... Our survival forever comes from His gre atness, not from our nature." 2It would be interesting to discuss this option further, and especially to ask why so many recent and contemporary Christian theologians are drawn toward it, how they might distinguish " spiritual resurrection " from immortality of the soul, and ... in common with the newborn babe. If a person maintains personal identity over a process of total atom by atom replacement, it is difficult to see why such identity would not be preserved through a sudden replacement of all the atoms at once." 19Dilley's argument seems plaus...

• Word Count: 10695
• Approx Pages: 43
• Grade Level: High School

... I believe in God since I was a little child because I was born in a protestant church. In this church I learned a lot about who God was but I did not know him, I had never experienced his power or presence in the first 16 years of my life. At age 17 I decided to tart visiting another church where the youth were known ... explained or at least depicted. There is no reason for something to just occur out of mere chance, I mean what sense does that have? Why do we live then? Why were we put in this earth I think that the Bible misses out explaining scientific reasons for our existence and h...

• Word Count: 3418
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: High School

... If we are not compelled in every prayer to ask for daily bread, why must every prayer begin with "Our Father-? How do we know Hesus never called God "Mother-? (He does just that in some reliable early Christian sources) Why can we more easily call God " a mighty Fortress- than a "Mother ... Eagle-, when both images are based in scripture? Why, in considering Jesus' parables, do we so ... Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- points to the reality of God with us. The doctrine of the trinity affirms that Christians have come to know God through the Holy One known to sreal; through the ministry, d...

• Word Count: 3877
• Approx Pages: 16
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... hope that when we turn our attention to the church, we would find a better understanding of who the pastor is to be. But as many know, this is far from the truth. It seems that every church I walk into has a radically different definition of the word pastor. At first I ... stripped of meaning, and now is basically a connotation for: anyone whose work pertains to the church. This is the understanding shared by many Christians I know. They claim that because we are all supposed to be doing the work of the ministry, and because we all share in the priesthood, therefore everyone is ... tha...

• Word Count: 7573
• Approx Pages: 30
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... dangerous. There were no fast-food restaurants or hotels. A traveler's survival depended on hospitality. (Silver 60) God lets the reader know exactly what the sin of Sodom was and why He destroyed it. God uses the prophet Ezekiel to chastise His chosen people, the children of Israel (the Jews) about the sins ... younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. 62 And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: 63 That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I...

• Word Count: 6914
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... - birth, old age, sickness, death, and all other events to which life is subject. Second, there is the suffering of conscious beings that know the distance between what they desire and what they achieve, and who are aware of the passing nature of all things. In other words, happiness does ... to avoid whenever possible. "Throughout their long history of suffering, persecution, exile, torture, and death the Jewish people have struggled with the difficult problem of why they seem to have experienced such a degree of suffering. Even the resolve to observe the commandments was, in itself, t...

• Word Count: 3813
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Why Roman Catholicism is Not Evangelical Christianity This collection of articles is not a "slam" against individual Catholics, but against a "system" that claims to be ... the Bible, and the protestant church do not teach anything like this. __________________________________________________________ Question: I've always wondered why the Catholic Church keeps Jesus on the cross. If Catholicism teaches that Jesus was buried and raised from the dead then why does he remain on the cross? If it is a reminder to Catholics of the sacrifice that Jesus ... conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidd...

• Word Count: 6484
• Approx Pages: 26
• Grade Level: High School

... . Therefore this writer finds it wasteful and in vain to try to nail down with any certainty what the skovkoloy th/: sarkiv is when perhaps the Corinthians themselves did not know.8 It would also be wasteful to just give another survey of the various theories of what this phrase refers to over the centuries. Instead, it is proposed that Paul's purpose ... this phrase ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρωμαι. Paul seems to be emphasizing that this boasting or self-exaltation could be a real problem for him. Additionally this seems to be the whole reason why the thorn for the flesh was given...

• Word Count: 3123
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... possible detail has an inner meaning; but an allegory has to be read and studied, while a parable is heard " (Barclay). There are many purposes behind why the parables were written. One reason was to hide the hardness in people's heart during that time by concealing the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven from the people ... the four different types of seeds that were planted. In this, we can learn how to be the right kind of person and also it teaches us why sometimes when we try to tell people about God and it does not seem to work. The Parable of the Sower is about a sower who scatters...

• Word Count: 2530
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Berakhot tractate's theme is "blessings" but it is located in an order with content regarding the laws of agriculture. Why is this? There are many theories as to why Berakhot was placed in the Zeraim order. The theory that seems to make the most sense is that prayer was so essential ... note that no matter what century the scribes were writing, they always wrote as if the second temple worship is still in existence to this day. Why is this? The entire Talmud was written after the destruction of the second Jerusalem temple in AD 70. Jonathan Rosen describes what he calls the & ... rule of...

• Word Count: 3136
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... will cover the comparisons between the three stories, in relevance to the narrative setting, characters, intent/rhetoric, and plot. Then I will explain why the three are different. To understand why this paper is such an important topic, I need to briefly explain who Paul was and his ways. Paul is often considered one of ... is Jesus. While Saul is on his way to Damascus, a light suddenly surrounds him from heaven. Following this, Jesus speaks to him saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me" (Harper Collins Study Bible, Acts. 9.4)? Then Jesus proceeds to tell Saul to enter the city an...

• Word Count: 3159
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... renowned Son of God. However, as Jesus grew, he became increasingly aware of his strong spirituality and the grace of God on Him. He came to know of his actual purpose on the Earth. Jesus matured and grew closer and closer to God and man, living a life of joy and fulfillment. It was ... I was talking about when I said, A man is coming after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born. I did not know who he would, but I came baptizing with water in order to make him known to the people of Israel- (John 1:29-31). John laid his hands on Jesus, ... the loaves and ...

• Word Count: 2646
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School

... could take control of a person. Someone considered possessed in the first century would today be regarded as suffering from mental illness or a nervous disorder. Why does the author of Mark put so much stress on miracles? One explanation is, simply, that many of the stories circulating about Jesus were miracle ... gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (1:1). The heavenly voice confirms this at the baptism. But afterwards, it is the demons who know who Jesus is. Presumably, as spirits, they know more than human beings. They call Jesus "Holy One of God" (1:24), "Son of God" (3:11), and "...

• Word Count: 6234
• Approx Pages: 25
• Grade Level: High School

... the extent of our freedom has been much debated - both in history and presently. Debates within the household of the Christian faith have waged over this important issue. Why is this important? Because one's understanding of Scripture has direct implications and influence over one's behavior, and behavior is one of the primary areas of concern for the ... etc. As has been argued, the will is in bondage to the desires of the heart. And the heart is "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man a...

• Word Count: 5514
• Approx Pages: 22
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... hostile to Jesus without being close to Jesus. A potentially deadly combination to bust anyone's spiritual fuse. The result was predictable: he ended up swearing that he did not know the Man who first sentence to Him was to make him known ("Come, I will make you fishers of men!"). Have you made Jesus your best friend as yet? ... cigar to smoke or a beer to drink. Never once they have invited me to watch the filthy movie they had rented a video to watch. I will tell you why. Right from the time I joined college I made my stand clear on all of these things. In fact I lead Bible studies in...

• Word Count: 2925
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

... distinct from all of Jesus' other relationships in that it includes an erotic dimension.7 In the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Peter says, "We know that he loved you more than all other women."8 Coupled with the Gospel of Philip's startling description, "for Jesus used to walk ... the generally-accepted notion of Jesus' inner circle, which consisted of only men, placing these women securely within it.32 This then begs the question, why is Mary, "who was specifically given the first apostolic charge by Jesus himself to announce the news of his resurrection," not officially recognized ... fat...

• Word Count: 3461
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Religion has been a strong force in humanity since the first cavemen. Man has always and will always look at the world and ask why. Why does lightning happen, or crops fail? Nobody knew and so religion was born. If humanity did not cause it then something did so we created ... I have found is that most religions promote ideals similar to the "golden rule-. I like that. I just don't like what happens when religious beliefs become sadistic cults. Sad, I know, but it happens sometimes. In conclusion, I feel that if religion brings you some sort of comfort, or peace in your life then so be it. I...

• Word Count: 2579
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... ; (Brown 269) The Gospel of Luke serves many significant purposes. By analyzing the comparison of Luke and Acts we can grasp a better understanding of why Luke was written. A majority of this depends on the relations between the Romans and the Jews. Through some of the author's descriptions of Roman officials ... officials who were weak. Another suggestion is that the purpose for writing Luke could help Christian readers in their own self-understanding. Christians needed to know that there was nothing rebellious where they lived. There was also nothing that could cause them to be in confl...

• Word Count: 4121
• Approx Pages: 16
• Grade Level: High School

The Ten Commandments and the World in 2002 Here we are 2000 years since the time of Christ and it is evident why Jesus warned us not to be like the world. Through Paul we are commanded "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your ... in women's clothing, drunkenness - and that seems innocent?!! "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3 I used to think that this sin no longer existed. In college I didn't know anyone who believed in pagan gods. And I certainly knew that I had no other gods! But the Lord showed me that anything can be a god - a...

• Word Count: 2596
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

... , may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this knowledge that surpasses knowledge "that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."" First, lets look at the exegesis of ... like to stretch my wings. I've been looking over the pasture, and the grass over in the field looks to me like it's a lot greener."" And I don't know why that's true, but to you and me the grass in the next pasture always looks greener. "But here is a certain heartless callousness in the request of the younger so...

• Word Count: 3350
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• Grade Level: High School

... virgin birth. He was even attached to several umbilical cords and the birth canal was even simulated as he flowed into a tube or slide. Jesus, as you would know, was born in the womb of the Virgin Mary (from 1:25 Matthew). So, the two are alike in this matter. There is also a similarity between the two ... say that Neo's crewmates have to show him that he is "The One," before he will even come close to believing in it all. Jesus" disciples don't know who he is at first and he needs to tell them. Of course, he won't prove to anyone that he is who he is because of a quote that ... his peo...

• Word Count: 4965
• Approx Pages: 20
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... the Mafia, death (the death penalty) is a very dominant and influential deterrent, even among career criminals where not many will betray the ones in charge, for they know the consequence would be immediate death (Lowe, 2000). When the death penalty is implemented in a consistent manner, it does act as a deterrent. However, it must ... death." In Job 19:29 we find Job warns, "be afraid of the sword, for the wrath brings the punishment of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment," the evildoers that there is just consequences for wrong actions. This is also reaffirmed in Psalm 58:...

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... Middle Ages were times of self-discovery and definition. In this period Western people began to assert their identity as they came to know and impose themselves on others and they put basic social structures and values to a terrible test. Two developments made this possible. ... his studies about two main religious questions. First one of them was "what is man's religious nature?" the latter was "how does man truly know?" How did Augustine understand man's religious nature and destiny? Augustine" s theory of salvation supports the belief that man is a fallen, sinful creature. ... of Suma...

• Word Count: 3607
• Approx Pages: 14
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... is going. Death tells him that God, as a messenger, has sent him because he has forgotten of God and of what significance God is for human kind. Everyman asks Death why would God send for him and what does he desire him to do. Death tells him that he needs to come on the pilgrimage and there he will show him ... . Everyman's sins have taken over Everyman's good deeds. Everything that Everyman has done bad in the past is coming back to slowly haunt him, he is scared and does not know what to do. Good Deeds agrees to go along with him, she will also bring her sister, Knowledge. There is on...

• Word Count: 3103
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

... -called 'Spirit Baptism' experience. If only spiritual growth was really that easy! What such an experience does is to hoodwink immature believers into a state of perpetual spiritual pride. This is why people who have received this so-called 'Baptism' spend so much of their time going round telling others about it. In this the work of Satan is manifest. For the ... in the world of ideas. To be 'evangelical' is to hold spiritual concepts that make things happen, rather than to induce religious experiences that stop people thinking. Even secular wordsmiths know what the word 'evangelical' ...

• Word Count: 10720
• Approx Pages: 43
• Grade Level: High School