What can a study of St Marks Gospel tell Christians about the nature of discipleship?
Anna Gillespie What can a study of St Marks Gospel tell Christians about the nature of discipleship? In Mark 8:34-38, Jesus says, ' If anyone wants to come with me he must forget self, carry his cross and follow me.' This means that whoever wants to follow a Jesus and spread his word, in other words become a disciple, would have to forget about themselves, and must think of others first instead of being selfish and self centered. They would have to accept whatever difficulties or problems a person may experience, and they would have to hold the values that Jesus stood for. A disciple is someone who follows or learns from a leader. A Christian is someone who follows the way and teachings of Jesus Christ. Therefore, a Christian disciple is someone who follows or learns from the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus chose outcasts and people, that on the surface, you would not want to touch. This group of 12 were not the kind of people we would choose to set up a successful business or enterprise. Some had made serious mistakes in their lives, others were un-reliable. Never the less, Jesus chose these people because he realised that people could change. He forgave and he showed that people deserved another chance. To be a disciple, you did not have to be perfect. When Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew, fishing and said to them, 'Come
Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament.
Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. From Jesus' teachings Christianity was born and as time progressed many branches and interpretations of these teachings have being formed. Anglicanism, orthodoxy, Pentecostalism and Protestantism being the main ones. To start with Anglicanism, in its structures, theology, and forms of worship, is commonly understood as a distinct Christian tradition representing a middle ground between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. But what does this mean? Well anglicanism was established after the English reformation in the 16th century. The reformation being a series of events by which the church of england broke away from the authority of the pope and the Roman catholic church, after king Henery the VIII was refused to be allowed to divorce his wife because she could not produce an air to the throne and because he wished to declare his love for Ann Boleyn and marry her and her reproductive organs. From this King Henery the VIII created his own church. The authority of the bishop of Rome was abolished, and reformed conceptions of the nature of faith and grace were accepted. Anglicanism lookes at the core teachings of jesus christ and simplistic forms of worship. Their churches are rather plain and simple in comparison to that of the cathlic
Religion & God
Religion, it's a word that is upheld too much in my opinion. People are always bothering about what Religion you are, it's a part of your identity, they say, it's who you are. The definition of Religion according to the Oxford Definition is... A strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that controls human destiny. If that's all Religion is about then why does it matter so much? If all we're doing is believing strongly in a power that controls human destiny then why makes it part of your identity? Is it because your belief in a God stops you from doing the wrong things? Are the things you do in the name of God what other people remember about you after you're dead? Suppose you have answers to my questions, then think about this. Who does God belong to? Does he belong to all of us or just a certain Religion? People fight over God all the time, it's become so common. First you have the Christians, preaching everyone and saying that Jesus is the one true God and all the other Religions are fake. Next you have the Muslims, saying that Allah is the only way and all those who think otherwise will go to hell. Last you have the Jewish, who claim to others that they are God's chosen people and because of this they suddenly feel better than the rest of the human race. Not all people from these Faiths' act like what I have described, but I can say that I have met people
R.E Coursework - A02
AO2. Explain how this teaching about being a disciple might make a difference in the everyday lives of Christian believers today. Even though the gospel was written over 2000 years ago it is still relevant for Christians today. It is the source of moral and spiritual guidance. It can help people through hard times and give them strength when they are feeling weak. It is a place to look when you are afraid, helpless, sinful, strong, tempted and when you are feeling you have nothing to give. 'Jesus calms a storm' is where you can look when you are scared. "Why are you frightened? Have you still no faith?" (4:40). This makes us feel that as long as we have faith we do not need to be afraid which makes us a lot happier. The Disciples were very committed and gave up all they had to follow Jesus. There are people today who leave everything they have to go where they are needed. Priests and Nuns take vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience and work in the service of others. Martin Luther King was an American Baptist who was a very dedicated man and who was determined to get equality between blacks and whites. Blacks earned half as much as white people, many were not allowed to vote and they were not allowed into certain public places that were reserved for whites only. Although he got many death threats he continued to organise campaigns, boycotts, marches and other forms of
Describe Christian Teaching about the Importance of Marriage
Describe Christian Teaching about the Importance of Marriage Marriage is defined as the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. Marriage is about dedicating yourself to another person. People marry for many reasons; two examples are for closure, and to spend the rest of your life with someone. Once they are married, they believe that they are now at a stage in their relationship where they are ready to have a family. The marriage vows are one of the most important parts of the ceremony, as they describe what the marriage is really about; the priest says: '... will you take ... to be your husband/wife? Will you love him/her, comfort him/her, honour and protect him/her and forsaking all others, be faithful to him/her as long as you both shall live?' The bride or groom will then say: 'I ... take you ... to be my husband/wife; to have and to hold; from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part, according to God's holy law; and this is my solemn vow.' After this, rings are exchanged, they are in a circle to symbolise no end to the marriage or their love for one another. Many people have their own take to the wedding; some people spend thousands of pounds on this occasion because this will
Christian Marriage. Marriage is a channel in which two people are challenged to live out the expression of the church by the two baptized coming together to create a family unit through procreation.
The Rite of Holy Matrimony is the union of a man and a woman in a life-long faithful relationship. Christianity as a community believes that marriage is a vocation from God to be united where the two become 'one flesh' and experience God's unconditional love. Parallels can be drawn between the union of a man and a woman to that of the love between Jesus and his church. Ephesians 5:25. This highlights the significance of the marriage ceremony for both the individual and the community of believers. Marriage is a channel in which two people are challenged to live out the expression of the church by the two baptized coming together to create a family unit through procreation. 'Be fruitful and multiply, fill the Earth and master it'. Genesis 1:28. From this, the continuation of Christianity by their offspring for the good of society at large and the two are able to experience the joys of parenthood. 'From the beginning of Creation, God made male and female. For this reason, man shall leave his mother and his father and be joined with his wife and become on flesh and therefore for what God has joined, let no man separate.' Mark 10:6-9. This highlights the significance of Marriage in Christianity and therefore this conjugal covenant is regarded as a sacrament in Catholicism, Orthodoxy and for some high Anglicans. This is regarded as a holy state for Protestants. This is
Baptism all started due to the baptism of Jesus.
PART 1 Baptism all started due to the baptism of Jesus. Jesus was immersed in water, which leads to water being used in Infant and Believers' baptism. Jesus received the Holy Spirit and began his mission, so other people give up their old life and gain a new life to, in a way, start their own mission. This gaining of new life would be symbolised as dying to sin and rising to new life in Christ. In an infant's baptism the person is baptised on the basis of the faith of the parents and godparents. In a believer's baptism, the person already believes in God. The sacrament of baptism unites the majority of the Christian churches. It acts as a solid foundation in the seeking of unity between all Christians. Some Christian churches such as the Catholic Church practise both while other churches only recognise adult baptism. This is because it is the original form and was used by Jesus. Infant baptism is the most common in the Christian Church today. Infant baptism was first used in the third century. Parents want to put their children through Infant baptism so that they will be raised as Christians. Babies are usually baptised at this age because baptism is the sacrament of initiation and it seems natural.1 The baby receives the sign of new life by depending on adults. When a person comes to be baptised they will have water poured over their head by the priests
Infants should be baptised, discuss.
RELIGION COURSEWORK C) DO YOU THINK INFANTS SHOULD BE BAPTISED? Baptism is the first sacrament of initiation where new life is celebrated. It comes after a period of preparation, after some time is spent considering what the sacrament will mean to the catechumen being baptised. The sacrament also grants the new Christian all the rights and responsibilities as a member of God's kingdom. I personally disagree that infants should be baptised! The baptising of infants is common practice in the church today but its seems to have become "the thing to do". People are concentrating more on the celebration end of things rather than the receiving of the sacrament itself! In the early church, adult baptism was a common practice. Before the ceremony was carried out there was a forty-day period of prayer and instruction on the faith. Baptism then was seen as a big commitment and was taken a lot more seriously than today. There was also community involvement as well, as members of the community had to make sure the new Christian was living out his faith. This individual had a personal choice to become a Christian. He/she chose to take on the responsibilities of being a follower of Christ. But in infant Baptism the choice is being made by the child's parents who wish for their child to be a follower of Christ. Therefore the child is not being given the choice and is maybe being forced
The Love of Money is The Root of Evil
"The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." •Do you agree? Give two different points of view and refer to Christian teachings in your answer. Throughout the bible there are many references to how people of different wealth got treated differently to those who were paupers. People back in Jesus' time were of the opinion that if you were very rich and well off then it was a blessing from God and that you we're better that the less privileged people who were thought to have been given what they deserved by God, and so were not worthy of being helped or given respect. However, in His sermon on the plain, Jesus taught that if a person was poor in this life he would get his turn and be wealthy in heaven. And conversely, a rich man would get the worse deal in the after life. He tried to explain that however wealthy a person may or may not be, it was no reflection of what kind of person they were. In Matthew 19:24 he says "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." The saying used regularly today is that 'money is the root of all evil' whereas, the actual scripture passage at 1 Timothy 6:10, says, "For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil...."So then is it loving money and the pursuit of it that causes us to become 'evil'? It could be said that the love of money
Coursework part 1: Explain what a study of Mark's Gospel can tell Christians about the nature of discipleship
Coursework part 1: Explain what a study of Mark's Gospel can tell Christians about the nature of discipleship. You must use the text of mark to support and illustrate your answer. The nature of Discipleship in Mark's Gospel. In this essay, I am going to investigate the key ideas about discipleship from studying Mark's gospel. I shall use these texts to illustrate points of discipleship and explain a fuller meaning to them. Firstly, near the beginning of the Gospel, Mark shows how God will use his disciples and what their main role is: that God will use them as missionaries to call people to Christ. This is one of the main Christian vocations of preaching What I mean by all this is that God works through his disciples on earth and inspires them to lead others to Christ through missionary work, preaching, healing and many other Christian works and vocations. In all these vocations, the inspiration for the work they do will come from God- if it doesn't, it cannot work. My evidence for this teaching is in mark 1:17 where Jesus says ' I will teach you to catch people.' Another point is the immediacy and total commitment of discipleship. In mark, the disciples left immediately and followed Jesus on his mission. This show that anyone who wants to become a true disciple must make a 100% sacrifice of themselves and have a full commitment to Christ, prioritising him above