"The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man."
--Thomas Jefferson
"Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern which have come under my observation, none appears to me so pure as that of Jesus."
--Thomas Jefferson
"I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus."
--Thomas Jefferson
"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever."
--Thomas Jefferson
"It [the Bible] is a document in proof that I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus."
--Thomas Jefferson
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Chapter 9
A.) What is the one key idea of this chapter?
The truth of God revealed through the epistles. Paul usesthese epistles to unite the ne Christian communities. They give us the earliest picture of what life was like for the earliest Christians. Out of twenty-one of these epistles, thirteen of them were written by Paul, who went through a dramatic conversion on "The Road to Damascus." Paul emphasises grace, justification, paradox of the cross, and the Body of Christ. These epistles were not just instructions for the past, they also give us answers to what God wants in todays world. The Good News shared in the letters is that we don't have to do it alone. God's grace and presence are always with us. And Paul reminds us, we "can do all things through HIm who strengthens" us.
B.) Write about two major ideas you want to remember. Write a short paragraph on each clearly stating the idea and then telling why you want to remember it.
-"Those who wrote the epistles or letters of the New Testament responded to the questions and concerns of their contemporaries by directing them to an awareness of the attitude of Christ."
The letters were written to help guide and encourage the first Christians. They are not just letters explaining God's message back then, they can also be used today.
-"It should be noted in which Paul traces the importance of the presence, participation, and witness of women in the early Church."
Paul emphasizes women filled with holy boldness, holy love, holy wisdom, and strength. Jesus ignored these distinctions of racism, like the divisions between men and women, or Greeks and Jews. Jesus turned the norms and expectations upside down. He treated everyone as equals.
C.) One image that captures the chapter for you.

D.) One significant question you have from this chapter. It can be intellectual or personal. Just write out the question. Try to answer it if you want.
What is the "I can do" attitude?
The "I can do" attitude means being able to accomplish great things no matter what happens in life, knowing that the strength one needs is as close as a prayer or the support of Christ. Paul modes this in his letters'.
E.) What is your most favorite passage from an epistle? Copy the passage and tell why it is important to you.
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
This emphasis again the importance of God's love and how unavoidable it is. Even in the Old Testament story of Jonah, he cannot avoid God no matter where he hides. I like this passage because it sums up all that Jesus is; the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This passage just makes sense to me when speaking of Jesus, and how although everything can go wrong, but Christ will be right there with us suffering.
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