Chapter II
THE SCRIPTURES AND CREEDS
21. The
Church followed Judaism “in regarding Scripture as the record of
revelation, and of unique religious authority”.
Consider the bearing of this on our differences with the Roman
Church regarding the basis of dogmas of the Faith.
22. Discuss: “There is a tendency towards the New Testament in the
Old”.
23. Do you think that Article VII is justified in distinguishing between
parts of the Old Testament which are binding upon Christians, and those
which are not?
24. “It is a mistake to suppose that prophetic vision or insight
contained a clear picture of the future, every detail of which was realized
in the event, prophecy is never equal to fulfilment like that: fulfilment
is always richer and more meaningful than prophecy”. Do you agree?
25. Discuss the statement: “There are different sorts of truth. If the facts of a story are true but the interpretation
they place on God are untrue, is it right to say the story is true?”
26. “No man is ever better than the best he believes”. Is this true? If so, has it any relevance to the Creeds?
27. “Every man should be free to reject whatever be dislikes; the
Church should not require acceptance of the Creeds”. Discuss the weakness of such an argument (e.g., should a man be
free to reject any of the Commandments with impunity; what would happen
to society if everyone did the same?).
28. “It is better to be a heretic than a hypocrite!” Do you agree? Is it necessary to be either one or the other?
29. The present century has seen great scientific advances which are
widely regarded as marks of “progress”.
Discuss whether it is easier to overcome sin today (consider
juvenile delinquency, sexual relationships, the effect of modern advertising
on morals and standards, etc.). Can
industrialized society be regarded as “better” than rural
society?
30. Discuss the failure of the evolutionary theory of ethics to account
for conscience.
31. “The doctrine of Original Sin is an attempt to explain the universal
sinfulness of human nature”. Do
you agree that there is a tendency to do evil in every person –
if so, how do you account for it?
32. Discuss the statement: “Nothing is too good to be true; the
better it is the truer it is”.
33. God’s love in creation and redemption must be the primary thought
about His relation to us. Discuss
whether such a belief tends to preserve human freedom.
34. Why can man not “turn and prepare himself, by his natural strength
and good works, to faith, and calling upon God”?
35. “For beings placed in a world like ours, acceptance of the Gospel
involves two things, the prompting of grace to believe, and personal
decision to respond”. Do
you agree?
36. Temptation has been defined as “the conflict within us between
what we believe to be the will of God on one side and the pull of evil
forces on the other”. Is
such temptation good for us, or would we be better people without it
(e.g. does a person who knows nothing of the will of God experience
any consciousness of being tempted)?
37. Discuss the nature of our Lord’s Temptation in the wilderness.
Do we ever suffer similar temptitions to day?
38. How are the two statements in 1 John 1:8 and 3:9 on sinfulness and
sinlessness to be reconciled? If
we teach that sinless perfection is not feasible on earth, do we undermine
the motive for human effort?
39. Article XVI takes an intermediate position between two extremes (a)
the impossibility of forgiveness for the unpardonable sin, and (b) the
impossibility of the regenerate committing sin. Discuss the value and limitations of each of the three positions,
and show which is in closest accord with your own experience.
40. Should the Church adopt a more stringent
attitude towards those who deliberately commit sin? Which attitude is most likely to
lead to the sinner’s repentance?
Should the same rules be applied and rigidly enforced in every
case?
41. Show that the general teaching of the New Testament is that Christians
still sin, can repent and receive pardon.