Election + Parable of sheep & Goats - LAD DCT

Why are there diverse views within Christianity?

• Fundamentalists/liberals - interpret Bible differently

• We just want an explanation

• There isn’t empirical evidence

• Influential figures with contrasting views e.g. Augustine/Hick

• Jesus - can we as humans follow his example? Mixed messages in what LAD was like

• Impact of Judaism - Jews were waiting for Messiah, didn’t believe in soul, Parousia - waiting for Jesus’ return to earth

• Plato - dualist - soul - appealed to people at time

• Aristotle - monist - soul + body = inseparable

• Protestants v Catholics - strictly biblical vs reason + logic

Where in the Bible does it give mixed messages about Jesus’ LAD?

Quote some things that prove Jesus was physical or more spiritual after death

GOSPEL OF LUKE

Jesus is physical, like before his death: ‘he took bread, gave thanks, broke it’ ‘Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have’

Jesus is not the same as before his death (spiritual): ‘Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them’ ‘But they were kept from recognising them’

Early Christians were not imagining a platonic dualist disembodied state:

Still continued personal identity - you are still yourself in the sense of personality, but different in physical sense e.g. spiritually - can walk through locked doors

This means that ultimate hope for Christians is to have a resurrected body like Christ - bodily resurrection

What did the gospel accounts tell us of Jesus’ resurrection?

• Are there any CAs?

• Are there any problems/inconsistencies with the resurrection?

→ In gospel accounts, Jesus was seen as a physical person, he could be seen, touch, heard

→ His friends didn’t always immediately recognise him, suggesting his appearance changed in some way

• CA: Might be a pictorial way of saying something else; e.g. Jesus lived on in people’s memories

• Unclear as to whether Jesus discarded resurrected physical body or if he lived on in a new kind of spiritual form → Most Christians believe Jesus continued to live in transformed spiritual body

Why write symbolically about Jesus' resurrection, and do the differences in accounts undermine its validity?

→ Gospels differ in details (e.g. who visits the tomb, what they see) due to differing authors, audiences, + theological aims

• Despite variations, all affirm the core claim: Jesus rose from the dead.

• Writers likely believed resurrection was literal, but used symbolic language to express a mysterious, transformative event

• Symbolic language helps express profound, mysterious nature of resurrection

• Differences in the Gospels reflect varied perspectives, not fabrication

• All agree Jesus rose + appeared to followers, suggesting shared core belief rather than contradiction

• These variations strengthen authenticity, as they resemble genuine eyewitness diversity, not scripted fiction

Give an example of differences in resurrection accounts and explain their significance

→ Mark: Women find an empty tomb; a young man tells them Jesus has risen - no appearances of Jesus

→ John: Mary Magdalene meets the risen Jesus + speaks with him

Significance:

• Shows different theological focuses:

  • Mark emphasizes mystery and faith without seeing

  • John emphasizes personal relationship + recognition of Jesus

• Despite differences, both affirm the resurrection. Variations suggest oral tradition + eyewitness memory, not fabrication.

Although gospels provide basis for Christian belief in LAD, what key questions remain unanswered?

• Was Jesus’ resurrection a unique experience to only Jesus, or can everyone expect the same, or just for believing Christians?

• Will resurrection of the dead take place for each individual as soon as death, or will it be an event at the end of time?

• Is there some kind of temporary way of existing before end of time?

What analogy does St. Paul use to explain resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15?

What is he trying to say? Possible CAs?

Paul compares the resurrection of the body to a seed being sown:

“What you sow does not come to life unless it dies... what is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.” (1 Corinthians 15:36, 42)

Meaning:
Just as a seed transforms into something greater, so too will our bodies be changed — from physical to spiritual — in the resurrection

CA: What is a ‘spiritual body’? Is it made of the same stuff are bodies before death are made of?

*Is a fully-grown plant the same as the which was planted? → Raises questions about personal identity in afterlife — if body is totally transformed, what connects the old self to the resurrected one?

Olivet Discourse

Is a significant teaching of Jesus about the end times, prophecy, return of Christ - themes of sovereignty of God, suffering, tribulation + the ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom

(e.g. The parable of sheep and goats is found in the Olivet discourse)

Who tells the parable of the sheep + goats, which gospel is it found in?

Gospel of Matthew

Why are the sheep righteous? What did they do + what will they get because of their actions?

Gave others food, drink, clothes, were kind + looked after people ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers + sisters of mine, you did for me’

They will inherit the kingdom, go to heaven, have eternal life

Why are the goats cursed? What did they do + what will they get because of their actions?

Didn’t give others food, drink, clothes, weren’t kind + didn’t look after others ‘Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me’ - punished for what they didn’t do - not necessarily for what they did - is this fair?

They will go to hell for eternal punishment

Does the parable of the Sheep + Goats offer support for the view that non-Christians can go to heaven? Why?

Yes - because it focuses on the actions of people, rather than focusing on self-righteous preaching - non-Christians can be considerate + kind etc

How might the parable be used to argue that it is important to be a Christian, and not just to do good deeds?

• Faith is the foundation of readiness

• involves more than outward actions; it requires inward faith and trust in God

• Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9), not merely through works

• Being spiritually ready involves accepting Jesus as Lord + Saviour

• Good deeds are not enough without the foundational belief in Christ - they do not address the problem of sin + humanity’s need for redemption

What is the particular failing of the goats? Why are they punished? Do  you think this is fair?

Failure to recognise that Christ is within everyone - ignore the needy

It is fair that they are punished - but maybe too harsh? Could be forgiven instead of being sent to eternal punishment

It’s not that they did wrong, they just didn’t do right

Election

Predestination, chosen by God for heaven or hell

Election/predestination

God chooses who is destined for heaven and hell

Limited election

• Who were the 2 main scholars that supported this?

God’s foreknowledge means that people are predestined for heaven/hell

Since God is outside time + space, he doesn’t have to wait + see what happens

God knows people’s destines before they are born

→ Augustine + Calvin

• Election is evidence of God’s great love/grace - no one deserves eternal life due to OS

• God is in absolute control

Criticisms of limited election

• Gives a controlling picture of God, harsh, uncompromising

• Leaves little room for freedom of choice - neglects free will → if God knows + controls everything, seems there is little point in us making any effort to act morally - since we have no other choice but to behave in the way God has chosen

• If we are predestined - can we act however we want as we can’t change end result

• God seems unjust - God’s grace is unlimited + unrewarded

• All choice is on God

CA to God’s grace is freely given, unmerited, uncoerced?

Doesn’t this seem arbitrary?

Why not give grace to everyone or no-one

Which Christians hold the view of limited election + which reject it?

Fundamentalists → heaven is only accessible to Christians who have accepted that Jesus is ‘the way, the truth + the life’

Protestants reject → too controlling a picture of God

Unlimited election

• Who is the key theologian?

All can come to heaven.. if they so choose

All people are called to salvation but not all are saved

→ Possible for all to be saved

• Karl Barth: people are only saved if God chooses, not through own efforts → a loving God wouldn’t choose only a few for salvation

• Jesus’ crucifixion saves all of humanity from sin → everyone has a chance for salvation

• Such individuals who don’t choose Christ are seen to refuse Christ’s gift of salvation

Christ is both the electing God + elected man

Criticisms of unlimited election?

Ignores cultural barriers/inequality of opportunity: multi-cultural society - seems unreasonable to exclude people from reconciliation with God due to factors they can’t control e.g. geographical

Implied universalism: Barth’s doctrine implies universalism without him committing to it → unresolved tension: if all are elected in Christ, why wouldn’t all be saved?

Undermines free will + moral responsibility: If election is completely in Christ + not based on personal response → threatens morality + true meaning of faith + discipleship - do they matter?

How would Barth respond to ‘can someone choose Christ but still not end up in heaven’?

→ If someone truly chooses Christ, that’s evidence of their participation in God’s election in Christ

You choose Christ because God has already chosen you in him

→ So no, someone who genuinely trusts Christ wouldn’t be rejected from heaven

Universalism

• Key theologian?

All will go to heaven in the end; God will save all people, regardless of faith

Hick argued that a God of love wouldn’t reject everyone except Christians

→ LAD will provide further opportunities for people to develop their faith in God

• Different religions are different expressions of the same universal human desire for God - stems from cultural differences (pluralism)

→ Jesus is quoted as saying, ‘in my father’s house there are many rooms, and I am going to prepare a place for you’ (John 14:2).

• This is thought to mean that there is room for all religions and all people in heaven.

Criticisms of universalism?

• Pope Benedict XVI: Hick’s view makes Christ’s death on cross pointless - if everyone will be saved regardless of religion, then sacrifice of Jesus becomes one of the possible ways to heaven rather than a once + for all cosmic event