SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Nov 2013. Wilson, Mike, ed. Christianity.
“Athanasius regarded as divinely inspired. Most importantly, the Bible contained the words of Christ. Accordingly, the Bible is sufficient for the exposition of the truth, about both the things of philosophy and the things of God and so it demands our obedience.” In Athanasius' writings there is the influence of Platonism in his thought, though Athanasius himself does not hold to be a Platonist. We can see his Platonist influenced education w... ... middle of paper ... ...Real Athanasius Please Stand Up." Journal Of The Evangelical Theological Society 19, no.
Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church. WORDsearch Corp. Database © 2007 WORDsearch Corp.
Contender Ministries. Contender Ministries Organization, 2002. Web. 21 Nov. 2011 The Bible. King James Version.
At first glance a story of the Bible may appear to be just that, a simple story; however, when one does more than simply read the story, there are a plethora of underlying meanings to be found. Reading the Bible in search of its meanings can sometimes be confusing, which results in several different interpretations and raises many arguments amongst the readers. When reading the Bible, “it is necessary to apply tools of critical reading to find out what God wants to communicate with us,” (Smith-Christopher, 28). In order to figure out what God wants to communicate, one must use hermeneutics, the science of interpretation. Hermeneutics helps to steer the Bible’s readers in the correct direction by presenting methods that serve to assist their interpretation.
The Bible is the holy, inspired, infallible Word of God. Within the Bible, there are different stories and principles that the Lord gave us through special revelation. In the New Testament there were Jewish or religious groups that began teaching unbiblical doctrines. Two of those sects were the Pharisees and the Essenes. The importance of learning about these groups is so that we can see how they were wrong and to make sure we don’t mirror their actions.
As seen in recent events, people believe that Mormons are not Christians. However, Mormons are Christian based on their church’s name, scriptures, and teachings. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, a Christian is somebody who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ. As spoken of in The Holy Bible, Christ was born 2000 years ago of a virgin mother. In his ministry, he taught that he was the foretold Messiah of the Old Testament.
Therefore, early Christianity experienced opposition from individuals and their following, thusly creating a devote need for clarification and a solidified statement of beliefs for all Christians. This was a part of the events that shaped the canonical books and it also contributed to the clarification and interpretation of what it actually meant to be a Christian and the consensus of what that meant to an individual seeking to serve the one true living God (Brueggeman 1978). In an analysis of the most prolific influences of the canonical books, the Gnostics, the ideals of... ... middle of paper ... ...he canonical book represents an act to preserve the teachings of Christ in order for it to maintain perpetuity. Essentially, the process of the culmination of these books represents a struggle to preserve the word of God. It is within this struggle that the early Church solidifies the Gospel and lays the spiritual foundation for Christianity to continue to reach the masses in its written truth.