Religion journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Religion journal - Essay Example it excludes those sayings in which Jesus might have repeated elements from his religious heritage, and those which the church might have taken over from Jesus; and both kinds of sayings were surely on his lips. Nevertheless, in its scientific austerity the criterion of dissimilarity is the surest place to start in seeking to recover the teaching of Jesus. The three angels bring messages in the eternal gospel (v). Angels can be compared with messiahs who inform the audience about certain events: Babylon the Great and the warning message brought by the third angel. Historically, Bible was used to justify racism and injustice because it is always seen as the main books of moral laws and rules, cods of ethics and behavior. The Bible says something essential about God. In the present world the purpose and justice of God are not clearly apparent. A Christian will not question God's justice, but conditions in the world do not demonstrate it. Faith cannot escape the conviction that in the end God will vindicate his justice, manifest his fairness and goodness, and show his power to achieve his purpose. To regard this present tangled world situation as our last word about God would be fatal to New Testament faith. Jesus was not a figure of the past for his followers, but a living presence. He had risen from the dead and was spiritually present in his communities; his apostles and prophets spoke words inspired by his spirit, and since no strict distinction was made between the remembered words of the historical Jesus and the inspired words of the risen Christ, the tradition contains both kinds of material arbitrarily. It is also necessary to a sound faith in human destiny. It is not now obvious that life deals out fair treatment and offers wholesome fulfillment to all who seek...Anyone who would write about the teaching of Jesus first deals with the problem of ascertaining what that teaching was. The Old Testament can be seen and understood in relation to Christ. Jesus found guidance for his ministry and preaching in the Scriptures of his people. The earliest preachers used the Old Testament to show God's purpose in Christ, and interpreted the Christian faith as the divinely given fulfillment of the faith of Israel. If Christianity is true, the Christian interpretation of the Old Testament is the true interpretation. This life with God is life in a fellowship of worshipers. In both the Old and New Testaments the people of God furnish the setting of individual faith and worship. So, too, in the final order it is not as hermits, but as sharers in a human fellowship that men know and worship and serve God. But such good life exists only where man obeys God's will. Man is so made that he is not himself, he cannot find happiness, unless he accepts God as his Lord and lives in obedience to the divine will. But, as the New Testament sees, man has not yielded this acceptance and obedience. He is a sinner. His need roots in this fact. And this need is universal. No stress on the initiative and work of God excludes or obscures the responsibility of man to make the right response. To recognize the primacy and completeness of God's work through Christ puts the focus where it belongs, and gives the credit where it is due. But God has made man as a person, responsible for right decision and action. Every phase of life is included in this loyalty.