ii) Identify the characteristics of the Kingdom of God that are presented in this parable and explain (with examples) how these characteristics can be seen and developed in your school community.…
When Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God His focus is on how people get into the kingdom, and how they need to live now. He taught that we enter His kingdom when we seek to live our lives in a reflection of that Kingdom and we respond to God with faith and allegiance. Peter had a difficult time understanding Jesus’ messianic role but after the transfiguration he began to understand that Jesus alone would fulfill God’s plan. This essay will trace the major teachings of the Kingdom and the growing conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders of the time as well as how this conflict ultimately led to the crucifixion of Christ.…
When one picks up the Bible and reads the first four books of the Bible they see many similarities, but also great differences. The first three books are referred to as Synoptic Gospels; this is because they contain many of the same stories, often in similar wording and sequence. John however is much different; the details, wording, and events highlighted by John are unique. In the following paper a comparison between Matthew’s Gospel and John’s Gospel will be found.…
Part One of Elmer Towns’ Concise Bible Doctrines introduces Christian theology by outlining the key pieces of the doctrine to help the reader understand Christianity and faith. Towns begins by saying that the main purpose of Bible doctrine is to communicate the gospel to the people at a point of need. Every man has the same need because every man is cut off from God. Man is born with a sin nature, and because he is less than holy, he is isolated and alienated from God. Death is imminent for everyone, but God communicates through the Bible that through Jesus Christ, man can be saved. The word “gospel” means “good news.” It is the responsibility of every Christian to reach out in relationships to the unsaved in sharing this news, and to other Christians in fellowship. Christians are called to seek God, and study the Bible to learn to know Him better, and worship Him always. Proper worship of God requires faith; the source of which is the Bible. Doctrinal faith is the beginning and the test of Christianity. If our statement of faith is wrong, than our faith is misplaced. Our faith must be grounded on correct knowledge of God. However, intellectual knowledge of God is not enough. Emotional expression and volition are equally important. The Holy Spirit acts on behalf of Jesus Christ to plant faith in a Christian’s heart. He indwells us, and helps us exercise our faith daily. We can grow in our faith by studying God’s word, seeking the Lord, confessing sin, actively following biblical principles, and constantly communicating with God. Faith is ultimately a reliance and trust of God, and the Bible teaches us to rely on Him for everything.…
When we pray as Christ taught us we find ourselves saying, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” When the will of God is obeyed, the kingdom, the reign of God is made present. It is easier to say this than it is to enact it. Every time I sin I put the kingdom of God away from me: but God’s will cannot be thwarted. It is up to me to remain within God’s kingdom, for if the gates close while I am without I will find myself in the eternal darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth. And as Christ warns us, “But of that day and hour no one knows.” (Mt…
Gods Kingdom is within. When believers work for Gods Kingdom , it simply means, bringing others to the saving knowledge of Christ. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 146). Therefore, the JWs claim that there will be a selection of persons to rule with Christ is false.…
Each course module/week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.…
Before the gospels and Pauline epistles, early church Christians related to the Old Testament as Scripture and viewed their Christian walk as the fulfillment of the promises made to Israel from the Old Testament, which foretold of the coming age of the Messiah. The first New Testament Christians understood the importance of the Old Testament; it was their “Bible” they preached from. Just as in the early church, Christians today need the Old Testament for preaching and in which to reference and understand Christ’s purpose for why he came.…
The New Testament begins with Paul’s three missionary journeys, in which his mission was to plant churches and teachings about the Lord. It is safe to say there were many other great church planters after the death of the apostle Paul, such as Peter and John. I plan to elaborate on the main issues facing each of the churches addressed by the General Epistles.…
This mission reminds us that for the Kingdom of God to continue to break in, individual lives need to be changed, while being motivated and equipped for transformation. Our Book of Discipline offers this cue: “God has used our church to save persons, heal relationships, transform social structures, and spread scriptural holiness, thereby changing the world.” When we change lives and introduce people to the all-loving nature of God, we indeed transform the world. When making disciples, the Church welcomes people into community, educates them on God’s call for Christians, and equips them toward using their spiritual gifts to serve as change agents playing a role in bringing about the Kingdom of…
At the onset of Jesus’ ministry, people recognized His message as one being authoritative. He preached the kingdom of God with a conviction and focus unknown before His arrival. Many Jewish religious leaders during the time of Jesus’ ministry had their own interpretations of scripture, but Jesus’ message confronted and exposed the falsehood of the Jewish leaders; and the despised Him for it. The Jewish leaders tried on many occasions to expose Jesus’ message as one of falsehood, but when they tried; His message of truth always prevailed.…
We were created for worship. From the moment God breathed life into man, he was meant to worship God. We are each born with the innate desire to worship. If we are not worshiping God, we are worshiping something else. God desires our worship for Himself. This desire is plain to see from Genesis to Revelation in the Bible. In the Garden of Eden, God showed His desire for a relationship with man. Even after man’s fall into sin and death, God continued to demonstrate His desire to dwell with man through stories of the patriarchs. He gave us lessons in worship through three kings: Saul, David and Solomon. In Psalms and Proverbs, God provided us with songs and wisdom to teach us how to build a relationship with Him. Idolatry has been a problem with men since the beginning of time. The prophets spoke directly to that problem in ways we can use even today. After four hundred years of silence from God, He sent His only Son into the world. Jesus Christ, the introducer of the New Covenant as the fulfillment of worship. He was and is our ultimate example of worship, and His lessons are recorded in Scripture. God provided examples of every day…
In Matthew 6 and Luke 11, Jesus teaches his followers how to pray. Jesus’ prayer includes themes found within Jewish prayer. Themes such as petitions for forgiveness and provision would have been familiar to an audience of God-fearers and Jews who attended synagogue. It is significant that the first petition in The Lord’s Prayer is for a divine monarchy. The idea of a “Kingdom” was different in the Jewish mind from what Jesus may have been intending in his model for prayer. Jesus’ ministry placed focus on spiritual and social renewal as opposed to gaining political power. Nevertheless, many Jews often wondered if Jesus would be the one to re-establish the Davidic Kingdom. For the Jews, “God’s Kingdom” drew connotations associated with the theocratic monarchy of Ancient Israel and Judah. The Pharisees spoke of the kingdom of God as a focus of obedience to the Torah. Their picture of royal power was connected to the conviction that God was to be known, and that the life of Israel was to be realized through the Torah and the establishment of Israel’s kingdom. For first century Jews under Roman rule, “thy Kingdom…
The House of God is a satirical novel by Samuel Shem (a pseudonym of the psychiatrist Stephen Bergman), published in 1978. It portrays the psychological harm done to medical interns during the course of medical internship in the early 1970s.…
The teachings of Jesus are where the main expressions of the kingdom of God originate. It is a theme that is evident throughout all Scripture, and Jesus’ teachings become understood alongside previous thought. In the Old Testament the word “kingdom” is uncommon. The basic concept was that Yahweh ruled as King of the universe. This came about in three ways.…