The different churches across the country then made lists of basic statements regarding the Christian faith. Many of the points on these lists were similar, since they could all trace their traditions back to the apostles. After church leaders discussed the lists, the differences were eliminated and a more or less standard statement was created. In the fourth century, Christianity became legal, and it was easier to hold meetings regarding the basic statements of faith and the books to include in the New Testament. It was during this century that the Apostles' Creed appeared in its standardized form.

elevance for United Methodist Church

United Methodist Christians today face similar challenges that the early church did, regarding identifying the truth among a myriad of different teachings. The matter is complicated by the many different church denominations existing today. The function of the Apostles' Creed in the United Methodist Church today can be seen…...

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References

The Apostles' Creed (n.d.) Retrieved from: http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/apcreed.html

Morrison, M. (2012). The Apostles' Creed. Grace Communion International. Retrieved from:  http://www.gci.org/history/apostles

However, the spirits would be judged based on their accomplished and on how they had lived their lives. Lives of sin would have obviously been punished with eternal damnation.
Certainly, this is not necessarily the message that will most likely convert the youth today to Christianity. In the 1st century AD, the idea of eternal damnation was strong enough to be imposed in any community. At the same time, one needs to consider that St. Paul created the Christian mythology basing many of his assertion on the human reactions, most notably on their fear. It is more difficult, nowadays, to promote the idea of fear of the afterlife in a period where technological advancements create more reasonable and rational answers.

In my opinion, the Christian message of love should be emphasized in any attempt to lead the young people towards a Christian way of life. St. Paul's messages were adapted to…...

Paul stresses female obedience and the need for continence. Saunders notes that, because of Paul's Jewish culture, his experiences and personal beliefs regarding sexuality were likely very different from those to whom he preached. Greco-Roman sexuality took a far more flexible view of divorce and intermartial relations than did Paul's Jewish culture. While the Letter to the Romans became one of the most foundational documents in Christian history, it is set in a very definable context, with a "specific history" and plans.
Saunders focuses on Romans as the seminal text that defines Paul's mission. Written to the Roman community, Paul says that he was sent by God to make their offering acceptable, and Jesus was sent to glorify the God of Israel. Paul had unique confidence in his mission, but was worried when he wrote both Romans and Galatians: "he asked the Romans to pray that he would be delivered…...

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Another great strength of the book is its focus, on two critical letters to the Christian community, centering on an issue that was of great interest to Christians then, but not to us now. It reminds the reader of the difference of his or her perspective from the Christian community of Paul's day. Then it was quite contentious whether Christians were also Jews, and if gentiles needed to become part of the Jewish community to become full believers in Christ. This issue has now been theologically 'settled,' while other issues perplex and divide Christians today. We always see scripture through the lens of our own history.

This strength, however, is to some degree the book's weakness. Just as the Paul of Romans and Galatians is slightly different, as the Apostle changed his perspective slightly over time, the entire Pauline corpus shows clear shifts in thoughts and contradictions, as Paul hammered out his philosophy in real time. Ultimately, Saunders suggests a coherent historical development for Paul, but if other documents were also considered, a more 'ragged' Paul might develop. Additionally, his stress upon simplicity can also make the historical narrative seem to brief -- some added chapters fleshing out more general questions of Paul's life and mission would be helpful. But for a student wishing to gain an academic version of Paul, to insert into his or her studies, or even discuss as a comparative perspective in a theological setting, this book is both useful and accessible to the layperson.

E.P. Saunders, Paul: A Very Short Introduction, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), p.66.

Apostles
The particulars of the Resurrection and the Ascension of Christ, and the prophecy of His Return to Judgment, cannot be interpreted as properly essential parts of the doctrine of His Person.

When we compare with the canon for dogmatic statements, the propositions, on the one hand, concerning the Person of Christ which we have so far set forth, and on the other the statements contained in the oldest creeds expressing these facts (i.e. Resurrection, Ascension, and Judgment), it will be seen that the former correspond to both the requirements insisted on, and the latter to neither. For if the saving efficacy of Christ depends upon the being of God in Him, and trust in Him is based upon the impression' that such a living being of God indwells Him, then it is not possible to prove any immediate connection between these facts and that doctrine. The disciples acknowledged in Him the…...

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Bibliography

Bruce F.F. And Rupp, E.G. ed., Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. 1968.

Denny F.M. And Taylor, R.L. The Holy Bible in Comparative Perspective. 1985.

Orlinsky H.M. And Bratcher, R.M. A History of Bible Translation and the North American Contribution. 1991.

Rom. 425.

Apocalyptic Views of Apostle Paul
The major difference between the Apostle Paul and the other apostles is that Paul had not known Jesus while he was on earth as the Son of God. Paul's conversion occurred only after the Ascension. This fact plays a prominent role in his teachings about Jesus and about the apocalypse. elow is a discussion of this aspect of Paul's Christianity together with specific aspects of the apocalypse that Paul deals with in his writings. The three ages of the apocalypse as seen by Paul are discussed in the following order.

First, the end of the world as depicted by Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians (Chapter 15:20-28) is considered. This is a celebration of God, who will come and reign over everything and everyone. Secondly, and closely related to this is Paul's view of the resurrection (1Cor15:20-28), during which the earth and human beings…...

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Bibliography

Holy Bible (1983). The New King James Version. New York: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Horsley, R.A. (1997). The Message and the Kingdom. London: Putnam.

Kraeling, E.G. (1965). I have kept the faith: the life of the Apostle Paul Chicago, Ill.: Rand McNally.

LaRondelle, H.K. (2003). "A Profile of the Biblical Doctrine of Salvation." http://www.biblerevelations.org/just&faith/a_profile_of_the_biblical_doctrine_of_salvation.htm

According to the seminal text of Christian Science's founder, Mary aker Eddy, all people should be able to be their "own physician, and Truth will be the universal panacea."
From Eddy's perspective, the ability of prayer to effect a cure for virtually any human medical problem was directly related to its origins in the sufferer's mind rather than the physical body. According to May, "In some cases, Eddy suggested that people may need help in bringing their minds into alignment with 'Mind.' Such assistance, in the form of reliance on certain others, was meant only to help the individual to help him- or herself."

Christian Scientists have experienced failure to heal their children time and again over the years since the religion's founding a century ago, and a number of criminal charges have been brought against Christian Science parents who relied strictly on Eddy's guidance concerning faith healing. As a result,…...

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Bibliography

Bressman, Lisa Schultz, "Accommodation and Equal Liberty," William and Mary Law Review, vol. 42 no. 3 (2001): 1007.

"Faith Healing." In the Columbia Encyclopedia 6th ed., edited by Lagasse, Paul. New York:

Columbia University Press, 2007. Database online. Available from Questia,

  Internet. Accessed 15 July 2009.http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=112858281 .

Paul the Apostle's Second Missionary Journey
The Apostle Paul was an extremely important figure in the growth and expansion of Christianity. However, before Paul's acceptance of Christ, he was an avid persecutor of the early teachings and disciples of Jesus. From his birth all the way through this period of his young life, Paul the Apostle was known as Saul. Even during his time as a non-believer, Saul was very adamant about the spreading of his beliefs. Accordingly, he made many missionary journeys throughout this phase of his life. In fact, it was on one such voyage that the resurrected Jesus Christ first appeared to him in the veil of a great brilliant light. This beam of light was so strong that the future Apostle became blinded for a period of three days. After this time Paul began preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. Now believing that Jesus was in…...

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Bibliography

Allen, Roland. Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours? Old Dominion Press, 1962.

"Apostle Paul and the Earliest Churches." Lukas Media LLC. 2004.   (accessed June 3, 2011).http://www.apostlepaulthefilm.com/paul/journeys.htm 

Bailey, John W. "Paul's Second Missionary Journey." The Biblical World 33, no. 6 (1999): 414-423.

Campbell, Thomas H. "Paul's "Missionary Journeys" as Reflected in His Letters." Journal of Biblical Literature 74, no. 2 (1955): 80-87.

Paul
The Apostle Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) is arguably the most influential member of the early Christian church outside of Jesus himself, because Paul's teaching and missionary work laid the social and theological foundations for the worldwide religion known as Christianity. Not only did Paul expand and refine Jesus' message, he carried this message to a much wider audience than ever before, preaching to Jews and Gentiles alike while traveling throughout the Roman empire. One of the most well-recorded of these travels is Paul's second missionary journey, which began in Jerusalem but then moved throughout the empire. By examining Paul's second missionary journey, and particularly his visit to Philippi, it will be possible to not only trace Paul's travels on one of his most important missionary trips, but also understand how these travels influenced the theological content of his later epistles.

Paul set out to begin his second missionary journey around…...

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Works Cited

Fant, Clyde, and Mitchell Reddish. A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey. Oxford:

Oxford University Press, 2003.

Finlan, Stehpen. The Apostle Paul and the Pauline Tradition. Collegeville: The Order of St.

Benedict, Inc., 2008.

Bible Dictionary, New Testament
The New Testament book of the ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, or Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament, following the four Gospels. The author of Acts is in some dispute, however it is clear from the presence of the notorious "we passages" -- described by Bruce as "sections (dealing largely with journeys by sea made by Paul and some of his friends) in which the narrative is cast in the first person plural ('we'/'us') instead of the usual third person plural ('they' / them')" -- that the author was present for at least some of the events narrated. As Bruce notes "it is a reasonable inference that the narrator was one of Paul's companions for the periods covered by those sections. This inference (which is not universally drawn) may have given rise at an early date to the tradition that the author of the twofold…...

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Works Cited

Bruce, F.F. The Book of Acts. Revised edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988. Print.

France, R.T. The Gospel of Mark. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002. Print.

France, R.T. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007. Print.

Peterson, David G. The Acts of the Apostles. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009. Print.

Paul's Thorn In The Flesh
Studying the Bible, it becomes apparent that Jesus handpicked a number of his disciples to continue to spread his message after Jesus ascended to heaven. In addition to the men who followed Jesus before his death and resurrection, the leaders of the movement known as "The Way" included the Apostle Paul. Saul of Tarsus had been one of Jesus' most vocal detractors during Jesus lifetime and was skeptical of Jesus' claims that he was the Messiah. However, when Saul encountered a resurrected Jesus on the Damascus oad, Saul's disbelief disappeared. He converted to what is now known as Christianity and began to travel and share Christ's teachings.

Paul was unique from the other apostles in another significant way; he was the only one who received a thorn in the flesh. What this thorn was is never explicitly stated in the Bible, though it seems to have been…...

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References

Barnett, Paul. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians:The New International Commentary

on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997.

Dawson, Audrey. Healing, Weakness and Power: Perspectives on Healing in Writings of Mark, Luke and Paul. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2008.

Deane-Drummond, Celia. Brave New World?: Theology, Ethics, and the Human Genome.

Browning
When Robert Browning writes "truth is within ourselves; it takes no rise/

From outward things, whate'er you may believe," he articulates an idea that is very common in modernity: that spiritual truth is found within the individual soul, rather than within the confines of an existing religious structure. This could be seen as a radical extension of some Protestant notions that it is one's inner life, rather than outer actions and deference to Church ritual that is important. The body is merely "gross flesh" which hems in the spirit and causes human beings to see the world in error. There is nothing good about the flesh. This deemphasizes the idea that Christ is 'spirit made flesh' and vice versa, and the world is God-created. Instead, it suggests that the physical world with its "outward things" (including formal religion) is an error, and what is good, divine, and light is above the…...

St. Paul
Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, is more commonly known as St. Paul and is potentially the most important missionary of early Christendom. He was born around 5 AD or perhaps as early as 10 BCE and lived until approximately 67 AD. He is also known as Saul of Tarsus because this was his name before his conversion to Christianity (Acts 9:11). Paul was born in Cilicia in what is now Turkey and eventually became a great follower of Christianity and would spread the word of Jesus Christ far and wide. At that time, Cilicia was part of the Roman Empire and thus Paul was born a Roman citizen (Borg 2012,-page 67). Despite being a Roman citizen, Paul's early life was controlled by his Jewish views and indeed he held opinions that the members of the Jewish population were ethnically superior to all other people (Horrell 2006,-page 30). Very…...

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Works Cited:

Barnett, P. (2002). Jesus, the Rise of Early Christianity: a History of the New Testament Times.

Inter-Varsity.

The Bible. Chelsea House: New York, NY.

Borg, M (2012). The first Paul. Harper One. 67.

high degree of misinformation I had received from traditional teachings about the church and the beginning of Christianity. Moreover, I was struck by the notion that most other people in the Western world receive this same degree of intentional misinformation, so much so that I have even heard people defend the idea that knowledge of the historical church is irrelevant to modern Christianity. Reading through the class material, I was struck by how critical this historical information was to the understanding of the actual church. One critical piece of information is the idea of Jesus as the head of the church, despite him not establishing Christianity as a separate religion. Another critical idea was that prophets could play a continuing role in Christianity, when my traditional understanding had suggested that after Jesus there would be no more Jewish prophets. I also found myself wondering about the very obvious and…...

tensions ambivalence. Yet Christian ignore Paul's theology pressed letters. Discuss The rationale essay critically explore, evaluate discuss questions: ho St. Paul-hat Paul write letters churches individuals ministry? hat cultural, social, political religious contexts readings received Paul's writings? How contemporary church reads interprets Paul's writings 21st century evangelism, mission, ministry, Christian character formation ethical teachings.
Theology of Paul

Saint Paul (originally named Saul of Tarsus) was one of the most influential individuals in the Christian world and a person who is largely responsible for how society perceives Christianity. Even with the fact that he was not one of the original Twelve Apostles, his involvement in taking Jesus' words further increased his role as an imposing Christian figure. Paul's letters to individuals and churches were meant to provide these bodies with more information concerning Christianity. The Apostle likely considered that it was essential for the world to gain a complex understanding of the…...

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Works cited:

Branick, Vincent P. "Understanding Paul and His Letters," (Paulist Press, 2009)

Connybeare, William John, "The Life and Epistles of St. Paul, Volume 2," (1856)

Freed, Edwin D. "The Apostle Paul and His Letters," (Equinox Publishing Ltd., 1 Jan 2005)

Lenski, R.C.H. "The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistles to the Ephesians and Philippians," (Augsburg Fortress, 15 Sep 2008)

With St. Paul, Luke traveled to several different destinations including Samothrace and Philippi -- where he appears to have lingered to guide the Church. The duo then reunite in Troas and Luke is with St. Paul during the latter's stay in a oman jail. As Paul says: "Only Luke is with me" (2 Timothy 4:11).
Exactly what Luke did with Paul during this time is debated: "St. Jerome thinks it is most likely that St. Luke is 'the brother, whose praise is in the gospel through all the churches' (2 Corinthians 8:18), and that he was one of the bearers of the letter to Corinth" (Knight, 2011).

Luke also brings special awareness to the importance of mercy and forgiveness, with the parable of the Prodigal Son and the tale of the woman whose sins were forgiven because she bathed Christ's feet in her tears.

But this special awareness is also seen in…...

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Reference List

Allen, R. (1984). Contemporary Biblical Interpretation for Preaching. MI: Judson

Press.

Barla J.B. (1999). Christian Theological Understanding of Other Religions. Rome:

Editrice Pontificia Universita Gregoriana.

Many people are familiar with the word “canon” as it is used when discussing fictional works.  It refers to those books or other works that are an official part of the created world, as opposed to those created by others, like fan fiction.  It also distinguishes the written word from speculation or theories built on that word, but not directly supported by it.  Canon has a similar meaning in Biblical studies of the New Testament.  It refers specifically to those books believed to have been divinely inspired and incorporated into the New Testament.  This makes Christianity somewhat different from many....

The Imperative of Living in God's Will: A Exegetical Examination of 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10

Introduction

In the tapestry of biblical exhortations, 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10 stands as a clarion call, summoning believers to a life in accordance with God's will. This passage, addressed by the apostle Paul to the young church in Thessalonica, provides a profound framework for understanding the pivotal importance of living according to the divine purpose. Through a detailed exegetical examination, we will delve into the multifaceted teachings of these verses, uncovering their transformative implications for our daily conduct.

Exegetical Analysis

Verse 4:
"For we know, brethren beloved by God, that you are....

1. The biblical teaching that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus challenges traditional gender roles by promoting equality among all individuals, regardless of their gender (Galatians 328).

2. The story of Deborah in the book of Judges challenges traditional gender roles by showcasing a woman in a position of leadership, as she served as a prophetess and judge in ancient Israel, leading the people to victory against their enemies (Judges 4-5).

3. The teachings of Jesus in the New Testament emphasize the value of every individual,....

1. The biblical narrative of creation, which depicts God creating both men and women in his image, challenges traditional gender roles by emphasizing the inherent equality of the sexes.

2. The story of Deborah, a female judge and military leader in the Old Testament, provides a powerful example of a woman breaking out of traditional gender roles and exercising leadership and authority.

3. The teachings of Jesus Christ, which emphasize love, compassion, and service, challenge traditional gender roles by valuing qualities that are not typically associated with masculinity or femininity.

4. The role of women in the....