Just Christianity: The Story of Salvation for Adults by Steve Copland - HTML preview

8

Chapter One

 

1. See for example Tractatus Theologicopoliticus

(1670) and Ethica (1677)
2. Please note that the Bible is not a book
written by one or two people at one point in
early history. Rather, it is 66 books written by
about 40 different authors, over a period of
about 1000 years. The dates of many biblical
books are easily verified by Sumerian,
Persian, Babylonian, Phoenician, Egyptian,
Zoroastrian, Greek and Roman writings,
many of which feature stories of biblical
characters.
3. Romans 2.
4. Macroevolution: I use this term in its contemporary usage, to denote a system which
claims that all life happened by random
chance without the help of any intelligent
Creator being. I use the term microevolutionto mean specific evolution or adaptation
within species.

5. Behe. M, Darwin’s Black Box; The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution (New York: The Free Press, 1996) p239

6. Ibid, Behe. P99-100

 

7. Ibid, Behe. P97

Chapter Two
1. Owen Gingerich, Is There a Role For Natural Theology Today, in Science and Theology: Questions at the Interface. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing, 1994) p33

2. Lyttleton, R.A., Mysteries of the Solar System (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1968), p. 110, Joss, P.C., Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 271-273, John G., The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, filmstrip and printed text (Creation-Science Research Center, San Diego, 1973); Barth, C.A., and A.L. Lane, Science, Vol. 175, p. 309; Masursky, H., et al., ibid., p. 294. Slusher, Harold S., Age of the Cosmos (Institute for Creation Research, San Diego, 1980),pp.55-64.
http://www.pathlights.com/ce_encyclopedia/ 05agee2.htm,
http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/ v14/i4/moon.asp
http://www.seekthetruth.org/earthage.html

3. There are many powerful arguments which refute the idea of pre-historic humanoids. For example, why should humans be illiterate for millions of years and then, over a tiny period of 10,000 years, evolve so rapidly.

4. See Genesis 1:27: the account before the creation of Eve. It is all of “mankind” which is in the first being.

5. These dates can be verified through refer - ences in the writings of other cultures which came into contact with the Jews at the same time, and with the help of discoveries such as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Chapter Three
1. Gordon H. Clark. Religion, Reason, and Revelation (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1961) p221

2. Ezekiel 28 : 12-17
3. Isaiah 14:12-15
4. According to the Apocrypha there are 100 million angels of which now one third are fallen and have become ‘demons’. Incidentally Hinduism claims to have 330 million gods. Coincidence?
5. There are three ‘heavens’ or worlds in the Greek language of the Bible. The first ‘world’ is to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere. The second is simply called the heavens, ‘cosmos’ in Greek and refers to the universe or space. The 3^rd heaven or paradise is everything beyond the edge of space, God’s eternal and infinite kingdom.
6. For example, John 1: 1-5
7. The ideal of Marx was to create the ‘new man’ without God, however, Marx completely underestimated the problem of the nature of sin which dwells in all human beings. Communism tried to force the ideal of brotherhood and comradeship onto people, but without essential change in the human heart people continued to be selfish.
8. Romans 7
9. Professed atheists like Nietzsche are classic examples of people being in war with God.
10. The word ‘redeem’ comes from the idea of buying a person back who has been sold into slavery. The Bible uses this term to speak of Jesus’ life as the cost of our redemption.

Chapter Four
1. Genesis 1:30
2. Genesis 3:21
3. 2 Corinthians 4:4

Chapter Five
1. For example, the Babylonian story of Utnapishtim, who built an ark and was saved by the gods from a great primeval flood.

2. Consider the many websites devoted to this subject, and the following references. Crouse, Bill. 1992. “Noah’s Ark: Its Final Birth,” Bible and Spade 5:3 . Livingston, David. 1993. “The Date of Noah’s Flood: Literary and Archaeological Evidence,” Bible and Spade 6/1,

3. Morris and Morris, Many Infallible Proofs: Evidences for the Christian Faith (U.S.A., Master Books, 1974)

4. Some Christian scientists also point to the fact

that the highest percentage of oil fields is in the Middle East, the area where the Garden of Eden was, and the original site of the creation of animals. Were the largest herds of dinosaurs in this area?

5. Sceptics often criticise the idea that two of every kind of animal were on the ark. The bible suggests only two of each original species, not the hybrids and vast numbers of different breeds which have adapted from these originals.

6. See also the dialogue with Critias for more details.

 

Chapter Six

1. The architecture of the European Union headquarters is based on this building.
2. G. Frederick Owen, D.D., Ed. D, Archaeological Supplement ( The Thompson Chain Reference Bible, 1983)
3. Genesis 14:14
4. Genesis 12:1
5. Romans 1
6. Genesis 22.

Chapter Seven

 

1. E.g. Galatians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 6,

Ephesians 4:19.
2. Genesis 2:18
3. Genesis 1:28
4. The word ‘lovers’ means ‘young people in love’, not lover as in the modern context of unmarried people having sex.

Chapter Nine

 

1. Exodus 3

 

Chapter Ten

 

1. The entire account is found in Exodus, the second book of the Bible.

Chapter Twelve
1. The Sea People later settled in Southern Palestine and became known as the Philistines.

Chapter Thirteen

 

1. The movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is based on the finding of this box.

Chapter Fourteen
1. Numbers 14: 10ff
2. Hebrews 11: 6

Chapter Fifteen
1. It is most likely that God used a natural phenomenon here as the Jordan River is sometimes temporarily blocked by landslides caused by earthquakes.

2. See Walls of Jericho by Bryant G Wood for further information.

Chapter Sixteen
1. Isaiah also states that Jesus will leave no natural children behind him, contrary to some modern publications that suggest He was married and produced a daughter.

Chapter Seventeen
1. The chart is taken from the Thompson Chain reference Bible and other sources. Dates are approximate only.

Chapter Twenty
1. Matthew 5,6,7
2. John 3: 1-21
3. Eg, Luke 14:25ff
4. Galatians 2:20

Chapter Twenty One

 

1. See for example, John 1: 1-5, Colossians

1:15-17, Hebrews 1: 1-3
2. See for example Isaiah 9:6
3. Some of the disciples thought that after the

resurrection Jesus would immediately restore the Kingdom of Israel and be its King (Acts 1:6).

4. Infancy Gospel of Thomas, 3:1

 

5. Mathew 14, Mark 6, John 6

 

Chapter Twenty Two

1. The gospels are placed first as they are about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, whereas Paul’s letters are about the Church which was obviously established later.

2. John 20:10ff

Chapter Twenty Three
1. Acts 1-2
2. Tacitus, AnnalsXV.44
3. For example, of the forty-four gospels which were claimed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit, only four were considered by all Christians, everywhere, and at all times throughout church history to be truly inspired.
4. Ivor J. Davidson. A Public Faith: From Constantine to the Medieval World, AD 312-600 (Grand Rapids Michigan: Monarch Books, 2005) pp179-185

Chapter Twenty Four
1. The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons are examples of how Biblical Truth has been perverted.

2. 2 Peter 3:10-13
3. Jeremiah 29:13, Hebrews 11:6
4. Luke 14:25-33, Matthew 13:44-46
5. Hebrews 11:6
6. See Romans 6

Also, by Steve Copland

J

ust Because takes children on a journey through the Bible. It gives them an exciting bird’s-eyeview of God’s plan unfolding as He prepares the world for the coming of Jesus Christ. Throughout the story Satan is watching out for the child who will “crush his head”, (Genesis 3) and he endeavors to stop God’s plan from unfolding. The reader knows who that special child is, and the story especially opens up the insights that point to Jesus throughout the Old Testament, such as the symbols of Passover and prophecies. Each chapter takes about twenty minutes to read and ends with a short Biblical lesson.

Just Because was originally written to be read to un-churched children in secular schools about twenty years ago. Since then teachers in New Zealand, Australia, and Cuba have used it to grow, and deepen children’s faith in Jesus Christ and the Bible. Kids love it.