Fred Okemwa.
TSHT 624 Protestant Theological Heritage.
Reflection paper 4.
It was another week of its own kind: As I listened to the presentations from different colleagues on various topics, I wished if the class could continue and each individual be given full chance to develop the proposal into the real paper.Icongraturate the professor for this kind of Methodology that he has interwoven in his teaching process. It gives a wider scope of thinking and as we open to one another in the class room discussion taking inputs from one another it really motivates and improves our learning experience as well.
The topic on righteousness by faith as was presented by one of our colleagues is such wide in the scope of understanding that we have not yet fully understood. The reformers wrestled with the same problem as we do today. As it was understood by the old generation that salvation is by works even today it is not strange that there are people who believe on the same. The connection between the Pauline teaching of salvation by faith and the James teaching that faith without works is dead if not carefully examined in the light of what each individual is addressing it leads to misunderstanding and thereby a wrong conclusion may be drawn. It is important to understand that justification in Christ is the doing of God: the fruit of this justification which is the result of our union with Christ is what James refers as works and again this is the doing of God lest any man should boast. This is my literal understanding of the connection between the two however I stand to be corrected.
I also did appreciate in the cause of the week the professors’ explanatory lecture on the sanctuary. In the beautiful comparisons of the earthly and the heavenly holy places the point was driven home on what the sanctuary really is.
To aconclude, the course has been so good and challenging and I feel that it achieved my objective.