As we know Jonah was commanded to go and preach to the Ninevites, Israel's worst enemies, so that they’ll be saved from destruction. But it almost seems like Jonah wanted to see the Ninevites destroyed, but God was compassionate towards them when they repented. The book ends with a theme that Salvation can be given to anyone who accepts God and repents. We should understand that God is not just a Creator but he is still creating and everyone in this world is part of his creation and they play their own unique role in the kingdom of God. Johannes Verkuyl says "If a person draws his lifeblood from the one greater than Jonah and yet declines to spread the Good News among others, he in effect is sabotaging the aims of God himself.
As it is shown above that the creation was fallen therefore it had limited knowledge of the creator. There was a big gap between God and the world, thus, God chose to reveal Himself in the personal presence of Christ so as to close the gap, Henceforth, the God who is transcendent could also be imminent. In doing so, man would come to the knowledge of the creator and then reconciled to Him. In other words Christ represented the father, so, when we see Jesus’ character we see his father’s character in him (John 14:7-9). In the same line of thought Hebblethwaite (1987:22) rightly asserts that “to believe in God incarnate, then is to believe that God has chosen this way to make himself known and drawing us to himself”.
“The purpose of the Sacraments is to sanctify men, to build up the Body of Christ and finally to give worship to God. Because they are signs they also instruct.” St Augustine of Hippo showed the validity of the minister and how he communicates to the community. He linked validity to the action by and for the community, rather than the goodness or acceptability of the leader. His reason was: Sacraments are actions of Christ Himself in the Church, so that they have the authority and authenticity of Christ, not of the presider.” There were Councils which discussed deeply about Sacraments. The Councils made clear all issues concerning the celebration of the sacraments and they taught that some of the Sacraments cannot be repeated because they imprint the permanent mark on the soul.
Question:"Consider the figure of Jesus in the Gospel of John, the Gospel of Thomas, or the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Who or what is Jesus, in the Gospel that you have selected?" When studying the Gospel of John, Jesus is identified as the Son of God because the metaphor of the Lamb is used, Jesus Christ is mentioned instead of Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus acknowledges himself to the world as the Son of God. In the Gospel, the Lamb of God is referenced multiple times and distinguishes a sacrifice is in the mist. The reader consciously knows Jesus is God’s only son, nevertheless making the role of sacrifice an even harder burden to carry.
With a solid scriptural foundation, we can intelligently and convincingly present the Good News. The Bible is the source of Christianity in that the Bible contains the inspired words of God and how Christians are to apply it to their lives. It is not a man-made faith arrived at by the faulty guesses of men. God chose to give man a trustworthy account of His revelation of truth. The record of this revelation is given by God to man for His edification, guidance, and blessings.
Seeing that part of Him was separated, He sent Jesus Christ to die for our sins to redeem the relationship that once was. Jesus Christ is a man who has baffled and transformed the new age with his life and legacy. The question arose if He is just a man? Many speculated that He was just a prophet who was profoundly inspired with scriptural revelation. The truth is that He actually is the Son of God and everything he did reflected that of the Father, the
Christian thought and life should state things to culture that exhibit Christ’s revolutionary vision for all people Our choice today is between a prophetic religion and a culture religion, but we must be cautious about our emphases within culture. God changes things and we are His messengers. Our involvement is important, but it must be remembered that it is transitory. The hope of the Church rests on God for men; it does not rest on men, not even on religious
In and of itself, personal faith consists of beliefs, confidence, and trust that comes from within, rather than societal norms. Personal faith roots from beliefs within oneself and God. Belief in God requires knowledge in an individual’s personal faith. John Wheelwright states, “I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice - not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother’s death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany” (Irving 1). This quotation indicates John’s beliefs towards religion.
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:3 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19 The parable of the prodigal son is a picture of God’s love for humanity even in their rebellion. The love of Christ is the love of God. Don’t attempt to understand it, just enjoy it.
To not compare yourself to anyone for you should be responsible for yourself. Those who are taught the word of God should go out and tell others. As for the law, Paul recaps his message in short that “It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.”12 The main purpose of Paul writing the book of Galatians is to settle the dispute that the Gentile Christians had to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul writes his letter to the people of Galatia to remind them that the law of Moses died on the cross with Jesus.