Biblical Worldview Essay
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BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS
Rationale for the Biblical Worldview Essay
Every person has a worldview whether he realizes it or not. What is a worldview? James W. Sire defines a worldview as:
[A] commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) that we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being.
Stated more succinctly, “…[A] worldview is simply the total set of beliefs that a person has about the biggest questions in life.” F. Leroy Forlines describes such questions as the “inescapable questions of life.” Life’s inescapable questions include the following: “Is there a God? If so, what is He like? How can I know Him? Who am I? Where am I? How can I tell right from wrong? Is there life after death? What should I and what can I do about guilt? How can I deal with my inner pain?” Life’s biggest, inescapable questions relate to whether there is a God, human origins, identity, purpose, and the hereafter, just to mention a few.
Satisfying answers to the “inescapable questions of life” are provided by the Holy Scriptures. The Holy Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, form the starting point and foundation for the biblical worldview. More specifically related to our purposes, the apostle Paul reflects several components of the biblical worldview in his letter to the Romans.
The apostle Paul authored Romans toward the end of his third missionary journey, about 57 A.D. He addressed this letter specifically to the Christians in Rome. At the time the church in Rome consisted of Jewish and Gentile believers, with Gentile Christians in the majority. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome in order to address specific concerns and challenges they were facing. While Romans was an occasional letter (not a systematic theology), Paul presents the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a very systematic fashion. The Gospel is actually the overarching theme of Romans as Paul spells this out in his programmatic statement in 1:16–17. As the systematic presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Romans is foundational to the biblical/Christian worldview.
Recognizing that Romans is not a systematic theology and does not contain all the essential truths that are relevant to a worldview per se, the apostle Paul articulates truths that are foundational to the biblical worldview. In Romans 1–8, Paul addresses certain components of a worldview that relate to the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and culture.
In a 750–1000-word essay, describe what Romans 1–8 teaches regarding (1)the natural world, (2)human identity,(3) human relationships, and (4) culture. Furthermore, (5)explain how this teaching of these topics affects your worldview. Make sure that you address each of these topics in your essay.
• As an essay, it must be written with excellent grammar, spelling, and style.
• Begin your essay with an interesting introduction that contains a precisely stated thesis. End your essay with a strong conclusion that summarizes your main points succinctly.
Structure of assignment paragraphs:
• Introduction/Thesis (approximately 75 words)
• The Natural World (approximately 150–200 words)
• Human Identity (approximately 150–200 words)
• Human Relationships (approximately 150–200 words)
• Culture (approximately 150–200 words)
• Conclusion (approximately 75 words)
• Use each of the categories above as headers for each paragraph in your essay.
• The body of your essay must address the specified components of the assignment in excellent grammatical style.
• Your essay must be typed in a Microsoft Word document using Times New Roman, 12-point font.
• It must be single spaced, and must contain 750–1000 words.
• All sources must be cited, and a bibliography must be included.
• Format your paper in a Microsoft Word document using current APA, MLA, or Turabian style (whichever corresponds to your degree program). Review the Biblical Worldview Essay Grading Rubric to see the specific grading criteria by which you will be evaluated before submitting your essay.
• Do not footnote Scripture references; cite them parenthetically within the essay body following the quotation or allusion to the biblical text.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Biblical Worldview Essay
Introduction/Thesis
Paul framed the book of Romans based on the faults within the Roman society and culture. As stated by Dr. Jimmy Deyoung in the video Romans; the letter that changed the world that, Paul was able to see a crack or a fault line in the Roman society and was able to use it in writing the book of Romans (‘Romans: The Letter That Changed the World’, 2010). The sins committed in the Roman society during Paul’s day are still he same sins committed in the present day society. Following this, the present society can take major lessons from Paul’s writings. My worldview is that, the society is not going to change for the better; therefore, there is need for salvation and divine intervention to escape such morally decaying world. This paper will analyze the book of Romans chapter 1-8, and in line with the area of interest, the paper will explore on my view on: the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and culture.
The Natural World
I believe that the natural world is a world of perpetual sin. More sins are presently committed than they were in the Days of Noah (Genesis 6:5), and the same was also evident in Paul’s days where the Roman society was full of every imaginable sin. In the roman society there was homosexuality, worshiping of creations rather than God, paganism and moralists that believed that redemption and salvation could be achieved without God. The same can be seen in the present day society where some people believe that by simply being good, they can finally find themselves in heaven. The world has not changed, and it is arguable that it will not change for the better; more sins are committed high scale owing to technologies like the internet’s ability to propagate sin by keeping people from allover the world to be connected. Romans worshiped many gods, because as the empire grew with every country conquered, gods of the conquered countries were put into the Roman temple as a way of winning the hearts and minds of the people (Burbank & Cooper, 2010). In Romans chapter 1, Paul saw this issue as a fault in the Roman society and addressed the issue with the Church of Rome.
Human Identity
Paul in Roman 2:15 was able to categorize humanity as either; saved or unsaved (Jews or Gentiles). The Jews had the law to follow while the Gentiles the unsaved did not. Regardless of this difference, Paul stated that whether humanity had laws or not, both are condemned (Romans 2:12). According to Paul, the Jews are condemned more than the Gentiles because they had the law. Paul in Romans 4:15 asserted that the Jews’ knowledge of the law brings wrath. Through the human evil deeds, humanity is doomed. People tend to believe that they can win God’s favor by just being good, and that their good deed can make them obtain righteousness and even get to heaven. People tend to assume a lot about God, yes God is a loving God, but since God cannot tolerate sin (1st John 1:5), He deals with the issue of sin by separating Himself from it; sin and God cannot be together (Edwards, 2003). The present day society has no difference with Paul’s days, and the man’s tendency to sin has not changed.
Human Relationships
The human nature is meant to deal and interact with people; family friends and strangers; therefore, human relationship is an essential part of humanity. Whether a Gentiles or Jew, man is prone to sin. Following this, the present day human relationships have not difference with Paul’s days, and if man is to improve his human relationship, this can only be achieved through faith in Christ since Jesus is the grand architect of human experience (Sheldrake, 2013). The original human experience as intended by God was perverted by man’s actions back in Eden (Genesis 3). Humanity through its actions has no desire to be liberated and to know God, and for this reason God came up with a plan to save mankind through Jesus (Wright, 2009). Even with the God’s effort, man through his actions continually hampers his ability to lead a blessed and productive life as planned by God. Without God man cannot do anything and is destined to destruction unless he develops a repentant heart and come to God through Jesus Christ. Paul handles the issue of human relation according to how God planned the marriage institute (Romans 7:1-4).
Culture
Culture is an essential part of God’s plan. The present US culture leans towards a culture of pluralizing God, and a pluralized culture not the culture that God expects of a Christian or a Jew. During Paul’s time Caesar proclaimed himself as the savior and God of all his subjects in the kingdom (Wright, 2000). Isaiah pointed out that man’s culture is completely at enmity with God (Isaiah 55:8); this supports my stand on human identity, human relationship and culture because I believe that the world is ungodly. Paul encouraged the Church in Rome by telling them that there was hope, and that there was a way for mankind towards righteousness; through faith in Jesus. In line with Paul in Romans 5:12 and Isaiah in Isaiah 55:8 my worldview on culture is that nothing will ever change and man will never live in accordance with God’s intended culture because man will always fall short before God’s eyes.
Conclusion
In accordance with this paper’s thesis on worldview and specifically in human identity, natural world, human relationships and culture, man has not change and it is evident that for man to succeed he needs the word of God. Rome in Paul’s days is not different to the present day society as it is evident in Paul’s worldview that man is corrupt and morally deprived. Paul clearly points out that, for man to escape God’s judgment he needs faith in Christ as the only way out. Among the Rome’s faults was Caesar’s declaration of himself as god, making the people to liberally live in sin. With the present day society believing in liberal movement that promotes corruption, the society is living in a ‘modern-day-Rome’. The present day society has pagans and moralist who believe that they can get to heaven in their means and terms; meaning that they can attain righteousness in their own self imposed terms. As a Christian, it is essential to understand that everyone is a sinner at heart and that Jesus’ grace is the only way out. No man is better than the other because all have sinned; however, it is essential to know what is wrong and what is right.
References
Burbank, J., & Cooper, F. (2010). Empires in World History: power and the politics of difference. Princeton University Press.
Edwards, J. (2003). Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Bridge Logos Foundation.
Kingjamesbibleonline.org,. (2015). ROMANS CHAPTER 1. Retrieved 22 January 2015, from http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Romans-Chapter-1-8/
Romans: The Letter That Changed the World. (2010). USA.
Sheldrake, P. (2013). Spirituality: A Brief History. John Wiley & Sons.
Wright, N. T. (2000). Paul’s gospel and Caesar’s empire. Paul and politics, 160-83.
Wright, N. T. (2009). Justification: God’s plan & Paul’s vision. InterVarsity Press.
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