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Religious Studies: Christianity > 2D: Faith and Works > Flashcards

2D: Faith and Works Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the basic Christian belief about God’s feelings towards to humans?

A

he is angry with us. we should be ‘right’ with him, but we’re not

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2
Q

What answers does The Bible (particularly the New Testament) give about becoming right with God?

A

either
1. faith (alone) makes us right with God: some places seem to teach that faith in God/Jesus bridges the gap and makes us right. main texts are from Apostle Paul (convert). all extracts from letters he wrote to early Christian Church shortly after Jesus died
2. faith alone isn’t enough - our works matter too: “you see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone”. written by James (described as brother of Jesus, and an original follower)

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3
Q

Romans 1:17 and what it supports

A

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith […] ‘the one who is righteous will live by faith’”
- supports justification through faith

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4
Q

Romans 5:1 and what it supports

A

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
- supports justification through faith

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5
Q

Galatians 2:16 and what it supports

A

“We know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ […] no one will be justified by the works of the law”
- supports justification through faith
l

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6
Q

Ephesians 2:8-9 and what it supports

A

“For by grace you have been saved through faith […] it is the gift of God - not the result of works”
- supports justification through faith

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7
Q

James 2:24 and what it supports

A

“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone”
- supports works

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8
Q

Quote from Luther about becoming righteous

A

“We do not become righteous by doing righteous deeds but, having been made righteous, we do righteous deeds”

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9
Q

During the Middle Ages, how did people think we were made right with God?

A
  • RCC linked justification with baptism and penance
  • baptism marked the beginning of Gods process of making an indivisible righteous by removing Original Sin; continued by penance and confession
  • purgatory was often associated with the doctrine of Penance
  • RCC taught if Christian’s died without having done penance for their sins, they had to spend time in purgatory to complete that penance
  • once the penance was completely, they would be accepted into heaven
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10
Q

How did Luther think we are made ‘right’ with God?

A
  • justification is entirely the gift of God
  • sinners are saved by God alone
  • Sola Fide: absolute dependence on Gods promise of forgiveness
  • based this conviction on Paul’s words in his Epistle to the Romans: “the one who is righteous will live by faith”
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11
Q

How did Luther apply his theory to the sale of indulgences?

A
  • believed that Tetzs teaching of the sale of indulgence was an abomination
  • preached against abuse of indulgences
  • 31 October 1517: Luther posted on Castle Church door the ‘Ninety Five Theses’ against clerical abuses in the RC church: started the Protestant Reformation
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12
Q

What is purgatory?

A

A place of suffering where the souls of believers expiated their sins

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13
Q

What did Luther conclude the Epistle of James to be?

A

‘an Epistle of Straw’ that had ‘nothing of the nature of the gospel about it’
(saying it was good for nothing)

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14
Q

What was Tetzel’s sale of indulgences?

A

claimed that indulgences freed the living from penance AND released the souls of the dead from purgatory

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15
Q

What was Tetzel’s jingle?

A

“As soon as a coin in the coffee rings / the soul from purgatory springs”

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16
Q

What was the sale of indulgences?

A

An indulgence was a piece of paper issued by the Pope which granted a sinner remission from penance for a payment.

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17
Q

Where did the proceeds from the sale of indulgences go to?

A

the building of the church of St Peter in Rome. although in Wittenberg half the money went to the Cardinal Archbishop of Mainz to offset what he had paid for his appointment to the archbishopric

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18
Q

Why did Luther oppose the sale of indulgences?

A

Because he thought you were made right with God through faith, not works or the buying of certificates

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19
Q

Why was Luther disturbed by God?

A
  • because of his power and holiness and Luther’s own relative imperfection.
  • he wondered how he could be in harmony with such a holy God when God doesn’t tolerate impurity
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20
Q

What happened when Luther tried confession?

A
  • one session lasted 6 hours
  • his confessors didn’t think it was healthy, and that God was not concerned with many of the sins that Luther listed
  • he couldn’t remember every minor sin he committed so he decided this meant he remained unforgiven
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21
Q

What happened when Luther tried the mystical path?

A
  • he did have some mystical experiences but they made him feel alienated soon after
  • he was counselled to just wait until the experience returned
  • however he believed that his human nature was too rebellious to regain the experiences
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22
Q

Why did Luther ‘hate’ God?

A
  • he questioned the concept that God might condemn individual to eternal suffering even though he is often described as good and merciful
  • “Love God? I hated him!”
  • “rather hated and murmured against him”
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23
Q

What happened when Luther began teaching the Bible?

A
  • his spiritual advisor put him forward to teach as The University of Wittenberg
  • he was startled by Psalm 22:1: “My God, my god why hast thou foresaken” because he related to this. he interpreted this as God not being a harsh judge, but instead deciding to experience what humans experience
  • this still didn’t deal with his issue though, how could Luther ever have full communion with God if God tolerates no sin?
  • he then came across Romans 1:17: “the righteousness of God is reveal through faith for faith […] the one who is righteous will live by faith”
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24
Q

What was Luther’s breakthrough?

A
  • he realised that righteousness is a gift of God
  • one simply needs to have faith
  • you do not earn righteousness through good works
  • his own words: “the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith”
  • God gives us holiness as a gift
  • ‘Sola Fide!” (faith alone)
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25
Q

Why did Luther view the Law in negative terms?

A

it showed that we could not be righteous and achieve salvation on our own merit.
- believed the purpose of the law was to drive us to despair

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26
Q

Why did Luther believe Judaism had nothing positive to offer?

A

because it is a legalistic religion. focused only on strict rules and laws

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27
Q

Sola Scriptura

A

only the Bible saves. the final authority

28
Q

Sola Fide

A
  • only faith saves
  • not our works: we can never be good enough
29
Q

Sola Christus

A
  • Only Christ saves
  • Jesus’ act on the cross brings us salvation, not our own efforts
30
Q

When was the Council of Trent held?

A

1545-1563

31
Q

What 5 questions/issues did the Council of Trent address?

A
  1. Is justification the gift of God or does it require human effort?
  2. What is the relationship between faith and good works?
  3. What is the relationship between justification and the sacrament?
  4. Can people know that they are justified?
  5. Can people earn justification through works?
32
Q

What did the Council of Trent conclude in terms of whether justification is the gift of God or if it requires human effort?

A

God does not make people righteous, they must become righteous. He offers grace but we must co operate with that

33
Q

How might the Council of Trent’s conclusion that God does not make people righteous be criticised?

A

There is Biblical evidence to show that God acquits sinners even if they haven’t accepted his grace

34
Q

What does the Council of Trent conclude in terms of what the relationship is between faith and good works?

A

Good works are required as a condition for ultimate (final) justification

35
Q

How might the Council of Trent’s conclusion that good works are required as a condition for ultimate justification be criticised?

A

It contradicts Biblical teachings that good works do not merit grace. Grace is an unmerited gift.
- John 6:29: the only ‘work’ necessary for salvation is to believe

36
Q

What did the Council of Trent conclude in terms of what the relationship is between justification and the sacraments?

A

Justification works in two phases:
1. righteousness is mediated through baptism (God’s gift of grace)
2. righteousness is increased by participation in Eucharist, penance and good works

37
Q

How might the Council of Trent’s conclusion that justification works in two phases be criticised?

A

John 6:29: the only ‘work’ necessary for salvation is to believe

38
Q

What did the Council of Trent conclude in terms of whether or not people can know that they are justified?

A

People can have a relative certainty of justification

39
Q

How might the Council of Trent’s conclusion that people can have a relative certainty of justification be criticised?

A

Is it arrogance to suppose we know God’s plan?

40
Q

What might the Council of Trent conclude in terms of whether or not people can earn justification through works?

A

Neither faith or works lead us to deserving justification but God’s grace allows us to start the 2 stage process. Our works are necessary for progressive salvation

41
Q

How might the Council of Trent’s conclusion that God’s grace allows us to start the 2 stage process be criticised?

A

Seems to contradict Biblical teachings that eternal life is a ‘gift from God’ (Romans 6:23) and is available to those who believe (John)

42
Q

What does EP Sanders argue?

A

Jewish religion was based on covenatal nominism.

43
Q

What is covenatal nominism?

A

God’s election of the Jews as the ‘chosen nation’ under the premise that they will obey his commandments

44
Q

What does Sanders think Paul meant about how people are ‘put right’ with God?

A

through Jesus on the cross: the justification achieved was a gift from God, an act of Gods grace.
Problem: the world needs salvation
Solution: God saved the world through Jesus

45
Q

How have some theologians criticised Sanders’ theory?

A
  • it relies on non Biblical sources which some argue shouldn’t override the Bible
  • fails to address the issue of people becoming self righteous, thinking they are better than others
46
Q

For Sanders, what does Paul do by saying we’re not saved by work?

A

rejecting the Jewish and Mosaic law but replacing them with faith in Jesus and good works

47
Q

What is EP Sanders trying to fight against?

A

the caricature of Judaism being something that is dead and was only about laws and being a legal system

48
Q

What might be wrong with this statement: ‘Judaism is merely dead legalism, leading only to despair at finding God through good works.’ ?

A
  • a mischaracterisation: wasn’t dead. not legalism
  • “despair”: Luther’s psychology, not central to Judaism
49
Q

What is the problem with the Mosaic Law in the context of covenatal nominism?

A

it gave Jews the wrong kind of righteousness; it excluded the Gentiles and led the Jews to boast in their ethnicity and election as the people of God

50
Q

How can God’s grace be maintained?

A

through men and women responding in gratitude, keeping God’s commandments and entering into a mystical participation with Jesus

51
Q

What did Jesus think about people who made a big thing out of keeping the Jewish law?

A

he criticised them and said that prostitutes and tax collectors would enter the Kingdom of God before they did.

52
Q

Rejection of justification by faith alone in New Testament letters

A
  • Sermon on the Mount, Jesus: “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works”
  • Acts 26, Paul; people should “repent … turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance”
  • Paul’s letters; “the doers of the law will be justified”
  • Abraham’s justification was due to faith AND obedience to law; Epistle to Hebrews “by faith Abraham obeyed”
  • Luther accused of adding the work ‘alone’ to the quote “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone”
53
Q

Endorsement of justification by faith alone in New Testament letters

A
  • Gospel of John, Jesus; “this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” - suggest that all one has to do to acquire salvation is to believe
  • Acts 16, Paul and Silas to jailer; “believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved”
  • Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11: “the one who is righteous will live by faith”
  • Roman 4: Paul argues that Abraham was the Old Covenant’s model of salvation by faith alone
  • New Covenant: God declared sinners righteous by imputing to them the righteousness of Jesus
  • Romans 5, Paul; since “we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
54
Q

Evidence suggesting that justification can be earned through human effort

A

James write ‘the evidence’ of faith is good works: if you truly believe, it will show in your actions

55
Q

Evidence suggesting that justification can be imputed by God

A
  • sinners can never satisfy God’s law, only through a divine act can God declare them righteous
  • justification is based entirely on Jesus’ sacrifice, it is a gift of God’s grace and received through faith
  • real faith produces good works, but good works are the result of justification, not it’s case
  • if justification depended on human effort then people would be constantly engaged in a futile struggle to be good enough in God’s sight, could lead to boasting if people thought they were doing well
56
Q

Evidence suggesting that justification depends on faith and works

A
  • justification is said to be a gradual and cooperative process between God and sinners and is accomplished through sacraments of the church
  • they accept the process starts with God’s gift of baptism (removes original sin) but then it must be constantly maintained by repentance,
    penance, prayer, and good works
  • James 2:24: justification “is by works and not faith alone”. puts people in control of their destiny and appeals to their inherent sense of justice
  • people can only be declared righteous when they are righteous
  • becoming right with God is an ongoing process, you must constantly do good things to stay in God’s good books
57
Q

Criticism of faith alone: Sermon on the Mount “let your light shine on others, so that they may see your good works”

Convincing or not?

A

Convincing; Acts 26, Paul; “do deeds consistent with repentance and turn to God”

58
Q

Criticism of faith alone: Paul’s other letters support justification through works eg “the doers of the law … will be justified”

Convincing or not?

A

Not convincing: Paul also says “the one who is righteous will live by faith”

59
Q

Criticism of faith alone: “by faith alone” only occurs once in NT (James 2:24) where it is rejected

Convincing or not?

A

Convincing; Luther accused of adding ‘alone”

60
Q

Criticism of faith alone: It is antinomian, says that people don’t have to follow the law

Convincing or not?

A

Convincing: faith alone, don’t have to keep any Mosaic laws

61
Q

Criticism of faith alone: How can people’s actions not count at all? Surely to be righteous, one must act righteously?

Convincing or not?

A

Convincing; Epistle of James says Abraham’s works were essential to his justification

62
Q

Criticism of faith and works: Many NT letters support the emphasis on faith, not works

Convincing or not?

A

Convincing: James 2:24 says “dead faith” is worthless

63
Q

Criticism of faith and works: Bible suggest grace is a gift, not a reward

Convincing or not?

A

Convincing; grace is a gift but we must have faith and do good works

64
Q

Criticism of faith and works: Too much emphasis on humans, not enough on God’s power and grace

Convincing or not?

A

Not convincing: a lot of emphasis on God

65
Q

Criticism of faith and works: Can lead to arrogance - people who are self righteous as a result of their actions

Convincing or not?

A

Convincing: if it did depend on works some people may brag if they’re doing an excessive amount

66
Q

Criticism of faith and works: If justification depends upon human effort, can we ever achieve it?

Convincing or not?

A

Not convincing; James say evidence of faith is good works

Religious Studies: Christianity (25 decks)

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