...A. Introduction Eschatology is a Christian Doctrine that refers to the end times of the universe as in general or death of a person as singular. The diverse cultures therein the Melanesian realm also employs diverse philosophies of life in relation to death and related aspects to it. This work seeks to identify a cultural model to compare and contrast with the Christian Doctrine of Eschatology, one that could be useful to explain eschatology to its relevant congregation. It is a wide topic of discussion which does not fall within the scope of this work. It will only present an overview of the Christian Doctrine and my traditional culture of North Pentecost. This is to clarify why it could be possible to use that cultural model to explain eschatology to its relevant congregation. Therefore it will elaborate on these viewpoints; * What is Eschatology * Pentecost Model * Life * Environment/Space * Comparison and Contrast * Similarities * Differences * Reason why it is a possible model A. What is Eschatology Eschatology means the science or teachings concerning the last things derive from the Greek word eschatos which means last and eschata which means the last things. It is a study that specifically concerns with the end times. What it is to come at the end of one’s life or the destiny of humanity. Therefore, Christianity views history or time as linear not cyclical. At the very early stage of Christian community, they interpreted it as...
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...Table of Contents Introduction 2 History of Eschatology 3 Eschatology in Antiquity 3 Modern Developments in Eschatology 4 Contemporary Eschatology 4 Scripture 8 Support for Dispensational Premillennialism 8 Refutation of Dispensational Premillennialism 8 Theological Implications of Dispensationalism 10 Conclusions 11 Bibliography 13 Introduction Within the past few decades the interest in eschatology has shattered all previous interest in the subject. This has been in part to greater interest in Scriptural literature and also due to popularization of biblical dramatization. The modern push of interest is based on books and movies like The Late Great Planet Earth, or The Left Behind series. These publications are themselves based on theological arguments but place them in emotionally driven drama’s that attune people to want to relate to them, and in many cases believe these renditions without any critical evaluation. In the developing twenty centuries of the Christian faith there have been many disagreements on theology, doctrine, practice, and canon of scripture which were settled time and again by coming together and debating the issues and measuring those controversies and made a decisions on what was within the boundaries of acceptability of Christianity, it has been within the last few centuries that the time tested definitions of Christian theology have been razed to the ground and new systems have been rebuilt. Under the new schematics of self-appointed...
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...Examine the main religious and secular eschatological and apocalyptic teachings. (45) Introduction: * Eschatology literally means ‘the study of the end things’ and it is a part of the theology or philosophy concerned with the final events in the history of the world and the ultimate destiny of humanity. * Apocalypse means ‘lifting of the veil’ and apocalyptic teaching focuses on revealing or ‘unveiling future events’. Paragraph 1: * In Christianity, eschatological teaching focuses on teaching humans about the values of living a good moral life whilst on earth and the rewards that humans will reap in heaven as a result. * Matthew 25 contains 3 parables of eschatological literature: 1. The Parable of the Wise and Foolish bridesmaids (1-13) – the five virgins who are prepared for the bridegroom's arrival are rewarded, while the five who are not prepared are disowned. The parable has a clear eschatological theme: be prepared for the Day of Judgment 2. The Parable of the Talents (14-30) - the overall theme is end-time events, warning, and parables. "The direct cautions and warnings must be for the disciples (his audience)—warnings to be watchful and to be ready for Christ’s coming". 3. The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (21-46) - The common futurist explanation of the discourse is that it tells of the Last Judgment, and the division of all the world'speople into the blessed, on the Right Hand of God, who are welcomed by the Father to inherit the Kingdom and eternal...
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...The study of theology, as defined by Merriam Webster, is the study of religious faith, practice, and experience; specifically, the study of God and of God’s relation to the world. The difficulty of this field of study in today’s era is that we often become immune to new thoughts or beliefs, and instead fully accept the ideas that have been introduced before us. That is exactly what Victor Paul Furnish is trying to do in his work, “The Theology of the First Letter to the Corinthians,” which challenges a number of common views regarding New Testament literature. The piece of this book that I will analyze deals with 1 Corinthians specifically. In this section, Furnish challenges the common belief that Paul’s theology is most evident in Galatians and Romans, while his apostolic self-understanding and views on ethical and moral issues are found primarily in 1 and 2 Corinthians. He believes this is inaccurate, and that 1 Corinthians is also, a profoundly theological letter. The approach used in arguing this claim is a very historical one. There are many references to historical texts in addition to the biblical discussion found throughout. As a guide, the four traditional doctrinal topics will be summarized and analyzed in order to better understand the relationship between Paul and the Corinthians, specifically regarding their respective views. These topics will include Christology, soteriology, eschatology, and ecclesiology. The first topic discussed is Christology. This is the...
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...Theology II Mr. G Period Understanding the three Wonders, studying of Last Things and becoming active in the seven sacraments should successfully put the Christian on the correct path in determining whether Beatific Vision is even a possibility. The Wonder of Creation is the first of its kind in the world. It shows the power, intelligence, goodness and love of God. In the book of Genesis, we are shown that God created heaven and earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. God created and formed man of the dust of ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul. God loves us so much that he created man in his own image and likeness, which was perfect. God’s power is so unexplainable and one way he shows us this is by not allowing us to have control of our own existence. He decides if we take our next breath. The Wonder of Salvation is the deliverance from sin and accepting Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. No one is without sin but there are those who repeatedly forget to ask God for forgiveness. The Wonder of Incarnation represents that the Son of God took on a human body and nature and became both man and God. He opened himself up by voluntarily taking on our humanity and dwelling amongst us all. God shares in our personal joys and even our sufferings. Eschatology is the study of the Last Things, which encompasses death, resurrection, judgment, heaven, hell and purgatory...
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...Creation: Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. [1] God created Man and Woman to live in harmony and be obedient to him, to have a relationship with him; He gave them everything a beautiful place to live all kinds of things to eat. And one rule, Genesis 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.[2] From that point on mankind has been lost and sin entered into the world, God was disappointed and placed a curse on the man and the woman and kicked them out of the Garden of Eden. * What does Romans inform us regarding Creation? 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:[3] We cannot see the air we breathe, but it is there lest we die. We cannot see the gravity which holds us to the earth but it is there. There are laws and things set into motion from the beginning of creation that care for us, which a majority of the people of today are not even conscious of, and refuse to be thankful for. * Natural creation 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change...
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...REGENT UNIVERSITY My Journey into the Future A Personal Essay Foresight 2005 Conference - September Dr. Todd M. Johnson Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Hamilton, MA From September 22-24, 2005, the School of Leadership Studies hosted Dr. Todd Johnson on campus at Regent University, for the third annual futures conference for Christian leaders. This essay by Johnson was circulated to participants beforehand. We encourage you to join us next year for our annual Foresight conference, as we hear from top futurists from the both the U.S. and around the world. Todd M. Johnson, Ph.D., is the director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA. He is the co-author of World Christian Encyclopedia (WCE), Second Edition, released in 2001 by Oxford University Press. Since 1989, Dr. Johnson has been a full-time researcher on the empirical status of global Christianity, most recently as director of the World Evangelization Research Center (WERC) in Richmond, Virginia. He has also served with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) since 1978 and has performed various ministry tasks in over 30 countries, including relief work among Cambodian refugees in Thailand, inner city work in San Francisco, evangelism in villages in Guatemala and field-based research in Asia. He is co-founder of the Christian Futures Network, a professional member of the World Future Society and a member of the American...
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...exegesis, Gnostic studies, existential philosophy, and hermeneutics to the Gifford Lectures, the theological essay, popular and literate dialogue about the Church, demythologizing, and the relation of the New Testament to daily life?3 If the theological significance is judged in terms of intellectual climate, moral force, and scholarly style or by the more tangible but subtle influence on several generations of scholars, then the theological significance seems almost as elusive as it is palpable. Fortunately, diversity of form and subject is more apparent than real. The theological atmosphere and problematic shaped by Bultmann may be traced to concepts and procedures available to any critical reader. While it is quite correct to note, as did Hans Jonas on the Feiertag celebrated in honor of Bultmann in Marburg, November 16,1976, that it is impossible to separate the man from his writings, for he lived as he wrote,4 we are not here primarily concerned with Bultmann's personal psychological integrity, striking as it is. It may, however, be accurate to say that this escalating unity of life and work is grounded in the one objective to which Bultmann committed himself: the mediation of the Christian tradition, the attempt to make a particular religious vision and its theological interpretation fruitful for the present and future. 1 Rudolf Bultmann, "Der literarische Character der neutestamentlichen Schriften," Christliche Welt 22 (1908) 378 (two paragraphs). 2 His last commentary, Der...
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...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 analysis by identifying and examining the historical context, offering word studies of significant terms and analyze the text verse by verse and will also demonstrate clearly how God let people of Sardis know that reward is waiting for them if they turn back and repent and complete the works of God and be alert. All this analysis comes under the doctrine of eschatology. Context Well if we...
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...Christianity Christianity (from the Ancient Greek word Χριστός, Christos, a translation of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ, Māšîăḥ, meaning "the anointed one",together with the Latin suffixes -ian and -itas) is an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and oral teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. Christianity is the world's largest religion, with approximately 2.2 billion adherents, known as Christians. Most Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God, fully divine and fully human, and the saviour of humanity whose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament. Consequently, Christians refer to Jesus as Christ or the Messiah. The foundations of Christian theology are expressed in ecumenical creeds. These professions of faith state that Jesus suffered, died, was buried, and was resurrected from the dead in order to grant eternal life to those who believe in him and trust in him for the remission of their sins. The creeds further maintain that Jesus bodily ascended into heaven, where he reigns with God the Father. Most Christian denominations teach that Jesus will return to judge everybody, living and dead, and to grant eternal life to his followers. He is considered the model of a virtuous life. His ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection are often referred to as "the gospel", meaning "good news" (a loan translation of the Greek: εὐαγγέλιον euangélion). The term gospel also refers to written accounts of Jesus's life and teaching, four of which...
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...Writing & Resource Center Using APA: Creating a Reference Page (Updated October 2012—APA 6th Edition) General Guidelines for Formatting a Reference Page Your reference list provides the information necessary for a reader to locate and retrieve any source you cite in the essay. Each source you cite in the essay must appear in your reference list (except for personal communications); each entry in the reference list must be cited in your text. Start the reference list on a new page. Type the word References in upper and lowercase letters, centered, at the top of the page on the first line below the page header; do not underline, and do not put it in quotation marks. Your reference list must be in alphabetical order according to author’s last name; if no author is given for a particular source, alphabetize by the title of the piece and use a shortened version of the title for parenthetical citations. If you have more than one work by a particular author, order them by publication date, oldest to newest. Provide first initial (and not first name) and middle initial (if provided) for all authors of a particular work. Capitalize only the first word of a title or subtitle of a work unless it is a proper noun. Italicize titles of books and journals—note that the italics extend to include the volume number of a periodical as well as the period at the end of a book title. Use “&” instead of “and” when listing multiple authors of a single work. The first line of each entry in your Reference...
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...WRITING ASSIGNMENT 1 1. To what did the Latin religio refer? a) The Latin word L. religionem (nom. Religio) is defined as “a respect for what is scared, reverence for the gods”, and according to the text refers to the fear or awe a person feels in the presence of a spirit or a god. 2. Taoism and Confucianism are nontheistic religions, that is, religions for which belief in God or gods is nonessential. While gods are not alien to either Taoism or Confucianism, belief in/of gods is not central to either tradition. What are a couple of other religions that can be called nontheistic religions? a) A few additional examples of some nontheistic religions are Agnosticism, Atheism, Buddhism, Secular Humanism and Scientology. 3. What is Paul Tillich's definition for religion, and why do Hopfe and Woodward consider its development too broad? a) Paul Tillich defines religion as, “that which is of ultimate concern”. Hopfe and Woodward consider the development of Tillich’s definition of religion too broad for a world religions course because a philosophical exploration of Tillich’s definition of religion, yields many an individuals personal belief of what is of ultimate concern hardly lending to the general understanding of popular or mainstream religions they hope to accomplish in this text. 4. Explain E. B. Tylor's theory concerning the origin and evolution of religion. What is animism, and to what, "ultimately" and "finally," did Tylor think it evolved? a) E.B. Tylor’s theory...
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...is hastening these things, the Gospel must now be proclaimed to so many lands in such a short time.” As Columbus stomped into this New World, he not only planted crosses wherever he went, his religious conviction also led to the procurement of as much gold as possible to fund The Crusades. These acts were viewed by Columbus as part of his faithful mission to God. Columbus died in 1506 believing he had witnessed the first sign of the End of Times, the declaration of Christianity to these new nations. He also foresaw the final sign to usher in the millennial reign of Christ on earth, which was when Jerusalem was to be finally conquered. But, of course, over 500 years later and we are still here; and no sign of our saviour, yet. The 16th Century was apparently awash with tales of the End Time, probably the most famous apocalyptic prophet also lived in these times, the French apothecary and reputed seer, Michel de Nostradamus. Many claim he successfully foresaw the death of King Henry II, the 1666 great fire of London and the onset of the French revolution. Despite predicting the arrival of three antichrists to earth, Nostradamus gives us a little more time than most of the doomsayers and predicts an end to the world in the year 3786 or maybe 3797, depending on interpretation. Even the English scientist and mathematician Isaac Newton(1642–1727) had a go at prediction and had his money on the world ending in 2060, again this was based largely on his own study deciphering Biblical...
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...Christ the Coming King Steven Collier Crown College Abstract In this paper I will discuss the different views on the second coming of Christ, the rapture of the church, how the second coming of Christ affects missions, and I give an exegesis of Revelation 20:1-6. I will also discuss why I believe the pre-millennial view is the correct view concerning the return of Christ. There are three schools of thought in the area of the thousand year reign of Christ. They are the amillennial view, postmillennial view, and the premillennial view. Those who believe in a amillennial view do not believe in a literal or an actual future kingdom of peace and prosperity here on earth that will last one thousand years. Those who hold this view tend to view Scripture in a more figurative way than a literal way. They believe the thousand year reign of Christ is symbolic of the church age between the resurrection of Christ and His return. Most amillennialists believe that a spiritual form of the Kingdom of God is present now. Amillennialism reject the idea of a rapture. They believe good and evil will increase in the world as God’s Kingdom parallels the kingdom of Satan. They believe Satan is bound but yet evil increases. They believe when Christ returns the end of the world will occur with a general resurrection and a judgment of all people. They believe Christ will never reign on earth in a literal way but the Kingdom of God exists on earth in the...
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...still being fulfilled. Obviously, they were not all fulfilled in the First Century. A good twenty-five percent of the Bible is prophecy, and much of it concerns the end times. So it would make complete sense when Jesus commanded us to watch for Him, to be alert for His Trumpet Call as our Blessed Hope and not be discouraged because of the times we are living in. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "[Ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?" (Luke 12:56) Meaning that the Pharisees should have been discerning about the times they were living in and watching those signs. And notice He called them "hypocrites" because they had their eyes and focus on the wrong things. Well, here we are in 2006 in the 21st Century world, but most people who should be watching for their Lord are fast asleep instead of awake! There are signs (prophecies being fulfilled) everywhere you look if you know what to look for and why you are looking there, that indicate the Lord is really near. Prophecies...
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