Bible studies may be applied to the problems of every day living. The bible teaches us how to conduct ourselves in a personal manner as well as in family matters and church matters. These may be personal problems or social problems like racism or war. By doing this, Christians try to come to a deeper understanding of their faith and the way it can be applied to their lives in the modern world. To Christians the bible contains guidelines and teachings that are relevant to modern life.
Some of the guidelines and rules set forth that God has placed for our good; benefit and protection are the well-known Ten Commandments, for example ‘thou shall not commit adultery,’ or murder etc.
There are many different views on how Christians feel about the bible being ‘Word of God’. There is the fundamentalist view where some Christians think that the bible is the direct word of God. They believe the bible is free from error, because it contains not the words from human beings but the word from God. They basically think everything in the bible is true and the bible is the actual word of God, literally word for word.
There is also a conservative view on the bible; some Christians think that the word of God came to the writers directly from God, but that the writers’ own personalities and writing styles were included. They basically think the bible is therefore the word of God interpreted by the human mind.
The liberal view is where some Christians think that the bible writes were inspired to write. However, they writers being human can make mistakes. Also, they were influenced by the ideas and world views of their own time. They believe the bible contains within it the word of God, but it is not directly the word itself.
Finally, the psychological view is where they think the bible comes from a higher mind. It contains great knowledge about what it means to be human. It can be read literally, but on a deeper level, it can also speak to each reader about what we are, and what we possibly can become.
Christians, therefore, do not all agree on how the bible can be interpreted.
Explain how the Bible is used in corporate and private worship.
The bible is the foundation of worship and beliefs so it can be used in corporate and private worship. It is essential for life and worship, because the bible is a guide.
The bible is given pride of place on a lectern at the front of the church. It is read twice during service, but it varies. Before it is read, people say ‘This is the word of the Lord’ and at the end they say ‘Thanks be to God’. The bible plays a very important part in corporate and private worship. There is a sermon (the preaching) where the bible text is the basis of the preaching. The sermon is an address to the congregation bases on a text scripture where a vicar or minister explains the meaning to the congregation.
Liturgy means public worship and this type of worship is common in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. In these churches beliefs are expressed through the use of many symbolic objects and actions. They also use icons – religious pictures of Jesus. The purpose of these icons is to remind worshippers that in worshipping God, they are with the saints in heaven.
Non-liturgical worship is set rituals and symbolic actions are avoided. The worship is common among the protestant churches and the Quakers. The Quakers wait in silence to become aware of gods presence. The stillness deepens and it can feel very powerful, but peaceful at the same time. This is very personal worship to strengthen the relationship between them and God. The bible is used for personal study. Some Christians may set aside a few minutes everyday for prayer and study. They may open the bible at random, or study a particular section.
