Christianity 2F WR

Three areas of teaching from Acts

Religious teaching, fellowship for the community of believers, mission, service and outreach

The importance of love your neighbour

Leviticus 19:34

“The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”

You must love everyone regardless of their background

The importance of love your neighbour

Luke 10:25-28 Parable of the Good Samaritan

Jesus taught about agapeic love, the love we should show to other humans and to God

God’s love as a potential model for Christian behaviour

Exodus 34:6-7

God described himself as merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Shows we must be living like God, but also not be too forgiving or allowing of sinfulness

God’s love as a potential model for Christian behaviour

1 John 14:19-21

19 We love, because he first loved us. 20 If any one says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.

Love of God includes love of humanity and your “brother”

Regard for truth

1 Samuel 12:24

24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.

Here, truth means the ultimate value of existence, Christian’s believe the Bible contains this truth

Regard for the truth

Ephesians 4:25-27

25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, let everyone speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

St Paul is explaining the truth that Christians have the opportunity to be saved from sin and death if we lead an good life and don’t open the door to anger

The role of the conscience

2 Corinthians 1:12

25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, let everyone speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

The Bible says our conscience has the ability to decide what is right/ wrong

Roel of the conscience

1 Timothy 1:5

whereas the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith.

A bad conscience can be developed but the goal is to create a good conscience

The need for forgiveness

Matthew 6:14-15

14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

From the Sermon in the Mount and is the idea behind the Lords Prayer, emphasises the need for forgiveness as the lord forgave us

The need for forgiveness

Colossians 3:12-13

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, 13 forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

St Paul is saying that Christians should follow God’s model of forgiveness, that should be given freely to sinners

Love thy neighbour is the most important Christian teaching

Most Christians believe it’s important

Taught directly by Jesus

Found in old and New Testament

Picked up by Paul as a crime teaching

Love thy neighbour is not the most important Christian teaching

Love if neighbour should come second to love of God

You can only love others once you love God

It’s an impossible ideal

Could say that love of God and love of neighbours are inseparable and so one is not more important than the other

God’s behaviour is the only basis for morality

God is perfect and so we should emulate his behaviour

His behaviour can be seen in the 10 Commandments and should be followed at all times

Jesus behaved in a way that showed love to sinners and outcasts

God’s behaviour is not the only basis for morality

Basis is of God’s commandments not his behaviour

Jesus’s command of love thy neighbour

Church revelation and teaching needs to be included

God has shown anger and jealousy before, and commanded things that are immoral e.g. Jericho