Sources of Wisdom and Authority Flashcards

1
Q

What is authority?

A

The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

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2
Q

What is meant by authority of the Bible?

A

The extent to which it has the right to demand obedience or belief.

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3
Q

What is the Bible?

A

A collection of books and holy scriptures of the Christian religion

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4
Q

What are then2 parts in which the Bible is split up?

A

The Old Testament
The New Testament

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5
Q

What is the Old Testament?

A

39 books that contain laws, prophecy, histories, wisdom, poems, stories and songs.
Describes the events that took place before Christ.
Also is the Jewish holy book, the Tenakh.

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6
Q

What is the New Testament?

A

Contains 27 books.
Records the life and teachings of Christ.
First 4 books are gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

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7
Q

Why is the authority of the Bible still so important?

A

Bible is generally seen as one of the central pillars of the Christian faith.
The amount of authority it has therefore influences how a believer might approach and interpret it.

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8
Q

What does Timothy 3:16 say about the use of the Bible

A

“All scripture -s God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training righteousness”

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9
Q

What are criticisms of the Bible?

A

Contradictions which confused followers.
Some texts were written long after the events which scrutinizes its accuracy.
Translation errors when people translated it within different alphabets.

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10
Q

What are contradictions?

A

A combination of statements, ideas, or features which are opposed to one another.

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11
Q

Give an example of a contradiction found within the Bible

A

The 2 different accounts of the creation story within Genesis.

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12
Q

What are the similarities of the Genesis creation stories?

A

Both hold the understanding of God’s continuous relationship with his creation.
Both monotheistic (1 God).

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13
Q

What are the differences of the Genesis creation stories?

A

G1 claims creation took God 6 days whereas G2 implies it was 1 day.
G1 says God created man and woman together but G2 says woman was created from the man in 2 separate acts.
God was shown to be transcendent meaning outside of humanity grasp in G1, G2 shows God to be immanent meaning knowable and graspable.

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14
Q

What are the possible answers to Genesis’ contradictions?

A

There are two separate creation stories.
There are different authors wrote these stories instead of just Moses.
TheBibleis not inerrant if contradictions exist in the first two chapters.

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15
Q

How does contradictions affect the Bible’s authority?

A

People have different views on how the Bible was created

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16
Q

What are the 3 different views on how the Bible was created?

A

Revealed by God
Inspired by God
Human

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17
Q

What does it mean if the Bible is revealed by God?

A

It is the word of God
Inerrant (no errors)
Completely authorative

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18
Q

What does it mean if the Bible is inspired by God?

A

Bible is written by human authors who were inspired by God.
Messages might be authoritative but the writers may have made mistakes.

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19
Q

What does it mean if the Bible is human?

A

Bible is simply a testament or witness by human authors to the work of God.
Bible might not possess any more authority than the other individual witnessing or experiencing the work of God.
Requires careful deliberation and interpretation to filter out authorial bias and mistakes.

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20
Q

How does Neo-Orthodoxy’s view the Bible?

A

Bible contains scientific and historical errors.
Scripture is a vehicle through which God may be experienced.
God does not reveal himself in the words of the Bible; instead God reveals himself in Jesus.
The Bible is not the word of God but instead contains the Word of God.

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21
Q

How do Christian liberalism view the Bible?

A

The Social Gospel reject the idea that the Bible is literally the inspired Word of God and believe it’s more important to put the Gospel into practice.
Progress Theology says Bible is an entirely human document due to scientific proof that the Bible cannot be true.

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22
Q

How do Christian conservatism view the Bible?

A

Catholics think that scripture is the ‘word of God’ put down in writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Evangelical protestants believe God literally wrote the Bible and the text is therefore without any mistakes because religion is more authorative than science.

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23
Q

What is a denomination?

A

A group within the religion that shares similar beliefs and practices

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24
Q

Give examples of Christian denominations?

A

Quakers
Baptist Church
Church of England
Roman Catholic Church

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25
Q

What are Quakers?

A

Founded by George Fox
A religious society of friends
Don’t pray in churches
Anti-violence
Have no leader

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26
Q

What is the Baptist church?

A

Protestants that believe in baptizing voluntary believers.
Bible is the only authority
They also believe they should spread the word of God amongst everyone.
Everyone is equal in church.

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27
Q

What is the Church of England?

A

Adopts protestant reformation values
Formed by Henry VIII when the church refused to grant him a divorce in order to ensure a male heir to the throne.

28
Q

What is Protestantism?

A

Western Christianity formed by the reformations in the 16th century when Catholicism was challenged
Formed in 1517 by Martin Luther.

29
Q

What do Protestants believe in?

A

Sola scriptura (by scripture alone); Church teachings must be in line with the Bible otherwise it is false.
Bible is the highest authority.

30
Q

Who was Martin Luther?

A

A German priest who supported a reformed Christian church (in other words he was protestant) and questioned the Church

31
Q

What did Martin Luther believe in?

A

Bibles should be translated to English so everyone can read it.
Rules should be based on what is written in the Bible (Sola scriptura) and not what the priests say.
Behavior of the priests was wrong; charging to forgive sins etc.

32
Q

What did Martin Luther do?

A

He published 95 theses, all were arguments against the Church.
Created the Protestant Church in 1517.

33
Q

What is the Roman Catholic Church?

A

Pope leads Catholicism
Largest denomination in Christianity

34
Q

What are the 3 equal sources of the catholic church?

A

Scripture
Magisterium
Apostolic Tradition

35
Q

What is meant by scripture in terms of the 3 equal source?

A

For Catholics the Bible is not self authenticating - its message requires the knowledge and influence of the church in order to understand its full meaning and message.

36
Q

What is the Apostolic Tradition?

A

Tradition that stems from Jesus and his apostles to preach the Gospel (word of God) to all men. This was done orally, from the teachings the apostles had received from Jesus and from the Holy Spirit.

37
Q

What is the Apostolic Succession?

A

Jesus’ apostles appointed bishops to be their successors, and the bishops were given teaching authority, and this established a continuous line of succession that would last until the end of time.

38
Q

What is the “rule of faith”?

A

Teaching authority were entrusted with the oral teachings of Jesus and the apostles, along with the authority to interpret Scripture correctly.

39
Q

What is the Magesterium?

A

The teaching office of the Catholic Church.
Pope and Bishops are believed to teach with the authority of Jesus.
Biblical support/basis for the authority of the Pope.
Unique authority the church possesses to give the right or correct interpretation of the Word of God.

40
Q

Why is the Magisterium, Scripture and Tradition considered equal sources?

A

They are so closely linked together that one cannot stand without the others, and that all together and each in its own way. They all have equal authority for Catholics.

41
Q

What are the main differences between the catholic and protestant church?

A

Protestants believe that priest aren’t needed in order to speak to God whereas Catholics believe priests link God with ordinary people.
Catholics claim that Latin makes the Bible and services special because it has been the language of the church for hundreds of years but then Protestants say that people need to be able to understand services and the Bible so they should be in English.
Catholics believe the pope is God’s representative but Protestants say Jesus is head of the church and the pope is only human.

42
Q

What is the Holy Trinity?

A

God is understood in 3 roles; God the father, God the son and God the Holy spirit.

43
Q

What is meant by God the father?

A

Creator and sustainer of all that exists

44
Q

What is meant by God the son?

A

God incarnate (made flesh) the man Jesus is God in human form

45
Q

What is meant by God the holy spirit?

A

The source & force of life in creation, & as an ongoing presence in the world

46
Q

What are the 2 ways in which Jesus could referred to?

A

Jesus as the Son of God
Jesus as the Son of Man

47
Q

What is meant by Jesus as the Son of God?

A

Shows Jesus to be God’s representative/God in human form

48
Q

Where is Jesus referred to as the Son of God?

A

The Nicene Creed - “Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God”

49
Q

Which story presents Jesus with God’s authority?

A

The story of the healing shows Jesus has the power to control disease and exercise that authority from a distance. The authority of Jesus to heal diseases was believed to be given by God

50
Q

Why is Jesus referred to as the “son of man”

A

To emphasize Jesus’s humanity
It was used so that Jesus could avoid making any explicit claims of divinity. He knew claims of divinity would cause problems with the Romans and possibly cut short his ministry.

51
Q

What is the “messianic secret”?

A

Those closest to Jesus could see he was the Messiah, but Jesus urged them to keep this hidden.

52
Q

When was the messianic secret revealed?

A

After Jesus’s crucifixtion it was announced by the centurion

53
Q

Why did the centurion decide to announce Jesus’s divinity?

A

He seems to have seen something God like in Jesus which marked him out as more than a mere man.

54
Q

What conclusion did most christian theologians reach upon Jesus’s authority?

A

Christian theologians have reached the conclusion that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine.
The use of both “Son of God” and “Son of Man” gives some support to that understanding of Jesus and his authority.

55
Q

Which movements believe Jesus was human rather than divine?

A

Adoptionism
Arianism
The Cathars
Unitarianism

56
Q

What is Adoptionism sect?

A

In early centuries of the Church, Theodotus of Byzantium and Paul of Samosta both taught that Jesus was born fully human then adopted by God.
Adoptionists believed that Jesus’ authority was something he acquired from God when he was baptised.
Adoptionism was rejected as Heresy in the 3rd century.

57
Q

What is the Arianism sect?

A

In the 3rd and 4th century, Arius, a priest, and his followers taught that Jesus was not truly divine.
The title of “Son of God” was an honour bestowed to him by God.

58
Q

What is the Catharism sect?

A

In the 11th and 12th century, Catharism taught created matter was too corrupt for the perfect God to become incarnate Jesus.
Condemned by the Pope in 1184 and died out eventually throughout the 14th century as a result of crusades.

59
Q

What is the Unitarianism sect?

A

A christian sect that rejects Trinitarian understandings of God completely.
Jesus has a special place as a great man and a prophet of God but he is human and not divine.
Still present in the UK.

60
Q

How do liberalists view Jesus?

A

For a liberal christian, who believes that the Bible is not so much inspired as inspiring, Jesus might be seen as an exceptional human being who called be called the “Son of God” without the need to believe that this the literal case.

61
Q

If Jesus has God’s authority, why is this so important?

A

They assume that what Jesus says is what God requires them to do.

62
Q

If Jesus has God’s authority then what must christians do?

A

Do nothing to resist an evil person who attacks them.
Give freely more than what it is asked.
Lend without the expectation of being paid back.
Love their enemies.
Be perfect.

63
Q

If Jesus is merely human, what must christians do?

A

Nothing as they are free to interpret and evaluate the teachings of Jesus according to their own experience and judgment.

64
Q

What is pacifism?

A

The belief that war and violence can never be justified and all disputes should be settled peacefully.

65
Q

Did Jesus teach pacifism?

A

Some may argue that Jesus taught pacifism as he never condoned violence or war and that we should always “turn the other cheek and love our neighbour”

66
Q

How can Jesus be seen as a role model?

A

If Jesus is merely human then his example becomes more relevant, despite his authority decreasing.
If Jesus is seen as divine, the less relevant his examples becomes because it makes it harder for christians to follow his actions.

67
Q

What do many christians hold is the most important thing?

A

Making the attempt to be like Jesus.