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Mod 4 - module 4 religious class notes bgcse

bgcse religious education (Molefi Senior Secondary School)

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MODULE 4: CHRISTIAN VALUES AND TEACHINGS IN TODAY’S WORLD

TOPIC 1: LOVE
a) Love is a commitment to care about someone.
b) A very strong feeling of affection towards someone who you are romantically or sexually
attracted to.
c) The feeling that a person’s happiness is very important to you and the way you show
this feeling in your behavior towards them.

There are four distinct words for love in Greek.

 Agape: this is brotherly love and it is described in 1 Corinthians 13. It is active feeling of
benevolence towards the other person. Agape is not affected by the other person’s
inconsistent behavior. Agape is always supernatural.
 Eros: this is passionate love, e.g. between husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend.
(Ephesians 5:25)
 Philia: this is love for our nearest and dearest, e.g. between friends, family members.
(John 15:13; John 11:36)
 Storge: this refers to natural love or affection, e.g. between children and parents.

A:CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS ABOUT LOVE

i.Love is the foundation of Christian life and all relationships. The book of 1 John 4: 7-21 teaches
that God is love. In this text John does not make a distinction between the love of God and the
love of neighbor. Our faith in God is made possible and even perfect through the love we have
for one another.

ii. Love is the greatest commandment of the Lord.

iii.We have to love as Christ did. (John 13:34-35). The teachings in the Gospels show that Jesus
loved people; he shared life with others; he enjoyed the company of others. He liked feasts and
discussions. He gave himself to anyone who approached him. He was a loving person who
treated each individual as unique and as worthy of respect and love. It did not matter what sex
the person was, what religion, what color, what nationality, what level of education, what
economic status, etc.

iv.Jesus taught about the golden rule which says “ So in everything, do to others what you
would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets”. (Matthew 7:12)

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v.God’s love is the source of salvation. Jesus’ role is to save not to condemn. (John 3:16; John
10:10)

vi.Eternal life can be experienced here and now if we show love for God. (Luke 10:25-28)The
Parable of the Good Samaritan

vii.Love must be genuine and unconditional (Romans 12:9-12)

viii.St Paul gave a description of love in 1 Corinthians 13.

 Love is patient
 Love is kind
 Love is not jealous
 Love is not pompous
 Love is not rude
 Love does not seek its own interests
 Love is not quick tempered
 Love does not brood over injury
 Love does not rejoice over wrong doing
 Love never fails

B:HOW JESUS DEMOSTRATED THE PRINCIPLE OF LOVE THROUGH HIS TEACHINGS AND LIFE

Jesus’s demonstration of love through his teachings

 The parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46): This parable emphasizes
on serving one’s neighbor which includes serving God since Jesus identifies himself with
those to whom service is given. Jesus told his disciples a parable in which he wanted
them to show love to other people through giving food to the hungry, giving water to
the thirsty, welcoming strangers, visiting the sick and those in prison, and clothing the
naked. According to this parable, the righteous are the sheep and the evil are the goats
who have failed to show love to the people. The good/ righteous will be rewarded by
inheriting the kingdom and having eternal life.
 The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37): In this parable, Jesus conveys the
unlimited nature of the duty of love. Jesus challenges people to go beyond the security
and demands of the law. We should extend our love even to strangers. We have to be
merciful. The parable teaches that Christians must have compassion and mercy like the
Good Samaritan. It also encourages all people to have universal love and most
importantly, practical love. Love should be shown to all people regardless of sex, race,

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rank and religion. Christians should act like neighbors to everyone. According to Jesus,
neighbor is anyone who shows mercy.
 The Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18): Jesus is portrayed as the Good Shepherd who has
come not to diminish life but to increase it. He will not use his authority for his own
personal ambition but for men.

-He will not abandon his role in the face of difficulties in the face of difficulties.
-He is ready to sacrifice himself for men.
-He identifies himself with men. He is one with them and he knows them personally.
-His relationship with men is not that of a king to his subjects or a superior to inferiors. He calls men to a
personal relationship with the father. He claims to be ready to die for them.
-The Messiah has come for all men, not only the Jews. He has authority to reconcile men with each
other and to lead them to the Father.

 Love for enemies (Matthew 5:43): Jesus emphasizes that we have to love even our enemies,
and pray for those who persecute us.
 The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32): This parable talks about the merciful father. The father does
not force the son to stay at home and does not force him to return either; he keeps waiting. The
attitude of Jesus reveals to us the attitude of God: he does not only love the just or repentant
sinners; he loves all, always and unconditionally.

Jesus’ demonstration of love through his life

 His passion and death: Jesus was crucified like a criminal. He did nothing to resist the suffering
which such death entailed. He accepted it, out of love for the Father and for men. As he hung on
the cross, some leaders taunted him, telling him to prove that he was the Messiah by coming
down from the cross (Mark 15:29-32). But this would have been to use power for himself and so
fail in love. Instead he chose death, accepting to appear a miserable failure in the eyes of men.
 His love for God and mankind (John 15:9-13): Jesus says that as the Father loves him, so does
he love mankind. He further says that if we keep the commandments, we will remain in his love.
Because of this love, he was able to lay down his life for us.
 Mankind is reconciled to God through Christ (John 3:16): ‘For God so loved the world that he
gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal
life.’
 He delivered people from all kinds of afflictions they suffered.
i.He healed the sick:
- Jesus healed the blind man Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52);
- He healed the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12);
-The healing of Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-17)
-He healed a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years. (Mark 5:25-30)

ii.Jesus raised the dead:

-The raising of the widow’s son (Luke 7:11-17)
-Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:21-25 and 35-43)
-The resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:1-44)

iii.He cared for the needy:

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-He fed the hungry – The feeding of the five thousand (Mark 6:30-42)
-Bread for all (Mark 8: 1-10)

iv.He forgave sins:

-The tax collectors (Luke 19:1-10)
-The adulterous (John 8:1-11)
-The sinful woman (Luke 7: 36-50)

C:WAYS IN WHICH LOVE IS EXPRESSED IN MODERN SOCIETY

i.CHARITY WORKS

SOS
SOS Children’s villages care for orphaned, destitute and abandoned children. SOS children’s village in
Botswana is aimed to develop children into responsible and independent adults who will have the inner
strength to cope with the challenges of the future.
SOS Botswana is also in partnership with the United States Department of Labour in caring for 1100
children exposed to exploitative child labour. This program provides uniforms for children while the staff
in Botswana organizes placement in schools and other support in the holidays.

RED CROSS
Botswana Red Cross Society (BRCS) is an impartial, neutral and independent voluntary aid organization
auxiliary to the government of Botswana established in March 1968 under the act of parliament (CAP
64:01) as a humanitarian organization with the mandate to reduce the number of deaths, injuries and
impact from disasters so as to alleviate human suffering by providing service to the most vulnerable.

BRCS provides various services such as HIV/AIDS peer education program, In and Out of School Based
Program, Disaster Response and Disaster Preparedness, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Project, etc .
The Peer Education Project empowers youth with knowledge on productive health education.
The Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) project at BRCS deals with orphaned and vulnerable
children. Under this program children are cared for by volunteers and mentors. Both are responsible for
providing psycho-social support for children.

BRCS has the home-based care program that helps to train care-givers in the home to provide optimum
care to the sick. The facilitators also assist People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to form support groups
that encourage positive living.

ii.HOSPICES
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill
patient’s symptoms. For example, there is the Holy Cross Hospice which is responsible for taking care of
patients who have incurable illnesses in order to make for whatever time remains for them to live a
comfortable and free from pain. The hospice improves the quality of life and wellbeing of patients and
their families facing threatening illnesses through management of pains and other problems.

iii.WEDDING RINGS
Rings have been exchanged as a symbol of the bond of marriage for so long in so many different
cultures. Certainly the circle of a ring represents undying love and the continually renewed vows of the
married couple.

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TOPIC 2: LOYALTY IN SOCIETY

A:DEFINE LOYALTY
 Faithfulness or commitment to a person, country, group, or ideas.
 It refers to allegiance to what you do.
 It is about being honest, reliable, trustworthy, and dependable.

B:DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH CHRISTIANS EXPRESS LOYALTY TO GOD AND THEIR FELLOW MEN

a)Obedience to God’s commandments.

Loyalty to God is expressed through worship and doing the will of God. For example: the temptations of
Jesus and Job. The early Christians martyrs like the Ugandan martyrs showed loyalty to God. It can be
noted that in case of a conflict of loyalty between God and the earthly leaders, God takes precedence.
People should obey their earthly rulers as long as this loyalty does not come into conflict with loyalty to
God.

i.Exodus 24:1-11
The text relates how the covenant between the Israelites and God was made and sealed. During the
covenant ceremony at Mount Sinai, the Decalogue and the laws were read out to the people so that
they can declare their willingness to abide by them. This is how they will express concretely their loyalty
to Yahweh who has shown his commitment to them in the saving deeds he worked for them.

ii.Exodus 20:1-17
These are the Ten Commandments or the Decalogue. This is a unique code of laws which have great
significance to Jewish tradition. The Decalogue was a concrete expression of the Israelites relationship
with Yahweh. Through obeying the laws of the Decalogue, the Israelites expressed their gratitude to
Yahweh for saving them from slavery to become his people.
The first four commandments provide specific regulations concerning man’s relations with God. These
are as follows:
 You shall have no other gods before me.
 You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow
down to them or serve them.
 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

The other commandments concern the relationships among people and they are as follows:
 Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord
your God gives you.
 You shall not kill.
 You shall not commit adultery
 You shall not steal.
 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

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 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his
manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

iii.Deuteronomy 6:4-9

“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul
and might.”
This is referred to as the ‘Shema’, the great Israelite prayer. It describes a response of the whole person
to God in a relationship of love. The writer of this text warns his people that their success as a people
will depend on their faithfulness to Yahweh. Each Israelite is called to love Yahweh with his whole being.
Love is not to be expressed in simply obeying all the requirements of the Law but in yielding one’s whole
self to God with complete trust in him.
Yahweh’s people are to take this commandment of love to heart and instruct their children in what it
means in their lives.

iv.Joshua 1:8
The text says: ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day
and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make
your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.’ The Israelites are encouraged to be loyal to
God by studying the law and living according to it.

v.Micah 6:6-8
In this text, prophet Micah gives a fine expression of true loyalty. The prophet says that God is pleased
by the interior attitude of a person which shows itself in justice, kindness, and humility, not in a graet
show of religious fidelity.

b)Love for fellowmen

i.John 13: 34-35

When Jesus was speaking to his disciples, he said to them that they should love one another, just as he
loved them, to show that indeed they are his disciples.

ii.John 15: 1-17

In this text Jesus describes the relationships between himself, the Father, and the disciples, which are
established by the new covenant. By accepting his mission to preach the Kingdom faithfully, in spite of
opposition, Jesus initiated the new Israel, the new people of God, truly loyal to the Father. The new
people are the ‘fruit’ of the ‘true vine’ which is Jesus himself. When they respond to the Father with
love, he makes their life fruitful, as he wants them to be. The condition for remaining faithful is to be
united to Jesus in fellowship, receiving power and life from him.
In this text in verse 12, Jesus clarifies the commandments which his disciples are invited to live by: love
of God and love of each other. The kind of love demanded is a readiness to give one’s whole self for
others. The new covenant was initiated by God through Jesus. Those who accept it and live it out by
keeping the commandments of love, bear fruit in plenty.

c)When loyalty to authority conflicts with loyalty to God, loyalty to God takes precedence.

i.Daniel 6: 1-28 (Daniel in the Lion’s Den)

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King Dairus was so pleased with Daniel that he made him one of the three presidents over 120 satraps
of his empire. Fearing that Daniel would soon become chief administration officer of the realm, the
jealous presidents and satraps persuaded the king to sign an irrevocable decree that anyone, except the
king himself, would be thrown to the lions. When Daniel was found praying to his God in his upper
chamber, the king reluctantly commanded that he be cast into the den of lions although he expressed
the hope that Daniel’s God would deliver him because of his faithful obedience to the Torah. To the
king’s great joy, Daniel was found unharmed the next morning, and his accusers were thrown to the
lions. Orders were issued for everyone in the empire to reverence the God of Daniel. This story shows
that individuals must be loyal to the law of God at all costs. It also shows the importance of being loyal
to our rulers as long as that loyalty is not in conflict with our loyalty to God.

ii.Daniel 3: 1-30 (Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednigo)

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, and set it upon the plain of Dura. The people were
commanded that when heard the sound of the horn, they should fall down and worship the golden
image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall
immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. Therefore as soon as the people heard the sound of
the horn, they fell down and worshipped the golden image. But Shadreck, Meshack, and Abednigo
refused to worship the golden image because of their loyalty to God. As a result they were thrown into
the furnace of fire.

iii.Matthew 22: 15-22 (Taxes to Caesar)

Some Jews at the time of Christ did not like paying taxes. They said that this was because the
government of the Roman Empire was pagan. The Pharisees and the Herodians asked Jesus a tricky
question, whether it was loyal to pay taxes to Caesar (Roman Emperor) or not. Jewish patriots were
against paying taxes to the Romans who they regarded as foreigners. If Jesus said Jews should pay taxes,
he will be discredited in the eyes of the patriots. If he says Jews should not pay taxes, he can be
denounced to the Roman authorities as disloyal.
By drawing attention to the image of Caesar, the Roman Emperor, inscribed on the coin, Jesus reminds
the Pharisees that they accept Roman rule in practice. As long as they continue to do so, it is reasonable
that they should pay taxes. It is only when Caesar’s demands are in conflict with the commandments of
God that they have a duty to disobey.

C:THE CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING OF LOYALTY IN SOCIETY

 It is important to be loyal to rulers. In 1Timothy 2: 1-2, St Paul says supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all men, for kings, and for all who are in high
positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.
 We have to be loyal to our friends. (Matthew 26:33- Jesus and Peter. Peter declared to him,
‘though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.’ Peter was promising Jesus that
he will never leave him during a difficult time. However, he failed to act upon this promise. We
see him denying him three times.)
 We should be loyal to our nation. (Esther 4: Esther was a Jew and a queen. Her tribe was to be
destroyed. She risked her life by approaching the king, pleading with him to stop Haman from
destroying her nation.)
 We should be loyal to our masters: Joseph and Potiphar (Genesis 39: Potiphar was Joseph’s
master. Potiphar’s wife lusted after Joseph. One day she forced him to sleep with her. He
refused because of his loyalty to his master; Matthew 6:24- No one can serve two masters;
Ephesians 6:5-slaves should be obedient to their earthly masters)

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 We should be loyal to our families.

 There should be loyalty between husband and wife. (Ephesians 5:21-30)
 There should be loyalty between parents and children. (Ephesians 6:1-3)Children should obey
their parents in the Lord, as the commandment says: ‘Honor your father and mother that it may
be well with you.’ Parents should not provoke their children to anger, but bring them up in the
discipline and instruction of the Lord.

D:THE IMPORTANCE OF LOYALTY IN CHRISTIANITY

i.Loyalty builds relationships

Loyalty is part of all aspects of our lives. Loyalty implies trust; it helps us to have trust in others and gives
us a sense of security. In return we can be relied upon, we can be dependable. Loyalty should make us
enthusiastic about what our group has to do, and willing even to suffer for it if necessary.
Loyalty to oneself is the foundation of all trust. With confidence in ourselves, we can trust others to be
loyal to us, and we can be trusted by them. Human relationships are built on such loyalties.

ii. Loyalty brings man closer to God and his fellowmen.

The Old Testament stresses God’s loyalty to his people and the loyalty of people to him (Exodus 24). God
has offered the relationship and has been loyal to it. His people in turn, must respond to the covenant
with God in continual faithfulness to him.

Our loyalty demands faithfulness to Christ based on love, and expressed in action towards our
fellowmen (John 15). We must be loyal to the Father, as Jesus was, but often this demands sacrifice on
our part too. The Christian is to be loyal to God and to other people. He is also expected to be loyal to
his society (Matthew 22: 21: ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the
things that are God’s).

Christian loyalty however, is to the persons rather than to any system. If any system does not allow a
person to be loyal to God, to himself, and to his fellowmen, then we must work to change the system to
enable us to be true to God and to men.

TOPIC 3: JUSTICE AND PEACE

A:MEANING OF JUSTICE AND PEACE
Justice means right or equal treatment of people. Justice is concerned about providing maximum
conditions which will help them to grow or develop as persons. It also entails fair treatment and absence
of favors and partiality. In a way, justice is a prerequisite for peace in the society.

Peace means a situation where there is harmony among people, the absence of wars, contentions,
violence and enmity. Peace is inclusive of cooperation, and resolving differences with respect of one to

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the other. Peace involves being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. It is also about an inward
experience of forgiveness and confession.

B:BIBLICAL TEACHINGS ON ISSUES OF JUSTICE AND PEACE

i.The Bible teaches about harmonious living

Psalm 23
The text teaches that true peace does not mean the absence of wars, disasters, or personal trials but
have a strong trust in God in the midst of difficulties. People are never free from problems but they can
cultivate in themselves a relaxed faith in God that remains unshaken no matter what happens. We
always have to believe in God’s protective love. God’s protective love is compared to that of the faithful
shepherd.
-God gives to the man who trust him all that he needs (green pastures)
-‘Still waters’ refers to the waters of rest where one can be at peace.
-‘Paths of righteousness’ refers to living as God wants. God is ready to help us in our efforts to become
the persons we are called to be. The presence of difficulties does not weaken his power.
-Enemies often lay in wait in dark valleys to surprise unsuspecting Israelites. God’s presence is with us
even in times of extreme danger.
-God is pictured as preparing a meal for the just man. Eating is a sign of security and rejoicing. The man
who lives in God’s presence can afford to be relaxed and at peace. The anointing of the head of a guest
was an oriental sign of hospitality.

Isaiah 11:1-10
In this text the prophet tells of his vision of a future age when people will live in harmony, at peace with
each other, with God, and with all creation. He foretells the Messianic age, the new era, which would be
inaugurated by Jesus Christ. In Jesus would be found the perfect harmony in which men could live
together as brothers, and as sons of God.
The Coming Messiah will receive fully the Spirit of the Lord which has enlightened and strengthened the
prophets. He will possess the outstanding virtues of his ancestors: the wisdom and insight of Solomon;
the heroism and prudence of David; the reverence for God characteristic of the patriarchs and prophets.
-Verse 3 and 4: The Messiah will know the truth of things. He will understand the relationships which
ought to exist between God and all his creatures, and among all men. He will not be blinded by false
ideas. He will be especially sensitive to the poor and the weak, those who are always in danger of being
judged wrongly by the rich and powerful. Men will no longer be able to hide behind laws or external
practices while they neglect their neighbor.
-Verse 5: He will be just and faithful.
-Verses 6-8: Because he will be just, have a right understanding of relationships, and have the power to
overcome men’s inability to live as brothers, he will bring peace and harmony. These verses depicting
concord in the animal world suggest a return to the paradise described in the book of Genesis where
men and creation live in harmony with one another. The Messianic era (with the forgiveness of sins,
reconciliation with God, and the reign of justice which it will bring) will put an end to wars and discord.
-Verse 9: Men will no longer be at war with one another. When men seek to do God’s will, the long
sought era of peace can come about. The whole world, and not merely Israel, will share in the coming
salvation.

Revelation 21: 1-5

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In the book of Revelation, we find the description of the ‘New Jerusalem’ towards which we are
travelling. The writer wished to assure people of the final victory over evil, suffering and death, won for
us by Christ.
-Verse 1: The new heaven and the new earth represent the new creation which will come with the
fulfillment of the kingdom. The ‘sea’ in Jewish sacred writings symbolizes evil, which will vanish forever
when the kingdom is fulfilled.
-Verse 2: Man will be fully united to God in the ‘New Jerusalem’.
-Verse 3: God’s presence, experienced now in an incomplete way, will be complete in heaven.
Selfishness will no longer separate men from God or from each other.
-Verse 4: All that saddens our lives now- evil, pain, sorrow, suffering, death, will disappear. Men will be
at peace with each other, with the rest of creation, and with God.

ii.Acceptable human relationships

Isaiah 58:1-12
The prophet Isaiah called his people to open their eyes. He accuses them of being satisfied that they are
obeying their laws, while in fact they are not living as God’s people. They think that their obedience to
the laws of prayer and fasting is not good enough, and he insists that this blindness is preventing them
from bringing about a better life.
-Verses 1 and 2: The prophet makes fun of the Israelites who are so proud of their fasting and prayer
that they challenge the prophet to find anything to be corrected in their behavior.
-Verse 3: Those who come to the temple to pray and fast do not think of helping poorer members of the
community. The prophet belittles their efforts. To fast while neglecting the poor is a form of pride.
-Verses 6-7: The kind of ‘fasting’ which is pleasing to God is to share a lot with the deprived people all
around them. Acts of love and mercy please God and at the same time help their fellow men. Through
these, the rich can hope to become less proud and to see the poor people around them as brothers.
-Verse 8-9: If they will try to live humbly and lovingly with their fellowmen, they will receive a reward.
They will be able to see things more clearly. They will experience a new sense of fulfillment, a new
power and vitality which they have never experienced.
-Verse 12: When someone becomes concerned about another’s needs and tries to express this concern,
he helps to heal relationships in the community. Concern for others brings people closer to each other
and to God.

Amos 5: 7-15
The prophet Amos, like other prophets of his time, was a potential agent of change. What he tried to
effect was a return to the basic covenant of serving God and neighbor. The prophet showed people that
God was against people who abused each other. The wealthy members of the community were
oppressing others, thereby neglecting the commandments which explicitly demand respect for the
person. At the same time, they were making a great show of religious fidelity.
Amos accuses judges of abusing civil justice, making the poor suffer bitterly. The wealthy landlords
exacted an excessive share of the produce from those who farmed the land. The very people responsible
for administering justice are taking bribes, which only the wealthy can pay.

Zechariah 7:8
Through the vision of the prophet Zachariah people are asked to render true judgment, show kindness
and mercy to each other.

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iii.Injusticeseperates man from God. If people act unjustly towards others, they are drawing themselves
apart from God. God is pleased with those who show mercy and kindness to others.

iv.God turns a deaf ear to prayers of the unjust. (2Chronicles 7:14)According to this book of Chronicles,
God does not listen nor answers prayers of people who are unrighteous.

v.Injustice negates peace, e.g. exploitation of workers, oppression of the poor, taking bribes in
administration of justice

vi.Biblical teachings about justice and peace

Matthew 5:1-11
These are the Beatitudes. It is a summary of Jesus’ teaching about fundamental attitudes which bring
happiness to those who accept the Good News of the Kingdom.
 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
 Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted
 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied
 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
 Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you
falsely on my account.

Matthew 5: 17-48
Jesus explains to the people that he has come to fulfill the law, that is, to bring it to perfection. He will
perfect it and it will endure. The Law will not pass until it has been fulfilled. The Law that the disciples
are asked to follow is this perfected law. The disciples are called to go beyond the limitations of the Law
without rejecting it. Jesus then takes various commandments of the Law and invites people to go
beyond the too limited understanding of the Scribes and the Pharisees to new and more human
possibilities.
 Where the law forbids homicide, Jesus goes further and forbids anger as a barrier to right
relationships. The anger that impels to murder is itself destructive. Jesus rejects even
expressions of anger, abusive terms like ‘you fool’ or ‘idiot’. If someone has been angry with his
neighbor or has made his neighbor angry, he has a duty in trying to restore their relationships in
an act of reconciliation.
 The Law forbids adultery- intruding into the relationship between husband and wife. Jesus goes
beyond the act of infidelity to the contemplation of it in a man’s or woman’s heart.
 The laws controlling revenge sought to protect individuals and their families. The ‘lextalia’, (an
eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth) was actually a limit set in the Mosaic Law on the amount of
injury that should be inflicted by the avenger. But Jesus says we must go beyond the
narrowness of the ‘lextalia’. He points clearly to the principle of non-resistance.
 Whereas in the Old Testament law one could restrict kindness to one’s neighbors and be harsh
with people outside one’s group, now Jesus says clearly that we must act with love towards

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everyone, even those considered as enemies. It is love for one’s ‘enemies’ that assures the
integrity of Christian morality and distinguishes it from merely ethical morality.

C:THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF CHRISTIANITY TO JUSTICE AND PEACE IN THE SOCIETY

Some Christians took part in liberation of their nations. They campaigned for equality between blacks
and whites. They campaigned extensively for equality of people, recognition of people’s rights,
independence, reconciliation, and forgiveness.
 Jesse Jackson
 Martin Luther King Jr
 Allan Boesak
 Frank Chikane
 Desmond Tutu

JESSE JACKSON
 Jesse Louis Jackson was born on October 8, 1941. He is an African-American Civil Rights activist
and Baptist Minister.
 In 1965, he participated in Selma-to-Montgomery marches organized by James Bevel, Dr Martin
Luther King Jr, and other civil rights leaders in Alabama.
 In 1966, Jesse Jackson was selected by King and Bevel to be the head of the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Chicago. The key goal of the group was to foster boycotts as a
means to pressure white businesses to hire blacks and purchase goods and services from black
contractors.
 In 1980, he was a leading spokesperson for African Americans.
 He campaigned for equal rights between Blacks and Whites in U.S.A.
 He campaigned for the rights of women and homosexuals.
 In 1999, he spoke against apartheid in South Africa.
 In March 2006, An African-American woman accused three white members of the Duke
University men’s lacrosse team of raping her. During the controversy, Jackson stated that his
Rainbow Coalition would pay for the rest of her college tuition regardless of the outcome of the
case.
 During the 1980’s, he became famous as an African-American leader and as a politician, as well
as becoming a well-known spokesmen for civil rights issues.
 In 1983, Jackson travelled to Syria to secure the release of a captured pilot, Navy Lt Robert
Goodman who was being held by the Syrian government. Goodman had been shot down over
Lebanon while on a mission to bomb Syrian positions in that country. After a personal appeal
that Jackson made to Syrian president, Goodman was released.
 On the eve of 1991 Persian Gulf War, Jackson made a trip to Iraq, to plead to Saddam Hussein
for the release of foreign nationals held there, securing the release of several British and twenty
American individuals.
 He travelled to Kenya in 1997 to meet with Kenyan president Daniel ArapMoi as US President
Bill Clinton’s special envoy for democracy to promote free and fair elections.

DESMOND TUTU
 Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born in Klersdorp, Transvaal.
 In 1976, the protests in Soweto, also known as Soweto riots, against the government use of
Afrikaans as a compulsory medium of instruction in Black schools became a massive uprising
against apartheid. From then on, tutu supported an economic boycott of his country.

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 Tutu was Bishop of Lesotho from 1976 until 1978, when he became Secretary General of the
South African Council of Churches. From this position, he was able to continue his work against
apartheid with agreement from nearly all churches.
 Tutu advocated reconciliation between all parties involved in apartheid. Tutu’s opposition to
apartheid was vigorous and unequivocal, and he was outspoken both in South Africa and
abroad.
 Tutu criticized violent tactics of some anti-apartheid groups such as the African National
Congress and denounced terrorism and communism.
 In 1990, Tutu and ex-Vice Chancellor of the University of Western Cape Professor Jakes Gerwel
founded the Desmond Tutu Educational Trust. The Trust was established to fund developmental
programs in tertiary education.
 In 1995 Tutu was appointed a Chaplain and Sub-Prelate of the Vulnerable Order Of Saint John by
Queen Elizabeth II and he became Patron of the American Harmony Child Foundation and the
Hospice Association of Southern Africa.
 After the fall of Apartheid, Tutu headed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
 Tutu is generally credited with coining the term ‘Rainbow Nation’ as a metaphor for post-
apartheid South Africa after 1994 under National African Congress rule. This expression was
meant to describe South Africa’s ethnic diversity.
 Since his retirement Tutu has worked as a global activist on issues pertaining to democracy,
freedom and human rights. In 2006, Tutu launched a global campaign, organized by Plan, to
ensure that all children are registered at birth, as an unregistered child did not officially exist
and was vulnerable to traffickers and during disasters.
 Since retirement, Tutu has worked to critique the new South African government. Tutu has been
vocal in condemnation of corruption, the ineffectiveness of the ANC which led government to
deal with poverty, and outbreaks of xenophobic violence in some townships in South Africa.
 According to Tutu, peace does not come from an armed population but from an organized and
just population. He once said, “Taking up guns against ourselves is suicide”. From this we learn
that he was not a violent leader.

FRANK CHIKANE
 He was born on 3rd January, 1951. He is a South African Civil Servant, writer and cleric. He is a
member of the ANC.
 Chikane went to the University of the North to study sciences in hopes of becoming a physician.
However, while at the university, Chikane became involved in the Black Consciousness
Movement (or the Steve Biko Movement).
 Chikane led protests at the University against apartheid, which resulted in his leaving the
university without a degree in 1975.
 In the early 1977, while working in the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa as layman, he was
detained for a month under the Terrorism Act but was eventually released after a judge
dismissed his case.
 Chikane was eventually ordained by the church in 1980, when he began advocating social
programs such as a soup kitchen and adult education within the church for its primarily African
population.
 In 1985, Chikane was one of the leading promoters of the Kairos Document, a leading Christian
Denunciation of Apartheid. In 1989, agents of the apartheid government attempted to
assassinate Chikane by lacing his underwear with poison.

ALLAN BOESAK

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 Reverend Allan Aubrey Boesak was born on 23rd February, 1945 in Kakamas, Northern Cape. He
is a South African Dutch Reformed Church Cleric and politician and anti-apartheid activist.
 Boesak was elected as president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches in 1982, a position
he held until 1991.
 He rose to prominence during the 1980’s as an outspoken critic and opponent of the National
Party’s policies and played a major anti-apartheid activist role as a patron of the United
Democratic Front (UDF) from 1983 to 1991.
 Boesak resigned from church work because the church was discriminatory to homosexuals.
 He argued that the church should perform gay marriage ceremonies, and even to appoint gay
clerics.
 He encouraged Zimbabweans to rise up against President Mugabe and his party.
 He rejected the use of religion as a racist ideology. The whites used religion to oppress the
blacks, so Boesak argued against that.
 He rejected the separation of religion from political activism; to him, Christians should be
allowed to heavily engage in politics.
 In 1985, he organized a march at Polls moor prison to demand the release of Nelson Mandela.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR

 Martin Luther King Jr was born on January 15th 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the middle child of the
Reverend Martin Luther King Sr and Alberta Williams King.
 Martin Luther king Jr opposed injustice in the United States of America. He was against the
oppression of the Blacks in America.
 King believed that one must take a personal stand when faced with injustice. His way was one of
non-violence, which he believed was founded on the Gospel. We see this illustrated in his
“Commitment Pledge” that each one who walked with him in his demonstration marches had to
observe.
 He was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement.
 He worked for desegregation on buses and in shops.
 His dream speech was well known.
 He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
 He was assassinated in 1968.

The COMMITMENT PLEDGE of Martin Luther King:

I hereby pledge myself- my person and body- to the non-violent movement. Therefore I will keep the
following Ten Commandments:
1 Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.
2 Remember always that non-violent movement…..seeks justice and reconciliation, not victory.
3 Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.
4 Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.
5 Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free.
6 Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.
7 Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world.
8 refrain from violence of fist, tongue, or heart.
9 Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.
10 Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration.

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MOTHER TERESA
 She was a Roman catholic nun
 She was born in 1910 at Skopje capital of Macedonia
 At a young age she felt a calling to be a nun and serve through helping the poor
 At 18 years she was given permission to join a group of nuns in Ireland. She took formal religious
vows in 1931 and she chose to be named St Therese of Lisieux meaning the Patron of Saints.
 She returned to India and worked as a teacher but the widespread poverty in India was a great
concern to her, hence started the Missionaries of Charity whose primary objective was to look
after people who nobody cared for.
 Teresa devoted her life to serving the poor, destitute, the terminally ill around the world.
 She founded the Missionary of Charity as religious congregation to help those in great need in
Calcutta in India.
 She felt that serving others was a key principle of the teachings of Jesus Christ and often quoted
the saying of Jesus, “Whatever you did to the least of my brethren you did it to me.”
 To show her devotion to the poor, she left the convent in 1948 and decided to live among the
poorest people of Calcutta.
 She survived on a minimal income and food; she used to beg for funds for survival (for her and
the new nuns) but she did not give up her quest to help the poor.
 She also had respect for traditional Indian dress, hence she chose to wear a White Indian sari
with blue trimmings.
 In 1952 she opened her first home for the dying. This home allowed people to die in dignity. It
was opened to take care of the terminally ill so that they can die in dignity. She spent a lot of her
time with the dying though there was minimal and refusal to give medication. Society criticized
the fact that there is minimal medication or refusal to give medication to the sick but Mother
Theresa did not give up. She continued spending time with the terminally ill so that the die
knowing that there is someone who cares.
 In 1965 the society became an International Religious Family. It grew and spread overseas and
this was an initiative of Mother Theresa. In 2013, seven hundred (700) missions were operating
over 130 countries.
 Today Missionary of Charity has branches throughout the world where they work with the
homeless and those affected by HIV/AIDS, expanded to include orphanages and hospices for the
terminally ill.
 She never converted the dying to her faith but gave them their religious rights and appropriate
to their faith.
 She was strictly against abortion, death penalty and divorce and this is based on Catholic
teachings.
 In 1979, she was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for the work undertaken in the struggle to
overcome poverty and distress which also constitutes a threat to peace. She didn’t attend the

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banquet, but asked that $1 192 000 fund to be given to the poor. This shows that Mother
Theresa was selfless.
 She was also actively involved in western developed countries because she believed that they
might be materially prosperous but they were spiritually poor. In her words she said, ‘the
poverty in the west is the different kind of poverty; it is not only poverty of loneliness but also of
spirituality. There is hunger for love and there is hunger for God.’
 When asked what promotes peace, mother Theresa said, ‘Go home and love your family.’
 She was so concerned for the poor that she served them even when she was not well. She also
travelled around the world to different Missionary of Charity regardless of her ill health. This is a
sign of devotion.
 She was beautified in 2003 by Pope John Paul II for her Sainthood- known as Blessed Theresa of
Calcutta.

TOPIC 4: SALVATION
A:WHAT IS MEANT BY SALVATION

Salvation means:
 Freedom from bondage or sin.
 Perception of Jesus as a savior saving mankind from sin.
 To be rescued from calamity or the worth of God.
 Ultimate redemption from sin and reconciliation with God

B:BIBLICAL TEACHINGS ON SALVATION

i.Repentance (Luke 19:1-10)

Jesus brought salvation from whatever enslaves people, whatever keeps them from living
humanly. Jesus denied that wealth, security, or political success were necessary to happiness,
or proof of God’s approval of a man or a people. He even denied that strict observance of the
Mosaic Law can guarantee happiness or salvation, although the religious leaders of the time
were constantly upholding total obedience to the law.

In the story of Zaccheus, the writer shows the joy experienced by a person who opened himself
to the Good News of the Kingdom, in response to Jesus’ invitation. Zacchaeus, because he was
a tax collector for the Romans, was despised by his own people. In the eyes of the religious
leaders, he was a sinner. In promising to restore fourfold the goods of anyone whom he has
cheated, Zaccheus goes further than the law demands. He promises to give half of his goods to
the poor.
The mercy shown to Zaccheus is extended to his whole household, as Jesus said, “salvation has
come to this house, since he also is the son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and
to save the lost.”

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ii.Forgiveness (2Corinthians 5: 17-19)

Paul teaches that if anyone is in Christ, they are now a new creation. This means that their sins
have been forgiven. Christ has reconciled us with himself.

iii.Knowledge of God (John 17:3)

And this is eternal life that they know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou sent.
This reading simply means that salvation lies in the knowing God as the only true God and Jesus
as his Son sent to earth to save man from sin.

iv.Gift of eternal life (John 3: 16-17)

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish but have eternal life. God sent the Son into this world, not to condemn the world, but
that the world might be saved through him.

v.Christian living (Romans 12: 1-3)

Speaking to the community of Christians in Rome, Paul enumerates some of the demands made
on them by the fact of their membership in a Christian community. Paul recommends mercy,
forgiveness, kindness and love, rather than retaliation and revenge.
This book of Romans says:
-don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think.
-think with sober judgment
-Christians are members of the body of Christ.
-each member has its own function
-we have to use the gifts that we have according to the grace given to us.

C:BELIEFS ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE

i.The dead shall resurrect, the righteous to everlasting life and the evil to shame and
everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:1-4). The author of Daniel describes a vision of the angel
Michael standing up for judgment. There was a traditional belief that the names of the faithful
Israelites were written down in a book after death. Describe the terrible sufferings which the
persecuted Jews would endure, they would be saved. There is a clear reference in this text to
the resurrection of the dead and to the reward which will be given to those who have been
faithful to Yahweh. Those who have been unfaithful would be punished.
Verse 3 hints at the transformation, the great change, which the faithful will undergo after
death.

ii.The death and resurrection of Jesus makes possible the resurrection of the dead. (1
Corinthians 15: 1-58)
Paul says that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are all attested by the disciples who
knew Jesus before his death. Paul says that if Christ rose from the dead, the resurrection of the
dead must be possible. If the Corinthians deny the resurrection of the dead, they are also

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denying Christ’s resurrection. They would then be denying the fundamental doctrine of
Christian faith.
Christ has pioneered the way for all of us. His resurrection heralds the resurrection of all those
who accept the life he has won for us. Paul says Adam brought death, but Christ brought life.
Paul looks ahead to the fulfillment of the kingdom when the total victory of Christ will be made
clear. He will have conquered every enemy power. Even death will be under his power.
Paul tells people to rejoice in the sure fact of resurrection and not to let the certainty of death
make them miserable. Death has lost its sting, because we know that, for us, as for Jesus, God’s
love will triumph, and we trust that he will receive us joyfully into the Kingdom of God to enjoy
the fullness of life forever. We do not know what that means, except that it means to be with
Christ.

iii.There will be judgment of all mankind. (Matthew 25: 31-46).

In this imaginative scene we find the core of Jesus’ moral teachings. Jesus conveys to the
disciples the standards on which they will be judged. The scene is the end of time. ‘All nations’
means all mankind. They are gathered before the father to be judged worthy or unworthy to
live in his kingdom. The kingdom of the Father is the fulfillment of the kingdom established by
Jesus. The reward of the worthy is a place in the Father’s kingdom: that is, being with God,
sharing his life. The selection is not based on race, religion, obedience to the law, or time spent
on prayer or worship. Although faith is the turning point of man towards God, man is to be
judged entirely on his behavior to his fellow human beings. Serving one’s neighbor includes
serving God since Jesus identifies himself with those to whom service is given.

iv. There is heaven and hell

Heaven: to the extent that we experience love and communion, heaven is a present reality for
us. The experience of fellowship, forgiveness, and reconciliation, is the experience of what
heaven means. In our life, we choose heaven when we choose to act lovingly to others, when
we work for reconciliation and communion. A life spent in loving and caring is a life that has
already attained reality of the happiness and joy of heaven.

Hell: Selfish and egoistic living imprisons one in self, and leads to isolation, emptiness, the
inability to break out of self, the failure to truly be with others. Hell is the state of loneliness
and failure that we make for ourselves if we aim at satisfying self, and using others only for our
own pleasure. Hell is not something waiting for us, nor something to which God condemns us
for not obeying his laws; it is our own failure to live for the only things that last forever, love
and truth. If we choose self at all costs, God cannot lead us into communion and love: he can
only give us what we have chosen: the loneliness and isolation of self, the death of love, and
the eternal emptiness of pride.

The images that are used in the Bible to describe both heaven and hell should not be identified
with the reality of those states. Heaven and hell are not so much places as states of mind and
the images used: darkness, torment, fire, the worm that never dies, on the one hand, and the
river of life, the wedding feast, the table fellowship, the light of God, on the other, are all ways
of telling us what the reality is: the terrible pain of lovelessness or the glorious joy of love.

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D:THE RELEVANCE OF SALVATION IN MODERN SOCIETY

 It brings harmony in society, and promotes justice and peace.

 It curbs crime by promoting morality.
 It brings and strengthens relationships.
 It brings man closer to God; man is reconciled to God through Christ and that helps man
to relate well with his fellowmen.

TOPIC 5: AUTHORITY
A:THE BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION OF AUTHORITY

i.God’s authority

 God is the Supreme Being, he created the universe.

 He rules over the entire universe and controls it.
 He does as he pleases according to his will.
 He is compared to the potter of clay, shaping man as it pleases him, and he requires
man to be submissive and accountable to him. (Genesis 2; Exodus 20)
 He forgives and justifies man. (Romans 3: 21-26)
 Christians are to submit to the headship of Christ and the authority of the Bible.
(Romans 8:14; 2Timothy 3:16; John 15:1-17; John 10:9-10; John 14:6)

ii.Authority in the home is emphasized.

 Children are to obey their parents. Ephesians 6:1 says: Children, obey your parents in
the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and your mother, that it may be well with
you, and that you may live long on the earth.
 Wives are to be submissive to the authority of their husbands. (Ephesians 5: 22-24)
 Servants are to be submissive to their masters. (Ephesians 6: 5-9)
 Husbands are to be the heads of families. (Ephesians 5: 23)
 Authority to the government: those in authority are to be respected and given
cooperation. (Romans 13:1-4; 1Peter 2:14-15; 1Peter 2:13-14)

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B:THE IMPORTANCE OF AUTHORITY IN SOCIETY

 It helps people to live together cooperatively.

 It enables the leader to serve the needs and desires of the people.
 Through consensus, the leader ensures that the decision taken is implemented.
 Parents teach their children to be independent. Parents are qualifies by their own
human maturity to guide their children toward what is good and away from what is
harmful.
 Teachers, with their specialized knowledge and experience, enable others to overcome
ignorance, and so develop in freedom.
 Civil leaders have the task of coordinating the efforts and resources of society for the
common good. As society becomes more complex, it requires a more complex
organization to regulate and order all its elements.

C:QUALITIES OF A GOOD LEADER

 He must have interpersonal skills

 Good listening skills.
 Must have the interests of the team at heart
 Must be intelligent enough to lead.
 Must be emotionally intelligent.
 Must be cooperative.

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