Compare the fol…

Compare the following biblical passages that contain eucharistic overtones and/or describe celebrations of the Eucharist:

(a) The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Luke 9:10-17)

(b) The Last Supper (Mark 14:22-25; Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:14-20)

(c) The Appearance on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-36)

    In the Feeding of the Five Thousand, there is no real structure to the meal, which most likely indicates that it is an ordinary meal, and not a festive or ritual meal. Luke mentions five loaves of bread and two fish specifically, and states that the disciples were able to fill twelve baskets with the leftover bread. 

    In contrast, the Last Supper is a Passover Meal, which is an annual ritual meal. Bread and the cup are mentioned specifically. Wine is not mentioned by name in Luke’s Gospel, but the fruit of the vine is practically synonymous.

    In the Appearance on the Road to Emmaus, the meal seems to be an ordinary one. The two disciples arrive in the village, they sit down for a meal, and they recognize Jesus when he breaks the bread just as he did at the Last Supper.

    The bread is the only specific item that appears in all three of these events. Since the bread is understood to represent Jesus’ body, I think that it is clear that the bread is present whenever Jesus is present. The wine (Jesus’ blood) only appears in the Last Supper, right before his death.

The film’s titl…

The film’s title comes from Psalm 82:6-8: “I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’ But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler. Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.” How do these lines from Psalm 82 characterize the content of the film? Where do you see God in the film? How is the film about men—and their different religions, their different “gods?”

    When Ali Fayattia and his troops storm the monk’s compound and demand medical supplies, Christian refuses and Fayattia reconsiders, then decides to leave peacefully. I thought God was especially present here, because violence was avoided and Christian appealed to Fayattia’s faith to establish common ground between them. Men may practice different religions and worship gods under different names, but I appreciated how this scene reinforced a belief that most religions have a lot in common – including an underlying message of peace and cooperation. These gods may be different, but one of the more basic purposes of religion is to make its followers into better people through faith.

Identify and br…

Identify and briefly explain what you think are the strongest two or three arguments in support of your team’s assigned debate position. (Draw on arguments from Scripture and/or theological reasoning–especially as found in the writings of Arius or Athanasius–to support your position.)

    Alexander and his followers believed that the Father’s fatherhood always had been, and for him to be a Father for all time, there would have to be a Son that had always existed as well. That means that Jesus is equally eternal to God, and thus they are both equally divine. This is supported by scripture in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” This clearly means that God and His Son are equal, and God is not a more divine being, as Arius believes.

    This is directly contradicted in John 14:28, “the Father is greater than I,” which could be interpreted as the Father’s power or plan is greater than the Son’s. The first quote from John’s gospel clearly states that the Father and the Son are con-substantial, but the second, in Jesus’ own words, outlines some sort of difference between them, a difficult fact to overturn if you believe that the Father and Son are perfectly equal.

Pick ONE of the…

Pick ONE of these ancient accounts of martyrdom and analyze how the martyr(s) in the story imitate(s) Christ’s Passion, citing specific examples from the text to support your answer. How does the martyr view his/her impending death? How might the example of the martyr’s courage, calm—and even joy—in the face of death have encouraged and sustained other Christians facing potential martyrdom? What transformations occur in and through the martyr’s death (e.g., in the martyr’s body, in the lives of Christians and non-Christians who witnessed the martyr’s death)?

    Polycarp’s martyrdom story shares a great many similarities with Christ’s Passion. First, Polycarp is wanted and arrested for the perceived lack of respect for the current king. In Christ’s case, this is Herod, and for Polycarp, it is Caesar. When each is arrested, he is brought before a crowd, and the crowd calls for his death. Pontius Pilate attempts to reason with the crowd on Jesus’ behalf, and the Pro-Consul does the same for Polycarp. In both cases, the crowd insists on Jesus’ crucifixion or Polycarp’s burning alive. In both stories, Jesus and Polycarp die with prayers on their lips in front of a large crowd of witnesses, and in both cases again, the gravity of what had been committed seems to dawn on the crowd as soon as Jesus or Polycarp dies. Interestingly, in both stories, a soldier impales the martyr as he dies. After death, Jesus was buried in a tomb, and the Christians take Polycarp’s bones and ashes and arrange them for burial.

    Perhaps the most significant similarity between the two narratives is the attitude of the crowd before and after the martyr’s death. In both, the crowd is out of control and calling for execution, but immediately sobers after the deed has been done, as if realizing for the first time exactly what they had done.

On pp. 130-135,…

On pp. 130-135, Rausch introduces four “marks” of the Church: the Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Pick ONE of these marks of the Church and, building on Rausch’s discussion of its origins and significance, reflect on the term’s ongoing relevance for the Christian tradition today. How does this mark continue to shape the life of the worldwide Church and of local churches? What challenges does this mark present in terms of living out Christian faith in today’s world?

    The first mark of the Church that Rausch introduces is that the Church is one. Members of the Church are baptized into one body and given to drink of one Spirit, as Rausch quotes from 1 Corinthians. Rausch also explains that Unity refers to a sense of togetherness and harmony, and is not to be confused with a lack of diversity.

     Today it seems as though that unity is struggling. Due to theological differences and political struggle, different denominations of the Church have separated from the rest to practice their faith as they see fit. Each of these denominations believes in the same core values of the Church, but varies somewhat in the specifics. As Rausch states on page 131, it is easier to preserve unity than to restore it, and this unity has been struggling for many years. This division reduces the Church’s influence and keeps the baptized from being ‘one body.’

    The challenge that this presents is to mend the divisions in the Church. However, Rausch believes that a personal unwillingness to cooperate coupled with theological and cultural differences is more than enough to ensure that these issues are not resolved.

The earliest ma…

The earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark end with Mark 16:1-8. (Most biblical scholars think that the material in Mark 16:9-20 was added by a later editor.) If Mark 16:1-8 is read in isolation, what is not described in Mark’s account that is found in the resurrection narratives of Matthew, Luke, and John? Why do you think that Mark might have chosen to end his Gospel this way? What does the “longer ending” (Mark 16:9-20) add to Mark’s original conclusion?

Mark 16:1-8 concludes with the message that Jesus has been resurrected, but without the longer ending, the forty days in which Jesus appeared to various followers are omitted. Most importantly, the message that the Disciples were meant to spread the word of the Gospel across the world is omitted.

Mark most likely chose to end his gospel this way in order to end with possibly the most important event in Christian faith: the Resurrection. By ending the Gospel this way, Mark can emphasize this importance, but this ending leaves out valuable information and lessons.

The longer ending of Mark 16:9-20 first adds the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene and two unnamed Disciples. Jesus then appears to all eleven of the disciples and rebukes them for not believing the first two who told the others that he had risen again. Mark 16:15-18 states that the Disciples were to “go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature,” and that those who believed the message would be saved. Mark 16:19-20 ends with Jesus ascending and taking his place at the right hand of God, and the Disciples preaching the gospel.

In each of the …

In each of the four Gospels, Jesus utters some “last words” from the cross before he dies. What does Jesus say from the cross in each of the Gospels, and what do these statements reveal about Jesus’ identity and mission, as the authors of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John understand it?

Mark 15:33 – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:46 – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Luke 23:46 – “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

John 19:30 – “It is finished.”

    Mark and Matthew both use the exact same sentence for Jesus’ last words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This seems to imply that Jesus believed that God had abandoned him, and left him to die. This contrasts with Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus says “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus seems to accept God’s plan for his death, but in Mark’s and Matthew’s Gospels, Jesus seems to not recognize that plan. Finally, in John’s Gospel, Jesus’ last words are, “It is finished.” From the context around this quote, it is likely that Jesus died at peace, knowing that God’s plan had been fulfilled.

    I find it very interesting that two of the Gospels show Jesus as accepting of his death and God’s plan, while the other two show Jesus crying out in despair. Also, Mark’s and Matthew’s Gospels have Jesus’ last words verbatim, while Luke’s and John’s Gospels have very different quotes despite conveying a very similar message.

Based on your r…

Based on your reading of Matthew’s Gospel, especially chapters 5-7 (i.e., the Sermon on the Mount), what is Matthew’s attitude toward the Jewish Law? How do the standards established by the Law of Moses differ from the expectations Jesus has for his followers?

In Matthew 5-7, the Jewish Law is respected and upheld. In Matthew 5, Jesus says. ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew is widely considered to be very knowledgeable in the Jewish tradition, and the Gospel of Matthew reflects this understanding of Jewish faith and Law. In fact, almost all of Jesus’ laws in Matthew 5 are built upon the existing Jewish Laws. Jesus says that his followers must exceed the scribes and Pharisees in their righteousness (Matthew 5:20). He concludes by warning his followers that anyone who judges others would themselves be judged, and comparing those who hear his words to those builders who are wise enough to build on a solid foundation.

The Laws given in Matthew 5-7 differ from the Jewish Laws in several ways. First, in Matthew 5, Jesus restates that adultery is a sin, but redefines it to include lust as a form of adultery. Jesus also extends the commandment forbidding murder to include anger at a brother or sister, or any other individual. He also forbids divorce, which Jewish Law merely required to be stated in writing to be legitimate. Finally, Jesus said that one was to love their enemy, not hate them, as Jewish law stated.

The Gospel of M…

The Gospel of Mark begins with the statement that this story is the Good News of Jesus as Messiah (Christ) and Son of God. What does Jesus do in this Gospel to show that he is the Messiah and the Son of God?

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus performs miracle after miracle to prove that he is the Messiah. In Chapters 1 and 2, He heals a man of leprosy, another of paralysis, restores the hand of another, cures the fever of Simon’s mother-in-law, and heals many of the ill of Capernaum, among several others. These miracles proved that Jesus was the Messiah to all those that witnessed them. After this, when Jesus presents the parables by the sea, many gather to listen to Him. Next, He calms a storm at sea that threatens to capsize the boat that kept them afloat. In Chapter 7, Jesus walks on water in front of His followers.

Throughout the rest of the Gospel of Mark, countless miracles, healing and teachings reinforce the fact that Jesus is the Messiah. Mark delivers each miracle with relatively little accompanying text, which causes the reader to read about miracle after miracle and teaching after teaching that creates a long list of Jesus’ status of Messiah. This makes Mark’s portrayal of Jesus as the Messiah to be much stronger than if he wrote more about each miracle. By moving quickly through each action, he builds a long list of miracles that the reader doesn’t have time to forget.

How would you s…

How would you summarize Amos’ message? What imagery does he use for God and God’s people? What is the relationship between God and the entire world as presented in this book?

    The Book of Amos begins with several repetitive statements of “For three crimes of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke my word.” These exact words are repeated for several places, but Israel is saved for last because of its special holy position. The relationship between God and his people in this book is certainly strained, as he counts an indefinate number of crimes committed by the people of many different cities, and promises some sort of consequences. In Amos 7:1-9, these consequences are listed as the Vision of Locusts, the Vision of Fire and the Vision of the Plummet.

    Amos uses some disturbing imagery to display the crimes committed by his people: trampling the heads of the weak into the dirt, father and son using the same prostitute, and stealing clothes from the poor (Amos 2:1-8). He then compares the coming punishments to the plagues released on the Egyptians in Exodus. 

    Amos’ message can be summarized as a warning to the people of God – turn away from sin and embrace God’s word, or the consequences will be severe.