What were the main grouping or sects in the time of Jesus?
INTRODUCTION TO BIBLICAL STUDIES URE 005 The Jerusalem Community Lecturer: Sr Bernadette Kiley Student: Sebestyen Maglai Date: 14 05 1996 Introduction In our society we have different political parties different religious groups and different trends and beliefs in a religion. Parties such as the Australian Labour Party or the Liberal Party went through transition through the decades. This type of transition happened in the Palestinian Jewish society through centuries. What were the main grouping or sects in the time of Jesus? We can differentiate between many religious sects and political groups in this time of Jewish history but in this essay we will explore five major religious sects: Sadducees, Scribes, Pharisees, Essenes (Orlando, 1985). Which one of these did the Jerusalem community share most in common with and how did the two differ? The two most important parts of Jewish religious life were the Temple and the Torah. Under foreign powers such as the Greeks and Romans the Temple and Torah became even more important than before in the life of most Jewish people. The reason for these changes are that many Jews lived outside Palestine and the Palestine Jews were under Roman rule. The Temple in Jerusalem became a central national symbol to Jewish people. Under these circumstances the Torah and Temple became the basic religious symbols for the Jewish identity.
St. Paul has, throughout history, been considered and revered as an important contributor to the mechanisms within the early Christian church.
St. Paul has, throughout history, been considered and revered as an important contributor to the mechanisms within the early Christian church. Through his letters, a large section of the New Testament, Paul guided the early Christians in their progression through their faith. Paul aided many in their following of the teachings of Jesus, as he comments in 2 Thessalonians (2:15). However, Paul's mention of the life and teachings of Jesus is modest. The focal point of the Pauline letters is the crucified and raised Christ. Paul's obsession with the subject of Christ's death and, importantly, His resurrection is displayed within the accounts of his preachings, found in Acts. A particular example of this behaviour is cited in Acts 17:2-3, where the apostle convinced the Jewish community in Thessalonica of Christ's suffering and "rise from the dead" (Acts 17:3). Paul's influence continued through his letters. Still, these letters are regarded as a footstone, leading to a better understanding of the work of Christ and model Christian life. The oral tradition, which was ever present within and fundamental to the early church, promoted the Saviour who died and the Lord who rose again (Barclay,1958). Paul drew from this and, within his theology, discussed the believer united with Christ, through His death and His resurrection (Furnish,1968). Paul interpreted the Christian baptism as
Compare the Gospels of Matthew and Mark in areas regarding source, style, situation and interest.
This essay is an attempt to compare the Gospels of Matthew and Mark in areas regarding source, style, situation and interest. This will be accomplished by analyzing the pericope of the 'Parable of the Sower' (Mt 13:1-15, Mk 4:1-12). To aid in the analysis between the two evangelists regarding this specific pericope, scholarly journals and discipline specific reference works will be utilized and meditated upon. It is by no means to be regarded as an all-inclusive study of the two Gospels. Through the focus of a specific pericope, this essay will merely examine a few of the contrasts and similarities of the Gospels of Mark and Matthew and show how they effect the writings as a whole, while taking into consideration the themes mentioned above. The Gospel according to 'Mark' is believed to be the first of the four canonical Gospels to be written. Most scholars attest that Mark was not an eyewitness to the accounts of Jesus. Many believe that the information in the Gospel is drawn from the 'Q Source'. Other information in the Gospel is believed to have been consummated orally. Some scholars, who give an early date to the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, also believe that the rawest form of the 'Parable of the Sower' is found in the ninth chapter of Thomas. The sources that the author of the Gospel of Matthew used are not totally agreed upon by scholars, yet many
The Theme of Suffering in the Gospel of Mark.
The Theme of Suffering in the Gospel of Mark Christians today often face times in their lives where they may experience a major crisis, the sudden death of a loved one or news of a terminal illness. While human nature dictates human efforts toward desperately finding relief, reason and understanding in times of agony and confusion, the Gospel of Mark shows us through the person of Jesus Christ that suffering is a part of the Christian's life journey. If the whole world suffers and groans, the Christian does so even more. Ultimately, Christians know that Salvation in Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit do not keep the Christian from suffering; rather Salvation and the Holy Spirit sustain them through the suffering. For this reason, the Gospel of Mark is truly a gospel for those who are suffering and need to find consolation. Mark's gospel is clearly a gospel of the suffering Messiah and of suffering discipleship, concepts that Christians can perhaps relate to. In fact, the theme of Jesus suffering is illustrated not only in the New Testament but so too in the Old Testament particularly in Isaiah 53 and in a Psalm of David, Psalm 22 where the suffering of the future Messiah is foretold: "He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one form whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did esteem Him. Surely our
Hick on Resurrection
Hick on Resurrection . Two General views on Immortality A. Greek philosophical view: disembodied soul B. Jewish and Christian view: bodily resurrection 2. Resurrection vs. Disembodied Existence A. Contemporary science and western philosophers tend to view the self as a psycho-physical unity. (Cf. Badham's critique of the soul doctrine) B. Disembodied soul theories require the appearance of a body and physical environment. 3. The Basic Idea of Resurrection According to the doctrine of bodily resurrection, human beings are by nature mortal. But all people who have died will be reconstituted (by God) as a psycho-physical unity at some point in the future. They will live again in bodily form. Most theories hold that the resurrection body will be very similar to the pre-mortem body, but some relevant differences remain. It may be similar in appearance. The person will retain her "dispositional characteristics" and "memory" once associated with the previous body. The resurrection doctrine involves a single resurrection, not a succession of resurrections. The latter approaches the idea of reincarnation. 4. Hick's "Replica" Theory Hick uses the idea of a "replica" to explain the coherence of bodily resurrection. Unlike the normal use of the term replica, Hick uses it in a way that rules out a contemporaneous counterpart. The term is intended to signify the reappearance of
church leadership
Leadership [Name of the writer] [Name of the institution] Abstract Th? first ?ssue which must be clarified ?n approach?ng th? subject of local ?hur?h government ?s th? question of authority. All agree that Chr?st ?s th? Head ?nd that He rules through H?s Word. But what about authority on th? level of ?ndividual ?hur?h function, teach?ng, ?nd dec?sion mak?ng? Does Chr?st delegate authority to ?nyone else? M?ny ?hur?h groups ?re sure that He does not, that each m?n h?s equal authority before God by virtue of h?s ?ndividual priesthood. Our Americ?n spirit of democracy ?n th? ?hur?h ?nd its "one m?n one vote" leaves us ?ncl?ned to agree, at le?st ?n sentiment. We feel that we ?re ?nswerable to God alone, ?nd so authority over ?nyone ?n th? very personal realm of th? spiritual ?nd religious ?s out of th? question. Our beliefs ?nd practices ?re matters between God ?nd us ?ndividually, we tend to th?nk; ?nd ?n th? affairs of th? local ?hur?h collectively, th? majority rules. But does Chr?st rule by majority vote? ?s H?s will determ?ned by popular consent? Or ?s it given once ?nd for all ?n Holy Scripture to be faithfully m?n?stered to H?s people by spiritual l?aders with?n th? ?hur?h? Th?se questions state th? ?ssue clearly. Th? New Testament ?s clear ?n its teach?ng both by precept ?nd example that th?re ?re certa?n men ?n th? ?hur?h who ?re ?nvested with th? responsibility of
'Accepting the resurrection is not the most important belief for Christians today.' Do you (I) agree? Give reasons for your (my) answer, showing that I have considered more than one point of view.
'Accepting the resurrection is not the most important belief for Christians today.' Do you (I) agree? Give reasons for your (my) answer, showing that I have considered more than one point of view. Most Christians would view this as a very contentious question as the responses are generally diverse. People arguing against the resurrection of Jesus being the most important belief in Christianity usually argue along one of two lines, the first being that there is no proof of the resurrection and the second being that out of the context of the teachings the resurrection means nothing. People that say that there is no evidence then go on to make the point that without first accepting the other teachings and miracles that to believe that Christ arose from the dead is a huge and nigh impossible leap of faith. The counter argument of course being that the lack of evidence makes faith relevant today. The victory over death therefore makes sense of faith, as faith is vital to enter the kingdom of God, and faith is the belief in something without proof. Others, lesser in number, would say that there is proof in so far as the eye witness accounts. However I would re-iterate that as being a secondary source as it is not their writings in the Gospels. The argument that the resurrection belief is of great importance to modern day Christians is in my opinion correct as it provides the proof
In what ways did Augustine and Pelagius' view of man, sin and grace differ? What were the theological consequences of these differences?
In what ways did Augustine and Pelagius' view of man, sin and grace differ? What were the theological consequences of these differences? The dispute between Augustine of Hippo and Pelagius began in the early fifth century and was a highly significant period in the early Church. The essence of the dispute is primarily how a person can be right with God. Augustine believed that man can do nothing to attain righteousness before God: that only God can make man perfect through transcending grace and the salvation of Christ. Pelagius, on the other hand, asserted that man could make himself morally perfect. Examining the theological roles of 'free will', 'sin' and 'grace' will help in appreciating both sides of the debate. Pelagius' standpoint emerged from his experiences of the early Church and his assessments of the society of Rome. Pelagius first began to build arguments when he heard a bishop quote from one of Augustine's prayers, "Grant what thou commandest, and command what thou dost desire." He believed that this exemplified the dependence of the state on God and as such rooted his arguments in the notion of God-given freedom of will. Pelagius rejected the idea that grace is necessary to perform what God commands, as for Pelagius, responsibility implies ability. If man has the moral responsibility to obey the law of God, he must also have the moral ability to do it. The
Compare the strengths and weaknesses of two texts relating to the historical Jesus.
Ehrman, Bart D. Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millenium. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Crossan, John Dominic. Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography. 1st ed. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994. The following essay is an attempt to compare the strengths and weaknesses of two texts relating to the historical Jesus. Critical analysis in probing the authors' uncertainties and problems with their arguments will allow this essay to illustrate the degree of their effectiveness. I will examine each of the author's methodological approach, the clarity of their arguments and the validity of the conclusions they reach regarding Jesus as a historical person. It is by no means an effort to probe the meaning of Jesus' sayings or teachings. This essay will endeavour to examine how the authors approach their investigation into finding which words and occurrences can actually be contributed to Jesus. Furthermore, after finding these contributions, I will review how the author arrived at their conclusions. John Dominic Crossan's Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, commences his study into the life of the historical Jesus with his birth. Crossan explains that the idea of attaching a divine status to a mortal man was not new in the 1st century CE, as with Caesar Augustus or Octavius. The author argues that the infancy stories found in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew
Purgatory in Catholic Theology and Tradition.
Gregory J. D. Light Dr. Robert Kennedy Catholic Studies 200:00 04.05.2004 Purgatory in Catholic Theology and Tradition In the early part of the 16th Century, a Catholic priest, theologian, and professor named Martin Luther began promoting the reform of the Catholic Church. On the cathedral door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, he posted his '95 theses', a document he produced of all the reforms he believed were necessary to remedy the current corruption in the Church. This led to a massive revolt against the Church called the Protestant Reformation which eventually resulted in many divisions within the Christian faith. One of the main arguments against the Church at this time was that Church Tradition1 and the Magisterium should have no authority in theological matters. Instead, Luther taught that Christianity should be based solely on Scripture. This is called the doctrine of sola scriptura, or "the Bible alone" and is the pillar of Lutheranism. As a result, many Catholic beliefs and practices that do not coincide with Protestant theology are deemed unbiblical and thus false. Protestants equate biblical authority with Truth and thus eliminate all the authority of Church Tradition and magisterial teaching. Since Purgatory does not seem to have any Biblical backing by many Protestants, they see it as a heretical teaching and it is thus disregarded. Purgatory, in