Unit 2 the bible and its influence

2.1. The way the Bible has been viewed throughout History
a) Its compilation and use
b) The first few Centuries after the Christ Event
c) The Middle ages
d) The Reformation
e) The 18th and 19th CE
f) Today
2.2. The way the Bible has influenced:
a) Society
b) Culture in relation to
- Law
- Morality
- Art

2.1.a. The Bible its compilation – Old and New testaments

The Old Testament
The Hebrew Cannon [called the Tanakh] contains 24 books while the Christian canon has 27
books. The discrepancy is because the Christian canon counts books like 1&2 Kings, 1&2
Chronicles, 1&2 Samuel as two books while the Jewish canon considers them as one book.
The Tanakh is written by about 35 authors spanning a period of hundreds of years. Jewish
scholars hold that it was finally compiled around the 2nd BCE.
The New Testament
The Christian New Testament canon has 27 books. They were written by different authors. The
Gospels are biographies while the rest are historical (Acts) letters and prophetical (Revelation).
These were circulated among the 1st CE churches, were copied and passed on to other churches.
They were used in worship, prayer and to teach doctrine. They helped in formulation of the
unique Christian thought which helped the Christians to differentiate themselves from the Jewish

Key Idea: Though Christianity had its roots in Judaism, it was different.

teaching.

The influence of Christianity on Judaism in the first few centuries.

Christians saw the Messianic Jewish hope become a reality in Christ. He was the predicted
coming Messiah the Hope of Israel. In Christ the Messiah God chose not only to bless the Jews

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but the gentiles as well. They say all the Jewish covenants are now fulfilled in Christ and now
they were in a New Covenant established by Jesus in His blood. The New Covenant granted the
gentiles access to God and His blessings just like the Jews. (Galatians 3:28).
Jesus’ radical teachings were opposite to the teachings of the Law of tooth for a tooth, instead
Jesus taught to forgive one’s enemies. The cross, a symbol of hopelessness and despair, gave the
hope to those seeking hope. The incarnation of God in Jesus who Christians considered to be
100% God and 100% man shook the Jewish thinking of ‘the Lord our God is one’. Jesus
teaching His disciples to address God as Abba was sacrilege to the ears of the Jews.

b) The first few Centuries after the Christ Event

The individual writings of the New Testament were in circulation. The Gospels claimed to be
eyewitness accounts which could be verified with others as some of them were still alive who
had witnessed Jesus’ teachings death and resurrection.
However, from 90CE onwards there were teachers who were going around teaching things that
were contrary to what the disciples taught. In the 4 th CE the teachings of Arius became a serious
threat to Christian thought and belief. In 325CE under Constantine the Christian Emperor of
Rome all the Christian bishops gathered to counter these wrong teachings. At this council called
the Council of Nicaea the canon of the New Testament was fixed. Nothing would be added or
removed from the 27 accepted books. It was at this Council that the seeds of the Church and
State being united were sown. The State to rule and administer the empire and the Church to rule
the spiritual religious aspects.
The false teachings and books continued to flourish. Eventually in 541CE at the Council of
Chalcedon the Nestorius controversy was put down. Nestorius claimed that Jesus was two
persons divine and human. It is at this council that the seeds of division over who Jesus was were
sown. The church was to divide later into the Roman Catholic Church under the Emperor of
Rome in the West and the Orthodox Church of the East under the Byzantine Empire.

c) The Great Schism, The Middle Ages 500CE -1400/1500CE

The Great Schism 1054
Christians believe in one God and they believe that Jesus Christ was his son who died in order to
bring humans salvation from sin. A key belief of most Christians is the belief in the Trinity –

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Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who were all present at the Creation of the world and who all take
on different roles. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zbj48mn/revision/8)
The schism or break between the church of Rome and other orthodox Christian faiths began with
the split of the Orthodox Christians in 1054. This was over questions of principles and the
absolute authority and behavior of the Popes in Rome which could not be resolved.
As a result of the schism the Christianity split into two: the Western Roman Catholic Church in
Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the Byzantine empire.

During the Middle ages

The Biblical understanding that God placed Kings over countries to rule was the foundation for
the unity of the Church and the state. This became very strong during the Middle ages
particularly in the west, and not so much so in the East. Thus the Church and the State became
one. The Church gave advice to kings on the running of the kingdoms.
The Pope became the spiritual head and dominated the countries. He gave the different countries
the moral right to take any lands that were not Christian. Also to take those people who did not
convert as slaves (Doctrine of Discovery 1493).
The idea was that the Roman Catholic Pope was the representative of Christ on Earth. The Pope
held the keys to the Kingdom of God. Those the church let in, have eternal life. This power to
give eternal life was considered vested in the Pope. The lands that were taken became a part of
the Kingdom of God. People believed what the church said as the Scriptures were written in
Latin, a language know only to the clergy. The Church has the vested power to forgive sin. The
Church started selling indulgences – one could buy the salvation of a loved one whether they
were alive or dead. Through the church, salvation could be bought. Only the Pope had the
authority to interpret scriptures.

d) The Reformation 15th – 16th CE Martin Luther and John Calvin

Martin Luther opposed these things:
- The indulgences.
- The authority of only the Pope to interpret and convey the word of God.
Luther was tried and then excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. He and John
Calvin split from the Roman Catholic church to start the Protestant church. The Latin Bible was

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translated into German, then into English under King James. Thus the common man could now
read the scriptures for themselves.
The Orthodox church split into the Eastern Orthodox ,the Oriental Orthodox churches and the
Church of the East. This split was not to so much on belief but who controlled what.

e) The 18th & 19th CE

The Bible was viewed as the word of God. The Roman Catholics had the Pope who was the
ultimate authority in interpreting scripture. The Orthodox churches had their Metropolitans who
interpreted scripture. The Protestant had no one leader so the Bible was interpreted by everyone.
This brought smaller splits in the protestant churches.
f) Today
The protestant church still continues to grow and split into different denominations based on
their own understanding and interpretation of scripture. Several movements came out from this.

2.1. The Way the Bible has influenced society and culture in relation to:
Christian belief first challenged practices of people and cultures then attempted to get laws
passed to outlaw such practices. Beliefs strongly affect actions of individuals and groups. As
Christianity grew it changed not only the belief of people but also their actions.

a) Law – Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas argued for the importance of natural law.
These are a set of moral principles which are got from God’s creation which should guide human
laws. They developed a legal framework that aligned with Christian values.
Secular thinkers during the time of the enlightenment recognized Christian values – these values
provided a moral compass that could guide society towards fairness and equality. Many countries
included these biblical values when they formulated laws for their countries.
As European explorer’s went to different lands they took these laws with them enforcing them
other people. The missionaries traveling to different lands encountered customs and values that
contradicted biblical values and tried to change them with success.
Sati, infanticide and the drowning of lepers – The Indian custom of burning the widow of the
diseased husband as he was being cremated was encountered by William Carey, a Baptist
missionary to India. He campaigned against it with the colonial British government who passed a

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law in 1798 for the city of Calcutta. Later in 1829 it was enforced throughout India. The British
also passed laws against infanticide. Cary discovered that lepers were drowned as it was believed
a violent death purifies the body. Carey and his friends opened centers for care of the lepers.
Slavery – In the early and late 18CE, the Quakers, Christian leaders like John Wesley, William
Carey and Pope Benedict XIV condemned slavery. William Wilberforce spoke out in the House
of Commons in London condemning slavery and the need for outlawing slavery. In 1807 the
British Parliament abolished slavery.
b) Morality – Christian values have confronted ways of life that are contrary to the Bible.
The salt march – Gandhi confronted racism and subjudication of the British Raj in India by
embracing non-violence. Gandhi, though not a Christian himself ,was moved by Jesus’ teaching
of non-violence and turning the other cheek. He went on a non-violent salt march that triggered
the Indian Independence movement. This cause the British to eventually leave India
Abortion – The Christian belief in the sanctity of life as people are made in the Image of God
has compelled many nations to incorporate anti-abortion laws in their own countries. Secondly
Only God has the authority to take lives.
Euthanasia – (physician aided suicide and active euthanasia.) Christianity has opposed this for a
long time. Many countries have banned Euthanasia based simply on the fact that no one has the
right to take life. No one has the right to die or take life. Life is created and preserved by God.
LGBTQ+ - God the creator only made two sexes male and female. The purpose of creating male
and female is to fill the earth. To procreate and have a one to one relationship. Though the
LGBTQ+ are relational their leanings are more sexual and not for procreation.

c) Art – The visual arts have always been important in Christianity. They played a role in
liturgical, religious meditation and worship.
From the earliest times, frescoes in the catacom’s and shrines depicting Jesus and His teachings
encouraged the early believers.
Christian iconography grounded itself in two theological beliefs: one, the incarnation of God
points to a relation between the created materials and their Creator; second, since God has
created human being in his/her own image, iconography helps in contemplating on the invisible
God through one’s human imitations.

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The period of the Renaissance allowed painter to use their imagination to interpret different
aspects of Christianity, bringing a new understanding to the Scriptures.