intro

key terms:

  • Bible/Scripture: the collection/canon of books in the Bible which contain the revelation of God

  • Church Tradition: the traditions of how Christian life in community works, in worship, practical moral life n prayer and the teaching n reflection of the Church handed down across time

  • sacred tradition: the idea that the revelation of Jesus Christ is communicated in two ways. In addition to Scripture, it is communicated through the apostolic and authoritative teachings of the church council and the Pope

  • agape love: unconditional love

  • hermeneutical: the art/science of interpretating texts, esp Biblical or literary texts

how christians make moral decisions:

  • some Christians will refer to the Bible as the final authority in making decisions, even if they draw counsel from other sources

  • other sources.​

  • Some will refer to the Pope- Catholic Christians or church leadership as having the final authority.​

  • Some will rely on the tradition of their church to make moral decisions.​

  • Some will refer to culture to influence their moral decisions. ​

the Bible:

  • bible from greek 'biblios' meaning books - it has 66 books.

  • originally written in hebrew, aramaic, and greek.

  • christians study original languages for better understanding.

  • old testament: jewish holy book - torah, prophets, wisdom literature, historical books (tenakh) - 39 books.

  • new testament: gospels, epistles, revelation - 27 books.

  • written over 1600 years by about 40 authors, from 1500 bc to ad 100.

  • authors included farmers, fishermen, tentmakers, prophets, a doctor, a scribe, musicians, pastors, kings, historians, moses, paul, disciples of jesus.

  • carries authority for christians because jesus upheld and referenced the old testament.

  • the bible was not passed down orally; it is the most documented ancient source, written in the lifetimes of its authors.

  • over 25,000 ancient manuscripts support its accuracy and consistency with original writings.

  • scholars agree the new testament was written within the timeline of the first disciples and has been maintained through over 25,000 manuscripts.

  • external sources have confirmed some of the bible's historicity.

  • it is seen as a reliable source of ancient knowledge.

  • christians view it as an unfolding revelation from genesis to revelation, with all books connected.

how can it be read?

  • scholars identify the bible as having both contextual and eternal laws and principles.

  • some interpret contextual laws as eternal, and some interpret eternal laws as contextual.

  • eternal laws can be identified if they were in place before mosaic laws and are present in the new testament.

  • contextual laws are often temporary or allowances due to cultural norms of the day.

  • moses allowed divorce due to hard hearts, but jesus confirmed it was not the father's will.

  • joseph refusing adultery before mosaic law is an example of an eternal principle.

  • changing roles of women in early christianity is an example of a contextual law.

  • some mistakenly read bible stories as accepted principles rather than narratives of events.

richard b hays:

  • factors that may affect how Christians may use the Bible for moral decision-making:

    1. accuracy of text:

      • it it being taken out of context?

      • does the translation reflect the original meaning?

    2. what range of texts are used?

      • is a decision based on a single text or is there a range of texts that have a similar thread?

    3. is a there special select passages being used rather than the Bible as a whole?

      • is it all about the letters of Paul and never from the Gospels or could it be the New Testament only n never the OT?

    4. how are different texts managed?

      • how might they manage seemingly contrasting teachings about peace where Jesus referred to peace n peace-making in the Beatitudes as opposed to His statement that He came not to bring peace but a sword?

    5. are there focal images used eg the loving Jesus or Jesus or the righteous anger?

      • is there an imbalance in how Jesus is viewed?

      • do people view God as one dimensional?

      • is there a focus on only one side of His nature eg omnibenevolent while ignoring the other aspects?

      • Romans 11:22 » therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God…”

  • list of hermeneutical qs which reveal how Christians appeal to the text:

    1. has the Christian focused on the rules n direct commandments of the text?

    2. do they focus on the principle of the texts which can be found in more than one reference? eg the commandment to love God and their neighbour as themselves?

    3. do they focus on characters who are paradigms or examples of positive or negative conduct? eg the Good Samaritan helps to define the quality of a good neighbour

    4. do they focus on the symbolic world of the Bible which can reveal the nature of God and men?

2 kinds of knowledge:

  • propositional and non-propositional revelation

  • both work tgt as we all combine factual knowledge with that gained through experience

  • in Christianity, both are compatible n give Christians greater understanding of God

  • propositional revelation:

    • knowing something to be so eg you know when your birthday is

    • in regards to Christians n their beliefs, this knowledge has to do with the words of Scripture, the creeds, Church doctrine that teach God’s moral standards, life after death n the events in Jesus’ life

  • non-propositional revelations:

    • knowledge gained by experience eg learning to ride a bike through the development of skills over time

    • for Christians this involves personal encounters/knowledge of God through experience eg meeting God via answered prayer or through a numinous experience in nature

    • seen as more experimental approach to the Bible