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Module 3 - Christian Ethics

This document provides an overview of the key topics and learning outcomes covered in the Christian Ethics module. The module defines Christian ethics as determining right and wrong based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It compares Christian ethics between the Old and New Testaments, noting the Old Testament emphasizes accountability to God and social responsibilities, while the New Testament focuses on Jesus' life and teachings. The module also outlines the biblical basis of Christian ethics, including that it is based on Scripture, God's character and will, revelation, and the atonement. Finally, the module summarizes that Christian ethics guides decision making and helps differentiate between vital and peripheral life concerns.
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100% found this document useful (2 votes)
2K views7 pages

Module 3 - Christian Ethics

This document provides an overview of the key topics and learning outcomes covered in the Christian Ethics module. The module defines Christian ethics as determining right and wrong based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It compares Christian ethics between the Old and New Testaments, noting the Old Testament emphasizes accountability to God and social responsibilities, while the New Testament focuses on Jesus' life and teachings. The module also outlines the biblical basis of Christian ethics, including that it is based on Scripture, God's character and will, revelation, and the atonement. Finally, the module summarizes that Christian ethics guides decision making and helps differentiate between vital and peripheral life concerns.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Module 3 - Christian Ethics

Desired Learning Outcomes: At the end of the module, the students would have:
1. explained the meaning, significance & Biblical basis of Christian ethics;
2. compared Christian ethics in relationship with the two Testaments;
3. summarized the criteria, standards, and methods of Christian ethics;
4. applied the most important Christian principles in their life;

Module 3.1. Definition and Significance of Christian Ethics


Module 3.1.1. Definition

What is Christian ethics?


1. Christian ethics is a method of determining right and wrong based on the understanding
and interpretation of the Christian message. The life and teachings of Jesus Christ is the heart of
the Christian message. Right and wrong in this aspect is determined by the life and teachings of
Christ. To understand what we should do or avoid in life, as well as to know what we should
believe, we must consult the life and teachings of Christ (Rudnick, 1979).
2. Christian ethics is a set of principles derived from the Christian faith by which we act. The
Bible gives us a detailed instruction on how we should live. While God’s word may not cover
every situation in our lives, its principles give us the standards by which we must conduct
ourselves. For example, the Bible does not explicitly say about the use of illegal drugs, yet based
on the principles we learn in the Bible, we can know that it is wrong. For one, the Bible tells us
that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we should honor God with it. (1 Cor. 6:19-
20). So, by using the principles in the Scripture, Christians can already determine what is proper
for them to do in a given situation (Geisler, 2010).
3. Christian ethics is a systematic study of the way of life exemplified and taught by Jesus,
applied to problems and decisions of human existence. The way of life is expressed in what we
say, live and practice. It is also synonymous with our lifestyle or day to day living. The Gospels
reflect Jesus’ way of life. It tells not only what He does and says but also what early Christians
believe of Him. The way of life exemplified by Jesus is an adequate, dependable and indispensable
guide of Christians in their actions as well as in their decisions in life (Harkness, 1957).

Module 3.1.2. Significance of Christian Ethics


Why do we need to study Christian ethics? The following are the significance of Christian
ethics:
1. Christian ethics guides Christians in making right decision. Normally, people make moral
and ethical decisions in their life. They need light to guide them in their problems and decisions.
According to Giles, there are three elements involved in making right decisions. These are: 1)
one’s sense of values; 2) one’s belief in the dignity and worth of persons; and 3) one’s
responsibility towards neighbor. In circumstances in which we cannot determine what is right or
wrong, we need to consult Christian ethics (Giles, 1974).
2. Christian ethics helps us differentiate between what is vital and peripheral in life. Vital
signifies essential element in life, while peripheral is of minor significance. It expresses also
priorities in life, what seems to be important and not so important. For example, health care and
family concerns are vital in life. Moreover, there are also issues like ecological bearings, human
rights, and global warming that are also equally important. These issues affect even community
life. Christian ethics in this aspect, helps people decide or weigh which concerns should be
attended first and which one should be taken later (RE 2 Manual, 2005).

Student’s Activity: List the things that are vital in your life and the things that are peripheral.
(optional)

3. Christian ethics assists people in determining their goals in life and help them realize these
goals. Normally, people make goals for their life. They work hard in order to realize these goals.
Christian ethics does not agree that the end justifies the means. The efforts toward realizing the
end should be coupled with the efforts towards developing good principle, right attitude and
acceptable way of life (Giles, 1974).

Student’s Activity: List 3 important goals in your life and the corresponding plan of action that
you will undertake to realize these goals. (optional)

Module 3.2. Biblical Basis of Christian Ethics


Christian ethics deals with what is morally right and wrong. This module will give us the
biblical basis of Christian ethics which will help us determine good actions.
1. Christian ethics is based on the Scripture. God’s communication has been accomplished
principally through the Scriptures. He has done this by making the Scripture a unity with what He
has done in creating the universe. In Scripture, God has communicated His mind, and character,
and will to mankind. We must recognize the authority of His word because through it we know
what is right and wrong for us (Craton, 2005).
2. Christian ethics is based on God’s will. Christian ethics is a form of God’s command in
accordance with His will and with His unchangeable moral character. Christians are to obey this
command. God wills what is right in accordance with His moral attributes. God commanded the
Israelites to be holy because He himself is holy (Lev. 11:45). Jesus Christ likewise told his disciples
to be perfect as His Heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48). It is impossible for God to lie (Heb.
6:18). Therefore, we should not lie. God is love (1 Jn. 4:16). And Jesus tells us to love our neighbor
as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:39) (Geisler, 2010).
3. Christian ethics is based on a strong foundation of the absolute. Christian ethics rests
ultimately upon God Himself and upon His divine character. God’s character does not change
(Mal. 3:6; James 1:17), therefore it follows that man’s obligations based on His nature are
absolute. There is no other system that could give us a solid base on which to operate except to go
back to the absolute who is God. Leander Keyser says: “Christian ethics goes back to God as the
ultimate ground and source of morality.” God is the source of all that is good, and that includes
our standards for ethical behavior. Since Christians believe in God, in whom all goodness comes
from, Christians should conform to God’s likeness (Craton, 2005).
4. Christian ethics is based on God’s revelation. God has revealed Himself both in nature
(Ps. 19:1-6), and in Scripture (Ps. 19:7-14). God’s revelation is expressed both in general (Rom.
1:19-20; 2:12-15), and special means (Rom. 2:18; 3:2). In general revelation, God expresses his
commands for all people; while in special revelation, God declares His will for the believers. But
in both cases, the basis always of our ethical duty lies on God’s revelation. Failure to acknowledge
God as the source of ethical duty does not clear anyone from their moral duty (Rom 2:14-15). So,
even if unbelievers do not recognize the moral law in their minds, they are still inclined to do it.
5. Christian ethics is based on the character of God. God exists, he has a character; but not
all things are the same with Him. Some things conform to His character, and some are opposed.
The task of Christian ethics then is to determine what conforms to God’s character and what does
not. Christians believe that moral norms come from God’s nature. God’s ethical order is the only
true source of morality. For the Christian, the moral order is more real than the physical order.
Paul says that the physical order is temporary, but the order not seen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). This
eternal order is a reflection of the character of God Himself (CE- Wikipedia).
6. Christian ethics is based on the atonement. James Denny says: The new life springs out of
a sense of debt to Christ. The regenerating power of forgiveness depends upon its cause. It means
that death of Christ is the basis upon which Christian ethics is built. Our choice of an ethical life
is based upon the regenerative power of the cross. We live ethically and righteously as a result of
the atonement, and this is the basis of Christian ethics (Craton, 2005).
7. Christian ethics is prescriptive. By its very nature, Christian ethics is prescriptive, not
descriptive. Doing what is right is prescribed by a moral God. He is both a lawgiver and a
legislator. As a lawgiver, God prescribed laws, and as a legislator, he imposed legislation s.
Christian ethics emphasizes what we should do, not what is. Christians should behave not based
on the standard of others but on the standard of God (Geisler, 2010).

Module 3.3. Christian Ethics in Relationship with the Old and New
Testaments
Module 3.3.1. Old Testament Ethics
Christian ethics is grounded in the Old Testament. The principles of the Old Testament
consist of the laws, and the character and nature of God. The laws gave Israel their standard of
what was right and wrong. The governing principle which is the nature and character of God is
summed up by the statement that the Lord was holy (Lev. 19:2). The holy character of God cannot
tolerate evil or sin. Therefore, if we wish to please God and guard our life from sin, we must live
in accordance with His nature and character.
The major contributions of the Old Testament to the study of ethics include: 1)
accountability to a monotheistic God; 2) humility, righteousness, and wisdom. It emphasizes social
responsibilities without diminishing individual’s accountability.

Module 3.3.2. New Testament Ethics


The most significant contribution of the New Testament is Jesus Christ. His life, teaching
and ministry form the structure of the New Testament ethics. The common ground of the New
Testament with the Old Testament is the revelation of God and His Word. The revelation of God
in the New Testament assumes His lordship over His creation. Therefore, all aspects of life –
attitudes and actions are subject to God. The revelation of God’s Word means that the New
Testament ethics has a saving outlook on life. The Word of God reveals that mankind fell into sin,
but God offers reconciliation through Christ.
The principles governing the New Testament ethics are what Jesus said: 1) “Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and, 2) “Love your
neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37 -39) (Corbet, 2012).
With the common ground between the two testaments, the following are the basic ethical
understanding or concepts of God.

Concepts of God
1. God is Ethical. The ethics of God stresses the sacredness of human life. God does not want
human sacrifices. When Abraham was about to kill his son Isaac, to be sacrificed as a burnt
offering, God stopped his hands (Gen. 22:12). God’s ethics is to preserve human life. God was not
also happy when Manasseh sacrificed his own son in the fire (2 Kings 21:6).
2. God is Creator. Behind the interpretation of evil as the corrupted good is faith in God as
the Creator. Human beings and everything else in the world have been made by God. However,
as Creator, he is not responsible for what is wrong with us. He is not the source of evil that threatens
us. He is the only source of what is right with and about us (Rudnick, 1979).
3. God is Righteous. God is portrayed as righteous in the Old Testament. Because God is
righteous, he demands righteousness from all people. Righteousness is a moral and ethical
obligations of people in the society. It should be centered in the attitudes of the heart. Psalm 11:7
says “The Lord is righteous, he loves justice, upright men will see his face.”
4. God is Provider. El Shaddai or Jehovah Jireh is the name of God which stresses his
capacity to supply human needs. When the Israelites were hungry and thirsty, God provided them
with food and water. In one of the mountains of Galilee, Jesus also fed the hungry multitudes with
loaves of bread and pieces of fish (RE 2 Manual, 2005).
5. God is Justice. Justice is the property of law or measured by the standard of law. Since
justice is rooted in law, it easily develops the ethical conduct in accordance with what is lawful.
God emphasizes justice and upright living. He wants people to repent from their sins and to live
with what is just. “If a wicked man turns away from his sins he has committed and keep God’s
decrees, he will surely live, not die”(Ezekiel 18:21), (Landero, 2002).
6. God is Merciful. Mercy is used in the Old Testament to express the unique quality of God.
Mercy is reciprocal by nature. It is to the merciful that God will show mercy. “God will not show
mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful” (James 2:13). The principle of
reciprocity is seen also in the Lord’s prayer, “Forgive us, as we forgive…” (Matt.6:12).
7. God is Savior. In the Old Testament God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptian slavery.
He saved the Hebrew patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; he saved Moses and the slaves at
the Red Sea. He saved the thief who had a penitent heart at the cross of Calvary. The ethics of God
is salvation for mankind. He sent His only Son Jesus to save us from our sins.
8. God is love. The concrete love of God was seen in a manger. He concretized himself in the
form of human flesh and this human flesh is none other than His son, Jesus. His ethical action was
a transcendental one. He came down to identify with his loved people. Since God is love, he
challenged his people to love one another (I John 4:6-8), (RE 2 Manual, 2005).

Module 3.4. Criteria, Standards, and Methods of Christian Ethics

Module 3.4.1. Criteria of Christian Ethics


The word criterion (criteria – plural) means basis or norm (Webster,2006). The following
criteria such as right, good and fit are bases or norms for ethical conduct.
1. Criterion of right – emphasizes the duty of man. The following are the prescribed duties
of man:
a. It is the duty of man to practice what is true and noble (Phil.4:8-9).
b. It is the duty of man to be productive (Col. 1:10-12).
c. It is the duty of man to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8b).
2. Criterion of good – emphasizes the purpose of man. The primary purpose of man is to:
a. love God above everything else; and
b. love his/her neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40)
What is the highest good?
a. To seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
(Matt. 6: 33)
b. To do the will of God from the heart
3. Criterion of fit – emphasizes the situation of man. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for
man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27) (RE 2 Syllabus, p. 4).

Module 3.4.2. Standards or the Final Authorities for what is Right or Wrong.
What are the standards or the final authorities for what is right and wrong? There are only two
standards:
1. Jesus Christ. His life and his teachings are the standards of Christian behavior. Jesus
said, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John
14:6).
2. The Word of God. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for
every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17), (Tardo,2012).

Module 3.4.3. Methods of Christian Ethics


The methods of Christian ethics will guide Christians to practice the prescribed criteria and
standards:
1. Intuition. Intuition means insight, instinct or moral sense. It could also mean perception
or conscience. The blind man who could not totally see can still walk across the street with his rod
because he has this insight or perception. Man by nature has a moral sense because he was created
in the image of God. It is this moral sense or conscience that dictates him to do good. When he
commits mistakes he feels guilty because he has this conscience.

2. Faith in God. We know that an experience is good, right, or fit according to the will of
God. The will of God is concretely expressed in the form of a human flesh, none other than His
very Son Jesus Christ. We can only discern God’s will if we have to relate our own life to Jesus
Christ through the workings of the Holy Spirit. The will of God is a matter of experiencing God in
life through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

3. Reason or Power of discrimination. When God created man in his own image it is
coupled not only with conscience or moral sense but also with reason. Man is a rational being. He
thinks and analyzes certain situations, implications of experiences before making moral decisions
(RE 2 Syllabus, 2002).
Module 3.5. Most Important Principle of Christian Life

Jesus’ ultimate purpose is to establish the kingdom of heaven in the human heart. The following
are the principles to live by so that the kingdom of heaven is present in everyone’s heart.

1. An abiding trust and faith in God in all circumstances. Even in the midst of great distress,
we are to continue in faith with God. A steadfast faith in Jesus Christ is the first and most important
principle in the Christian life. “Let us hold fast to the profession of our faith, for He who promised
is faithful” (Heb. 10:23). Phil 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

2. Sincerity and honesty before God and man. Christians are to be sincere, not hypocrites
who say one thing and do another. God hates dishonesty. One of the commandments given by God
to Moses says, “Do not steal” (Ex. 20:15).Let us be honest not only in the sight of the Lord, but
also in the sight of people (2 Cor. 8:21).

3. Genuine humility. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” To be
meek, in a sense, is to be humble. Humility is the acceptance to learn and to forgive. Matthew
looks upon Jesus himself as the true example of humility. Col. 3:12-13says, “So, as those who
have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a
complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

4. A forgiving and merciful spirit toward all. Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. It is not
an emotion you work on. The Scriptures tell us to love one another and love even our enemies.
Love overlooks the many faults of others. Let us not concentrate on other’s shortcomings but
instead to pray for them (Matt. 5:43-48).

5. An unqualified love for God and for your neighbor. When Jesus was asked by a Pharisee
what is the greatest commandment in the law, He said that the greatest commandment is to love
God with all his heart, his soul, and his mind. Then He further said that he should love his neighbor
as he loved himself (Matt. 22:36-40).Jesus gives us the two commandments on which all the others
rest. It is impossible to love God and not to love others. A natural outgrowth of loving God is
loving others.

6. Absolute loyalty, faithfulness, and obedience to the Word and will of God. As Christians,
we need to be faithful to the Lord. If we call him as our Lord and Master we have to obey him
(Luke 6:46). Not everyone who calls the name of the Lord shall enter the Kingdom of heaven; but
those who does the will of the Father (Matt. 7:21) (Tardo,2012)

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