...Comparative Religions Professor: Research Paper Assignment: Branch Davidians and David Koresh The Branch Davidians began as an offshoot sect of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in 1935. They were initially a small group lead by a man named Victor Houteff who had some differing beliefs from the church. Houteff was convinced there were errors in the Adventists doctrines and practices and wrote a book called The Shepherd’s Rod outlining these errors and it caused some conflict within the church. He with 11 members founded the Mt. Carmel Center near Waco Texas; they also called their group The Shepherd’s Rod. (Robinson, 2003) Houteff and his group believed that Christ's return would only occur when at least a small number of Christians had been sufficiently purified. He believed that he was a messenger sent by God to conduct this cleansing. The cleansing and tasks he saw this group as being responsible for had two parts. The first was to reveal secret information contained in a scroll described in the book of Revelations. This scroll, described as having seven seals, they believed told of exactly when and how Jesus would return and how the world would end. The second task required the purifying of this small group and once done would bring about the downfall of Babylon (our current world) and would establish the Kingdom of David in its place. They felt that they were the chosen group. Infighting went on within the Seventh Day Adventists Church for many years until a complete...
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...INTRODUCTION This paper was written based on the faith of Christians. Furthermore, the research referenced the Holy Bible as it is the sole basis of Christians for their doctrines and faith. The progression of the essays was written in accordance on how I think the doctrines of Christians were regarded. Section one: Did Jesus claim to be God?, discloses the dissimilar stand for Christians on the true state of Jesus Christ whether His is God or is He a man or is He God and a man at the Same time. Section two: Does the Bible Have Authority, discusses how the Christians were made to accept as true that the Bible is the sole basis for the words of God. Section three: How can we be confident that Jesus is returning?, opens the notion on where we are heading after our journey in this world. DID JESUS CLAIM TO BE GOD? The confusion on the true state of Jesus Christ often disrupts the mind of the believers on choosing their stand. However, the Holy Scriptures have the apparent stand on the issue on how to recognize Jesus Christ. Believers were divided to three groups on their belief on Christ’s true status such as: Jesus Christ is God, Jesus Christ is a man and last of all, Jesus Christ is God and a man at the same time. According to Apostle Paul, Jesus Christ is a man however a man that serves as the lone mediator of man to God (I Timothy 2:5). According to Apostle Peter, Jesus Christ is man approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs (Acts 2:22). Moreover, Apostle...
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...SCHOOL OF DIVINITY A RESEARCH ON REVELATION 3:1-6 A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENT IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS IN DIVNITY BY STEPHEN GEDDAM LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA October 22, 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION 1 CONTEXT 1 HISTORICAL CONTEXT 2 LITERARY CONTEXT 3 ANALYSIS OF TEXT 4 APPLICATION 13 CONCLUSION 17 BIBLIOGRAPHY 20 INTRODUCTION Often we see in many churches that, they appear to be very much alive and spiritually in active in the way they act in those churches. But in reality they are spiritually dead by the circumstance when we get to know more about those churches. This is the same situation that we see with the church in Sardis. Sardis was a wealthy city full of gold taken from the nearby Pactolus River. The city was located on a high hill at the intersection of the five roads. Like the other cities addressed in revelation 2-3, the church of Sardis was probably founded through Paul’s ministry in Ephesus.Revelation 3:1-6 deals with the writings to the angel of the church in Sardis. Well we can see how amazing the writings to the letters of John are for the churches today and for the past 20 centuries and it seems like the problem still exists even now. To welcome at an understanding of this passage briefly, this paper will offer an exegetical...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY ONLINE THE FORMULATION AND RECOGNITION OF THE CANONICAL BOOKS A PAPER SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR C. PAUL KING IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR HISTORY OF THE CHURCH I 301 DEPARTMENT OF CHURCH HISTORY BY GLENN ROGERS LYNCHBURG. VIRGINIA 10 NOVEMBER 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Reason or Need for Adoption of a Canon of Scripture 4 Key Events that were Influential in Recognition of the Canon 5 Individuals and Councils that Helped Shape the Canon 6 Conclusion 8 Works Cited 10 Introduction The Bible is one of the most intriguing books ever written. There is no other book in history that covers the same amount of time or the comprehensive aggregation of people and cultures as found in the pages of the Bible. The mysteries and wisdom of the Bible have held the attention of Biblical and non-biblical scholars for centuries. We know from the study of history that not all Jews agreed on which books belonged in the Bible. As a matter of fact Christians also debated what to include and exclude in the New Testament Scriptures. This was a major problem in the first two centuries of Christianity. Biblical historian Paul Johnson wrote in his book entitled History of Christianity, “After more than two centuries...
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...Institute for Christian Teaching THE BIBLE: REVELATION AND AUTHORITY Richard M. Davidson 402-00 Institute for Christian Teaching 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA Symposium on the Bible and Adventist Scholarship Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic March 19-26, 2000 Page 1 of 33THE BIBLE: REVELATION AND AUTHORITY 3/2/2014http://fae.adventist.org/essays/26Bcc_017 -055.htm Introduction I have not always held the view of Scriptural revelation and authority that I now maintain. Having journeyed through a different perspective on the revelation/authority of Scripture and then returning to the position that I now hold, I am convinced that this issue is basic to all other issues in the church. The destiny of our church depends on how its members regard the revelation and authority of the Bible. In the following pages I have summarized the biblical self-testimony on its revelation and authority. The major focus of the paper is biblical authority, but a short statement concerning revelation-inspiration-illumination introduces the subject, and other biblical testimony on the nature of revelation is subsumed under the discussion of biblical authority. The paper also includes a brief historical treatment of the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment understandings of biblical revelation/authority and an analysis and critique of their basic presuppositions in light of Scripture. Following the conclusion, a selected bibliography of sources cited and other...
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...Beyond the Veil: Their Eyes Were Watching God Research Paper In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character Janie experiences three different marriages during the 1930’s that affect her free will in different ways. Her first two marriages limited and influenced her self-image, her speech, and her ideal relationship within the marriage. However, the marriage that most negatively affected all three of these aspects, and lasted the longest, was her second marriage to Joe Starks. The first aspect, Janie’s self-image, is dealt with in several ways. When Joe Starks first meets Janie, he flatters her by remarking upon her appearance. “You behind a plow! You ain’t got no mo’ business wid uh plow than uh hog is got wid uh holiday! You...
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...Speaking in Tongues as Spiritual Warfare…………………………….…....9 VI. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….…....10 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………......…11 I. Introduction Author Paul Enns presents his perspectives on the supernatural gift of speaking in tongues and the Holy Spirit in his book The Moody Handbook of Theology, Revised and Expanded. However, Enns believes that gift ceased at the end of the Apostolic Age. This view is flawed because it does not take into account the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and the gift of speaking in tongues in today’s modern world. Whether the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still at work and bestowed upon believers today is an issue causing considerable confusion, disagreement, and tension within the Christian community. There are as many arguments for as against the degree of...
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...Institute for Christian Teaching THE BIBLE: REVELATION AND AUTHORITY Richard M. Davidson 402-00 Institute for Christian Teaching 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA Symposium on the Bible and Adventist Scholarship Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic March 19-26, 2000 Introduction I have not always held the view of Scriptural revelation and authority that I now maintain. Having journeyed through a different perspective on the revelation/authority of Scripture and then returning to the position that I now hold, I am convinced that this issue is basic to all other issues in the church. The destiny of our church depends on how its members regard the revelation and authority of the Bible. In the following pages I have summarized the biblical self-testimony on its revelation and authority. The major focus of the paper is biblical authority, but a short statement concerning revelation-inspiration-illumination introduces the subject, and other biblical testimony on the nature of revelation is subsumed under the discussion of biblical authority. The paper also includes a brief historical treatment of the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment understandings of biblical revelation/authority and an analysis and critique of their basic presuppositions in light of Scripture. Following the conclusion, a selected bibliography of sources cited and other useful books and articles on the subject is provided. Appendices include: (1) a chart schematizing the two major...
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...Reflection Paper 2 Eduardo E. Mendez HLTH 551 Liberty University Part I “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6, NIV) Summary From the very first time man sinned in Eden, the question of deception, truth, and lies has been a difficult one. Our enemy, satan, is the father of lies. Jesus Himself said to the Jews, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44, NIV) Jesus is the truth; satan is the deceiver. The question remains, who is our real father? We want our answer to be Jesus, and once we receive Him as Lord and Savior our salvation is sealed, and our names are written in the Book of Life, yet who’s character do we reflect? It seems a lie can often be excused if it is said with good intentions. However, lying is never excused or encouraged in the Bible, on the contrary, many are the warnings against it including the ninth commandment which exhorts us to never “give false testimony”. (Exodus 20:16, NIV). Although not an easy task in this fallen world, it should be a Christian’s desire to be more like Jesus, and “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ”. (Ephesians 4:15, NIV). Part II Abraham’s...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Contemporary Roman Catholicism Dr. Ebele Adioye THEO 510 (FALL 2015) Survey of Contemporary Theology by David Boston November 3, 2015 Table of Content I. Introduction: How do Evangelicals agree or disagree with contemporary Catholicism? II. This paper will explore the different motif within Contemporary Roman Catholicism while examining the differences between Evangelicals and Contemporary Roman Catholics. A. Origin of the Roman Catholic Church. 1. Different views of Church History. 2. Apostolic Succession. 3. Veneration of the Saint/ Virgin Mary. B. Mass/ Sacraments/ Eucharist/ Purgatory. III. Protestant Reformation. A. Council of Trent. 1. Vatican Counsel II. 2. Biblical Canonization/ Apocrypha B. Evangelical Attitude toward Contemporary Roman Catholicism? 1. Areas of Agreement. 2. Area of Disagreement. 3 Different views of Church of Authority. 4. Different view on Salvation on justification. IV. Conclusion: Evangelicals persist that some of the Contemporary Roman Catholic teachings can be misleading, in spite of this salvation to the believer can still be achieved. Introduction ...
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...INTRODUCTION We live in an era of persotial revelation. We are preoccupied by seeking, gathering, and disclosing information about others and ourselves. In the age of revelation, individuals and enterprises are fond of ferreting out what is btiried away. We are fond of broadcasting what we know, think, do, and feel; and we are motivated by business and pleasure because we care about friendship, kinship, health, wealth, education, politics, justice, and culture. A lot of this has to do with technology, of course. We live at a historical moment characterized by the wide availability of multiple modes of communication and stored data, easily and frequently accessed. Our communications are capable of disclosing breadths and depths of personal, personally identifiable, and sensitive information to many people rapidly. In this era of revelation—dominated by portable electronics, intemet social media, reality television, and traditional talk radio—^many of us are losing our sense of privacy, our taste for privacy, and our willingness to respect privacy. Is this set of losses a bad thing? If it is a bad thing, what can be done about it? My refiections on these questions begin with a series of diverse examples from the past several years. The examples illustrate the emergent ethos of our revelatory era. The first and second examples portray voluntary self-revelation for amusement and monetary gain; a third and fourth example depict revelations conceming others, motivated by a desire for...
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...Date: EVENT 1867: Parents Hermann and Pauline marry. 1879 Born 14th March, Ulm, Germany. 1880 Move to Munich. Hermann and brother Jakob establish an electrical engineering firm. 1881 Sister Maria (Maja) born. 1884 Sense of wonder at a compass given to him by his father. Private tuition. 1885 Starts catholic school and violin lessons (until 14.) Jewish religious instruction at home. 1888 Passes entrance exam for Luitpold Gymnasium, Munich. 1889 Meets 21 year old student Max Talmud, introduces Einstein to key science and philosophy texts including Kant’s "Critique of pure reason" 1891: 2nd major sense of wonder with Euclidean geometry. Wrote later: “If Euclid fails to kindle your youthful enthusiasm, you were not born to be a scientific thinker.”Begins to excel in maths and science, despite hating regimentation of school and rote learning. 1892 Einstein is not bar mitzvahed so not technically a member of the Jewish community. 1894 June – Parent’s engineering company go into liquidation, the family move to Milan while Einstein remains in Munich with distance relatives to finish his schooling. 29th December - Einstein leaves school early with a medical certificate, joins family in Milan. He had no school leaving certificate but a letter from his maths teacher confirming his excellent maths abilities. 1895 Essay “On the investigation of the state of the Ether in a magnetic field” in summer sent to his uncle Caesar Kock in Belgium. Einstein’s family...
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...for the Study 1 The Procedure for the Study 1 Introduction 1 Defining Charismatic Theology 1 History of Charismatic Theology 2 Declarations 2 Baptism of the Holy Spirit 2 Speaking in Tongues 3 Gift of Healing 4 Gift of Prophecy 5 Slain in the Spirit 7 Personal Views 7 Opposing Views 9 Conclusion 10 Selected Bibliography 11 Thesis Statement Charismatic Theology gives contemporary Christians faith that they may experience declarations of the Holy Spirit in the same manner as first century Christians. The Need for the Study There is controversy surrounding the declarations of Charismatic Theology. This research will provide ways in which Scripture is manipulated to meet ones individual needs. Biblical exegesis will be utilized to provide clarification between Scripture and its alterations. The Procedure for the Study Introduction Charismatic Theology takes an in-depth look at the supernatural experiences explained in the Bible. These experiences are considered gifts that Christians receive from God. Not everyone agrees on the meanings of these references. Controversy comes into play when scripture is manipulated to meet the needs of the person reading it. A better understanding for Charismatic Theology can be gained by reviewing its history, exploring the declarations and examining the different viewpoints. Defining Charismatic Theology ...
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...Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Email: mdaslam@iiu. edu.my) b Department of Economics, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Gombak, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Email: hafasf@gmail.com) a ABSTRACT This paper argues that research and publications in the area of methodology of Islamic economics is very significant for a meaningful development of the discipline. Although the discussion on methodology of Islamic economics in contemporary Islamic economics literature is rather limited, this paper reviews the works of selected scholars who have attempted to present works on ‘methodology’ and their approach to the process of theory building in Islamic economics. The paper then presents some implications of these views based on the position that methodology investigates the criteria, rationalizations, arguments and justifications used in theory appraisal as well as evaluating the reliability of theories, this paper concludes that greater resources, both human and financial, need to be channeled to developing uÎūl al-iqtiÎād, a fundamental, but vastly, neglected area of research in contemporary Islamic economics. JEL Classification: B41, B49, B59, Z12 Key words: Methodology, Islamic economics, uÎūl al-iqtiÎād. *An earlier version of this paper was presented at the International Conference on Islamic Economics and Economies of OIC Countries, 28-29 April 2009, Kuala Lumpur. The authors thank Dr. Habib Ahmed for his comments during the conference as well as...
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...Name Course: Tutor: Date: Agency Theory and Shareholder Primacy Question The corporate law structure mandates corporations to act according to shareholders interests. The shareholders control companies by appointing the directors, suing wasteful managers on behalf of the corporation and approving important transactions. On the other hand, the other stakeholders such as the employees and customers have the right to make contractual claim however, the shareholders receives the larger share. Therefore, shareholder primacy is centrally focusing on the shareholders compared to the other stakeholders (Smith, p. 277-278). Even though the shareholder dominates the corporate law structure, the shareholder is mainly expressed under the law that relates to fiduciary duties. The directors are obligated to make decisions which benefit the shareholders. The shareholder primacy norm is thus the fiduciary duty aspect. The shareholder primacy theory is rooted to the early decisions in the Dodge versus Ford Motor Company case in the Michigan Supreme Court in 1919. The court ruled that the managers are required to conduct corporate activities in the best interest of the shareholders. Therefore, according to shareholder primacy theory, the corporate activities are bound by the shareholders obligations (Keay, p. 375). The shareholder primacy theory holds that the non shareholders are granted rights through contracts which in turn fulfills their interests and adequately safeguards their rights. Companies...
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