Church History I Final
Please answer the 6 questions in essay format individually.
Put all your anwers in in a single file in either Word or PDF form and upload them in the 'final paper upload' on the Quiz tab.
Answer all questions carefully. Pay close attention to what is being asked in the question. Do not go off on side issues. For example, if the question asks for historical examples, give them. If it asks for biblical citations, give them.
Also, when a question asks for biblical citations, you must cite or briefly discuss the passage. You are not asked to do exegesis or give a sermon.
A good answer will be roughly 1 page max, though feel free to answer the question as much as you’d like.
Lastly, while I ask questions that are more personal, the point here is not to write an autobiography. I ask the questions this way to force you to think about practical answers to the material.
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A friend tells you that the church has always been corrupted. That the church was corrupted, in fact, almost immediately after the close of the New Testament. That centuries of the church was pagan and didn’t worship Christ—but that they are proud to be in a denomination that has FINALLY learned the true way. How would you respond to this friend?
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One issue between Catholics and Protestants is faith and works. A neighbor approaches you and tells you they are Catholic and they work hard at confession, Hail Mary’s, and other acts to “make up for their sins” before God. They tell you they get into the red with God and that these good works get them back “in the black” spiritually. How would you respond to them. Cite relevant biblical passages you feel clarify the issue.
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Constantine entangled the political world with the church in the 4th century. Do you think this was a good thing, an evil thing, or a complex situation that is both good and bad? Explain and cite relevant historical evidence.
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Someone you are sharing the Gospel with tells you they have trouble with the Christian faith because of the bad things that have occurred in the past. They tell you, for example, they are appalled by the Crusades. And they are unsure if they can trust a church that slaughtered people for the Gospel. How do you respond?
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A young Christian rebukes Christians for approving of the Nicene and Chalcedonian Creeds. They tell you the creeds were inventions of man—and inventions of the Pope. That the Bible does not teach any of this stuff about Christ being fully God and fully man. How do you respond? Cite historic and biblical passages.
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A young family loses a child tragically. They ask you how God could allow this to happen—raising the question of the “problem of evil”. How do you respond. Cite biblical passages.