1. Read the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20.
2. How do the first four commandments differ from the last six?
3. Read the Beatitudes, the blessings of Jesus in the opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5:1-12. Which one is repeated and emphasized?
4. From the lecture, what two commandments did Jesus say are the greatest?
4. From the lecture and textbook, write out the short quote that philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche made famous about truth.
5. From the textbook, describe how Raphael, in his great painting School of Athens, depicted Plato and Aristotle.
6. According to the lecture, what kind of absolute truths require the existence of God?
7. Briefly define general and special revelation.
8. From Chapter 8 of the textbook, define exclusivism and pluralism.
9. According to Chapter 9 in the textbook, does Job ever find out why he suffered? What is the best explanation from our perspective?
10. Read the story of the raising of Lazarus in John 11. What can we learn about Jesus and death from this account of the event? Read the 11 reasons for suffering listed in the lecture. Which reason(s) might provide good cause for a Christian to “count it all joy” as James says to do in James 1:2-4?
12. Read the section on Theodicy in Chapter 9 of the textbook.
a. Define theodicy.
b. What are two explanations Christians might give to explain the problem of evil—how a good and powerful God would allow suffering?
13. According to Philippians 2:1-11, how are Christians to behave in light of what Jesus endured?
