The gospel message, with its good news of what God has actually done for us in Christ; add something that basically alters the structure of faith itself. ... The early Christian, in controversy with the Jews, appealed to the Hebrew Scripture as proof-texts, but if fact they were reading these Scriptures in a new way, in light of the Christ-event, and hence were not giving deductive or syllogistic arguments. ... The more extraordinary and unexpected the message, the more guarantees we normally demand from the witness. ... A witness to a revelation is not credible without being at least in s...

• Word Count: 2454
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Using a wedding banquet as the setting for this parable allows people to apply the message of God to their everyday lives. ... By presenting the text in the form of a parable, the message of God's will is omitted in a historical and cultural context that enables society to comprehend the meaning behind the words chosen by Matthew....

• Word Count: 979
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Until the discovery of thirteen primary Gnostic texts near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945, Irenaeus and other similar apologists provided nearly all information about Gnosticism. ... Another common factor was the predisposition toward secrecy; conversely, Christianity preached a message which was open to anyone. ...

• Word Count: 2211
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate