Introduction

The term ‘morality’ has been defined in an explanatory way under two broad classifications in this article: (a) general description, (b) biblical description. The main reason for this classification is to be able to compare biblical system of morality, which is the focus of the study with other systems of morality. Scott B. Rae observed, ‘most people use the term morality and ethics interchangeably. Technically, morality refers to the actual content of right and wrong. Morality is the end result of ethical deliberations, the substance of right and wrong’.1 While noting this difference, the terms would be discussed as an inseparable pair in this paper.

General Definition of Morality

According to the New Bible Dictionary, the words ‘ethics’ and ‘morals’ according to the Greek and Latin books mean ‘customs’.2 The idea is to discover the things that are usually done and conclude that these are the things one ought to do. Logically, it follows that these are the things that will seem right to the individual and also to society. Scott B. Rae goes a bit further in stating what morality is primarily concerned about. He said that morality is primarily concerned about questions of right and wrong, the ability of distinguishing between the two, and the justification of the distinction.3 There may be norms in society, with reference to what is right and wrong. However, society faces so many new and challenging issues, that people are forced into ethical deliberations. Samuel Enoch Stumpf, in his book, ‘Elements of Philosophy’, possesses the following questions: Why can’t we do just what we want to do? What difference does it make to anyone how we behave? Why does the question of ethics arise in the first place? Why should we think that one way of behaving is better than the other? That telling the truth is better than trying to get ourselves out of trouble by telling a falsehood? And who has the authority to tell us what to do? He concludes by saying that one should study ethics in order to find answers to the questions, what should I do? And why should I do it?4 From Stumpf’s statement it can be seen that the main issue that divides people in their moral views is that of the ultimate source of moral authority.

Norman L. Geisler in the first seven chapters of his book, ‘Ethics: Options and Issues’ shows this division among people as he discussed the basic approaches to ethics. He states that ethical systems could be broadly divided into two main categories: deontological (duty centered) and teleological (end-centered). Deontological systems are systems that are based on principles in which actions (or character or even intentions) are inherently right or wrong. Teleological systems, on the other hand are system that are based on end result produced by an action.5 Scott B. Rae, in his discussion on ethical systems included one more division – relativism, to that already stated by Geisler. According to him ‘relativism’ refers to an ethical system in which rights and wrongs are not absolutes and unchanging, but relative to one’s culture (cultural relativism) or one’s own personal preferences (moral subjectivism).6 However, this third category can still fit under Geisler’s two divisions. Further, Geisler stated that there are six major ethical viewpoints: (i) Antinomianism – says there are no moral norms; (ii) Situationism – affirms that there is one absolute law (the law of love); (iii) Generalism – claims that there are some general laws but no ones; (iv) unqualified absolute laws that never conflicts; (v) conflicting absolutism – contends that there are many absolute norms that sometimes conflicts and one is obligated to do lesser evil; and (vi) graded absolutism – holds that many absolute laws sometimes conflict, but one is responsible to obey the higher law. Geisler pointed out these six sub-categories are based on a view of ethical approach, which revolves around norms – deontological.7 In contrast the other approach does not stress norms but ends – teleological, and is described as non-normative or utilitarian approach.

Biblical Definition

1. General Observations

D. H. Field observed that, ‘biblical ethics are God centered, instead of following majority opinion, or conforming to customary behaviour, the scripture encourages us to start with God and his requirement – not with man and his habits – when we look for moral guidelines’.8 In order to understand the Bible’s definition of morality, one needs to examine the scripture, as Field observed, to see what God says and requires. He points out five things from the Bible about biblical morality points us to the person of God to discover that nature of goodness. God alone is good and it is his will that expresses what is good and acceptable and perfect; ii) the source of moral knowledge is revelation. According to the Bible, Knowledge of right and wrong are not so much an object of philosophical inquiry as an acceptance of divine revelation; iii) moral teaching is phrase as commend not statements. With the exception of the OT wisdom literature, moral judgements are laid down flatly, not argued out reasonably. The philosophers on the other hand had to reason their moral judgment in order to convince people that they are good; iv) The basic ethical demand in biblical ethics is to imitate God. God sums up goodness in his own person. Man’s supreme ideal according to the Bible is to imitate him; v) Religion and ethics is theocentric. The moral teachings of scripture loose its credibility once the religious undergirding is removed. Religion and ethics are related as foundation to building. Biblical ethics spring from biblical doctrine and the two are inseparable. 9

2. Morality in the Old Testament

From a amore general overview of biblical morality, it is but proper to understand the concept as presented in the two testaments. In the OT a close understanding of the covenant, the Law and the Prophets can give one a clearer understanding of morality. These three aspects will now be examined individually examined.

a) The Covenant

The covenant God made with Israel through Moses (Exod. 24) had direct and far-reaching significance. God’s grace as seen in his actions of love and concern in delivering Israel from Egypt, supplies the chief motive for obedience to his commandments. The Israelites as God’s partners were united to respond gracefully to God’s prior acts of underserved love. They were called to his will in gratitude for his grace, rather than submit in terror to threats of punishment. For this reason, for example, slaves were to be treated generously because God treated the Hebrew slaves with generosity in Egypt.

The covenant also encourages an intense awareness of corporate solidarity in Israel. Its effect was not only to unite the individual to God, but also to bind all covenant members into a single community. A man’s transgression therefore can affect the whole community (josh 7), and everyone is under obligation to help a needy person. The strong emphasis on OT ethics hinges on social ethics.

b) The Law

The covenant provided the context for God’s law giving. A distinctive feature of the OT law was its stress on the maintenance of right relationships between people and between people and God. It can be noted that the most serious sequence of the law breaking was not any material punishment, but the resulting breakdown in relationships. (Ho 1:2). The Ten Commandments, which should be seen as the heart of the law, are concerned with the most fundamental of relationships. They set out the basic sanctity governing belief, worship and life.

c) The Prophets

Social conditions in Israel changed dramatically since Moses’ time, and the Israelites failed to see how the law required obedience in their daily dealings in society, which also affected their relationship with God. The Prophets made it their business to interpret the law by digging down to its basic principle and applying these to the concrete moral problems of their day.

2. Morality in the New Testament

Norman L. Geisler made the following observations about New Testament
Ethics:

1) That Christian ethics is based on God’s will. It is, as she puts it, a form of

divine command position; an ethical duty, which is something we ought to

do. It is prescriptive;

2) that Christian ethics is absolute. The fact that God’s moral character does
not change (Mal 3:16) means those moral obligations that flow from his nature are absolute. Geisler points out that whatever is traceable to God’s unchanging moral character is a moral absolute e.g. holiness, justice, love, truthfulness and mercy. Other commands flow from God’s will, but they are not absolute. That is, they must be obeyed because God prescribed them, but he did not prescribe them for all people, times and places. Absolute moral duties, on the contrary are binding on all people at all times and in all places;

3) That Christian ethics is based on God’s revelation. What God commands

has been revealed both generally (Rom. 1:19-20;2:12-15) in nature, and

specifically (Rom. 2:2-18;3:2) in scripture. God’s general revelation

contains his command for all people. His special revelation declares his

will for believer;

4) That Christian ethics is prescriptive since moral rightness is prescribed by

a Moral God. Geisler pointed out that there is no moral law without a

moral Lawgiver, or a moral legislation without a moral legislator. Therefore

Christian ethics is prescriptive not descriptive. Christians do not have their

ethics in the standard of Christians but in the standard for Christians – The

Bible; and

5) Christian ethics is deontological. That is, based on principles in which

actions (or character or even intentions) are inherently right or wrong.10

CONCLUSION

Morality, as defined in this paper is the actual content of right and wrong. The major issue however is how to determine it. The main question that arises out of this issue is: Where lies the ultimate source of moral authority? One group of people believes that authority is immanent, human beings have the authority to create their own moral rules and systems – they fall under the category of teleological ethics. The other group believes that moral authority is transcendent, that is, authority exists outside of ordinary human experience. In biblical morality, that authority is God, who has revealed himself to human beings through his special and general revelation. That makes biblical ethics unique. It is deontological. In both the old and New Testament it is seen that morality is grounded in the nature and character of God.

As was pointed out, ethics and morality are inseparable. For Christians, ethics is not so much of determining the good but of choosing it. For non-Christians it is more of determining the good. Whether one is a Christian or not as human being, one will certainly engage in ethical deliberations.

END NOTES

1Scott Rae, Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics (Michigan: Zondervan

Publishing House, 1995), p. 15.

2D.H. Field, Ethics: New Bible Dictionary. (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1982),

p. 351 .

3Scott Rae, Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics (Michigan: Zondervan

Publishing House, 1995), p. 21.

4Enoch Stumpf, Elements of Philosophy (London: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1993), p. 21.

5Norman L. Geisler, Ethics: Options and Issues. Michigan: Baker Book House,

1989), p. 24.

6Scott Rae, Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics (Michigan: Zondervan

Publishing House, 1995), p. 16.

7Norman L. Geisler, Ethics: Options and Issues. Michigan: Baker Book House,

1989), p. 25.

8D.H. Field, Ethics: New Bible Dictionary. (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1982),

p. 351 .

9Ibid, p. 351.

10Norman L. Geisler, Ethics: Options and Issues. Michigan: Baker Book House,

1989), pp. 22 -24.
cloud law

On a Nairn Academy filing cabinet a magnet states, “The Ten Commandments are NOT a multiple choice”.

In every area of life man requires direction and laws – even when driving. They are for his welfare, well-being and safety. Can you imagine how our road system would be even more chaotic if there were no laws and rules?

Some protest that the Commandments are negative and ‘it is bad psychology to be too negative’. What absolute nonsense!

Even in sport, when the ball goes over the line, the game must stop – ‘no matter how well I thought I was playing’.

It is when we live within the limitations, which God has set, that we enjoy liberty.

For society to have a healthy morality it is important to define what is wrong as well as what is right. Both are essential.

Another objection is that God’s Commandments are ‘antiquated’ or old fashioned, being 3,000 years old.

Well, as the doctor said, “You came into this world in an old fashioned way and you will leave it in an old fashioned way!”

The Commandments help define sin. You can tell if a wall is crooked by hanging a plumbline, or placing a spirit-level against it. The straight edge of God’s Law reveals how crooked we are, and until a man realises he is crooked he will not want to be straightened.

It has been suggested that they are Old Testament and Jewish.

Jesus Christ was a Jew. The one who died for me on the cross, shedding His blood to wash away my sin, was the King of the Jews. It was He who was raised from the dead three days later and it is He who is coming back to this world to put right what has gone wrong.

Until a man knows he has a disease he will not seek the cure.

Sandy Shaw
About the Author:

Since the invasion of Iraq four years ago, the worthy dream of President George W. Bush has been the democratization of Iraq. But wearing horse blinders from the outset-with poor intelligence, not enough troops, no knowledge of Islamic culture, and refusal to reach out to present and elder statesmen for counsel before charging into the valley of death, the Commander-in-Chief of the United States now stands at a crossroad in history. What must horse and rider do? Take the high road or the low-and where is the finish line?

Since the president and many of his supporters subscribe to “the end times,” with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse leading the way to Armageddon, it is fitting to revisit Revelation 6:5-6, as it describes the Third Horseman “…and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages-and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

Ah. Certainly let’s not damage that oil. Determined not to let former Secretary of State James Baker steal the spotlight with his Commission’s anxiously awaited December report, Mr. Bush uses his Middle East trip to repeat worn out one-liners and sound-bites: American troops will not leave Iraq “until the mission is complete.” And “nothing less than victory.” This from the man who knows nothing about the history of the very place where he insists Americans must continue to die each day.

The ancient land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers has known countless invaders, from old Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon to assorted conquerors like Alexander the Great, the Sumerians, Babylonians, Persians, the Arabs, the Turks, the French, the British and little old US. Doubtless there will be others after we are gone. The place holds the blood of zillions, and one of the largest oil reserves on earth. How many American sons and daughters is that oil worth, how many barrels of blood?

Mr. President: Did you not hear the outcry of the American people on November 7, 2006? Stay the course was not an option then nor is it now. The people did not vote for Democrats or Republicans when they “swift-booted” your party out of office. They voted for change. You are not listening to the people. You never have.

Repeating the same message again and again, Adolph Hitler used the psychology of the big lie to horrendous effect. But continuing to insist Al-Qaeda is the major instigator of the Iraq war serves only to distract and muddy the waters. Of course Al-Qaeda has a hand in the chaos and most certainly rejoices in it. But the (Rove) tactic of ignoring what is, and consistently repeating what is not, no longer works. Been there.

Mr. President: What were you thinking when for six years you ignored the smoldering cauldron between Israelis and Palestinians? When you gave your blessings to the wasteful, poorly executed invasion of Lebanon by Israel? Now another American-supported wobbling democracy, Lebanon, teeters on the brink of collapse through formidable Hezbollah forces, supported by Syria and Iran.

Mr. President: Diplomacy first. Now that our strengthened enemies have the upper hand, they do not want or need anything from us, except for us to get out. You have a talented corps of career diplomats. Colin Powell knew that. By not using your State Department from the beginning instead of shock-and-awe-Rumsfeld, by not tirelessly pursuing diplomacy throughout the Middle East, you made the biggest mistake of your presidency, cost us thousands of dead and wounded, and made America’s goals in the region, whatever they are at this point, all the more difficult.

Might you not consider a suggestion from a 10th century monk: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

“Simplicity-Courage-Humor-Soul”®
About the Author:

Many who oppose the biblical teachings that condemn such things as the practice of the gay lifestyle are swift to declare that the Bible is outdated for these modern centuries. Could they perhaps be correct?

Christians believe that in Old Testament times, God accepted the shed blood of sacrificed animals for the remission of sin. They now believe the practice was outlawed by the Lord during New Testament times, making it an outdated, non-existent practice beginning in Jesus’ day which belongs to biblical times. This is a perfect example at which to take a look when considering the Bible’s relevancy for today.

The ninth chapter of the New Testament book of Hebrews is one of the biblical passages that speak of the sacrifice of the animals and that of Jesus, comparing the two. It’s not difficult to see that the central message never changes. Innocent blood had to be shed for the remission of sin. The sacrificial animals were without sin and so was Jesus. God never changed from his original requirement. Although he did away with the Old Testament in favor of a new and superior one (KJV Jeremiah 31:31, Hebrews 9ninth chapter), both covenants rest on the very same base–shed blood for the remission of sin.

Jesus is the testator for the New Testament and his blood was shed for man’s sins. The Bible is careful to remind that blood was also shed during the Old Testament times, saying, “whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood” (Hebrews 9:18). The scripture of Hebrews points directly back to Old Testament times during which the high priest never entered the holiest place (beyond the second veil) without blood.

Wouldn’t it make sense to say then that the Old Testament is definitely outdated, and perhaps the New? Again, scripture already answered that question. It is the manner in which sin was remitted in the Old Testament that is outdated, not the truth on which that manner rested. In other words, blood was shed for sin under the Old Covenant and blood was shed for sin under the new. The manner changed but the reason never did–God required it.

A Natural Example

A child may be entertained with harmless games that children play. That same child that has grown into an adult is no longer entertained with such games. Those games are ‘outdated’ for his adult time period. Nevertheless, his desire to be entertained never changed, it never ceased to exist.

It’s not the manner in which something is done that matters so much as the reason for which it’s done. It’s correct to say that animal sacrifices are outdated. It’s not correct to say that the shedding of blood for the remission of sins is outdated. God said, “I am the Lord, I change not…” (Malachi 3:6).

Those who seek truth must read the Bible for themselves and stop continually relying on others to tell them what it does and does not say. They will find a great many flaws in the doctrine of those who aim to discredit the scriptures that condemn the things that God has, does, and always will call an abomination.

It’s recorded that, “…the word of the Lord endureth forever, and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (1 Peter 1:25).
mom rox

With so many things going on in this world today, we feel that
the Bible has no connections at all in present time. This
article will explain, and reveal to you that the Bible The Word
Of The Living God, has more to do with our time, more than ever
before. In the first three chapters of Genesis, it shows how
Adam and Eve, were taken out of the Garden due to sin, and taken
away from the Holy presence of God. The good news is that the
book of Revelation has the keys that will unlock Heavens gates,
and enter us Back into paradise, where we will be able to live
with Jesus the Son of God, and the King of Kings Forever, and
Ever!

However, a lot of us today do not understand the book of
Revelations, and we then translate it into our own
interpretation. 2 Peter 1:20 clearly says that “Knowing this
first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation.”

So if it is not of private interpretation then how can I as an
individual understand Bible Prophecy?
1. Before Opening The Bible always say a word of prayer, and ask
the Lord to provide you with wisdom, and understanding.
In James 1:5 it says that “If any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, and it shall be given him.” So how do you know that you
will be given the wisdom that you have prayed for? Numbers 23:19
says that “God is not a man, that he should lie.”
2. Search the Scriptures. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye
think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of
me.” John 5:39 In this scripture Jesus admonishes us to search
the scriptures because the scriptures testify of Him Jesus
Christ, the Lamb of God. The one that has died for our sins.

To understand the Prophecies of Revelation. We must first have
a background. To obtain that background we must have a
knowledge of the Old Testament. There are a lot of people that
says that the Old Testament has nothing to do with the New
Testament. If you do not understand the Old Testament then you
will never understand the New. There are 404 verses found in
the book Of Revelation. Out of the 404 verses of the book, 278
verses refer to other stories, and prophecies in the Old
Testament. The Old Testament is a platform for the first coming
of Jesus. It sets the stage, and gives us examples of things
that would happen to Jesus when He comes, in the New Testament.

In the Old Testament we will review two stories, and then refer
to them in the New Testament, and how they related to the Life
of Jesus.

First we will review the story of Joseph. Joseph was one of 12
brothers. (Gen. 37:9 & Gen. 42:13) Joseph had his robe taken
away from him, he was placed into a pit by his brothers where he did
not have any food or water. Joseph was then sold for the price
of slave.(Gen. 37:28) After he was sold, his brothers took his
coat, and dipped it into blood.(Gen. 37:32) Even though Joseph
went through this ordeal he still came out alive. What Joseph,
and his brothers did not know was that God had a greater plan in
store for them. God later used Joseph to save his family during the
time of famine in the land of Egypt.

Now we will review the Life of Jesus, in the New Testament, and
see how it relates to the story of Joseph in the Old Testament.

Jesus had 12 disciples. (Matt. 11:1) Judas sold Jesus
for the price of a slave, or 30 pieces of silver. (Matt. 27:3)
Once Jesus was in the hands of the Chief Priests and Pilate, He
was beaten and his clothes were taken away from him, which was
splattered with his own blood. (Matt. 27:31) Before Jesus died
he prayed for those who crucified him, and said “Father Forgive
them for they no not what they have done.” (Luke 23:32)
God too had a plan for Jesus. He came to save the world
From sin.

Here in these two stories you will see that the prophecy was
predicted in the life Of Joseph, and was fulfilled in the life
Of Jesus Christ.

Some similarities that are found here are:

1. Both Joseph, and Jesus were sold as a slave.

2. Both, had their garments taken away from them.

3. Both forgave those who had sinned against them.

The Second Story that we will review is of Abraham, and Isaac.
Isaac was a special child because Abraham’s wife Sarah could not
have children, and in their old age God Blessed Abraham, and Sarah
with a son, Isaac. (Gen. 21:3) God, testing Abraham’s faith, and
told him to sacrifice his only son on the alter, as a burnt
offering. (Gen. 22:2) Isaac, then carried the wood on his back
for the alter. (Gen. 22:6) When they reached the mountain that
the Lord had specified, Abraham, then made an alter, and tied
Isaac to it. When he was ready to slay his son, he heard a
Angels voice from heaven saying “Abraham, Abraham Do not lay a
hand upon that lad, and do not do anything to him. (Gen.22: 9 –
12) With thanksgiving, and praise, Abraham, lifted his eyes,
and saw a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. Abraham took
the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his
son. (Gen. 22:13)

Now we will compare the story of Abraham, and Isaac to the Story
of Jesus, and God the Father. As Isaac had to carry the wood to
the alter, so did Jesus carry wood, He carried the Cross.
When Jesus died, he had a crown of thorns upon his head. (Matt.
27:29)

This story of Abraham, and Isaac is one of Importance. God knew
that one day He too have to offer his Son as a sacrifice, a
ransom, to pay for the price of sin. “For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that God the
Father felt for his son dying on the cross. “But all this was
done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
Matt. 26:56

All I can say is what a loving God we serve! He looked beyond
All selfishness, and gave his only son for the sins of mankind.

So as you can see here with the two examples, I have given, a
knowledge of the Old Testament is needed to open the stories or
keys of the New Testament. If you are trying to understand
Bible Prophecy then you will need to have a background.

I Pray that everyone that reads this article will be Blessed in
the Name of Jesus!

Remember That God Loves You, And So Do I!
About the Author:

This is a brief history of the evolution of Bible and some of its various translations. The Christian Bible has the honor of being the first book every published in volume, and the most published book in history to this date. It has been written in almost every spoken language in the world today.

Like many ancient works, the oldest parts of the Bible were passed along orally before they were ever written down. Many devout Jewish people today believe that the full text of what Christians call “The Old Testament” Bible was given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. The Bible’s earliest origin may always be a matter of faith, but it still remains a fact that after the Bible was first recorded, many different versions existed in several different languages. It was not until the first century B.C.E. (Before the Common Era, aka B.C.) that Jews settled on the canon of their scripture.

The oldest written parts of the Bible found were transcribed in three languages. What scholars call the Hebrew Bible (the same books Jews call the Tanakh or Written Torah, and Christians call the Old Testament) was first written in Hebrew with a few chapters of the books of Ezra and Daniel recorded in Aramaic. Hebrew had long been the language of the Jewish people, so their scriptures were passed down in Hebrew. Some of the books of the Hebrew Bible may have been written as far back as 1,400 B.C, although most of the text was probably written between 900 and 400 B.C.

Aramaic is a Semitic language that was widely spoken from 600 to 200 B.C. in the near Middle East. It was one of the common languages of the region until the 13th century, when Arabic became more prominent. Many people today believe Jesus and his apostles spoke Aramaic. Aramaic was the spoken language in Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ” that was subtitled in many languages.

The Christian New Testament was written in the common Greek of the Mediterranean area and parts of the Middle East at the time in the first century C.E. (Common Era, aka A.D.). This form of Greek is called Koine Greek. It developed from classical Greek, and spread by the conquests of Alexander the Great. As different people began to use the tongue, it evolved and changed into Koine Greek between 300 B.C. and 300 A.D. This form many scholars think may have been the second language of Jesus and his apostles — after all, the gospels of the New Testament portray that Jesus spoke with Pontius Pilate, who would have been more likely to understand Greek than Aramaic. The Books that one day became the New Testament was probably written mostly in Greek because it was the common language around the Mediterranean at the time of its inception.

The earliest extant list of the books of the NT, in exactly the number and order in which we presently have them, is written by Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, in his Festal letter number 39 of A.D. 367.

382 A.D. Pope Damasus I, in a letter, listed the New Testament books in their present number and order.

393 A.D. The Council of Hippo affirmed the Canon written by Bishop Athanasius.

397 A.D. The Council of Carthage reaffirmed the Canons of the Old and New Testaments. St. Jerome’s translation, “The Latin Vulgate”, is to this day, the official Bible of the Catholic Church. The Bibles which Catholics use today, have the same 46 books in the Old Testament as they have had since before the beginning of Christianity. The Vulgate was designed to be a definitive and officially promulgated translation of the Bible, improving upon several translations then in use. It was the first, and for many centuries the only, Christian Bible with an Old Testament translated directly from the Hebrew rather than from the Greek Septuagint.

Catholic Bibles have 73 books; 46 in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament. Protestant Bibles have 66 books with only 39 in the Old Testament. The books missing from Protestant Bibles are: Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Wisdom, Sirach, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and parts of Esther and Daniel. They are called the ‘Deuterocanonicals’ by Catholics and ‘Apocrypha’ by Protestants.

419 A.D. The Fourth Council of Carthage again reaffirmed the Canons as defined in previous councils.

1442 A.D. At the Council of Florence, the entire Church recognized the 27 books, though does not declare them unalterable. This council confirmed the Roman Catholic Canon of the Bible which Pope Damasus I had published a thousand years earlier.

The Council of Trent 1546-1565, which was the longest lasting Council in Church history. At the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church reaffirmed once and for all the full list of 27 books as traditionally accepted.

In the mid-15th century, when Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type, the Latin Vulgate edition of the Christian Bible was the first work he printed. On September 30, 1452, Johann Guttenberg’s Bible was published becoming the first book to be published in volume, of which about 180 were printed. The pages of the books were not bound, and the date 1455 is documented on the spine by the binder for a copy bound in Paris.

In July of 1604 A.D. King James of England wrote to Bishop Bancroft that he had nominated 54 learned men (linguists and biblical scholars) to once again translate the Bible, (but only 47 actually took part) in what became know as The King James Version (KJV) and was published in 1611. Many Christian fundamentalists today feel that this version is on one and only true version of God’s Holy Word.

Over the centuries it became increasingly difficult for some people to truly understand the (Old English) vernacular. Hence, a new translation was first made called The New King James Version (NKJV) that had 130 translators in this edition. The (NKJV) was published in three stages: New King James Bible, New Testament; 1979 New King James Bible, New Testament and Psalms; 1980 New King James Version of the Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments; 1982.

The New American Standard Bible (NASB) was translated in 1971 by 58 scholars. The (NASB) has sought to render grammar and terminology in contemporary English. Special attention has been given to the rendering of verb tenses to give the English reader a rendering as close as possible to the sense of the original Greek and Hebrew texts. In 1995, the text of the (NASB) was updated for greater understanding and smoother reading.

Christians today continue to yearn for a better understanding of the Word, and a closer relationship with God, came The New International Version (NIV). More than 100 scholars from six English-speaking countries, as well as editors and English stylists, worked on the (NIV). The scholars represented more than 20 denominations. It took 10 years to complete the (NIV) translation. The process started in 1968 and finished in 1978. This does not include more than 10 years of planning before 1968. It has since become one of the more popular editions.

The New Century Version of the Bible is a revision of the International Children’s Bible. The (ICB) is aimed at young readers and those with low reading skills/limited vocabulary in English. It is written at a 3rd grade level (from the introduction) and is both conservative and evangelical in tone. The New Testament was first published in 1978 and the Old Testament followed in 1986. The (ICB) was revised somewhat to be a bit more sophisticated (reading level grade 5) and was dubbed the New Century Version (NCV). This revised version was first published in 1991. Recently, the New Century Version text has been combined with notes containing advice on teenage issues to form “The Youth Bible”, and was updated in 2007. The (NCV) is now available as a stand alone version.

For me, the word “BIBLE” stands for; Basic Instructions before Leaving Earth. I truly feel that everyone should read a copy it and gain from the insight and benefit of its words.
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You passed by a bar one night and what did you see? Teenagers probably your daughter’s or son’s age drinking and partying like there’s no tomorrow. As your car moves a little farther, you noticed groups of young people who appear to be having unlawful sessions. By the time you’ve reached the other end of the road, you saw lovers stealing fleeting moments of hook-ups. What is happening to the world, you began to ask. If this is the kind of generation your children’s children would see, people of today are more fortunate of having a dying world than a morally dead world in the next years to come.

What’s lacking with those people who have gone astray? Christian faith. They’ve been so overwhelmed with what their youthfulness could afford and what the world could offer that they tend to forget all about one ultimate purpose – knowing and serving God.

With the above mentioned scenario growing rampantly by the minute, inspirational Christian accounts may be the only hope worthy of providing? But how is this possible with the world slowly losing its morale? The following words will shed light to the issue of faith and morality:

Set good examples – The youth of today are overpowered with earthly desires. What’s even more alarming is that they wind up becoming threats to the society. If they become a big peril to their community, they wind up behind bars. And if they end up in jail, it isn’t an assurance that prison reform could transform them to civilized and well-mannered citizens. Therefore, before your child or someone else ends up as public’s ultimate enemy, you as parents must take the responsibility of molding your children to become better individuals with high regards to authority, respect to other people’s rights, and fear of God. The introduction of Christian values at an early age – The best time to instill Christian values to a child is not when he’s come of age, but the moment he learns his words, distinguishes right from wrong, and realizes even in his own immature way the purpose of living. Even a simple baby step of reading a Christian book to your child could greatly contribute to his becoming a full-pledged Christian all geared up in advancing God’s kingdom.
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Drug addiction, woman trafficking, child abuse, abortion, and all time high crime rates – what more could this rotting society offer? It seems as if everyday is just another opportunity for these rowdy criminals to spread foibles and idiosyncrasies without recognizing the after effects they do to society, more so to the Christian faith.

A lot of people are slowly moving away from their Christian values and from knowing wholly the most high who breathes life into what humanity gets pleasure from -life. So even if society brings about community restorations and improvement, or prison reform and rehabilitation for those who are behind bars, without the willingness of the entities involved, these overhauling and rectifications will only turn to naught, with a society that will continue to worsen and with hardened criminals coming about.

What is there left for this putrid world to do? If every person in this world could do even one of the following below-mentioned advices, this world could indeed be a better place to live in:

Get access to inspirational Christian stories – Instead of perusing unworthy reads, why not focus your attention to stories that will strengthen your Christian character, widen your standpoint in life, and draw you nearer to your creator. If you come across the book White collar: From CEO to Federal Inmate by Patrick Antrim Sr., you will realize that it is indeed possible to change the direction of your life from meaningless to meaningful, from unwillingness to the desire of knowing God, and from doubt to faith. The book is indeed a worthy account that could change how you’ll view and live life. A Christian Book as an instrument – The best book of all time and perhaps nothing could ever equate to it is the Bible. If you really want to renew your faith, the Bible will certainly lead you to a better relationship not just with people, society and the world, but with your creator whom you owe and ought to offer everything to.
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