The Bible Group at eNotes

Without knowing anything about the assignment and the scoring criteria...

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 12:43:59 PST

Without knowing anything about the assignment and the scoring criteria for it, this is a little difficult to answer. The earlier posters have given some helpful suggestions, but I would also suggest thinking about the historical documentation that Dan Brown used in his novel, The Da Vinci Code. He had some really intersting information about Jesus, and I’m sure you could track down some of those historical references.

Thanks to all who have posted ideas on this post. I am sure my son will...

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 12:12:31 PST

Thanks to all who have posted ideas on this post. I am sure my son will appreciate this...I believe this is his first character analysis paper to write and I wanted to give him a little more insight to go on. Again, Thanks!!

What was the nature of the debate between James and Paul?

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:15:13 PST

What was the nature of the debate between James and Paul?

I would answer an assignment on the character of Jesus Christ in a very...

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 05:20:24 PST

I would answer an assignment on the character of Jesus Christ in a very methodical way. I might approach it chronologically because I like to be methodical and precise, so I might even start before He was born with Messiah predictions from ancient texts in the Bible. We seem to find out a lot about Jesus before He even gets here! (One is coming who.... for example) Also, we know some things from the Angel Gabriel who tells Mary what to expect....

It is really a challenge to write a character analysis on this topic. ...

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 18:40:15 PST

It is really a challenge to write a character analysis on this topic. Yet, I'll open the discourse. I think that in trying to compose some level of analyis of characters, I would suggest that a couple of areas receive attention. The first would be the primary motivation of the character. What is the primary motivation and how does this guide the character's actions? Another element that can be used is character evolution. How does...

Are you asking for characteristics of Jesus Christ? If so, you have...

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 17:50:03 PST

Are you asking for characteristics of Jesus Christ? If so, you have extensive choices: Redeemer, Savior, friend, Father, part of the Trinity, leader, King. One aspect that would be interesting to focus on is how he came as a lowly baby, born in a manger, rather than as the glorified royalty that many expected. To help you get started you may want to consider Bible passages directly addressing various aspects of Christ such as those found in...

Writing a character analysis on Jesus Christ

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 17:33:34 PST

This is for my son in his Senior English class.

The theme of the second chapter of Ecclesiastes is much like the theme...

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 07:00:50 PST

The theme of the second chapter of Ecclesiastes is much like the theme of the book as a whole. The theme of this chapter is that essentially everything that people do is worthless and meaningless. This is true if we are talking about things that people do that relate to worldly things. If you look at the chapter itself it talks about such things as: It's no use becoming wise because wise people and fools both end up the same -- they both...

The book of Ecclesiastes is an amazing book that offers a reflection on...

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 06:58:27 PST

The book of Ecclesiastes is an amazing book that offers a reflection on the meaning of life. The basic point seems to be that all things are meaningless, even the more sublime things in life. For example, in chapter 2 the author states the seeking of wisdom is better than acquisition and pleasure, but in the end, even wisdom is worthless, because the fate of the fool and the fate of wise man is the same, namely death (Ecc. 2:12-16). This...

Explain the theme of Chapter 2 of Ecclesiastes.

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 06:32:17 PST

Explain the theme of Chapter 2 of Ecclesiastes.

Chapter 1 of this book from what Christians call the Old Testament is...

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 08:49:40 PST

Chapter 1 of this book from what Christians call the Old Testament is pretty much a statement of the philosophy found in much of the book as a whole. Chapter 1 devotes itself to the idea that the lives of people and all the things they do are meaningless. The author of the book talks about how many things in nature seem meaningless. He talks about how streams flow into the ocean but never fill it up, for example. By giving these analogies,...

Explain Chapter One of ''Ecclesiastes''.

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 08:15:13 PST

Explain Chapter One of ''Ecclesiastes''.

While there may be errors and contradictions in the various translations...

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:52:24 PST

While there may be errors and contradictions in the various translations of the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible, it is my belief that the Holy Scriptures, as originally written, by inspiration of God are without error and without contradiction in every respect. There are many passages that testify that this is the case, notably II Timothy 3:15-17, II Timothy 2:13, Psalm 19:7, Psalm 12:6, etc. To claim that the Bible contradicts...

Before one accuses anyone or any writing of contradiction, one must be...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:59:28 PST

Before one accuses anyone or any writing of contradiction, one must be aware of how language works, especially in the ancient world. First, of all the bible does not pretend to have mathematical or scientific precision. So, if the bible speaks of the sun setting, this is not wrong. It is only describing this from the point of view of observation - sort of like the figure of speech "four corners of the earth." Moreover, the bible is a literary...

The previous post has some good suggestions, but if you wanted to be...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:52:44 PST

The previous post has some good suggestions, but if you wanted to be more scholarly, you could always try to get the verse in either Hebrew or Greek. If you go with the Hebrew, you would be most likely using the Masoretic text and if you go with the Greek, you will be using the Septuagent. There is a third option, which might be the best. You can ask someone who knows the languages (and there will be people of people - either clergy or a...

This is a confusing question, because there were many scribes and...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:41:04 PST

This is a confusing question, because there were many scribes and Pharisees. So, general statement can be dangerous. For instance, Nicodemus, whom John mentions, probably morned for Jesus' death. There is evidence that he became a follower of Jesus (John 19:39). Having said that, it must be stated that the New Testament does not really give too much information on what the scribes and Pharisees thought after the death of Christ. Therefore, we...

The book of Jonah has one main point – God’s love for the world....

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 21:42:11 PST

The book of Jonah has one main point – God’s love for the world. This is seen in the fact that he wants to save the city of Nineveh from divine destruction. To this end, he sends Jonah, a prophet of God to warn the people. Of course, the drama thickens, because Jonah is such a reluctant prophet. However, God brings Jonah around and in spite of his hardened heart, God uses him as a vehicle of salvation. What makes Jonah come around is...

The story of Jonah and the whale is basically a story of a man's...

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 21:09:23 PST

The story of Jonah and the whale is basically a story of a man's rebellion and how God taught him a lesson he never forgot. Jonah was a prophet of God. God told him to go to Ninevah, a very wicked city in those days, and preach to the people. Jonah knew it was a wicked city and didn't think his preaching to them would do any good. So, he refused and got on a ship to escape from God (or so he thought). The ship sailed out into the...

What is the biblical story of Jonah about?

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 20:14:11 PST

What is the biblical story of Jonah about?

Luke 2:8-20 is the story of the shepherds at the birth of Christ. The...

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:16:54 PST

Luke 2:8-20 is the story of the shepherds at the birth of Christ. The event is significant on a number of levels, but the most important is in the symbolism of whom the shepherds represent in society. At the time of Christ, the shepherd was ranked as one of the lowest members of society. To the gentiles they were poor, smelly, uneducated loners. To the religious they were ceremonially unclean, and therefore despised---even though without...