Christian Ethics 4

Session 1: Defining Ethics:

Lecture:

Ask the question: How do we define ethics?

The basic streams of Western philosophy are:

a. Metaphysics (What is real?),
b. Epistemology (How do we test what we think is real?) and
c. Ethics (_________________________________?)

These streams of Western philosophy relate directly to questions common to all

humanity:

1) The question of reality—metaphysics,

2) The question of knowledge—epistemology,
3) The question of moral action—ethics

Western philosophy defines Ethics as: “a disciplined reflection the formation of a

healthy character and its relationship to virtuous action.”

Ethics is the study of human morality, of human behavior, of human conduct. By

“morality,” we mean the set of judgments that people make about what is right or
wrong, good or evil, within an individual, between individuals, or between groups
of people. Christian ethical thought and actions are guided by the moral standards
by which God desires his people to live their lives regardless of who they are or
where they live or what they do. Because Christian ethics focus on God’s will for
His people and how to accomplish it, the central subject of this course is
appropriate for all Christians, not just in a particular geographical region or a
particular culture. It applies to all men, women and youth who are children of God
and who sincerely want to please him.

The Christian life is more than ethics but not less. God’s will include callings, gifts,
responsibilities and activities for specific groups and individuals that do not apply
to everyone. These elements form important parts of the Christian life for different
people. But the ways in which we carry out these elements of God’s will are in the
sphere of Christian ethics.

God’s will includes not just W____?____ we do as followers of Jesus but H___?____
we do it. The Christian life embraces the ways in which God wants all Christians to
live as they carry out their daily lives and work. This is the heart of Christian ethics
and is at the heart of what God desires of all of us if we are to please him.
Understanding God’s moral will, and making decisions and carrying out actions that
reflect it, constitute the central challenge of this course.

The purpose of this course is not to examine the whole spectrum of ethical
theories, though such a study is useful for understanding the various moral
orientations of the people we encounter from day to day. As Christians, we believe
that the appropriate foundation for human conduct is rooted in the character of
God and is disclosed to us through divine revelation found in the Bible, Christian
community, and through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

God’s character and moral will for human beings has been revealed to us first
through the Old Testament fathers and prophets and finally, most clearly of all, in
the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, our primary, though not exclusive, concern
in this course is to understand and apply the moral will of God to our lives. Although
Christian behavior is properly influenced by diverse categories of ethical theory, we
accept the religious or divine commands of God himself as having final moral
authority for us. Therefore, we seek to evaluate all of our moral obligations in the
light of God’s revelation.

A Model of Ethical Living: Abel

Obeying God's word
(Genesis 4:1-16; Hebrews 11:4)
Please read the biblical texts.
The story of Cain and Abel is a sad one. These two men, children of Adam and Eve,
brought sacrifices to God (Genesis 4:1-16). We read that God had respect for Abel
and his offering but not for Cain and his offering. The assumption here is that Abel
was making his sacrifice in obedience to God's word in a way that Cain was not
(Hebrews 11:4). The apparent jealousy of Cain led him to murder his brother Abel,
thus bringing God's judgment upon himself.

We can analyze the way Abel lived as follows:

 His ethical challenge: to respect God's word

 His ethical action: to make an appropriate sacrifice
 His temptation: to follow his older brother, Cain, whose offering was not
acceptable?
 The cost of his doing what was right: the loss of his life
 The reward of his doing what was right: God's approval

Guide Questions for Reflection:

(1 page reflection paper, limit your answer to 5 or 8 sentences per question)

1) As you think about your life and work, write down two or three moral issues that
are of concern to you at this time.

2) Why do you believe that God wants His people to engage in some concentrated
thought, discussion and decision making with regard to moral issues that affect our
lives and that of our colleagues? Explain.

Note: Submission Date – on or before June 30, 2018 @ HR Office from 8:00 to 5:00
pm……. or to Ms. Eunice at Law office (Saturday HR Office from 8am to 12nn and
look for Miss Zyra)