Sacred Texts: Christianity

The Bible:

• The Bible's authority is given by God. The Old testament talks about life before Jesus and discusses how humanity was really bad and God destroyed us several times because he was not happy with our worship to Him. The New testament talk about the life of Jesus and all of teh good things He did while he was here on earth. It also talks about the sacrifice Jesus makes to save us from our sins. This is another way to show the authority of the bible. Within the Bible there are many points the writers trying to explain an important aspect to the Word of God and he has to use a metaphor to explain it. Roman ,Protestant, and Catholics use a slightly different version of the Old testament. This can account for the tensions that can be seen among the different denominations in Christianity. Moses, in Exodus 15:5-28; Joshua, in Joshua 3:14-17; Elijah in 2 Kings 2:7-8; and Elisha in 2 Kings 2:13-14 actually called upon God to part the waters. Each time, God responded by physically separating the water with, at least in the first three stories, dry land under foot. These were real, miraculous events which happened at a specific time and location. If we were there with a camera, we could have recorded the miracle. God temporarily suspended normal physical laws, such as gravity, and the ability of the sea/river bed to absorb water. The Bible is recording real miracles. One could also interpret the bible as a historical document or using the Midrash. Jesus is a very important figure in Christianity. His life death and resurrection plays a key role in understanding why God sent him.Jesus was sent to ultimately die for our sins because "the wages of sin is death.." (Romans 6:23). He was sent to teach people about God and lead them back down the right path. His death is crucial because it is the ultimate sacrifice made for our sins. His resurrection shows that there will be a second coming and that God will judge your actions. Interpretation of the text can change when you explore group versus individual worship. In your own private worship you are free to explore and interpret the text so it fits into your life. When you are worshipping with a group a general interpretation is applied and and a different meaning could take place. 

Text Excerpts:

John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

• This excerpts means that God gave His only Son so we would have a chance to reach salvation. This text has a more literal meaning than others because it is so importance to the religion. This excerpt is important because without the sacrifice Jesus made we would still have to pay the price of sinning, which is death.

Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• This excerpt means that the price we had to pay for our sins was death. It is important because it shows that overtime God has shown us great mercy and compassion. 

John 1:1: In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God

• This excerpt helps to explain where the bibles authority comes from. It also explains how God is the word and word is what God wants us to do. This is important because this is the quote that many people use to help explain why the bible is so important and why we should care to read it.