...other offerings were excepted. With the arrival of Christ some people continue to question how His fulfillment of the law impacts the instructions of the tithe and giving found in the Old Testament. Some will look at the Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians as examples of a new rules for Christian giving. Was it Paul’s goal to abolish the concept of tithing or was he referring to some other form of offering? Using Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians this paper will argue that the New Testament offers new paradigm for giving separate from the Old Testament commandment to tithe. Historical Background Paul writes his second canonical letter to the church at Corinth in response to the report of Titus’ visit. Paul had spent a large portion of his ministry at Corinth, but in recently the relationship between Paul and the church at Corinth had been strained. After his departure from Corinth some problems and conflicts began to arise. In response to this Paul writes his first letter which was non-canonical to the Church at Corinth. During his ministry in Ephesus Paul heard of more difficulty and received a letter from the church in which they sought clarification to his instructions resulting the the letter now known as 1 Corinthians. Paul’s letter resolved some of the issues, however a new threat began to develop. Certain teachers calming to be apostles from Jerusalem started teaching and began to draw people away from Paul and the truth of the Gospel. This treat resulted...
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...What Does It Means to Be a Christian Name:Kuwantu Cammon What does it mean to "be a Christian " and how to be a Christian in today's world ? In some ways being a Christian is easy. Christian is a pupil and friend of Christ, both of these concepts are adjacent, although there are differences. On the one hand, we are disciples of Christ and His followers, and therefore must learn from Him through the Gospel that in which he believes the way he teaches us to live. During its development, Christianity experienced numerous changes, changes in the structure, rituals, views on certain things. As for the ritual, then I think it is worth to consider related to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and a milestone in the history of Christianity - the emergence of Calvinism and explain its features, its content and the filling, the difference. Meaning of Baptism for us is that if we dare to participate in it, then we are free to live the kind of life that does not apply to death. Instead of living in fear, we are able to love - to love God (it's not as easy as it sounds ), and to love our neighbor ( it's even harder ). Calvinism is the name given to a system of philosophical thought, we have inherited from Jean Calvin. He is recognized as the spokesman of the system, but not the generator of ideas in its foundation. Calvinism is not just a set of ideas shared by Calvin and his followers, but the organic...
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...Research Paper Living the Christian Life : According To Romans 8 By Randy E Brown Bible 425-D11 Presented To Prof. Jerry Hall Department of Religion Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va Date: Introduction The Christian Life, according to Romans 8, should not be based on condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Based on the fact through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death (verse1-2). In the early Christian Practical Issues, The Apostle Paul forms the main character in relation to examining the respective entities attached to the issue. He was charged with three different assignments which were; preaching the gospel to the gentiles, providing the church leaders with the biblical instructions and encouragements, and lastly to teach the Christian community ways to live righteously in an unsaved world. Through endless efforts and dedication, Paul was able to accomplish these tasks via his ongoing missionary journeys plus the letters he wrote to various churches. It is evident that while Jesus’ life and teachings tend to offer Christianity with the required foundation...
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...Reflection Paper #2 Introduction On this reflection paper, the topics I choose were the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” and the “Rapture”. I choose these topics because they both bring topics of debate with them. There are many different views on these two topics and I will try to shed some light on them. Through Biblical research and theological definitions, we will try to discover the purpose and meanings of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Rapture. The first topic of discussion is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This topic stirs up much debate in the denominational realms of the church. There are many different views and standpoints on this topic. John 1:33 states that when John the Baptist, after witnessing the descent of the Holy Spirit as a dove at the baptism of Jesus, recorded these words: “He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost”. Later Jesus promised His disciples, “Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5). On the day of Pentecost, the disciples had a number of experiences involving the Holy Spirit, including the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The disciples spoke in tongues to address the gospel of Christ to many different nations in attendance of Pentecost. This event was the start of the church and its spread of the gospel of Christ to all nations. Many Christians today have confused...
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...Calvinism and Arminianism The purpose of this paper is to compare two theological positions, namely Calvinism and Arminianism. These are two positions on either side of the extreme concerning free will and predestination. There are those who believe that we have the free will to love and obey God or deny God, and there are those who believe that God, in his sovereignty, has predetermined who will be saved or who will not be saved and neither group is willing to budge. Both sides claim to have the support of Scripture, and both have specific verses that are twisted and manipulated to show support and reasoning. The problem is that both sides appear, on some levels at least, to be right. The question that can be answered from a comparison of these two views is this: What are the basic differences between Calvinism and Arminianism, as well as, their relation to theology, biblical evidence and worldviews? This research paper covers the five key points or articles of Calvinism and Arminianism, as well as, the history, view of God and biblical evidence or support for each position. History The history of Calvinism and Arminianism dates back to the 16th century, where a man named John Calvin was born in 1509. John Calvin was a son of a lawyer and born in Noyon, France where he developed a love for theology and literature. In 1523 he went to the University of Paris where he studied theology, yet in 1528 he went to Orleans and a year later Bourges to study law. With Calvin’s...
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...A Case Study of the Illegal and Unethical Behavior in Corinthian Colleges, Inc. Benancio Varela benancio.varela@yahoo.com GM 591 Leadership and Organizational Behavior Professor Horst August 10, 2011 Introduction Corinthian Colleges, Inc., (CCi) by way of more than 102,000 students enrolled as of March 31, 2011, is one of the leading post-secondary education companies in North America. Their duty is to change students' lives. They present diploma and degree programs that prepare students intended for careers in demand or for advancement in their chosen fields. The corporation operates 105 schools in 25 states and 17 schools in Canada. CCi has 122 Everest, Heald and WyoTech campuses nationwide. CCi serves the great and growing segment of the population seeking to acquire career-oriented education. They propose programs in areas that include health care, business, criminal justice, transportation technology and maintenance, construction trades and information technology. CCi in addition offers students the chance to take classes online through Everest College in Phoenix and Everest University in Florida. Their business was founded in 1995 and they completed an preliminary public offering in 1999. Historically, CCi has developed through acquisitions as well as through organic growth. Organic growth consists of opening new division campuses, remodeling, escalating or relocating existing campuses and adopting curricula into existing colleges. As of December 31, 2010...
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...A BIBLICAL EVALUATION OF THE MULTI-SITE CHURCH —————————— A Paper Presented to Dr. Michael H. Windsor Central Baptist Theological Seminary of VA Beach —————————— In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course 354 Systematic Theology 4 —————————— Submitted by: Matthew E.Vanderwarker February 27, 201 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................3 THE DEFINITION OF MULTI-SITE CHURCH ..............................................................4 THE MEANING OF ΕΚΚΛΕΣΙΑ ......................................................................................6 Lexical Definition .....................................................................................................6 Biblical Usage ...........................................................................................................7 Profane Usage ...........................................................................................................8 Etymology and Meaning ............................................................................................8 ΕΚΚΛΕΣΙΑ AS THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH ...................................................10 NEW TESTAMENT EVIDENCE FOR MULTI-SITE CHURCH ..................................11 The House Church and Paul's Writings ............................................................................12 The House Church and Luke's Writings ...
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...of Missions Paper GLST 500: Liberty University Spring 2016 Introduction Theology of missions is one of the most significant and enduring aspects of the Christian faith. The theology of missions is about witnessing and bringing the word of Christ to others and is a foundational aspect of individual religious works as well as the works of fellowships, worshippers, and the whole of Christianity. "Mission [is] 'looking beyond', being involved in God's worldwide adventure with people from many culture" [1]. As exciting as the ideal sounds the importance of mission is foundational in a changing context of faith, as more and more people step away from traditional religious worship and multiculturalism and ecumenical ideals stress transition in the faith [2]. Thus, through this paper, I will discuss the relevance of missions within the Old Testament and the New Testament, how the nature of God relates to missions, some key themes of the theology of missions and how mission theology relates to missionary, church leaders and lay people not in fulltime ministry. Old Testament and New Testament “The mission of God lies behind the whole of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament and the particular task which we call missions today” [3]. In the Old Testament, God is a sending or missionary God. In Mark 16:15-16 (NIV), God said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…”. Just as Saul did, in 1 Samuel 15:20...
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...Running head: Biblical & Secular Views Biblical & Secular Views on Counseling John Smith Liberty University Abstract Whether a counselor comes from a strong Christian background, or a secular one, the goals of the professional should remain in the best interests of the client. Still, it remains important where the views of that counselor originated from and where the source of their motivation and ethical standards are derived. This paper attempts to compare and contrast the viewpoints of secular and biblical worldviews, as it relates to the counseling profession. Biblical & Secular Views on Counseling No matter what philosophical background counselors come from, the theme of their work should remain the same: It is all about the client. Whether a counselor uses the Code of Ethics adopted by the American Counseling Association, (2005) or the code adopted by the American Association of Christian Counselors, (2004) the goal of the professional still need to keep the client’s best interests at heart. Still, with this thought in mind, Christian and secular groups differ in the ways in which they go about not only helping clients, but how they define their perspective roles in the exchanges between the therapist and the client. In order to accurately evaluate the ways in which Christians view the role of the counselor, it is first important to go to the source of their opinions of the matter;...
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...Bradley Isbell Doctor James Strange Life and Letters of Paul 5.6.2010 Biblical Studies and the Gender Question in the Church The role of gender in the church is one of the toughest issues facing the church-body today. In fact, the role of women in all parts of society has come under scrutiny over the years. Concern and sharp disagreements across the globe are shedding light on the role women should play, do play, and are restricted from playing in the church. Many answers have emerged but no definitive conclusions have come to the surface. This is in part due to the apparent conflicting evidence that we see in biblical texts. It seems that everyone has an opinion on what it actually says. While some churches whose traditions and practices are less rigidly tied to Biblical doctrines have begun placing women in leadership positions such as pastor or teachers, others that interpret the Bible more literally have been slow to adopt changes. The opposing egalitarian and complementarian views on gender illustrated by the following interpretations can be attributed to differing approaches to exegetical techniques, hermeneutical principles, outside authorities, and contrasting ideas on authenticity both literal and situation-specific in scripture. These ideas will be explored a bit later. To begin our discussion we need a general explanation of what is meant by an egalitarian or complementarian view. Egalitarianism is a moral code that holds that everyone should be...
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...THEOLOGY RESEARCH PAPER The Purpose and Merits of Baptism V. King THEO350 24 November 2014 Is there a purpose behind baptism? This is a question that has been heatedly debated for decades by all religions. It is an extremely important question and carries significant meaning to those who believe and practice baptism. The Slavic word for baptism is “krst”, which in ancient German, its origin is derived from the word “kristen”.1 Kristen translates into making followers of Christ.2 The Greek word for baptize is baptizein, which translates to immerse.3 Whereas, the most commonly recognized Greek word for baptism is baptizó. There are many scriptures in the New Testament that provide the purpose of baptism. For a Christian, being baptized is an important step in a Christian’s life. It is a process of ridding one of sin so they can live their life according to God’s Will. John 3:15 tells that “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” For Christians, they need to be baptized by a form of water in order to go to God’s Kingdom. ------------------------------------------------- Those who want to be baptized must accept and proclaim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. After He is accepted as the one and only Savior, the person is baptized by going under water in the same manner as John the Baptist. There are three main components that baptism stands for: death, burial and resurrection...
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...Research Paper Of “A Select Issue in Contemporary Theology: Charismatic Theology." THEO 510-C03 LUO (Fall 2012) Survey of Christian Doctrine Dr. Eunice Abogunrin, Professor Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Carol H. Montgomery (ID# 24993689) November 11, 2012 CONTENTS COVER PAGE 1 CONTENTS 2 THESIS 3 INTRODUCTION 3 CHARSMATIC GIFTS DEBATE 3-12 CONCLUSION 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY 13 INTRODUCTION This research paper will show that biblical referred to as glossolalia; the ability to “speak in tongues” is fiercely debated. While the Bible gives clear examples of genuine glossolalia, which will be examined later, the modern debate centers around the need or not, nature, importance, and usage of “tongues” today. Lastly, this paper will examine the biblical accounts of glossolalia along with more occurrences that are contemporary to determine whether modern episodes of “tongues” are needed or not needed. Out of all the gifts, the one that Paul speaks of the most controversial is the gift of tongues. "Glossolalia" is the most commonly accepted term for "speaking in tongues." It comes from the Greek words meaning "tongues" or "languages," and "to speak." Although not exclusively, "speaking in tongues" is primarily practiced by Pentecostal Christians. Glossolalia is the "prayer language" of Pentecostal churches. Some Christians who speak in tongues believe they are speaking in an existing language. Most believe they are uttering a heavenly...
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...INTRODUCTION This thesis developed from an understanding that 1 Cor. 14:34-35 is an interpolation. Based on this affirmation, chapter one investigates both the meaning of vv. 34-35 within the context of Paul’s first extant letter to the Corinthians, and the original message of chapter fourteen without vv. 34-35. Chapter one also offers the most compelling reasons why a scribe would choose chapter fourteen as the place to insert an interpolation against women’s speech in the church. Finally, I examine the parallels between 1 Cor. 14:34-35 and 1 Tim. 2:9-15. Chapter two summarizes the argument that 1 Cor. 14:34-35 is an interpolation. In this chapter, first I investigate the issue of interpolation in ancient literature. Then, I present the arguments based on internal evidences that are both for and against the interpolation of 1 Cor. 14:34-35. Next, I provide a section on external evidences supporting a case of interpolation of vv. 34-35. In this final section we will investigate scribal awareness of multiple readings in Codex Vaticanus, Fuldensis and Ms. 88, which can be observed in some sigla left by the copyists of these texts. Chapter three examines the identity of the author(s) and the date of composition for both the interpolation in Corinthians and the Pastoral Epistles. Chapter three provides a survey on the role of women in the churches under Paul’s personal supervision. It also examines the ancient view of the role of women in the Greco-Roman society...
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...INTERPRETIVE JOURNEY PAPER ACTS 6:1-7 Wilbert Early, Jr. L23076350 Inductive Bible Study, BIBL 350 Dr. Ramon Moran Liberty University, 12 December 2013 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this research paper is to provide an Interpretive Journey into the New Testament text, Acts 6:1-7. The author, Luke, penned; In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:1-7, NIV). I will use the five-step process of the basic Interpretive Journey in hopes...
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...Liberty University Justification by Faith A Research paper submitted to Professor Laverne Smith In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for BIBL 161-D01 Willmington School of the Bible By Jason Miller Lynchburg, Virginia FRIDAY November 28, 2014 CONTENTS Introduction 1 Man’s Unrighteousness 1 Man’s Need for Redemption 2 The Righteousness of God 3 Justification by Faith 4 Salvation from God’s Wrath 6 Contemporary Church’s View of Justification 6 Conclusion 7 Introduction The Protestant Reformation began when Martin Luther’s study of the scriptures revealed to him that mankind can only be justified by faith. This truth from God’s Word transformed Luther’s life and opened the door for believers to break free of religious bondage. Luther would say that justification by faith is the article upon which the church stands or falls. The reformer John Calvin would later echo that sentiment by stating that justification by faith is the hinge by which everything else turns. In reading Paul’s letter to the Romans one can easily see that the doctrine of justification is truly a cornerstone of the Christian faith. This doctrine is a theme that appears throughout the book. By examining man’s unrighteous state and his need for redemption the apostle Paul methodically shows the reader that not only is a person justified by faith alone but also that they are saved from God’s...
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