Lesson 1 Flashcards
What’s Christian morality based on?
Christian morality is largely based on the view the God is omnipotent and omniscient and so is the lawgiver and the controller of all things and must therefore mean that God is the controller of morality.
DCT
Protestant Christians will follow Divine Command Theory believe that in action is morally good only if it is commanded by God
Catholic NML
Those who follow Catholic Natural Moral Law teachings follow the teachings of Aquinas natural law is that part of God’s eternal law the human beings can understand simply through the application of reasonable
Situation ethics
Those who follow Joseph fletchers Christian situation ethics focus on one rule only; the law of agape and apply this situationally.
What are some deistic beliefs?
-Some deistic Christians believe that since God has left the governance of the world to humans, humans have complete freedom to interpret the Bible as they wish.
-In particular, Process theologians will reject any ethical ideas which tend to separate humanity from its environment
)According to Whitehead, ethics needs to be grounded in the idea of reality as an undivided whole, so ethical decision-making has to include the interests and needs of the environment as a whole.
What do Christian’s agree and disagree on?
Christians are agreed about the need for good conduct, but they disagree about what format good conduct should take.
Why is good conduct important for Christians?
-brings the reward of earning a place in heaven, and it also avoids being sent to hell.
-Faith in Jesus is the basis for good conduct, since Christians try to follow Jesus’ example in what he taught and the way be behaved
-Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, Paul urges them to abandon bad conduct and to put on the new moral nature that befits what they learned in Christ (4:17 5:20).
-they must abandon deceitful lust, speak the truth, put thieves to honest work, indulge in no evil talk, abandon bitterness and anger, abandon slander and malice and be kind/tender-hearted and forgiving towards each other.
Jesus teaching - sermon on mount
At one point, Jesus says, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Mathew 5:16)
Good conduct therefore glorifies God.
Matthew 22:35-40,
Jesus says that the greatest commandments is to love God with all one’s heart, soul and mind and that a second commandment is like it, namely to love your neighbour as yourself; because on these two commandments depend the law and the prophets
Good conduct, then, is based on loving God and other people.
Justification by faith
-Justification by Faith is a theological concept that emphasises the belief that faith in Jesus Christ is the means by which individuals are justified or declared righteous in the eyes of God.
-often associated with the teachings of the Protestant Reformation -Martin Luther, John Calvin.
What does justification by faith mean?
-puts forward the concept that sin is so evil, only the omnipotent gracious God can remove it.
-Sin has corrupted humanity, so it is argued that even living a good life will not be enough to save you from sin. It is argued that only the grace of God can save you.
-By ‘grace’ we mean the action of God working in our lives.
What does Protestant theologian say about justification by faith?
-In Protestant theology, when a person is before God, they are given they goodness and righteousness of Jesus.
-God does not see them full of sin and evil, he sees Jesus. Anyone can be saved, no matter the sin, if they have faith in Jesus.
Calvins beliefs about justification by faith
-Calvin talking about how a person can be considered righteous or good in the eyes of God.
-He says that a person becomes righteous not by doing good things, but by having faith.
-According to Calvin, when someone believes in and trusts Jesus Christ, they are essentially “laying hold of the righteousness of Christ.”, they are accepting the goodness and perfection of Jesus as their own.
-instead of trying to be good enough on their own, a person is considered righteous by God because they have faith in Jesus and His goodness.
Calvin analogy
-Calvin imagines this like putting on a coat – when you have faith in Christ, you “clothe” yourself in His righteousness.
-This means that when God looks at you, He sees you not as a sinner (someone who does wrong) but as righteous (someone who does right).
-In summary, Calvin is emphasizing the idea that faith in Jesus, rather than our own efforts, is what makes us right with God. It’s like trusting in Jesus’ goodness to make us good in God’s eyes.
Faith as the Instrument of Justification key points
-According to this doctrine, individuals are not justified by their good works or adherence to religious laws, but rather by their faith in Jesus Christ.
-This emphasis on faith as the instrumental cause of justification distinguishes it from other views that stress the importance of good deeds or sacraments.
Rooted in scripture -JBF
-Advocates of justification by faith often point to biblical passages,to support the concept of justification by faith.
-Romans 3:28 states, “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”
-verses emphasise that righteousness is imputed to individuals not through the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.
-Romans 1:16-17 where Paul claimed that salvation comes to “everyone who has faith”, which Paul based on the Old Testament passage “He who through faith is righteous shall live”.
-St Paul claims that God’s grace is not something humans are good enough to earn, because we all sin.
-We cannot do good enough works to be deserving of God’s grace, therefore justification by faith must be more important. St Paul illustrates with Abraham, pointing out that Abraham had faith in God which made him “righteous” (Romans 4:3).
Martin Luther’s contribution
-Martin Luther, a key figure in the Protestant Reformation, played a significant role in promoting the idea of justification by faith.
-He argued that salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received through faith alone, and not something that could be earned through human effort.
What did Luther base his ideas on?
-Luther based his ideas on Romans from the Bible and believed that what Jesus did on the cross, by dying and taking on sin (atoning), he paid the ‘debt’ of humanity.
-Humans could never have paid this debt, only Jesus could have, because he is God (incarnate).
-Thus, Jesus is the only one to save you and it is faith alone, not good works.
Sola Fide - JBF
-Latin phrase that translates to “faith alone”.
-This concept is often associated with the Protestant Reformation, particularly with the teachings of Martin Luther.
-In the context of justification by faith, “sola fide” emphasises the belief that faith in Jesus Christ alone is the means by which a person is justified or made righteous before God.
-According to this theological perspective, salvation is not achieved through good works or adherence to religious rituals but is solely based on faith in Jesus Christ.
Imputation of Righteousness (God freely giving righteousness) - JBF
-A crucial aspect of justification by faith is the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to believers.
-This means that, through faith, believers are considered righteous in God’s eyes because of Christ’s atoning work on the cross.
Relationship with grace - JBF
-The concept of justification by faith is closely tied to the idea of grace.
-Protestants assert that salvation is a result of God’s unmerited favour, and faith is the means by which individuals appropriate this grace.
-It’s not about earning salvation through good deeds but receiving it as a gift.
Response to legalism - JBF
-The emphasis on justification by faith can be seen as a response to what reformers perceived as legalism within the Catholic Church during the medieval period.
-Legalism, in this context, refers to a reliance on human effort and adherence to religious laws for salvation, which proponents of Justification by Faith would reject.
Contrast with Catholic doctrines
-The Protestant understanding of justification by faith stands in contrast to certain aspects of traditional Catholic doctrine.
-The Catholic Church historically emphasized the cooperation of faith and good works for justification.
-The Council of Trent (1545–1563) responded to the Reformation, reaffirming the importance of both faith and works.
James JBW main argument
-What is the point of faith without works? If a brother or sister lacks food or clothing and someone says that they love them without doing anything about it, that is useless; so faith without works is dead.
-Rather, faith can be shown by works.
-Faith on its own is useless, because even the demons believe in God.
-Abraham: he had faith, sacrificing Isaac
-So, a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.
So, just as a body without a spirit is dead, faith without works is dead.
