Summary Points: Sacred Texts
Students learn about:
The Bible
Students learn to:
Identify the importance of the Bible in Christianity
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The books in the Bible are divided into two main collections, the Old
Testament also known as the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament
The Bible is considered to be the word of God as it is inspired by God and
thus provides deep spiritual insights for Christians into their religion
The exact nature of the inspiration is a topic of contention.
Fundamentalist Christians interpret Biblical inspiration in a literal sense, in
that the inspiration of scripture amounts to God dictating a word for word
account which was then recorded and passed on into the Christian
communities
Catholic and Orthodox denominations, together with High Church Anglicans
and some Protestant denominations believe that the Holy Spirit inspired
human beings who came to an enlightened understanding of God and recorded
these reflections as a way of passing their faith onto the community.
Therefore, the Bible contains all that is necessary for human salvation
however the Bible should not be understood in literal terms
The Bible is important because it contains salvation history, the account of the
history of creation that shows the action of God in human history culminating
in the life and ministry of Jesus.
The Bible is normative for Christianity, highlighting key beliefs and
determining the practical application of legal, ethical and ritual dimensions
The Bible is seen to provide guidelines for ritual, prayer and worship
The Bible provides the model for life action particularly in relation to ethical
guidance
The Bible underpins theological studies
The application of the Bible differs across the spectrum of Christian
denominations
Catholic and Orthodox denominations believe that tradition illuminates the
meaning of scripture, in that the revelation of God comes through scripture in
the light of tradition
Protestant groups follow the teachings of Luther, who taught that the only
source Christians should turn to for inspiration is the Bible.
The belief in "bible alone" is known as sola scriptura
The belief in sola scriptura is particularly strong amongst evangelical
Protestants
High Church Anglicans believe that tradition and scripture go hand in hand
\Students learn about:
The Bible
Students learn to:
Examine extracts from the Bible which demonstrate the principal beliefs of
Christianity
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The divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ
o Matthew 16:13-20 - Jesus is the Son of God and therefore Jesus is fully
divine
o John 1:1-14 - Jesus is fully human as well as being co-eternal with the
Father, in that he existed alongside God throughout all of eternity
o Hebrews 4:14-16 - Jesus is fully human and is thus able to understand
the exact nature of the human condition. Yet, he is also fully divine and
thus able to intercede for human kind. In other words, he has both the
power to save and the compassion to empathise with human need
The nature of God and the Trinity
o Luke 3:21-22 - Luke's description is testimony to the three persons of
the trinity in relationship at the time of the baptism of Jesus
o John 16:5-16 - This segment of Jesus' prayer focuses on the
interrelationship between the three persons in the Trinity, especially
the subsequent coming of the Spirit following Jesus' departure
o John 5:1-12 - This passage speaks of the interrelationship between the
three persons of the Trinity. Firstly, there is a close relationship
between the believer through the Holy Spirit that flows from the Father
and the Son and secondly the Holy Spirit gives testimony to the truth
of Jesus
Revelation
o John 20:30-31 - The Scripture is recognised as a key vehicle of
revelation, in reflecting the faith of the early Church community and
inviting the audience to embrace the same faith
o 2 Timothy 3:15-16 - The scriptures are a source of wisdom and lead us
to have faith in Jesus who brings us the gift of salvation. Scripture is
inspired by God
o 2 Peter 1:20-21 - The Holy Spirit inspires people to write the
Scriptures with the intent of encouraging faith and not necessarily to
provide historical and scientific evidence of God
Salvation
o Matthew 25:26-31 - Eternal salvation is integrally connected to the
treatment of others especially those who have the greatest need
o John 3:16-17 - This verse highlights the fundamental Christian belief
that salvation comes through Jesus
o Rom 5:1-11 - Salvation comes through faith in Jesus, whose death
reflects God's saving action and hence God's love of humankind