Cremation is not necessarily wrong and can result in significant savings, but traditional burial of one’s body in a casket has the advantage of giving more visible expression to our hope of the resurrection of the body when Christ returns. Complete ethical revelation would be impractical. The idea always being that if the Bible prohibits, prescribes, and implies something we should or shouldn't do it. Here is a list of ten values or principles for living that are emphasized most strongly in the Bible: 1. In this essay we will consider the basis, norm, and power for personal ethics, before turning to three specific case studies. Good health habits include a healthy diet, physical exercise, sleep, and vaccinations. Christians should seek to influence governments for good. People just need to take the best bits of the bible and, like a mirror, shine them back at the imagined gods and they will disintegrate. Governments have a responsibility to defend their nations against attacks by other nations with military forces if necessary. These principles govern both spiritual and everyday life for believers. If using physical force in self-defense is morally right, then use of a legally permitted weapon in self-defense is also morally right, since a weapon can overcome great inequalities in size or strength. God is sovereign over all nations even today. That principle is reaffirmed in Romans 13:1–4. In actual practice, it is possible for both husband and wife to slip into errors of passivity or errors of aggressiveness, but the biblical ideal is loving, humble headship on the part of the husband, and joyful, intelligent submission to a husband’s leadership on the part of the wife. Beginning with Matthew 5:17, the laws and the principles of the kingdom are unfolded and are related to the Mosaic law, to contemporary problems, and to the future judgment of God as well. We must take the biblical warnings about the temptations of materialism seriously, but they should not cause us to abandon the blessings of increased prosperity. Although their ethical principles may be Biblical, they still must be proved by Scripture and identified with specific texts. Adultery is repeatedly prohibited by Scripture, and frequently destroys a person’s entire life. B. A REFLECTION ON HISTORICAL BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES IN SUPPORT OF ETHICAL STEWARDSHIP 233 Bible also highlights various creatures (including the ant) as examples of productivity and wisdom (Proverbs 6:6-11; 30:25). moral principles and ethical norms that can provide them with a sound and healthy basis for their future private, social and professional lives. Six core ethical convictions from Scripture establish boundaries for making business decisions: (1) truthfulness, (2) not stealing, (3) honoring marriage, (4) loving your neighbor as yourself, (5) confidence that there is always a right decision available, and (6) trust in God. Christian ethics is a branch of Christian theology that defines virtuous behavior and wrong behavior from a Christian perspective. Leaders were needed from the very beginning, when Moses led God's people out of Egypt through the desert for 40 years and then to the Promised Land. Men and women are equal in value and dignity before God, but men and women also have different roles in marriage as part of the way God created us from the beginning. I. 3:2) should not be used to prevent divorced people from holding office in the church. Jesus never told a lie. The New Testament promises children God’s blessing on their lives in response to their obedience to their parents (Eph. . The common assumption that people should “retire” around age sixty-five and then do no productive work for the rest of their lives finds no support in Scripture. Coveting implies that we do not trust God, that we dislike his provisions for our lives, and that we want something more than him. Verse Concepts. Recent arguments that some people are “born gay,” that scientific evidence shows that some people have a homosexual genetic makeup, and that many homosexual relationships today are beneficial, are not persuasive. They are uniquely human activities that give opportunities to imitate God in ways the rest of creation cannot do. 5. All seven principles must be in harmony for ethical medical care. Verse Concepts. 4. It is possible to spend too much, and it is possible to spend too little. The Old Testament standard was to give a tithe (ten percent) plus other offerings and sacrifices. 19:28) is not binding on people today, but several factors should be considered in deciding whether getting a tattoo is a wise decision. The purpose of Wayne Grudem’s Christian Ethics: An Introduction to Biblical Moral Reasoning is to help readers apply a biblical worldview to difficult ethical issues, including wealth and poverty, marriage and divorce, birth control, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, business practices, environmental stewardship, telling the truth, knowing God’s will, understanding Old Testament laws, and more. Christian ethics, as a systematic reflection upon moral choices which are Christian, makes use of important insights in the Bible; but Christian ethics is not biblical ethics. The Bible clearly forbids drunkenness and contains frequent warnings against the dangers of alcohol, but other passages view the moderate use of alcohol more positively. Human death was not a part of God’s original creation, but because of the sin of Adam, all human beings grow old and eventually die. Ethical Principles. . C. Application to the Bible. Several passages in the Bible indicate that an unborn child should be thought of and protected as a person from the moment of conception. Attending a same-sex wedding ceremony, or using one’s artistic skills to contribute to such a ceremony, gives a public signal of approval for something that Scripture considers morally wrong. On a human level, coveting is horribly destructive. Ethics define right and wrong conduct. Communism seeks to abolish private property, and is therefore horribly dehumanizing. Social Ethics Defined. Principles suffer from ambiguity. If there are earlier and revised versions we'll need both. this is autonomous christian ethics. The arguments by David Instone-Brewer, that divorce should be allowed because of material or emotional neglect, are not persuasive. For information contact the 39 th Street church of Christ, 15331 East 39 Street, Independence, MO 64055. The New Testament repeatedly warns against coveting, and instead encourages contentment. As such, the Bible becomes our source of morality because the Bible is the very Word of God in written form (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). It is morally acceptable for Christians to engage in spying and undercover police work, with certain limitations. Properly formed ethical judgments must therefore be drawn deliberately from God’s self-revelation in the Bible. Work also provides many temptations to sin. Divorce commonly brings many harmful consequences. The arguments in favor of the “no divorce and no remarriage” view and the “divorce but no remarriage” view are not persuasive. In cases of physical abuse, both the church and often the civil authority must act to see that the abuse is immediately stopped. In the biblical pattern for marriage, the husband also has the primary responsibility to provide for and protect his wife and family, and the wife also has the primary responsibility to care for the home and to nurture children. Here is an example. The narrative examples of lying in Scripture (such as Rahab in Jericho) do not overturn this conclusion. However, the use of dental braces, hair dye, and cosmetic surgery can be morally good choices in some circumstances. Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. The best ethical bits can dispel the fantasy of supernaturalism. Distinction between principles and rules - Generality. Click on a topic below to read a brief summary of each of the ethical issues Dr. Grudem addresses in his new book. Carbon fuels (especially coal, oil, and natural gas) are portable, efficient, and abundant sources of energy, and we should consider them to be good gifts from God and use them wisely and safely. The commandment “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17) shows that God requires not only right actions but also purity of heart. There are both wise and foolish reasons for borrowing, and both borrowing and lending carry with them temptations and dangers. ##. God intends that a person’s gender identity should be determined by that person’s biological sex. Ethical principles in relationships generally. But it is morally wrong to serve in a war that is clearly unjust. The term ethics may refer to the philosophical study of the concepts of moral right and wrong and moral good and bad, to any philosophical theory of what is morally right and wrong or morally good and bad, and to any system or code of moral rules, principles, or values. It is not merely a human agreement but is also a covenant made before God. The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Poverty can only be solved by increased prosperity in nations, not by attempting to compel equality. Objections based on alternative interpretations of Genesis 9, the teachings of Jesus, a “whole-life ethic,” or questions of results and fairness are not persuasive. We learn from Hebrew Scripture, our Old Testament of the Bible, the value of life. Best-selling author Wayne Grudem explains in 42 thorough chapters what the Bible says about ethical questions regarding marriage, government, abortion, and dozens of other issues in this highly practical, biblically based volume on Christian ethics. The New Testament does not specify a percentage but encourages generous giving, motivated by trust in God, and promises several blessings for those who give. What about moral dilemmas? Discipline of children can take many forms, including the wise use of spanking in certain circumstances, but spanking should never result in actual physical harm to the child or in physical abuse. A husband’s headship in marriage is also the explicit teaching of the New Testament. 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