Christian Ethics

Christian Ethics, taught by Martin Baldree at Lee College, Spring 1990.

How My Ethics Were Formed

A funny thing happened on my way through life---my ethics were formed.  Since I was born at an early age, and am now approaching 40, life has offered me several years and many situations through which my ethics were formed.  Life is a continual growing experience, and I am open to changes.  Therefore, my ethics may still be in the process of forming, but I believe the basic foundation has been laid.  I know who I am in Christ, and I know what I stand for.  In one simple word, I stand for Truth.

The foundation began when God gave me the privilege of being raised in a Christian home by parents who were solidly committed to their faith in Jesus Christ.  Each day in our home was started with the family gathering for Bible reading and prayer together.  I grew up very aware that I was accountable before God as well as to my parents.  My tender conscience has become the root to all of my ethical decisions.

Attending church whenever the doors were open was our family lifestyle.  Church became another area of accountability for me.  My entire social life revolved around the church community.  School dances and clubs had no appeal to me as they were not part of my world.  The Christian atmosphere in my home and my church and social world sheltered me from the norms and values of the world.  Perhaps this sheltering was not the best preparation for me to face the real world as an adult, but I still count it a privilege and a blessing to be raised in such an atmosphere.  It gave me the solid foundation I needed when I did start facing reality in the world, and decisions and choices had to be made.

My constant exposure to the Christian lifestyle, and my tender conscience, led me to a public altar at the age of eleven to confess my sins and accept Jesus as my own personal Savior.  What weighed heavily in my mind was the candy bar I had stolen several months earlier.  I confessed this not only to Jesus, but also to my parents.  My mother made me realize how important it was to make things right after confessing the wrong.  It is called restitution.  That has become one of my ethical codes.  If I choose to do wrong, then to be forgiven I must go back and make it right if I possibly can.  Knowing that has kept me from choosing to do wrong many times.  Apologizing and admitting guilt can be very difficult and humbling.

What is astounding to me is that the very world which shaped me and protected me as a child, the church world, is the one in which I was broken and crushed.  I came face to face with situations that made me evaluate life very closely.  There came a point where I had to make a choice.  Did I want to end life, which had become such a disappointment, or did I want to live life above the circumstances, walking on in faith as a child of God, totally dependent on Him and no longer focused on living to please mankind.  I chose life.  It was time to grow up, and live as Jesus would have me live. 

As long as I lived at home I was responsible to live according to my parents' rules.  When I married and moved to the south, I became a member of a church which based religious experience on rules.  Some were rules I had grown up with and felt comfortable with, but some were much stricter.  For several years I lived a life of fear that I would break someone's rules and displease them and God and be condemned to hell.  Where was the "freedom" in Christ I heard about in songs and scripture?  I found myself becoming very critical and bitter toward others.  My attitudes were certainly not Christ-like as I became disillusioned by Christianity as portrayed by church leaders.

After living a few years in the conservative Bible Belt, we were transferred to the Chicago area by my husband's company.  There we attended a very liberal church of our same denomination.  In the south I was too liberal for the church, and in the north I was too conservative for the church.  I upset the apple cart no matter where I was.  The frustration of trying to please church leaders left me in a constant state of emotional upheaval.  If I did 99 things right, and one thing that was not pleasing to someone, it was the one things that I was judged by.  My sensitivity to people made this an issue that would try to destroy me again and again.

I was sick of trying to please people.  I began to intensely hunger to live accountable to God alone and please Him, regardless of the opinion of man.  In January of 1987 I asked God to set me free from what others thought of me as long as I had His approval.  I found that when I pray a sincere prayer from the heart, God answers.  He does not usually answer in the way I expect Him to, but His ways are best.  My road to freedom has been a three year walk of faith, through the valley of failure, through the desert of depression, and on into the hill climbing of preparation for full time service to God.  Today I am a free woman---free to live for Jesus, free to please God, free to serve others in love (Galatians 5:13:  You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom in indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love.)

As a teenager I read the book and saw the movie "In His Steps".  The theme of the story is living as Christ would live.  In each decision the question should be asked, "What would Christ do?"  That is the question I ask myself when facing ethical decisions.  I am dependent upon His guidance.

The experiences I have come through have helped shaped my guidelines for living.  Perhaps they could be called my ethical guidelines.  In closing, I share them with you.

• Above all else, be honest.  Be honest with your feelings, your words, and your actions.  The conscience rests much easier when you know you have been honest, for deceit is destructive.
• Always part leaving the best impression you can, for it may be the last impression you leave.  Life is so uncertain.
• Give everything over to God:  the hurts, the anger, the frustration, the confusion, the "why's?".  The only safe and sane place for it is in God's control.  Otherwise, IT begins to control YOU, and guess who loses!
• Remember life is a moment by moment commitment.  Determine to whom and to what you are committed, and live it moment by moment.  God's will for you is not HERE or THERE, but it is simply that you be totally submitted, totally obedient to Him in each situation, each moment that comes your way.
• Continually practice the formula for JOY:  J (Jesus first) O (others second) Y (yourself last).

New Testament Survey - Chapter 5

I and II Peter

These two books in the New Testament were written by Apostle Peter.  They were written  to Jewish Christians as well as Gentile Christians throughout the Mediterranean world.  

The theme of I Peter is Christian suffering.  We are reminded that we will suffer just as our Lord Jesus Christ suffered.  But suffering is only temporary, whereas salvation is eternal.  In suffering our faith is refined in the same way that fire purifies gold.

The theme of II Peter is preservation of the true faith.  True Christian character is defined as diligently seeking moral excellence; one who is knowledgeable; one who exercises self-control; and one who perseveres and does not give up.  Peter warns against false teachers and mockers.  The Lord's return will come like a thief in the night, and we must be ready.


I, II, III John

Apostle John is the author of these three books in the New Testament.  They were written for preservation of the faith.  Christianity settled the Jewish Christian dilemma of faith versus works.  Now John fights against the philosophy of Gnosticism.  This was a belief that Jesus could not be both God and man.  

John writes to give security to those who have believed and that they might be certain of their faith.  Certainty comes through walking in the Light, accepting Jesus as the Son of God and having fellowship with God.  The love for God and the love for material things cannot co-exist.  True love for God is expressed by obeying Him.  


Revelation

The last book of the New Testament was also written by Apostle John.  The purpose of the book was to encourage Christians under persecution to be faithful to God...God is in control! 

Chapters two and three are letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor.  Then John wrote of the three woes in chapters four through twenty.  Chapter 21 tells of the creation of the new heaven and new earth, and the book ends in Chapter 22 where it is stated that Jesus is coming quickly (22:7).  Thus the New Testament ends.

The events of Revelation are in this order:
1.  Present Age

2.  Tribulation - seven years; rapture may occur prior to this and is the first resurrection where every believer is spared of going through the tribulation period.  (Many scholars do not agree with this timing of the rapture.)

3.  Battle of Armageddon - the second coming of Christ who comes to defeat the armies of satan on earth and to establish the Kingdom of God.

4.  Millennial Age (1,000 years) - an age of Peace - Christ and all his saints establish the Kingdom of God on literal earth.  The saints rule and reign during this period, ruling over the sinners that come out of the tribulation alive.  Satan is chained in the abyss, so there is no sin during this age of Peace.

5.  Satan is Loosed - for a season he will try and tempt people from tribulation period who must then decide to go with the Kingdom of God, or succumb to sin and satan.  This is the final rebellion.

6.  Great White Throne Judgement - This is the second resurrection.  The judgement is of sinners, not saints.  The wicked and satan are cast into the lake of fire, and the earth is destroyed by fire.  God creates a new earth where there is no sea.

7.  Eternity.

This concludes my notes from my class on New Testament Survey.  I would enjoy taking a class like this again, and perhaps I will.

New Testament Survey - Chapter 4

Continuation from my class notes:

The Book of Hebrews

The author of Hebrews is unknown.  Many would surmise it was written by Apostle Paul, but it would be unusual for Paul not to identify himself in this letter, since he did in his other 13 epistles.  Since my studies in seminary, I lean toward an author no one else has mentioned...Priscilla.  Paul often stayed with Priscilla and Aquila, and they were under his teaching as they did tent making together.  The theology in Hebrews is very much Pauline, but presented in a different manner.  

Priscilla, being a woman, did not dare mention her authorship of the letter as it would have been discarded by her culture, as well as ours.  She knew women were not respected for their knowledge or skills.  She was very wise in withholding her identity, while presenting one of the strongest writings in a book intended for reestablishing the Jewish Christians in their faith.  They could not go back to Judaism and remain established in their salvation experience.

The arguments made in Hebrews are that Jesus Christ is better:
- than angels
- than Moses and Joshua
- as a high priest than the Levites

The New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant, as the Laws are written on the heart, not on a tablet of stone.  Faith is the key to salvation and results in practical Christian conduct.

The Book of James

James, the brother of Jesus, is responsible for authorship of this book.  The crowd he addresses is the Jews in the Diaspora.  He puts strong emphasis on practical Christian living.

James stresses doing more than believing, unlike Paul.  True Faith does not discriminate; is always complemented by good works; controls the tongue; does not argue with his neighbors; and remains in open communication with God.  Key verse in James:

James 1:22 New Living Translation (NLT)

22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

New Testament Survey - Chapter 3

Continuation from my notes:

Paul wrote three letters which are considered the Pastoral Epistles:  I and II Timothy and Titus.

The first letter of Timothy is addressed to Paul's devoted disciple who was pastoring in the church at Ephesus.  Paul focused on the administration of the local church.  The epistle is divided into four major sections:  personal greetings; qualities of the laity; qualifications for church leadership; and admonitions to Timothy concerning the ministry.

The second letter to Timothy continued admonitions to him concerning his conduct and ministry.  The two most notable challenges:

2 Timothy 2:15 New Living Translation (NLT)

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:16 New Living Translation (NLT)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

Paul's second letter to Timothy is considered to be Paul's last epistle written.  However, before writing II Timothy, Paul wrote a pastoral letter to Titus, who was also a young pastor struggling with the difficulties of church administration.  In this epistle Paul focused on qualifications of leadership and content of sound doctrine.

Titus, more than any other epistle, emphasizes grace and good works:

Titus 3:4-8 New Living Translation (NLT)

4 But—

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.[a] 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

This completes the 13 letters written by Apostle Paul, which comprises almost half of the 27 books included in the New Testament writings.

New Testament Survey - Chapter 2

Continuation from my notes:

The 13 epistles that Paul wrote which were included in the New Testament, were not put in chronological order.  Instead, they are in order by size...from the longest (Romans) to the shortest (Philemon).  Here's an overview of each of them:


Romans

Paul wrote this book to the church in Rome.  It contains theology and the theme is "The Just Shall Live by Faith".   It gives the doctrinal discussion of salvation and how it relates to the Jews.  Practical applications of Christianity are given, such as responsibilities to God, to the Body of Christ, to adversaries, to government, to weaker Christians, and to others.

I have often said that if our Bible was taken from us and we could only keep one book...the book of Romans has all we need to find salvation and live and grow as a Christian.  Very good book for use in a Bible Study or personal study.

I and II Corinthians

These letters were written in reply to an inquiry from the church in Corinth.  Some of the topics covered are marriage, spiritual gifts, love (The Love Chapter - Chapter 13 of I Corinthians), and resurrection.  II Corinthians gives a defense of Paul's ministry and apostleship, and instructions for giving.

The Prison Epistles - Ephesians, Colosians, Philippians, Philemon

After Paul's third missionary journey he went to Jerusalem.  He was arrested and beaten.  Since Paul was a Roman citizen, he had the right to receive a fair trial, so he was put in prison in Ceasarea for two years to await the trial.  During this time he wrote his Prison Epistles.

Ephesians - was written to mature Christians at the church in Ephesus to encourage their faith and growth.  Paul expounded on salvation was by God's grace, and the responsibility of Christian conduct.  

Colosians - sent to a church in Colossee that Paul did not establish, and containing much of the same material as the letter to the Ephesians.

Philippians - is the most personal of all of Paul's epistles to the churches.  They had supported Paul financially and were dear to his heart.  They were exhorted to live by the example of Jesus Christ and be steadfast in their faith, unified in love, and be humble, putting the needs of others before their own.

Philemon - was not a church, but a person, a businessman in Colossee.  Paul asked Philemon to receive his former servant Onesimus back without punishment.  The Christian principle of forgiveness was the purpose of this epistle.

New Testament Survey - Chapter 1

From my notes, second summer session 1989

Geography

Israel, the land of the New Testament, is a small country...about the size of the state of Vermont.  It's approximately 150 miles long and 45 miles wide.  Israel contains the lowest point on the earth, the Dead Sea, which sits 1,400' below sea level.  There are two seasons in this small country:  the wet season from November to April, and the dry season from May to October.  The Arabian Desert on the east influences the climate, which is subtropical and produces citrus fruits.


Overview of the New Testament


The New Testament is comprised of 27 books written to fill specific needs of the church at the time of their writing.  As more than 27 books were actually written, a process, called canonization, determined which books were truly inspired by the Holy Spirit and accurately represented the teachings and doings of Jesus Christ and the early church.

A.  The Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and the Acts of the Apostles were written as the disciples began to die off, and no one would be around to tell what Jesus had done and taught...no eye witnesses.  It was 25-30 years after the ascension of Jesus that the Gospels were written.  Mark was the first to be written, and John was the last.  The Gospels were both historical and "good news" books.

B.  The Epistles were letters written by Apostle Paul to churches to keep unity as the gospel message spread.  We get our church doctrine from these epistles.  The letters were written to correct false teachings and to encourage and build up the faith.


The Four Gospels

1 - Mark was the first gospel written, and also the shortest.  John Mark, a comrade of Apostle Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, was not a disciple.  Most of his knowledge came from Apostle Peter.  One third of his gospel focused on the passion and resurrection of Jesus.  Unique to Mark's gospel is fast action.  The word "immediately" occurs 42 times in his gospel.  Mark was written more for the Gentile audience.

 2 - Matthew was written by the disciple Matthew, also known as Levi.  He was a tax collector, and he wrote his gospel for the Jewish audience.  He wrote to defend the truth that Jesus was the Messiah by relating Jesus' life with the Old Testament prophecies.  The genealogy includes Abraham and David, describing how Jesus came from royal bloodline...Son of David (King).  Also the genealogy was from Joseph's perspective, through the male line (the father of Jesus.) Matthew used Jesus' reference to Old Testament scriptures being fulfilled.

3 - Luke was also a gospel written by a non-disciple.  Luke was a Gentile aristocrat and a physician.  He was also a companion of Apostle Paul, and the only Gentile writer in the New Testament.  He wrote to Theophilus, a Roman official, who wanted a chronological order of the life of Jesus.  Luke gives the most comprehensive coverage of Jesus' life.  His genealogy was from Mary's perspective, the female line (the mother of Jesus).  He emphasized prayer and the Holy Spirit in his writing. 

4 - John was the last gospel written, and the author was a disciple of Jesus Christ.  He was referred to as the beloved disciple.  He and his brother James were fishermen from Galilee.  John was actually a disciple of John the Baptist first.  As the disciple of Jesus, he was one of three of Jesus' inner circle (Peter, James, John).  John was the last disciple to die, and wrote five books total (the Gospel of John, 1,2,3 John, and Revelation).  He wrote to reach the Jews by referring to Jesus as the Messiah, and to reach the Gentiles by referring to Christ as the Son of God.  John was more theological than the other gospels and emphasized belief, which occurred 98 times in his gospel.

Acts

Acts was was by Luke as a sequel to his gospel, and was also written to Theophilus.  It was written with a historical purpose, giving the early church history for the first 30-35 years.  It tells us how the disciples of Jesus changed from fearful to bold and empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which was the beginning of the early church.  Whereas the gospels were a record of what Jesus began to do and teach before the cross, Acts records what Jesus continued to do through His gift of the Holy Spirit after His ascension.

The conversion of Saul (Apostle Paul) and the missionary journeys of Paul and Barnabas are written in detail.  The letters, or epistles, that Paul wrote, which comprise 13 books of the New Testament, stem from those three missionary journeys.

Aspects of Christian Literature - Class Presentations

Love Comes Softly, Janette Oakes

This sounds like an interesting author to read when I'm looking for easy-reading, fantasy escape type reading.  I have trouble reading love stories at this time because of the longings within me.  It tends to make me focus on what's missing in my life instead of living grateful for the blessings in my life.

My choice of reading for now seems to be that which is beneficial to building the inner life, strengthening the character, preparing me for the ministry God has chosen me for.


The Valliant Papers, Calvin Miller

The powers behind the scenes - guardian angels.  Sounds like a very interesting book/author.  The angel is Valiant.


Phantasies, George McDonald

Fantasies of main character.  Main goal to get back to real life (search for God).  Deep reading, lots of poetry.


Patricia, Grace Livingston Hill

Christian romance series - easy reading.  She had such a spiritually rich background that the influence carried over in her writing.  I've read several of her books, and find her very enjoyable to read.


Two From Galilee, Marjorie Holms

Romantic love story about Mary & Joseph.  I have read this book several years ago, and would like to read it again.


The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne

Lady is adulterous - letter A to represent it
Has secret lover - minister
Symbolism in his writing


In His Steps, Charles Sheldon

This is an excellent book - leaves one changed in priorities and worldview.  I have read the book and seen the movie.


Pilgrim's Progress, Paul Bunyon

Major works of all times.   Story is of a man's search for eternal life (Christian).  Characters are allegories.  Names of characters portrayed their characters.  Christian is John Bunyon, and the characters re people he had met.  Written from prison.  This is a book I would like to read since it is a Christian Classic.  
(Professor's note:  You will love it!)


Utopia, Sir Thomas Moore

Lots of dialog.
Narrator (Moore, author) and sailor
Utopia - land of no existence, new world based on Christian values


War In Heaven, Charles ?

Struggle between good and evil


Swiss Family Robinson, ??

Family shipwrecked on island


Tilly,   ??

About abortion