Key Moral Principles

Question 1

Main question - intro

Answer 1

• this team is trying to answer the following question does Christianity have a moral system and if so what is it?
• at the centre of Christian morality is taking God seriously so the key question is what kind of God is this
• because if Christian’s are going to act morally and if they believe in an omnibenevolent God, they should try to emulate God to be more Christ like
• in Christian morality, God is the God of Jesus Christ, a God who acts in love

Question 2

Agape

Answer 2

• one of the main principles for Christian’s is the self giving love in Jesus’ life - agape

Question 3

4 main principles

Answer 3

• there are several moral principles that Christian’s see in the character of God and Jesus which, therefore, they seek to emulate
• love thy neighbour
• regard for the truth
• taking once’s conscience seriously
• forgiveness

Question 4

Love thy neighbour

Answer 4

• Leviticus 19:34
• “love them as yourself”
• the key idea of this verse is that love (agape) is better that nationalism
• the parable of the Good Samaritan is a good example
• the expert replied to Jesus replied with deuteronomy 6:5 “love the lord your God with all your heart …” and Leviticus 19:18 “ love your neighbour as yourself
• love here is agape and the key idea in this passage is that love is practical which requires actions
• ones neighbour is everyone
• you can’t love God with all your heart and soul without loving his creation which is our fellow human beings
• for Jesus our neighbour is everyone we meet in life including our enemies
• in the sermon on the mount, Jesus told his followers:
  In Matthew 5-43-44 “… but I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”
• so Jesus’ teaching on loving thy neighbour with all your heart, soul and mind requires. Christian to recognise that everyone is part of Gods creation and deserves the same agapeistic love

Question 5

Gods love as a potential model for Christian behaviour - Old Testament

Answer 5

• exodus 34:6-7
• in this God is speaking to Moses on mount sinai and is describing himself, so we get an insight into the personality of God
  -“ … the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands ..”
• the key idea is that God has a loving character but this does not prevent retributive justice

Question 6

Gods love as a potential model for Christian behaviour- New Testament

Answer 6

• 1 John 4:19-21
• “ we love because God first loved us, whoever claims to love God yet hate a brother is a liar…”
• the writer is referring to Gods divine initiative as context for love
• it’s God that has poured out his love to human beings
• the key idea is that there’s a contradiction between loving God and not loving ones’s fellow believers
• the New Testament is teaching that God love is revealed through the life and death of Jesus
• John is insisting that it is impossible to love God without first loving others
• those who say they love God and hate their brothers ans sisters are liars
• therefore true love of God includes a love for humanity

Question 7

Regard for truth

Answer 7

• 1 Samuel 12:24
• the Israelites were campaigning for a king to rule them so that he could lead against their enemies instead of putting their trust in God
• the key idea is that Israel should be faithful to good and serve him with all their hearts
• the great things referred to their passage are the freeing Israelites from captivity in Egypt and leading them to the promise land
• the recognition of this is that the Israelites are called to serve him faithfully
• this brings up the concept of covenant. Which in the Old Testament, looks at the history of the relationship between God and the Jew and throughout it God enter the covenant with the Jews in which he protects them and they obey
• e.g Genesis 9:8 where he promises to never to wipe the earth out in a flood (to Noah)

Question 8

Regard for truth- New Testament

Answer 8

• Ephesians 4:25-27
• “therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour for we all are one body”
• the key idea is that all Christian’s are part of one body
• Paul is saying that it is okay for Christian’s to be angry, but their anger must be directed towards sin (righteous anger)
• anger must not be allowed to fester

Question 9

The role on conscience

Answer 9

• the Bible teaches humans that were created in the image of God (in Genesis), they therefore have an innate sense of right and wrong
• they are able to view situations in a moral/ ethical light and to judge whether actions are right or wrong
• this ability is conscience
• that is what is said by Paul and seen in 2 Corinthians 1:12
• “… our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world and especially with you … not relying on worldly wisdom but on Gods grace”
• Paul was criticised by the church in Corinth after his visit for being sophisticated and worldly
• the key idea is that the way to clear conscience is not dwelling on one’s own accomplishments, but on the grace of God
• Paul also stated in his first letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:5)
• “ the goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and good conscience and a sincere faith”
• in 1 Timothy Paul is considered about vain speculation and fruitful was discussion of some religious teachers
• he believes that the true goal of religious teaching is not merely right thinking but a ‘right life’
• Christian’s believe that there conscience is informed by the Bible and the work of the Holy Spirit
• when they violate the expected standards, they experience guilt
• they then confess their sins and experience forgiveness

Question 10

The need for forgiveness

Answer 10

• forgiveness is a prominent theme in the teaching of Jesus in his sermon on the mount in white he states in Matthew 6:14-15
  -“if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you”
• this is the only time Jesus is commenting on the aspects of the Lord’s Prayer “forgive us our trespasses …”
• the key idea is that we cut ourselves off from God if we do not forgive others
  This is also a theme in Paul’s letter in Colossians 3:12
• “… bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone”
• Paul is picking up the theme when he describes the new life of a Christian believer
• forgiveness is a conscious choice that Christians make through a decision of will motivated by obedience to God
• they believe that forgiveness sets them free from all feelings of anger and hurt that previously constrained them

Question 11

Summary of God

Answer 11

• the old testament teaches us that God shows his loyalty and faithfulness to his people and expects his people to show that same faithfulness to him in obeying his laws and honouring him in worship and in their manner of their life (diet and behaviour)
• he is also shown as a God who hates sin and punishes it, ruthlessly in some cases, although he is also known as the one who shows mercy and does not punish us as we deserve
• most notable in the OT, is Gods care for justice - he keeps in mind the poor, the weak and helpless, strangers, widows and orphans
• ## and demands that his people show concern for them too