Post by RayW on Aug 29, 2013 16:35:12 GMT -8
Post your answers to the following questions here:
1. Read Matthew 15:10–20 (refer also to Jeremiah 17:9). Christ described the “heart” as the “part” of man that houses and produces defilement and sin. Did Christ mean that the heart has a separate cognitive ability other than that of the brain? If not, what did He mean?
2. Read Matthew 26:41. People often equate the “flesh,” as used in Scripture, with the body. Is the flesh the same thing as the body? If not what is it?
3. The teaching that equates the “flesh” with the body was the teaching of an early heresy known as Gnosticism. Gnostics taught that everything physical was evil and everything spiritual is good (dualism). With regard to Christ, Gnostics thought that He only seemed to have a body, but He really did not. For if He did, He would be sinful. A.) If the flesh is the same thing as the body, how do you explain that Christ had a body? B.) If the flesh is the same thing as the body, how do you explain that people will one day have their bodies raised from the dead (read 1 Corinthians 15:20–23)? Discuss both.
4. Do you believe that outbursts of anger produced by irritability are sinful? (Answer before moving on).
Modern medicine is advanced to the point that a pill can affect the chemical reactions in the brain to reduce irritability. This results in reducing anger. In this sense, sin can be controlled to a certain degree by medication. Do you agree? Discuss.
Hypothetically speaking, what if modern medicine produced a pill that would affect a person’s ability to believe in God for those who skeptical by nature? Would this be morally acceptable?
If such a pill were produced, would you encourage a skeptical family member to take it? Why or why not?
5. Why do you think that God did not inform people in the Old Testament about the intermediate state?
6. The doctrine of Progressive Revelation teaches that God did not immediately inform humanity of all truth, but that He progressively gives truth in increments through the ages. Christians often think that because all biblical writers have correct doctrine, they also have complete doctrine. Discuss the fallacies of this.
7. What are some other Scriptural examples of things revealed to later saints that was unknown to earlier saints?
8. How does the doctrine of Progressive Revelation affect the arguments of Monism and Dualism? Please discuss.
9. How was your thinking most challenged by this lesson? Please explain.
1. Read Matthew 15:10–20 (refer also to Jeremiah 17:9). Christ described the “heart” as the “part” of man that houses and produces defilement and sin. Did Christ mean that the heart has a separate cognitive ability other than that of the brain? If not, what did He mean?
2. Read Matthew 26:41. People often equate the “flesh,” as used in Scripture, with the body. Is the flesh the same thing as the body? If not what is it?
3. The teaching that equates the “flesh” with the body was the teaching of an early heresy known as Gnosticism. Gnostics taught that everything physical was evil and everything spiritual is good (dualism). With regard to Christ, Gnostics thought that He only seemed to have a body, but He really did not. For if He did, He would be sinful. A.) If the flesh is the same thing as the body, how do you explain that Christ had a body? B.) If the flesh is the same thing as the body, how do you explain that people will one day have their bodies raised from the dead (read 1 Corinthians 15:20–23)? Discuss both.
4. Do you believe that outbursts of anger produced by irritability are sinful? (Answer before moving on).
Modern medicine is advanced to the point that a pill can affect the chemical reactions in the brain to reduce irritability. This results in reducing anger. In this sense, sin can be controlled to a certain degree by medication. Do you agree? Discuss.
Hypothetically speaking, what if modern medicine produced a pill that would affect a person’s ability to believe in God for those who skeptical by nature? Would this be morally acceptable?
If such a pill were produced, would you encourage a skeptical family member to take it? Why or why not?
5. Why do you think that God did not inform people in the Old Testament about the intermediate state?
6. The doctrine of Progressive Revelation teaches that God did not immediately inform humanity of all truth, but that He progressively gives truth in increments through the ages. Christians often think that because all biblical writers have correct doctrine, they also have complete doctrine. Discuss the fallacies of this.
7. What are some other Scriptural examples of things revealed to later saints that was unknown to earlier saints?
8. How does the doctrine of Progressive Revelation affect the arguments of Monism and Dualism? Please discuss.
9. How was your thinking most challenged by this lesson? Please explain.