrating Jesus’ death and his comeback to life (All About Religion, 2002).

Islam also views Exodus differently. The occurrences in Exodus spread in most parts of the Quran, with the aim of warning leaders and individuals who are out to mistreat others. Unlike Judaism, which celebrates Exodus, Islam thinks that the experiences by the Israelites were mainly to teach people on the dangers of having excess powers and mistreating other people. They do not regard it as an event that deserves celebrations, as Judaism does. They also view Exodus as a teaching on patience. This is because Israelites remained patient when God promised that He would take them to a comfortable land in Canaan (Arnow et al., 2013).

When it comes to the characters in Exodus, Quran identifies the woman who picked Moses from the river differently from Christianity and Judaism. As Judaism and Christianity say that the daughter of Pharaoh took Moses from the river, Quran is of the opinion that the wife of Pharaoh took him from the river. There is a difference in the significance of the character in the three religions. Islam considers the wife to Pharaoh as significant in the rescue of Moses while Christianity and Judaism view the daughter of Pharaoh as the one who played the significant role of rescuing Moses (Jordan, 2003).

In conclusion, the ideas about Exodus are almost similar in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Differences arise in the significance of the occurrences to the respective religions. The Jews consider Exodus a symbol of their freedom as a nation. Christianity changed its meaning to mean the death of Jesus, while Islam views it as a normal teaching of how people should live with each other.

References

All About Religion. (2002). Judaism, Islam, Christianity comparison – Are there similarities?, 1-2. Web.

Arnow, D., Boys, M. C., & Shafiq, M. (2013). The Significance of Exodus/Passover in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Exodus in Bible and Qur’an , 1-7. Web.

Hopfe, L. M., & Woodward, M. R. (2012). Religions of the World. Upper Saddle: Pearson.

Jordan, A. (2003). Perspectives on Religious Issues. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.

The Book of Daniel is found in the Old Testament. The Book of Daniel was written in both Hebrew and Aramaic and is constructed of six chapters of narrative and four chapters each focusing on an apocalyptic vision that Daniel has. The first six chapters are told in the third person and the last four are from Daniel’s perspective as he reflects on the meaning of his interpretations of the king’s dreams. The book takes place in Babylon where the Jews were exiled, during a period called the Babylonian Captivity. The Jews of the Kingdom of Judah were deported to Babylon during the sixth century BC. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon at the time and Daniel’s story is about his time as an advisor to Nebuchadnezzar. The book includes renditions of times when the royal court-tested Daniel’s religious loyalty as well as, most notably, Daniel’s interpretation of the king’s dreams.

The Book of Daniel has many implications in Christianity and the lives of Christians. In the Catholic mass, the Song of the Three Children which is included in the Book of Daniel is used, as is the prayer of Azariah. In mainstream Christian culture and Christian literature, the two main elements of the Book of Daniel that hold significance are that of Daniel’s supposedly historically accurate prophecies and the reference to resurrection and judgment. There are some historical discrepancies in the story of Daniel, among them the appearance of King Darius as ruler of Babylon who does not appear in any other historical source from or concerning the sixth century. Also, although Christians believe that the book was written by Daniel himself during the sixth century Babylonian Captivity, it is widely held by most biblical scholars today that this is not true. Still, the apocalyptic visions that Daniel has are the foundation of much of Christian literature. Christians consider the visions Daniel described as being deemed by Jesus as signs that the apocalypse is truly coming. There are many reiterations of the book of Daniel in the book of Mark which, in the Christian religion, prove that Daniel’s revelations had, and would continue, to come true. Because of this verification by Jesus, Christian leader, and son of God, Christians live with the belief that their Messiah will return in these terms.

The book contains the initial mentions of resurrection which relates to the Christian belief that Jesus was resurrected from the dead after three days in the ground. The mentions of resurrection also contain references to the “Kingdom of God” which implicates the Christian belief in the afterlife and heaven, and the idea that when we die, and when the messiah returns all souls are judged for their sins. This is essential to the Christian life because Christians who live by the Bible consider a virtuous life and passage into heaven to be a top priority. Another aspect of the Book of Daniel that correlates with the life of Jesus is the depiction of the “Son of Man” which was a name for the prophet that denotes his ties to his followers and his ultimate sacrifice for his brethren. There are also many elements of the Book of Daniel that Christians hold as moral stories which are utilized in Christian life to explain the justification of certain virtues and to teach students how to live a Christian life. For example, Daniel was considered a prophet by Christians and his teachings are of reverence for his leader and insight into the future. This teaches Christians the importance of loyalty and dedication, and that it is beneficial to one’s self to follow their leader.

Works Cited

“The Book of Daniel” The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testament (2003).

Thomas Nelson and Sons: New York. Page 791-1090.