WAEC SSCE - Christian Religious Studies - 2006 (Essay)

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(a) Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6)

(i) Worldly Possession

• Jesus warned His hearers not to lay up for themselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal.
• Instead, they should lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.
• He gave the principle that "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
• He taught that no one can serve two masters, for he will hate the one and love the other; therefore one cannot serve both God and mammon (wealth).

(ii) Anxiety

• Jesus commanded His followers not to be anxious about their life, what they would eat or drink, nor about their body, what they would wear.
• He pointed to the birds of the air which neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet the heavenly Father feeds them, and the disciples are of more value than they.
• He pointed to the lilies of the field which neither toil nor spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them.
• He taught that worry cannot add a single cubit to one's span of life, and that the Gentiles seek after these things; but the Father knows His children need them.
• The conclusion: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.

(b) Three lessons

1. Christians should set their hearts on heavenly and eternal values rather than perishable wealth.
2. Undivided devotion to God is required; one cannot serve both God and money.
3. Trust in God's providence delivers the believer from destructive anxiety, since God cares for and provides for His children.

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(a) Events that led to the election of Matthias (Acts 1)

• After the ascension of Jesus, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and gathered in the upper room, devoting themselves to prayer together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and His brothers.
• In those days Peter stood up among the brethren, about a hundred and twenty in number, and addressed them.
• He explained that the Scripture had to be fulfilled concerning Judas Iscariot, who had guided those who arrested Jesus and had been numbered among the twelve.
• Peter recalled that Judas had bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open; the field was called Akeldama, the Field of Blood.
• Peter cited the Psalms: "Let another take his office," and argued that Judas' place of leadership must be filled.
• He laid down the qualification: the replacement must be one of the men who had accompanied them all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among them, from the baptism of John until the ascension, so that he could be a witness of the resurrection.
• Two men were put forward, Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.
• They prayed, asking the Lord who knows the hearts of all to show which of the two He had chosen. Then they cast lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, who was enrolled with the eleven apostles.

(b) Three guidelines for conducting elections

1. Prayerful dependence on God. Elections should be preceded by prayer, seeking divine guidance since God knows the hearts of all.
2. Clear qualifications and eligibility. Candidates should meet defined criteria of character, experience and integrity, as Peter set out the qualifications for the apostle.
3. Fairness and transparency. The process should be open and impartial, giving equal opportunity to qualified candidates and free from favouritism or manipulation.

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(a) Features of the New Life in Christ (Colossians 3)

Paul teaches that those who have been raised with Christ must live a transformed life:

• Seek things that are above. Believers should set their minds on heavenly things, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, not on earthly things.
• Put to death the earthly nature. They must renounce fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry.
• Put away vices of speech and conduct. They should get rid of anger, wrath, malice, slander and foul talk, and not lie to one another, having put off the old self with its practices.
• Put on the new self. They are renewed in knowledge after the image of the Creator, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, but Christ is all in all.
• Clothe themselves with Christian virtues. They should put on compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, patience, forbearance and forgiveness, as the Lord has forgiven them.
• Above all, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony, and let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts.
• Let the word of Christ dwell in them richly, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus with thanksgiving.

(b) Three practices with a negative effect on a Christian community

1. Immorality and impurity such as fornication and indecent living, which defile the fellowship.
2. Slander, lying and malicious gossip, which destroy trust and breed division.
3. Anger, quarrelling and unforgiveness, which disrupt peace and harmony among believers.

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(a)(i) How Nehemiah received the news about the state of affairs in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:1-4):

• In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, Nehemiah was in Susa the capital, serving as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.
• Hanani, one of his brethren, came from Judah with certain men.
• Nehemiah asked them about the surviving Jews who had escaped exile, and about Jerusalem.
• They reported that the survivors were in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and its gates had been destroyed by fire.
• On hearing this, Nehemiah sat down and wept, mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

(a)(ii) Nehemiah's prayer when he received the news (Nehemiah 1:5-11):

• He addressed God as "O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments."
• He asked God to let His ear be attentive and His eyes open to hear the prayer of His servant offered day and night for the people of Israel.
• He made a confession of sin, acknowledging that he and the house of Israel, including himself and his father's house, had sinned and had not kept the commandments given through Moses.
• He reminded God of His word to Moses: that if they were unfaithful He would scatter them, but if they returned and obeyed, He would gather them from the farthest places to the place He had chosen.
• He appealed that they were God's servants and people whom He had redeemed by His great power.
• He asked God to grant him mercy and success in the presence of the king ("this man"), for he was about to make his request. He ended, "for I was cupbearer to the king."

(b) Three virtues that can be learnt from Nehemiah's reaction:

• Deep concern and patriotism for the welfare of his people and his homeland.
• A spirit of prayer and dependence on God, turning first to God with fasting before acting.
• Humility and honesty, shown in confessing the nation's sins and his own before seeking God's help.

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(a) How Eli failed as a parent (1 Samuel 2:12-36; 3:11-14):

• His sons Hophni and Phinehas were worthless men who did not know the Lord, yet Eli allowed them to continue as priests.
• He failed to discipline or restrain them when they sinned grievously against the Lord's offerings and lay with the women serving at the tent of meeting.
• His rebuke was weak and too late. He merely asked, "Why do you do such things?" but did not remove them from office.
• He honoured his sons above God, allowing them to fatten themselves on the choicest parts of the offerings, as the Lord charged through the man of God.
• He tolerated persistent evil and did not act with the firmness his priestly duty and fatherhood demanded.

(b) Six ways Israel suffered as a result of Eli's parental irresponsibility:

• Worship at Shiloh was corrupted, and the people came to despise the offerings of the Lord.
• Israel was defeated by the Philistines at Ebenezer, losing about four thousand men.
• The Ark of God was captured by the Philistines.
• Thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell in the second battle.
• Hophni and Phinehas were killed on the same day, and Eli himself fell and died.
• The glory departed from Israel, commemorated in the naming of Ichabod; the nation was plunged into mourning and shame.

(c) Three lessons from the attitude of Eli:

• Parents must discipline and correct their children early and firmly, not indulge them.
• God must be honoured above family ties; partiality toward children over duty to God brings disaster.
• Negligence in responsibility carries grave consequences, both for the individual and for the wider community.

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(a) Peter's teaching on interpersonal relationship among Christians (1 Peter)

• Brotherly love. Peter urged believers to love one another earnestly from a pure heart, having been born anew. Above all, they should hold unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.
• Humility. They should clothe themselves with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. The younger should be subject to the elders.
• Hospitality. They should practise hospitality ungrudgingly to one another.
• Mutual service. Each should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.
• Unity and sympathy. They should have unity of spirit, sympathy, a tender heart and a humble mind, living in harmony with one another.
• Returning good for evil. They should not return evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but bless, so that they may obtain a blessing.
• Respect and honour. They should honour all men, love the brotherhood, fear God and honour the emperor, and submit to lawful authority.
• Care and oversight. Elders should tend the flock of God willingly, not for shameful gain, not domineering but being examples to the flock.

(b) Three factors that may cause conflict in society

1. Pride and the struggle for power or position, which breed rivalry and strife.
2. Injustice, oppression and inequality, which provoke resentment and unrest.
3. Greed, envy and the selfish pursuit of wealth, which set people against one another.

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(a) Circumstances that led to Jesus' declaration of Himself as the 'Bread of Life' (John 6)

The declaration arose out of the events following the feeding of the five thousand:

• Jesus had miraculously fed a great multitude with five barley loaves and two fish, and twelve baskets of fragments were gathered up.
• Impressed by the sign, the crowd wanted to seize Him by force and make Him king, but Jesus withdrew to the mountain and later crossed the sea to Capernaum.
• The crowd searched for Him and found Him on the other side of the sea. Jesus told them plainly that they were seeking Him not because they saw signs but because they had eaten the loaves and were filled.
• He urged them not to labour for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man would give.
• They asked for a sign and reminded Him that their fathers ate manna in the wilderness. Jesus replied that it was not Moses but His Father who gives the true bread from heaven, the bread that gives life to the world.
• When they asked for this bread, Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." He added that whoever eats this bread will live for ever, and that the bread He gives is His flesh for the life of the world.

(b) Three moral lessons

1. We should seek spiritual, not merely material, benefits. Christians must labour for eternal things and not follow Christ only for earthly gain.
2. Faith in Christ is the source of true and lasting life. Belief in Jesus satisfies the deepest hunger of the soul.
3. Christ meets both physical and spiritual needs. As He fed the crowd and offered Himself as living bread, believers should trust Him for their total welfare and also care for the needy around them.

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(a) The circumstances that led to the dismissal of Gehazi (2 Kings 5:15-27):

• After Naaman the Syrian commander was healed of leprosy by washing seven times in the Jordan, as directed by the prophet Elisha, he returned to offer Elisha a reward.
• Elisha firmly refused to accept any gift, saying, "As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none." He did not want it thought that God's grace could be bought.
• Gehazi, Elisha's servant, was greedy. He said to himself that his master had spared Naaman by not accepting what he brought, and resolved, "As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him."
• He ran after Naaman and lied, claiming Elisha had sent him because two young prophets had just arrived, and requested a talent of silver and two changes of clothing for them.
• Naaman gladly gave two talents of silver and two festal garments, which Gehazi hid in the house.
• When Gehazi returned and stood before Elisha, the prophet asked where he had been. Gehazi lied again, saying he had gone nowhere.
• Elisha revealed that his spirit had gone with Gehazi and rebuked him: "Was it a time to accept money and garments...?"
• As judgement, the leprosy of Naaman clung to Gehazi and his descendants forever, and Gehazi went out from Elisha's presence a leper, as white as snow.

(b) Three lessons that can be learnt from Gehazi's conduct:

• Greed and covetousness lead to ruin; the love of money brings disgrace and punishment.
• Lying and deceit will be exposed; nothing is hidden from God and His servants.
• The gifts and grace of God must not be commercialised or used for selfish gain.

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(a) How Paul treated the problem of idleness among the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 3)

Some Christians at Thessalonica, apparently expecting the imminent return of Christ, had abandoned work and were living in idleness and becoming busybodies. Paul addressed the problem firmly:

• He commanded, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the brethren keep away from any believer who lives in idleness and not according to the tradition they received.
• He reminded them of his own example: he and his companions were not idle when they were with them, nor did they eat anyone's bread without paying, but worked night and day with toil and labour so as not to burden anyone.
• He explained that they did this to give the Thessalonians an example to imitate, even though as apostles they had the right to support.
• He restated the rule he had given while with them: "If any one will not work, let him not eat."
• He rebuked those who were mere busybodies, not busy at work, and commanded and exhorted them in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and earn their own living.
• He urged the rest of the believers not to grow weary in well-doing, and to note anyone who refused to obey, so that he might be ashamed, though he was to be warned as a brother and not treated as an enemy.

(b) Three reasons why Christians should engage in gainful employment

1. To provide for oneself and one's family and avoid becoming a burden to others.
2. To obey God's command and follow Christian example, since Scripture teaches that whoever will not work should not eat.
3. To have resources to help the needy and support the work of the church rather than living in idleness and becoming a busybody.

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(a) James' concept of works in relation to faith (James 2)

• James teaches that faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. A mere profession of belief that produces no action cannot save.
• He gives a practical illustration: if a brother or sister is ill-clad and lacking daily food, and one says to them "Go in peace, be warmed and filled" without giving them what the body needs, such words profit nothing.
• He anticipates the objection, "You have faith and I have works," and answers that faith cannot be shown apart from works, but he will show his faith by his works.
• He argues that even the demons believe that God is one, and shudder, yet their belief does not save them; therefore intellectual assent alone is worthless.
• He appeals to Abraham, who was justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar; his faith was completed by his works, and he was called the friend of God.
• He also cites Rahab the harlot, who was justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way.
• His conclusion: "As the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead." True, living faith must express itself in obedient action.

(b) Three ways Christians can demonstrate their faith daily

1. By acts of charity, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and helping the needy.
2. By obedience to God's commandments and living an upright, honest life.
3. By showing love, forgiveness and kindness to others, including enemies, thereby putting belief into practice.

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(a)(i) Jeremiah's message about the sins of Judah

Jeremiah, called to prophesy in the closing years of the kingdom of Judah, delivered a searching indictment of the nation's covenant unfaithfulness. His message may be outlined as follows:

• Forsaking the Lord, the fountain of living waters. Judah had abandoned the true God who had delivered her from Egypt and had dug for herself broken cisterns that could hold no water.
• Idolatry and Baal worship. The people bowed to the gods of the nations, set up altars on every high hill and under every green tree, and even offered their children as burnt sacrifices to Baal and Molech.
• Corrupt and empty religion. They trusted in the mere presence of the Temple, chanting "the temple of the Lord", while their hearts and conduct were far from God. Their sacrifices and feasts had become an abomination because they lacked obedience.
• Injustice and oppression. The leaders, priests and prophets shed innocent blood, oppressed the widow, the orphan and the stranger, and pursued dishonest gain.
• Moral corruption. Adultery, lying, stealing, swearing falsely and breaking of the Sabbath were common among the people.
• False prophets and faithless priests. The prophets prophesied lies and the priests ruled by their own authority, crying "Peace, peace" when there was no peace, and the people loved to have it so.
• Refusal to repent. Despite repeated warnings, Judah stiffened her neck, hardened her heart and would not return to the Lord.

(ii) Two consequences of such sinfulness

1. Invasion and destruction by Babylon. Because of her sins, Judah was overrun by Nebuchadnezzar; Jerusalem and the Temple were burnt and destroyed.
2. Exile and captivity. The people were carried away into captivity in Babylon for seventy years, losing their land, freedom and place of worship.

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(a) The Lukan account of the Resurrection (Luke 24)

• On the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee came to the tomb bringing the spices they had prepared.
• They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, and on going in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
• While they were perplexed, two men in dazzling apparel (angels) stood by them. The frightened women bowed their faces to the ground.
• The angels said, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." They reminded the women that Jesus had foretold in Galilee that the Son of Man must be crucified and on the third day rise again.
• The women remembered His words and returned to tell the eleven and the rest. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James, but their words seemed to the apostles as an idle tale, and they did not believe.
• Peter, however, ran to the tomb, stooped and saw the linen cloths by themselves, and went home wondering.
• That same day the risen Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, was made known to them in the breaking of bread, and later appeared to the eleven, showed them His hands and feet, ate a piece of broiled fish, opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and finally led them out to Bethany where He blessed them and was carried up into heaven.

(b) Three lessons

1. The resurrection confirms the truth of Jesus' words and the certainty of God's promises.
2. Faith may need to overcome doubt, as the apostles first dismissed the report as an idle tale.
3. Christ reveals Himself to those who seek Him, especially in the Scriptures and in fellowship (the breaking of bread).