Lesson 16 master of Christian history - Rev. Longsden

Lesson 16 master of Christian history

The Middle Ages was a very lively time. Medieval church history took place upon a much wider stage than ancient church history did. As a consequence of the Teutonic tribes being won to Christianity and the mass conversions along with the forming of monasticism .Pope Gregory I ,was a link between two worlds, the classical and the medieval. He became a symbol of the new medieval world all that is modern and creative for the society of the day, where in culture became institutionalized within the church presided by the bishop of Rome. Those men who came after Pope Gregory I used the foundations that he laid to further develop the sacramental hierarchy that would shape the church in the Middle Ages. Pope Gregory I arranged Christian doctrine in an orderly fashion, and he made the church a significant player in secular political disputes.

Pope Gregory is also noted for creating seven monasteries from his own pocket which also encouraged the church to develop with its missions in adjacent lands .

 

The church in the west through monasticism could have eventually created the medieval church due to the decline of the roman empire and the conversion of so many persons to the Christian faith ,it could be said that pope Gregory was in the right place at the right time being able to fund new monasteries and new teachings.

 

Gregory believed that humanity was a sinner by nature and choice, but he softened Augustine's view of it by saying that human beings did not inherit guilt from Adam but only sin which all are subject. He believed in the verbal inspiration of Scripture, but he gave tradition an equal position with Scripture. He changed a little the Canon of the Mass which continued to show how the Eucharist was a sacrifice anew of Christ's body and blood each time it is observed. Gregory also stressed good works and the entreaty of the saints in order to gain their help. As such Pope Gregory was a great theologian. Along with Jerome, Ambrose, and Augustine. Along with writing books and being a theologian pope Gregory also prevented war by becoming one of the wealthiest popes he was able to raise an army and force a piece with the Aryan army and had them converted he sent a bishop to inland to introduce Catholicism and remove Celtic Christianity.

Rev. Andrew Longsden

Christian Ethics

Christian Ethics – Lessons 3 & 4 Test 2

 

1.           The first reason is the light that the Old Testament can throw on Jesus as we note what he retained from his heritage and what he gained from higher insights. The second reason is the need to fully understand the Old Testament and to see it in perspective. The third reason is that we get a sense of concreteness from the social teachings of the prophets.

 

2.           Israel's faith was not fully monotheistic before the sixth century BC.

 

3.           It was a covenant of grace.

 

4.           One test was circumcision and the other was the requirement of keeping the law.

 

5.           The most primitive code in the Old Testament is the ceremonial code in Exodus 34.

 

6.           The Covenant Code illustrates the blending of moral and religious considerations, and within the religious aspect the mixture of adoration and gratitude with the ceremonial observances.

 

7.           'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath' is found in St Mark's Gospel chapter 2, verse 27

 

8.           a)  The law was not the barren interpretation that was made in Jesus' time or even in ours. It was based on the righteous and sovereign rule of God who demanded its observance.

b)  The Hebrew's moral outlook was intensive but tended to favour the Hebrews themselves or  those living within the Hebrew community. The Hebrews also believed that this was what God wanted regardless of what the prophets said.

c)  Jesus came to fulfil the law not destroy it or even change it, but to widen its scope so that the too narrow interpretation placed on it by those in authority could be looked at afresh and revitalised.

 

9        The first deduction is that the prophets proceeded from the assumptions of the covenant, never doubting that Israel was God's chosen people.

The second deduction is that the prophets were Hebrews and Hebrews only and only worked within this context.

The third deduction is that monotheism and universalism is implicit in their preaching although in itself it was a late development.

The fourth deduction is that the prophets saw sin not as a human failing but as actual sin against and they could therefore criticise kings as well as ordinary people for their sinful ways.

The fifth deduction is that they spoke to the situation prevailing at the time within the Hebrew community.

 

10.       Jesus took the following concepts from the Old Testament:

First, He shared with the Old Testament the structure of moral living which was God-centred.

Second, His ethical principles were those of Judaism, but with a different emphasis making them new in impact.

Third, He made the attainment of the kingdom of God the main point of his teaching rather than the triumph of Israel.

 

Derek Kemp

 

Christian Ethics

Christian Ethics Lessons 9 & 10 (Test 5)

 

1.           Ten assumptions are as follows:

a) Man is highest form of life in the universe.

b) Man is essentially a part of nature.

c) Man alone gives purpose to the universe.

d) Group standards provide validation of right or wrong.

e)The good life is for man's happiness and satisfaction of his desires.

f) Evil exists but sin is outmoded.

g) Improvement comes through man's own efforts socially, economically or politically.

h) Man is totally dependent on group resources.

I) Man's existence ends with his death.

j) Christ is solely an historical figure around which the church has been organised.

2.           A man may be respectable and law-abiding but is not a Christian as his primary insight is humanistic and not Bible-centred as the source of insight.

3.           Moralism is to define a person as a Christian because he possesses the required Christian virtues. Fractionalism is to take one aspect of Christian experience and treat it as the whole experience.

4.           The Christian virtues are shown in the Beatitudes:

Those who are humble in spirit.

Those comforted by God in their mourning.

Those who are unpossessive but have God's richest gifts.

Those eager in the quest for righteousness.

Those who are merciful.

Those who are pure in heart.

Those who are peacemekers.

Those faithful under persecution.

Those able to endure scorn for the Kingdom's sake.

5.           Christian virtues according to Paul are:

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

6.           These virtues are the 'fruit of the Spirit' from the indwelling presence of God; secondly, they are the fruits of a whole personality; and thirdly, there is no law against such attributes.

7.           Other portrayals of Christian virtues are in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 13.

8.           Calvin says that original sin is hereditary and a corruption of our nature in that even infants have the seed of sin within. Sin has possessed all the powers of the soul and impiety in man has seized both his mind and his very innermost heart.

9.           a) Is it ever right for a Christian to kill his fellow man?

b) Should a Christian ever lie, steal or cheat?

c) How should a Christian view or respond to the sins of the flesh?

10.       The message of Good Friday and Easter is that God has been victorious over sin because God so loved the world that he gave his Son for our redemption. This is our total Christian faith.