What Is The Core Message Proclaimed By The Historical Jesus

What is the core message proclaimed by the historical jesus? 2. to what does the term kingdom of god – Brainly.com

1. The essential teaching of Jesus was that we should treat people the way we would like to be treated, and vice versa. He also emphasized that the Kingdom of God is in our hands and that it is critical that we repent and go back on the correct road in order to be saved. 2. The teachings of Jesus include a number of important concepts such as the Kingdom of God. It is a metaphor for God’s love and care for us. In other words, anybody who chooses to walk in God’s footsteps will have the opportunity to become a subject of God’s Kingdom.

Metanoia is a Greek word that means’repentance.’ The central message is essentially a message of forgiveness for sin, a type of rescue plan for the redemption of those who have placed their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

4.

Kindness, hope, protection, patience, and trust are just a few of the qualities associated with Christian love.

The Holy Eucharist can be regarded both a sacrifice and a sacrament, depending on how it is celebrated.

Like a result, Jesus Christ metaphorically becomes a part of him or her and influences his or her thoughts and conduct to the point where he or she learns to love as Christ does.

What is the core message proclaimed by the historical jesus? 2. to what does the term kingdom of god refer? 3. what is the meaning of metanoia? what is its connection to jesus’ essential message? 4. how are we to love? list five attributes of christian love. 5. how can the eucharist help catholics to love?

1.The essential message of Jesus was that we should treat others the way we would like to be treated ourselves. He also emphasized that the Kingdom of God is in our hands and that it is critical that we repent and go back on the correct road in order to be saved. 2. The teachings of Jesus include a number of important concepts such as the Kingdom of God. It is a metaphor for God’s love and protection. To put it another way, everybody who follows God’s path will have the opportunity to become a subject of God’s Kingdom.

• Metanoia is a Greek word that means’repentance.’ The central message is essentially a message of forgiveness for sin, a type of rescue plan for the redemption of those who have placed their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
• 4.
• Kindness, hope, protection, patience, and trust are just a few of the qualities associated with Christian love.
• The Holy Eucharist can be regarded both a sacrifice and a sacrament, depending on how it is celebrated.

Like a result, Jesus Christ metaphorically becomes a part of him or her and influences his or her thoughts and conduct to the point where he or she learns to love as Christ does.

PROCLAIM the Good News of God In Christ Through Word and Deed

Provide the good news of God in Christ by word and deed, according to the resources for the faith practice Help and extra information can be found by consulting the sites listed below. Faith Goes to Work: Reflections from the Marketplace is a book on faith at work. Published by the Alban Institute in 1993 under the direction of Robert Banks. The Evangelizing Church: A Lutheran Contribution to the World The authors are Richard Bliese and Craig Van Gelder, who edited the book published by Augsburg Fortress in 2005.

• Book: Church-Going Insider or Gospel-Living Outsider: A Different View on Congregations (Church-Going Insider or Gospel-Living Outsider) Dickhart and Judith McWilliams are the authors of this work.
• Dan Erlander is the author of this piece.
• Faith Out Loud: Talking About What Really Matters is a book written by author Faith Out Loud.
• Kelly Fryer is the author of this work.
• There is no prior experience required.
• Kelly Fryer is the author of this work.
• Supporting Christians at Work: A Practical Guide for Busy Clergy is a practical guide for busy clergy.

The Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America is a vision for the sending of the church in North America.

; Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010.

See Select Learning: “We Are Here Now: A New Missional Era” for more information.

Allelon et al., 2006.

Rick Rouse and Craig Van Gelder are the authors of this work.

All of the available resources

What are the Primary Sources for Jesus’ Resurrection?

Michael R. Licona is the author of this piece. Primary sources are those records and artifacts that are the most closely associated with the subject under investigation in the study of history. They are extremely closely associated with the events that they depict. Secondary sources, on the other hand, make use of primary sources while writing on a historical subject that is being examined. In certain cases, all of the original sources have died out. For example, the oldest narratives we have of the founding of Rome and Greece were written hundreds of years after the events described in the texts.

1. Primary sources are those who witnessed something.
2. Consequently, all eyewitnesses are primary sources, but not all primary sources are eyewitnesses or primary sources are primary sources Let us address the subject of whether or not Jesus’ resurrection was a historical occurrence in the first place.
3. Let’s start with the ones that were written later and work our way backward in time from there.
4. To the best of my knowledge, no experts believe that they were written by Peter, Thomas, or other Christians who were acquainted with the apostles.
5. As a result, none of them qualify as primary sources.
6. Three early church leaders, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, and Ignatius, all of whom wrote about Jesus’ resurrection a short time earlier, make note of the event.
7. In this passage, it’s likely that Clement of Rome and Polycarp are recounting some of the information they received from Peter and John.
8. Although it is plausible that he did, historians must focus their attention on the facts that are more likely to have occurred.
9. Despite the fact that they reference Jesus’ resurrection on a few occasions, they do not go into depth about it.

However, we cannot be certain because a Christian in the second century altered one of the two texts in which Josephus mentions Jesus in such a way that Josephus would appear to have spoken about Jesus in laudatory terms in one of them — the one mentioning Jesus’ death and resurrection — we cannot be certain.

Assuming Origen is correct, it is highly unlikely that Josephus would have made such statements as “he was the Messiah,” “he was a wise man, if one could even call him a man,” and “he rose from the dead as the divine prophets foretold with ten thousand other wonderful things about him” if Josephus was a wise man (Antiquities18:63).

• The New Testament contains the earliest pieces of writing that reference Jesus’ resurrected body.
• It is viewed as having unique significance by Christians of future generations, and it is frequently associated with supernatural power.
• The four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — Acts, certain of Paul’s writings, 1 Peter, and Hebrews are among the books and letters that fulfill this requirement.
• As a result of the destruction of the temple in the year 70 A.D., it appears that the book of Hebrews was written before that catastrophe.
• Furthermore, there is no solid evidence pointing to the author’s identity at this time.
• However, there is no description of the occurrence that pertains to the nature of the e vent, such as whether it was something that affected Jesus’ corpse.
• The resurrection of Jesus is addressed three times in the book of 1 Peter (1:3, 21; 3:21).

Unfortunately, as in Hebrews 13:20, none of the three sources provides us with a clear picture of the nature of the occurrence.

According to early church tradition, John Mark wrote his gospel after receiving information from the apostle Peter.

There is now no academic consensus on who wrote the Gospel of John, according to the most recent research.

The Beloved Disciple, as stated in John’s Gospel, is still considered to be the eyewitness source for most of the information included in John, despite the fact that most modern New Testament scholars reject that tradition.

The identity of the author of Matthew’s Gospel is a tangled web.

The explanation for this is Papias, who provided us with our oldest account regarding the authorship of Matthew, and Mark also informs us that Matthew composed his Gospel in a dialect of Hebrew or Aramaic.

A.

Thus, the Gospel of Matthew in our New Testament was probably not first written in Hebrew or Aramaic before being translated into Greek, as is commonly assumed.

We have yet to come up with a solution in which we can have complete confidence.

“So Matthew composed the oracles in the Hebrew dialect, and each person attempted to interpret them as best he could,” Papias wrote in his journal (Fragments of Papias 3:16, Holmesnumbering).

Perhaps all of this wasdone with Matthew’s knowledge, review, and approval.

However, given the unanimous attribution of the early church of that Gospel to Matthew, it seems more likely that Matthew played some part in what has come down to us to day as the Gospel of Matthew.

Therefore, theyare primary sources for Jesus’ resurrection.

Since Paul was executed in AD 65 or before, all of his letters were written by that time.

Moreover, not only does Paul claim to have been an eyewitnessof the risen Jesus (1 Cor.

And they certified that his message was in alignment with their own (Gal.

(Gal.

At least that is what Paul claimed.

Historians look for sources that corroborate what is claimed in another.

Recall that Clement of Rome and Polycarp were probably acquainted with the apostles, Peter and John, respectively.

Clement refers to Peter and Paul as “the most righteouspillars” and “good apostles”(1 Clem.

3:2, Holmes numbering) (1 Clem.

These are not the sort of remarkswe would expect from Clement and Polycarp if Paul had taught a message that was essentially different from what their mentors, Peter and John, had taught.

So, Paul writes very early, claims to be an eyewitness of the risen Jesus, and proclaimed the same Gospel message being preached by the Jerusalem apostles who had known Jesus.

Paul’s letters are, indeed, primary sources in terms of Jesus’ resurrection.

Then we may know whatthe first Christianleaders were preaching regarding Jesus’ resurrection.

It just so happens that we have exactly that.

Paul then goes on to provide an oral tradition that comprises an overview of his Gospel message, which is subsequently followed by a formal presentation.

The phrases “delivered” and “received” were used to refer to the transmission of oral tradition in ten of the stories.

And that he had been laid to rest.

And it was at that point that he emerged.

In the next section, Paul describes six appearances of the risen Jesus: to Peter, to the Twelve, to a group of more than 500 Christians, to James, and to the entire group of apostles.

This is just amazing.

The fact that Paul was writing letters rather than a narrative means that he does not delve into the same depths of information about Jesus’ resurrection that we find in the Gospels.

However, based on what Paul tells us, it appears that Jesus’ resurrection body was of a physical form.

His next three verses assure us that believers will receive their resurrected bodies at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

5:8; Phil.

Afterwards, the order will be issued, the trumpet will sound, and the dead in Christ will rise from the grave.

They are able to do so because they are not physically present in their body.

It is a body that shares the same physical characteristics as the one from which Jesus was risen.

According to Paul, Christ was the first to be resurrected from the dead and to get a resurrection body, and his disciples will receive theirs when he returns to the earth.

Even additional information concerning Jesus’ resurrection may be found in the Gospels.

Jesus appeared to them, as well as to his other male followers, shortly after that.

He had the ability to appear and disappear at will, and he stayed with them for a short period of time before ascending to heaven.

Luke wrote the book of Acts as a follow-up to his Gospel, which was the basis for it.

Acts contains a number of speeches that are worth reading.

Acts has lately been the subject of an authoritative commentary by Craig Keener, which has been published in four volumes and has more than 4,000 pages.

He contends that Luke had been Paul’s traveling companion and, as a result, was able to relate many of the events he had witnessed firsthand.

1 As a result, Acts is the most important source.

Many academics believe that this apostolic teaching served as the inspiration for Peter and Paul’s addresses in Acts 2, 10, and 13 of the New Testament. The death, burial, and physical resurrection of Jesus are all alluded to or inferred throughout these lectures.

CONCLUSION

We have conducted a review of a variety of texts that reference Jesus’ resurrection and are in a position to present a summary of our results. Some of Paul’s writings, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts, Hebrews, 1 Peter, Clement of Rome, and Polycarp are among the key materials we’ve used in this study. 1 Peter, Clement of Rome, and Polycarp are three of the Hebrews who tell us that Jesus’ resurrection was being announced at the time. They do not, however, supply any further information regarding the event itself or the nature of Jesus’ resurrection.

• We have unmistakable proof from Paul that this was also the message that the apostles in Jerusalem were promoting.
• This tells us that the apostles were announcing that Jesus had been bodily risen from the dead and had appeared to them in both individual and collective situations, to friends and foes alike, at the very least.
• LICONA, PhD, is also a writer and editor.
• Licona has delivered speeches on more than 70 different university campuses.
• Keener, is available online.
• Introduction and 1:1–2:47 in Vol.
• Vol.
• Vol.
• Vol.
• Baker Academic Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI, 2012–15.
• 1, pages 406-16.

The Most Important Message Jesus Taught – And Why Every Leader Must Get It

What is the most essential message that Jesus imparted to his disciples? Was it his message of love that he was sending? Acceptance? Compassion? Forgiveness? Faith? Hope? Do you believe that miracles are possible? Despite the fact that these powerful messages were interwoven throughout his most important message, there was one message that would “rule them all,” give them each a context, and distinguish their meanings from all of the fashionable, sentimental meanings that our culture has substituted for them today.

ESV translation of Mark 1:14-15 In the days after the imprisonment of John the Baptist, Jesus traveled to Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God and declaring, ‘The hour has come, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the gospel.’ As a matter of fact, not only was it the core message that Jesus taught, but it was also the message that he assigned to his followers, who were to teach and practice it as well.

1. We both share the same mission.
2. Here’s the more difficult truth: it is possibly the least understood concept in the entire New Testament among pastors, worship leaders, instructors, composers, and everyday Christians all around the world, according to research.
3. My excellent friend and colleague Dr.
4. He accomplished this by drawing on the Old and New Testaments, his own resources, and the work of a large number of other academics.
5. I requested him to create it as a primer for pastors, worship leaders, composers, and artists, and I encourage you to distribute it as far as possible.
6. What Is the Kingdom of God and How Does It Work?
7. Peter H.

in philosophy.

In fact, it was the spark that ignited a tiny revolution in this scholar’s perspective on the Book of Revelation.

Nonetheless, study progressed, and Ladd’s presentation of the notion has since been changed by the work of various academics, including N.

Wright, who has contributed to the field.

The majority of them have never heard of Ladd or Wright, but they are aware of the significance of the subject they are talking about.

We are all familiar with the United Kingdom and the various kingdoms that still exist on our planet, but what does it mean to claim that God has a kingdom?

If that is the question you, the reader, would want to have addressed in a concise summary rather than a lengthy discourse, then continue reading.

A “kingdom of God” refers to God’s dominion on earth, which is generally conveyed through an agent, such as a prince, a regent, or a monarch.

Jesus of Nazareth is currently the resurrected sovereign ruler of the world and will eventually openly rule on this earth, completing God’s creational goal.

God’s monarchy is mentioned several times in the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly in the Psalms, and it is a source of great pride (Ps 10:6; 24:8,10; 29:10; 44:4; 47:2, 6, 7,8; 68:24; 74:12; 84:3; 93:1; 95:3; 96:10; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1; 145:1).

He is also the ruler of countries, and he will/does bring them to judgment.

As a result, God is shown as a monarch in the grand narrative of the Hebrew Scriptures, and he exerts his authority via a regent, who is the Davidic ruler of Israel.

In the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, a shift in the narrative is signaled, and this sets the stage for the next chapter.

It follows as a result of this that George Eldon Ladd was accurate in his assertion that the kingdom is not political in the sense that it has no physical boundaries.

It’s true that Jesus first declared the reign of God to Israel and fulfilled all of the expectations for the Anointed One, but he makes it plain in his teaching (e.g., Matt 5:5) that God is concerned about the entire planet and that all peoples will come under his dominion (e.g.

However, Ladd was incorrect in the sense that the term “political” does not relate to a specific area of land over which a government exercises sovereignty, as Ladd claimed.

However, “Caesar” claimed and continues to claim control over the known civilized world.

God’s Rule is the foundation of the Kingdom of God.

In fact, Jesus does not refer to God as having a regent at all, definitely not in the manner in which John the Baptist did.

Mark 8:29, 14:61-62).

As a result, in Jesus, we have both God’s rule and the person through whom God exerts his reign in the world.

He already has power over those who have agreed to follow his laws, and he will soon be able to force his will on everyone on the face of the earth.

The good news is that all people are being called to repudiate their former allegiances and to submit to God’s reign through Jesus Christ.

It contains the promise that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God will enable people who pledge their allegiance to Jesus to carry out this obedience, and that, as a result of his generous favor, he will forgive them for any previous failure to submit to his authority.

Neither is this calling of all people into a community under the sovereignty of God, as exercised through Jesus, done in opposition to the people of God in the Hebrew Scriptures, nor is it done in parallel with their narrative, but rather as a fulfillment of that narrative and of that people in the New Testament.

• As a real king of Israel, he performed the role of deliverer of the downtrodden, whether those who were oppressed were oppressed by other people, poverty, sickness, or the demons of the night (Luke 4:18-21, referring to Isa 61:1-2).
• Heb 2:14-15).
• Furthermore, Jesus taught the rule of God by describing what the new community should look like; that is, how his disciples were to spend their lives in the present in preparation for the new global order to come.
• It is God’s demonstration through us that we are living in the Kingdom of God.
• They are asked to embody the principles of the new community, which includes delivering the oppressed, regardless of the source of the oppression they may be experiencing themselves.
• The disciples are likewise willing to die in the war against evil, understanding that not only will this destroy the power of evil, but also that in dying, they are following their Lord and that they would also follow him in resurrection, just as Jesus was.
• How To Live In The Light Of The Age To Come: The Kingdom Of God The kingdom community does not anticipate to be successful in this age, according to the standards of the day.

As a result, they “put on eschatological glasses.” They see everything in terms of the future period, when God will rule openly via his king Jesus, and so everything is framed accordingly.

However, the essential problem is not whether or not they refer to Jesus by his given name, but whether or not they are genuinely subject to his authority.

Peter Davids, Ph.D., is a researcher and author.

Davids is regarded as one of the most intelligent New Testament scholars working today.

Aside from having taught at a broad range of institutions and seminaries, Peter also serves as an ordained and active Anglican priest, as well as writing commentaries and contributing to other notable publications.

His LinkedIn profile may be seen here.

These principles from N.T.

Question: How has Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom of God influenced your life and your decisions?

What changes do you think your manner of being a Christian and a leader will undergo as a result of accepting the fact that God is displaying his Kingdom through us? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

The Resurrection: Why are there four Gospel accounts?

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the defining event on which Christianity is built or destroyed. It was the central message preached by the apostles and their followers throughout history. In the Greco-Roman world, it was the truth that flipped everything upside down, grabbing the hearts and minds of people from all walks of life: Jews and pagans, women and men, slaves and nobles alike. And it’s no surprise. The fact that Jesus’ tomb was empty proved that everything he stated about himself was accurate.

• He possessed the authority and the capacity to forgive sins and bestow eternal life to anybody who put their faith in him.
• Because of his Resurrection, it was demonstrated that death had been vanquished and that the punishment for sin had been fully paid.
• Given the significance of the Resurrection, it may appear illogical that it is described in four different Gospel versions, each of which has significant differences in detail.
• The different emphases and aims of each Gospel story must be taken into consideration in order to provide a solution to this.

Matthew: Sovereign authority

A Jewish audience was the primary audience for Matthew’s Gospel, which was written into a cultural environment that was rich in expectancy for the Messiah. It was as a result that his major topic revolved around demonstrating that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, a tremendously powerful royal figure derived from David, and an ultimate ruler who would govern a boundless and eternal kingdom. Throughout Matthew’s narrative of the Resurrection, the motif of royal divine authority is prevalent.

Additionally, Matthew’s account of the other tombs being split open, with numerous buried saints coming from them and appearing in Jerusalem after Jesus had risen from the dead is unusual.

While Matthew’s account not only refutes the false information, it also serves as a metaphor of Jesus’ victory over worldly Roman power.

The instruction of Jesus to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the most explicit Trinitarian phrase found in Scripture, and it makes the unmistakable assertion that he is God himself, on an equal footing with the Father.

Despite the fact that it is a well-known passage, the ramifications are enormous.

Mark: Straight to the point

Mark’s Gospel is famous as much for what it does not provide as it is for what it does include in many instances. While in Rome, Mark was undoubtedly in contact with the Apostle Peter, and it is probable that he composed his Gospel in the form of a compilation of the apostle’s personal diaries while the apostle was in Rome. Mark’s style is more straightforward and pared down than the other Gospels, as if he were writing in Peter’s voice and for a Roman audience. He concentrates on action rather than description and explanation, as opposed to the other Gospels.

• Simply put, it is a record of the order to proclaim the Gospel across the entire globe.
• Whereas Matthew emphasizes the presence of a Roman guard at the tomb, Mark relates that Pilate dispatched a centurion to make certain that Jesus was dead before releasing the body to be crucified.
• When Mark writes about Roman troops, he assumes that his readers are aware that they were capable of distinguishing between a living and a dead body.
• It is recorded in the other Gospels that an angel spoke to the women who were at the tomb, and that they were given the order to inform the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead.
• On the night before his imprisonment, Peter had denied Jesus three times, and this is a modest plea of forgiveness on his part.
• In a culture that did not place a great value on women’s testimonies, spotlighting one with Mary’s traumatic history not only demonstrated the grace of Jesus, but it also served to underline the veracity of Mark’s portrayal of her life.

Luke: Many convincing proofs

Luke was a well-educated gentile who was also the beloved physician of the Apostle Paul. He wrote to a larger Hellenistic audience in some of the most polished and fluent Greek that can be found in the New Testament, and he did it in his own language. In contrast to Mark, he did not limit himself to the minimal necessities. For him, the most important thing was to collect historical data and eyewitness stories and arrange them so as to offer unmistakable confirmation of the historical accuracy of the Gospel narrative.

1. Luke provides a more detailed account of the events at the tomb than either Matthew or Mark.
2. His account of their interactions with the ladies is more detailed and lifelike than the accounts provided by the other Gospel authors.
3. This is the same group of important, rich ladies that Luke had described before, who had accompanied Jesus and provided financial support for his work in the first place.
4. Following this is the event on the road to Emmaus, which is one of the most detailed descriptions of a post-Resurrection appearance by Jesus that has ever been written, and it is also one of the longest.
5. His attention is drawn to the tangible evidence as Jesus extends his hands and feet to the disciples for them to touch, pointing out that ghosts do not have flesh and bones.
6. As everyone is aware, ghosts do not consume food, and if they did, the food would simply fall through their bodies and land on the floor.
7. In the book of Acts, he goes into further detail, stating that Jesus was raised up from the earth and vanished into the clouds after his resurrection.

As a bonus, Luke is the only Gospel writer to mention the Second Coming, which took place in the form of two angels (men in white) who came to the disciples and promised that Jesus would return from heaven in the same manner in which they had witnessed him ascend into heaven.

John: That you might believe

In comparison to the other Gospel writers, John is an outlier, writing his Gospel according to a structure that is drastically different from the other three writers. In writing for a wide audience, he presents the most important religious themes in the most straightforward manner possible. In addition to Jesus’ divinity, his position as the creative Word of God, and his divine characteristics of pre-existence and omniscience, he has much to say regarding the deity of Christ. He also creates the most human portrayal of Jesus possible, concentrating on his everyday encounters with the disciples and other followers of Christ.

• He recalls his and Peter’s visit to the empty tomb, in which they peered inside before entering, discovered the burial cloths, and came to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead.
• Like Luke, John portrays Jesus’ interaction with the disciples in the upper chamber, during which he demonstrates the scars on his hands and side to the disciples.
• When Jesus gently permits Thomas to touch his wounds, Thomas cries, “My Lord and my God!” Thomas’ response is heartfelt.
• The book comes to come to a close with a summary declaration of John’s motivation for writing it: to encourage confidence in Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God, according to John.
• The book of John concludes with a gentle, self-effacing narrative about his own encounter with Christ.

Conclusion: A mosaic of testimony

To the other Gospel writers, John stands out because he writes his Gospel according to a framework that is completely distinct from the other three writers’ frameworks. For a wide audience, he writes in plain terms, simplifying some of the most complex philosophical themes. In addition to Jesus’ Godhead and position as the creative Word of God, he has a lot to say regarding Jesus’ divine characteristics of pre-existence and omniscience. And yet, by focusing on Jesus’ regular interactions with his disciples and companions, he creates the most human portrayal of him.

1. The two of them went to the empty tomb together, glancing inside first before entering, discovering the burial cloths, and thinking that Jesus had risen from the dead.
2. A sweet and heartbreaking image of Mary Magdalene crying at the tomb, the first person to see Jesus alive and only recognizing him when he says to her, “Mary,” is then presented by the author after that.
3. In the end, it is only John who tells the story of the incident to Thomas a week later, who had been absent the first time and was skeptical.
4. “My Lord and my God!” The most overt acknowledgement of Jesus’ deity found elsewhere in the New Testament stems from this obviously human discussion.
5. But then he adds an epilogue about a fishing excursion and breakfast on the beach, after which Jesus restores Peter’s faith by asking him a series of questions to make up for his previous rejections of the Lord’s existence.

The book of John concludes with a gentle, self-effacing narrative about his own encounter with the Messiah.

Presbyterian Church must not lose sight of Jesus’s core message

What criteria does God use to determine what is wrong? As a result of reading about the examination by a committee of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland into judgments taken by the Rev Dr Katherine Meyer, who has been criticized for condoning “something which in scripture God condemns,” the issue arose in my mind. According to Patsy McGarry’s writings published before Christmas, the council of Christ ChurchSandymountin Dublin and its preacher are accused of having “created controversy detrimental to the purity and tranquillity of the church.” There are several issues raised by this disagreement over whether to accept a man in a same-sex marriage as a church council member: first, the task of interpreting the Bible with its normative standing as God’s Word; second, the Pauline reading that was used as a justification; and third, the application of the human right to freedom of religion at the intersection of religious communities, individual believers, and the state.

• The Bible is considered by all Christian denominations to be the founding document of their faith tradition, also known as their Holy Scripture.
• When Jesus’ career came to an end on the cross, God’s fresh act of resurrection proved that his proclamation of God as love had been justified by God.
• If one has the ability to use historical-critical techniques to place the biblical authors in their historical circumstances, does this imply a rejection of God’s Word as authoritative?
• According to biblical historians, it is very general and obscures the distinctions between Paul, who does not address Jesus’ life, John, who believes that the cross has already been completed in Christ’s exaltation, and the narratives of Mark, Matthew, and Luke.

Error of history?

Alternatively, is the plurality of the New Testament texts, which includes perspectives from a variety of Christian communities to which they belonged and to whom they spoke, a historical error that we should correct by ignoring the richness of perspectives from the diverse Christian communities to which they belonged and spoke? If one has the ability to use historical-critical techniques to place the biblical authors in their historical circumstances, does this imply a rejection of God’s Word as authoritative?

Which approach is employed if one passage from Paul, which has been identified as relating to homosexual relations, is transformed into the most important insight into the God preached in the New Testament.

These concepts are expected to be laid bare in other normative situations, such as constitutional law, and this anticipation is justified in many cases.

Is it possible to reach such important conclusions as “what God abhors” only by first identifying the essence of the biblical message?

In a similar vein, how can one define “purity”? The Pharisees’ divide between pure and unclean is shown in the Gospels as being criticized by Jesus. When you place Jesus and Paul in the context of the many streams of Second Temple Judaism, you can see their disagreement on this point.

Literalist stance

Is it permissible to ascribe the power of the Word of God to a single quote in an unhistorical reading, so imposing a literalist attitude as a legally obligatory interpretation? Rather than hounding blameless, dedicated followers of Christ as part of a “discipline,” the alternative is to reclaim the space that Reformed Christians formerly reserved for academic investigation and careful discussion of the Scriptures, as was done previously. Is it sufficient to begin with “what God condemns,” or can such important conclusions as “what God abhors” only be reached by first identifying the essence of the biblical message?

Having taught theology, hermeneutics (the interpretation of biblical texts), and ethics to students of many backgrounds, I am aware of the strong esteem that young people have for human rights.

When it comes to the Christian message of God’s love and acknowledgment for each individual, they are equally attentive.

What sort of future does the Presbyterian Church see for itself if it loses sight of the central message of Christianity and the fundamental right to non-discrimination in the workplace?

Given the fact that members of faiths that are voluntary groups can choose to quit, the state refrains from imposing its own interpretation of equality on them.

Human rights, including the right to be free of discrimination, are, nonetheless, a bare minimum.

But what about love driving out fear, and Paul’s inspired conclusion that we are “one in Christ” (Gal.

Maureen Junker-Kenny is a retired professor of theology at Trinity College Dublin and a fellow emerita at the university.