More handpicked essays just for you.
The importance of scripture to the believer
Importance of the bible to Christians
Importance of the bible to Christians
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Importance of the Bible to Christians
The Bible is an important book to Christians, it is a declaration of
their beliefs. It represents a holy book, and a source of authority.
Christians believe God speaks to them through the Bible.
The Bible is split into two sections, both these sections are equally
important to Christians. The Old Testament is very important because,
it show’s where Christianity originated from. Its root’s are in
Judaism and Jewish history. The first 5 books are known as the
Pentateuch or Torah and are believed to have been written by Moses.
The first book of the Old Testament records the Christian account of
Gods creation of all things. The Ten Commandments, which are recorded
in the Old Testament, form the basis of Christian teaching. In many
ways the bible represents a rule book. Consisting of rules that are
relevant to life, such as do not kill and do not steal. The bible also
tells you how to live your life as a Christian and shows you the
difference between good and bad, it shows you the consequences you
will face for your actions.
The New Testament is a record of the life and teachings of Jesus and
forms the foundation of the Christian church.The old and new
testaments confirm and complement each other. The purpose of the
gospels is to show conclusively that Jesus is the son of God and so
there is a lot written about his works and miracles and this is a
fundamental part of Christian belief. This is followed by the book of
Acts, which shows how Christianity spread around the world Most of the
other books of the New Testament were written by Paul. Most of the
writings of Paul are in form of letters to different churches, to
encourage and strengthen their faith, even as it still does in
churches today. Many Bible passages and scriptures can be used as
inspiration by a Christian who feels miserable and depressed.
Many Christians find the bible to be very important, but still they
Much like the laws in the Old Testament, the law is God solving a problem before it occurs (Maxwell, 2010). As Reggie Joiner reminds us: “Relationship comes before rules” (Maxwell, 2010, 176). If a relationship forms, rules are easier to embrace. Rules are a tool to keep the ship and everyone on it going in the same direction. Shared systems of values strengthen partnerships minimizing the possibility of comprise. Values determine our actions. Our conscience can be a fickle thing if not tended to. A good study of 1 Timothy 1:5 will sharpen the cause for keeping the conscience in order and know that a good conscience is the product of a pure heart. Finally, we trust fully in God’s promises to comfort us, but need to share that same comfort through an empowerment to do so from God himself. Kept promises are the glue that holds all the guidelines together and shuttles them into the heart and soul of mankind by building
Over the course of many years and through many traditions, humans have been guided by three different things that govern human behavior. The three elements are the Ten Commandments, the Code of Hammurabi, and the Eight Beatitudes.
The spreading of belief allows the prophet to gain followers and eventually establish traditions which surround religion, whether it be holidays, ceremonies, or even the manner of death in some extreme cases. Based off the traditions established by these religions, societies soon formed and grew while strictly following the word of god, which, in modern days, has been collected into a single collective book. Three books exist between the religions. The Torah for Judaism, the Bible for Christianity, and the Qur’an for Islam. These books detail a certain creed or code through the use of anecdotes and parables, but are generally boiled down to a list which can vary in size from Christianity’s Ten Commandments to Judaism’s 613 laws, regardless of the rhetoric displayed in the enormous amount of pages written throughout the three texts. These laws are generally simplistic and followable without much thought, unless of course if one is a philosopher, in which case there is always room for questioning. However, Judaism in particular, having 613 separate laws, becomes very specific in their laws which range from what to eat when all the way up to what kind of punishment a man should receive if he has been caught committing a crime. Some of the harsher laws have been repealed or amended, but ascetic courts still exist in closed Jewish society, with some places still following Jewish law to a T (however this practice is rare outside of middle eastern communities where Judaism rules.) And since the topic of Judaism is fresh on the mind, it shall be the first detailed separately from the others.
scripture. They emphasized redemptive piety and individual responsibility to God (Kizer, Kay). Many of these beliefs are still reinforced today in Christian churches in a variety of ways.
authority, then humans ought to obey the laws of the Bible. By this reasoning, the Biblical norm
There are many Christians, whether you believe or not that question why they should read the Old Testament/Hebrew bible. They feel it is unnecessary because of todays’ times and how things have changed, so they think that the Bible is far behind in what is going on in today’s world. Nevertheless, the Bible is current and is never outdated; therefore, we should never assume, especially as Christians that there is nothing new we can learn from the Bible. Reasons why Christians should read the Old Testament is because we should know that the Bible is still relevant in today’s world, to know God and his nature which in turn can transform one’s life, and to get wisdom and understanding so that they can apply to their lives.
Every Christians today knows the story of Jesus birth. The story of how Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem for a censes declared by the Roman Empire. While not being able to find an inn to stay in and Mary getting ready to give birth, they stow away in the cave where the animals were kept. While there Mary gave birth to a son and called him Jesus. While Jesus was in a manger a heavenly host of angles came down and also Shepard’s from the field came and rejoiced the savior was born. This is where the typical nativity scene comes from. Unless you have a Doctorate and teach a History of the New testament class and go into fine detail about the story, then story this is what people hear. Well this is for History of the New Testament so the fine details are what we are looking for. Most people do not realize that the story they tell every Christmas is actually a combination of two stories. The birth story is told in the Gospels of Luke and the Gospels of Mathew but each tell a very different version of what actually happened and that is what leads to people questioning the accuracy of the bible today.
This gives us a glimpse on how these came into place right from the beginning of life itself. Is we are believers of God as well as the Bible, then we should allow these teachings to give us a guidance in our lives as well as shape our world view. In this case, how we treat each other, relationships such as marriages, who we are as human beings as well as evolution should thus be affected and be based on these teachings. The Bible shows its clarity to the believers of the Word of God as it helps us understand right from the beginning, step-by-step about the love that our good Lord has for us all. It is thus my greatest prayer that we can handle all the situations in life as well as treat other people in a way that is pleasing to
Wilson, Sharon R., Thomas B. Friedman, and Shannon Hengen, ed. Approaches to Teaching Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Other Works, New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1996
For instance a huge thing that is still important throughout today’s society is the Ten Commandments. For me, I still believe the importance of following and living by the Ten Commandments in your daily life. Have no other Gods, Have no idols, Honor God’s name, Honor the Sabbath day, Honor your parents, Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not lie, and do not covet; are the Ten Commandments told to us many years ago and the same ones we hear today. Though I am not sure all of the Ten Commandments still hold much power or force in society today, some of these commandments have even become laws today that we
You can not put a value on a Christian education because it creates a setting of respect for God, His Word and His authority. It gives students a foundation of discipline, morality and a proper work ethic that can also be applied in other areas of life. Christians were actually the first to advocate universal education. The term university confirms this as it breaks down to “uni veritas” which literally means “one truth”. It was Christians in Europe who launched the first universities in France and the United Kingdom. It is ironic that so many scholars today are so hostile towards Christianity. Perhaps they do not know about the Christian roots of universal education for all classes and both genders or about the contribution of Christianity toward worldwide literacy, and higher education.
What is Christianity all about? What are the basic beliefs of Christianity and how did it begin? According to (AllAboutReligion, 2010),” Christianity began about 2000 years ago in Judea, [presently known today as Israel] with Jesus Christ and His faithful group of disciples”. This paper will address the viewpoint of the Christian faith and its outcome. The central message of Christianity is based upon the teachings of Jesus and his promises. Christianity teaches that there is merely one God in all existence and that God created the universe. It also teaches that Jesus is the only way to be set free from the coming judgment of God and that Jesus desires his values and his standards to abound. Moreover, Christianity is the only religion that offers a savior. Religion has been in every culture since the beginning of human society and there are many religions competing for the heart of humanity throughout the world at large.The following characterizations are based on the Christian faith: redemption, covenant and grace. Although Christianity is a matter of choice for the human race, what type of influence did it have on the China, Africa, and Rome inhabitants?
Levine, Amy –Jill and Douglas Knight. The Meaning of the Bible: What Jewish and Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us. New York: HarperOne, 2011.
Scripture holds a prominent role in the sermon. In 2 Timothy 4:2, it states to “preach the word in season and out of season”. The Greek word for preach is ‘Kerusso’. It means to be a herald (proclaim) and to preach (announce) a message publicly and with conviction (persuasion). In this verse, Paul gave Timothy and the others ministers a charge and a commission to preach the Word. In order to be an effective preacher, the Word of God must be the foundation. In 2 Timothy 3:16, it states that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”. In other words, the Word of God was written by man, God-breathed and divinely inspired. The Scripture is important because it creates an argument or appeal that is persuading the audience to do something. The substance of our preaching must come from the Bible because the Bible comes from God. As messenger and ambassadors of God, we are obligated to speak the mind and thoughts of God.
When considering morality, worthy to note first is that similar to Christian ethics, morality also embodies a specifically Christian distinction. Studying a master theologian such as St. Thomas Aquinas and gathering modern perspectives from James Keenan, S. J. and David Cloutier serve to build a foundation of the high goal of Christian morality. Morality is a primary goal of the faith community, because it is the vehicle for reaching human fulfillment and happiness. Therefore, great value can be placed on foundations of Christian morality such as the breakdown of law from Aquinas, the cultivation of virtues, the role of conscience in achieving morality, and the subject of sin described by Keenan.