Biblical Perspective Towards Ethics

Bibliography: James Emmanuel E. Ethics: A biblical perspective. Bangalore: Theological book Trust,

           1992. 33 to 132 pages.

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Introduction

                         Ethics plays pivotal role in humanity, biblical ethics has made a law in Christendom. In this review the researcher would like to deal with the ethical view of the Bible. So Biblical ethics teaches us the moral fundamentality of individuals.

Old Testament ethics

                          The Old Testament ethics centers on the authority of God. This is based upon the covenant relationship of Israel with God, rather a set of moral rules. God demands from human is justice and righteousness. Man’s rebellion and disobedience towards God, resulted in the blurring of ethical knowledge, breaking up of relationships and complicating moral decision. (53-70)

(1)    Ethical teachings of Pentateuch

                            Ethical teachings of Pentateuch are based upon historical foundations. And there are three integral part of Israel’s history and they are closely linked together. A careful examination of the covenant and law indicates that the relationship between God and Israel is not only legal but religious and moral relationship. (37-52)

                           “God made covenant between his chosen people of Israel and most basic and distinctive element in the Old Testament” (38). The meaning of covenant is special relationship between two parties which we can see in at Mount Sinai.

                              Law reveals that people are like God morally because man is created in the image of God. The Ten Commandments or the moral law constitute the fundamental law of God’s rule, Laws brings discipline. The basic wrong use of law is legalism. Legalism takes place when misuse the law.                             

“Some persons hold the view that instead of being person oriented, it is legalistic to be law-oriented. This sets law over against love or substitutes love for law. Actually, love is the fulfillment of the law (53)

(2)   Ethical teachings of the prophet

                              The Old Testament Prophets also teaches about the moral values, all prophet has moral massages but among them Amos, Hosea, Isiah, Micah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are outstanding. God has huge concern towards Israelites but they were happy in their rituals, misunderstood Gods will. Prophets criticized Israelites when they disobeyed God and also the cultic practices which had no ethical value.

                                 Amos, Hosea, Isiah and Micah are known as prophets of morality. The emphasis on ethical standards of conduct came into full focus during their time. Their main emphasis upon God’s demand for right conduct from his people. In the prophetical books prophets taught them ethical implications of the law. (53-70)

(3)   Ethical teachings of poetical and wisdom literature

                                      The wisdom literature of the Old Testament co is not as unified as it is in the law and the prophets. Poetical and wisdom literature give better understanding nsists of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and few Psalms. The ethical content of the wisdom literature that how we have to use wisdom in ethical decisions.(73-84)

New Testament ethics

                                       New Testament ethic is founded upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We saw in O.T that how god dealt with his peoples and reflect same picture in New Testament that Jesus gave an ethical law.(87-90)

(1)   Ethical teachings of Jesus 

                                        The synoptic gospels are our main source for ethical teachings of Jesus concerning the kingdom of God. (91). He dealt with concrete ethical problems and gave heavenly solution. The term kingdom of God is not occur in the Old Testament but the idea runs through the entire Old Testament. It was the central theme of Jesus’s teachings. (91-98)

                                       Relationship is very essential for human being as he is living being he has to be relate with his community. In this chapter James talked about God and human’s relationship.

Legalism is the attempt of the human to earn his salvation by doing good works or obeying the law. It is an external religion and it deals with unimportant details of life.

                                     Jesus wants his teachings to become a part of our daily lives. Good thought brings good works as it’s mentioned by James, We can imitate Jesus in the area of ethical decisions. (91-101)

(2)   Ethical teachings of Paul                                                                                

                                         Ethical monotheism, the words and example of the Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit form the foundation of Pauline ethics. The all-inclusive basis of Paul’s ethics is God’s salvation. (105-115)

                                           Paul himself had an experience with Jesus, from where he made his Christian character. He had learnt that by faith in Christ the moral consciousness is brought under the power of a personal example. The supreme standard for ethics conduct is Christ. (105-118)

(3)   Ethical teachings of john, peter, and James

                                          These non-epistles contain important ethical teachings. They emphasis on to bare good moral character. Live moral life is living holy life. They all presented about ethical teachings but their method of exposition can be different from each other but their main goal is to bare a good moral character as a Christian. (121-131)

Book review

                       This book was about biblical teachings of ethic which Emmanuel E James wrote with his thoughts. He is emphasis on God’s character and behavior. James give significant to the human relationship with Christ. How to behave in the personal life and outside the church. He uses variety of modes of ethics such as deontological ethics, teleological ethics, and virtue ethics. He balanced all ethics in this book. He tried to show that God is powerful and strong. Human does not want to control God but Christ virtue should reflect upon human being.

                           He writes in Christian perspective. Which their foundation should be bible .and follow the law to be in the covenant of Christ. Author deeply rooted in the bible. He clearly definite what is the kingdom of god and how we can enter in to it.

               Author have wrote from the modes of deontological way. He forget the results that get in the last. More than future oriented he writes on present life. He need to emphasis on how the life can be connected with Christ. And author mentioned prof. Scott’s point that, “Jesus was something else than law giver or reformer. He came with the message from god and his ethics has no meaning apart from his religion” (91). James doesn’t gave the more value of ethics rather than religion. This statement reducing the significant of ethical teaching of Jesus. There should be the opposition of this statement.

Conclusion

            James elaborate the Christian ethics to be under the Christian faith. This book encourages and inspires to be reflect the virtue of Christ. Overall he talks about different modes of ethics and its value of ethics, James clearly illustrate us that how to take a decision on the bases of biblical ethics.