nature of God
omni - benevolent omniscient omni - present omni - potent eternal
what is the genesis 1/2 story
the creation story
what is the nature of human beings
we were created in Gods image to look after creation
imago dei
made in Gods image. Humanity shares characteristics with God and has the ability to enter into relationships with others and with God, unlike other creatures
Genesis 1:26 “they will be like us and resemble us”
freewill
the ultimate gift from God, the power to make our own decisions
Genesis 2:17 “if you eat the fruit of that tree, you will die the same day.” Gods intentions were not to scare humans but to warn them that the personal relationship they have with him will be lost forever if they violate his word.
Stewardship
Humans were created ‘imago dei’ to look after Gods creations
Genesis 1:28
Augustine
believed that humans have a moral compass
- God knows everything
- Humans aren’t controlled
- we need to learn from mistakes
Genesis 3
the story of the fan
The fall
Adam and Eve in Gods eye lost their innocence and were thrown out of the garden of Eden
Alienation
alienated from God - anorexia
alienated from each other - war
alienated from the rest of creation - illness
story of the fall Genesis 3:23 “the lord sent them out of the garden of Eden”
ministry
the example of his life and the spiritual teachings of Jesus whilst on earth
miracle
A supernatural or unexplainable event
parable
A story with religious meaning or teaching a moral lesson
christ
anointed one, blessed by God
Messiah
A saviour, blessed by God, come to liberate people
Son of God
Both Adam and Jesus are referred to as sons of God, as creator he had special relationships with them so this special status was conferred upon them
Sermon on the mount
A collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus which emphasise his moral teachings
Matthew chp5-7
Salvation
being saved from harm or consequences of sin
Atonement
The reconciliation of God and mankind through the death of Jesus Christ
John 11:25
Romans 6
“for sins pays its wage - death; but Gods free gift is eternal life in union with christ Jesus our lord”
Romas 6:23
John 11
“those who believe in me will live even though they die”
John 11:25
Resurrection
Christian belief that Jesus rose from death after 3 days
1 corinthians 15
backs up physical resurrection “and if christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe”
Acts 9
back up idea of spiritual resurrection
analysis for imago dei
strength - special privileged position and gives the potential for an amazing life
evaluation for imago dei
has merit as humans do amazing things, help each other and create beautiful lives for others
analysis for omni - benevolent
weakness - so much suffering going on in the world today (covid 19)
evaluation for omni - benevolent
has merit as this is the reason people don’t believe in god
belief that God created everything
God not only creates but also continues to support and provide for the world he created. God is a purposeful creator and he intended his creation to be perfect and good - each day ends with ‘and God was pleased with what he saw’ genesis 1
ex nihilo
created everything from nothing. everything owes its existence to God. Genesis 1 “when God created the universe, the earth was formless and desolate” Genesis 1:1
analysis for omnipotent
strength - christians can feel as though they are in a personal relationship with him
analysis for ex nihilo
strength - provides an explanation for how the universe came to be and a why.
evaluation for ex nihilo
I don’t think this has merit as there is no evidence to prove that it was God who created the universe.
evaluation for omnipotent
I think this has merit as it provides comfort and support for Christians knowing they are always being watched over
analysis of freewill
weakness - can cause suffering in the world for example war and famine
evaluation of freewill
I think this has merit as it means people make their own choices and means they have to take responsibility for their actions.
