...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 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...
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...Most Bible contradictions may be dismissed as translation errors as we will prove throughout this article with the assistance of lexicons. Other difficulties are resolved once we explore the context of the conflicting passages, examine older manuscripts which verify some contradictions as simple scribal errors, and apply logic to solve philosophical dilemmas. One thing I find in common with those who distribute Bible contradictions is their use of the 1611 King James Bible. However, this is a 400 year old English translation- not an original Biblical language. Linguistic scholars have learned a lot in regards to how the Bible should more accurately translate into English. Although the KJV sufficiently gets the point of salvation across to the reader (the fundamental purpose of th Bible), I strongly suggest using a more modern and accurate translation and the use of lexicons when examining the Bible in depth. We will now answer some common criticisms of those who have answered Bible contradictions in the past. TRANSLATION ERRORS Many Biblical critics do not reference the original Hebrew and Greek texts when searching for errors. In my opinion, this is poor, irresponsible scholarship. Such critics fail to realize translation difficulties are not exclusive to the Bible. Any text translated into another language will contain errors due to the use idioms, archaic terminology, and puns that do not translate properly into other languages. In order to finally resolve...
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...Christianity and Its Relationship with the Environment McFague (2000) defines the term environment as the surroundings or conditions in which a human being, an animal or plants lives and operates within. In the context of theology advanced by Christians, the environment refers to the world that God created and humans are part and parcel of that creation. Modern and old works on Christianity, which includes the Bible, have advanced several thoughts regarding the environment and man. These thoughts can be classified into four categories, which include historical, modern, philosophical and theological perspectives about man and environment. In this context, this paper seeks to explore the manner in which Christianity perceive the environment and man. Particularly, the paper will evaluate the historical, modern, philosophical and theological perspectives. The historical thoughts about the environment and man can be derived from the Bible. As McFague (2000) indicates, the foremost chapter in the Bible presents two accounts regarding the creation of the Earth by God. The book, Genesis, indicates that when looking on each and every creation, God finds it “good”. Usually, most Christians fail to see these accounts as literal scientific explanations regarding the manner in which the world began. Rather, they see it as containing fundamental understanding regarding the relationship that exists between God and the Earth that God made for human beings to enjoy. Such a relationship is...
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...During sixteenth and seventeenth century early modern Europe, demonic possession was a common occurrence, explained predominantly through religion and psychiatry. Demonic spirits were known to inflict the mind and cause an individual to act out of the ordinary. Although possession is more commonly associated with mental illness in today’s world, it can still be seen in modern religion and psychiatry. However, emphasis on the church was much more popular in early modern Europe, as it was believed that any individual who was possessed was in dire need of an exorcism from a priest. This alludes to the importance and authority of the church during this time period. Furthermore, a gender bias existed in regard to demonic possession and exorcisms, as it was far more likely for a woman to be declared possessed than a man. This study looks at the concept of demonic possession in early modern Europe and argues that during the Reformation Era, both Catholics and Protestants utilized the concept of demonic possession to legitimize their religion to society and their respective followers. Religious conflict during the sixteenth and seventeenth century helped to cement the...
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... 2. What do they say is the aim of a good interpretation? What is not the aim? To get at the plain meaning of a txt. Uniqueness is not the aim pg 18 3. According to Fee and Stuart, what is the antidote to bad interpretation? Good interpretation based on commonsense guidelines. Pg 21 4. They define “The Bible” in part as… The Bible is not a series of… Propositions & imperatives it is not simply a collection of “Sayings from Chairman God” pg 22 5. Know the kinds of “communication” mentioned that God uses to convey his Word. Narrative history, genealogies, chronicles, laws of all kinds, poetry of all kinds, proverbs, prophetic oracles, riddles, drama,biographical sketches, parables, letters, sermons, & apocalypses. Pg 22 6. “To interpret properly the “then and there” of the biblical texts, you must…” Not only know some general rules that apply to all the words of the bible but you also need to lean the special rules that apply to each of these literacy forms (generes) pg 23 7. Know and be able to discuss the two types of ‘context’ mentioned in the reading. Why are these items important? The historical Context & The Literary Context. Pg 26 & Pg 27 8. What do Fee and Stuart say is the “only proper control for hermeneutics”? Is to be found in yhe origincal inyeny of the biblical text. Pg 29 9. According to the authors, “The true meaning of the biblical text for us is…” hermeneutics 10. What are potential problems with a “fuller” or...
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...question comes to us when we observe these acts of violence, who or what is responsible for the acts of violence in the world like the murder of Trayvon Martin? Do we blame the murderer, George Zimmerman, who felt that Trayvon Martin was a threat to his community? Or do we blame the society that fostered the culture of stand your ground laws and men like Zimmerman? Kelly Douglas and Thich Nhat Hanh will argue neither are to blame. Both the context and the individual share the responsibility for these acts of violence. We must hold the perpetrator accountable, but we must also examine the society that fostered the hate and labels that allowed for such violence to happen. Mr. Zimmerman is a product of the culture and to exclude examination of the context will not allow us to fully understand these violent actions and not allow us to move onto peace. Kelly Brown Douglas first discusses the construction of whiteness in the United States and how that whiteness was ingrained with ideas of liberty and freedom that had isolated other members of the context such as people of colour. This history created a mindset that allowed for the sustained systemic racial divides in the United States. She explains how the "the instinct for liberty was essentially genetic. It had been passed down through the generations, starting presumably with the Urfolk Indo-Europeans. To be Anglo-Saxon, then, was to be a moral and freedom-loving people. Morality and freedom literally belonged to them" (Douglas, 21)...
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..."No matter how hard we try to transform its message, the message will try harder to transform us." (Brown, 1965, 183) This essay will explore whether or not the bible should serve as an ultimate authority for Christian ethics and discover how synonymous Biblical ethics are with the ethics of Christianity. This piece will also look at what it is about the Bible that recommends it as such a major authority of morality and ethical practice. The bible is seen as a ‘guidebook’ for a Christian, giving details on how they should live according to God’s law; however, questions negating the validity of this belief in God’s law often come to the forefront. The Bible permits the stoning to death of adulterers. Something which in contemporary society seems atrocious. A point to be aware of is the huge cultural difference between the bible and contemporary life. If we focus on the difference between the Old Testament and modern day life the cultural difference is one of the chief factors behind the difficulty of using the bible in ethics today. The bible is written in a culturally conditioned format. Language, racial attitudes and the different emphasis on aspects of life including holiness and purity, all count towards the invisible barrier when discussing how synonymous biblical ethics are with the ethics of Christianity. (Rodd, 1995, 89). An issue that arises more than often when discussing biblical and Christian ethics is sexuality. Different churches hold different values and...
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...Introduction The Holy Bible is full of mysteries, from the creation of the world or the beginning in Genesis to the end of time in Revelations; the Bible is full of captivating stories and teachings for mankind to attain salvation. One such mystery is that of the sons of God and the Nephilim in Genesis 6, an intriguing passage that recounts the existence of giants, called the Nephilim, that roam the earth in the days of Noah. To unlock the mysteries of the Nephilim, we first need to clearly understand who are the sons of God are, also their role in the producing the Nephilim. Who were the Sons of God in Genesis 6, and what was there role in creating the giants (Nephilim) in the day of Noah? There are different views of who the sons of God are:...
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...Even though folktales may be considered ‘aged’ by some, they still convey a significant message to the audience. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a folktale as, “a characteristically anonymous, timeless, and placeless tale circulated orally among a people” (Merriam-Webster). Many worldwide, collective cultures in modern society, still gather to pass on the folktales generated in their culture. Culture can be acquired, shared and preserved through these short stories. Society has passed down folktales as a form of language, values and religion for many generations in hope to raise cultural awareness. Low-context cultures practice folktales as a method of acquiring a culture’s native language through presenting oral stories to children. Rob Pope notes that “virtually everybody learns to listen and speak before they learn to read and write, and every society is *oral before it is literate” (55). For decades, people have used folktales as a way to communicate with young children. These tales have been taken for granted over the years. They are great foundations to teach youth imperative, cognitive, linguistic and vocational skills. The children enjoy hearing the interesting tales then through direct observation they acquire a new genre of vocabulary. With the flexible usage of words in folktales, the children often develop an early awareness and appreciation for cultural discourse. Folktales are an appropriate form of education for the youth to learn how to express themselves...
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...in the way individuals, and communities process, and comprehend the enduring questions of life. Religious traditions through its characteristics seek to answer these timeless questions, which go beyond human comprehension and scientific understanding. Religious traditions are defined by its 4 characteristics: beliefs and believers, sacred texts and writings, ethics, rituals and ceremonies, which are continually being reinvented, reinterpreted and renewed. In order to keep a religion living and dynamic that embodies its core beliefs whilst still adapting facets to modern context throughout the ages like Christianity has been undertaking for the past 2000 years. Sacred texts and writings are an essential aspect of religious tradition that must be embraced. Whether they are written, oral or made into visual images, as they aid the adherents to understand the answer to the enduring questions of life. For example the bible is the most important, core document in Christianity as it contains the Word of God, it presents believers with the most important role model and practical exemplar for which they can base their existence around. Therefore adherents are able to understand that earthly life, possession and desires aren’t important compared to what comes after where they are able to live eternally with God in heaven. Henceforth it gives believer’s comfort and strength to live righteous even when times are tough as once earthly life is over they will be reunited with God eternally...
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...CHAPTER 8 12 CHAPTER 9 14 CHAPTER 10 15 CHAPTER 11 17 CHAPTER 12 19 CHAPTER 13 20 CHAPTER 14 22 POSTSCRIPT 23 WORKS CITED i CHAPTER 1 The opening chapter begins by orienting the reader to the idea of "comparative study," or the area of study that strives to understand things within their broader cultural context. In the case of this book, the goal is to understand the Old Testament within the context of the Ancient Near Eastern milieu. Walton explains that over the years there has been much debate on the issue of comparative study and the way in which it is to be exercised. Scholars, always biased by their presuppositions, tend to enter the argument negating the importance of the Old Testament on the one side, or defending the inerrancy of Scripture so vehemently that the cultural context is lost. Walton poses a better way, namely, accepting the study of the Ancient Near Eastern cultures as important and academic in their own right while attempting to comprehend the Old Testament in light of what modern scholarship is learning about the ancient world. Studies of this time period often center around who borrowed what literature from whom, but Walton insists that this is not the main issue that ought to be dealt with. Rather, studies of the literature and literary genres of the ANE should assist in the broader understanding of the society. Walton observes several areas that the text will...
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...Cherry picking verses from the Bible has become a norm for many modern self-proclaimed Christians. Phrases are taken completely out of context, and stated as though they are stand-alone quotes, or a series of one-liners, rather than part of a comprehensive story. It is not exactly their fault, though. Over time, today’s society has become one of 140-characters or less and 6-second long snippets; any longer, and our attention is lost, being vied for elsewhere. It is much easier to just pass on what one has heard from others, hence “Jesus said ‘do not judge,’” because that is what people have been told. However, if a person researched the context of the verse that this phrase stems from, they would realize that there is a lot more to it, including the way in which one judges, as well as recognizing good from evil in order to judge righteously....
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...DINOSAURS IN THE BIBLE There are a number of places where it appears that dinosaurs or other similar creatures are mentioned in the scriptures. Remember that the Bible was translated into English long before the word "dinosaur" was coined. However, the word "dragon" appears 21 times in the Old Testament alone. "You shall tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shall you trample under feet" (Psalm 91:13). From the context it is clearly speaking about a real creature that it would be impressive and intimidating to step on! Jeremiah 51:34 tells, "he has swallowed me up like a dragon..." which brings to mind the way many carnivorous reptiles swallow their prey whole. Both dragons of the sea (Psalm 74:13) and field (Isaiah 43:20) are mentioned. Indeed, Genesis 1:21 can best be translated: "And God created great sea monsters..." One such sea monster became sufficiently well-known to the ancients to be given the special name "Rahab" (Isaiah 51:9). The prophet Ezekiel likens Pharaoh to a sea monster that invaded the Nile river and stirred up the mud (32:2). The Hebrew word, "Tannin," is from the root meaning "to extend." The language conjures up an image of a long-necked plesiosaur-like creature paddling up the river and stirring up mud from the Nile delta with its flippers. Just such a creature is depicted by the ancient Egyptians who may have netted one just as Ezekiel describes in verse 3. Job is the oldest book in the Bible. This book is very interesting...
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...…………………………………..……………..…………3 Context Historical-Cultural Context…….…..…………………….………………………………..3 Literary Context …………..……………………….……...………………………………4 Analysis of Text Rom. 3:21-24………………………………………………………………..…………….5 Rom. 3:25-26 ......................................................................................................................9 Application. ……………………………………………………………………………...………12 Conclusion. …………………………………………………….....…………………………..…13 Bibliography……………………...…………………………………….…………………...…...14 Appendix A: Block Diagram. ……………………………………………....…………………...16 Introduction “The world is not perfect, and many people are not able to spend the years required to learn Greek properly, even those who have a seminary education.” This exegetical paper will incorporate the use of Greek tools in applying an exegetical method; namely hermeneutics. By comparing three Bible translations; examining the literary context; applying word studies; analyzing historical, grammar, outlining, and theology, coupled with and evaluation of the interpretations of scholars regarding the significance of textual criticism, the exegete will employ the results for correct modern-day application of Romans 3:21-26. The analysis of the passage to obtain a textual interpretation of Paul’s letter to the Romans will result in a more literal understanding of the original intent and clarify the author’s reasoning for sending a letter to the congregation. Context Historical-Cultural Context Founded in 753 B.C....
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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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