Biblical Ethics

Question 1

Two types of ethics

Answer 1

Ethics of Old Covenant
Ethics of New Covenant

Question 2

How do Hebrews understand history?

Answer 2

• Linear: They believe that history has a beginning and an end.
• History is an arena in which God speaks his message and does his mighty acts of redemption
• Hebrews view the world as history

Question 3

How do Asians view the world

Answer 3

• Asians view the world as nature, and time as circular and events have the character of many-time-ness

Question 4

New model of viewing the world

Answer 4

Ascending spiral: Combines in itself the circle and the line, symbolizing both regularity and direction.
- historical time is circular in one sense and linear in another.
- We must hold both history and nature to be equally important.”

Question 5

Christians’ belief of the Bible

Answer 5

• a faithful witness to God’s revelation

Question 6

Covenant

Answer 6

• a personal relationship and mutual agreement between God and man.

Question 7

Codes of the Covenant and the Law

Answer 7

1. Covenant Code (9 BC)
2. Deuteronomic Code (7 BC)
3. Holiness Code (6 BC)
4. Decalogue

Question 8

This code emphasized that faith and ethics are integrated

Answer 8

Covenant Code

Question 9

This code emphasized the blend of praying and doing

Answer 9

Deuteronomic Code

Question 10

This code emphasized the holiness of Yahweh

Answer 10

Holiness Code

Question 11

This code emphasized the integration of religion and ethics

Answer 11

Decalogue

Question 12

Vertical Concerns vs Horizontal Concerns

Answer 12

Vertical Concerns - God
Horizontal Concerns - Neighbors

Question 13

Who is the author of the laws

Answer 13

God

Question 14

Who is mediator or the “law-giver”

Answer 14

Moses

Question 15

They are the spokesmen of God

Answer 15

Prophets

Question 16

Two important figures during the construction of Judaism

Answer 16

Ezra and Nehemiah

Question 17

a religion characterized by a strict observance of circumcision, Sabbath and dietary laws.

Answer 17

Judaism

Question 18

Characteristics of the Ethics of the Old Covenant (5)

Answer 18

1. God-centered
2. Mandatory
3. Persons-concerned
4. Equalitarian
5. Salvation-oriented

Question 19

Popular misconceptions of the kingdom in Jesus’ time

Answer 19

• It is a military rule
• political independence
• economic prosperity
• wholly futuristic and otherworldly
• exclusive for Israel

Question 20

Jesus’ concept of the Kingdom of God

Answer 20

• A sovereign, righteous, and active reign of God in the hearts of people and in a redeemed society
• A good news of God’s reconciling, forgiving and redeeming love

Question 21

Conditions for entering the Kingdom (3)

Answer 21

1. Repentance
2. Faith
3. Obedience

Question 22

to turn away from sin and return to God

Answer 22

Repentance

Question 23

a recognition of the living God and trust in God’s saving act as revealed in Jesus as the Christ

Answer 23

Faith

Question 24

a life lived in obedience to the spirit

Answer 24

Obedience

Question 25

Ethical Demands of the Kingdom of God (6)

Answer 25

1. Demand of Love 2. Demand for Perfection 3. Demand for Inward Morality 4. Demand for the Supremacy of Spiritual Values 5. Demand for Respect of Man’s Worth and Dignity 6. Demand for being concerned with the present as well as the future life.

Question 26

First and foremost demand

Answer 26

Demand of Love

Question 27

First object of love

Answer 27

God

Question 28

Second object of love

Answer 28

Neighbor

Question 29

Criterion for loving a neighbor

Answer 29

Self-love

Question 30

Who are our neighbors?

Answer 30

The people in need

Question 31

One who belongs to the "outgroup"

Answer 31

Enemy

Question 32

Meaning of Perfection as demanded by Kingdom of God

Answer 32

living one’s life with a single-minded devotion to God.

Question 33

___ is an important aspect of morality

Answer 33

Motive

Question 34

Values of the kingdom

Answer 34

- love - justice - mercy - kindness - humility

Question 35

New style of worldliness

Answer 35

Holy worldliness

Question 36

Characteristics of the Kingdom of God

Answer 36

1. Integration of religion and ethics 2. Unity of motive and action 3. Respect for individual person’s dignity and worth more than for group tradition and institutions 4. Centrality of the Kingdom of God

Question 37

Starting point in a life of transformation

Answer 37

Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior

Question 38

Characteristics of the New Creation

Answer 38

Freedom in Christ Freedom to be responsible Transformation of the self

Question 39

Characteristics of the Ethics of the New Creation (3)

Answer 39

1. It is Christ-centered 2. It is primarily an ethics of redemption and transformation 3. It is an ethics of responsible fellowship in the living “body of Christ”, which is the church

Question 40

Paul’s interpretation of Moral Dilemma

Answer 40

Moral Dilemma is not the lack of knowledge but the lack of the will