It is not possible to be a true disciple of Jesus in the modern world

"It is not possible to be a true disciple of Jesus in the modern world." Some people agree with this. They say that it is impossible to live our lives as Jesus taught, and be free from sin. They say that today materialism is more important to people than religion. They support this by speaking of the decline in the number of Christians going to any sort of religious service nowadays. They outline how big of a problem drugs are in today's society and say that people don't listen to the teachings of Jesus anymore. A prime example used to show that being a true disciple is not possible in this modern age is the Northern Ireland situation. They comment on how Christians are fighting with other Christians, and how it is impossible for victims of the 'Troubles' to be forgiving to the people who harmed them or killed their friends and family members. As well as this they speak of how discipleship is not in practice, using the Holy Cross issue as an exemplar. The Holy Cross problem shows how Christians are divided and the unwillingness from both sides to get along with each other. Another example of un-Christian behaviour in Northern Ireland is the punishment beatings that go on. The need for this shows that it is impossible to be a true Christian Today. Others disagree and ask what is a 'true' Disciple. They say that a true Disciple is someone who compares to the original Twelve,

  • Word count: 442
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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It Is Not Possible To Be a True Disciple of Jesus In the Modern World

'IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO BE A TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS IN THE MODERN WORLD' I disagree with this statement,I think it is very possible to be a disciple in the world today.many people in our world are true disciples like,Oscar romero.He was an excellant disciple he didn't use violence to get his way,He used patience,courage and faith .He didnt stop spreading the good news even when others threatened him (Parable of the lamp). The first disciples were ordinary everyday people with the ame weaknesses as us today. This prooves that if it was possible for them to be a true disciple it is possible for us today.Jesus doesn't want his disciples to be large, strong and wealthy menhe lust wants us to have faith and believe in him. Jesus would not have given us this task if it was not possible. A lot of people in the world toay are not devoted followers of Jesus and they don't attend church that often.These people think it is more important to worry about work than to attend mass.They are selfish and don't appreciate or giev thanks for what they have. Others live everyday life in the devotion of someone elses life. People donate money to others in need. Charities and their voluntry workers give a lot to the poor, examples of these are Trocaire and Red Cross,so in the other hand not everyone is selfish. We watched a film in our religeous class

  • Word count: 406
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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It is not possible to be a true disciple of Jesus in the modern world." Do you agree?

Option 1C Exemplar 9 - Discipleship Skill AO3 " It is not possible to be a true disciple of Jesus in the modern world." Do you agree? I believe that to be a Christian you have to be a disciple. Each must be willing to participate fully in the church to help spread the word of God and to promote Christianity. At Baptism and Confirmation Christians promise to follow the example of Christ in their everyday lives seeking to act correctly and do good. They also publicly declare their faith in God and they repent their sins. Christians disciples in today's world try to witness their faith to others and follow Jesus along the way of the cross living through today's persecutions. Is this the same as discipleship as described in Mark's Gospel? If you examine the key aspects of discipleship: having faith in God, putting God before all else, putting others before yourself, being willing to suffer for God, learning about God's Kingdom, spreading the Gospel, following Jesus' teachings and serving others you can clearly see that all these aspects are all still relevant today. However in today's hectic and increasingly materialistic world it is harder to fulfil the promises of discipleship. It may be argued that many people today lack true faith because they do not attend church regularly but still consider themselves Christians. Nevertheless Simon & Christopher Danes authors

  • Word count: 453
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Outline Christian teaching on wealth and poverty

(a) (i) Outline Christian teaching on wealth and poverty Money is a subject that interests everybody. No wonder people get addicted to it quite easily. But there are no better moral rules about money than written in the Bible. Christian teachings about wealth and poverty are divided into three portions: Old Testament, New Testament, and early church teachings. They are bit different from each other, but the principles are the same. All of them are attitudes and action we should do toward the poor and needy people. In Old Testament, the scripture Exodus 23:111 says that the people should leave some of their harvest so the poor could eat them. In Deuteronomy 14:222, it tells the people to give away one-tenth of their product every year to poor, the fatherless, and the widow. In Amos 8:5~63, it gives a powerful teaching that if you cheat with a dishonest scale or use crafty ways to buy poor or needy people, then God's judgement is upon us. In New Testament, it reinforces the teachings from Old Testament. Matthew 25:31~464 says that in the ends of time, Jesus himself will judge whether if we helped the needy and poor people. If we didn't, we will go to hell; however, if we helped, then we go to heaven. Some parables like "Good Samarian (Luke 10:25~37)" and "Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19~31)" are the teachings of what we should to the poor and needy people. Also it teaches

  • Word count: 654
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Pope John XXIII

Pope John XXIII was an outstanding revolutionist who made a significant contribution to the lives of adherents of Christianity, in particular, Catholicism. In the areas of positional/institutional, doctrinal, social/moral, and through his ongoing legacy, Pope John 23 made the most impact. As Pope, John 23 was in a prime position to make a difference. Pope from 1958-1963, John 23 called the second Vatican council, in which they re-wrote the cade of canon law, reshaping the liturgy and the structure of the Roman Catholic Church. This reshaping meant that Catholicism became more relevant to the people, as the language used shifted from Latin to that of the people. Pope John said, "We are born not to be museum keepers, but to cultivate a flourishing garden of life", which reflects the values he had in regard to being a pope accessible to all people. In a time in need of reform, Pope John 23 used his positional significance to make an extraordinary difference. Doctrinally, Pope John made a great contribution in many ways. Having edited 39 volumes from St. Charles Borromeo, Pope John also encouraged biblical scholarship, and he has stated that "history is the teacher of life". He has also issues two encyclicals: "Mother and teacher" and "Peace on Earth", both of which address some of the most serious issues the world was facing. The "Pastoral constitution on the modern church",

  • Word count: 536
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Pope John XXIII

This essay will (outline, discuss, define...) Pope John XXIII was born Angelio Giuseppe Roncalli in 1981 and was an exceptional revolutionist who made many contributions to the significance of the adherents of Christianity, in particular Catholicism. Pope John XXIII made his largest impact in regards to his input in the areas of positional/institutional, doctrinal, social/moral and through his ongoing legacy. Positional/Institutional: Pope John XXIII was a pope from 1958 - 1963 and was determined to make a difference. One of his major contributions was the calling of the second Vatican council which they re-wrote the cade of the canon law. Pope John XXIII had been inspired by the Council and as a result he wanted to rejuvenate and modernize the Church by reshaping its liturgy and structure. Not only did he want to place emphasis upon caring for its own members but he also wanted to expand the arms of the church to everyone in the world. These changes affected all aspects of the Catholic Church as its relationships with other Christians and even other religions grew stronger. Pope John XXIII also wanted to restore relations with the Jews. The new nature of the church meant that lay people also constituted the church as they now played an important role in the life of the Church. In the 2nd dogmatic constitution "On Divine Revelation" there was new emphasis placed on the bible

  • Word count: 921
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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What can a study of Marks Gospel tell Christians of various denominations about the meaning and importance of the Sabbath?

Nicholas Carvalho GCSE Coursework Wednesday, September 17, 2003 What can a study of Marks Gospel tell Christians of various denominations about the meaning and importance of the Sabbath? The Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word meaning rest. It marks the day in which God rested after creating the world. It is the Jewish holy day of rest and worship. The Christian Sabbath is on a Sunday. It is a day we dedicate to worship. It is on a Sunday because it marks the day on which Jesus rose from the dead. This is a happy occasion because Jesus died to forgive our sins. If he hadn't done this, we would not go to the kingdom of heaven. Mark's gospel speaks mainly of conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees, therefore it does not go into much detail into explaining what the Sabbath really is. It does tell us however, what Jesus and the Pharisees thought of it, and what it meant to them. At the beginning of Mark Ch.1 v 21, Jesus and his disciples go to the synagogue, on the day of the Sabbath. From this simple verse, we can deduce that the Sabbath is considered a holy day, and a day of worship. In Mark Ch.1 v 22-31, the people are amazed at the way Jesus is teaching. They say 'he is like no ordinary teacher of the law, instead he teaches with authority.' At this point a man with an evil spirit is brought to him, and he commands the spirit to leave the mans body. The people start to

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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What can a study of St Mark's Gospel tell Christians about the nature of discipleship.

What can a study of St Mark's Gospel tell Christians about the nature of discipleship. A disciple is someone who believes in and helps to spread the teachings of one another. St Mark's Gospel helps us understand the nature of discipleship through various stories concerning the disciples. In Mark's Gospel, the disciples are called apostles whenever they are sent out by Jesus on a mission of teaching and healing. The disciples are told to travel light on their mission, Jesus said, "Take nothing for your journey except a staff- no bread, no bag, no money in your belts." Jesus does not want his disciples to be burdened down by material possessions. Real Christian discipleship requires total commitment. It is about sacrificing everything for the service of God. It is not important about the quantity you give but the quality, and leave yourself totally dependant on God for survival. In the calling of the first four disciples Jesus calls them individually, this shows how great his power and charisma drew them to him. Jesus said, "Come follow me". They immediately responded without doubt and followed him. They left all their belongings and families to follow him no matter what. Jesus told the disciples, "I will make you fishers of men". Jesus meant they would bring people into the family of God. They would follow Jesus' footsteps and spread the good news and convert people to

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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What Do Christians Believe About The Death Of Jesus?

What Do Christians Believe About The Death Of Jesus? Jesus was sent to earth by God. His mission was to bring the people of the world closer to God through preaching and teaching about God. In his short three year ministry opposition stedily grew against him. Mainly it was the Pharisees who opposed Jesus. They disliked his radical teachins, his criticism of their ways especially when he highlighted their hypocrisy. They believed that the best way to deal with this man who claimed to be God was to have him killed. Jesus had to die because it was his father's will and Jesus was aware that the Holy Scriptures had to be fulfilled as they had stated that the Son Of Man would be sent to Earth as a Suffering Servent. In Mark's Gospel we learn that Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples for the last time and then moves on to the Garden of Gethsemane, taking Peter, James and John with him. Naturally, Jesus wanted his friends close by his side in this time of mental and spiritual suffering. Jesus must have found the thought of physical pain and torture very hard to take in. Jesus sought consolation from his father in prayer but unfortunately neither his own father nor his closest friends were helpful to him. Jesus' disciples did not pray with him, they were "Spiritually Asleep". Not one of the disciples knew what was happening to Jesus at this time or what was going

  • Word count: 446
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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'What can a study of St Mark's Gospel tell Christians about what it means to be a disciple'

RE Coursework 'What can a study of St Mark's Gospel tell Christians about what it means to be a disciple' Reading Mark's Gospel tells you a lot about discipleship. It contains several information to help Christians about being a disciple. The Gospel gets its message across about discipleship through stories, parables and examples of others in today's modern world and in the past. Everybody has their own idea of what a disciple is but many are not to sure about what is required from a disciple because discipleship is very complex. Straight away in Mark's Gospel, in the first section it talks about spreading the Good news. This is required from every disciple, where ever you go you should preach the word and not be ashamed of your God. For it is written (9:38) 'If a person is ashamed of me and my teaching in this godless and wicked day, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of him...'. Faith is absolutely essential for discipleship. Christians believe and trust in God completely, otherwise why would they follow him. Jesus said (9:23) 'Everything is possible for the person who has faith'. Many miracles in the Gospel required faith such as Jairus' daughter and the Epileptic boy. To be a disciple you must believe God has all the power and surely does love you. But there are times us Christians lack faith, such as The calming of the storm. The disciples thought they were

  • Word count: 858
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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