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Biblical Studies (NT)/The Epistle of Jude: Faithless Theologians

 NEW TESTAMENT

 Lesson 13

 THE EPISTLE OF JUDE   Religious Hypocrisy

Authorship
The author introduces himself as “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James” (Jude 1). This Jude has traditionally been believed to be Jesus’ brother of the same name (Mt 13:55). If this is true, the greeting is a mark of humility in Jude, who mentions that he is a brother of James, the well-known leader of the church at Jerusalem and the writer of the epistle of James, but in relation to Jesus, he merely calls himself “a servant.”

If he was Jesus’ brother, he was one of a large Jewish family of the town of Nazareth in Galilee (Mt 13:55), which today is in northern Israel. His father was a carpenter and his mother was Mary, mother of Jesus. Since Jesus was Mary’s firstborn, Jude would have been a younger sibling. Although the family was not rich, they were of noble ancestry, being able to trace their blood line back to King David (Mt 1:6-16).

Other than what he had in common with Jesus, however, little is known of Jude. His epistle gives the impression that he had a leadership position in the church. It could be that he was known and respected simply on the strength of his relationship to Jesus, rather than because he held a particular office. Either way, it is unlikely that a letter of this nature would be written by someone who did not have acknowledged authority.

Some scholars have suggested that Jude’s epistle was written by another author who used Jude’s name to gain acceptance. The main reasons given against Jude’s authorship are:

 * 1) The subject matter, which warns believers against false teachers who are trying to lead them astray. Some people believe that the false doctrine is Gnosticism, which was most influential late in the first century and during the second century, after Jude’s death. Passages elsewhere in the New Testament indicate that false teachers were present within the church from the middle of the first century, however, so in the absence of evidence to prove that the author is specifically referring to the Gnostics, this argument must remain an interesting hypothesis.

 * 2) Part of Jude’s epistle bears marked similarities to a passage in 2 Peter, indicating that one of the authors made use of the other (compare 2 Peter 2:1-17 with Jude, verses 3-13). As noted in the lesson on the epistles of Peter, this is not so much a question of authorship as it is a question of who borrowed from whom. (See that lesson for further discussion.)

Unger's Bible Handbook (Moody 1967) says:

 * The author was evidently the brother of James, who was the bishop of Jerusalem and the writer of the Epistle of James, and the (half) brother of [Jesus]... Some scholars, however, identify him as the apostle Judas, called Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus. Echoes and allusions to the epistle occur in the writings of Hermas, Polycarp, Athenagoras, Theophilus of Antioch, and Tertullian, so that Jude has stronger external attestation than 2 Peter. (834)

Addressees
The author addresses the epistle ostensibly to all who are “called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ” (Jude 1). Some scholars think that Jude particularly had in mind the churches in “Asia” (in western Turkey today), because he appears to address a similar situation as Peter in his second epistle. For a time, around the middle of the first century, these churches were the heart of the Christian movement. Ephesus, in particular, was a major center of Christianity. Regardless, the greeting suggests that the letter was meant for Christians everywhere, and it is likely that it was circulated among the churches.

False Teachers
The epistle of Jude is brief, but powerful. It continues the theme of 2 Peter and the epistles of John, that of false teachers promoting heresies within the church. Jude delivers a scathing attack on these teachers, a censure which is only surpassed in the New Testament by Jesus’ stinging rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23.

Apparently, Jude had intended to write a more general letter on the theme of salvation, for in his introduction he says:
 * Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. (3-4)

Jude points out that it takes more to be a Christian than to simply assume the name. He speaks of God’s judgement upon those who have been unfaithful in the past, and says that contemporary hypocrites will not escape a similar fate:
 * Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. (8,12,13)

Despite the highly critical tone of the letter, Jude closes by saying that even the worst of offenders can be saved. He urges Christians to make a distinction between those who are merely ignorant of the truth, and those who have deliberately rejected it or distorted it for personal gain. Believers are encouraged to beware of hypocrisy and immorality, but at the same time to love and care for those who could benefit from the Christian message.

Assignment
1) Take the test below.

2) Read the epistle of Jude.

 TEST YOURSELF

{Which of the following were Jude’s brothers? -Jesus -The apostle John -James +a and c
 * type=""}

{Jude has certain points in common with another epistle, and it is clear that one of the authors made use of the other. Which is the other epistle? - James -3 John +2 Peter -Philemon
 * type=""}

{The problem of teachers attempting to alter or dilute the gospel message is a major theme in which of the following epistles? -The epistles of Peter -The epistles of John -The epistle of Jude +All of the above
 * type=""}

{ Jude’s intended audience was probably: -Christians everywhere -In particular, the Christians in the the province of Asia (in western Asia Minor) -Jewish believers +a and b
 * type=""}

{ What is the tone of Jude’s epistle? -Happy-go-lucky +A scathing attack second only to Jesus’ words in Matthew 23 -Mysterious -Complimentary
 * type=""}


text:
User:Hickschick007

I am an office administrator, looking to learn to write procedures, grants, etc. I love to write; I actually write better than I speak. I am from Kansas City but I live in Oklahoma and I'm about as country as they come. I'm finishing up my degree in Business Management right now. I don't see owning a small business at this point being very fruitful, so I'm here. I'd rather write a novel, but technical and procedure writing will do for now.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: User:Hickschick007


text: User talk:Eas4200c.f08.aeris.holladay

title: User talk:Eas4200c.f08.aeris.holladay


text:
Rural issues

Ruralities endeavor to be greater than that which holds them in. The preponderence of moral issues in rural areas have to do with personnel crime and behavior and are often reregulated by barterism and social constructs such as religion in the place of law. Hearkening back to the great depression, rural areas have been prone to causing unrest in Civil Societies since that is the source of the Society's food and food culture. These devices are not allowed to be much to often.

Reading List

 * Rural Areas
 * Rural Economies
 * Family farms
 * Rural sanitary districts
 * Chinese rural issues
 * Landward: Scottish Ruralism TV
 * Countryfile: English Ruralism TV
 * NRRN - Canadian Organisation
 * RIRDC - Australian Ruralist group

title: Rural issues


text:
User:Aahee

Aahee

title: User:Aahee


text:
User:Altera vista/Dynamic Containment

LabModel 1MMBtus test DynamicContainmentBurner150mmbtu

title: User:Altera vista/Dynamic Containment


title: File:JEE2000ScreeningQ033.gif


text:
Joint Entrance Examination/AIEEE 2009/Q001neopentane IUPAC name

=Original Question by Dharav talk=
 * Here's the question...

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Organic-Chemistry-Help

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Thread post

Additional notes

 * These comments, along with the notes on the left, were contributed by Dharav talk 06:00, 22 August 2009 (UTC)

 * reply[]


text:
Joint Entrance Examination/AIEEE 2009/Q002 Xenon Reactions

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text:
Joint Entrance Examination/AIEEE 2009/Q003 Phenol, NaOH and CO2

Test Text

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Joint Entrance Examination/AIEEE 2009/Q004 Physisorption characteristics

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text:
Joint Entrance Examination/AIEEE 2009/Q005 chiral complexes

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text:
Joint Entrance Examination/AIEEE 2009/Q006 Barium Nitrate Solubility Product

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text:
Joint Entrance Examination/AIEEE 2009/Q023 number of isomers

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text:
User:Robert de Neufville

Robert de Neufville lectures and writes about politics and philosophy. He is particularly interested in how social media and open source information change the way we share and use knowledge. He believes that it is essential that we use that new technologies to protect civil liberties and preserve the environment. Other interests include theoretical physics, cognitive science, evolutionary biology, and the game of go.

title: User:Robert de Neufville


text:
Cornish Language/Kernowek Onen

{| cellpadding="10" cellspacing="5" style="width: 99%; background-color: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto"
 * style="background-color: #ffcc00; border: 1px solid #777777; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 8px;" colspan="2" |

 * style="width: 60%; background-color: #fffff0; border: 1px solid #777777; vertical-align: top; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 8px;" |
 * style="width: 60%; background-color: #fffff0; border: 1px solid #777777; vertical-align: top; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 8px;" |

Welcome
"Kernowek Onen" is a course in the Cornish Department. In this beginner's course, students are introduced to simple greetings and phrases.

All the Cornish courses on Wikiversity are in the new Standard Written Form.

 * rowspan="2" style="width: 40%; background-color: #efefff; border: 1px solid #777777; vertical-align: top; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 8px;" |

Kernow
Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is one of the six historic Celtic nations. Located at the south-western point of the United Kingdom, it is administered as a county of England. The Cornish people campaign for greater protection and promotion of their unique culture, identity and language.

 * style="width: 60%; background-color: #eed153; border: 1px solid #777777; vertical-align: top; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 8px;" |
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Lessons

 * Lesson one : Dedh da

 * }

title: Cornish Language/Kernowek Onen


text:
User:Thewinster/HHF/How To

How to post images?
To post an Image use Wiki syntax: and you get...

Or yields:

(NOTE: "File" and "Image" are interchangeable, but the file extensions ".jpg" and ".png" are not.) Instead of "thumb|left" you can use

See also FAQ/Editing - Help:Media for more instructions. You can upload a file that you made yourself or find on at the Wikimedia Commons.

title: User:Thewinster/HHF/How To


text: Template:Course-Lesson Turner

title: Template:Course-Lesson Turner


text:
Cornish Language/Kernowek Onen/Lesson 1

{|cellspacing="5" cellpadding="10" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;width:99%;background-color:inherit" In this lesson, you will learn:
 * style="border:1px solid #999999;background-color:#eed153;-moz-border-radius:8px"|
 * style="border:1px solid #999999;background-color:#eed153;-moz-border-radius:8px"|
 * Simple greetings
 * How to ask how people are
 * How to introduce yourself

Fatla genowgh whi? / How are you?
Info: Fatla is used before a consonant, and Fatel before a vowel. They both mean "how".

Duw genowgh! / Goodbye!

 * }

title: Cornish Language/Kernowek Onen/Lesson 1


text:
Ejump/Action Research/Action Research Planning

Action Researc Planning
This submodule is structured around the process of action research planning. Action research is an educational research focused primarily twards improvment of certain aspect of teaching practice. The Extended Study Guide contains all the the details about this submodule.

The planning will involve identification of the key developmental goals and research questions, research methodology and methods, addressing of research ethics, review of relevant literature and an activity plan. This process is supported through the use of the Action Research 2.0 Project Planning form (a template for writing the Action Research Planning Form).

Students in the nam (New Methods of Assessment) course are expected to work with problems related to assessment process.

The work is supposed to be accompanied by a number of moments when participants share their ideas and provide peer feedback to others in their social networking community.

Each participant should have support of a local supervisor organised by the local institution to provide one to one tuition and support.


text: User talk:Eas4200c.f08.gator.Dickinson

title: User talk:Eas4200c.f08.gator.Dickinson


text:
File:AR Planning Extended Study Guide.pdf

The extended guide is a part of the AR Planning submodul of the e-courses that were designed as a part of the E-jump 2.0 project.


text:
User talk:Iskpop

about file:AR Planning Extended Study Guide.pdf
Crochet.david 19:46, 20 August 2009 (UTC)
 * 1) You've credited Brian Hudson as author, but there is no account in that name.
 * 2) You have put this document under a license Public Domain, but the file contains 4 images. What are the licensing of these images?

title: User talk:Iskpop


text:
File:AR Planning Form.pdf

This is the template for writing the Action Research Planning Form for the Action Research planning submodul for the courses designed for the E-jump 2.0 project.

title: File:AR Planning Form.pdf


text:
Flexible learning - Getting ready

Summary
"Flexible learning: Retro-fitting pedagogy for a free and open 21st century"

This 20 minute presentation aims to sow some seeds about how we might make (so-called) "best use" of educational technologies, and in particular it discusses how educational technologies can be used to promote flexible learning (which largely encompasses blended and online learning, work-based learning etc.).

University of Canberra's (UC's) online and blended learning review (August, 2008) (despite its name) is really about flexible learning. For example, flexible learning is the vocational sector's overarching nomenclature (see the Australian Flexible Learning Framework). Flexible learning encompasses but is not limited to online, blended, and work-based learning.

The key ideas I discussed were:
 * 1) Flexible learning: What is it?
 * 2) Modularisation of content
 * 3) Break down tasks and time - be clear, transparent, and detailed
 * 4) Hierarchically chunk & organise content - chunk learning content into portable, bite-sized pieces and organise multiple pathways to this content such as via zoomable, drillable maps, indexes, tables of content etc. of content (multiple pathways)
 * 5) Digitisation of content
 * 6) Maximise electronic text content - it is very flexbile e.g., .txt., .doc., .ppt, .html, wiki
 * 7) Use of open educational resources
 * 8) Digitise info content, curricular descriptions of learning activities, assessment and skill development training notes
 * 9) Develop visualisations, simulations etc. of concepts
 * 10) Record and archive as much of your materials, audio, and video as possible
 * 11) Userification/Userify - continually adapting materials to suit learners
 * 12) The customer is always right. Take students' experiences seriously. Improve/modify accordingly.
 * 13) "Disrepecting students" is the #1 worst teaching mistake http://www.oncourseworkshop.com/Getting%200n%20Course023.htm
 * 14) Walk a mile in students' shoes
 * 15) Get peer review

"We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run." - Amara's Law To explore further, see the

flexible learning presentation   (prezi.com).

The rest of what follows are some additional notes/ideas in development.

Get going with flexible learning
Embrace and develop your pedagogical practices to incorporate flexible learning. This will improve your teaching practice, educational materials, and students' experiences. Ways you get ready for flexible learning include:
 * 1) Develop and adapt your philosophy of education to incorporate flexible learning strategies
 * 2) Within the constraints of learning objectives and resources, maximise student choice and options
 * 3) Modularise your content
 * 4) Build on open educational resources
 * 5) Use open source software where possible
 * 6) Communicate with students early and often
 * 7) Continually improve all aspects of assessment - assessment is where the rubber hit the road for student satisfaction - transparent and clearly communicated marking criteria, with developmental feedback along the way, leading to objective marking are vital.
 * 8) Gather continuous feedback and act continuously - don't wait

Blended learning
will probably be needed to overcome.
 * 1) The units of study I teach are officially "face to face", however I seek to deliver them as "blended learning" (by personal choice), i.e., the units use a combination of face-to-face teaching and online learning, which has the potential to offer the benefits of both f2f and online educational approaches.
 * 2) However, a more fundamental principle for me is flexible learning which, for me, is about providing multiple pathways (e.g., f2f and online) for learners to meet the learning objectives. For online learning, I have evolved from using my own website domain, to institutional-hosted platforms (such as WebCT and Moodle), and to externally hosted Web 2.0 sites such as Wikimedia and Google to host online material.
 * 3) In order to provide authentically flexible learning, maximum freedom must be afforded to the learner. To this end, "free pedagogical" (and androgogical) philosophy - or open academia - is fundamental. In practical terms, maximise the "freeness" of all content, processes, and outputs (teaching, research, and service).
 * 4) "Blended learning" and "openness" make a very tasty and exciting menu for teachers and learners.
 * 5) Adventurous teachers and learners can co-thrive at the bleeding edge of communication technologies, inspire others along the way, and share the frisson of learning with the wider world.
 * 6) For many tertiary educators, the notion of using open educational resources is culturally rather unfamiliar and novel. On the other hand, receiving commercial publisher sales reps into academic officers to discuss adoption of their copyright-resticted products is common and prevalent.
 * 7) Although there are some innovative exceptions, in most tertiary education institutions there are considerable untolled barriers, disenablements, disincentives, inertia, accidie, conservatism, blindness and ignorance with regard to the potential strategic value and importance of flexible, online and blended learning. As current design for these learning pathways is developed, it will become increasingly obvious that openness of materials is integral to optimising flexible learning.
 * 1) There have, however, been some important developments at University of Canberra in recent years including:
 * 2) Adoption of Moodle as a free and open source LMS software
 * 3) SAFFIRE grant to develop innovative flexible learning, 2013-2014
 * 4) Pursuing an open blended learning approach in a conventional tertiary institution such as University of Canberra has not been for the faint-hearted and a good dose of gall has been needed but a tipping point will be reached that will make flexible learning the norm and openness at least much more common and possibly preferred in more many units of study.

Benefits derived from blended and open learning

 * 1) Archiving/Redundancy/Mobility
 * 2) Transparency
 * 3) Student review
 * 4) Peer review
 * 5) Internationalisation
 * 6) Marketing
 * 7) Alumni
 * 8) Ethical
 * 9) Abundance mentality

Challenges in pursuit of blended and open learning

 * 1) Cultural resistance - this is changing e.g., free culture - see also Wesch ALT-C 2009
 * 2) Institutional resistance - e.g., policy, tools
 * 3) Skill deficit i.e., skill level / task difficulty ratio
 * 4) Current bad habits
 * 5) Tendency to focus on short- rather than long-term
 * 6) Impoverishment consciousness (Scrooge-syndrome)

Example sites

 * 1) Psychology 102 - Moodle
 * 2) Survey research and design in psychology - Moodle
 * 3) Social psychology (psychology)

title: Flexible learning - Getting ready


text:
Blended learning

 refers to the use of multiple educational methodologies modalities within a unit of study. Commonly, for example, blended learning is used to describe courses which involve both face to face and online learning components. However, there are critiques of the term: see objections.

title: Blended learning


text:
File talk:Robs picture2.jpg

delete if you like, result of student upload, but it's just a screengrab of wikiversity.

title: File talk:Robs picture2.jpg


text:
File talk:Robs picture.jpg

delete if you like, result of student upload, but it's just a screengrab of wikiversity.

title: File talk:Robs picture.jpg


text:
User:Aikidoist

Thanks for the spelling catch in Topic:Aikido. With a user name like that, I would assume that you know your way around the art. Any other input you might have would be very appreciated. You can email me at markjnorton AT earthlink DOT net. Markjnorton 15:28, 20 August 2009 (UTC)

title: User:Aikidoist


text:
Aikido/Journaling

Some students of Aikido keep a journal of what they learn in class. Taking notes on the mat is impractical at best, so if you are going to take notes, it will have to be done after class. This is best done immediately after class when things are still fresh in your mind. If you can't recall the technique names, ask one of your fellow students. They are usually glad to help.

If you are artistically inclined, try drawing diagrams of the important points or concepts.

(insert a diagram here)

Much of Aikido just has to be practiced over and over until your body remembers what to do. Journaling (note taking) can help you to learn the philosophy, conceptual points, dangers, short cuts and tricks, etc.

title: Aikido/Journaling


text:
Aikido/Reinforce Good Results

Practicing any martial art requires endless hours of repetition. Motions are often very subtle and vary slightly depending on the circumstances. It's fairly easy to tell when a technique doesn't work. It takes to much effort. Your attacker doesn't end up where he should. You miss the grip, turn wrong, step wrong, etc. The number of ways that things can go wrong are many.

Occasionally, especially when you are very new to Aikido, you'll get it right. The motions are right, your attackers goes just were he is supposed to, and it all seems virtually effortless. Still, as a beginner, you may not even recognize that the technique is correct, or close to correct. This is one very important reason to practice under the guidance of a good teacher. Your teacher will tell you when you are doing it right. More often he (or she) will tell you what you did wrong and it's important to listen and try to understand what changes you need to make to improve your technique. Later, as you become more skillful, you'll recognize when you do a technique right.

When your teacher tells you you're doing it right, or when you recognize it for yourself. Take a brief moment to acknowledge yourself. Try to memorize the feeling of what it means to do this particular technique in this situation right. If you do this on a regular basis, you may find that it enhances your learning. Your teacher and fellow students are not always going to pat you on the back for getting a single throw right - but you can.

This isn't about ego-gratification or narcissism. It's about creating a positive feedback cycle in your aikido training. As you get more advanced, it can be something as simple as a nod to yourself or a quick smile. Aikido is very much about creating reflexes and trained responses. Self reinforcement can accelerate body training by allowing your mind to feel a brief moment of satisfation - then its back to work.

title: Aikido/Reinforce Good Results


text:
Aikido/Pacing

Every long distance runner knows about pacing. It's a way to set a rhythm or get into a grove that allows you to run for a long time without using up your stores of energy. It might be necessary to sprint from time to time, but returning to the pace can allow you to relax a bit and even regain some of your energy.

Pacing Training
The same is true in Aikido, though it can be harder to find and keep a good pace. Most Aikido classes are an hour long. Somehow, you have to find the energy to sit calmly and listen to your instructor, then practice techniques until the next break. It's hard to listen if you are huffing and puffing from exertion. Stamina varies greatly from person to person, and even in a particular person given time of day and what went on before practice. Only you can judge what the right pace is for you. With time and practice, you'll get a feeling for what the right pace is. With the right partice partner, it's possible to get into a pattern of practice that you can sustain for longer than you might think.

Pacing Randori
Another time to consider pacing is in randori (multi-person attack) situations. If you watch a beginner defend themselves against more than one attacker, you'll often see them wear out very quickly. There is a HUGE energy outlay in responding to more than one person at the same time. Then watch an advanced student. Notice how calm and relaxed they seem? It looks like they could go on doing this forever. While it's true that stamina improves over the years as you practice and a younger person tends to have more energy than an older one, there is more going on that just that. A skilled Aikidoka learns how to set the pace of randori, rather than letting his attackers determine it for him.

There are a few tricks to making this happen. The first is to use distance. Throw them far away from you. Move around the mat to create more distance. More distance requires more time to reach you. This increase in time causes the over all pace of the situation to shift to being slower. Hold downs can also affect the pace of randori. Normally, hold downs are not used in multi-person situations because while you are holding one, another attacks. To use hold downs for pacing, extend a bit of energy (Ki) into the person you just threw. Just enough to delay him (or her) getting to his feet again. This is a subtle thing, but again, it causes the pacing the overall engagement to shift slightly slower. Slowing down your technique can also help. Instead of reacting with blinding speed to a lightning fast shomenuchi, shift that energy into a slower, controlled technique. In general, other assailants will not attack while you are in the process of doing a technique (naturally, this is not always true). Slowing your throws slows down the pace of the randori. Finally, make sure you stay in control of your breathing. Breath is vital in a face paced, violent situation like randori. Breath deeply. Use your breath as part of the throw (Ki-ai).

Going All Out
Learning to pace your practice or techniques will allow you conserve energy and last longer, but you need to be aware of a hidden trap as well. Too much control can reduce your commitment. If you learn to hold back to save energy, it may become a habit such that you can't utilize the full power of aikido. So, just as it is important to pace yourself, it's also important to allow yourself times when you don't hold back. You may need a more experienced training partner and find an appropriate time (after class, for example), but give it a try. Going flat out will improve your stamina, speed, and timing. It's always easier to do things slow, but you'd like to be able to do things fast, too.

Pacing During a Test
Aikido tests are designed to stress the student. The testing committee wants to see what you can do under a variety of situations (appropriate to the level you are testing for). They will often vary your test partner to see how you react to someone big, small, fast, etc. As you advance through the ranks, the tests tend to get longer (and you don't get younger). As such, it's important to apply pacing to the test situation. Many of the randori tricks mentioned above can be applied during a test. You can control the pace of your test partner using them. Many test techniques will require you to demonstrate the associated hold down (or pin). Once you've executed the hold down, take a deep breath or two. You are in full control at that moment and it is a brief opportunity to relax and recoup.

That said, it is often the case that the test committee wants to see how you will perform when you are exhausted. They will deliberately run you to the point where you lose your breath, where your whole body seems to weight double or triple, till you can't even raise your arms for the next attack. Training in an all out mode is one way to prepare of this, but this is also where your spirit begins to show. Once you've gone past the point of exhaustion, you'll need to dig very deep to find a core of energy that remains deep inside you. Take a moment (if possible) to re-center yourself. Draw a deep breath into your center (Hara). You can response slower, but keep going. One source of encouragement is that it's almost over. You just need to get through one, two, or three more techniques.

title: Aikido/Pacing


text:
Aikido/Watch Others Practice

Learning Aikido is largely a process of watching others and trying imitate what they do. While this is a bit over generalized (verbal explanations are important, too), much of what you learn will come from seeing someone else.

Watching Attitude
To effectively watch someone, you must be physically able to watch. There are several factors to consider here. Let's start with sight lines. Often, Aikido classes are crowded. If you are sitting way at the back of the mat with several rows of people between you and the instructor, you might not be able to see what's going on. When the instructor calls a break to show a new technique, students quickly line up. Usually, the formal order of rank and seniority doesn't apply during the class. If you have the choice, sit in the front. Be polite, but pick a spot where you can get a good look at your teacher. If you find yourself further back, you might be able to shift left or right to see between people. Regardless, do what you can to get a good view.

If you are on the mat, you will usually be sitting when it comes time to watch. Sitting means seiza (link). Learning to sit in a seiza position causes your spine to be straight. It is a strong, centered position that encourages proper breathing. Correct posture allows to both watch and listen more effectively.

Paying attention to what's happening isn't as easy as it seems. There are distractions all over: noise off the mat, sunlight through a window, etc. Finding a position in which you can relax will help your concentration.

If you need glasses to see things at a distance, wear them. Glasses can be a real problem, especially during practice. If you cannot see with out them, you'll need to find a way to keep them on, since aikido often involves moving or touching the head. Some invest in sports glasses - goggles with prescription lenses. If you have a problem with your glasses, ask a classmate who wears them how they deal with the problem.

Watching Your Teacher
The person teaching a class usually teaches by demonstrating the technique with a more advanced student. In some traditions, demonstrations are done without any verbal explanations, so you;ll need to watch closely. There are several aspects of watching someone demonstrate to consider. How do the hands and feet move? How does the whole body move? Where does extension and blending come into play? When you are watching, you can try to take everything in at once (the geshtault) or you can focus on particular aspects of the movement. Usually, your teacher will demonstrate the technique several times - perhaps with variations. You might try to grasp the whole technique all at once on the first go, then focus on specific aspects on subsequent displays.

Often during practice, the teacher will wander around the class observing students at practice. They might interrupt one pair to demonstrate a correction or show them what's going wrong. If you are nearby, it is proper to stop and sit in seize to watch the teacher work with another student. Use good manners when it ends by bowing. Naturally, this must be balanced by practicing yourself. If you spent the whole class watching, you'd never get a chance to try it.

Watching Fellow Students
Usually, if you are participating in a class, you won't have much chance to watch your fellow students. Sometimes, though, when space is limited, the instructor will divide the class and have one part watch while the other practices. This is an opportunity to watch your fellow students practicing. You are watching for two things: people doing it right and people doing it wrong. If you see someone doing the technique correctly, picture yourself doing it that way. If it seems wrong, see if you can figure out what went wrong. A lot can be learned by watching others struggle with the same techniques you are trying to learn.

Watching a Test
Finally, you may find yourself watching an Aikido test one day. Maybe you are waiting your turn to test, or perhaps you're just there to show support for your fellow students. Regardless, watching someone else test, especially if they are more advanced that you, is a great way to learn. Test situations are more formal that regular practice sessions and often involve special bowing and protocols. These vary considerably between styles and schools, and watching a test is a good way to learn them. Students being tested will be asked to perform certain techniques. Obviously, they are trying to demonstrate them to the best of their ability. Watch closely to see how each student performs. Does one student have better movement, timing, or form than another? How are advanced students different than beginner or intermediate students?

title: Aikido/Watch Others Practice


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Aikido/Ask Questions

Sometimes, no amount of watching technique being demonstrated is sufficient to do it yourself. You have to have some understanding of a technique before your can even see the subtleties present in the movements. If that's the case, how do you learn? Simple - ask questions.

Every school is different. Some instructors do not encourage questions during the class, often because that's the way they were taught. If questions are permitted, don't be afraid to ask about something that you don't understand. This might extend beyond understanding the movements of the technique. You might ask why something is done in a particular way (vs. some other way). You might ask about terminology, since often it's in Japanese, a language foreign to most of us.

Things to Remember
Here are some things to remember when asking questions:

 * Be polite and respect your teacher.
 * Don't interrupt to ask a question or the answer when given.
 * Try not to ask the same question over now or later.
 * Focus on the answer - Don't be distracted by what might be going on around you.
 * Be concise about the question - Your teacher doesn't have time for vague or overly complex questions.

Asking Outside of Class
If your teacher feels that asking questions during class is inappropriate, he might be more open about it after class or perhaps in a social situation. Most teachers like teaching and they value an interested and motivated student, so it might be just a matter of finding the right opportunity or setting to ask.

Asking Other People
Sometimes it's easier (and perhaps less embarrassing) to ask questions of your fellow students. Students at your level of proficiency are likely to be struggling with exactly the same things you are. Maybe one of them has figured it out a bit sooner than you. Students slightly more advanced than you are likely to remember the problems that you are facing right now. Finally, advanced students are most likely to have the answers you are looking for.

Regardless of who you ask, you're likely to encounter people who are uninterested in answering you. Perhaps they are too focused on their own training to worry about yours or have another reason. Don't be discouraged by this sort of thing. Ask someone else. In time, you'll learn who is willing to share their knowledge and who won't.

title: Aikido/Ask Questions


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Aikido/Practice with More Advanced Students

When the opportunity presents itself, you might consider practicing with a fellow student who is more advanced than you. There is a lot of advantage to this:

 * 1) It's usually safer
 * 2) They can give you a good, clean attack
 * 3) They can guide your response and explain where you are getting it wrong
 * 4) Usually they are better at falling, so you can focus on doing the technique
 * 5) They can push you a bit to try harder, faster, better

Difference in Ability Level
The difference in skill level between you and your partner always matters. If you know more, you need to be more responsible for safety. If they know more, hopefully they will share what they know with you. There is comfort in practicing with students at or near your ability level. They are struggling to understand, too, so you tend to be less frustrated. On the other hand, you can gain first hand experience with good technique (usually by being thrown). Once you are comfortable with falling, you can watch for differences in how your partner does a technique vs. the way you do it. Learn to feel the difference.

Occasionally (perhaps even rarely) you will end up practicing with someone who is considerably more advanced than you. Don't be intimidated. Your partner is quite aware that you are a beginner. This is actually an opportunity for the advanced student, too. It's a chance to practice control and timing. It's a chance to share knowledge (and learn to teach).

Be respectful of your partners, especially if they are being patient with you and sharing what they know. By working with you, they do not have the chance to work at their full power. That's ok, but be aware that they are giving that up to be with you. Make your thanks sincere.

You might also find yourself practicing with a more advanced student who resents having to work with you. While sad, it's all too common. Make the best of it, but if you feel that your partner is being actively hostile or practicing in an unsafe manner, you are justified in withdrawing and stating that you'd rather practice with someone else. You won't make friends doing this, but that's probably better than getting hurt. If you experience a pattern of abuse, talk to your teacher about it. If your teacher IS the source of abuse, then you have a much more serious problem.

Learning in Adversity
You'll meet all kinds of people practicing Aikido. The majority of them will be kind, considerate, and helpful, but there are also those who are arrogant, self-centered, competitive, or even down right sadistic. Should you shun such people and refuse to practice with them? Not necessarily. Adversity is also a great teacher. If you can find a path in which you can learn from such people and be safe, it's something to consider. Sometimes, you have very little choice in the matter. It's practice with this guy or give up Aikido. Only you can make these sorts of choices. You have to balance safety, hurt, and pain vs. learning how to protect yourself against hurt and pain.


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Aikido/Attend Seminars

Many Aikido dojos will occasionally invite other instructors or masters to come and teach at your school. If there are other schools in your area, those schools might invite someone to come an teach. These seminars or demonstrations are opportunities for you to advance your understanding of Aikido.

Seminar Formats
There are different kinds of seminars. The most common one is a visiting teacher who comes to teach for a day or two. There are one or two classes in the morning and one or two in the afternoon. Sometimes, there is an evening class, but more often the night is reserved for socializing. Some seminars are focused on intensive training. You might see the terms "misogi" or "gasshuku" associated with these types. Here, the intent to focus on training to the maximum extent. It might be guided by a visiting instructor, or it might be one of your regular instructors. Sometimes, a seminar will be focused on a particular aspect of Aikido like weapons training, self defense for women, or teaching. Finally, there are "camps" that usually involve travel to a location where everyone is staying over. Camps might be for a weekend, a few days, or a week (even two!). Aikido camps will often involve multiple guest instructors often in a stimulating environment (a college campus, a beach, etc.). Summer camps are a great way to experience lots of different teachers and meet lots of new students.

Formats:

 * Visiting Teacher (one or two days)
 * Intensive Training (one or two days)
 * Special Training (a few days)
 * Camps (a week or two)

Different Viewpoints
The number of styles of Aikido are as great as the number of people teaching and practicing it. Attending seminars is a wonderful opportunity to learn from someone who has a different point of view, a different teaching style, or just a different set of experiences. Just as it's important to practice with many different kinds of people, learning from more than one teacher will give you respect for other styles and approaches to Aikido and perhaps give you insight that your regular teacher can't provide.

A note of caution must be explained here, too. Not all teachers appreciate their students listening to other teachers. They might feel it's somehow disloyal or contradictory to what they are teaching. Good teachers who are confident and secure in their own knowledge and understanding are unlikely to feel this way, but some do. Be aware that this can happen. If it comes up, you need to balance how your regular teacher feels vs. the potential to learn from others..

Working with Other Students
Attending a seminar, especially at another school or camp will give you a chance to work with other students outside of your regular circle of partners. There are many different kinds of people in the world. Body types vary considerably, as do temperaments, level of skill and knowledge. By working with as many different kinds of people as you can, you broaden your experience base. It is well worth practicing with someone who weights considerably more than you do. Some techniques that work just fine against regular-sized people will fail utterly on a large person. Weight and strength work against you and it's very useful to experience that and learn how to apply the principles of Aikido in extreme situations.

In addition to getting more experience with different body types, it gives you the chance to make new friends. As the years go by, you may get frustrated with lack of progress, with changes in your body, or just get bored with the same old stuff. Having friends is a great motivator to continuing your practice. Help is there to get you through the difficult times.

Participating in the Greater Aikido Community
It has been estimated that there are more than one million people practicing or teaching Aikido worldwide. Together, they made up a global Aikido community who, ultimately, are all studying and practicing the same thing you are. Though approach, curriculum, and even technique may vary, they share your goals. Attending seminars is one way to participate in this greater Aikido community. It's a way to reach out of your local environment and engage something bigger.

At some point in your life, you might find yourself visiting other countries. Regardless of the reason for being there, consider bringing your uniform and looking up the local school. You will be very pleasantly surprised to see how welcoming Aikido schools are of visitors, especially from other countries. While language might be something of a barrier, the language of Aikido is universal: we share common terms and a body of technique. Aikido is truly a global martial art so take the time to experience it.

title: Aikido/Attend Seminars


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Biblical Studies (NT)/The Epistle to the Hebrews: The Old Versus the New

 NEW TESTAMENT

 Lesson 9

 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS   The Old Versus the New

Who Wrote Hebrews?
Although the translators of the King James Version of the Bible used the title: “The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews,” the epistle itself does not identify its author, and this opinion of Pauline authorship has by no means been universally held throughout church history. Even in the early church, there was not a universal agreement on the subject, and various theories have been argued back and forth throughout the years.

Second century Christians on the eastern end of the Mediterranean gave credit to Paul for writing Hebrews. In about 200 A.D., Clement of Alexandria supported the view that Paul had written it and suggested that the difference in the style of the Greek when compared with epistles known to be written by Paul was because he had written it first in Hebrew, and Luke had translated it into Greek. Christians in Rome and the other western churches were unanimous in the opinion that Paul did not write this epistle, but there was no strong consensus as to who did. They were finally persuaded to accept Paul as the author in the fourth century. There is no record of this opinion being challenged again until the Reformation, when Erasmus, Luther and Calvin disputed it.

Some of the reasons for arguing that Paul did not write Hebrews are: 1) Paul invariably identified himself in the opening words of his epistles, but this epistle has no such identification. 2) There are no allusions to Paul’s life or companions which are so characteristic of him. 3) The style of the Greek is unlike that of Paul’s accepted writings. The quality and style of the language are excellent, like that of someone who has had the best training in the Greek language. 4) There is a conspicuous absence of phrases that Paul frequently used.

Many modern scholars feel that Apollos was the author, an opinion which was first put forth by Luther. Apollos certainly had the right background. Luke writes of him, “A certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. He vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 18:24,28). Various other possible authors have been suggested over the years. However, all that we can say for sure is that the author was a Christian who had received excellent training in the Greek language and had a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures. From this, we can deduce that the author was probably a Jewish Christian with a Hellenistic (i.e. Greek) background. But beyond that, all is speculation.

With regard to the date of writing, Hebrews contains references to the Levitical priesthood and the temple sacrifices as though they are currently in existence. Since Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 A.D., the letter was probably written before that date. Also, the subject matter of the epistle gives the impression that the author may have had the Judaizers (see below) in mind, for much attention is given to the significance of the coming of the Messiah in relation to the old priesthood and sacrifices. Therefore, the letter was probably written between 50 and 70 A.D.

To Whom Was It Written?
Although the epistle does not tell us to whom it is addressed, it has been referred to as the epistle to the Hebrews since at least as far back as the second century. Its contents confirm the appropriateness of the title, for they indicate that the intended audience was in fact comprised of Jewish Christians.

We cannot say for sure where these Jewish Christians lived, as the letter does not give us this information. The only clue we have appears in the closing verses: “Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you” (13:24). This has led some to believe that the recipients of the letter lived in Italy, and that some of their fellow citizens who were out of the country were sending them a greeting through the writer of this letter. But it could also mean that the writer was in Italy when he wrote, and was greeting the addressees on behalf of his Italian hosts. Once again, we can only speculate.

Because he is writing to Jewish Christians, the constant referral to the Hebrew scriptures (i.e. the Old Testament of the Christian Bible) gives weight to the arguments of the writer. Jewish Christians were leaving behind all that they had known and trusted in exchange for a new promise based on grace, rather than law. It is difficult to imagine what kind of struggles they must have gone through. Not only were there physical persecutions from their own people, but they had to come to terms with a whole new philosophy of life. Therefore, the writer uses a reference point which they know they can trust - the Hebrew scriptures - to support his argument.

The Jewish Community
Jews living in the Roman Empire were subject to its laws and were unquestionably influenced by its customs. Nevertheless, despite being spread over the length and breadth of the empire, they retained a strong subculture, whose center was at Jerusalem rather than Rome. Jerusalem was central to Jewish history and tradition. The temple was located there. It was home to the high priest and the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling body), and pilgrimages were made to the holy city by all faithful Jews in order to observe religious festivals. Within Jerusalem itself and in the rest of Judea, law and order were administered by the Jews themselves for the most part. They were allowed by the Romans to continue in their own laws and customs, so long as there was no conflict with Roman interests.

The Jews had been the first to hear the Gospel, because Jesus' ministry took place entirely within the Jewish communities of Palestine. After Jesus was no longer with them, the disciples also restricted their preaching to Jewish audiences at first. When the Holy Spirit came to the believers at Pentecost in 30 A.D., the Gospel was also preached to Jews from outside of Palestine who were gathered in Jerusalem for the feast. Some of these may have taken the Gospel back to their home towns and started Christian communities there. It is thought that the church in Rome may have begun in this way.

As the numbers of adherents grew, several apostles, most notably Paul, undertook great evangelistic journeys throughout the lands north and east of the Mediterranean, traveling widely in Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, Italy, some of the Mediterranean islands, and possibly as far west as Spain. It was the custom of these evangelists to go first to the Jews, preaching in the synagogues as long as they were welcome. Therefore, it is accurate to say that, in the early years, Christianity was a not a separate religion, but was a sect within Judaism. (See Lesson 6: The Birth of the Church.)

Orthodox Jews and Christian Jews
As the church grew, problems arose between orthodox Jews and those Jews who had embraced the Gospel. The former believed that salvation came through obedience to the Mosaic law (i.e. the laws of Moses, found in the first five books of the Bible). The latter believed that it was impossible to measure up to that high standard, and that salvation comes by grace alone. We have seen in Acts how, as a result of these differences, orthodox Jews persecuted Paul and other early Christians. It is not surprising that persecutions arose, however. It is easy to see how even Paul, before his own conversion, saw Christianity as an extremely dangerous heresy, one which threatened the very fabric of Jewish society. Bitter divisions must have arisen, even within families, over this new faith which, in the eyes of the orthodox Jews, seemed to negate the most fundamental principles upon which Jewish society was built. The early converts must have seen first-hand the fulfillment of Jesus’ words, “Do you suppose that I have come to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. The father will be divided against the son and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law” (Lk 12:51-53).

The Judaizers
Not all of the troubles in the early church came from outside. There were also problems within. Some of the Jewish converts taught that it was still necessary to observe Jewish laws and customs after accepting Christ, an idea which Paul, notwithstanding the fact that he was a practicing Jew himself, took exception to. This issue surfaces in his epistle to the Galatians. The people in question are known as Judaizers, and were also a particular concern to the writer of Hebrews. Jews who converted to Christianity were often rejected by their fellow Jews, which must have been a painful experience. Some of these converts may have embraced the doctrine of the Judaizers as a compromise, in the hope that if they continued in the Jewish observances, they would not be ostracized for their faith in Christ.

The Jewish Rebellion
As it turned out, the greatest threat to Jewish religion and culture was not Christianity, but the Roman Empire. In 66 A.D., the Jews in Palestine rebelled against their Roman occupiers, a rebellion which continued for several years. As a result, the Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D. This must have come as something of a surprise to the early Jewish Christians, because we have reason to believe that they expected Christ to return very quickly to set up his kingdom on earth with Jerusalem as its capital. But for the Jewish community as a whole, it must have been heartbreaking.

The Superiority of Christ and the New Covenant
There are two major themes in Hebrews. They are: 1) the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant over what existed before, and 2) the importance of faith. The first of these themes dominates the epistle until the middle of Chapter 10, and the second, from Chapter 10 forward.

The epistle opens by telling us that God has appointed Jesus “heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (1:2). Then, liberally quoting the Hebrew scriptures (Christian Old Testament), the writer argues for Christ’s superiority over angels and priests; his victory over death and suffering; the superiority of the new covenant over the old; and the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice of himself over the animal sacrifices commanded under the old covenant.

Reverence for angels was very prevalent in first-century Judaism, yet the author argues that the Messiah was greatly superior to the angels. Using a selection from Psalm 110, he challenges his readers with the question, “To which of the angels has he ever said, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool’? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (1:13-14). The passage in question, while written a thousand years before Christ, was understood to be referring to the Messiah who was to come.

Despite this superiority, it was necessary for Christ to take a flesh-and-blood body in order that he might be able to partake of the suffering and death of mortal beings, “that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (2:14). In subjecting himself to death, Christ was able to conquer death, thereby destroying Satan’s ultimate weapon. Thus he shows his superiority over both death and Satan.

The author continues by showing Christ’s superiority over the priesthood. He again refers to Psalm 110, where Christ is referred to as “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps 110:4). This sets him apart from the traditional priesthood, who were of the order of Levi. The Levites were one of the twelve tribes of Israel. They took their name from Levi, from whom they were descended. According to the laws of Moses, only Levites could serve in the temple, hence the “Levitical priesthood.” As priests, Levites were also the only ones who could accept tithes.

Yet the author says that in a symbolic way, even the Levites paid a tithe to Melchizedek, because Abraham paid a tithe to him, and they were all descendants of Abraham. If the Levites tithed to Melchizedek through Abraham, and Christ is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, it follows that his priesthood is superior to theirs. He writes, “Such a high priest [i.e. Christ] was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the people’s, for this he did once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness. But the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever” (7:26-28).

Just as the author argues for Christ’s superiority over the old priesthood, he says that the new covenant which God gave to his people through Christ is superior to the old covenant, which was given through Moses. Quoting Jeremiah, he says, “The days come, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (8:8,12). Implied in this willingness of God to forget our sins is that there will no longer be a need to offer sacrifices as an expiation for them. This is because of Christ’s sacrifice, which eliminated the need for all further sacrifices. The author says, “If the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (9:13-14).

The Mysterious Melchizedek
Melchizedek has captured the imaginations of Bible readers and scholars over the centuries for two reasons: firstly, the patriarch Abraham paid a tithe to him (Gen 14:20), and secondly, Jesus is referred to as an eternal priest in the order of Melchizedek (Ps 110:4; Heb 5:6, 7:17, 7:21). The first mention of Melchizedek in the Bible is a brief one, and it occurs in the fourteenth chapter of Genesis. Abraham’s brother Lot, who lived in the city of Sodom, had been taken captive when the king of Sodom was defeated in battle. When Abraham (then called Abram) heard of this, he gathered his fighting men and went in pursuit of Lot’s captors. He defeated them and brought back Lot and the other captives safely and recovered the property that had been taken. The Bible says, “Then Melchizedek, king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God most high, and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God most high, creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God most high, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything” (Gen 14:18-20).

This is the whole extent of the information which Genesis gives us of the life of Melchizedek. In this short passage, we see that he was both king of Salem, i.e. Jerusalem, and a priest. It is interesting to note that at this time, Jerusalem was still a Canaanite city, and therefore must have been a center for the worship of many gods. Yet Melchizedek was “priest of God most high.” Also, of particular interest is that the patriarch Abraham, generally considered one of the Bible’s greatest saints and listed among the “heroes of faith” in Chapter 11 of Hebrews, paid tithes to Melchizedek.

This does not escape the attention of the author of Hebrews, who writes, “This Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils” (7:1-4). Clearly, the author of Hebrews is adding some information concerning Melchizedek which was not included in the Genesis account, and which elevates him to an even greater stature than the already eminent position which Genesis had given him. We have no way of knowing whether the author of Hebrews had access to documents or oral traditions that we no longer have. We do know however, that he was not the first author to draw a comparison between Melchizedek and the Messiah, for in Psalm 110, one of the Messianic psalms, David wrote, “The Lord has sworn, and will not change his mind: you are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Ps 110:4). In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that this Psalm concerns the Messiah (Mt 22:41-45).

All of these facts have led some to conclude that Melchizedek was in fact an earlier appearance of Jesus, while others say that he was a great man of God who was a prophetic symbol of the Messiah to come, just as the lives of certain other Old Testament characters can be seen to parallel Christ’s in different ways. Unfortunately, we are given so little information about Melchizedek, that his true identity remains a mystery. Nevertheless, no one else in the Bible is likened to Christ in quite the same way, so we can conclude that whoever this Melchizedek was, he must have been truly extraordinary among those given as prophetic symbols of the Messiah to come.

[If you are interested in Melchizedek, you may wish to add Chapter 7 to the assigned reading.]

The Importance of Acting in Faith
Chapter 10, verse 19, is the point of division between the first and second parts of Hebrews. This is not a physical division, but is simply one which has been made by Bible scholars for convenience, because from this point, the subject matter takes on a different theme. Having explained the basis for Christian faith, the writer now begins to explain the importance of faith, and the role it plays in the life of the individual. He urges those who have accepted Christ not to fall back into their old ways, as now that they know the truth, they have a greater obligation not to sin. Quoting the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk, he says, “The just shall live by faith; but if he draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him,” adding in his own words, “But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (10:38-39).

Heroes of Faith
Chapter 11 is the known as the “heroes of faith” chapter, because it lists a number of Old Testament people whose lives were changed, and who impacted the lives of others, because of their profound faith in God. It opens with the famous definition of faith: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (11:1). Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Amram, Jochebed, Moses, and Rahab are some of the examples the writer gives to illustrate the power of faith. The author urges us emulate these individuals, saying, “Seeing we also are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (12:1-2).

Chapter 13 forms the conclusion of the letter. The writer asks us not to take his words lightly, saying, “I appeal to you brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words” (13:22). Actually, it is a long letter, especially when one considers that it was painstakingly handwritten on a roll of papyrus. But in terms of its weighty subject matter, it is indeed a brief document, for it speaks of things which were ultimately to change the course of western civilization.

Test Your Knowledge
{Who wrote the epistle to the Hebrews? -Paul -Apollos -Luther +No one knows for sure
 * type=""}

{When was Hebrews most likely written? -Between 10 and 30 AD -Between 30 and 50 AD +Between 50 and 70 AD -Between 70 and 100 AD
 * type=""}

{Who was the intended readership of Hebrews? -Non-Jewish Christians +Jewish Christians -Non-Christians -Roman government officials
 * type=""}

{In the Roman Empire, where were the Jewish communities located? +All over the empire - Palestine -Jerusalem only -Chiefly in rural areas
 * type=""}

{What were the people called who believed that Christians, after conversion, should still adhere to the laws of Moses and to Jewish traditions? -The Mosaic Movement -Legalists +Judaizers -The Moses People
 * type=""}

{When did the Romans destroy Jerusalem and the Temple? -50 AD +70 AD -90 AD -None of the above
 * type=""}

{With extensive illustrations from the Hebrew scriptures, the author argues for: -Christ’s superiority over angels and the Levitical priesthood. -The superiority of the new covenant over the old. -The superiority of Christ’s sacrifice of himself over the animal sacrifices commanded under the old covenant. +All of the above.
 * type=""}

{Which ancient high priest does the author compare Christ to? +Melchizedek -Caiaphas -Levi -Aaron
 * type=""}

{To whom did Abraham pay a tithe of the spoils of battle? -Sarah +Melchizedek -The village elders -Noah
 * type=""}

{How does the author of Hebrews define faith? -The substance of things hoped for -The evidence of things not seen -When a friend trusts another to pay back a loan +a and b
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Ejump/Action Research/Extended Study Guide

Module Title: Action Research Planning

Credits: 2.5 ECTS

Modul Leader/Module Team

Prof. Brian Hudson, Umeå University

Alison Hudson, Umeå University

Albert Sangra, Pedro Fernandez Michels, University of Catalonia

Satu Nurmela, University of Turku

Mart Laanpere, University of Tallinn

Oliver Popov, Iskra Popova, Sylwia Rudnik, CEENet

Sue Harrison, University of East London

Alfredo Soeiro, University of Porto

Anne Villems, University of Tartu

Jüri Lõssenko, Ene Tammeoru, EITF

Plus other members of the e-Jump 2.0 consortium

Study hours: 75-90 hours

Module Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this course of study participants should be able to:

 * Critically analyse a range of theories about the nature of action research in order to adopt an informed position as an action researcher and to be able to address all associated ethical implications

 * Compare the intended educational development to similar work in the field by carrying out a literature review

 * Synthesise the findings from this review in order to refine their developmental goals and associated research questions

 * Design an action research project for conducting the educational development in practice, reflecting on action and evaluating its impact

Approach to Learning and Teaching

This module is structured around the process of action research planning that involves the identification of the key developmental goals and research questions, research methodology and methods, addressing of research ethics, review of relevant literature and an activity plan. There will be a number of moments through which participants will share their ideas and provide peer feedback to others. Each participant will have the support of a local supervisor organised by the local institution to provide one to one tuition and support.

The approach to the design of the course is based on a didactical design framework (Hudson, 2008) which extends the traditional instructional and learning design models by addressing the complexity of the teaching-studying-learning process1. In particular the aim is to focus attention on the design of teaching situations, pedagogical activities and learning environments. This approach is framed within a cyclical process of didactical design which involves analysis, design, development, interaction and evaluation. The learning outcomes are structured around this didactical design cycle and as such reflect the more advanced stages, in terms of the classification of levels of thinking of application, analysis, evaluation and creation, as outlined through Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. This is combined with an approach to development based on the cycle of action research involving planning, action, observation and reflection leading to a revised plan and the next cycle of action. Educational action research is seen to provide a framework for thinking systematically about what happens in teaching situations and learning environments, implementing action for change and evaluating the effects with a view to continuing the development for improvement.

Assessment

The presentation of work for examination will be through the use of a digital portfolio. The work will be examined through the submission of:

 * a Literature Review of relevant literature (approx. 1500 words).

 * an Action Research Project Plan

 * an outline of how s/he has participated in all the module activities and a commentary in the form of a self assessment of how he or she has been able to meet each of the learning outcomes.

Course Literature

Carr, Wilfred and Kemmis, Stephen (1986) Becoming Critical: Education, Knowledge and Action Research. London: Falmer Press.

Elliott, John (1991) Action Research for Educational Change. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.

Hudson, Brian (2008) Didaktik Design for Technology Supported Learning, In Meinert A. Meyer, Stephanie Hellekamps and Manfred Prenzel (Eds.) Perspektiven der Didaktik: Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, Vol 9, 139-158.

Kanuka, Heather and Anderson, Terry (2007) Ethical Issues in Qualitative E-Learning Research, International Journal of Qualitative Methods 6 (2) June 2007 http://www.ualberta.ca/~iiqm/backissues/6_2/kanuka.htm

Ponte, Petra (2002) Actie-onderzoek door docenten: uitvoering en begeleiding in theorie en praktijk/Action Research by teachers: performance and facilitation in theory and practice. Doctoral thesis. Apeldoorn/Leuven: Garant. ISBN 90-441-1240-6.

Schon, Donald (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic Books.

Siraj-Blatchford, Iram (1994) Praxis Makes Perfect: Critical Educational Research for Social Justice. Education Now Books, Derbyshire, UK.

Kemmis, Stephen (1993) Action research and social movement: a challenge for policy research, Education Policy Analysis Archives, 1, 1. [WWW document] URL http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v1n1.html (Visited 19 Oct 08)

Walker, Melanie (2001) Higher education, critical professionalism and educational action research, Debates in Higher Education, University College London. [WWW document] URL http://www.ucl.ac.uk/cishe/seminars/dhe_papers/MWpaper.doc (Visited 19 Oct 08)

Web resources

Jean McNiff, Action Research for Professional Development [WWW document] URL http://www.jeanmcniff.com/booklet1.html#ite (Visited 19 Oct 08)

John Elliott on Action Research [WWW document] URL http://www.viddler.com/explore/dominiklukes/videos/10/ (Visited 19 Oct 08)

Problem based School Development, Karlstads University, [WWW document] URL http://www.pbs.kau.se/In%20English/english_index2.htm (Visited 19 Oct 08)

Teacher’s Guide to Action Research, The Northeast Florida Science, Technology, and Mathematics Center for Education [WWW document] URL http://www.nefstem.org/teacher_guide/intro/index.htm (Visited 19 Oct 08)

Link to Action Research Project

This module will provide the basis for conducting an Action Research Project and the production of a written report. The project will be supported by supervision from local tutors and all reports which meet the quality of threshold of ‘pass’ will be published on the e-Jump 2.0 web site. Reports that meet the quality of threshold of “pass with distinction” will be considered for publication in a Compendium of Action Research Reports by an editorial board established through the e-Jump 2.0 Consortium.

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text:
Ejump/Action Research/Action Research Planning Form

Title:

Overall aim:

Key words:

Key developmental goals of the project: (3-5 ideally)

Key research questions of the study: (3-5 ideally)

Research methodology and methods: (outline of approach to research and main methods with reference to key literature)

Research ethics: (Include a short statement outlining potential ethical issues that you may face and in particular how you will ensure informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, beneficence i.e. positive good and non-malfeasance i.e. no harm).

Review of relevant literature (~1500 words plus list of references)

Activity plan: (a programme of work with particular tasks to be done)

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text:
Ejump/Action Research/Students' work

Action Research Planning Form

Kati Vilonen

Vicente Novegil

Action Research Final Report

T be finished soon! (Waiting for concent from the authors)

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title: Ejump/Action Research/Students' work