C.R.E Notes f1-f4

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FORM ONE NOTES
INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING CRE

Definition of Christian Religious Education (CRE)
Christian Religious Education is the study of God’s revelation to human
beings through scriptures, the persons of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Why do schools study CRE?
There are many reasons why schools study CRE. Some of the reasons are
to:
a) Enable you to develop a personal relationship with God.
a) Help you to acquire basic principles of Christian living.
b) Help you to develop a sense of self-respect and respect for others.
c) Help you to develop positive attitudes and values, which help you to
cope with challenges of life.
d) Contribute to the moral and spiritual development of students.
e) Help you to contribute positively to the transformation of an individual
and the society as whole.
f) Help you to identify answers to situations of life, including death and
Eternal life.
g) Help learners to identify answers to life’s questions.
h) Promotes international consciousness.
i) Help you to understand yourself.
j) Promote cultural integration.
k) Enable you to acquire a better understanding of God.
l) Unite people.
m) Guide you in choosing a career
n) Help you to appreciate African religious heritage and other religions.
o) Promote living values such as honesty concern for others, kindness,
love and unity.
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THE BIBLE
The Bible is the sacred book containing God’s revelation to people. It is
the inspired word of God. It is the book through which God
communicates with His people.
The Bible as the word of God
The Bible is the word of God because:
a) The written scripture contain God’s word.
b) Through the Bible God communicates his will to humans.
c) It contains word written by inspired authors such as the prophets who
were sent by God.
d) God himself took part in the writing of the Bible. E.g. God is believed
to have written the Ten Commandments
e) It contains the history of salvation realized through Jesus Christ.
f) The Word gives revelation to mysteries.
g) The Bible contains a message of hope and reconciliation.
h) It reveals that God controlled what was being written and what He inte-
nded the writers to pass to the people.
The Bible as a library
The Bible is referred to as a library since it is a collection of inspired scri-
ptures or books. The Bible contains 66 books. The Bible is divided into
the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament contains
39 books while the New Testament contains 27 books. However, the Ro-
man Catholic Church accepts 7 additional books referred to as Apocrypha
or Deutero or canonical books. The word Apocrypha means hidden or
secret. They are Esdras (1, 2), Tobit, Judith, Ecclesiaticus, Baarch and
Maccabees.
Why the Bible is a library

Several studies show that:
a) The Bible contains (66) book just like a library has many books. The
Bible is a collection of books arranged in series.
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b) The Bible is a reference book for Christians. The authors of the Bible
had a special spiritual guidance; hence each book was written for a pur-
pose.
c) The books were written at different times in history.
d) The Bible has literary works.
e) The Books written contain different topics.
f) The Bible has different books written by different authors.
g) The books of the Bible were written under different situations and cir-
cumstances.
THE BIBLE: MAJOR DIVISIONS AND ITS BOOKS

Major divisions of the Bible
The bible is divided into two major divisions. These are the Old Testame-
nt with (39 Books) and the New Testament with (27 Books). The word
Testament means covenant or agreement with God.
The Old Testament books are divided into:
a. Books of the law or the Pentateuch or Torah.
b. Historical books.
c. Poetic Books
d. Prophetic books.
Law books or the Pentateuch or Torah
The books of law are (i) Genesis (ii) Exodus (iii) Leviticus (iv) Numbers
(v) Deuteronomy.
Moses wrote these books. They contain the law of God as it was given to
the people of Israel through Moses. They also contain the history of the
Israelites from creation to the time they entered the Promised Land. The
author Moses is regarded as a lawgiver, teacher and prophet.
Historical books
There are the 12 consecutive books from (i) Joshua (ii) Judges (iii) Ruth
(iv) 1, 2 Samuel (v) 1, 2 Kings (vi)1, 2 Chronicles (vii) Ezra (viii)
Nehemiah (ix) Esther. These 12 books record the history of the Israelites.
They also contain information about the life and achievements of some
prophets, for example, the life history of Elisha and Elijah.
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Exercise 1 – Go through the 12 books and check page by page the

names of other prophets.
Poetic Books
The books are poetic in nature. The poetic books contain wise sayings,
songs, and prayers. The poetic books are (1) Psalms which was written by
David (ii) Proverbs (iii) Ecclesiastes (iv) Song of Solomon written by
Solomon and (v) Job.
Prophetic books
These are divided into major and minor prophets. A prophet is a messe-
nger of God, or God’s spokesperson. A prophet is a mouthpiece of God.
Prophets pass information and messages from God to the people. They are
messengers from God. Their messages from God concern the future.
Five Major Prophetic Books
I. The major prophetic books are by (i) Isaiah (ii) Jeremiah (iii)
Lamentations (iv) Ezekiel and (v) Daniel. The books are named
after the prophets who prophesied and probably wrote them.
Jeremiah wrote lamentations. These prophets are called Major
Prophets because they cover a longer period of time. Their prophe-
cies are long, and they prophesied over a long period of time.
II. Minor Prophets. There are 12 books of (1) Hosea (2 Joel (3) Amos
(4) Obadiah (5) Jonah (6) Micah (7) Nahum (8) Habakkuk (9)
Zephaniah (10) Haggai (11) Zechariah and (12) Malachi. These
books are by Minor Prophets who are said to have prophesied over
a shorter period of time if you compare them with the Major
Prophets.
New Testament books are:
a. Biographical books or Gospels.
b. Historical books (Acts of the Apostles).
c. The Epistles.
d. Apocalyptic or Prophetic book
a) Biographical book or Gospels
Gospel means Good News. The disciples of Jesus wrote the biographical
books. They contain information about the birth, life, ministry, death, and
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resurrection of Jesus Christ. The biographical books are four. (i) Mathew
– Written by Mathew (ii) Mark – Written by Mark (iii) Luke – Written by
Luke, the doctor and (iv) John – written by John (the beloved disciple of
Jesus Christ)
b) Historical books
There is one historical book, which is the Acts of the Apostles. Luke, the
writer of the St. Luke’s Gospel, wrote it. The book of Acts tells us the
history of the early church.
c) The Epistles
There are two Epistles: Pauline Epistles and General Epistles. Pauline
Epistles are letters written by Paul. They are 13 letters that Paul wrote to
(1) Romans (2,3) 1, 2 Corinthians (4) Galatians (5) Ephesians (6) Philip-
pines (7) Colossians (8, 9) 1, 2 Thessalonians (10, 11) 1, 2 Timothy (12)
Titus and (13) Philemon.
General Epistles are letters written to the church by other people. The
letters are 8 in number. They (1) Hebrews (2) James (3,4) 1, 2 Peter
(5,6,7) 1, 2, 3, John and (8) Jude
d) Apocalyptic or Prophetic book
This is the book of Revelation. It is the last book in the New Testament. It
is different from other books. This is because it is prophetic of things to
come. It is about the future. It was written by John the beloved disciple of
Jesus Christ.
MAJOR BIBLE TRANSLATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL LAN-

GUAGES TO LOCAL LANGUAGES
These books of the Bible are accepted as the Canon of the Bible. The term
Canon means Standard or guidance or rule. Translation means expression
of books by words and pictures, poems and songs from one language to
another. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, the langua-
ge of the Israelites. Then between 250 – 100 BC, it was translated to the
Greek language. The Greek translation of the Bible was known as Septua-
gint. This term refers to 70 translators. The Jews in dispersion or Diaspora
used this translation. These were the Jews living outside Palestine.
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Between 386 – 420 A.D. Jerome, a great Christian Scholar, translated the
entire bible from Greek into Latin, the language of the Romans. This tran-
slation was called Vulgate. Christians used the Latin translation of the
Bible up to the 16th century. During the reformation in the 16th Century,
Christians were encouraged to use their own native languages in worship.
From that time, the Bible was translated into English and German. As
Christianity spread to different parts of the world, there was the need for
translations of the Holy Bible into various languages. In 1804, the British
formed the Foreign Bible Society, which translated the Bible into many
languages.
Johann Ludwig Krapf translated the New Testament into Kiswahili. This
was the first Bible translation in East Africa. Since that time, the Bible
Society of Kenya has translated the Bible into other languages such
as Kikuyu in 1951, Kikamba in 1956, Kimeru in 1964, Kalenjin in 1968,
and Luhya in 1974. By 1980 the Bible had been translated into 29 Kenyan
languages. To date (2010) the Bible has been translated into 42 languages
of Kenya.
Translation and versions used in Kenya today
Besides bible translation into several languages, there are many English
translation versions, which are commonly used in Kenya. These are (i)
King James Version (ii) Jerusalem Bible (iii) New International
version (iv) English Bible (v) The Authorized Version (vi) Good News
(vii) Revised Standard Version (viii) New King James Version (ix)
Amplified Bible (x) The living Bible (xi) The African Bible (xii)
Common Bible (xiii) Today’s English Bible (xiv) American version
among others.
Writing of the Bible
By 2010, the Bible Society of Kenya had translated the Bible into 42
Kenyan languages. The need to read the Bible led to writing of Bible
reading materials to teach literacy in local languages. Those who wrote
the Bible used different styles, and figures of speech to make their
message vivid and clear. Several literary forms were used in the writing of
the Bible.
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These are:
a. Poetry in Psalms
Activity
a) Read Psalms and notice the poetry used by David when he wrote
psalms
b) Read Job. Notice the rhythm of the words
c) Turn to your English textbook – the Integrated English. Read topic
4 on sound and pattern in poetry.
d) Read any Psalm and any verse from Job. What do you notice?
Other literary forms that are used in the Bible are:
i) Prose in Leviticus, which is a Legislative text
ii) Wise sayings in Proverbs
iii) Prophetic speeches by Jeremiah
iv) Prayers by Nehemiah
v) Love Songs, for example, the Songs of Solomon
vi) Letters. Here see Pauline Epistles (Romans)
vii) Gospels, for example, Mark’s Gospel
viii) Religious events, for example, Exodus
ix) Narratives, for example, Genesis
x) Philosophical essays, for example, the book of Job. Here note the use
of metaphors and similes in philosophical essays.
The effects of Bible translations on African languages
Bible translations:
i) Increased and deepened African faith in God.
ii) Led to increased literacy. After Africans acquired literacy skills, they
read the Bible and improved their literacy skills. Christian missionaries
established schools in order to teach literacy that helped African to read
the Bible.
ii) Made it easy for missionaries to spread the gospel to the African
communities.
iii) Increased the demand for the Bible. This led to writing of Books and
setting up of printing presses in African countries.
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iv) Made it easy for the expansion of the church i.e. more people became
Christians.
v) Led to the emergence of independent churches and schools.
vi) The missionaries and colonialists learnt the African languages.
vii) The African converts realized that the missionaries were unfair to
them. There was for example a different treatment of African by White
missionaries. This was inequality of races, which was and is even now
against Christian teachings.
viii) Helped Africans to re-discover their cultural identity. For example
the use of African instruments, dressings, and practice of polygamy,
which David and other kings in the Old Testament did.
ix) Led to the writings and spread of African languages. The missionaries
learnt local languages.
x) Improved communications between missionaries and the local people
because they could understand each other.
xi) Increased printing of reading materials
The effects of Bible translations on Africans communities
After the first Bible translations, there were immediate effects or
influences on some communities. For example, some community leaders
did not agree with the Christian teachings. Some wanted to retain aspects
of their African religion. As a result, some communities who disagreed
with Bible translations established their own Christian denominations in
order to preach the Bible, as they understood it. This was the emergence
of independent churches. Some African communities built independent
schools where their children could learn how to read and write without
being forced to practice all the Christian teachings.
Review questions
1) What is the importance of reading the Bible?
2) How is the Bible used in society today?
3) How does the Kenya Government use the Bible today?
4) Name the major divisions of the Bible in both the New Testament and
the Old Testament
5) What are the effects of Bible translation on African languages?
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6) Why is the Bible referred to as (a) a Library and (b) the Word of God
7) What is the meaning of the term inspiration?
Study activities
1. Read the Bible quotations given above.
2. Carry out role plays e.g. the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham.
3. Visit old people in your community and ask them about African
religious traditional practices.
CREATION AND THE FALL OF MAN (GENESIS 1-3, 6-9, 11)

INTRODUCTION
In this topic, you shall learn about creation and the fall of man. This
information is in Genesis.
BIBLICAL ACCOUNTS OF CREATION AND THEIR MEANINGS
The book of Genesis begins with two creation stories. The first creation
story is in Genesis chapter one. The second creation story is in Genesis
chapter two.
The two creation stories
The first creation story is in Genesis chapter one. The second creation
story is in Genesis chapter two. This story is like a song or poem. It’s
written, “Let there be…” and “God saw that it was good … to separate,”
and “there was evening and morning on …” Each creation is taken as a
day. The creation took place in the following order. It is orderly:
1st day – God created day and night (Light and darkness)
2nd day – The Heavens (sky)
3rd day – The Earth, Water / Sea, Vegetation (Plants, trees, grass)
4th day – Sun, Moon and Stars
5thday – Birds, Sea Creatures
6th day – Animals, Livestock, Man was the last creation (human beings)
7th day – God rested and blessed the 7th day and made it holy.
In this creation story, we see God creating things in an orderly manner,
day after day until the 6th day. It was last in the first account.
God created man from dust and breathed into his nostrils before anything
else is mentioned. God then put man in the Garden of Eden, which He had
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made for him so that man could till and keep it. The garden was planted
eastward in Eden. Out of the ground, God made every tree to grow. In the
middle of the garden, there was the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Man was given the responsibility of tilling and conserving the garden.
Man was commanded to eat of every tree in the garden except the tree of
knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed from the garden and then it
separated into four tributaries. God saw that man should not be alone
hence He made him a helper/mate; a woman from one of the man’s ribs.
Man was also given the responsibility of naming all the animals in the
garden. There is mention of God resting after work
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Differences between the two creation stories

FIRST ACCOUNT SECOND ACCOUNT
Mentions what was created on -doesn’t mention the daily activities of

which day. Each creation takes a GOD
day.
-This story is like a song or a poem. -The story is in prose. For example “…
It’s written, “Let there be…” and and God said … and it was evening...”
“God saw that it was good … to
separate”, and “there was evening
and morning…”
-It is orderly. -Not orderly was last in the first account
-Doesn’t’ mention what was created on
-Mentions what was created on which day
which day. -Mentions rivers, and garden for tilling
-Rivers and garden are not me- -Woman was created from ribs of man
ntioned. -Mention of the knowledge
-Man and woman were created -Marriage is for companionship
together. -Sun, moon, stars, sky are not mentioned
-No mention of the knowledge. -Mention of resting after work but
-Marriage is for procreation. Sabbath day is not mentioned
-Sun, moon, stars, sky are
mentioned
-God rested on the seventh day
hence the Sabbath day
Similarities between the two accounts of creation

In both creation accounts:
a) Men and women are created by God and are given special references.
Man and woman are special to God.
b) God rested after creation.
c) God provided the source of food.
d) God is portrayed as the sole creator of the universe and everything in it.
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e) Man is given the responsibility of controlling animals, birds and plants

that God created
Activity
Find out the differences between the two creation stories and write them
down. Now compare them with my answer.
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD FROM THE BIBLICAL CREATION

ACCOUNTS
The creation stories tell us that God is:
(i) The sole creator and the only source of life
(ii) Immortal and Eternal
(iii) He is self existent
(iv) God of order
(v) Source of goodness and true happiness
(vi) Holy, merciful and just
(vii) Provider and sustainer of the universe and all that is in it
(viii) All knowing (Omniscient)
(ix) All powerful (Omnipotent)
(x) Everywhere (Omnipresent)
(xi) A personal God.
(xii) He has a mind and a will
(xiii) Moral God. He is interested in the behaviour of man and woman. He
commands her/him to do the right things.
TRADITIONAL AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING OF CREATION
Traditional African view of creation is brought out through traditional
stories of creation (Myths). The Agikuyu, Akamba, Gusii and other
Kenyan communities have stories explaining their origin. These stories
give each community a sense of belonging, and identity. The stories
explain the mysteries of life. These stories have common characteristics
or teachings.
Thus all African communities believe that God: -
(i) Is the chief architect of the world
(ii) Existed from the very beginning of time.
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(iii) Created everything out of nothing.

(iv) Provides for the needs of human beings.
(v) Was disobeyed by human beings who had lived in eternal bliss. This
bliss came to an end when human beings disobeyed God.
(vi) The African communities had different names to describe God. God
was not known as God but as the Creator of everything that existed on
earth and skies. He was Mumbi and “Mungai” to Gikuyu. He was master
of the universe. The Kamba called Him …Ngai wa Matu. They believed
that God continues to create through human beings.
Examples of African creation stories
1. The Kamba believed that God created man and woman then tossed
them to the earth.
2. The Bukusu say that God the creator (Were Khakaba) created the world
alone.
a. First God created heaven then created two assistants, Mukhaba and
Murumwa. Were the God made the sun, moon, stars, a big red cock which
crows whenever it thunders, the rains, the rainbow, mountains, rivers,
lakes, streams and all the other things on earth.
b. Created a woman for the man.
c. Created plants, animals, birds and other creatures.
d. Creation work took six days. On the seventh day Were rested.
Activity
Ask your parents about your community creation story.
THE TEACHINGS FROM THE BIBLICAL CREATION

ACCOUNTS
I. God is responsible for all creation. He is the sole creator. God’s creation
was good. Everything He created God said it was good. It was without
flaws and mistakes. God is the provider. God created everything that man
needs. He also created food for all animals and other creatures. God is
orderly.
II. Man has a special place in God’s creation. Man was made as the
keeper of God creation. Man is a co-creator and keeper of God’s creation
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since he was made in the image and likeness of God. Man was comma-
nded to work.
III. A woman was made from the man’s flesh. She joins man in marriage
and they become one flesh. God ordains marriage. Human beings were
created to socialize.
IV. Sin is a result of man and woman disobedience of God.
Responsibilities given to human beings by God in the Genesis stories
of creation
After creating man and then woman, God asked man to:
a. Reproduce and multiply.
b. Rule over the rest of His creations.
c. Be in charge of the fish, birds, and all the animals.
d. Cultivate the garden and guard it.
e. Eat from the fruits of the garden except from the tree of knowledge of
good and evil.
f. Name the animals.
g. Subdue the earth
h. Transform the creation that God has provided human beings with
i. Use creation – forests, rivers, mountains with responsibility and respect.
j. Be a steward of God’s creation
k. Engineer God’s creation by creating things from the creation
l. Dominate the earth
Group work
Work in twos or threes and answer these questions.
i. How does man fulfill the command to subdue and fill the earth?
ii. How is man a co – creator with God?
BIBLICAL TEACHING: THE FALL OF MAN, ORIGIN OF SIN

AND THE CONSEQUENCES
Introduction
Man and woman fell from the Garden of Eden. This experience is expla-
ined in genesis chapter 3 verse 4; chapter 6 verse 9 and chapter 11. In
these verses, the Bible is teaching about sin, which made Adam and
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Eve fall.
Sin is defined as iniquity, and guilt. It is to miss a mark, to transgress. Sin
is a rebellion or an offence against God. Sin originated with the
disobedience of Adam and Eve. They had been commanded not to eat of
the fruits of the tree of knowledge of good and evil – the tree in the
middle of the Garden of Eden. But Adam and Eve ate the fruit after being
deceived by the serpent.
Man had the power to resist temptation but instead he yielded. Genesis
Chapter 3 verse 6 states that man wanted to be wise and thought how
wonderful it would be to become wise…” hence sin arises from the lack
of knowledge of God, from the denial of trust of God.
The consequences of sin
After sinning, we the human race and sinners:
1) Replaced friendship with God with fear of God.
2) Lost innocence. What had been innocent and good became shameful.
Adam and Eve became ashamed of their nakedness, something they had
never felt before they sinned against God.
3) Lost good relationship with God. The good relationship between God
and man was betrayed. Human beings – were alienated from God. “The
Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden…”
4) Damaged the perfect relationship between man and woman. The Lord
said to the woman “You will have desire for your husband, yet you will
be subject to him”.
5) Pain became part of human experience. “I will greatly multiply your
pain in child bearing”.
6) Man began toiling and struggling to meet his needs… “You will have
to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything”
7) The home of man, and the earth itself was placed under a curse.
“Cursed is the ground because of you.”
Enmity between man and wild animals emerged.
9) Man began to die. Death sentence is passed upon all men. “You will
return to the ground… you are dust”
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10) Man began to hate. Man developed murderous feelings in his heart,
for example Cain killed Abel, his younger brother.
11) Man changed and became prone to sin.
12) Life span of man was reduced (see Gen. 6:3) “I will not allow people
to live forever, they will live no longer than 120 years”
13) Man’s language was confused by God after the flood (read Gen.11: 7)
14) Sin led to embarrassment, mistrust, suffering, pain, pride, arrogance
and death.
Summary
Disobedience of God by Adam and Eve brought serious sin consequences
to human beings. Sin brings sadness and suffering to man even today.
Activity
In groups of two or three, discuss the origin and consequences of sin.
CONCEPT OF EVIL
Introduction
In this lesson, we shall discuss the concept of evil as told by the traditi-
onal African religion and the biblical writings. We shall study similarities
and differences of evil from the two religions.
What is evil?
In the traditional African society, evil was an offence against God, spirits
and ancestors. It was also viewed as an offence against another person or
community. Evil was also a misfortune that can befall an individual or a
community.
What are the causes of evil?
Many of the traditional African societies do not associate God with evil.
God is not the creator of evil. Some communities believe that evil is an
external power that exists on its own. Thus in the traditional African
society, evil was understood or explained as something mysterious that
was caused by several people and things. These were:
a) Evil spirits
b) Ancestral spirits – due to disobedience to them
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c) Some animals like the chameleon are sources of evil. The Akamba
believed that chameleons brought evil. Other communities believed that if
an owl cries near one’s homestead, it is a sign of evil.
d) People with mystical powers for example magic, sorcery, and
witchcraft are evils
e) If a member of a community breaks a taboo by disobedience, this
action may bring evil spirits.
f) The spirits of the dead; cause evil; if they are not remembered or
respected. Evil spirits cause harm and violence.
Consequences of evil in traditional African society
These were many and ranged from (a) Barrenness (b) Drought (c)
Epidemics (d) Madness (e) Sickness (f) Death (g) Drowning (h) Burning
in a house (i) War (j) Physically and mentally handicapped children (l)
Rebellious children
GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION

After the fall of man, God took steps to heal the damaged situation and
relationship between Him and Adam and Eve.
GOD:
1. Provided clothing of skin to Adam and Eve.
2. Looked for Adam and Eve since they were hiding from His presence.
3. Provided Adam and Eve with the knowledge to find different foods.
4. Declared enmity between man and the snake.
5. Hinted at the ultimate victory of man when He said that the seed of the
woman would crush the snake or serpent’s head. The serpent would attack
the heel of man and woman.
All through the Old Testament, and the New Testament, we see God’s
plan of salvation being manifested. For instance, GOD chose and
separated Abraham from other communities. The children of
Israel led by Moses (were delivered) from Egypt,. God sent prophets to
teach and warn the Israelites of the dangers of sin. Finally God sent his
only son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save human kind.
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SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL

AFRICAN VIEW OF EVIL AND BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF SIN
Similarities
Both the Biblical and traditional African view or agree that
1) God is supreme. God is neither the creator nor author of evil
2) Sin comes from the disobedience of God by human beings
3) Evil and misfortune are God’s curse to man (Biblical) while the
traditional African society sees evil as curses by ancestors, and elders.
Both curses lead to misfortunes.
4) The result of sin and evil is human sufferings
5) Sin and evil lead to man being separated from God
6) God is the guardian of law and order
7) Human beings have the ability to overcome evil
Differences
1) Biblical account emphasizes personal nature of sin while in the African
concept; sin is more social and communal
2) Biblical account attributes evil to disobedience while African concept
attributes evil not only to disobediences but other external forces.
3) Biblical accounts offer a message of hope to overcome evil while
African concept doesn’t offer a solution to sin and evil.
4) Traditional African concept all forms of suffering as a result of sin
while in the Bible suffering is not always a result of sin.
Review questions
1) Explain the differences between the two creation stories
2) State the traditional African view of creation
3) Explain how human beings continue with the work of creation
4) What is the origin of sin and evil according to traditional African
society?
5) Give three consequences of sin as stated in Genesis
6) State the consequences of evil according to African traditional societies
7) Trace God’s plan of salvation of human kind
Compare biblical and traditional African understanding of evil and sin.
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9) What does the command “Subdue the earth” in Genesis 1 verse 28

mean?
FAITH AND GOD PROMISES TO ABRAHAM

BACKGROUND TO THE CALL OF ABRAHAM (Genesis 11:24-32,
12)
Introduction
The background to the call of Abraham is found in the first book of the
bible. This is Genesis which is a Greek word meaning “Beginning”. The
relationship between Adam and God was good but after Adam disobeyed
GOD, their relationship changed because of sin by Eve and Adam. After
sometime, God repaired this relationship by calling Abraham and offering
salvation.
Background
-Abraham lived with his father Terah at a place called Ur. Abraham’s
father lived among people who worshiped many gods. One of the god’s
whom people of Ur worshipped was the moon. This worship of many
gods is referred to as polytheism.
-The family of Terah moved from Ur to Haran. While at Haran, God
called Abraham at 75 years old. He was told to…. “Leave your country,
your relatives and your father’s home and go to a land that I am going to
show you”. Abraham obeyed God’s call. He left Haran for a land that was
unknown to him. He took his property his wife Sarah and his nephew lot.
At the time of the call of Abraham, he was known as Abram and his wife
Sarai. God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham means
Father of many nations while Sarah means mother of nations.
-On arrival in Canaan, he travelled and came to a place called Schechem.
God appeared to him once more. Abraham built an altar for the lord at this
place. Altars are places of worship. They were regarded as holy and were
manifestations of God’s presence. An altar was made of stones.
-After sometime, he separated with his nephew Lot due to their servants
having strife over water for their livestock. Abraham left Canaan due to
feminine. He went to Egypt.
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Activity
1. Where did Lot settle?
2. Read GENESIS, chapter 11 (24 – 32) and chapter 12 (1 – 9)
FAITH AND GOD’S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM (HEBREWS 11: 1

– 6)
a. THE MEANING OF FAITH
-Faith is a strong belief, a complete trust or confidence in someone or
something. It is also a firm belief, which is not based on any scientific or
logical proof. Faith in God is an attitude of complete trust in God.
It is not based on concrete or tangible objects. Faith is manifested in the
ways of life of a believer.
-Abraham is an example of someone who had faith in God. He showed
his faith in action in several ways.
b. HOW ABRAHAM DEMONSTRATED HIS FAITH IN GOD
1. Although Abraham was old, he left Haran to go to a strange unknown
land of Canaan.
2. After he settled in Canaan, Abraham was assured by God of his
protection and was given other promises such as he will get a son, and
Abraham believed God. Sarah gave birth to a son when she was
90 years old and Abraham was around 120 years old. This was as the lord
had promised Abraham.
3. The son was named Isaac that means “laughter” – because Sarah had
laughed when she was told that she would have a child in her old age. The
child Isaac was circumcised when he was eight (8) days old.
4. Abraham was told by God to circumcise all males in his household
including himself. He obeyed.
5. When Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac to God, he was
ready to do so.
6. Abraham believed that God would fulfill all the promises he had given
to him
7. Abraham demonstrated his faith by building altars
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c. GOD’S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM (GENESIS 12:2-3, 15:1-21,

21, 17:1-8, 17:15-18)
A promise is giving an assurance of something to someone. The promises
God gave to Abraham were that:
1. God told him he would give him a land. His descendants would be
given the land of Canaan to dwell in
2. His name would be made famous
3. His descendants will be many. Abraham would be made a great nation.
4. God would protect him
5. He was promised a son of their own
6. God would bless him
7. God would bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him
8. Abraham was promised that he would die in peace and in an old age
9. His descendants would be strangers in a foreign land but afterwards
would come out with great possessions.
d. THE RELEVANCE OF THE PROMISES MADE BY GOD TO
ABRAHAM TO CHRISTIANS TODAY (Gen. 12: 2 – 3, 15: 1 – 21,
21:1 – 7, 17: 15 – 18)
God called Abraham from idol worship in the same way God continues to
call people to serve him.
1) Through Abraham, God had a plan to restore the relationship between
man and God
2) Christians receive the promises of blessings from God through
Abraham (Gods promises to Abraham fulfilled through Christians)
3) As Abraham left his own people, Christians should leave their sinful
lives and put their whole trust in God.
4) Abraham is seen as the descendant not only of the Israelites but also of
Christians
5) Christians have faith that God fulfils promises to them as he did to
Abraham
6) Christians are assured of God’s protection
7) Through God’s dealing with Abraham, God shows that he values a
personal relationship with human kind.
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Through Jesus Christ Christians enter into an everlasting covenant with

God. Just like Abraham entered into a covenant with God.
9) The promise to Abraham of Canaan Promised Land is to Christians the
hope for new land – heaven
10) God continues to make promises to those who believe him
11) Abraham is the ancestor (Father) of all believers)
e. DEFINE THE TERM COVENANT
i. Definition.
A covenant is a solemn agreement between two persons or two groups of
people. An agreement is between two separated parties. It’s a pact, a
treaty. When it is a covenant, it conveys a union or partnership.
ii. Characteristics / components of a covenant
There are components or features that must be in a covenant. A covenant
must have a ceremony, sign, witnesses, promises/vows/oaths, obligations
/ consequences, and participants. A covenant establishes a sacrificial bond
between the parties involved. There are obligations or rules by which the
parties must abide by, adhere to and observe in order to keep the
covenant. A covenant is an agreement and if it is broken, there are
consequences for breaking it. In the Bible, there are many covenants.
iii. Examples of covenants in the Bible
1. Adamic covenant – Agreement between God and Adam
2. Noahlic Covenant – God’s covenant with Noah where God promised to
preserve life of man and not to destroy it with water. The sign of the
covenant is the rainbow. In Gen 9 verse 3, GOD told Noah, “Everything
that lives and moves will be food for you…Just as I gave you the green
plants, I now give you everything. Verse 4 says, “But you must not eat
meat that has its lifeblood still in it”
3. Abrahamic covenant – Gods covenant with Abraham. He promised to
fulfill promises He gave to Abraham. These promises were: (1) Increase
numbers of descendant of Abraham. He will be father of many nations,
(2) Be GOD of his descendants (3) Abraham will have a son an heir, (4)
Given land of Canaan and other lands from the river of Egypt to River
Euphrates, and all for heirs of Abraham (Gen. 15: 17 – 18) (5) Circum-
23
cision of all males at 8 days after birth even none Israelites living in their
land (6) Covenant with Isaac
4. Mosaic Covenant – is a covenant between the Israelites and GOD.
Moses led Israel to Mt. Sinai. God promised to be their God. Israelites
were given the law written by GOD in “tablets of stone, with law and
commands I have written for…. instruction”. (Read exodus 23).
5. Davidic Covenant – covenant between David and God – God promised
him that his dynasty would rule forever.
6. Messianic Covenant – new covenant between Christians and God
through Jesus Christ.
iv. God’s covenant with Abraham and its importance (Genesis 15:1-
19)
The covenant was established after God appeared to Abraham in a vision.
During the visitation of God, Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah 90
years. He was promised a son. Abraham wanted assurance from God. God
told him to bring him the following items for sacrifice.
v. Items for sacrifice
Three (3) years olds: heifer, goat, ram and a dove and a pigeon.
Abraham then cut these animals into two halves and placed them
opposite each other.
The birds were not split.
After it was dark, smoking fire and a flaming torch suddenly appeared
and passed between the pieces of animals.
Towards evening, Abraham fell into a deep sleep. While he slept the
Lord appeared to him and told him that:
His descendants will be strangers in a foreign land and be slaves for 400
years. But they will come out of this land with a lot of wealth and God
will punish the nation that will enslave Israelites.
He, Abraham will live up to a ripe age, and die in peace. Then the Lord
made a covenant with Abraham and promised to give him and his
descendants the land of Canaan. God himself passed through the sacrifi-
ces and bound himself to keep the promises.
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f) IMPORTANCE OF THE COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND

ABRAHAM (GEN. 15: 1- 19)
God bound himself in a personal relationship with a human being
As God passed through the meat, he showed Abraham he would always
protect him. This passed on to the descendants of Abraham
This covenant between God and Abraham begins a lasting relationship
between God and all the nations of the earth.
Throughout this covenant God was initiating his plan of salvation for
human kind
The promises made to Abraham were fulfilled in New Testament blood
of the lamb – death of Jesus Christ
It emphasized the importance of faith followed by obedience that
Abraham shared.
g) COVENANTS IN MODERN LIFE AND THEIR IMPORTANCE
Modern covenants are (a) Marriage (b) Baptism (c) Oath of loyalty and
(d) Ordination of clergy
Marriage ceremony: In marriage, the bride, bridegroom and their fami-
lies come together. When the two families come together a relationship is
developed. They make an agreement and both sides are seriously involved
in the ceremony, whether the marriage is civil or religious. During the
marriage ceremony the couple makes vows/promises to each other, before
a priest/ pastor and the congregation. Two officials witness these agree-
ments. Rings are exchanged as a sign of a lasting relationship. A certifi-
cate is given in some cases as a testimony (sign) of this agreement. There
is eating and drinking.
Baptism: In a Christian baptism, a covenant is entered into between the
believer and God. The believer makes vows before God. The priest and
the whole congregation witness this agreement. In some churches, a card
is issued to the person who has been baptized as a sign of Christian mem-
bership. The baptized can now take the Holy Communion, which is a
Christian Ceremony. But when an infant is baptized, parents take the
vows on behalf of the child.
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Loyalty /oath: Leaders in public service for example the president,

ministers, Members of Parliament, and chief officers are sworn in before
they take over their new responsibilities. They swear (take an oath) and
promise to carry out their duties firmly and without fear or favour.
Ordination of the clergy: Church leaders, nuns and priests take oaths and
make vows to God and to the congregation in a ceremony attended by
worshippers.
The importance of modern day covenants
• They bind different groups
• They act as a security
• They strengthen relationships
• They unite people together
• They create loyalty
• They create peace, harmony and bring a sense of permanence
h) THE TESTING OF ABRAHAM’S FAITH (GEN. 22: 1 – 18)

God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to go and sacrifice his only son
Isaac. This was the son he loved so much. He was to travel to Mount
Moniah. On reaching Mt. Moriah, he built an altar, and arranged wood on
it. He tied up his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.
He lifted a knife to kill him. “But the Angel of the Lord called out to him
from heaven. Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy…Do not
do anything to him. Now I know you that you fear God, because you have
not withheld from me your son, your only son” (v 11-12). Abraham had
obedient reverence for God became he did not keep back his only son
from God. God provided a ram for sacrifice. He named the mountain “the
Lord provided” God was pleased with Abraham and promised him
blessings, many descendants’ victory, and protection.
Activity
Read Genesis 12:1 – 9, 15:1 – 6, 17:23 – 24, 21:1 – 7, 22:1-19
26
IMPORTANCE OF FAITH IN CHRISTIAN LIFE TODAY

1. A Christian today is acceptable to God through his faith in God through
Jesus Christ. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
2. A Christian can only serve God if he has faith in him. Faith enables a
Christian to serve God
3. Faith enables a Christian to accomplish what appears to be impossible
4. Through faith, Christians are able to trust God to fulfill his promises to
them
5. Faith is the foundation of the Christians salvation
6. Faith in God gives a Christian the power to overcome all temptations.
8. Christians should expect to have their faith tested just like Abraham
was.
9. Faith enables Christians to patiently wait on God’s promises
10. Christians through faith in God help the poor, make right decisions
and are able to understand and know God better.
JEWISH AND AFRICAN PRACTICES OF CIRCUMCISION

a. IMPORTANCE OF CIRCUMCISION TO ABRAHAM AND HIS
DESCENDANTS (GEN. 17: 1 – 16)
The rite of circumcision was started by Abraham and has been practiced
by the Jews up to the present times.
In the Old Testament, it was important because:
(i) Through circumcision: God assured Abraham that he would fulfill His
promises to him.
(ii) Circumcision was a sign that Abraham and his descendants had
entered into a covenant with God. It was an outward sign of inner faith.
(iii) Circumcision was a mark of identity for the Jews
(iv) It was a sign of obedience to God
(v) It was an acceptance of God as the only true God and their willingness
to remain faithful to him
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In the New Testament

(vi) Circumcision doesn’t qualify one to be a child of God. One is
accepted as a Christian without circumcision as long as they have faith in
God.
(vii) A true descendant of Abraham is the Christian who truly believes in
God and lives according to His will regardless of colour, race or creed.
b. CIRCUMCISION IN AFRICAN COMMUNITIES
Circumcision is one of the rites of passage among the African people. It
marks the transition from one stage to another. Many ethnic communities
in Kenya still practice the rite of circumcision. During circumcision
ceremonies, prayers are offered to God for the well being of the initiates
(those who are being circumcised) and the prosperity of the whole
community. Initiates learn secrets of their community and society. They
are taught myths, origin, religious beliefs, and sex education. In some
communities, initiates are given new names or ornaments to signify their
new status.
c. JEWISH AND AFRICAN PRACTICES OF CIRCUMCISION
Similarities
In both Jewish and African communities, circumcision: (a) is a mark of
identity (b) provided a sense of belonging (c) was observed as a religious
experience (d) was compulsory (e) was a tradition passed from one
generation to another (f) is a time for shedding blood (g) was a time for
offering prayers to God for the well being of the initiates (h) was a time
for giving gifts (i) was a ceremony for initiation (j) was a time for giving
the initiates names (k) took place in sacred places.
Differences
In Jewish community,
i. Circumcision was a rite for boys while in African society it was for both
boys and girls. But it was for boys in a few communities.
ii. Boys were circumcised when aged 8 days while in the African society;
it was between 15 to 25 years old.
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iii. Circumcision was for boy’s organ while in African societies several
forms of initiation were done, for example, removal of teeth, and body
piercing among others.
iv. Circumcision was a command from God while for the African
communities it was in obedience to customary law where ancestors were
invoked to protect the initiates.
Among the African societies
v. Circumcision was a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood while
for the Jews it was not.
vi. The initiates were given specialized education while the Jews were
not.
vii. The initiates were grouped into age groups, and were secluded from
the community while among the Jews it was not so.
viii. The rite of circumcision according to seasons while the Jews once a
child is born, they are circumcised on the 8th day.
ix. After circumcision, the initiates were allowed to marry, enter a warrior
group, own property but for the Jews the initiate was still a child.
Revision questions
1.Explain why Abraham is referred to as the father of faith
2. Give five actions from the life of Abraham that shows his faith to God
3. List some of the promises God gave to Abraham
4. Compare and contrast the Jewish and traditional African practice of
circumcision
5. What is the importance of faith to Christians?
6. State the elements of a covenant
7. Give examples of covenants in the bible and the modern society
8. Discuss the circumstances that led God to enter into a covenant
relationship with Abraham.
SINAI COVENANT
THE CALL OF MOSES
One day, Moses was looking after or tending the flock of Jethro his
father-in-law. Jethro was a priest of Midian. When Moses came to mount
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Horeb, the mountain of God, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in
flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that although the bush was
on fire, it was not burning.
Moses went over to the burning bush to look. God called him out within
the bush… “Moses! Moses!” He replied, “Here I am”. God then told
Moses not to come closer and to take off his sandals for the place where
he was standing was a holy ground.
God introduced himself as the God of his father, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God then said he had seen the misery
and sufferings of the Israelites in Egypt. He had heard their cry. God had
come down to rescue Israelites from the hand of Egyptians. God was to
take them to their home, the land of the Canaanites, a land flowing with
milk and honey.
God told Moses that He was sending him to go to Pharaoh and bring out
the Israelites, the people of God, from Egypt. Moses resisted the call. He
asked God “Who am I, that is should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israe-
lites out of Egypt?” God promised to be with him. God said to Moses…
Say to the Israelites… the Lord. The God of their fathers, God of
Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob has sent me to you.
Moses was told to assemble the elders of Israel and inform them that God
was going to deliver them from Egypt. Moses was then to go to the king
of Egypt with the elders. He was to tell the king “the Lord, the God of the
Hebrews has met with us. (EXODUS 3:1 – 22)
God’s sign to Moses
Moses was given several signs by God In case the people of Israel did not
believe in him.
a) First sign was his staff turning into a snake when he threw it down.
When he touched the snake’s tail it turned into his staff
b) Second sign was God asked Moses to put his hand inside his cloak and
it was as white as a snow – leprous. He was asked to put it back into his
cloak and it was restored.
c) Moses further complained that he was a stammerer. God then appoi-
nted Aaron, his brother, as his spokesman.
30
Reasons Moses gave against the call

1. He felt unworthy of the call.
2. He wondered who he was to tell the Israelites that God had sent him
3. Moses said that he was a stammerer so he let God choose a
spokesperson.
Moses however heeded to the call and went back to Egypt together with
his family. God promised to be with him and perform signs before Phara-
oh.
What does the name Moses mean?
It means drawn out of water.
What did Moses learn about God from his Calling?
Moses learnt that:
1. God is caring, merciful and concerned about the welfare of his people –
Israelites.
2. God is transcendent – he is beyond human understanding. He cannot be
limited to time and space.
3. God chooses whomever he wills to carry out his plans. He chose
Abraham an old man, a moon worshipper and now Moses, a murderer, a
fugitive and a stammerer.
4. God expects total obedience and faith from those that He chooses
5. God is powerful, eternal and omnipresent
6. God is holy.
7. God is a God of history, which means He is concerned with His
people’s welfare.
8. God is mysterious – He manifested Himself in the burning bush that
was not being consumed.
How did God prepare Moses to be the future leader of Israelites?
1. His life was spared when he was rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter
2. He was nursed by his own mother who taught him about Yahweh and
his own true identity
3. Life in the wilderness hardened him to be bold and to persevere
hardships
4. He learnt to be patient, keen, and responsible as a shepherd
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5. He acquired leadership skills while living at pharaoh’s palace

6. He learnt literacy and numeracy skills (Educational skills) at the palace.
7. He was not a stranger to Pharaoh hence he could approach him freely.
THE TEN PLAGUES EXODUS 7:14-11:10

During the call of Moses at Mount Sinai, God gave Moses a rod with
which he could perform mighty signs before the Israelites and before
Pharaoh. Aaron was to be his spokesman. Moses and Aaron gathered the
Israelite elders and leaders to tell them what God had said to them. After
Moses had performed the miracles that God had showed him; the Israelite
leaders believed him.
They then approached Pharaoh so that he may release the Israelites.
However instead of releasing the Israelites, Pharaoh became crueler. He
gave Israelites harder work.
When Pharaoh refused to release Israelites, God instructed Moses to bring
ten plagues upon Egypt.
These plagues brought; great trouble and suffering to Israelites.
Ten plagues
1) The plague of blood (Exodus 7: 14 – 25)
Moses and Aaron used the rod. They struck the waters of the river as God
instructed them. All the water in the rivers, canals, and pools in Egypt
turned into blood. All the fish died and there was no water to drink. This
situation lasted for seven days. However Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.
He did not release the Israelites.
2) The plague of frogs (Exodus 8:1 – 15)
God then sent Moses to tell Pharaoh that if he refused to release the
Israelites the whole land would be covered with frogs. At the command of
Moses, Aaron held out the rod of Moses and frogs covered the whole
land. On seeing this, Pharaoh pleaded with Moses and Aaron to pray to
the Lord to get rid of the frogs and he would release them. They prayed
and all the frogs died. Pharaoh, however, changed his mind and refused to
release the Israelites.
3) Plague of gnats (Exodus 8:16 – 19)
32
The lord instructed Moses to tell Aaron to strike the ground and Aaron did
so and all the dust in Egypt turned into gnats or small flies that bites. The
magicians of Egypt could perform the first two plagues.
They could not bring the plague of gnats. Egyptians acknowledged that
the presence of gnats or small flies that bites was God’s work. But even
with this information, Pharaoh still refused to release the Israelites.
4) Plague of flies (Exodus 8:20 – 32)
The Lord warned Pharaoh through Moses once more. He was told that
God would send swarms of flies to the Egyptian houses. The Israelites
houses would be spared. Even after bringing the plague of flies, Pharaoh’s
heart hardened even more
5) Death of cattle (Exodus 8:1 – 7)
A plague of disease befell the Egyptian cattle. Not a single Israelites’
animal died. Pharaoh was not moved; and he refused to let Jews go home.
6) Plague of boils (Exodus 9:8 – 12)
Moses threw ashes into the air as God had instructed. This produced boils,
which became open sores on the skin of the Egyptians. Unmoved by the
suffering of his people, Pharaoh still refused to let the Israelites leave.
7) Plague of hail (Exodus 9:13 – 35)
Moses raised his rod and there was a hailstorm with lighting and thunder.
The people, animals and plants that were struck by the lightning died.
Pharaoh then promised to let the Israelites go but as soon as Moses prayed
for the hailstorm to stop, pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let the
Israelites leave.
8) Plague of Locusts (Exodus 19:1 – 20)
Locusts covered the whole land and ate all the crops in the fields. The
locusts ate all that had not been destroyed by the hailstorm. When Moses
prayed to God, for locusts to leave; Pharaoh hardened his heart and refu-
sed to let the Israelites leave.
9) Plague of darkness (Exodus 10: 21 – 29)
God then instructed Moses to stretch out his hand to heaven. There was
total darkness in Egypt for three days. But there was light where the Israe-
33
lites they were living. Pharaoh remained unmoved and would not release
the Israelites out of Egypt.
10) Death of Egyptian first-born males (Exodus 11: 1 – 31).
After the plague of darkness, God sent Moses once more to Pharaoh. He
was told that this time even his family would be affected. The Lord would
kill all the first-born Egyptian sons and first-born male animals at mid-
night. This plague occurred during the night of Passover. Pharaoh was
moved and allowed Israelites to leave Egypt.
What do the plagues tell us about God’s attributes?
GOD:
1. Empowers His people to perform miracles and to do His work
2. Is Almighty and more powerful than the Egyptian gods.
3. Is determined to fulfil His plans.
4. Is a God of justice. He protects the oppressed.
5. Gives everyone a chance to repent. Notice that each time Pharaoh
promised to release the Israelites; God relieved the Egyptians from the
plagues.
6. Fulfils His promises – He had promised Abraham to deliver his descen-
dants from foreign lands.
7. Expects total obedience and faith.
8. Communicates His will through natural events.
9. Is caring and loving.
PASSOVER (EXODUS 12:1-30, 19, 20, 34)

The tenth plague is called the Passover. It happened on the fourteenth day
of the month. The Israelites were to offer one-year-old lamb per family. If
a family was too small, they were to share the lamb with their neighbours.
If a lamb was not available, a one-year-old goat could also be used. They
were told to:
1. Slaughter the lamb/goat; smear some of the blood on the sides and tops
of the door- frames of their houses.
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2. Roast the meat and eat it with bitter herbs and unleavened bread (bread
without yeast). If there were any leftovers they were to burn them with
fire.
3. Eat in a hurry while fully dressed and having packed their belongings.
They were told to borrow silver, clothings, jewellery, and gold from the
Egyptians.
4. That on the same night, the ‘angel of death’ would kill every first born
both males and animals in the houses without blood.
5. The angel of death would pass over the houses with blood sparing
them. The blood was a sign to indicate this is a house of Israelites. When
the Lord sees the blood, He will pass over that house (V.13)
6. The Israelites were told to celebrate / commemorate from generation to
generation the Passover as a festival to the Lord.
7. The Israelites were not allowed to come out of their houses on the night
of Passover.
8. At midnight, the Lord struck down all firstborn in Egypt from Phara-
oh’s household to the firstborn of the prisoners and firstborn of livestock.
9. There was loud wailing over Egypt. Every house had someone dead.
Significance of items used during the Passover
1) Roasted Meat – this is the easiest method of preparing food since the
Israelites were to leave in a short time.
2) Bitter herbs – was a reminder of the suffering and hardships and
slavery experienced in Egypt.
3) Eating while standing. Deliverance was near, hence the need to leave in
a hurry.
4) Eating while fully dressed with their stuff at hand. This signified a
quick deliverance; hence Israelites should be ready to leave Egypt at once.
5) Eating unleavened bread – the bread was to be eaten and none left over
hence there was no need to add yeast for preservation.
6) Collecting Jewellery – God had promised Abraham that after slavery
for four hundred and thirty years, his descendants shall be freed with great
possessions.
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7) Remaining indoors – for security from death. Anyone outside was

killed.
Blood on doorposts – a sign for deliverance. The angel of death would
pass over doors with blood.
THE EXODUS
Introduction
Exodus means movement of a large number of people.
Crossing the Red Sea
During the night of the Passover, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron
and told them to leave, to go and worship their Lord. All the Israelites,
their flocks and herds were urged to leave in a hurry. Pharaoh took his
chariot army and followed the Israelites and found them camped by the
Red Sea.
God led the Israelites over the desert towards the Red Sea. Moses took the
body (bones) of Joseph, as Joseph had requested the Israelites to do.
“When God rescues you, you must carry my body with you from this
place” (Ex 13 vs. 19)
During the day the Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud (angel
of God) to show them the way, and during the night the lord went in front
in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel night and
day. This pillar of cloud led the Israelites by day and night.
The Egyptian army followed Israelites and caught up with them by the
Red Sea where they had camped.
Moses asked the scared Israelites to move near the sea.
God told Moses to lift up his stick, and hold it over the sea. The waters of
the Red Sea divided and the Israelites crossed the sea on dry ground with
walls of water on both sides. The angel of God, and the pillar of cloud
(who had been in front of the army of Israel) moved behind the Israelites
and provided light to them as they cross.
The Egyptians army pursued Israelites. The pillar of cloud made it dark
for Egyptians who could not see where they were going. Just before
daylight, the Lord looked at the Egyptians from the pillar of cloud and fire
36
and God threw the army of the Egyptians into confusion. Moses was
asked by the Lord to stretch out his hand. He did so and waters returned to
its normal level drowning Egyptian army and their horses.
God protected the Israelites during the Exodus by:
1) Making them cross the red sea on dry ground.
2) Providing water in the wilderness.
3) Providing manna and quails.
4) Defeating Amalekites – their enemies.
5) Protecting them from snakes and diseases in the wilderness.
Provision of water in the wilderness
Israelites travelled in the desert for three days without water. The water,
which they found at Marah was bitter and could not be drunk. They called
the place ‘Marah’ meaning ‘bitter’. This made them complain. Moses
prayed to the Lord.
The Lord showed Moses a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water
and it became fit to drink. God continued providing Israelites with water.
Again the Israelites lacked water and complained bitterly (Ex.17:1 – 9).
God instructed Moses to strike a rock and water came out of it. Moses
called that place ‘Massah’ – which means ‘testing ‘and ‘Meribah’ –
meaning ‘rebellion’. This was because the Israelites quarreled and tested
God.
Provision of manna and quails (EX 16:1 – 35)
As the Israelites were travelling through the desert, they ran out of food.
They were hungry and complained to Moses. Their complaints displeased
the Lord for they often told Moses they wished he had let them die in
Egypt instead of dying in the wilderness. This showed that the Israelites
did not trust God to provide for them.
In the morning, they were given Manna, which is a Hebrew word for the
type of bread given to Israelites by God. The bread looked like wafers or
flakes and tasted like coriander seed.
In the evening, GOD provided Israelites with quail’s meat. The provision
of manna and quails (meat) lasted for 40 years.
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On the 6th day of each week, God gave them food for two days one for
the 6th day and the other for the 7th day (Sabbath).
DEFEAT OF THE AMALEKITES (Exodus 17: 8 – 16)

Challenges faced by the Israelites during the Exodus
During the Exodus, the Israelites faced the challenge of the Amalekites.
These were desert Nomads who attacked the Israelites in the wilderness.
When the Amalekite army came against Israelites, Moses ordered Joshua
to gather men and fight.
God promised to destroy the Amalekites forever. During the battle, Moses
held up his rod. And each time he raised his hands with the rod, the
Amalekites were defeated. When he brought his hands down, the Israe-
lites were defeated. Because of this, Aaron and Hur supported Moses’
hands until the Amalekites were defeated.
In the wilderness God protected the Israelites form snakebites. He also
used a cloud to protect the Israelites from the scorching heat during the
day. At night, the pillar of fire provided warmth to protect them from the
harsh cold of the wilderness.
The importance of the exodus in the history of the Israelites
The exodus showed Israelites that:
1) God loves and tolerates His people.
2) God did not abandon the Israelites despite their lack of faith.
3) God gave the Israelites encouragement through his servant Moses.
4) It was the end of the oppression of Israelites in Egypt.
5) Moses was God’s chosen leader.
MAKING THE SINAI COVENANT (EXODUS 19: 24 1 –

The Sinai covenant
God and Israelites. God had specific instructions on how the Israelites
were to prepare to make the new covenant. Before making the covenant,
God brought Israelites to the foot of Mt. Sinai and asked Moses to ask
them if they were willing to make the covenant with HIM. GOD asked
them to enter into a personal relationship as a community with HIM. The
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Israelites agreed to make a covenant. They agreed to obey all God’s com-
mands. God then promised to make them;
i His people
ii. A kingdom of priests
iii. A holy nation
God and Moses. God wanted to confirm that Moses was His true pro-
phet. He therefore told Moses that He would come in a thick cloud to
meet Israelites. In preparation for God’s coming on Mt. Sinai the
Israelites were to:
I. Make themselves holy by washing their clothes (garments)
II. Mark the boundaries on the foot of the mountain to prevent any person
or animal from climbing the mountain.
III. To abstain from sexual relations
At Mt Sinai, God manifested His presence in the form of thunder,
lightening, earthquake and a thick cloud of smoke that covered the whole
mountain. In addition, there was a loud trumpet blast that made the people
tremble. Moses climbed the mountain. God gave Moses the Ten Comma-
ndments after sealing the covenant.
Sealing of the covenant. The Lord told Moses “Come up the mountain to
me, you and Aaron, Nadab, Abibu and 70 of Israel leaders. At a distance
bow down in worship, and come alone to me.”
A ceremony was then prepared to seal the covenant. This is how it was
sealed:
a. Moses built an altar at the foot of the mountain.
b. He set up twelve stones, which represented the twelve tribes of Israel.
c. He then sent young men to burn sacrifices to the Lord and sacrificed
some cattle as fellowship offering and peace offerings to God (EX 24 vs.
5).
d. Moses took half the blood of animals and poured it in bowls; and the
other half he threw against the altar (vs. 6). He then took the book of the
covenant, and read it aloud to the Israelites who responded by saying “all
that the Lord has spoken we will do; and we shall be obedient”
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e. Moses then took the blood in the bowls and sprinkled it over the
people; saying “This is the blood that seals the covenant which the Lord
made with you when he gave all these commands.”
Theophany. God’s presence manifested itself in several ways such as:
The burning bush (during the call of Moses)
Pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud – Exodus story
The mighty wind, earthquake, still small voice – story of Elijah
Thunder, lighting, smoking mountain – Exodus of Israelites from the
wilderness
These were physical manifestations of God’s presence.
BREAKING THE SINAI COVENANT (Exodus 32:1 – 35; 34:6 –8)

Israelites dishonored their pledge to obey God upon sealing the covenant;
Moses went back to talk to God in the mountain. He left Aaron in charge
of Israelites’ affairs. He stayed in the mountain for forty days. The lord
revealed His glory to Moses at Mt. Sinai and declared His character. ”The
Lord the compassionate and glorious God, slow to anger and forgiving
wickedness, rebellion and sin (Ex 34:6 –
The Israelites urged Aaron to make them gods that they could see. Aaron
agreed. He melted the rings of gold and moulded a bull calf god. Israelites
were happy and said “this is our god who took us out of Egypt”. They
offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to it and indulged themselves
in eating, drinking and sex. By accepting a bull calf as their god, the
Israelites expected bull calf of gold to give them the same strength and
fertility like the Egyptian gods. Through this act, they broke their cove-
nant with God.
When Moses came down from the mountain, he found Israelites worship-
ing the gold bull calf. He got annoyed. He threw down the stone tablets he
was holding; on which the 10 commandments were written. Moses then
took the golden calf, and burnt it into powder and mixed it with water. He
then made those worshipping the calf to drink the mixture. Moses ordered
those who had sinned to be killed.
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RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT (Exodus 34:1 – 14)

The renewal of the covenant came after Moses pleaded with God not to
destroy the Israelites after they broke the covenant. God spared the Israe-
lites. God agreed to renew the covenant with the Israelites. He gave them
several conditions for its renewal.
Conditions for the renewal of the covenant
The Israelites were:
a) To obey God’s commandments
b) Not to make any treaty with those who lived in the land where they
were going.
c) To break down their altar, smash their sacred stones and cut down their
Asherah (Idols). Not to worship any other god and not to make idols for
worship.
d) To keep the feast of unleavened bread (Passover).
e) Not to marry people from other tribes.
f) To rest on the Sabbath day.
g) To sacrifice and offer their best produce and animals to God.
God in turn promised to:
a) Bless them. Protect and preserve the Israelites.
b) Make them prosper so much that the surrounding nations would
enquire about their source of wealth and success.
With these conditions, the covenant between God and the Israelites was
renewed. From the making and renewal of the covenant, it is clear that:
(i) God expected the Israelites to obey and have faith in Him
(ii) God wanted a personal relationship with Israelites.
(iii) God is the only one to be worshipped.
(iv) God is powerful.
WORSHIPING GOD IN THE WILDERNESS

a. God’s purpose in delivering the Israelites from Egypt was to worship
and offer sacrifices to Him in the wilderness. He also intended to fulfil his
promises to Abraham.
b. Features of worshipping God in the wilderness.
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(i) The Israelites: Worshipped God through intermediaries. These were

the priests who came from the tribe of Levi.
(ii) The Israelites: Were guided in their worship and in daily living by the
Ten Commandments and other ordinances
(iii) The Ark of the Covenant was made in the wilderness. It was God’s
dwelling place. It was a special box put into the tabernacle. A tabernacle
was a portable tent. The ark symbolized the presence of God and the Isra-
elites carried it wherever they went.
(iv) Offerings of farm products or agricultural produce were given to God.
These included among other farm products; vegetables, flour, oil and
fruits.
(v) Other offerings to God were drinks, and incense. The offerings could
be burnt, baked, boiled or roasted.
(vi) There were several Sacrifices. They included:
Burnt offerings (Holocaust) – burning a whole animal completely
Sin offering /atonement – sacrifice offered when one had sinned and
wanted to have his sins forgiven.
Peace offering – part of an animal was offered, while the people ate part
of the meat.
Gift offering – the best animal was given to God. It was offered as a
thanksgiving
Animals such as sheep, goats, bulls and birds were sacrificed to God.
(vii) Festivals and feasts. Israelites observed several festivals and feasts.
These included:
Feast of Passover and unleavened bread
Harvest festival – feast of weeks or Pentecost. It marked the celebration
of the harvest of wheat.
Feast of gathering / shelters. It was celebrated during the season when
the Israelites gathered the fruits from the Orchards.
Feast of tabernacles that was celebrated to remember when the Israelites
dwelt in tents.
The Israelites kept the Sabbath day. They worshipped God through
singing, worship and dancing.
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THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Exodus. 20: 1 – 17)

a. The Ten Commandments
While on Mount Sinai, God gave Moses Ten Commandments written on a
stone tablet. The first four commandments deal with relationship between
man and God. God said:
1. You shall have no other gods but me.
2. You shall not make yourself a graven image.
3. You shall not mention Gods’ name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
The last six commandments give man’s relationship with fellow human
beings. God said:
5. Honor you father and mother that your days may be long on earth.
6. You shall not kill.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s property.
These are my thoughts. (1) Worshipping God (2) Being faithful to God
(3) Resting (4) respecting parental authority (5) love humanity (6) Be
faithful to your wife or husband (7) respect other people’s property
(8) Be truthful always (9) be satisfied with what God has given you.
b. Israelites understand the nature of god
The Israelites had a new and wider revelation about God. Besides GOD
being a caring, loving, and a provider, they learnt that:
a. God is a jealous God. He does not allow the worship of others gods. He
alone should be worshipped.
b. God does not condone evil. He punishes those who cause/engage in it.
c. God values a personal relationship with his people.
d. God wants people to live in harmony among them.
e. God forgives those who repent. He is loving, merciful and
compassionate
f. God is a healer – he healed Israelites in the wilderness when a snake
attacked them
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g. God is a God of victory. He defeated the Amalekites, perizzites, and

Hittites etc.
h. God is faithful and can be depended upon.
i. God is holy, slow to anger, powerful and just.
j. God demands obedience to His commands.
Revision questions
a. What are the qualities of Moses as a leader?
b (i). Describe the call of Moses (exodus 3:1-22)
(ii). Why was Moses hesitant to God’s call?
c (i). What is the significance of the items used for the Passover feast
(similar to what is the meaning of the Passover meal)
(ii). Compare the Lord’s Supper to the Passover feast
d. Describe how the Sinai covenant was made
e. Describe the circumstances that lead to the breaking of the Sinai
covenant
f. How was the broken covenant renewed?
g. Describe how the Israelites worshipped God in the wilderness
h. What is the relevance of the Ten Commandments?
i. What did the Israelites learn about god in the wilderness?
LEADERSHIP IN ISRAEL: DAVID AND SOLOMON

REASONS FOR AND AGAINST KINGSHIP IN ISRAEL
Introduction
Yahweh remained the God of Israel and the sovereign ruler of his people.
Leadership refers to the manner in which a community’s way of life is
ruled or controlled. When Israelites settled in Canaan, Judges ruled them
for the first 200 years. Some of the judges were (i) Othniel (ii) Ehud (iii)
Samson (iv) Deborah (v) Gideon (vi) Shamgar (vii) Samuel (viii). Barak
Duties of judges
a. Leading Israelites to war against their enemies
b. Settling disputes among the people
c. Acting as religious leaders and leading Israelites in worship –
d. Offering sacrifices on behalf of the people.
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e. Some of the judges acted as God’s prophets

f. They anointed kings, for example Samuel anointed King David.
Demands for a King in Israel
After Israelites settled in Canaan, the Promised Land, they started
demanding for an earthly king to rule over them. These demands for a
king rulers were brought about by:
i. Samuel’s sons Joel and Abijah were corrupt and took bribes. The sons
of Samuel, who were judges, lacked his good leadership qualities.
ii. The Israelites wanted a warrior king who could lead them to war
against their enemies.
iii. The Israelites wanted to be like the other nations around them who had
kings.
iv. The Israelites wanted a human leader whom they could see, approach,
and talk to him face to face.
v. The Israelites wanted security, which could be provided by a stable
political government ruled by law and order.
vi. They wanted a government that had a regular army,
vii. They also wanted an established law court system.
Reasons against Kingship in Israel (Samuel 8:10 – 20)
By demanding for a king, the Israelites were seen as rejecting Yahweh –
their unseen ruler. Two, there would be danger of hereditary kingship
which would lead to oppression / dictatorship. God told Samuel to give
Israelites strict warnings against Kingship by explaining how the king
would treat them. A king would: -
(a) Recruit Israelites sons forcefully into the army.
(b) Grab peoples land.
(c) Force people to pay taxes to the government
(d) Turn people into slaves.
(e) Introduce forced labour.
(f) Force their daughters to work for his wives, sons, and for the royal
house in general.
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The people of Israel were distinct from other nations. Asking for a king
meant rejecting God as their unseen king. Further to this, Israel could
become like other nations, which did not worship Yahweh.
Then the covenant with God and the people of Israel would cease.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND FAILURES OF KING SAUL (Israel 13:8 –

14; 15:7 – 25)
Samuel was directed by God to choose and anoint Saul as the king of
Israel. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. He became the first human
king of the nation of Israel. He accomplished several things.
Successes of King Saul
1) He was anointed by God; as king to rule the Israelites
2) He was chosen even though it was not God’s idea for a king over his
people.
3) He was a great warrior. He led the Israelites to war and defeated their
enemies
Failures of King Saul
1) God told Saul through Samuel to destroy the Amalekites completely.
Saul however disobeyed God. He spared the king and the fat livestock. He
claimed to have spared the fat animals for sacrifice to God. Because of
this disobedience, God rejected Saul as king.
2) The Israelites were faced with many enemies. The worst were the
Philistines. It was a custom for the king of Israel to enquire from God
whether to go to the battle or not. The priest/prophet gave permission to
the king to go to war. When Saul was faced with the dilemma whether to
fight or not, Samuel enquired from God. Saul did not wait for permission
to go to war from Samuel the priest. He decided to bypass Samuel by
offering a sacrifice to God before going to war. This action displeased
God because it was not his work to offer sacrifice to God. It was the work
of priests.
3) After God rejected Saul as the king of Israel, Samuel was guided by
God to go to Bethlehem. He was asked to go to the home of Jesse who
had eight (8) sons. In that home, God was to show Samuel the next king
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of Israel. Samuel would then anoint the chosen son of Jesse. Seven of
Jesse’s sons were brought before Samuel one by one. God told Samuel
that he had not chosen any of them. When David, a shepherd, was brought
before Samuel God said to him ’this is the one – anoint him!” (1 Samuel
16:12).
David was anointed (poured oil on) as the next king of Israel. However he
had to wait until Saul died before he could take over kingship.
4) After Samuel anointed David to become the next king of Israel, Saul
was jealous and plotted many times to kill him. David was employed to
serve Saul. He played the harp, lyre wherever an evil spirit possessed
Saul.
5) When Samuel died; the Philistines gathered to fight Israel. Saul was
filled with terror. Saul enquired from God whether he should go to war,
but did not get an answer. Saul disobeyed God by asking a medium
(witch) to consult the dead for him. This act led to the death of Saul
together with his son Jonathan in battle.
6) Saul was concerned with what people thought of him than pleasing
God. He wanted to please people and not God. He was disobedient with
God (1 Samuel 15:24)
Lessons which Christians can learn from King Saul’s failures
1) Value of being patient.
2) Christian should obey God, follow His commands and not be afraid of
people.
3) Christian should obey religious leaders placed over them by God.
4) Christian leaders should be humble
5) It is against the teachings of God, against the will of God to consult the
spirits of the dead through mediums.
7) Without faith, it is impossible to please God. God desires sincere
worship.
9) Political leaders should consult and listen to religious leaders.
10) Christians should not turn against their enemies or rivals. They should
not plot to have them destroyed and killed.
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IMPORTANCE OF DAVID (1 Samuel 16: 1 – 23, 2 Samuel 6:1 – 15)

David took over kingship of Israel though some people resisted his rule.
At first he ruled the house of Judah. Later on the other tribes rallied
behind him.
Importance of King David
David became king after the death of Saul. He ruled for over 40 years as
king of Judah and Israel.
Achievements of David
1) He was a brilliant military commander
2) He captured the old fortress of Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made
it his capital city.
3) He removed the ark of covenant from the house of Abinadab in Shiloh
and brought it to Jerusalem.
4) He expressed great faith in God. Through his faith in God, he was able
to kill Goliath, the great Philistine warrior.
5) He was a skilled musician and composed marry psalms that were used
and are still being used in temple and church worship.
6) David respected the prophets of God and always consulted them
whenever he wanted to do anything.
7) He expanded the geographical boundaries of Israel through conquests.
He was a great diplomat and established good political relations with the
neighboring kings.
9) He was a shrewd administrator who chose wise elders and counselors
to advice him.
10) God promised to establish an everlasting kingdom for David
11) David ruled over Israel, administering law and justice to all people.
12) He took a census of the Israelites and used the information to (a)
recruit young men into military service and (2) decide on the policy of
taxation.
13) David had remarkable leadership qualities. He was kind. He spared
mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson.
14) David was humble. He was ready to accept sins he had committed and
repent e.g. he repented after committing adultery with Bathsheba. David
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as an ancestor of Jesus Christ (2 Samuel 1 – 29, LK 1:26 – 33) David

intended to build a splendid temple for God in Jerusalem. He felt it was
not fair for the Ark of the Covenant to continue dwelling in a tent while
he himself lived in a magnificent palace. To achieve this goal, David
consulted Nathan, the prophet on whether to build the temple. The
prophet approved the idea. But that night, Nathan received a revelation
form God that stated that David was not to build a house (temple) for
God. David’s son would build the temple of God (2 Samuel 7:5 – 6).
Prophet Nathan gave David God’s message to David. The message was
that:
a) His son will build the temple
b) God would give David’s descendants a place to settle
c) God promised to raise up an heir from the house of David to sit on the
throne
d) God promised to make David’s name great or famous among all other
leaders of the earth.
Reasons why God rejected David’s offer to build him a temple
a. David had been involved in a lot of wars with the Israelites’ enemies
and had thus shed a lot of blood.
b. God was a God of the people and could not be confined to a house.
c. It was the will of God to establish the house of David (build David a
house) rather than David builds a house for him (God). The human body
is the temple of God. God dwells in the hearts of people.
d. David had grown old. God wanted him to rest.
e. God had planned that David’s son would build a house for him – a
place to house the Ark of the Covenant. King Solomon, David’s son built
the temple and fulfilled God’s promises to David. Solomon’s rule was
peaceful and prosperous.
The New Testament is a fulfillment of God’s promises to David
1) The gospel writers tell us that Jesus was born in the family of David
(Luke 1:26 – 27)
2) The angel of God during the annunciation of the birth of Jesus said that
He will be like his ancestor David (Luke 1:32 – 33)
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3) Jesus was born in Bethlehem which was also the birthplace of David
(Luke 2:4)
4) Bartimaeus the blind man of Jericho hailed Jesus as the son of David
5) During his triumphal entry to Jerusalem, Jesus was hailed by the crowd
as the messiah descended from David.
6) In his genealogy, Saint Mathew says that Jesus was a descendant of
David (Matt.1: 1)
Failures of King David
Although David had many virtues:
1) He ordered Uriah to be placed at the battle forefront so that he can be
killed.
2) Uriah was the husband of Bathsheba. David had committed adultery
with her.
3) He took Bathsheba as his wife
LEADERSHIP OF KING DAVID

David showed:
1) Courage and bravery. David was courageous and brave. Modern
leaders should be ready to die with and for their subjects.
2) Gratitude – thankful and grateful. David always thanked God for any
success or favors he received. Good leaders should be thankful and
grateful to God as well as to their fellow human beings.
3) Loyalty. David was loyal to God and to the Israelites. A good leader
should be loyal, and never betray his people.
4) Justice. David administered justice to all his subjects without favoring
anyone. No tribalism or nepotism. A leader should be fair to all (2 Samuel
8:15).
5) God – fearing, having faith. David was God fearing. He expressed his
total trust in God. Modern leaders need to emulate this quality.
6) Humility. A leader should be a humble person. Though David had been
appointed as the king, he continued to serve Saul until Saul died. He
accepted his failures and asked for forgiveness
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7) Kind. David was a kind leader. Leaders should be kind. David spared
the life of Saul twice yet Saul wanted to kill him.
8) Wisdom. David was careful when choosing legal advisors to assist him
in his rule. He was also wise. He reduced tribal jealousies by choosing
Jerusalem; a neutral spot for administrative purposes.
9) Delegation – a shrewd administrator. A good elder should be able to
delegate duties. David delegated duties. He involved others in advising,
and administering
ACHIEVEMENTS AND FAILURES OF KING SOLOMON (1

KING 3 – 12)
After David died, his son Solomon became the next king. Kingship in
Israel was hereditary. Solomon was chosen by David to be his successor.
He took over from David at a time of peace and security established by
David.
Achievements
1) He made Israel rich by establishing trade with other countries
2) He was a good trader and a successful merchant. He traded in copper,
horses, timber, silver and gold. He established international trade with the
neighboring countries. For example, he traded with Tyre in cedar and pine
logs.
3) He established a well equipped large army for Israel
4) He was a builder. He built a magnificent temple for God in line with
God’s promise to David. He also constructed other cities (Megiddo) and a
palace for himself.
5) He is remembered for his amazing administrative skills. He had 550
officials in charge of labour force.
6) He was a diplomatic ruler. He established friendly ties with his neigh-
bours. This ensured continued peace. For instance he married the
daughters of the kings of Egypt, Moab, Eden and Sidon so as to establish
strong ties with those nations.
7) He had great wisdom. He judged a difficult case between two women
who were claiming ownership of the same child. He composed many wise
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sayings known as the proverbs of Solomon. He also composed songs like

Song of Solomon and Song of Songs and poems in Ecclesiastes.
9) He dedicated the temple of God with great rejoicing.
10) He brought the Ark of the Covenant to the temple of Jerusalem.
Failures of King Solomon
1) He married women from many foreign countries. These actions made
Solomon break the Torah as Israelites were not supposed to marry forei-
gners. Through these marriages, idol worship started in Israel. This was
because he allowed his wives to worship their gods, build temples and
altars for them. This led to introduction of idolatry in Israel.
2) Solomon constructed his palace for 13 years. He then built God’s
temple for 7 years. This showed that he probably loved himself more than
God.
3) He killed his own half brother Adonija on suspicion that he could be a
rival to the throne.
4) Solomon lived lavishly, and expensively. He thus burdened the
Israelites with high taxes.
5) He used forced labour. This was the same as enslaving the Israelites.
6) He worshipped idols. Solomon’s heart was turned to such other gods as
Ashtoreth / ashitarte – goddess of Sidon and Molech – the god of the
Ammonites. This was breaking God’s commandments
7) He sold part of Israelite territory to the king of Tyre
He used pagan skills when designing, decorating, and furnishing the
temple.
9) He made treaties with other nations in spite of the fact that God had
forbidden Israel from making treaties
10) He was extravagant. He used a lot of state wealth to entertain and
please his many wives and concubines.
Activity
Many husbands in Kenya practice polygamy. I want you to find out from
your neighbours what are the advantages and disadvantages of polygamy.
Then write a paper arguing either for polygamy or monogamy.
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IMPORTANCE OF THE TEMPLE IN ISRAEL

Definition of a temple
This is a building dedicated to the worship of God. Solomon built the
temple as a fulfillment of the promises that God gave to David, that his
son would build a house for him.
Importance and uses of a temple
1) It was a centre of worship. Prayers and sacrifices were offered to God
from the temple.
2) It symbolized the presence of God among the Israelites.
3) The Ark of the Covenant was kept in the temple as a symbol of God’s
presence among his people.
4) The temple acted as a symbol of unity in Israel. Every year all the
Israelites had to go to Jerusalem to celebrate such feasts as the Passover,
feast of tabernacles’ Day of Atonement. This led to the unity of the Israe-
lites.
5) Dedication of children and purification were done in the temple.
6) It was a residence for the priest.
7) It was a business centre where people bought and sold animals needed
for sacrifice.
8) The temple acted as a school to the scribes, rabbis and others who
studied and interpreted the Mosaic Law.
9) The temple also acted as the judicial court of Israel. Judges worked
from the temple
10) It is where religious ceremonies like naming and circumcision of baby
boys took place.
11) It was a house of prayer.
Revision questions
a. Explain the reasons against kingship in Israel 1 Sam 8: 10-20
b. Explain the importance of David as king of Israel
c. How did Jesus fulfill the prophecies of Prophet Nathan as a descendant
of David? (I.e. areas where Jesus is mentioned as coming from David)
d. What are the failures of King Solomon?
e. Which leadership qualities can modern leaders learn from David?
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LOYALTY TO GOD – ELIJAH

EFFECTS OF IDOLATRY IN ISRAEL
Introduction
After the death of Solomon, the kingdom of Israel split into two countries.
The southern kingdom called Judah ruled by King Rehoboam and the
Northern kingdom called Israel led by King Jeroboam. Other kings who
ruled these two nations were King Abijah, King Asa of Judah, and king
Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab of Israel. During the time of
Elijah King Ahab ruled – Israel.
a. Factors that led to spread of idolatry in Israel
When Israelites intermarried with other communities, they worshipped
their gods. The Bible makes it clear that:
i. There was a lot of influence by Canaanite religion
ii. There was division /schism of Israel into 2 kingdoms
iii. Ahab’s married the Phoenician princess
iv. Israelites did not destroy all gods after settling in Canaan.
Influence of the local Canaanite religion
Idolatry is the worship of idols. An idol is an image representing a god
made using precious materials such as gold, bronze, stone, and hardwood
images kept in the places of worship. God had forbidden Israelites from
bowing down to images and worshipping idols, intermarrying with non-
Israelites, and making treaties. When Israelites settled in Canaan, they
forgot God’s commandments. They intermarried and were greatly influ-
enced by the local religion.
Israelites changed from being pastoralist to farmers. They therefore
worshipped Baal the god of rain, agricultural fertility, and storms.
Israelites worshipped Baal, for rain for their crops. The Israelites were
also attracted to the visible gods of Canaan as opposed to the invisible
Yahweh. This is how idolatry spread in Israel. However some Israelites
maintained worship of Yahweh only (monotheistic) while others
worshipped Yahweh and Baal (syncretism).
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Characteristics of the Canaanite religion

Canaanite religion was:
1. Polytheistic. They worshipped many gods. The Israelites religion was
monotheistic. They worshipped Yahweh and no other God. They
abandoned their religion and worshipped many gods like Canaanite.
This influenced the Israelites.
2. A nature religion. The gods were related with the forces of nature such
as rain, sun, storms, drought, famine, wind, water and death.
3. Ensured continued fertility of land, people, animals
4. Based on many families of gods. There was
a. EL – Chief god – who was their father, king, creator
b. Asherah – wife of El – the goddess of motherhood and fertility
c. Baal – also referred to as Baal Hadad, son of El and Asherah – the god
of rain, agricultural fertility, storms
d. Astarte – wife of Baal -the goddess of war
e. Anat – sister of Baal – the goddess of war and love
f. Maat – the goddess of love
g. Mot – most feared. The god of drought, famine and death
5. Free and temple of prostitution. Israelites turned to temple prostitution.
Women who wanted to increase vitality of their husbands had sexual
relations with the male priests in the Baal temples.
6. Had many places of worship. One could pray in the temple, under
sacred trees, and on top of the hills among others.
7. Based on offerings and sacrifices of human beings.
Exercise
State differences between Israel and Canaanite religion
b. Religious schism between Judah and Israel
Schism occurred among the Israelites because there were sharp
differences within them. These differences were religious, political and
social. After the death of Solomon, the nation of Israel was split. Re-
hoboam ruled one group while the other was ruled by Jeroboam. Because
of this split, Jeroboam could not go to Jerusalem to worship in the temple.
He thus set up other places of worship one at Bethel, and another at Dan.
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Jeroboam also set up images to represent Yahweh. Though he had no

intention of Idol worship, it turned out to be so because he made his sub-
jects to offer sacrifices to these golden calves, which he had designed as
images representing Yahweh. He also built places of worship on hilltops
like the Canaanites. He chose priests from other families in addition to the
Levite Family.
Furthermore, he organized religious festivals and feasts in the month of
his choice. As it were, they coincided with the Canaanites calendars. He
then burnt incense at the altar of idols. Jeroboam therefore started idol
worship and gave room for idolatry. Kings who succeeded him followed
this idol worship.
c. King Ahab’s marriage to the Phoenician/Tyre princess
Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of the King Ethbaal of Sidon (Tyre) to
strengthen ties with Tyre/Phoenicia. Queen Jezebel was ambitious, and a
strong follower of Baal religion. Ahab allowed her to bring her gods to
Israel. She forced Israelites to worship Baal and not Yahweh. She impo-
rted 450 prophets of Baal and supported them using public treasury. Ahab
built a temple to Baal in Samaria. He also put up an image of goddess –
Asherah.
d. When Israelites settled in Canaan, they did not destroy temples, places
of worship, idols, images that they found there. As a result Canaanite’s
religious practices influenced Israelites’ worship of Yahweh leading to
idolatry.
The effects of idolatry harmed Israelites as:
1) Syncretism developed. This was a process of mixing beliefs and
practices from different religions. Israelites worshipped Yahweh and the
gods of Canaan.
2) Former places of worship for the Canaanite gods were used as places of
worship for Yahweh
3) The Canaanite agricultural calendar was adopted by Israelites
4) Names of the Canaanite gods were used for Yahweh. For example, EL
was referred to as Yahweh
5) Parents began naming their children after Baal.
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6) Feasts and celebrations were changed to correspond with those of

Canaanites when they celebrated their feasts.
7) King Ahab declared worship of Baal as the state religion
Queen Jezebel ordered the destruction of the altars of Yahweh
9) Prophets of Yahweh were killed. Elijah went into hiding.
10) The 450 prophets of Baal were made the officials of the royal court in
order to promote and protect Baal religion
11) Israel started to experience long droughts because Yahweh withdrew
his blessings. This made Israel worshippers of El
ELIJAH’S FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION AND FALSE

RELIGION IN ISRAEL
a) The contest at Mount Carmel (1 King 18:17 – 46). Carmel refers to the
vineyard of the Lord. King Ahab brought trouble to Israel because of
worshipping the idols of Baal. Elijah told Ahab that the problems
Israel was facing were due to worship of Baal. Elijah requested King
Ahab to call a meeting at Mt Carmel. In attendance would be all Israelites,
450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah who were
supported by Queen Jezebel and Elijah. Elijah told Israelites it was
decision time. They had to choose their God. Would it be Yahweh, the
God of Israel or Baal the god of Jezebel of Phoenician/Tyre. If it was to
be Baal, then they were told to follow him, if they select Yahweh as their
God then they were to follow him (1 kings 18 vs. 21).
The choice. Elijah proposed a contest between him and Baal prophets. He
asked for two bulls one for him, the other for 450 prophets of Baal. The
contest was who can light fire? Yahweh or Baal? He proposed that Baal
prophets and himself be given each a bullock. Both shall cut the bull into
pieces and put them on wood without lighting fire. The Baal prophets
shall pray to their god and Elijah shall pray to the Lord. The one who
sends fire to consume the sacrifices… He is God. The people of Israel
accepted
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Elijah’s proposal
Actions. The prophets of Baal prayed first because they were many. They
took the bull, prepared it and prayed to Baal until noon (vs. 26). They
prayed louder, and cut themselves with knives and daggers; but there
were no answer. The prophets of Baal kept on ranting and raving until
evening but there was no answer (vs. 29).
Elijah asked people to gather near him. He prepared the altar of the Lord
to repair work. He took 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel (who
were named after the 12 sons of Jacob or Israel) and used them to rebuild
the altar. He then dug a trench around the altar. This trench could hold 14
litres of water. He placed the wood on the altar; cut the bull into pieces
and laid them on the wood. He asked for four barrels of water and poured
it on the offering and wood. He poured water on the altar three times until
the water overflowed, run around the altar and filled the trenches. Elijah
then called on the Lord, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, …prove now that
you are the God of Israel and that am your servant and have done all this
at your command” (vs. 29).
The Lord sent fire down and it burnt up the sacrifice, wood, stones, and
dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. When people saw this,
they proclaimed ‘The Lord, is God; the Lord alone is God”.
Elijah asked people to arrest the prophets of Baal, led them down to the
river Kishon and killed them. And after this there was rain in Israel
(vs.40).
Lessons learnt from Mt. Carmel
Israelites acknowledged that Yahweh is:
i. Is their only God and that Baal was not God
ii. Is powerful
iii. Is a merciful God
iv. Is a jealous God as He will have no other gods but him
v. Is a God of justice who punishes idolaters and sinners
vi. Answers prayer
vii. Is a forgiving true God
viii. Protects his servants
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b) Elijah’s fight against corruption (1 Kings 21: 1 – 29)

Corruption is defined as dishonesty. It’s a form of injustice when dealing
with either an individual or the community for selfish gain and benefit. In
a corrupt society people in leadership or with wealth take advantage of the
weak, and the poor. The powerful exploit the poor and the powerless by
denying them their rights. An example of corruption in Israel is the story
of the Naboth’s Vineyard.
Naboth’s vineyard
Ahab wanted Naboth to either sell to him his vineyard or exchange it
with another vineyard. Naboth refused to sell his inheritance. Jezebel, on
seeing that Ahab was sorrowful told him that she will get him Naboth’s
vineyard. Jezebel sent out letters in Ahab’s name to the elders of the city.
She found two witnesses who could bear witness that Naboth had blasp-
hemed God and King Ahab.
Witnesses testified that Naboth had blasphemed God. He was stoned to
death. God then sent Elijah to meet with Ahab as he went to possess the
vineyard of Naboth.
God’s sentence to Ahab
God pronounced to Ahab through Elijah that (1) dogs shall lick his own
blood from the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth (2) His sons
shall be killed (3) Dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel (4) Evil
shall be brought upon Ahab’s house.
This was because Ahab had broken these commandments:
The 6th commandment – which forbids murder
The 9th commandment which forbids bearing of false witness. Ahab
allowed his wife to bear false witness against Naboth
10th Commandments – you shall not covet your neighbor’s property.
Elijah’s encounter with Yahweh at Mt. Horeb (Mr. Sinai) 1 Kings 19
After killing the prophets of Baal, Elijah was threatened by Jezebel. She
vowed to kill him. Elijah ran away to the wilderness. The angel of God
fed him with a loaf of bread and a jar of water. After eating and drinking
Elijah walked to Mt. Sinai – the holy mountain of God. He stayed there
for 40 days and 40 nights. In the mountain God appeared to him.
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There was a strong wind, an earthquake, a fire but the Lord was not in
them. Then the lord spoke to Elijah in a still small voice. God told Elijah,
“Return and anoint Hazael as king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and
anoint Elisha as a prophet and your successor.”
Self-assessment question
How can Christians help reduce corruption in Kenya?
Answer
First is to recognize the various forms of corruption like: tribalism,
bribery, cheating in business, stealing, misuse of public funds, grabbing
public land, robbery with violence and dishonesty
Self-assessment question
How can Christians fight corruption? Christians can fight corruption by:
a). Employing life skills
a) Applying their critical thinking. This is the ability to make appropriate
decisions; by weighing in the consequences of actions before taking
decisions.
b) Creative thinking and being imaginative. This is the ability to explore
new ways of handling issues
c) Decision making which is the ability to make the right choices
d) Assertiveness. This is the ability to express ones opinion with
confidence
e) Praying for the corrupt to change their behaviour
f) Setting a good example by acting as a good role model
g) Educating people on the evils of corruption
h) Reporting those who are engaged in corrupt dealings / practices to the
relevant authorities.
i) Obeying the laws of the society /country
j) Voting for morally upright leaders.
REASONS WHY ELIJAH FACED DANGER AND HOSTILITY AS

A PROPHET OF GOD
It’s not easy for a person to oppose the government and its policies. The
person normally faces danger and hatred. Elijah faced hostility from King
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Ahab, his wife Jezebel and the 450 prophets of Baal. Elijah faced hostility
because:
a. He pronounced a three years drought in Israel, which brought suffe-
ring.
b. He put to death 450 prophets of Baal
c. He boldly condemned King Ahab for taking away Naboth’s vineyard
d. He preached at a time when there was idolatry, and Baal was the
official religion in Israel
e. He identified himself with Yahweh in the midst of prosecution of God’s
prophets by Jezebel.
Relevance of Elijah’s prophetic mission to Christians today
Lessons Christians learnt from the life of Elijah
1) Elijah was courageous. Church leaders should remain courageous and
condemn any form of social injustice
2) Modern Christians learn to remain faithful to God through word and
deed even if it would cost them their lives
3) As God helped Elijah in difficult times he will also help the Christians
hence they should not despair.
4) Elijah was a man of prayer Christians should pray to God always.
5) Christians should advocate for the rights of the poor and speak out
against any form of oppression.
6) Christians should not give false evidence against their neighbours
7) Christians should be persistent like Elijah was in their struggle against
injustice
God communicated with Elijah in a still small voice indicating his
intimacy with the prophet. This means that God is able to establish an
intimate relationship with his faithful.
Review questions
a) Describe the qualities of Elijah that led to his achievements
b) What is schism and syncretism?
c) What are some of the characteristics of Elijah that a modern Christian
should strive to emulate?
d) What are the effects of idolatry in Israel today?
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e) Describe Elijah’s fight against false religion in Israel

f) Describe Elijah’s fight against corruption 1 kings 21
g) What can Christians learn from the teachings of Elijah?
SELECTED ASPECTS OF AFRICAN RELIGIOUS HERITAGE

Introduction
All Traditional African Communities believe in a Supreme Being who is
the origin and sustainer of all things: He is the creator of the university
and all that it contains. All Africans agree that nobody has ever seen God.
Therefore, nobody can really describe Him, yet through their religious
insights, Africans have formulated ideal about the nature of God. These
ideas concern His real being and His activities.
“Traditional religion” refers to African culture that existed in the sub –
Saharan Africa. African traditional culture had no scriptures or texts
because most of it was oral. It was preserved and handed down from
generation to generation-through oral traditions; ceremonies; rituals, and
leading personalities.
AFRICAN CONCEPT OF GOD, SPIRITS AND ANCESTORS

Africans believed in existence of a supreme being who lived in
mountains, clouds and the sky. God was the creator of the universe. In
African traditions, religion was integrated in every aspect of life and daily
activities. For example, farming activities involved God, spirits and
ancestors. People would pray to God, spirits ancestors so as to ask for
blessings in order to have a good harvest. Livestock keepers believed that
fertility of their animals is a result of the blessings of God. If God was
appeased, animals would increase.
Natural phenomena such as thunder, lightning, rain; good harvest, and
birth were linked to the Supreme Being and the invisible world. If there
were calamities such as drought, disease, famine, and death, it was an
indication that God, spirits and ancestors were displeased with
humankind. Many communities have invocations uttered throughout the
day
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Nature or Attributes of god

God is described with many names, which are God’s attributes. These are
among others:
a) God is Good – Nearly all-African communities describe God as being
good to all people and things. He gives rain, sunshine and life among
many other gifts.
b) God is merciful- The Akamba refer to God as “God of pity”, the
‘merciful one’. God shows mercy in times of danger, illness, difficulty or
anxiety.
c) God is holy. He is pure, holy and does not make mistakes. Yoruba call
him God who is pure, without blemish. The Kikuyu say God is “Possessor
of whiteness” and the Bukusu – ‘master whitewash’. African traditions all
approach God with reverence, fear, respect and honor. For example when
offering sacrifices, they would offer a one-colour animal either white,
black, or brown and not a spotted animal.
d) God is powerful i.e. Omnipotent. God is described as almighty. His
power is expressed in natural occurrences like thunder, lighting,
earthquakes, rains, and floods.
e) God is all-knowing (Omniscient). God knew all things; nothing can be
hidden from him. He discerns hearts.
f) God is all present (Omnipresent).He is present everywhere in the
universe
g) God is limitless. God has no limit. He is both very far and very near,
beyond and within.
h) God is transcendent .God cannot be exhausted by human imagination.
He is unexplainable, beyond human experience and understanding.
i) God is all understanding
j) God is self – existent .He made all things but he himself is not made.
He exists on his own. Zulu explain that God is ‘he who is of himself.
k) God is a spirit. He is invisible, and everlasting. Shilluk of Sudan refers
to him as ‘great spirit’ ‘the formless spirit.
l) God is everlasting. God is eternal, never changes, and never dies. The
Yoruba call him “the mighty immovable rock that never dies.
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m) God is God created the creator .The world Kikuyu call him
“Mumbi”
n) God is just. Kikuyu refer to God as “Mugai” meaning “divider”. ‘One
who shares out.’ God judges fairly, punishes those who do wrong and
rewards the good with blessings.
o) God is the provider. All communities acknowledge that God provides
them with everything they have. Africans built representation of the
power of God. They identified sites, places and things that represented the
presence and power of God. For example things like big trees, thick fore-
st, high mountains, unique rock formations and large rivers and animals.
In these places they built sites, and shrines. Shrines were regarded as holy
and people approached them with reverence Spirits. They were believed
to exist between God and human beings in the universe. Spirits were
diverse and created by God. Some spirits were dead human beings. Spirits
were divided into nature, sky, earth and human spirits that were either
long dead (ghosts) or recently dead (ancestors).
There were different types of spirits.
These were:
a. Divinities. These are spirits created by God. They are close to God and
act as his agents. They are in charge of natural phenomena like the sun,
moon and stars. They are intermediaries between God and ancestral
spirits, human beings and other creatures. They reveal God’s plans
through diviners and mediums
b. Human spirits / common spirits. These are inferior to divinities but
higher than human kind. They are remains of human beings after their
death. These spirits monitor human activities. Human spirits have lost
their names and are not longer remembered by the living. They are
believed to live in the underworld, undergrounds, in thick bushes, forests,
rivers, mountains, lakes, skies, and caves among other places. These
spirits can bring harm to the living if disrespected. They appear to people
in dreams or in form of shadows. They can also enter or possess a person
and cause abnormalities.
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3. Ancestors / living dead

These are spirits of the recently dead. They are remembered by the living
when children are named after them. They are actively involved in the
lives and activities of the living. Their offerings (food or drink) are poured
on the ground for them to receive.
Ancestors are in a period of transition between the living and the higher
categories. They are believed to know the problems of the living and
therefore consulted constantly. They are also associated with evil such as
revenge for burying them without honor, or not following the instructions
they gave before they died or failing to pour them libations. When they
are happy with the living, they are a source of blessings. Ancestors who
did evil things or committed suicide are forgotten and ignored.
Hierarchy of beings
Hierarchy means the order or ranking from the highest to the lowest of
created beings. At the top is
Divinities
Ancestors
Human Beings
Animals and Plants
Non-living Things
THE ROLE OF GOD, SPIRITS AND ANCESTORS

God is the creator. The Akamba community believed that God whom they
called Mulungu created man and woman. He then tossed them to the
earth. The Luhya claim God created them from the black topsoil hence
their skin complexion.
God is the source of life and giver of life. Barren women pray to God to
ask for children. Human beings depend on God for life, rain, air, and
sunshine.
God is the provider. He gave domestic animals to human beings for their
use. Domestic animals have many uses such as repayment of dowry, food,
and sacrifices to God, payment of a fine by an offender.
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Many wild animals are used in folk songs and tales to discourage coward-
ice, and laziness
God is a protector of human beings from evil.
God is the giver of moral laws and a judge of people
God offers solutions to man’s problems through mediums, and prophets
God gives power to the specialists such as medicine men, women and
priests.
God punishes people for wrongdoing
Wild animals such as hyena are used in folk stories to discourage
cowardice. Stories of tortoise illustrate the importance of being slow but
sure. Snakes in some communities such as the Luhya were not killed.
The community believed snakes were immortal ancestors coming to visit
the living.
Plants were used as food for people and animals. Trees were used for fuel
and building materials. Some trees were used as sacred places of worship.
Non-living things such as the rain, rocks, and rivers had a religious
importance. Rain is seen as a blessing from God. When rain fails,
diviner/rain maker was consulted .Rocks, and mountains were believed to
be dwelling places for the living, the dead and the spirits.
The spirits were viewed as neither good nor evil. Human beings feared
them. Their roles were many.
They:
I) appeared in dreams especially to diviners, priests, medicine men and
women, and rain makers to relay information
ii) Were consulted by religious specialists to find the cause of a problem
in a given situation.
iii) Were bad (naughty) spirits, which disturbed people. African commu-
nities believed that bad sprits could call out one’s name but on turning
there’s no one.
iv) Were manipulated by some human beings to cause harm to others
v) Relayed God’s messages to human beings.
vi) Sometimes possessed a person causing the person to be sent away
from the village to the forest, or away from home.
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vi) acted as intermediaries between humans,’ divinities and God

Role of ancestors is to: -
1) Appear to families in dreams and visions.
2) Give family instructions .i.e. what should be done.
3) Rebuke those who fail to honor them and warn them of impending
punishment
4) Act as mediators between the living and God.
5) Enquire about family affairs as they considered as members of the
family
6) Request for sacrifice of an animal which is slaughtered for them
7) Cause illness or mental disturbance to members of a family if they are
disregarded or disobeyed.
8) Preserve the culture of a community
9) Welcome those who die to the spirit world.
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LIVING TOWARDS GOD, SPIRITS,

AND ANCESTORS
Responsibilities of living include
Human beings are expected to worship God, spirits and ancestors and
show reverence and respect or veneration to God. They are also expected
to (i) pray (ii) sing and (iii) dance.
Worship. This is our major responsibility as God expects us to meet and
communicate with the spiritual world and God. There are several ways of
worshipping God. These include among others:
(a) Sacrifices and offerings.
Sacrifices include shedding of blood of animals and birds. Offerings are
in the form of foodstuffs, milk, water and honey. God was worshipped
because He is recognized as the absolute owner of life and property. We
also worship God in order to (i) invoke Him for special blessings
(ii) Thank Him (iii) express our personal fellowship and communion with
God (iv) avert or prevent evil. Evils bring about epidemics, famine,
floods, and drought.
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(b) Singing and dancing.

Africans worshipped God through singing, dancing, clapping of hands,
drumming, and use of musical instruments.
(c) Prayers, invocations and blessings.
Prayers were accompanied with sacrifices or offerings. Community
leaders prayed to God, spirits and ancestors.
(d) Invocations are shortened form of prayers e.g. “Help me oh God”
‘Oh great God”. These are prayers at the spur of the moment. They are
few words full of meaning and calling for help from God.
(e) Formal blessings. An elder or older person gave blessings. It is
believed that the person blessing the other one is doing so on behalf of
God.
(f) Venerations.
Africans treated their ancestors with great respect and honor. They for
example worshiped ancestors daily. Worshipping included placing food or
pouring libation of beer, milk, water and honey for the spirits. As this act
was done, they uttered words to accompany the offerings. Libations were
done daily by some communities.
(g). Ancestors were honored by:
- Mentioning their names at prayers was offered to God.
- Naming children after them.
-Inviting them to participate in family ceremonies and rituals. For exam-
ple during birth, and initiation.
- Maintaining their graves well.
- Giving the dead a decent burial
Communication with spirits
Diviners and mediums talk with ‘spirits”. To do so, they sit quietly in a
place; singing, dancing and clapping their hands. As they dance, sit and
sing, diviners lose their senses and get possessed by the spirit. The spirits
speak give them messages for individuals and communities. Spirits
communicate on issues such as:
(i) Lost property
(ii) Revealing by name the enemy in the society
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(iii) Making demands on the living

(iv) Giving advice
(v) Giving warnings on impending danger and
(vi) Making promises to bless a family or clan. Spirits that possess
mediums are not harmful.
There are bad evil spirits harmful to people whom they possess. Some evil
spirits cut themselves; others throw themselves into a fire, river, and lake.
Revision questions
a) Explain African beliefs about god (or qualities)
b) Describe the African understanding of the hierarchy of being
c) Describe the role of the ancestors to the living
d) What was the responsibility of the living towards God?
e) Describe the T.A. ways of worshipping God.
AFRICAN MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES

MEANING OF LIFE AND ITS WHOLENESS IN THE TRADITIO-
NAL AFRICAN SOCIETY
Life originates from God and it progress from one stage to another with a
certain rhythm each person has to follow. Each stage of life is marked by
rites of passage. Life is continuous and unending. Each person is expected
to value life and to be responsible. Life involves sharing. It is immoral to
be greedy and self centered. People are to be hospitable, warm and caring
toward other people. Unity and harmony are to be upheld. Life is viewed
as whole only if a person went through all the stages or rites of passage
Life was propagated through bearing children. Life cannot be divided into
religious and secular. Every element of life has a religious meaning. Life
is communal. Life was celebrated at every stage. Everyone depends on
others. Labor was divided. There were duties for men, children and
women.
In African traditional society, human life is precious. Murder was
condemned harshly. Suicide was considered the worst thing anyone could
do. It was seen as a curse on the family. If one died at childhood, it was
regarded as abortion. Death did not mark the end of life. Death is referred
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to as ‘saying goodbye to food”, “sleeping,” “going home”, “being called

by the ancestors”.
African concept of a community
A community is a group of people who share a common language,
religion, and culture and may live in the same geographical location. This
group of people or an ethnic group shares common interests and characte-
ristics. For example, African communities:
Share common features and interests
Have the same origin and are likely to be related by blood
Share a common language
Live together and inhabit the same geographical location.
Are divided into smaller units called clans
A clan is made up of people who have the same forefather. A clan is
composed of families. A family is made up of members (living or dead)
who are related by blood and marriage. Family members therefore include
the ancestors and the unborn.
KINSHIP SYSTEM IN AFRICAN COMMUNITIES
Kinship refers to the relationships between people. These can be by blood,
marriage or adoption. People that belong to the same kinship system are
referred to as kin.
Importance of kinship system and ties
Kinship relationships were and still are important among African
communities. This is because these ties:
I. Provided company. This ensured that people were not lonely.
II. Provided a sense of belonging which one of the human needs. We
all want to belong
III. Controlled social relationships between people related by blood
or marriage.
IV. Promoted mutual responsibility and help
V. Enhanced a sense of security which is a human need
VI. Regulated marital customs, rules and regulations.
VII. Enabled people to live peacefully and in harmony.
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VIII. Bind the community together enhancing social cohesion and

loyalty to each other
IX. Facilitated care for the disadvantaged members of community.
X. Ensured that all members of the community are have knowledge
of community beliefs and practices
XI. Provided a peaceful way of settling disputes.
XII. Provided mechanisms for proper inheritance of property for
example land.
Factors contributing to harmony and mutual responsibility in
African communities
Some of them are (1) rites of passage (2) good morals (3) participation in
communal activities such as ceremonies, work, leisure activities and
worship (4) sharing of property and ideas (5) division of labor.
Tasks were distributed according to one’s age, gender and status. (6)
rules/social norms regulated how people grew up; knowing what is wrong
and right. Good morals help people to live in peace and harmony
RITES OF PASSAGE
In traditional African society, there were four main stages of life. These
were (i) birth and naming (ii) initiation (iii) marriage and (iv) old age and
death
Birth and naming
When a woman conceived, and pregnancy was visible, she was treated
specially. She wore charms to keep away evil eyes. She ate special food
and avoided sexual relations. The family and husband did not expect her
to perform heavy task. When she was ready to deliver, midwives helped
in delivery. After delivery, the placenta was seen as a sign of fertility
hence it was buried in the fertile land such as a banana plantation. Some
communities preserved placenta while others threw it into a running
stream.
Birth
The arrival of a baby and its sex was announced through ululations or
shouts. The placenta was disposed off ceremoniously. The mother was
purified and baby protection rites were conducted. Once purified, a
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mother could wear charms to protect herself and the baby from malicious
spirits, sorcery, witchcraft, and evil eyes.
Thanksgiving ceremonies were performed to show gratitude to God. The
hair of the mother and child was shaved as a sign of purification and
newness of life.
Naming
Naming of babies was carefully chosen. A baby could be named after
either a season, weather,
ancestors, place or time of delivery, occasion, experience of mother
during delivery, significance events such as war, and drought, personality
of the child, and names of heroes and gods. A good example is the name
‘Were’ amongst the Luhya. Twins had special names.
Initiation – the second rite of passage.
There were different types of initiations such as circumcision for boys and
clitorisdectomy for girls, excision of teeth and body marks. Initiation rites
were important and every individual was expected to go through them or
be rendered an outcast. Initiation practices were seen as tests for courage
and bravery. They helped the communities when identifying future
leaders and warriors.
Initiation was very important in communities where it was practiced.
Initiation marked a transition from childhood to adulthood. In this
transition, the initiate acquired new rights, new status in life, and
privileges. For example the new initiates were allowed to marry, own
property, and inherit the father’s property. In addition the initiates
received specialized education. They were taught how to behave as adults,
warriors, future husbands and parents.
The education brought families, relatives and friends together. This act
strengthened kinship ties. It also prepared the initiates to face the
difficulties and challenges of adult life. In addition, initiation helped to
structure the community. Initiation was programmed to fit an age set; and
it marked passage of specific time. Thus each initiation ceremony was
held regularly, normally between 16 – 21 years of age. If you calculate,
you can see that 16 to 21 years introduced a new age set or group of
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young people. The age set held power for 16 to 21 years and handed over
to the new generation. Initiation was therefore a mark of identity. It gave
the initiate a sense of belonging. It bonded the initiates together with the
ancestors.
Initiation rituals are not popular today as they were in the past. This is
because many communities have undergone social and cultural changes
because of modern education. As a result some families take their sons to
hospitals to be circumcised to prevent HIV/AIDs and to avoid infections
because of unhygienic traditional initiation practices.
Other reasons are (i) urbanization and migration, (ii) individualization (iii)
Christians religious values.
These have made some communities abandon some rites e.g. clitoris-
dectomy and (iv) some countries have made girl’s circumcision illegal
and an issue of human and health rights.
Attitude to birth and naming
There has been a change in attitude to birth and naming. This is because
initiation is no longer a community but a family affair. In addition,
pregnant women attend antenatal clinics. Majority of pregnant women
give birth in hospitals and health centers. Thus a doctor and not a midwife
announce the sex of the baby. In modern society, the mother and child are
no longer secluded. Lastly most parents prefer western names for their
babies.
Marriage was a requirement for all members of the community. It was a
source of status in the community. Since a leader had to be married.
Young men and women married after initiation. Marriage was a happy
occasion and a source of wealth.
The father gave young initiates some animals for dowry. Fathers of girls
received dowry payments, as bride price was mandatory. It was given to
the parents of the girl in form of (a) Cows (b) Goats (c) Camels (d)
Jewellery (e) Poultry. The young men inherited the father’s property.
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Importance of dowry
Dowry unified the community. When young women were married, their
parents lost their labor. Dowry payments compensated for this loss. Men
paid dowry as a sign of commitment to their wife and parents.
Importance of marriage
Marriage was sacred. It was an ordained by God. Marriage created new
social relationships and expanded web of kinships. During the marriage
ceremonies the whole community rejoiced, and feasted together. The
newly married couple learnt new knowledge and skills. The community
and society respected the newly married couple. Children born from this
union propagated and ensured continuity of family, and the community
Modern community and marriage
There has been a change in attitude towards marriage. As a result:
marriage is no longer seen as sacred and divorce is common. In addition,
dowry has been commercialized, as it is no longer seen as important.
Some young men do not pay dowry. In fact marriage is no longer seen as
a sign of status Children were important in marriage. Barren women were
frowned upon. Polygamy solved issues of childlessness. Couples without
children can now adopt them from the Child Welfare society.
Divorce
This was very rare. It happened only if the girl (i) was not a virgin (ii)
practiced witchcraft (iii) and did not show respect towards her husband.
Old age and death
This is the age of wisdom. Old people were respected. Grey hair was a
sign of respect and wisdom. In all culture, the elders were the custodians
of the law, norms and regulations. Social and religious specialists were
seers, rainmakers, priests, diviners, and medicine men among others
Death
Old age is followed by death. It was seen as a transition into the spiritual
life. Besides old age, many cultures believed that death was due to either
breaking of the traditional customs and taboos, curses, evil spirits,
witchcraft, war, diseases and epidemics. Burial rites were performed in
many African communities.
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Disposing of the dead body

Several methods were used to dispose the body. These were burials,
leaving bodies in the forest, and throwing body to animals or placing the
body in an abandoned house. African communities believed that animals
carried the spirit of the dead person to the next life. Burial rites were
performed by the bereaved. They buried the body with ones person
belongings and tools. Thus if a person was a great warrior, he was buried
with a war coat. Celebrations accompanied funeral rites.
Funeral songs (dirges) were performed
There was drinking and eating.
Importance of funeral and burial rites
Burial rites created a good relationship between the dead and the living.
They were therefore given to appease the world of spirits, express unity in
the society, cleanse the remaining relatives and obey the customs of the
community. Rituals that were performed depended on the community.
Some of the rituals for the dead included.
a) Shaving of heads. Some mourners shaved their hair completely, while
others shaved in a specific pattern.
b) Dancing and singing, and giving gifts to the bereaved family
c) Mourning (d) Drum beating (e) Horn blowing 9f) Grave side fires
Here are some questions to make you think about marriages
1. In your opinion, what has brought changes in modern marriages?
2. Explain why divorce is rising in Kenya and Africa.
3. What changes do we see in contemporary marriages?
4. What has brought about these changes?
5. What are the major causes of death in Kenya today?
RELIGIOUS SPECIALISTS AND THEIR RELEVANCE IN

MODERN SOCIETY
Religious specialists include Medicine men / healers, Herbalists, Diviners,
Mediums, Prophets / Seers, Rainmakers, Priests and Elders. Religious
specialists were given power by their parents who taught them religious
duties. Others received divine call through dreams and visions. A few
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learnt from experts via apprenticeship. This is learning by observing and

practicing what one sees the master teacher doing.
-Roles of the medicine women/men in the Community. Medicine
women/men are healers who were and are respected by the community.
This is because they were and are able to:
1) Treat and heal the sick
2) Solve serious and complicated chronic illnesses
3) Give medicine in form of powder, herbs, minerals or liquid form and
observed patients swallowing, drinking, sniffing, and applying on the
skin.
4) Offer prayers and sacrifices to God
5) Give charms to protect individual persons from evil spirits.
6) Perform specialized medical roles in some communities in spite of the
fact that we have modern hospitals, counselors and psychologists.
Elders were and still are community leaders. They were not religious
specialists but the community gave elders duties, which made them close
to religious leaders.
Herbalists and their relevance
Herbalists were synonymous with witch doctors. They cured people
through herbs just like the medicine women/men. Communities’ belief:
Those herbalists are witchdoctors and possess magical powers. Herbalists
continue to be consulted as ‘witch doctors’ or “waganga”. Today
herbalists do religious tasks that were traditionally done by diviners.
Diviners were able to find hidden secrets and knowledge; reveal witches
and thieves. They communicated with spirits and enhanced the work of
healers and medicine people. They worked as medicine people and were
healers of people. They used magic powers and predicted future occurre-
nces. They used items such as pebbles, water, bones or gourds in divina-
tion. They also warned of future calamities. They were mediators between
God, ancestors and the people. To be a diviner, one had to be trained.
There was a specialized curriculum prepared by diviners.
-Relevance of diviners in modern society. Diviners (‘witchdoctor’
“mganga”) are not popular today and are hardly consulted. But the unfo-
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rtunate Kenyans consult them who: need a job, promotion, and children.
This consultation is secret. Mediums were channels of communication
between the living and the spirits of people’s ancestors. The ancestor
spirits possessed mediums and through them ancestors gave information
and messages to their relatives.
Priests were religious leaders and functionaries. They were intermediaries
between people, ancestors, spirits and God. Their work was to make
sacrifices and give offerings on behalf of the people. They officiated
during planting and harvesting rituals. They offered prayers and blessed
the needy.
They cared for the shrines and poured libations to the ancestors. They led
the community in public worship. They were political heads and judges.
Today, traditional priests are not relevant since most Kenyans follow
several religious practices like Christianity, Hindus, Islam and many
others. But there are however, a few traditional priests who take care of
community shrines.
Prophets / Seers predicted the future. They foretold events such as
invasions, wars, drought, and epidemics. They gave advice. They also
performed religious duties. They could bless and curse. Religious
prophets are common today but traditional prophets are not common.
Rainmakers were responsible for bringing or withholding rain to a
community. They interpreted weather conditions. They performed certain
rituals like asking God for rains. They were highly respected in the
society. Modern science has replaced rainmakers
Meteorological departments have made the rainmakers redundant.
Elders were custodians of community values and secrets. They acted as
educators. They gave punishment to offenders of social norms/rules. They
acted as counselors and guided the youth on matters of sex and marriage.
They helped in maintaining roles for important religious functions, such
as rites of passage. They were political leaders in the community. They
were negotiators and solved conflicts since they settled family disputes
especially agreements concerning land. They were custodians of the
traditional values, customs and history of the people.
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Relevance
Elders are relevant in modern society. They are referred to as village
elders and are recognized by the government of Kenya.
AFRICAN MORAL VALUES

Introduction
African communities were regulated by a strict code of laws and moral
values. In this lesson we shall study moral values, which regulated
individual members of society as well as the community itself.
What is a cultural value?
These are community practices and beliefs. Each community has cultural
values that it accepts and upholds. These cultural values are laws,
customs, and forms of behavior, regulations, rules, observances and
taboos. The cultural values form a moral code, which regulates the
community. For example, if the culture, values private property, it will
have laws that forbid theft of property. These laws are cultural values.
Cultural values influence the social order and peace. God gives peace and
harmony. God is seen as the giver and guardian of the law. Disobedience
was and still is regarded as evil, wrong and was and still is punishable by
law.
What is a moral value?
Moral values are standards of behavior towards others. They are based on
what is valued by the community. Moral values are also positive attitudes.
Each community decided what is important to it and what is desirable for
its members to practice and uphold.
The moral values that communities observed were many. They included
amongst others:
1. Hospitality and Love for self and others. This is the habit of welcoming
all people, treating oneself and others well. Members of the community
were taught how to be hospitable to visitors, strangers and how to assist
the needy.
2. Honesty. This is developing good habits like telling the truth, Loyalty,
Respect, Co – operation with all.
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3. Obedience to parents, elders, community leaders and elders. Cultural

regulations were followed and adhered to leading
4. Caring for others. This is being responsible to members of the
community
5. Developing social moral behavior like Humility, Sharing,
Responsibility, Chastity, Integrity, Tolerance, Perseverance, and Courtesy
6. Working Hard. Do chores. These were according to sex, age and social-
economic status.
7. Cooperation. Members cooperated and worked together with others.
Moral values were learnt in the process of socialization. Leisure activities
helped in acquisition of moral values. Learning moral values was a
lifelong process. The most valued behavior was obedience.
Children were to obey their parents; wives obey their husbands;
community obeys their leaders, and elders.
Learning to obey was a lifelong process. An obedient person was
respected and rewarded.
-Misconducts. There were taboos that the community observed. Failure to
obey community laws resulted in punishments. The community did not
allow stealing of livestock. Domestic animals were the most valued
private property. Individuals owned livestock while land ownership was
communal. There were many forms of punishment for stealing livestock
and committing other crimes. For example
a. Payment of heavy fines to replace stolen livestock
b. Being beaten in a sack
c. Thrown down a hill
d. Cast out of community. Thieves and murders built their homes at the
outskirts of the community.
They were not allowed to interact anymore with the members of the
community.
e. Being covered with dry banana leaves and then set on fire.
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CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

Formal education introduced the western way of life. Employment and
trade forced Africans to leave their villages to look for employment and
markets in towns. These actions led to urbanization and pluralism. As a
result different communities came to towns and lived together.
1. Paid employment.
Workers were paid by money. The concept of money changed community
life. Individualism ownership of money replaced communalism
2. Land used to be communal.
There was plenty of land for everyone. But changes were brought by
modern life. For example, health improved and people lived longer. There
were fewer deaths and population increased. With money, there was an
expansion of trade. Individuals started buying land with money instead of
clearing forests.
Modern life changed the concept of land. Individual started owning land.
The colonial governments introduced policies about land ownership in
different African countries. In communities where education was accepted
and money economy took over from livestock economy, communal land
disappeared.
Parents did not have land for inheritance. As a result, people moved and
bought land away from their ancestral birthplaces. This resulted in both
migrations and immigrations.
3. Property.
Traditionally property included land, cattle (Livestock), women/ wives,
and children. In African traditional culture, this property belonged to men
or the first-born son in paternal societies. In maternal communities, it
belonged to wives and daughters.
Today property or wealth is in different forms such as money, buildings,
vehicles, land, shares, stock, jewels, insurance, and others. Women, men
and children own property. Because of this, the status of a person is
measured by property.
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Dowry – Bride price / bride wealth

In African societies, bride price was very important. It was given in
various forms. For example cows, animals skin, and camels. Today dowry
is commercialized. It’s mainly in form of cash money. This has made
marriage costly for the poor. Some young people are staying together
without a formal wedding in church or in the community. Others do not
want to pay dowry. Young couples are living together in what is called –
come – we – stay arrangements.
4. Health Medicine
In traditional society, Illness was caused by witchcraft, sorcery, bad
omen, or curses. Diviners, herbalists, and healers treated the sick people.
Today bacteria, viruses, or environmental factors, cause illnesses. These
are treated by nurses, and doctors; in hospitals and health centers. There is
however a craze for herbalists. The communities are consulting herbalists
and are taking herbal tea, and medicine
5. Dress
Mode of dressing varied between countries. It was dependent on the type
of climate. African communities were clothes made from skins or hides,
leaves of bananas and trees. Women wore beads, and necklaces for
decoration.
Modern mode of dressing is a mixture of African, Asian and European
wear. There are clothes for men, women, and unisex. African and western
ornaments are worn for beauty and style.
6. Worship.
Worship is an important activity in African communities. There are
different forms of worship, which are done in various places. Those who
were converted to Islam worship in Mosques. Those converted to
Hinduism worship in temples. Christians worship in churches. The few
traditional African communities continue to worship their ancestors in
shrines. These are very few. But a few groups are turning back to
traditional worship and reviving worship of ancestors and spirits, and their
traditional God. For example “Mungiki” a cult in Kenya, made up of
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young people, worship the traditional Ngai and practice traditional

culture.
Traditional religions have many offerings such as foodstuffs and
sacrifices such as goats, cows, and sheep and chicken. Human sacrifice
has been discarded.
It is illegal, and it is murder. In the news, we have heard of cases of body
parts being stolen from a dead body in mortuary probably for religious
rituals. This is illegal and a criminal offence.
Modern offerings in most religious institutions consist of money.
7. Death changes immediately the status of families.
Mothers and fathers become widows and widowers. Children become
orphans. Many parents, wives and husbands have died because of HIV /
AIDS, road accidents, diseases and other modern calamities. They have
left orphans, widows and widowers.
Orphans used to be looked after by grandmothers, brothers and uncles.
Today government, churches, charities, NGOs, well-wishers, and
guardians, the elder sibling looks after orphans. Some orphan sisters and
brothers drop out of school to look after the rest. Some orphans have
ended up in the streets because there is no one to look after them Widows.
Traditionally brothers inherited widows. However, widow inheritance is
being discouraged to prevent HIV / AIDS. But on the other hand, a widow
is encouraged to remarry as society has become individualistic and no
longer assists community members as an obligation.
Widowers are not inherited and many of them remarry soon after the
death of their wives.
8. Old age.
In traditional African communities, old people were respected. But now
old age is not respected. The aged are seen as a burden to their children.
This is because the need medical care, food, and other forms of care to
meet their needs. Most of them are neglected and mistreated. In traditional
communities, children took care of their aged parents. Today some
children care for their parents.
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Fortunately, churches have set up homes for the aged. An example is

“Nyumba za wazee”. A few old people can look after themselves since
they have pension schemes, life insurance policies, and income generating
projects, investments and bank deposits. They can care for themselves.
Revision questions
a) What is the significance of the kingship system?
b) Outline and explain factors contributing to harmony and mutual
responsibility in the traditional African society
c) What was the purpose of the bride wealth in the traditional African
society?
d) Explain the role of medicine men in the African communities and their
relevance today.
STUDY ACTIVITIES
Read the Bible quotations given
Carry out role-plays e.g. the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham
Consult the aged to assist in the understanding of African traditional
practices Form one answers
TOPIC ONE
1. What is the importance of reading the Bible?
 Strengthens people’s faith.
 Helps in spreading the gospel.
 Helps in composition of songs and hymns.
 Acts as a reference when we write its translations and other books.
 Promotes good relationship between God and man.
2. In society, people in schools, crusades, churches, lodgings, homes, and
hospitals read the Bible.
3. In the government, the Bible is used for swearing in the Courts,
Parliament and Cabinet when members of parliament are nominated to
become ministers of the government.
4. The major divisions of the Bible are the old and the new testaments.
Read 1.3.4. Above for more information
2. What are the effects of Bible translation on African languages?
The Effects of Bible translation into African languages
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The translations increased and deepened people’s faith in God. They also
led to the establishment of schools. The Gospel spread to local
communities and many of them became Christians. The missionaries and
colonialists learnt African Languages. This led to the promotion of
African languages. This helped the African converts to judge when the
missionaries were unfair or when they practiced inequality of races.
8. Why is the Bible referred to as (a) a Library and (b) the Word of God?
(a) The Bible is referred to as a Library because its:
1. Books are arranged in a series and in order.
2. A reference book
3. Is a book of literary works?
4. Books were written under different situations and circumstances
5. Books are many
1. Inspiration is a process through which God took the initiative to prompt
and enlighten the writers of the Bible its Godly influence
TOPIC TWO: CREATION AND THE FALL OF MAN
1. Find answers on the differences between the two creation stories in
lesson four
2. Traditional African view of creation is in lesson four. Africans’ view
was that:
God is the architect of the world
God existed from the very beginning of time
God created everything from nothing
God provides for the needs of human beings, animals, and all creation
God continues to create through human beings
3. Human beings continue with the work of creation in lesson four
4. The origin of sin and evil read again lesson five
5. Consequences of sin in lesson five When Adam and Eve sinned
Man’s friendship with God changed to fear of GOD
What had been innocent and good became shameful
Relationship between GOD and man was damaged and became spoilt
Man began to toil for food, safety and other basic needs
Pain became part of human experience
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Death sentence was passed

6. Consequences of evil are in lesson six Africans understand evil as
barrenness, war, drought, epidemics, madness, sickness, death, burning in
a house and others
7. God’s plan of salvation is lesson seven. The lesson tells us that GOD
saved human kind by providing:
Clothing for Adam and Eve
Means to find food
A decree to defeat serpent through the seed of the woman
A solution in which he chooses Abraham and separated him from others
A delivery of Israelites from Egypt
Prophets with messages for Israelites
The Messiah to die on the Cross to save humankind
8. Compare the biblical concept of sin and the African concept of evil.
Similarities:
Both agree that God is good and did not create evil.
In both, sin is a result of disobedience, greed and selfishness of
humankind.
In both cases, sin lead to human suffering.
Both hold the view that sin/evil befalls humankind in the form of a
curse.
Sin brings separation between God and man.
In both, there is reconciliation and forgiveness between God and man.
Thus sin does not end a relationship.
Differences
In the bible, the serpent is seen as the cause of sin whereas in many
Traditional African communities, the spirits of the dead causes evil.
In the bible, there is external punishment (hell) for sinners while the
African communities believe that punishment is here on earth.
Biblically, human beings are born sinners because they are descendants
of Adam (1st parents’ sin). In Traditional African Community, a child is
born free of evil.
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Biblically had taken the initiative to end sin but in Traditional African
Community, man does through sacrifice to the ancestral spirits.
9. Subdue the earth in genesis 1 verse 28
TOPIC THREE: FAITH AND GOD’S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM.
Explain why Abraham is referred to as the Father of Faith
Faith is complete trust in somebody or something. This is because he
demonstrated faith in his life’s actions.
Accepting to move from his homeland to an unknown land
By accepting circumcision at an old age and change of name
Being ready to sacrifice his only son – Isaac
He made altars for the worship of God at Bethel etc.
He believed in a God he did not know/see.
By accepting to enter into a covenant relationship with God where he
gave his best animals as a sacrifice
Give five (5) actions from the life of Abraham that shows his faith in
God
Abraham obeyed God’s call and left his homeland Haran to go to an
unknown land.
He believed in the promises God gave him.
Build altars for the worship of God, one at Schechter and the other at
Bethel
Covenant – accepted to make a covenant with God where he sacrificed
the best of his animals
Circumcision – accepting the command to circumcise himself and all
male children in his household
Sacrifice of son – willing to offer his only son Isaac as a burnt offering
to God
List some of the promises God gave to Abraham.
Abraham and his wife Sarah would have a son.
Abraham would be famous.
He would become the father of a great nation.
God would curse those who cursed him and bless those who blessed
him.
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God assured Abraham of a personal protection.

Many descendants – like stars on the sky.
The descendants would be slaves in a foreign land but God would
deliver them.
He would live to a ripe old age and die in peace.
God would establish an everlasting covenant with him and his
descendants.
Some of his descendants would be kings.
God would give him and his descendants land.
Compare and contrast Jewish and Traditional African practice of
circumcision
A. Similarities
In both communities, circumcision is taken as a physical sign of
membership to the community.
It involves the cutting of the foreskin.
Members who refuse to be circumcised are treated as outcasts in the
community.
The shedding of blood is symbolic as it binds the people with God and
ancestors.
It has a religious significance.
Special people in both do circumcision.
The occasions are accompanied by a ceremony which being kinsmen
together.
The rite is compulsory for males.
The practice is handed down from one generation to the next.
Names are given during the occasion.
In both cases, it is done in special or religious places e.g. temple/under
mugumo tree/ shrine etc.
It is a command from God/ancestors.
Differences
For African, initiation leads to adult responsibilities such as marriage,
becoming a warrior, decision- making and property ownership. In Jewish
community, the boys are too young to take up responsibility.
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In the Jewish community, only males are circumcised while in the
Traditional African Community, both boys and girls are.
For Jews, one remains a child while in the Traditional African
Community, they move from childhood to adulthood.
Jewish community circumcise at the age of eight days while in the
Traditional African Community, it is at puberty.
Among the Jews, it is a sign that they have become God’s people, but in
Traditional African Community, one is bound to the ancestors.
The Jewish circumcision is a command from God as a sign of their
covenant with him while Traditional African Communities do it in
obedience to the customs and traditions of their duty.
The rite, taken place on the 8th day of both in Jewish community while
in the Traditional African Communities, it occurs after every four – six
years
Done to individuals in Jewish community while it is done to a group of
age mates in the Traditional African Communities.
No seclusion period among Jews as is the case in most African
communities.
In African communities, the ceremony enables them to choose future
leaders, which is not the case with the Jews.
Helps one endure suffering (pain) in future in the African communities
unlike in the Jewish communities.
Only one form of initiation (cutting of foreskin) is done. Various forms
are practiced in the Traditional African communities. These include:
Cutting of foreskin
Lib/ear piercing
Removal of lower teeth
Scarification (putting marks on face/body)
What is the importance of faith to Christians?
Faith is the foundation of Christian life today. It makes Christians part
of the great nation of God.
Through faith in Jesus, Christians became the chosen people of God.
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Faith enables Christians make correct choices in life e.g. When

choosing a career, marriage partners etc.
Faiths help them to face temptations and challenges in their lives and
are able to overcome them.
It gives them perseverance in prayer as they wait for God’s answer.
It gives them the courage to commit their lives to God totally.
It is through faith that Christians obey God.
They are able to achieve impossible things through faith.
They are able to believe what they have not seen through faith.
They are able to serve the world, help the needy because of their faith in
Christ.
. State the elements of a covenant
Partners two or more partners are involved.
A physical reminder – a certificate/sign
Promises: – given by both partners.
Ceremony – whose blood seals it or an oath taken
Witnesses – must be present
It requires faithfulness, obedience and loyalty to the regulations
It spells out serious consequences for those who break it.
On 7. Give examples of covenant in the bible and the modern society
The Bible
God’s covenant with Noah: where he promised never to destroy the
earth with flood – rainbow is the sign of the covenant (Gen 9).
God’s covenant with Abraham: God promised to fulfill the promises he
made to Abraham. The sign was circumcision (Gen 15 & 17).
The covenant between God and the Israelites on Mt Sinai – sign was the
Law – 10 commandments (Exodus 24).
The covenant between God and King David – promise to David’s
kingdom would last forever (2 Sam: 7).
Jeremiah’s covenant: The new covenant with God’s people (Jr 31: 31 –
34).
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Modern Society
• Baptism
• Marriage
• Oath of allegiance/loyalty
• Ordination
• The National Anthem binds all
• The loyalty pledge
• Employment contract
Discuss the circumstances that led God to enter into a covenant
relationship with Abraham
To seal the promises given unto Abraham e.g. a great nation, son, many
descendants.
It was an assurance of the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham.
It was to unite God and the Israelites.
It was to be a source of blessings to all.
A starting point for the salvation of mankind, whereby he would renew
the relationship between himself and man after the separation by the 1st
parents
TOPIC FOUR: SINAI COVENANT.
What are the qualities of Moses as a leader?
Education: he received education while in the pharaoh’s palace where
he grew up.
Jewish religion knowledge: his own mother who was his maid taught
him the history of Israel.
He learned leadership skills from the King as he grew up.
Shepherd: herding the father-in-law’s herds made him gain experience
of shepherding people.
Life in the wilderness where he lived after killing an Egyptian gave him
experience in desert life through where he would lead the Israelites.
Father/parent: his marriage to Zipporah helped him learn family
leadership. Later he applied this to his work.
Prophet: Enabled him to foresee the future and inform the community.
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Miracle-maker: helped him solve problem facing his people in the

wilderness e.g. lack of food, water.
Lawgiver: gave laws that were used to govern the community of Israel
i.e. the Ten Commandments.
Hard work: worked for his father-in-law serving the family e.g. fetching
water. Later he was able to serve the Jews.
(i) Describe the call of Moses: Exodus 3: 1 – 22
God called Moses as he herded his father-in-law’s flock at Mt Sinai.
Moses saw a burning bush, which was not consumed. He drew nearer to
get a better look.
God called Moses by name from the middle of the burning bush and
told him to remove his shoes because he was standing on holy ground.
God told Moses that he had seen the suffering of his people in Egypt
and heard their cry.
He told Moses that he had chosen him to go to Pharaoh and release
them from bondage.
Moses objected to the task because he felt inadequate.
God promised to be with Moses and to protect him.
Moses asked for the name of God so that he would have a point of
reference when asked who sent him.
God revealed himself to Moses saying, “IAM WHO I AM”
God gave Moses power to perform miracles that he would use as proof
of his work.
Moses protested further saying he was a stammerer.
God commissioned Aaron, Moses’ brother as his spokesman.
Moses then told God he was afraid to go to Egypt.
God assured him that the man he was afraid of was already dead.
On b (ii) Why was Moses hesitant to God’s call?
It is because he was already a criminal and wanted in Egypt after having
killed and Egyptian and ran away.
He was not a good speaker (stammerer).
He did not know the name of God who was sending him.
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(i) What is the significance of the items used for the Passover feast
(similar to what is the meaning of the Passover meal)?
The Lamb: reminded the Israelite of the sacrificial lamb whose blood
saved their 1st born from the angel of death.
The unleavened bread signified purity.
It too signified the hurry they had to leave Egypt, as unleavened bread is
easy to bake.
Roasting the meat was the easiest method of cooking.
Not breaking bones and spilt blood signified forgiveness.
Bitter herbs symbolized the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.
Other Meanings:
Eating while standing symbolized the haste with which the Israelites
were to leave Egypt.
They were not to leave any meal to avoid profanation in the form of
flies. Burning was the simplest way of disposal & sacred.
(ii) Compare the Lord’s Supper to the Passover feast
Similarities:
Both are acts of salvation from suffering. Passover saved Israelites from
slavery while the Lord’s
Supper saved people from bondage of sin.
Both are celebrated in memory of a past event – suffering.
Lambs offered in both Hebrews – the Passover lamb in the Lord’s
Supper Jesus is the paschal lamb.
In both a symbolic meal was taken.
In both cases each group is saved through a mediator – Moses and Jesus
respectfully.
God’s covenant is remembered in both cases i.e. Old testament and new
covenant respectfully.
In both the religious significance of the feasts is taught and emphasized.
Differences:
In the Passover feast, animal sacrifice is offered while in the Lord’s
Supper, Jesus was the last sacrifice and instead bread and wine are offered
to represent his blood and body.
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Whereas the Jewish Passover was compulsory for every few, the Lord’s
Supper is not compulsory in all Christian churches.
The bloodshed in the Jewish Passover is for the salvation of the Jews
only while the blood of Jesus shed on the cross is for the salvation of the
whole human race.
Passover lamb offered in Hebrew while Jesus was the lamb offered in
the Lord’s Supper.
Describe how the Sinai covenant was made
The Israelites arrived at Mt Sinai through God’s saving power.
Moses was instructed by God to tell the elders to do the following in
preparation for the making of the covenant.
All Israelites were to cleanse themselves and wash their garments.
Mark the boundaries of the mountain and avoid going near or crossing
the border.
Avoid sexual relations between married couple
Note: All these happened after Moses had gone up the mountain and God
had promised to make the Israelites the following if they obeyed him.
i. His people
ii. A kingdom of priests
iii. A holy nation
On the third day after cleansing, Moses took the Israelites to meet their
God. God manifested himself in the following forms: thunder, lightening,
earthquake and a thick cloud that filled the mountain and a loud trumpet
blast.
Moses came down and told people about the laws which was to guide
them as a covenant people.
The people agreed to obey all the words the Lord had spoken (Ex 24: 3
– 4)
Thus the covenant was made.
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Describe the circumstances that led to the breaking of the Sinai

covenant
Moses went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets on which the
Ten Commandments where written. He delayed (40 days) thus forgetting
God.
The Israelites became impatient. They forgot the saving power of God
that had delivered them from
Egypt.
Aaron was a weak leader who failed to lead the people to uphold the
covenant. He yielded to their demands to make and worship idols.
Availability of gold jewellery: used to make the calf image.
Idolatry was a practice done while in Egypt so they copied/continued
with it.
They were used to God’s (idols). They could see while in Egypt unlike
the Yahweh who was invisible.
How was the broken covenant renewed?
Moses pleaded to God not to destroy the Israelites.
God spared them.
God commanded the Israelites to cut two stone tablets where he would
rewrite the commandments.
God gave conditions to be fulfilled by the Israelites in the renewal of the
covenant.
These were:
a) To obey God’s command.
b) Not to make treaties with other nations.
c) To tear down the altars of the gods of other nations and temples.
d) Not to worship idols.
e) Not to make images to represent God.
f) Not to marry foreign wives.
g) To keep and celebrate the three festivals namely, Passover, feast of
weeks and the feast of in gathering.
h) To keep the Sabbath day holy.
i) Dedicate to God 1st born male children and animals.
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God promised that if they obeyed Him, He would:

a) Protect and preserve them
b) Bless them
c) Make them prosper
After this Moses was ordered by God to write a new set of Laws on the
stone tablets.
Thus the covenant was renewed.
Describe how the Israelites worshipped God in the wilderness
Worship is the practice of showing respect and love for God.
The Israelites showed their respect and love for God in the wilderness in
the following ways: -
1) The Ark and the Tabernacle: The Ark was a wooden box where the
Ten Commandments were kept.
They signified the presence of God. The tabernacle was a portable tent for
meeting between God and the Israelites.
2) The Sabbath: They observed the Sabbath as a sacred day for resting
and worshipping God.
3 Festivals: Celebrated many festivals as one way of worshipping God.
E.g. Passover
4) Altars – built them when there was need to worship God – meeting
place between God and the people and sacrifice to God.
5) Observance of the Ten Commandments. These guided them on how to
live with God and man.
6) Religious leaders: God chose priest from the tribe of Levi to organize
worship.
What is the relevance of the Ten Commandments to Christian today?
Christians learn that God is a jealous God. They avoid holding other
things in their lives strong in the place of God.
Christians learn that God is unique and cannot be represented by visible
man-made objects or described in human terms.
They are reminded to observe the Sabbath by worshipping God.
They strive to have a good relationship with God.
They are taught to respect other people and their property.
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They learn that long life is a result of honoring and respecting their
parents.
They strive to live upright and moral lives.
They learn that lust for money and other property is sinful.
What did the Israelites learn about God in the wilderness?
They learned that God is faithful. He keeps promises.
A provider – provided manna, water etc.
God is the controller of natural forces e.g. Red sea, a pillar of cloud &
fire, earthquakes etc.
A jealous God – no worship of other gods
Just – forgave those who broke the covenant and punished those who
refused to repent.
Merciful and compassionate
Give them a 2nd chance after breaking the covenant.
A God of victory – helped them defeat Amalekites.
God valued a personal relationship – commandments given.
TOPIC FIVE: LEADERSHIP IN ISRAEL
a. Explain the reasons against Kingship in Israel (1 Sam 8:10 – 20)
The King would force the sons of the Israelites to serve him as soldiers
in the army.
The King would create forced labor and enslavement by making the
young men work in his farms and in making weapons. Daughters would
work in his house.
He would also grab their land and give it to his loyal servants.
He would overtax them in order to maintain his administration.
It would be seen as a rejection of Yahweh as their King.
Israel would be like other nations who did not know Yahweh.
Yahweh would reject them when they cried to him.
b. Explain the importance of David as King of Israel
David was important because he was chosen by God and publicly
anointed by elders in a religion ceremony. He too became ancestor of
many communities.
David was a great musician and wrote many songs for promising God.
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He killed Goliath the philistine soldier.

He conquered the enemies of Israel such as Amalekites, Ammonites etc.
He expanded Israel through his military conquests and marked the
boundaries of the nation.
He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it a capital city.
He too made it a religious centre by placing the Ark of the Covenant
there, which had been housed – Abidjab’s.
He had good diplomatic relationship with other nations.
He encouraged trade with other nations thus making Israel prosperous.
He was a shrewd administrator who chose wise elders to advise him.
He was filled with the Holy Spirit.
He established the largest and most enduring dynasty that lasted 400
years.
He composed the books of Psalms used to praise God.
Whenever he wronged God, he genuinely repented and humbled
himself before God.
He was a just ruler.
He respected the prophets of God and consulted them before making
decisions.
He was prayerful and consulted God in his undertakings.
He united the twelve (12) tribes of Israel.
He set a good example of faithfulness to Yahweh that he wanted all the
Israelites to emulate.
c. How did Jesus fulfill the prophecies of Prophet Nathan as a
descendant of David? (i.e. Areas where Jesus is mentioned as coming
from David)
Angel Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary who was engaged
to Joseph, a descendant of
David. The Angel referred to Jesus as the King whose wisdom would last
forever (Lk 1:26-33).
Jesus was born in Bethlehem – the birth place of David (Lk 2: 4 – 5)
Abraham and David are mentioned as the ancestors of Jesus.
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During the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the crowds who met him
sang with joy and shouted ‘Hosanna to the son of David.’
On the days of Pentecost when Peter addressed the crowd, he referred to
Jesus as a descendant of David (Acts: 2 29-35).
Zechariah in his Benedictus, says that God has promised a savior
descended from the house of David (Lk 1:69)
The blind man at Jericho referred to Jesus as the son of David (Lk
18:38).
d) What was the failure of King Solomon?
Solomon was the 2nd King of Israel, succeeding his father King David.
He failed to live according to the covenant way of life in the following
ways.
He married foreign wives thus breaking the Total that clearly stated that
the Israelites should not marry foreigners because they can come with
their gods – idols.
He allowed the wives to worship their gods (idols) thus leading to
spread of idolatry in Israel.
He not only worshipped the gods of his wives but also built temple for
their worship.
He, by worshipping the gods became a bad example to Israel, as King.
They copied him.
Although he built God’s temple, he erred in many ways:
i. He built his palace for 13 years but took only 7 years to build God’s
temple. Shows he loved himself more the God.
ii. He used foreign designs and materials in the construction of the temple,
ignoring God’s specifications on how to build it.
iii. He liaised pagan craftsmen from Tyre to design, decorate and furnish
the temple.
He broke the sixth commandment by killing his half brother, Adonijah.
He suspected that Adonijah would become his rival to the throne.
He spent a lot of Israel’s money on his lavish lifestyle. He had a large
army and servants.
He overtaxed the people to meet the amount.
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He used forced labor in his development projects.

He enslaved young men and women who went to work in the palace as
servants for the wives.
He practiced nepotism. He exempted them from forced labor.
He sold part of Israel – sold 20 towns of Galilee to King of Tyre as
payment of a debt he could not pay contrary to God’s command.
He made treaties with other nations that were against the condition set
during the renewal of the Sinai covenant.
In the above ways, he oppressed the people of God.
e. Which leadership qualities can modern leaders learn from David?
Justice: A good leader is one who does not favor some people like
David (I Sam 24: 1 – 12).
Courage: David showed this while fighting Goliath. Leaders need to be
brave and courageous in their work (I Sam 17:41 – 54).
Fear of God and Faith: David consulted God before any undertaking.
Leaders should do the same.
Gratitude: David was thankful to blessings he received. Leaders should
be happy and grateful to God.
Loyalty: Modern leaders should remain loyal to their office. David was
loyal to God and his people (2 Sam 2:7)
Kindness: Good leaders should show mercy to their people like David
did e.g. he forgave Saul twice (2 Sam 19: 9 – 39).
Humility: Leaders should not hesitate to ask for forgiveness from God
and people. David was humble and asked for forgiveness any time he
went wrong.
Willingness to delegate: Learn to delegate future as David did (2 Sam
20: 23 – 26)
Wisdom: Be wise in choosing legal advisers as David did.
Respect: Leaders should show respect to God and preaches those they
serve as David did to the prophets and his people.
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TOPIC SIX: LOYALTY TO GOD- ELIJAH.

a. Qualities of Elijah that led to his achievements
• Elijah was fearless and courageous. His courage helped him to face King
Ahab and Queen Jezebel and condemn them for their wickedness such as
corruption and idolatry
• He was faithful to God. Yahweh guided him in his dealings with Baal
prophets and King Ahab.
• He lived a simple life. For example, he wore simple clothing made of
camel’s skin.
• He stood for the covenant at a time when the religion of Yahweh was in
danger
• He had the power of God in him and was able to control rain.
• He confirmed that Yahweh had authority over land and over the people.
b) Schism is sharp religious, social, political differences within a group or
organization
Syncretism is the process of mixing religious beliefs and practices
c) Some characteristics of Elijah that a modern Christian should strive to
emulate
1) Courage
2) Faithfulness
3) Zealousness for God
4) Concern for the needy / poor
5) Provision of social justice
6) Patience
d. What were the effects of idolatry in Israel?
Syncretism developed where the Israelites worshipped Yahweh
alongside the gods of Canaan.
The Israelites started calling Yahweh by the names used for Canaanites
gods e.g. El.
The Israelites started naming their children after Canaanite gods like
Baal.
They changed their religion calendar and celebration to correspond with
their Canaanite celebrations and feasts.
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They converted the high places used for worshipping Baal to Yahweh’s
shrines without removing the graven images of idols.
The unity that existed between the two tribes of Israel was destroyed.
They no longer treated one another as brothers.
The Kings of Israel behaved like the Canaanites leaders by oppressing
the weak and grabbing other people’s property.
The people neglected Yahweh’s holy places.
God’s prophets were mistreated, persecuted and even killed.
God withdrew his blessings from the Israelites because they angered
Him by worshipping other gods.
They broke God’s commandments, which forbade worship of other god
a part from Yahweh.
The Israelites practiced temple prostitution and other Canaanites rituals
and sacrifices.
e. Describe Elijah’s fight against false religion in Israel
Elijah rose to challenge false religion at a time when Baalism had
become the official religion.
He prophesied a three and a half years drought because the people had
turned away from Yahweh.
After the drought God appeared to Elijah and told him to go to King
Ahab and tell him that the drought was as a result of idolatry in Israel.
Elijah requested the King to order all the people to meet at Mt Carmel
to hold a contest.
Elijah asked the King to invite the 400 prophets of Asherah and Baal’s
450, saw that they could prove who the true God is.
Elijah would sacrifice a bull and the false prophets would too sacrifice
their own to call on their Gods to send fire. The one who could send is the
true God.
The prophets of Baal were the 1st to pray to their god but he never sent
fire.
The prophets cut themselves with knives to please their god but he
never sent it.
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Elijah then prepared the altar with 12 pillars representing the 12 tribes
of Israel.
He dug a trench around the altar, placed wood and put the cut bull on
top of the wood.
He ordered for water to be poured around the trenches until it flooded.
Then in the evening Elijah prayed and called upon the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob to send fire.
Fire came and consumed the whole sacrifice, including the water in the
trenches.
As a result, the Israelites bowed down and declared that Yahweh was
the true God.
Then Elijah ordered the killing of all the prophets of Baal and the
prophetesses of Asherah.
Elijah went to the top of the Mt Carmel and prayed for rain. Yahweh
sent His servant to watch for the sign of rain from the sea.
The servant looked towards the sea seven times after, which he saw a
small cloud forming.
Then heavy rain fell, signaling end of drought.
f. Describe Elijah’s fight against corruption – 1 Kings 21
Corruption: Can be defined as dishonesty or misuse of power for
personal gain.
In a corrupt society, the rich and powerful people tend to take advantage
of the weak/poor by exploiting them and denying them their rights.
King Ahab of Israel desired a fruitful vineyard owned by a man named
Naboth.
King Ahab approached Naboth to sell him the vineyard or exchange
with another one.
Naboth declined the offer because in Israel, selling ancestral land was
against the covenant law. The land belonged to God.
Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, soon learned, Naboth’s refusal and she arranged
Naboth’s murder through false accusations.
After Naboth was killed, Ahab possessed the vineyard.
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God commanded Elijah to go and declare His judgment on Ahab for

committing such an evil act in Israel.
Elijah declared the following judgment on Ahab:
i. Dogs would lick Ahab’s blood at the same place where they had licked
Naboth’s.
ii. Ahab’s dynasty would fall kike those of the Kings before him who had
disobeyed God.
iii. All family members of Ahab would face violent deaths.
On hearing this, Ahab humbled himself before God and repented. God
postponed Ahab’s punishment to the days of his son.
g. what can Christian learn from the teachings of Elijah?
From the Mt Carmel incident, they learn that Yahweh controls the
forces of nature – can bring rain or stop it.
Yahweh is the only true and living God – Mt Carmel.
Yahweh is forgiving – pardoned those who repented on Mt Carmel.
Yahweh is a jealous God. He will not share honor with any God – killed
the 450 prophets worshipping Baal.
A prosecutor – protected Elijah.
A provider – provided Elijah with food.
Yahweh answers prayers. He is faithful.
They also learn that church leaders should condemn evil like Elijah did
in the case of Ahab and Naboth.
Christians should work to protect the poor from exploitation.
They should be prayerful so that God can help them overcome
difficulties like Elijah.
They should strive to lead lives free from corruption.
They should remain faithful even if it means costing their lives to
Naboth.
Leaders should realize authority comes from God and are accountable
to Him.
They should avoid idolatry, which Elijah condemned.
Perform tasks given by God however had they may be as Elijah did –
facing Ahab, killing the 450 false prophets etc.
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Finally, they should invite sinners to repeat and bring them back to God.
TOPIC SEVEN: SELECTED ASPECTS OF AFRICAN RELIGI-
OUS HERITAGE
Question a: Explain African beliefs about God (or qualities)
African beliefs about their God are found in their proverbs, myths,
songs, prayers, narratives and religious ceremonies.
God was believed to be a supreme being who was beyond human
understanding.
The African communities believed that God was all-powerful –
omnipotent.
They believed that God’s power is expressed in natural occurrences
such as thunder, earthquake floods and volcanic eruptions.
God is believed to be all-knowing omniscient.
He is limitless and knows hears and sees everything.
He is also omnipresent – meaning he is everywhere at all times.
Transcendent – beyond human understanding because of the
transcendent nature, Africans found it impossible to represent him using
physical representations. They viewed him as being far yet too near them.
He was seen as the provider and sustainer of creation.
They believed that God is everlasting. He has no beginning or end.
God is merciful.
They believed he is incorruptible.
African communities associated God with justice.
Physical features were often seen as a representation of awesome power
of God. This is why large mountains, thick forest, unique rock formation
were used as shrines.
African viewed God to be mysterious.
Q b. Describe the African understanding of the Hierarchy of Beings
Hierarchy of Beings
Divinities
 Ancestors
Human Beings
Animals and Plants
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Non-living Things
God as the creator occupies the highest rank in the hierarchy of being –
creator.
The Divinities: Came next and control natural forces in the universe,
created by God.
The Common Spirits: Comprise spirits of people who died long time
ago.
Ancestors: (living dead): Spirits of those who died recently and are still
remembered by the living.
Human Beings: Consist of the living and the unborn.
Animals and Plants: Come next – for man’s use as food and sacrifice to
God.
Last (7th) are non-living things such as mountains, rocks, rivers, caves,
dwelling places of God and Spirits.
Qc. Describe the Role of the ancestors to the living
The ancestors acted as intermediaries between God and human beings.
They communicated the problems and wishes of human beings to God.
God and the spirits used the ancestors to express their wishes
concerning human beings.
The ancestors welcomed those who died to the spirit world.
They helped to preserve the culture and standards of a community.
The ancestors blessed the living and corrected them through
punishment.
Q d. What was the responsibility of the living towards God?
To show gratitude to God and give thanks to him as an
acknowledgement that He is the giver of life.
To honor, worship and adore God by praying to Him for their needs.
To pray to Him during or before a war, before planting, etc.
To obey and trust Him.
To take care of God’s creation
To teach children about God.
Appease him through sacrifice
Q e. Describe the Traditional African ways of worshipping God
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Sacrifice: They were used to ask God’s favour, thanksgiving, to avert

evil and ask for forgiveness, before planting and after harvest, epidemics,
birth, naming, invitation, weddings, funerals etc for different reasons.
Offerings: Foodstuffs e.g. grain, honey, beer, milk was offered in
recognition of God as owner of property and provider.
Prayers and invocations: Commonest act of worship. A continuation
activity done anytime as the need arises.
Song and dance: People were involved both physically and spiritually.
This brought the city together.
Blessings and Salutations: Expressed in greetings and farewells e.g. “Go
with God”, God be with you”.
Q f. What were the African ways of venerating and communicating
with the spirits and ancestors?
Venerating means showing respect to somebody.
Spirits and ancestors were venerated because they were believed to be
senior to human beings and closer to God.
Sacrifices were offered to them as the ways of venerating them.
Pouring libation was done.
The living invited them during ceremonies such as birth, invitation,
marriage and burial.
They consulted diviners, mediums and medicine men to keep in contact.
The living named after them – thus they became immortal and members
in the physical world again.
Their names were mentioned during prayer.
By maintaining their graves
Giving them proper burial ceremonies
TOPIC EIGHT: AFRICAN MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES.
Q a. What is the significance of the kinship system?
Kinship means being related either by blood or marriages.
The kinship system was important in the traditional African society
because of the following factors.
The kinship system regulated people’s behavior towards each other.
This promoted peaceful and harmonious relationships.
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It promoted co-operation among community members especially in

times of difficulty.
It helped to ensure that the disadvantaged members of the community
were taken care of.
The living dead and the ancestors were part of the African kinship
system. This showed concern or the families or relatives they left behind.
The kinship system led to the preservation of cultural identity.
It provided a peaceful way of settling disputes with the elders acting as
arbitrators.
It ensured fairness and transparency in sharing out inheritance.
The kinship system united the members of a family and clan by giving
them a sense of belonging.
It helped people to establish new relationship, especially through
marriage.
Kinship ties regulated marital customs rules and regulations. People
who were related in any way could not be allowed to marry.
Q b. Outline and explain factors contributing to harmony and mutual
responsibility in the Traditional African Society
Good morals: Every member of the community was expected to do the
right thing according to the norms of the community.
Participation in communal activities: Means of the community were
expected to participate in communal activities e.g. wrestling, dances and
communal work.
Sharing: People shared ideas and even property, which created harmony
among the people.
Division of labor: Tasks were distributed according to one’s age; gender
to avoid conflicts in roles.
Rules: In Traditional African Communities, elders, men youth, and
women had their respective roles to play that enhanced harmony in the
community.
Virtues: Virtues like generosity, obedience, kindness and honesty were
encouraged since they contributed towards harmonious living.
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Religious beliefs and practices: A common belief in God, the spirits and
ancestors created a sense of togetherness.
Q c. What was the purpose of bride wealth in the Traditional African
Society?
It was a way of thanking the bride’s family for taking good care of her.
It was a form of compensation to the bride’s parents because the woman
would now belong to another family.
It was a sign of contract that the man would marry the girl and they
would live together until death.
It represented evidence of the groom’s ability to take care of a wife and
a family.
It was a sign of generosity on the side of the man.
It initiated a long-lasting friendship between the families of the groom
and the bride.
It cemented a marriage.
It was a symbol of the marriage covenant between the bride and the
groom.
Bride wealth served as an outward seal of the marriage contract.
Q d. Explain the role of medicine-men in the African Communities
and their relevant today
1) Medicine men
They are also referred to as healers, herbalists or traditional doctors.
They identified illness and their causes.
They identified appropriate treatment and prevention measures for the
illness.
They averted the effects of a curse.
They offered sacrifices and prayers to God and the ancestors.
They prepared charms for protection against witchcraft and evil spirits.
They gave medicine to increase fertility in both people and animals.
They acted as counselors, guiding people on all issues of life.
2) Relevance of Modern Society
Modern medicine has not fully displaced herbalists.
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Medical doctors and scientific researchers today work side by side with
traditional healers since herbs are used to make modern medicine.
Some people still believe that there are some illnesses that cannot be
treated in hospitals hence; they turn to herbalists.
Some people also believe that medicine people who practice magic have
the power to change their fate.
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FORM TWO NOTES
GOD MEETS US IN JESUS CHRIST

ST. LUKE’S GOSPEL
INTRODUCTION
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John record the life of Jesus Christ and his
ministry in the four Gospel books. We shall trace the life, and ministry of
Jesus Christ as written by St Luke to Theophilus. St Luke was a medical
doctor.
OLD TESTAMENT PROPHESIES ABOUT THE MESSIAH

Introduction: Read 2 Samuel 7:13, Isaiah 7:10-16
Messiah
Meaning: The word Messiah is from a Hebrew word meshiach, which
means the anointed: thus a Messiah is one called, anointed and appointed
by God to serve Him.
Prophecy:
A prophecy refers to a prediction of what will happen in future.
Messianic Prophecies: These are those predictions that were made by the
prophets to describe the coming of a righteous King who will rule Israel
according to God’s will.
The origin of the Messianic prophecies in the Bible starts with Prophet
Nathan’s prophecy to King David.
NOTE:
The Roman ruled the Israelites before the birth of Jesus. They hated the
Roman leadership and longed for somebody of their own to lead them
into victory over the Roman rule.
The prophet of Israel (the Old Testament) communicated a message that
God would send a messiah to bring all people into a lasting relationship
with Him. The prophets who were sent had different ideas about the
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Messiah. Their ideas about the Messiah were different from the Jewish
expectations – whereby they hoped for political King to lead them into
victory over the Roman rule. But the prophets were talking about a
religious one – to free them from sin.
Topic Outcomes
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
a) Explain the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the
Messiah.
b) Relate the concept of the Messiah in the Old and New testaments.
c) Explain the link between the Old and the New Testament
d) Discuss the role of John the Baptist.
OLD TESTAMENT PROPHESIES ABOUT THE COMING OF

THE MESSIAH.
(i) NATHAN’S PROPHECY (2 Samuel 7:3 – 17) and (Psalms 89: 20 –
38).
David proposed to build God a house. Nathan, the prophet was given a
message (an oracle) for David. In this prophecy, God told Nathan to tell
King David that:
God would ensure that the Kingdom of David would last forever.
An heir from David’s lineage would rule
David’s heir shall build a house for God’s name. God would establish
the throne of his Kingdom forever.
David heir shall be God’s son and God shall be his father.
David house and Kingdom shall be established forever.
David died. But God’s mercy shall not depart from the heir of David.
Hence the promise that the Kingdom of David, shall last forever referred
to the messiah who was to come. David is an ancestor of
Christ.
(ii) ISAIAH’S PROPHECY – Isaiah 7: 10 – 16; 9: 1- 7; 61:1 –2; and
63.
In these readings, Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be:
Born of a virgin
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A boy, born of a virgin and called ‘Emmanuel’ that is ” God with us”
A Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, The everlasting Father, and the
Prince of Peace
The Spirit of God inside him
Anointed of God
Sent to preach the good news to the poor, to bring liberty to the
captives, proclaim the year of favor from God.
Isaiah also prophesied that the Messiah would be the suffering servant
(Isaiah 53)
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT – ISAIAH
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He would bear the sins of human kind
He was oppressed, afflicted, despised, and rejected of men
He bore suffering and disgrace submissively
He was mocked and spat on and wounded
He was innocent of sin and yet treated as a criminal.
He was pierced and wounded in the sides
He was crucified with thieves and made intercession for the sinners
He was buried in a rich man’s tomb.
iii. JEREMIAH’S PROPHECY- JEREMIAH 23: 5 – 6.
God promised to rise up a (branch) who shall:
Choose as King, a righteous descendant of David
Prosper
Rule wisely, do what is right, and just in the world
Execute justice on the earth
Ensure that Judah and Israel are safe and live in peace
Be called ‘the God our righteousness” – “The Lord our salvation’
What does the term a ‘righteous branch ‘means?
iv. MICAH’S PROPHESY, (MICAH 5: 1 – 5).
Micah prophesied that:
The Messianic King shall come from Bethlehem
He shall lead with authority
He will bring peace
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v. THE PSALMIST PROPHECY (Psalm 41:9 and 110:1 –2).

David spoke of
Betrayal by a close friend
Messiah is referred to as ‘the Lord’
The messiah shall rule/reign in the midst of enemies.
Summary
Nathan, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Psalmist prophecy (David) and Micah
prophesied of a Messiah to come. The Jews expected a Messiah who
would be a political leader, a victorious ruler and a King. They expected a
Messiah:
Who would lead his people into a time of great national power and
prosperity;
In whose reign, there shall be no illness, no sorrow, no injustice,
In whose reign, there shall be no fear
In whose reign, land shall be filled with joy and peace
Who shall rule forever.
Revision questions
1) Describe the prophecy of Jeremiah concerning the Messiah
2) What does the term Messiah mean?
3) Highlight the Jewish expectations of the Messiah in the Old
Testament?
4) Did Jesus Christ fulfill the O.T. prophecies concerning the Messiah?
How?
5) Which prophets in the Old Testament prophesied about the expected
Messiah?
THE CONCEPT OF THE MESSIAH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The concept of messiah is found in Luke 1:26 – 38; 2:1-23; 23:1 – 35;
24:50 – 51. The writer of Luke’s Gospel makes it clear that Jesus fulfilled
the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah.
How did He do this? Well Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies
because:
Jesus was born from the lineage of David (Mathew 1)
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Angle Gabriel said the child to be born shall rule forever (Luke 1:32)
Nathan’s prophecy
Jesus was born of Mary a Virgin, as pre told by Isaiah 7:14
Messiah is called Emmanuel, Isaiah’s prophecy. Mathew 1:18 – 25
Jesus was born in Bethlehem – Micah’s prophecy
The Messiah would be a ‘Son of David’ – Nathan, and Jeremiah
prophesies. Jesus was referred to as a ‘Son of David’ (Luke 18:38)
Jesus would bring salvation said by Simeon during dedication of Jesus.
Luke 2:29 – 32. This was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
Jesus referred to himself as the Messiah by reading the scroll.
Isaiah61:1 – 2. And Luke 4: 18 – 19
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would perform miracles. Jesus
performed many miracles.
The prophecy of the suffering servant (Isaiah 53) was fulfilled through
the passion, death and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
We see Jesus betrayed by one of his disciples – friend, fulfilling the
Psalmist prophecy.
Note that the Jews in the New Testament expected a messiah who would
deliver them from the rule of the Romans. Jews expected Jesus to be a
political leader or king. However, Peter called him ‘the Christ of God’
(Luke 9:20). Matthew called him King of the Jews in chapter (2verse 2).
Hence, Jesus came as a Spiritual Leader and King, and not as a political
Leader / King.
Self-Assessment Questions
1. What does the name Emmanuel mean?
2. Explain the concept of the Messiah in the New Testament?
ANNUNCIATION OF THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Introduction
The parents of John the Baptist were Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth.
Zechariah’s name meant ‘God has remembered’. Elizabeth’s name meant
‘God has sworn’.
John the Baptist
1. The Annunciation – Read – Luke 1:5 – 25.
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Zechariah was a priest. He and his wife Elizabeth were old, good and
righteous people of God. But they did not have a child. They were barren.
But God gave them a child, John the Baptist. His birth was announced to
his father, Zechariah, when he was in the temple offering incense. An
Angel appeared to Zechariah and told him that his prayers had been heard.
His wife Elizabeth will bear a son. The angel said the child would be
called John, which means that ‘God is gracious’. The child
Will be set aside to serve God.
Will be filled with the Holy Spirit
As an adult, John
Will be a Nazarite. He should neither cut his hair nor drink wine.
Shall turn many hearts of people to the Lord their God.
Shall also turn the hearts of the fathers to their children
Zachariah expressed unbelief to these words. Angel Gabriel told him that
he shall be dumb until the fulfillment of the God’s words.
The Birth, Circumcision and Naming Of John the Baptist
Elizabeth brought forth a son. This brought great joy to her and
Zachariah. The cousins and neighbors of Elizabeth wanted the Child to be
named Zechariah after the father. But Elizabeth insisted on the name
John. When Zechariah was asked to name the child, he wrote down the
name John. On the 8th day, the child was named John as the angel had
said. John was circumcised on the 8th day according to the Jewish
traditions.
After naming his Child John, the mouth of Zechariah opened immediately
and he started to speak. He sang a song – referred to as Benedictus in
Luke 1:67 – 79. As he sung the Benedictus, Zechariah prophesied that
God has:
Raised up a horn of salvation on the house of David
Remembered his covenant with Abraham
Zechariah said this about his Child John:
He shall be the prophet of the most high
The child/John shall prepare the way of the lord by
(i) Calling men to forgiveness
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(ii) Showing men the light of salvation

(iii) Guiding people into peace.
THE ROLE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

The role of John the Baptist is found in Isaiah 40: 3 – 5, Malachi 3:1, 4:5
– 6, and Luke 7: 20 – 35.
John the Baptist had an important role to play according to the Angel who
announced his coming birth.
His role was to:
Be a Prophet with qualities of Elijah (see Malachi 3:1, 4:5)
Announce the good news to come just like Elijah did.
Be the link between the Old Testament and New Testament
Prepare the way for the Lord
Announce the coming of God’s reign that was near
Preach a baptism of repentance
Baptize with water
Introduce people and his disciples to the Messiah – Jesus Christ
Fulfill the Prophecy of Elijah that a messenger was sent before the
coming of the Messiah John the Baptist was likened to Elijah.
Topic review questions
1. Outline the qualities of John as described by angel Gabriel to Zechariah
2. Why was John referred to as the second Elijah?
3. What lessons do Christians learn from annunciation of the birth of John
the Baptist?
4. Describe the birth of John the Baptist
THE INFANCY AND EARLY LIFE OF JESUS – LUKE 1:26 – 38
a. Angel Gabriel announces the birth of Jesus.
Angel Gabriel said that Mary would conceive and bear a child. Angel
Gabriel called Mary ‘the highly favored one’. Mary was an ordinary
virgin girl in Galilee engaged to marry Joseph, a descendant of David.
The Angel said that Mary will bear (i) A Son (ii) called Jesus (which
means God serves. (iii) The child shall be great (iv) He shall be called the
son of the highest.
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(v) He shall be given the throne of his father David (vi) He shall reign
forever (vii) His kingdom will never end.
Read again and explain what angel Gabriel said concerning the child to be
born to Mary?
b. Mary visits Elizabeth. Luke 1:39-56
Angel Gabriel had told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was also going to
have a child. Mary went to visit her. The child in Elizabeth’s womb
leaped when Mary greeted Elizabeth. The Holy Spirit revealed to
Elizabeth that Mary is the mother of her Lord, the Messiah. Mary
answered Elizabeth by singing the hymn “The Protector” in Psalm 121:3,
The Love of God. Psalm 103:17, 98:3 The Magnificent. In this hymn
Mary says:
Her soul magnifies the Lord.
The Lord has regarded the poor and those of low estate.
God’s mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
God humbles the proud and mighty, and exalts those of low estate (the
lowly)
God has filled the hungry and sent the rich away empty
Through the magnificent, Mary, expresses her joy, gratitude and favor
given to her and the world.
c. The birth of Jesus Christ. Luke.2: 1 – 20
The birth of Jesus took place in Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of
Augustus Caesar, a Roman Emperor. During that time, Rome was
conducting a census of the people / citizens for the purpose of collecting
taxes. The census was ordered by the emperor to determine payment of
taxes. The method that Rome was using was counting. Joseph, of the
house of David went to his hometown, called Bethlehem; for the census.
Jesus was born during this time. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes
and laid in a manger because there was no accommodation in Bethlehem.
The first people to receive the news that a Savior was born were the
shepherds. An angel announced the birth of the Savior, Christ the lord, to
the shepherds. The shepherds went to Bethlehem and saw the child Jesus.
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They spread the word concerning what had been told them about the
child.
How was the annunciation of the birth of Jesus extraordinary?
d. The dedication of JESUS – LUKE.2: 22 – 38
Like John the Baptist, Jesus was circumcised, and named on the 8th day.
He was named Jesus which means ‘the savior’ or Yahweh or save’s. Mary
and Joseph observed the Jewish customs according to the Law of Moses.
For her purification and dedication of the child Jesus, Mary brought a pair
of turtledoves as an offering. The fist born males were dedicated to God
as Holy. Simeon took the child up in his arms for dedication and said that:
“The child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel. A Sword will
pierce Mary’s soul on account of the child.” Prophet Anna also came to
the temple and prophesied that the child shall bring deliverance.
e. Jesus at the Temple Luke 2:42 – 52
The parents of Jesus Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem every year for
the feast of the Passover. When Jesus was 12, he accompanied them to
Jerusalem. After the feast the parents went home without realizing that
their child, Jesus was not with them. But while on the way, they realized
he was not amongst them.
They returned to Jerusalem, and looked for him for 3 days. They found
him sitting in the temple; listening and asking teacher’s questions. All
those who were in the temple were astonished by his wisdom and
intelligence. It is in the temple that Jesus is revealed, first as a true son of
his people and also as light and salvation for all people. On being
questioned by Mary and Joseph, Jesus answered thus:
”Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house, about my Father’s
business?” This was an echo of Malachi 3:1 “the Lord whom you seek
will suddenly come to his temple”.
Answer these questions
1 Trace occasions when angels appeared to people in the New Testament
2 How did Jesus follow the customs and traditions of the Jewish people?
Answers
1. Occasions when angels appeared to people in the New Testament
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(a) Angel appeared to Zechariah to announce birth of John the Baptist

(b) Angel appeared to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus Christ
(c) Angels appeared to the shepherds on the night Jesus was born
(d) Angel appeared to Joseph in a dream warning him to flee to Egypt
with the child and Mary
2. How Jesus followed the customs and traditions of the Jewish people
(i) He was named on the 8th day
(ii) He was circumcised on the 8th day
(iii) His parents took him to the temple for the annual cerebrations of the.
Passover
(iv) He went to the synagogue
(v) In his dedication as a first male, his parents offered the sacrifices
expected from them.
Topic Review Questions
1. Explain events leading to the birth of Jesus
b. Describe the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth
c. Describe the birth of Jesus
d. Explain the dedication of JESUS
e. Describe Jesus at the Temple
THE GALILEAN MINISTRY – LUKE 3-8

John the Baptist and Jesus Christ
THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (Luke3: 1 – 20)
John the Baptist preached about:
a. Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Baptism means to dip
in water’. Repentance means ‘change of heart/mind, turning around.
Baptism was a symbol of repentance, which means a total change
heart/mind, a confession of sins). Baptism of water was a preparation of
the baptism of fire and Holy Spirit by Jesus.
b. He warned people of God’s coming Judgment. The religious leaders
stressed outward observance of the law rather than inner righteousness.
John the Baptist told them to bear fruits worthy of repentance.
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He told them to live righteous lives and not as hypocrites (brood of

vipers). Religious leaders also assumed that since they were descendants
of Abraham, God would not punish them. He warned them that God could
raise descendants of Abraham from stones.
c) He announced the coming of the Messiah as Judge. John the Baptist
became famous that some thought he is the promised messiah. He
however pointed to a messiah who will not baptize with water but with
the Holy Ghost and fire (Jesus Christ).
d) He preached on social justice. He taught, emphasized, advised:
That those who have should share with those who do not have
The need for fairness and honesty for example tax collectors not to
collect more than what was required.
That soldiers should not to abuse their power by accusing others falsely,
robbing. They were told to be content with their wages.
e). He condemned King Herod’s immoral behavior. King Herod had
married Herodians – his own brother’s wife. Herod imprisoned John the
Baptist and this led to his death (Luke 3 v.22)
What does the term social justice mean?
Find the answer in (d).
Summary of the teachings of John the Baptist
He taught on repentance and forgiveness of sins.
He warned people of God’s coming judgment.
He announced the coming of the messiah who would be judge.
He preached on social justice. Those who have should share with the
poor.
He emphasized the need for fairness and honesty.
He warned against abuse of power by those in power and authority.
He condemned taking of bribes, corruption and over taxation.
He condemned sexual immorality (adultery).
Relevance of the teachings of John the Baptist to Christians today
The teachings challenge Christians to be fair, honest, and just in their
dealings with other people.
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Christians should avoid being hypocritical to one another. Christians need

to know that God will judge them for their wrongdoing. Hence Christian
should repent their sins sincerely and seek forgiveness.
Christians should warn non-believers of the coming judgment. They
should preach against evils without fear; and avoid corruption, and sexual
immorality. Christians should live together in harmony. Baptism was
important to Christians.
Group activity
Read Luke and find out how John the Baptist was killed, why and by
whom
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS AND ITS RELEVANCE TODAY
When Jesus was around 30 years of age, He went to be baptized by John
the Baptist. Jesus was the last to be baptized. Although he did not need to
repent as He did not sin; He nevertheless was baptized even though He
was without sin. When he was baptized, the heaven opened and the Holy
Ghost descended on Him in the form of a dove.
At the same time, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved son, in
whom I am well pleased”.
b. Reasons why Jesus was baptized. He was baptized because:
a. Jesus wanted to show his approval of John’s Ministry of baptism
b. Jesus accepted the work of redemption of human kind to be completed
through suffering and death
c. Jesus identified himself with the sinful humankind who needed
redemption through baptism
d. Jesus carried all the sins of humankind (baptized last)
e. He wanted to carry sins of people/humankind upon himself in order to
bring about reconciliation between people and God.
f. God can confirm to the people that Jesus Christ was the messiah (Ps
2:7)
g. It was an act of preparing those who were ready to receive the Messiah.
h. Baptism was a way of fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy.
c. Relevance or the Importance of the baptism of Jesus to Christians
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1) Christians practice baptism. They follow example of Jesus baptism.

There are many forms of baptism such as full immersion in water,
sprinkling of water on the forehead, partial immersion (head only) and
passing under a flag.
2) Christians teach importance of baptism. It qualifies a new convert to
become a member of Christian fellowship.
3) Through baptism, Christians receive the power of the Holy Ghost.
4) Through baptism, Christians identify themselves with Jesus Christ and
all that he stands for.
5) Baptism unites Christians in the body of Christ.
6) Baptism is a symbol of death and resurrection. In some denominations,
the baptized are given new names of other Christians and Jews.
7) Baptism signifies the forgiveness of sins
Through baptism one is considered a child of God.
9) Baptism is a form of preparation for the kingdom of God.
10) Baptism is a sign of Christ’s forgiveness of sins.
Lesson Revision questions
a. What is the relevance of john the Baptist teaching to Christians today?
b. Give reasons why Jesus accepted to be baptized
c. Describe the baptism of Jesus
d. What is the significance of the baptism of Jesus to Christians Today?
TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS: RELEVANCE TO CHRISTIANS

TODAY
a. The temptations of Jesus (Luke 4:1 – 13). Jesus, full of the Holy
Spirit returned from Jordan into the desert. Like Elijah, Moses, He ate and
drank nothing for 40 days and nights. He was hungry after 40 days.
It is at this time of weakness when the devil tempted Him.
First temptation
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The devil told Jesus to proof that He was the Son of God by turning the
stones to become bread. Jesus however replied that it is written man does
not live on bread alone to sustain him but on everything that the Lord says
(Deut 8:3). Satan was telling Jesus to use his Messianic power and Spirit
to obtain material security for himself and his followers for selfish,
materialistic purposes.
What can we learn from this temptation? Jesus was not seeking to
establish a material paradise on earth.
Second temptation
The devil led Jesus up to a high place (High Mountain) and showed Him
in an instant all the Kingdoms of the world. He told Him that he would
give Him all their authority and splendor, if He bows and worships Satan.
Jesus replied… it is written worship the Lord your God and serve him
only. Do not worship other gods (Deut.6: 13-14). Satan wanted Jesus to
use Godly power and influence. This was Idolatry i.e. worshipping other
gods.
What can we learn from this temptation? Jesus did not come to seek a
worldwide political military reign as many Jews expected Him to do.
Third Temptation
The Devil led Jesus to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the highest point
of the temple. He told Jesus to throw Himself down if He was the Son of
God for it is written that the Lord will command angels to guard him
(Psalm 91:11 – 12). Jesus replied and said it is written, do not put the
Lord your God to the test. Satan wanted Jesus to presume on God’s good
care by jumping from the roof of the temple.
What can we learn from this temptation? Jesus will not force belief in His
Messiah ship through a spectacular sign.
Notice that the temptations came after Jesus’ Baptism, where he had
solemnly accepted the opening of his public ministry and God confirmed
it. Therefore the temptations were a testing of his loyalty to God’s chosen
way of life.
b. Relevance of Jesus temptations to Christians
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Jesus, though without sin was tempted. His followers must expect to be
tested in their faith. Christians learn that it is not sinful to be tempted.
Since Jesus was tempted, he understands Christian’s difficulties when
they are tempted. Jesus is always ready to help Christians to cope with
temptations.
Why do you think Christians are tempted?
Through temptations and trials, Christian’s faith in God is strengthened.
Christians learn to refer to the Bible for guidance when tempted. Jesus
said that it is written… in reference to scripture. Christians should seek
the Holy Spirit to give them strength to fight any form of trials and
temptations.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit went to the wilderness and was tempted by
the devil. In temptation, God does provide a way out. Thus followers of
Jesus Christ (Christians) should not be seekers of spectacular signs.
REJECTION OF JESUS AT NAZARETH

After the temptation, Jesus went to Galilee, His home district to begin his
ministry. As a faithful Israelite, Jesus attended service in the synagogue
every Sabbath day. During that time, it was customary for visiting Rabbis
(Teachers of the law) to be given the honor of reading from the law or to
address the congregation. When Jesus was given this opportunity, He
opened the scroll and read from Isaiah 61: 1 –
3 …’The Sovereign Lord has filled me with his spirit. He has chosen me
and sent me.’ Luke writes in 4 v 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me
because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor”. On
completion of the reading, Jesus told them that today this scripture has
been fulfilled in their hearing. From this reading Jesus referred to himself
as the Messiah. The people of Nazareth in indignation wanted to kill Jesus
by throwing him over a cliff.
b. Possible Reasons for Rejection. Jews of Nazareth rejected Jesus
because one, they knew him as the son of Mary and Joseph. They did not
know Him as the Son of God. Two, Jesus did not fit into the idea of
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a political King that the Jews were expecting. They were waiting for a
King with an army and horses.
Three, Jesus preaching was seen as being against that of Pharisees,
Scribes and Sadducees: the religious leaders at that time. Four, Jesus
pointed out evils of religious leaders. Five, a leader is never accepted at
home especially in a superior or senior position. Six, Jesus did not follow
the general rules of the Mosaic Law. These were fasting, healing and
working on the Sabbath day. Worse still Jesus associated Himself with
Jewish outcasts such as sinners, and the sick.
Discussion question
1. What are the possible reasons for rejection of Jesus at Nazareth?
Answers
(i) He was known by people as son of Mary and Joseph
(ii) He did not fit in the idea of a political king that Jews were expecting
(iii) Often times one is not accepted at home and at a senior position
(iv) He did not follow the general rules of the law of Moses
(v) He associated with sinners, and outcasts
HEALING AT CAPERNAUM
a. Jesus’ healing at Capernaum LK. 4:31 – 44
After his rejection in Nazareth and an attempt to throw him down a hill,
Jesus went on to Capernaum. Here he cast out demons (Luke 4: 40 – 41).
He was teaching people. He performed many miracles of healing.
For example:
i. Healing a man possessed by an evil spirit. A man was possessed by an
unclean demon/spirit. He was in the synagogue. When he saw Jesus, the
evil spirit shouted, “Ah! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy one of God”
(Luke 4:34). Jesus replied, “Be silent and come out of him.” The Demon
threw the man down and came out without doing any harm. The man was
made whole.
ii. Jesus heals Simon’s mother – in law. After Jesus left the synagogue, he
went to the house of Simon Peter’s mother in law. She had a fever, Jesus
commanded the fever to leave and she was made whole immediately.
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Which lessons do Christians learn from the healings at Capernaum?

There are many lessons. These are that
1) Jesus is the son of God
2) Jesus came to establish the Kingdom of God and destroy the kingdom
of Satan.
3) Jesus has power over evil spirits / demons.
4) Jesus came to save human beings from the slavery of sin
5) God cares for his people.
THE CALLING OF THE FIRST DISCIPLES
Luke 5: 1 – 11
Introduction
A disciple is a learner, a student or a follower. Learners followed a master
so as to learn about religious matters. Disciples were followers of Christ.
Rabbis, these were teachers of law. They had special schools where they
taught law. In these schools, learning was by memorization and repetition
what students heard from the rabbis.
The disciples of Jesus did not memorize. They learnt by observation.
They were witnesses – and they spoke what they heard and described or
explained what they saw.
Call of the first disciples
Jesus entered into Simon’s ship and started to teach people who were
there. Later, He told Simon to “push off a little from the shore”. Jesus sat
in the boat and taught the crowd. After speaking, he told Simon, and his
partners James and John; “Push the boat out further to the deep
water…and let down your nets for a catch of fish”. Simon told Jesus that
they had toiled all night, and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will let
down the nets. Simon obeyed. They let down the nets and caught a
multitude of fish. They called for assistance from other fishermen. When
Simon Peter saw this, he told Jesus “Go away from me, Lord! I am a
sinful man!” Jesus said to Simon “Don’t be afraid, from now on you will
be catching people”. On getting to the shore, Peter and his friends James
and John sons of Zebedee forsook all and followed Jesus
Thus the first disciples of Jesus were Simon Peter; James and John.
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Lessons from the call of the first disciples

1) God can choose anybody to serve him regardless of his or her social
status.
2) God still calls people to serve him in various capacities as evangelists,
pastors and others.
3) Those called should repent their sins as Peter did
4) Christians should trust in God – Simon Peter trusted Jesus and cast his
nets even though they had caught no fish from the same spot.
5) God can intervene in people’s lives through miracles (miraculous catch
of fish)
6) Christians should work together as a team. Fishermen worked together.
7) There is hope for those who follow Jesus. He told them ‘follow me and
I will make you fishers of men’
God reveals himself to people in everyday activities as Jesus revealed
himself to Simon Peter, and his friends James and John through fishing.
9) Christian’s vocation may require renunciation of family ties and
occupations or a change of life.
10) Those called to serve God are expected to be humble
OPPOSITION IN GALILEE
Jesus ministry consisted of teaching, healing and doing many miracles.
Because of this work, Jesus faced opposition from the Pharisees,
Sadducees and Scribes. These were Jewish religious leaders.
a. Opposition by Pharisees and Sadducees. Luke 5:12- 6:11
Why did Jewish religious leaders; the Pharisees, Scribes and the
Sadducees oppose Jesus? There were many reasons for Jewish
opposition to Jesus. These were:
1) Jesus was becoming more famous than the religious leaders
2) His claim to forgive sins. This was reserved only for God.
3) His association with tax collectors / publicans and sinners. For
example, Jesus ate with Levi.
4) His failure to observe the law of fasting. Jesus disciples did not fast like
the disciples of the Pharisees and John the Baptist.
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5) Doing what religious leaders regarded as unlawful things on the

Sabbath day. For example,
a. Eating on Sabbath with unwashed hands (disciples),
b. Plucking corn on the Sabbath day
c. Working. Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. This was considered as
work, which was unlawful. Jesus healed a man with a paralyzed hand on
the Sabbath day.
d. Touching the unclean. Jesus reached out his hand and touched a leper
and healed him. Religious leaders were not allowed to touch the unclean
lepers.
e. Associating with tax collectors who were regarded as sinners because
they were corrupt. They collected more tax than the required amount.
Jesus was supposed not to associate with them or support them in any
way.
Who were the Pharisees? These were:
Referred to as the ‘separated ones’
Religious leaders who expected people to respect and honor them.
Pious leaders and wanted everybody to recognize them.
Rich Jews and looked at their riches as blessings from God.
Called ones and thought of themselves as the ‘righteous’ ones.
Popular to the poor who respected them
Characteristics of Pharisees
a. They believed in the Law of Moses and accepted the first five books of
the Bible as God inspired. They insisted on strict observance of the law.
b. They upheld and insisted on the observance of the oral traditions of the
elders.
c. They followed strictly 632 distinct rules and regulations broken down
from the Ten Commandments
d. They believed in the teachings of the prophets and other writings of the
Old Testament.
e. They passed religious traditions of the Jews from generation to
generation and regarded this as a duty or obligation.
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f. They believed in the existence of angels and regarded them as

intermediaries between God and human beings.
g. They believed in the existence of demons and Satan
h. They believed in and waited for the Messiah of God to come
i. The believed in the resurrection of the dead
j. The believed in the judgment of God at the end of time for all human
kind
k. They were strong nationalists and political leaders who resisted all
foreign influences and power.
Who were the Scribes?
The word Scribe means ‘a writer. The work of a scribe was to rewrite by
hand – new manuscripts of the Jewish scriptures. The copied the word
exactly as it was. The scribes were either Pharisees or Sadducees.
At the time of Jesus, majority of the Scribes were associated with the
Pharisees. A scribe was also a ‘Rabbi’ – teacher. Some scribes managed
schools called ‘Rabbinical Schools’. In these schools, Jewish male youth
learnt the Mosaic Law from the age of 13 years. Scribes were represented
in the Jewish religious council called the Sanhedrin. Sanhedrin was the
Jewish Court of Justice, which tried those who committed religious sins.
Who were the Sadducees?
Sadducees were the wealthy people. They were an influential group.
These were the majority in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Court of Justice.
The poor hated them. They were also members of the Jerusalem
priesthood. The chief priests were mainly drawn from the Sadducees.
They believed in the divine authority of the Law of Moses and the
Pentateuch’s first five Books of the bible. They believed that Moses wrote
the first 5 books of the Bible. They regarded all the other books in the Old
Testament as not divinely inspired. Hence they rejected them. They
rejected and did not believe in (a) The resurrection of the dead (b) Last
judgment (c) Coming of the Messiah (d) Angels and demons and (e) the
oral traditions of the Pharisees. They were enemies of the Pharisees
particularly because of religious matters. However, they joined with the
Pharisees and Scribes to oppose Jesus Christ.
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THE SERMON ON THE PLAIN (Luke. 6:12–16, 27– 49)

Review
In the previous section, we learnt that Jesus chose His apostles. He came
down the hill and stood on a level place. He gave a sermon to those
present. This address is referred to as the sermon on the plain in Luke’s
Gospel.
The people had come to hear Jesus’ word to receive healing and for Jesus
to exercise unclean spirits from them. In the sermon, Jesus talked of the
characteristics of the new community. All those who would listen to His
word would be the “New Israel”.
Selection of 12 disciples (Luke. 6:12 – 16)
Jesus went into a mountain to pray. In the morning, he called his
disciples. From them, he selected 12 disciples, whom he also called
apostles. Apostle means one who is sent, a missionary. The 12 disciples
where: (1) Simon Peter (2) Andrew (3) James (4) John (5) Phillip (6)
Bartholomew (7) Mathew (Levi) (8) Thomas (9) James son of Alpheus
(10) Simon who was called the Patriot (11) Judas son of James and
(12) Judas Iscariot who became the traitor (Luke vs. 14-16)
Jesus teachings’ on true discipleship
Jesus taught that a follower or disciple of Christ should:
(a) Have unshakeable faith
(b) Be obedient to God’s word
(c) Be self-critical/analytical/self-searching
(d) Be kind, loyal, objective, fair, and generous
(e) Accept others without discrimination.
(f) Be a disciple and show concern for others.
The Sermon on the plain (Luke 6: 17 – 49)

The Sermon on the plain is a lecture or lesson that Jesus gave to “ a large
number of his disciples and a large crowd of people who had come from
Judea, Jerusalem, tyre, and Sidon. They came to listen to the sermon of
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Jesus and to be healed of diseases, evil spirits. The purpose of the sermon
was to teach the crowd the meaning of following Christ. Jesus covered 6
beatitudes or topics in his sermon. These are.
1) Blessings and woes – beatitudes (2) Love for enemies (3) Judging
others (4) Giving to the needy (5) A tree and its fruits (6) Wise and
foolish builders – hearing and doing the words of Jesus.
We shall now discuss each of these beatitudes in detail.
1. Blessings and woes. Jesus taught that:
(i) Blessed are the poor for theirs is the Kingdom of God.
(ii) Blessed are the hungry for they shall be filled
(iii) Blessed are those who weep now for they shall laugh
(iv) Blessed are those who men shall hate, reject, reproach for the sake of
Christ’s for their great reward is kept in heaven.
(v) Woe to those who are rich, for they have already received their
reward.
(vi) Woe to those who are full for they shall go hungry
(vii) Woe to those who laugh now for they shall mourn and weep
(viii) Woe to those whom people speak well, for ancestors said the same
about the false prophets.
Those who accept to be followers of Christ are promised blessings while
those who reject Christ are to suffer in future.
2. Love your enemies. Luke. 6: 27 – 36.
Love is often defined as a warm feeling / affection towards somebody or
something. Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies and do well to
those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who
mistreat you. Do unto men as you expect them to do unto you. Lend also
to your enemies. Love your enemies and do well to them. Lend and
expect nothing back. Be merciful.
From these teachings, true discipleship of Jesus Christ:
a) Entails unconditional love even for enemies
b) Doing good without expecting any returns
c) Praying for those who mistreat us
d) Showing love to our enemies by exhibiting God’s love in us.
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e) Is love; because those who love are children of the most high who is
kind and merciful to the sinners?
(3) Judging others Luke. 6: 37– 42
Jesus taught his followers not to judge others lest they are also judged.
They should not condemn others lest they are also condemned. He asked
disciples to forgive others and they shall also be forgiven. True
discipleship requires acknowledging one’s shortcomings and avoiding
criticism of others.
(4) Giving to the needy.
A true disciple should share what they have with the needy. Those who
share shall be rewarded. He also said that the blind couldn’t lead the
blind. There is a master and a follower. The disciple is not above his
master.
(5) A tree and its fruits.
A healthy tree bears good fruits. A poor tree bears poor fruit. Neither does
a corrupt tree bring forth good fruits. A tree is known by its fruits.
Followers of Christ are evident to others by their actions. They are not
hypocritical or fault finding.
(6) Wise and foolish builders.
A wise builder digs a deep foundation on a rock. When floods come, the
house is able to stand. A foolish builder builds his house upon the sand.
Without a foundation, when floods come, the house falls and is ruined.
Wise builders are those who hear the word of God and do what is
required. Those who do not adhere to the teachings are the unwise
builders. True discipleship entails obedience to the teachings of Jesus
Christ.
Relevance of the lessons of the Sermon on the Plain to Christian Life

Christians are urged to love even those that hate them. The challenges that
followers of Christ encountered in the New Testament are not different
from those that Christians experience today.
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Christians should forgive others, share with the needy, avoid judging
others, and follow the teachings of Christ.
1. Give the main teaching of Jesus on the sermon on the plain
2. What is the relevance of the (beatitudes) sermon on the plain to
Christians today?
JESUS’ WORKS OF COMPASSION

In this lesson, Jesus’ works of compassion is discussed. These include the
works of mercy for those in distress and pity for the suffering. Jesus’
mission lays its foundation in these works of compassion, because He
came to establish the kingdom of God by conquering all forms of
suffering caused by Satan.
Compassion is a feeling of empathy for other people’s sufferings. It’s
being merciful, showing concern and affection for others.
a. Examples of Jesus work of compassion. There are many examples of
compassion
i) Healing of the centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1 – 10)
Centurion is an officer in charge of 100 men. Jesus healed the servant of a
Roman soldier and a Gentile.
The Centurion showed love and concern for his servant. The centurion
sent Jewish elders to Jesus with a request to heal his servant. The leaders
said ‘this man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation
and has built our synagogue’ (Luke 7:5). Jesus agreed and went with the
elders. But before Jesus reached the centurion’s house, the centurion sent
his friends to stop him from coming to his house. He said that he was not
worthy to have Jesus under his roof. He said that he was a man of
authority. Hence Jesus could give an order and the servant would be
healed. On hearing this, Jesus declared to the crowd ‘I tell you, I have not
found such great faith even in Israel’. When the men returned, they found
the servant well.
Lessons Christians can learn from the healing of the centurion
servant.
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1. Faith in God is important for healing to occur

2. We should confess our faith in Jesus. The centurion declared his faith
in Jesus by saying he believed that Jesus could heal his servant by his
word.
3. Christians should have compassion like Jesus. He took compassion on
the servant and was ready to go and heal him.
4. Salvation was not for Jews alone, but for all who believed in Jesus.
Centurion was not a Jew but a gentile officer in the Roman army. But he
had faith in Jesus healing.
5. Christians should love each other regardless of their background or
social status – the centurion loved his servant dearly.
6. Christians should learn to relate well with all around them – the
centurion related well with the Jewish elders and others.
7. Jesus has power to heal any form of sickness.
ii) The raising of the widows son – Luke 7:11 – 17.
A widow is a woman whose husband is dead. The widow was of the city
of Nain. When Jesus neared the gates of the city, he saw the funeral
procession of the widow’s son, the only son of his mother. Jesus had
compassion on the widow and told her ‘weep not’. Jesus then touched the
casket and said ‘young man I say unto you, arise’. The dead sat up and
began to speak. All the people were filled with fear and glorified God,
saying God has visited his people.
Lessons Christians learn from the raising of the widow’s son
1) Jesus has power over death
2) Jesus empathizes with the suffering
3) Acts of love should not be hindered by traditions – Jesus touched the
casket even though Jewish traditions forbid it.
4) The Widow of Nain was a gentile. This is a sign that salvation was
universal.
5) The crowd acknowledged Jesus’ lordship; Christians should
acknowledge the lordship of Jesus.
What are the practices pertaining to the disposal of the dead in your
culture and community?
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iii) Assurance to John the Baptist (Luke 7:20 – 30).

A question arose whether Jesus Christ was the Messiah. John the Baptist
wanted to assure his disciples that Christ; was the expected messiah: and
not him (John the Baptist). He sent his disciples to Jesus to ask “if you are
the one he said was going to come, or if we should expect someone
else?”(Vs. 20). Jesus told the disciples of John to go back and tell John of
the miracles works they saw and heard. Jesus then gave a testimony of
John the Baptist as a prophet, whose life and missions is beyond that of
ordinary prophets. Jesus testified that John the Baptist; was the forerunner
or messenger of Jesus Christ: as the prophets in the Old Testament had
written. The Pharisees and the publicans (teaches of the law) however
rejected the testimony about John the Baptist. They had refused to be
baptized by John. Those baptized by John the Baptist, the tax collectors
acknowledged the testimony of Jesus. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and
teachers of law for their hypocrisy.
In what ways were the Pharisees and teaches of law hypocritical?
iv) The forgiveness of the sinful woman (Luke 7: 36 – 50)
Jesus was invited by one of the Pharisees called Simon to his house to
dine with him. In that city, there was a sinful woman. She went to the
house of Simon when she learnt that Jesus was in the Pharisees house.
She brought with her an alabaster jar full of perfume. She stood behind
Jesus. She was weeping and washing his feet with her fears. She then
wiped the tears from the feet of Jesus with her hair, kissed his feet, and
anointed them with oil (an alabaster box of ointment). When Simon, the
host saw this he said within himself, ‘if this man was a prophet, he would
know who this woman is who is touching him” a sinful woman. Jesus told
Simon a parable of a man who forgave two people that owed him money
– one 500, the other 50. Jesus asked which of the two debtors would love
him most. Simon said the one that was forgiven much, Jesus then told
Simon that when he came to his house, Simon did not give him water for
his feet; neither did he welcome Jesus with a kiss; nor provide him with
olive oil. But the woman washed his feet with her tears, and wiped them
with her hair. She also kissed his feet. Jesus told the people that her sins,
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being many are forgiven for she loved much. Jesus turned to the woman
and told her ‘thy sins are forgiven’. ‘Thy faith has saved thee, go in
peace’. The people who were eating with
Jesus murmured. Who was Jesus? He forgives sins.
Lessons from the forgiveness of the sinful woman
1. The Jews believed that by associating with sinners, one becomes
virtually defiled. Jesus however allowed the sinful woman to touch him.
2. By her actions, the woman acknowledged that she was a sinner, and
repented. This was in contrast to the Pharisees who were self-righteous
and therefore did not repent.
3. The Woman’s great love for Jesus led to her being forgiven of her sins.
4. Christians need to accept their sinful nature and seek forgiveness from
God.
5. Faith in Jesus is necessary.
Summary
Jesus is accepted women to be his followers unlike the Jewish customs
which viewed women as lesser than men. Other women that played a key
role in the ministry of Jesus include Mary Magdalene, Joann Joanna and
Susanna among many others.
1. What role do women play in the church ministry?
2. Narrate the story of the forgiveness of the sinful woman (Lk 7: 36, 8:3)
3. What lessons do you learn from the above story?
4. Describe the story of the raising of the widow’s son at Nain (Lk 7: 11-
17)
Answers
Women play many roles in the church ministry. Some of these are:
(i) Carrying out duties of pastors, bishops, and deacons
(ii) Management. Some are heads of the women groups
(iii) Leading in church service
(iv) Participating as church ushers, choir singers, and youth leaders
(v) Attending church. Women are part of the congregations
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JESUS TEACHING IN PARABLES (LK. 8: 4- 21)

Introduction
Jesus used parables to teach. A parable is a Greek word. It means
comparing or ‘putting side by side’ in order to understand. A parable is
defined as a short story or description, which teaches something or
answers some questions. It is an allegory – an earthly story with a hidden
or heavenly meaning.
a. Use of parables. Jesus used parables in his teachings in order to explain
unfamiliar messages in a language that his hearers could understand.
Other reasons were because Jesus wanted to:
1) Provoke critical thinking
2) Make the audience understand issues from a different point of view
3) Explain the nature of the kingdom of God by giving real life examples.
4) Explain the nature of God. The parables brought out the attributes of an
invisible God. For example, the parable of the prodigal son who had been
lost
5) Attract the attention of his audiences so that they could listen and
understand.
6) Make people understand how they should relate to one another. Read
the parable of the good Samaritan
7) Teach God’s love to mankind the parable of the lost sheep, lost coin.
Separate / identify those who were sincere in seeking the kingdom of God
from the onlookers.
9) Challenge the imagination of his hearers since entry to God’s kingdom
was a personal decision.
10) Make an indirect attack on his opponents like the Pharisees, the
scribes and the Sadducees.
11) Teach his disciples that they should be persistent and never be
discouraged.
12) Make his teachings interesting and easy to understand.
1. The parable of the sower Lk 8:4 – 15
Jesus told this parable to the crowd that followed him. He said that a
farmer went out to sow corn. He scattered seeds in the field. As he did so,
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some of them fell on the path, and they were trampled on and eaten by
birds. Other seeds fell on the rock ground. When they germinated, they
withered because they lacked moisture. Some seed fell among thorns
bushes. They grew with bushes, which choked them as they grew. Some
other seeds fell on fertile soil. They grew up in fertile soil and their yield
was100 seed for each seed sown.
Meaning or interpretation of the parable
Jesus gave the meaning of the parable to his disciples. He said that
the seed is the word of God.
i. Seed that fell on the path represents people who hear the word of God,
and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts so
that they do not believe. Such listeners are like the seeds that fell on the
path. They hear the word but soon after the devil take away the message
to stop them from believing and being saved.
ii. Seed that fell on the rocky ground are people who receive the word
with joy but it does not stay with them. They believe for a while but when
faced with trials and temptations they stop believing and fall away.
iii. Seed that fell on the thorny bushes stands for people who receive the
word. However, they fail to follow their beliefs because of interference by
life’s worries, riches and pressures of the world. They fail to mature as
believers.
iv. Seed that fell on the good soil are those people with a noble and good
heart. They hear the word, and retain it in their hearts. Such people
persevere and produce good harvest.
v. Interpretation. The different types of soil in this parable refer to
different kinds of Hearts of people.
The farmer is Jesus, God or Preacher. We learn that:
One should not despair and
It’s important to receive the word of God, practice it and persevere so as
to bear fruits.
2. The parable of a lamp under a bowl (Lk.8: 16 – 18).
Jesus taught that no one lights a lamp, then covers it with a bowl or hide it
under a bed. When one lights a lamp, they put it on the lamp stand so as to
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illuminate a room and for people to see the light. For whatever is hidden
or covered up shall be revealed. In this parable Jesus is the light. The
disciples had a duty to pass on to others messages they had learnt from
Jesus. They should not keep messages to themselves. Interpretation from
this parable of a lamp under a bowl, we learn that:
i. A Christian has a duty to share the knowledge of God with others
ii. One cannot be a Christian if this knowledge is hidden
iii. Those who do not share may lose their beliefs.
3. Jesus mother and brothers. Luke 8:19 – 21
The mother of Jesus and brothers came to see him. Someone told Jesus
that they were there. He told the crowd. “My mother and brothers are
those who hear the word of God and obey “. Accepters and believers are
the members of the family of Jesus.
Lesson Revision Questions
1. Give reasons why Jesus used parables
2. Identify various methods used by Christians in spreading the gospel
today
3. Discuss the reasons why Jesus faced opposition from the Jewish
leaders.
MIGHTY WORKS OF JESUS

Jesus continued to do miracles; and teach. His work is referred to as the
mighty works of Jesus in various books. Miracles can be defined as acts
of power whose purpose is to establish the kingdom of God.
Miracles can also mean extraordinary events that go against the laws of
nature.
a. Categories / types of miracles
Jesus performed four types of miracles. These were:
1) Nature miracles – miracles that dealt with nature e.g. calming of the
storm
2) Raising of the dead e.g. Jairus daughter
3) Healing miracles – healing Simon’s mother in law of fever, healing of
the woman with the flow of blood.
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4) Exorcism miracles – casting out of evil spirits e.g. the Gerasene

demonic
i) The calming of the storm
One day, Jesus entered a boat with his disciples to go across Lake Galilee.
As they sailed Jesus was asleep in the ship. Suddenly, there was a strong
wind and the boat began to sink. The disciples woke him up saying,
“Master, we are about to die”. Jesus woke up and gave an order to the
winds and the raging waters. They obeyed and there was calm. He then
said to his disciples ‘where is your faith?’ Disciples were afraid and
amazed and wondered, “Who is this man?” Winds and waves obey him.
This miracle teaches Christians to have faith and to depend on Jesus when
they face raging temptations and persecutions. Jesus has power over
nature.
ii) Jesus Heals a Man with demons (Lk8: 26 – 39)
Jesus and his disciples sailed to Gerasa town across Lake Galilee. On
arrival a man who had demons in him for a long time met Jesus. He lived
naked in tombs, and wilderness. On seeing Jesus, he cried out, threw
himself down at the feet of Jesus and shouted; “Jesus son of the Most
High God! What do you want with me?” ” I beseech thee, torment me
not’. Jesus had ordered the demons to go out of him.
Jesus asked him “what is your name?” He replied Legion or Mob. This
was because the man had been possessed by many demons. The demons
begged Jesus not to send them into the deep but to let them go into some
pigs (swine) that were feeding by. Jesus allowed them and the devils went
out of the man, into the pigs. The herd ran down the cliff into the lake and
drowned. The herders run to the city and spread the news. The multitude
found the man sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed, and in his right mind.
The multitude asked Jesus to leave their country region. The healed man
wanted to follow Jesus but
Jesus declined and told him to go and tell others of the great things that
God had done for him. The man went to town and told all “what Jesus had
done for him”.
This miracle teaches Christians that:
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1. The mission of Jesus’ was universal.

2. Jesus mission is to teach all the people irrespective of their race, tribe
or geographical location. The demon man was healed in a Gentile area.
3. Jesus has power over evil
4. Powers of evil (demons) are real
5. Human life is more valuable than man’s material things
6. The demons – evil spirits identified Jesus as the Son of the most high
7. Christians need to fight the power of evil SAQ. What were the causes
of mental illness and spirit possession in traditional African society and in
modern society?
iii) Jairus daughter is raised. Lk.8: 40 – 42, 49 – 56
Jairus was an official in the local synagogue. He begged Jesus to come to
his house and heal his only daughter who was 12 was dying.
iv) Woman with the flow of blood is Healed (Lk. 8:43 – 48)
When Jesus was on route to Jairus house, great crowds followed him and
pressed him on either side.
Amongst them was a woman who had suffered from severe bleeding for
12 years. She consulted doctors and spent all her savings on physicians.
But she was not cured. The society considered the woman unclean. It
blamed her for her illness. She herself was embarrassed by her condition.
This woman walked behind Jesus and she touched the hem of the garment
of Jesus. Her bleeding stopped at once.
Jesus asked who touched me. Everyone denied it. Peter replied the
multitude was around Jesus and it was difficult to know who had touched
him. Jesus persisted someone touched him. The woman who had touched
Jesus the woman came forward, and fell at his feet and confessed to all
her sickness and explained why she touched Jesus and how she was
healed at once. Jesus said to her “My daughter, your faith has made you
well. Go in peace”.
Jairus daughter is raised. Lk.8: 40 – 42, 49 – 56
As Jesus was talking to her, Jairus was told that his little girl was dead.
“Don’t bother the teacher anymore. Jesus told Jairus not to fear but to
believe and she will be well. When he got to the house he went into the
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room with Peter, John and James and the parents of the girl. People
around were weeping and wailing. But Jesus told them not to weep. She is
not dead but asleep. They scorned and laughed at him for saying that she
is asleep because they knew she was dead. Jesus took the girl by hand and
called out “Get up, my child” – ‘little girl arise’. She immediately got up
and Jesus ordered the parent to give her food. He commanded them not to
tell what had happened.
Teachings from these two miracles
The miracle of raising Jairus daughter teaches Christians that Jesus is
compassionate and the author of life. He has power over death,
resurrection and life.
In the miracle of healing the Woman with the flow of blood:
a. Jesus made her healing public. This was probably because He wanted
to acknowledge the woman’s faith in the public. Jesus made it clear that
her faith made her whole.
b. Jesus wanted to challenge the cultural practices that kept women in
bandage and could not participate in public life.
c. Jesus made her healing public so that the community can receive her
back and shall not isolate her again.
From this miracle of healing this woman, Christians learn that one; Jesus
is the healer. He has power over all sicknesses even those without cure.
Two, Christians should have faith in Jesus Christ.
Lesson Revision Questions
1. Narrate the healing of the Gerasene demoniac Lk 8: 26-39
2. What lessons can Christians learn from the healing of the demoniac
man above?
3. What do the miracles of Jesus teach us about him?
4. Compare the raising of Jairus daughter and the healing of the woman
with the flow of blood
Answers
A comparison of the raising of Jairus daughter and the healing of the
woman with flow of blood
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(i) Jairus daughter was 12 years old and the woman sick with the flow of
blood had suffered for 12 years.
(ii) Jesus referred to both of them as daughter
(iii) Their situation – death and flow of blood did not have a cure
(iv) The public witnessed the miracle of the woman with the flow of
blood.
(v) Jesus commanded Jairus to keep secret raising of his daughter
COMMISSIONING OF THE TWELVE DISCIPLES Lk 9:1 – 10

Introduction
Commission means to officially ask someone to do something.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
a. Describe the commissioning of the twelve disciples.
b. Explain the story of the feeding of the 5000
c. Describe the transfiguration of Jesus
d. Explain the teachings of Jesus on faith and humility.
a. The commissioning of the twelve disciples
The twelve disciples or followers accompanied Jesus wherever he went.
They were regarded as apostles.
An apostle comes from a Greek word ‘Apostols’ which means ‘send out’
one who is sent or a ‘missionary’. The commissioning of the 12 disciples
meant that they were given four main duties, power and authority to:
a) Exorcise or cast out demons
b) Cure diseases
c) Heal the sick
d) Preach the Kingdom of God and proclaim the arrival of God’s
Instructions. They were told to:
i) Take nothing for the journey
ii) Initiate attack on the forces of evil
iii) Depend entirely on God to take care of them
iv) Take no stick, no beggars’ bag, no food, no money and not even an
extra shirt for their journey
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v) Whatever house they entered they were to stay there until they leave
the town.
vi) If they were not welcomed, they were to leave that town and shake the
dust off their feet as a warning to that city or town.
With these instructions, the disciples left and travelled to all villages
preaching the Good News and healing people everywhere. King Herod
was perplexed by the work of the disciples and he desired to see
Jesus.
b. Feeding of the five thousand.
Please open your Bible and read Luke chapter 9. Verses 11-17)
After reading these verses, about feeding of the five thousand (5000)
people we learn that
1. Jesus is concerned about people’s physical needs
2. Jesus demonstrated that he is the bread of life
3. Jesus has divine power
4. The Church has the duty of continuing to feed its followers both
spiritually and physically.
5. The feeding of the 5000 people points to the Messianic banquet
6. Christians must learn to share whatever they have with one another
7. From this miracle, Jesus expected his disciples to appreciate their
responsibility. Their work was not only to preach and heal but also feed
the hungry. Feeding was both physical and spiritual.
The personality of Jesus and his identity Lk. 9:18 – 27
When Jesus was alone with his disciples, he asked them who people say
he is. The disciples told him that some say he is John the Baptist, others
say he is Elijah and others say his one of the old prophets who have risen
again. Jesus asked them who they, disciples say he is. Peter replied that he
is Christ of God.
Jesus then told them not to tell people who he is for the Son of man has
first to suffer many things be rejected by the elders chief, priests and
scribes, be killed and be raised the third day. Jesus announced to the
disciples of his passion (great sufferings) Jesus is the Christ (anointed) of
God – Messiah as well as the son of man. A divine nature and a human
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nature. Jesus went on ahead to tell his disciples that they should deny
themselves (self – denial) take up their cross daily and be ready to lose
their lives for Jesus. However, great is the reward for the faithful.
THE TRANSFIGURATION (LK.9: 28 – 36)

A brief summary from the Bible
Transfiguration is change or transformation of form or appearance. Jesus
was transformed in appearance when he took Peter, John and James to the
mountain to pray. During the transfiguration,
Moses and Elijah came down from heaven to talk with Jesus about his
coming death in Jerusalem.
Moses, Elijah and Jesus were in heavenly glory and glorious splendor.
Peter, John and James were asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’
glory. They also saw Elijah and Moses with Jesus. Peter suggested to
Jesus that they build three tents for Jesus, Elijah and Moses. As he spoke
a cloud overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud said ‘this is my son,
whom I have chosen——– listen to him”. The cloud left and the disciples
found themselves with Jesus. They kept what they saw and heard to
themselves.
Significance and importance of transfiguration
a. The voice from heaven confirmed that Jesus is the Christ of God, or the
Messiah
b. Moses represented the Old Testament law. Jesus came to fulfill the
Law of Moses. It showed that
Jesus was not against the Law of Moses.
c. Elijah represented the Old Testament Prophets. This meant that Jesus
had fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. He is above the prophets.
d. Jesus is above or greater than the law and the prophets.
e. Transfiguration was a way of preparing the disciples for the death and
resurrection of Jesus. Death is not the end of life (Moses and Elijah
appeared to confirm this)
f. The transfiguration prepared and gave strength to Jesus for what lay
ahead of him
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g. Dazzling appearance showed the glory of Jesus

h. The transfiguration also shows the importance of encouraging each
other.
5.0 Revision questions
a. Explain the teachings of John the Baptist
b. Describe the baptism and temptation of Jesus and its relevance to
Christians today.
c. Give reasons as to why Jesus was rejected at Nazareth
d. Describe the first miracles of Jesus at Capernaum
e. Narrate and dramatize the temptations of Jesus from the gospel
according to St Luke,
f. Identify five occasions when Jesus was tempted
g. Explain ways in which Christians can be tempted today
h. Outline ways in which Christians can overcome temptations in the
contemporary world
i. Identify lessons that Christians can learn from the temptations of Jesus?
j. What is the role of the clergy in Kenya?
k. How does the church participate in the upkeep of the clergy?
l. Define and describe the transfiguration of Jesus
THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM – LUKE ch. 9-18

Introduction
As Jesus travelled to Jerusalem, He prepared His disciples for the life they
were to lead after He leaves them.
DUTIES, PRIVILEGES AND COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
Jesus’ teaching on faith and humility a brief summary from the Bible read
(Luke 9: 37 – 50) for details. After the transfiguration, Jesus used two
incidents to teach his disciples about faith and humility. One incident was
the healing of a boy possessed by an evil spirit (Luke 9: 37 –43). Jesus
rebuked the unclean spirit out of the boy and the boy was healed. Jesus
told His disciples that their lack of faith was the reason why they did not
cure the boy.
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Jesus informed his disciples that faith in him was important when carrying
out his work.
Jesus’ teaching on His Work
The next question was …. Who is to work for Jesus? All Christians can
work for Jesus even believers who are gentiles. Read (Luke 9 vs. 49 – 50).
Jesus told his disciples not to forbid others from carrying out his work for
whoever is not against Him is for Him. This means that whoever had
faith; even the Gentiles could carry out Jesus work.
Jesus’ teaching on His followers
Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem. As He travelled, men volunte-
ered to follow him wherever he was going. Jesus replied that foxes have
holes, birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay
his head. Jesus had no earthly home. His mission on earth was only for a
time. A man requested to follow Jesus but asked permission to bury his
father. Jesus told him to let the dead bury their dead. Disciples of Jesus
have to leave their families in order to do His Work. Mission of the 72
men. Read Luke 10:1 – 24
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus sent out 72 disciples on a mission to
promote the Gospel of the Kingdom of God through preaching and
service. The 72 disciples were sent in 2s in order to encourage or help
each other. The 72 were given instructions. Jesus told them that He has
given them power over demons, serpents, scorpion. They have power over
all the powers of Satan. When disciples returned, they reported that
demons obeyed them. In Luke 10 verse 20, Jesus asked the 72 to rejoice
not because demons flee but because their names are written in heaven.
Out of the many followers, Jesus chose 12 apostles who learnt from Jesus
and became His witnesses.
Jesus’ teaching on the greatest disciple

Read (Luke 9: 46- 48). The disciples asked themselves– who is the
greatest amongst disciples amongst the 12 disciples? In response Jesus
took a child by His side and said to the disciples. Whoever welcomes this
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child in my name, welcomes me, as well as the one who sent me. For the
one who is least amongst you shall be the greatest in Heaven.
Lessons from this example
Jesus explained that His disciples needed values of humility and
simplicity. These virtues were needed to carry out the work of
discipleship.
Teaching about Discipleship
1. True followers of Jesus Christ must
a. Be ready to detach themselves from families and material possessions.
b. Be ready to face rejections because not all people will accept them or
their message.
c. Be ready to serve.
d. Be ready to cater for people’s physical needs.
e. Be selfless.
f. Not be hypocrites and should accept hospitality whenever it is given.
g. Be able to exercise self-evaluation.
2. Duties of a disciple were:
a) To preach the good news of salvation to other people and be ready to
suffer for the sake of Christ.
b) Obey God’s commandments and follow teachings of Jesus.
c) To help the needy spiritually and with material needs.
d) To teach others about the Kingdom of God.
e) To heal the sick.
f) To cast out demons.
g) Be prepared to suffer for the sake of the gospel.
h) Being loyal to Jesus and faithful to the gospel.
i) Commitment and loyalty
3. Privileges of a disciple
a) One becomes a member of the Kingdom of God.
b) They get an assurance of eternal life.
c) They receive joy of winning other people to follow Jesus.
d) They receive peace, and blessings of God.
How are these teachings relevant to modern church leaders and members?
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Modern church leaders have a duty to continue preaching God’s word to

all people. They should serve God in several ministries such as visiting
the sick, caring for orphans, the destitute, widows, widowers, and the
aged. They should also be ready to suffer and even face rejection for the
sake of the Christ.
Exercise
1. What are the characteristics of a true follower of Christ?
2. State the privileges of being a disciple of Jesus Christ
3. Why did Jesus choose the 12 disciples?
A COMMITTED FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

Read Luke 10: 25-37, and Luke 11: 1-13
a. The parable of the Good Samaritan
A teacher of law asked Jesus questions in order to tempt him. One was
“what must I do to receive eternal life? (Read Luke 10: 25 to 28). Jesus
replied with a question. What do the scriptures say? He replied and Jesus
told him to do as the scripture say. . He asked another question. Who is
my neighbor? (Luke 10 v 29). Jesus answered with the parable of the
Good Samaritan. In this parable, the righteous people among the Jews,
Levites and priests, did not help the injured man. A Samaritan whom Jews
considered unclean and sinners helped him. After narrating this parable
Jesus asked the lawyer, who of the 3 travelers was a good neighbor? The
lawyer said the Samaritan.
Lessons learnt from the parable of the Good Samaritan
In the above parable, Jesus stressed that a follower of Jesus should be:
(1) Committed
(2) Show love of God by loving people in need and their neighbors. A
neighbor is anybody who requires assistance or help regardless of race,
ethnicity, creed, color or gender. Jesus wants his followers to show love
and concern to all people regardless of their background. A neighbor uses
-His/her resources selflessly to help the needy. A neighbor is also
compassionate, kind, and generous to the needy.
Jesus Visit to Martha and Mary (Read Luke 10: 38 – 42)
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Martha welcomed Jesus in her home where she lived with her sister Mary.
While Martha prepared food,
Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to his teaching. Martha complained. She
was doing all the work while
Mary sat listening to Jesus teaching. Jesus told Martha that Mary had
made the right choice to listen to His teaching.
Lessons we can learn from Jesus Visit to Martha and Mary
1. A committed follower of Jesus is one who creates time to study and
listen to God’s word.
2. A follower of Christ should ensure that their commitment to God is not
overshadowed by daily duties, worries and responsibilities.
3. Jesus visit to Mary and Martha was also to teach disciples on the
characteristics of a true disciple.
Revision exercise
1. From the teachings of Jesus, on the parable of the Good Samaritan;
who do you think is a committed follower of Jesus?
JESUS’ TEACHING ON PRAYER (Read Luke 11:1 – 13)

Prayer is communication with God. It is talking with God. People pray to
God all the time. For example, people pray to God when:
1. They are in problems and in happiness;
2. Seeking healing and wealth,
3. Giving thanks to God,
4. Identifying the needs to be met, and asking for favors from God
5. Repenting and confessing their sins
6. Thanking God
There are many forms or types of prayers. These are:
1. Intercessory prayer – Praying for the needs of others.
2. Prayer for repentance – for forgiveness of sins.
3. Thanksgiving prayer – giving thanks to God for what he has done.
4. Worship prayer – prayers to worship God.
5. Praise prayers – to praise God, Honor God.
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6. Supplication and petition prayer – whereby an individual makes their

needs known to God and asks for divine intervention.
Jesus prayed often during his life’s Ministry. The disciples asked him to
show them how to pray. Jesus responded by teaching them the Lord’s
Prayer.
“Our Father who art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as
It is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
Forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil”
a) Our Father who art in heaven – The disciples were told to address God
as ‘Our father’. God is to be Seen and addressed as a Father.
b) Hallowed be thy name – The name of God should be respected and
revered.
c) Thy Kingdom come – In Prayer, Christians/disciples are to pray that
the ruler ship of God reign amongst them.
d) Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven – Christians to obey the
will of God.
e) Give us this day our daily bread – Christians to pray for their needs.
f. Forgive us our trespasses – we ask for forgiveness of our sins and those
of others.
g. Jesus taught that one should be persistent in prayer. If a man goes to his
friend at midnight and asks for bread to give to his visitor, the friend will
open the door and give his friend all that he needs. This is because his
friend was persistent in knocking on the door.
In conclusion, if prayers are to be effective, one must have faith and be
persistent. Believe that God shall answer prayers. A committed follower
of Jesus should pray at all times. In prayer, one should acknowledge that
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God is the Father and that all prayers should be addressed to him. Two,
one should have faith that God answers prayers. Therefore we should be
persistent in prayer.
Reasons why Christians should pray
To honor God
To request for favors
To offer thanksgiving
To confess their sins and seek for forgiveness of sins
To seek God’s protection
To intercede on behalf of others
To strengthen their relationship with God
Revision exercise
1. What did Jesus teach about prayer?
2. What is the importance of prayer?
USE OF GOD’S POWER TO OVERCOME EVIL. Read Luke 11:14

– 28
a. Jesus and Beelzebub. (Read Luke 11: 14 to 28)
Jesus drove out a mute demon. The possessed man began to talk. The
crowd said that Jesus was casting out demons using the power of
Beelzebub (the price of demons). Beelzebul was an evil spirit. However
Jesus replied “Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each
other will not last very long, and a family divided against itself will fall.
Jesus said it is by the power of God that drives out demons. Lessons
learnt
i. Satan cannot fight against himself therefore Jesus cannot be an agent of
Beelzebub / Satan.
ii. Gods Kingdom and that of Satan were two separate Kingdoms and
could not co-exist.
iii. The destruction of Satan’s power meant that the Kingdom of God was
in Israel and it was powerful.
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God’s power destroyed Satan’s kingdom. It is impossible to be neutral in

the battle between Christ and Satan. One has to belong to either Christ or
Satan.
iv. Jesus has power to drive out demons.
v. Demons occupy people. They bring disabilities and diseases.
What makes people to be insane? Mentally sick
b. The sign of Jonah. (Read Luke 11: 29 – 32)
After Jesus drove out the dumb spirit, Jews demanded performance of
greater miracles. They wanted Jesus to prove that he was their expected
messiah. Jesus said that Jonah was a great miracle. But Jesus was greater
miracle than that of Jonah, and King Solomon. King Solomon was full of
wisdom. He was so great that Queen of Sheba came to listen to his
wisdom. Jesus like Jonah had brought a message of judgment. Jesus is
greater than Jonah or Solomon. If Jews refuse to receive and listen to
Jesus, the Gentiles like Queen of Sheba, will bear testimony against the
Jews and receive God’s salvation.
c. The light of the body. Read Luke: 11: 33 – 36
Jesus taught that no one lights a lamp and hides it under a bowl. A lamp is
placed where all can see its light. He said that the human eye is the lamp
or the light of the body. Jesus asked the listeners to make sure that “the
light in you is not darkness” (vs. 35).
What is the main message in this story?
JESUS TEACHING ON HYPOCRISY, WEALTH, WATCHFUL-

NESS AND READINESS
Introduction
Hypocrisy is being dishonest and insincere or pretending to someone else
or people. What did Jesus teach about hypocrisy?
a. Hypocrisy. Read Luke 12: 1- 12
A Pharisee invited Jesus to his house for a meal. When Jesus did not wash
before eating the meal, the Pharisee was surprised. Jesus told him, “You
Pharisees clean the outside of your cup and plate, but inside you are full
violence and evil, greed and wickedness” (vs. 39). Jesus condemned the
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Pharisees for their hypocrisy. They were concerned with outward

appearances and traditions such as ceremonial washing of cups, hands,
and dishes but not the souls of people. They loved the outward show and
public recognition. Pharisees tithed, “but neglected justice and love of
God” (vs. 42). They imposed rules and regulations for people to follow,
yet they themselves did not practice what they preached. They refused to
confess their sins but pointed out sins in others. They hinder others from
entering the kingdom of God. They had failed to make people understand
the true interpretation of the law. They were like unmarked graves – dead
to people yet the people trusted them. After this teaching, the Pharisees
and the teachers of the law began to oppose Jesus fiercely.
What do we learn from Jesus teachings? Followers of Jesus should be
1. Sincere and upright (honest); (2) obey God’s commands; (3), live to
please God but not other people;
(4) Confess publicly their loyalty to God and (5) love God without fear
and (6) be dependent on the Holy Spirit
b. The Parable of the Rich Fool. (Read Luke 12:13 to 21).
Someone wanted justice. His brother had refused to share with him his
father’s wealth. He wanted Jesus to order his brother to divide their
father’s inheritance between him. In response, Jesus answered him with
the parable of the rich fool.
A rich man expected a good harvest of his crops. He thought he did not
have storage for the crop he expected to harvest. The man said to himself.
i will demolish my granaries and stores, then build bigger ones to store all
my corn, and other goods. He expected to have enough food to last him a
lifetime. Then he can enjoy his wealth; eating, drinking and making
merry. But God told him that his life would be demanded from him that
same night. What will happen to his wealth, as he was not rich in God’s
sight?
Lessons to learn
i. Followers of Jesus should not put their trust in material wealth but in
God
ii. Life consists of food, other material wealth and trust in God
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iii. Whoever seeks God’s kingdom, will receive material blessings from
God
iv. Jesus did not condemn material possessions but rather the attitude
towards material possessions.
v. Jesus condemned attachment to material wealth instead of trust in God
who controls our lives.
c. Watchfulness, Readiness, and Instructions. (Read Luke 12: 35 – 59)
Jesus told his disciples to be:
i. Watchful and ready for the return of the Son of Man i.e. Jesus.
ii. Faithful servants so that when Jesus returns, he will find them ready
and acting responsibly
iii. Watchful of possible divisions in families
iv. Royal to Christ
v. Ready for the coming of the Son of Man. He will come at unexpected
time; like a thief who comes when the owner of the house is not aware.
vi. Observing things of the kingdom of God, which were present in the
person of Jesus.
vii. Like good servants, and watch over the affairs of the master.
viii. Be decision makers and follow the teachings of Jesus without being
watched.
Review questions
1. In what ways were the Pharisees hypocritical?
THE KINGDOM OF GOD

a. The unfaithful fig tree
b. The mustard seed
c. Parable of the feast
d. Parable of the great feast
e. Parable of the lost sheep and the lost son
The Kingdom of God
Kingdom of God refers to rule of God, or God’s authority on people’s
lives and the world He created. The kingdom of God was present in Jesus.
It is now and in the future reality. The teachings and miracles of
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Jesus was a manifestation of the Kingdom of God. For anyone to enter

God’s kingdom, one has to repent and ask for forgiveness. The Kingdom
of God continues to grow and spread through the work of the Church.
Those who accept the teachings of Jesus Christ about God’s Kingdom are
members of the Kingdom of God. Now to enter the Kingdom of God, one
has to repent and not judge others.
Read Luke 13:1-5. Luke has explained the kingdom of God and outlined
who will enter it.
The Kingdom of God has unfruitful fig tree (Read Luke, 13: 6 – 9). A
farmer had a fig tree that was unproductive for 3 years. He ordered the
gardener to cut it down. The gardener requested for the fig tree to be
given another chance. He promised to dig around the fig tree and add
fertilizer. If it bears fruits well, it can survive, if it doesn’t bear fruit, then
it should be cut down.
Lessons learnt from the parable
The unproductive fig tree represents followers of Jesus who are
unproductive because they do not follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
God gives people chances to repent just like the fig tree was given a
second chance to bear fruit. Jesus is the gardener who pleads for people
before God. The followers of
Jesus is expected to be fruitful.
What are the figs used for?
a. Parable of the mustard seed. Read Luke, 13:18 – 19
Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, which is very small.
When a mustard seed is planted, it grows fast to become a big tree. It is
difficult to control its growth. When mature, the fig tree attracts many
birds, which feed on its seeds.
Lesson learnt from the parable.
The Kingdom of God
Begins as a small seed and grows quietly and humbly
Then it grows and spreads to all corners of the earth
And It attracts many people
b. Parable of the Yeast. Read Luke, 13: 20 – 21
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The Kingdom of God is like yeast. Yeast makes dough rise and the bread
big. The Kingdom of God grows secretly and slowly just like the dough
rises without being noticed. It is only God who knows how a kingdom
grows. The Kingdom of God grows as a small unit that eventually grows,
spreads and reaches out to many people in many nations.
c. The narrow door. Read Luke, 13: 22 – 30
As Jesus was teaching in towns and villages, a person asked him whether
a few people would be saved.
Jesus replied that his followers should make every effort to go through the
narrow door as it leads to the Kingdom of God. The narrow door will not
remain open forever.
Lesson learnt from the parable
Those who wish to follow Jesus must repent immediately
Entrance to God’s Kingdom is through repentance
Everybody is invited to enter into the Kingdom of God.
d. Jesus heals a crippled woman on the Sabbath. Luke, 13:10 – 12
Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on Sabbath. Jesus healed a woman
who had an evil spirit, which had bent her back (Hunch back) for 18
years. Jesus saw her and told her “woman, you are free from your
illness!” She was made straight and immediately glorified God. The
official of the synagogue was annoyed that Jesus was healing on a
Sabbath. He and others were hostile to Jesus for healing/working on the
Sabbath. Jesus told him, you hypocrite. You feed and look after your
animals on the Sabbath day.
Jesus emphasized that human life is more important than animal life or
even observing the Sabbath.
Jesus came to set people free from the bondage of sickness and Satan.
Jesus work of liberation is continuous. It has to be performed even on a
Sabbath day because human life is more important than animal life or
even observing the Sabbath.
e. Jesus’ Love for Jerusalem. (Read Luke13: 31 – 35)
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As Jesus continued with his teachings, he reached Jerusalem. Pharisees

informed him that Herod wanted to kill him. His response was ‘go and tell
that fox” I will continue healing the sick and casting out demons. Jesus
however, lamented over Jerusalem for rejecting God’s messengers. God
would abandon Jerusalem for rejecting Jesus. Jerusalem was the site of
Jesus death. It would eventually acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah who
brings salvation to Israel and to the rest of the world.
f. Man with dropsy healed (Read Luke 14:1 – 6).
Jesus was invited to the house of the leading Pharisees for a meal on a
Sabbath. A man with dropsy (swollen legs and arms) came to Jesus for
healing. The Pharisees watched Jesus closely to see what he would do.
Jesus asked the Pharisees “does our Law allow healing on the Sabbath or
not?” They kept quiet. Jesus healed the man who then left. Jesus asked the
Pharisees, would they save their son or an ox if it fell in a well on a
Sabbath. They kept quiet.
g. Humility and Hospitality. (Read Luke 14: 7 – 14)
Jesus was in the house of a leading Pharisees and observed that some of
the invited guests were choosing the best places to sit at the table. He
taught the disciples how to be humble. He said, when invited for a meal,
let the owner give you a seat of honor that is reserved for important and
honorable guests. Read verse 11.
Jesus advised his host to invite the poor, cripples, and the blind who
cannot invite you, as they have nothing to give back for generosity.
Jesus is teaching about humility and hospitality. Those who are humble
shall be elevated. Those who elevate themselves shall be humbled.
Followers of Jesus should extend invitations to the poor and the
underprivileged in the society. The Kingdom of God belongs to the
humble people.
c. The parable of the Great Feast. Read Luke, 14: 15 – 24.

A man said to Jesus, “How happy are those who will sit down at the feast
in the Kingdom of God” (verse
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15). in response Jesus told him that a man made a great feast and invited
many friends and colleagues to the feast. The invited guests failed to
come and a servant was sent to inform them that the feast was ready. All
the invited guests gave personal excuses explaining why they could not
come.
The master was angry and asked the servant to invite the poor, crippled,
lame, the blind and anyone willing to come to the feast.
God has invited all people to the great feast of the Kingdom of God.
Those who honor his invitation will be blessed. Those who reject the
invitation will be excluded from the feast. Jesus explained that the
Kingdom of God is like a great feast open to all Jews and Gentiles.
To enter the Kingdom of God, one has to make a personal decision
because following Jesus means sacrificing activities that we consider
important to us.
d. The Cost of Being a Disciple
Read Luke 14: 25 – 33
True discipleship means loving Jesus more than ones family. This is a
great sacrifice to detach oneself from the family. A disciple must be ready
to suffer for the sake of following Jesus. Following Jesus requires skills of
careful thinking, planning and detailed preparations. Jesus compared true
discipleship to the planning required when building a tower or engaging
in a military operation.
Lessons / teachings learnt from the parable
True discipleship means making great sacrifices, “None of you can be my
disciple unless you give up everything you have” (verse 33). Jesus
disciples are expected to do careful planning before deciding to follow
him because they are required to love God more than anyone else even
their relatives and friends.
e. The parable of the Lost Sheep

Read Luke, 15:1 – 7
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Pharisees and teachers of law complained to Jesus because Jesus was

teaching ordinary people such as tax collectors, and outcasts considered
sinners by them.
Jesus told the Pharisees and teachers of law the parable of the lost sheep.
He told them that if a shepherd with 100 sheep lost one of them, what
action would he take? Wouldn’t he leave the 99 sheep and go out to look
for the lost sheep? And on finding it, wouldn’t the shepherd celebrate with
friends and neighbors? Jesus said that God celebrates if “over one sinner
who repents than over 99 respectable people who do not need to repent.”
Lessons / teachings learnt from the parable
iii. God is a shepherd and takes care of all his people.
iv. He does not want any of his people to be lost.
v. God searches for those lost in sin until he finds them.
vi. When one sinner repents, God is overjoyed and rejoices.
vii. God is the good shepherd who has come to seek and save the lost.
f. Parable of the Lost Coin.
Read Luke, 15: 8 – 10
If a woman losses one of her ten silver coins, she searches until she finds
it. And if it is found, she invites her friends and neighbors to celebrate.
God and the angels in heaven search make every effort to seek the lost
sinner until they find them. Jesus lights the world, looking for sinners who
are lost because they are precious in God’s sight.
g. Parable of the Lost Son (prodigal son)
Read Luke 15:11 – 32
Jesus then told the story of a father who had two sons. The younger was
given his share of inheritance he had requested. He went to foreign lands
and wasted his inheritance. He became poor and decided to return home
and ask his father to forgive him and employ him as a servant.
His father kissed him and celebrated his return. The father announced to
his guests that the son who was lost is now found. – - The one who was
dead is now live.
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The elder son was angry and unhappy because his father had never held a
celebration for him, in spite of his hard work and obedience.
His father told him “my son you are always here with me and everything I
have is yours”. We are just celebrating the return of the lost son.
a. A person dies spiritually if they sin
b. God loves all people including sinners
c. God is ready to forgive every sinner who repents
d. There is no sin that God cannot forgive
e. Jesus taught that both the righteous and unrighteous require God’s
forgiveness
f. There is joy and happiness in heaven when one sinner repents.
g. Christians should confess their sins and acknowledge that Jesus saves
repentant sinners
h. God accepts unconditionally any sinner who comes back to him in
repentance
i. Confession of sins is a condition for entering the Kingdom of God.
A GREAT FEAST FOR ALL WHO ARE PREPARED Luke 14: 1 –

35
Q: What are the qualities of those who belong to the kingdom of God?
Answer. Qualities of people who belong to the Kingdom of God
Those who belong to the Kingdom of God:
I. Obey God’s commandments
ii. Accept God’s rule in their lives
Iii Show God’s love to others
IV Are ready to make sacrifices so as to be followers of Jesus
V Read God’s word and preach to others
VI Confess their sins and seek forgiveness of their sins through
repentance.
Review questions
1. Give an explanation of the term Kingdom of God
2. What did Jesus teach about the kingdom of God?
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3. What lessons do Christians learn from the parables of the lost son?
Answer
1. The term Kingdom of God means the role of God or God’s authority in
people’s lives and the world.
TEACHINGS ON WEALTH AND POVERTY. LK 16:1 – 32
Introduction
While wealth is possession of material things such as money or
occupation of a high social economic status, poverty is the opposite. It is
lack of basic needs such as water, education, food, shelter, clothing, and
health.
When teaching about wealth, Jesus taught using two parables. These
were: (1) parable of the shrewd manager (2) parable of the rich man and
Lazarus
Parable of the shrewd manager
Read Luke, 16: 1 – 18
When the shrewd manager realized that his master was going to sack him
due to his dishonesty, he asked the debtors to change the amounts they
owed their master to smaller amounts. He did this to make friends with a
few people who would give him a place to stay after he was sacked. The
master praised the shrewd manager and did not sack him. The shrewd
manager is praised not because of his dishonesty but because he acted
promptly and with great presence of mind in a moment of crisis.
Jesus is encouraging his disciples and followers to make prompt (quick,
appropriate, timely) decisions.
They should use wealth to serve God. It should not be allowed to take the
place of God. Followers of
Jesus should be honest in small and big things.
The Rich Man and Lazarus Read Luke, 16: 19 – 31.
A rich man lived in luxury. At his gates was a poor man, called Lazarus
whose body was covered by sores.
The rich man did not feed Lazarus. He ate food remains together with the
rich man’s dogs.
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When rich man died, he went to hell. When Lazarus died, he went to
heaven and sat at Abraham/s bosom. When in hell, the rich man was
tormented while Lazarus was at peace.
Lessons to learn from this parable
The rich isn’t condemned for being rich but because of his altitude
towards Lazarus. He used his wealth for self-gratification and not for
service to the needy. The wealthy should realize that it is God who gives
wealth and he should be given honor. Riches can hinder the wealthy from
inheriting eternal life, especially if they put their trust in riches instead of
God who is the source of all wealth and blessings.
Revision exercise
1. From the parable of the rich fool what can Christians learn about the
use of wealth?
2. Narrate the parable of the shrewd manager
JESUS TEACHING ON FORGIVENESS

Read Luke 17: 1 – 4
Jesus taught his disciples to forgive offenders who repent. Those who sin
should seek forgiveness. If they offend 7 times in a day, forgive them 7
times. Followers of Jesus need faith to forgive others.
The power of faith. Read Luke, 17: 5 – 11.
Faith is defined as complete trust or confidence in God. It is absolute
truthfulness and trust in everything that comes from God. The apostles
asked Jesus to increase their faith. Followers of Jesus should have faith.
Faith has no measure. Faith as big as a mustard seed can empower
Christians to perform miracles that serve God. Faith is necessary. With
faith, Christians can forgive others and be servants of God.
Disciples should have faith. Christians understand that they owe
everything to God.
Jesus heals ten lepers. Read Luke, 17:11- 19
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Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem when he met ten lepers. They
requested Jesus to heal them. Jesus told them to go and show themselves
to the priests. On the way, they were healed. One of them, a Samaritan,
returned to thank Jesus for healing him. The Samaritans and the Jews did
not associate. Jesus told the Samaritan that his faith has made him whole.
Faith is necessary for healing any disease.
Leprosy is a disease that leads to loss of fingers, toes and other parts of
the body. It was a dreadful skin disease, which Jews feared. Lepers were
isolated from other people. They lived dejected lives the coming of the
kingdom. Read Luke 17: 20 – 37
The Pharisee demanded to know when the kingdom of God would come.
Jesus replied that the kingdom of God was within those who had accepted
Jesus and his teachings. Those who wanted had received the kingdom.
Faith is necessary to discover the power of God’s kingdom. The coming
of the son of man, i.e. Jesus will bring the kingdom to reality.
The coming of the son of man is also referred to as the day of the Lord,
Day of Judgment. Read Luke, 21:
27- 28. Those who obey Jesus will be saved but those who reject him will
be punished.
Lessons to learn
God expects Christians to have faith in him. Christians should have faith
in Jesus so that they can inherit eternal life. Faith is needed to strengthen
Christians. Faith is important in the life of a
Christian until Jesus returns, i.e. the second coming.
Revision exercise
1. What did Jesus teach on forgiveness?
PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER, Read Luke, 18:1 – 14

To teach about persistence in prayer, Jesus used two parables. These were
the parables of: the widow and a corrupt judge and examples of prayer by
a Pharisee and a tax collector.
a. The widow and the unjust judge. Read Luke, 18: 1 – 9
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Jesus had already taught the disciples how to pray. He now tells them that
they ought to pray and not faint. He gives a parable to explain his point.
A widow went to a corrupt judge to have her adversaries judged. The
judge was corrupt and ignored her. He however gave in to her demands
since she was persistent and wearing him down. The judge helped her
because of her persistence and courage.
Followers of Jesus should pray with courage and be persistent in prayer.
God hears and answers prayers.
Christians should pray without ceasing and with faith and trust that their
prayers will be answered.
b. Parable of the Pharisee, and tax collector, Read Luke, 18:9 – 14
A Pharisee and tax collector went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee
offered a long prayer focusing on his achievements. The tax collector
(publican) did not have much to say except asking for mercy, as he was a
sinner. Followers of Jesus should acknowledge they are sinners and seek
forgiveness. They should approach God in humility and avoid spiritual
pride, and self-righteousness.
Revision exercise
1. State the parable of the widow and the unjust judge
THE WAY TO SALVATION, Read Luke, 18: 15 – 19: 1 – 27.

Introduction
The word ‘salvation’ refers to the act of saving or being saved from sin.
Those who have received salvation area assured of eternal life. To receive
salvation a person must acknowledge that he is a sinner and repent their
sins. In this way, they receive forgiveness and are reconciled to God.
Introduction
Salvation means being saved from a life-threatening situation. In
Christianity, salvation refers to the process of being delivered from sin
and its consequences. Those who are saved are assured of eternal life.
Jesus taught about salvation using children to illustrate his message. This
is what happened. Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he
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could bless them. The disciples scolded them. Jesus asked the children to
come to him and he blessed them.
Jesus taught his disciples that they must be humble like children in order
to enter the kingdom of God.
The road to salvation is by being simple, humble, and trusting like little
children. The kingdom of God belongs to those who humble themselves
like the little children.
The rich man. Read Luke, 18:18 – 30
The entry into the kingdom of God was further explained through the
story of the rich man. The rich man came to Jesus wanting to know how
he could inherit eternal life and be saved. Jesus reminded him of the
importance of keeping the commandments. The young man responded
that he had observed the commandments since he was young. Jesus told
him there is one thing remaining to do; sell everything he has, and give it
to the poor, and then follow Jesus.
The rich man was very sorrowful for he was very wealthy. Wealth can
hinder the rich from receiving salvation. Jesus acknowledged the sacrifice
made by his disciples. He emphasized that disciples shall receive
salvation in the present and in life to come. Salvation is a gift from God.
Salvation is received; by those who accept to follow Jesus. Trusting in
wealth can be a hindrance to salvation. The rich may find it difficult to
inherit eternal life.
Jesus predicts his death, a 3rd time. Read Luke, 18: 31 – 34.
Jesus predicted his death a three times. First was after asking his disciples
who they say he was. The second time was after transfiguration when his
face was set towards Jerusalem. The third prediction shall be in Jerusalem
(Luke 18:31-34). Jesus told the disciples that previous prophecies would
be fulfilled in Jerusalem. His death was going to take place in Jerusalem
according to the writings of the prophets. It was going to be a painful
death. He shall be beaten, mocked, spit upon and put to death. But on the
third day, he shall rise again.
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The disciples did not understand what Jesus was telling them. Jesus had to
die so that those who believed in him may receive eternal life. The death
and resurrection of Jesus gives Christians hope of eternal life.
Jesus heals a blood beggar. Read Luke, 18: 35 – 43 As Jesus neared
Jericho, a blind man sat by the roadside begging. When he heard the
multitude pass by, he inquired what was going on and he was told that
Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. He then cried out, “Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me!”
The crowds rebuked him but he cried out louder to Jesus to have mercy
on him. Jesus asked him what he wanted. He said he wanted to see. Jesus
told him to receive his sight for his faith had made him whole. The beggar
was joyful and he followed Jesus rejoicing.
Lessons learnt
Christians should have faith in Jesus. They should also be persistent and
make specific requests.
JESUS AND ZACCHAEUS LK 19:1 – 9

Zacchaeus was short. His profession was a tax collector. He was rich. He
wanted to be saved. When Jesus was passing by Jericho, he wanted to see
Jesus. He couldn’t because he was short. He ran and climbed a sycamore
tree to see Jesus. When Jesus came to the place where Zacchaeus was, he
looked up and said “Hurry down, Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your
house today” (verse 5). Jesus then went with Zacchaeus to his house.
When people saw this they grumbled, and murmured. They said that Jesus
was going to a house of a sinner.
Jesus told them that salvation has come to the house of Zacchaeus, a son
of Abraham … the Son of man came to seek and save the lost. There is no
sin that God cannot forgive, even that of a tax collector.
Zacchaeus told Jesus that he was going to give to the poor half of his
wealth and whatever he took from any man and woman wrongfully, he
will restore four times. From this salvation, we learn that the rich should
share their wealth with the needy.
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The Parable of the Gold Coins: Luke, 19: 11 – 27.

A certain nobleman went to a far country. Before he left he called his ten
servants and gave each a gold coin (ten pounds in total). He told them to
trade with the coins until he returns.
When he returned, he called the servants to report profits they had made.
The first servant said that one-pound coin had made profit of 10 pounds
(gold coins). He made the manager of ten cities. The second servant had
traded and gained 5 pounds. He was made the manager of 5 cities. The
third one had hidden the pound. He did not trade. He accused the master
of being mean, and cruel. He returned the pound, which was given to the
servant with 10 pounds.
Lessons to learn
This parable was about the kingdom of God. God expects us to use
opportunities he has given to us for his work. Each one of us shall account
for the use of the abilities and skills that God gave to us – students,
workers, and other professionals. To receive eternal life, Christians should
repent and be obedient to God’s instructions.
Revision questions
1. What did Jesus teach by using the example of little children?
5. Give an account of how Jesus healed the blind beggar
6. Explain the relevance of Jesus’ teachings on salvation to Christians
THE JERUSALEM MINISTRY Luke, 19: 28 – 21: 38

THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY OF JESUS TO JERUSALEM
LK.19:28 – 40
a. The triumphant approach to Jerusalem. Luke 19: 28- 40.
Jesus death had to happen in Jerusalem. Hence Jesus went to Jerusalem.
He sent two disciples to a place where there was a colt (young donkey)
that no person had ever ridden. They took it to Jesus. They threw their
garments on the colt, and Jesus sat on it. As Jesus rode, people spread
their clothes on the road. As Jesus neared Jerusalem, a “large crowd of his
disciples began to” praise God (vs37). The crowd said ‘blessed be the
king who comes in the name of the lord’.
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The Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke the disciples. Jesus told them if the
disciples kept quiet the stones would start shouting.
Jesus made his entry into Jerusalem in a royal (kingly) procession. He was
Israel’s humble king who came with peace and not a political leader. He
rode on a donkey – a symbol of peace. This was unlike the political kings
who rode on the horses during that time.
b. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. Read, Luke 41- 44
When Jesus was near Jerusalem he wept. He then foretold the coming
destruction of Jerusalem due to its rejection of the messiah.
The rejoicing of his triumphant entry to Jerusalem turned to mourning as
he foretold the destruction of Jerusalem by Romans in 70 A.D.
c. Jesus goes to the temple. Read Luke 19:45 – 48
Jesus went to Jerusalem temple and evicted traders. He told them that the
house of God is a house of prayer not a den of thieves. Jeremiah spoke
these same words during his temple sermon. The chief priests and scribes
began planning how to kill Jesus.
PHARISEES, SCRIBES QUESTION JESUS. LUKE 20 1-47
a. The question about Jesus’ authority. Read Luke, 20:1 – 8.
The Jewish leaders wanted to know from Jesus by whose authority he was
doing all the things he was doing. In response Jesus asked them “did
John’s right to baptize come from God or from human beings?” (Vs4).
They discussed among themselves and decided not answer. Jesus told
them “neither will I tell you”. In response to his authority being
questioned he told a parable.
b. The parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard.
Read the parable in Luke, 20: 9 – 18. The tenants refused to pay the
owner of the vineyard his share of the harvest. They threw out the
servants he sent to collect his share of the harvest. When he sent his son,
they killed him so that they can own the vineyard. Jesus asked the
people… “What will the owner of the vineyard do to the tenants?”
c. The Question about paying taxes. Read Luke 20:19-28
Pharisees, and scribes (teachers of the law) and chief priests planned to
arrest Jesus but they were afraid of the people. They sent spies to trick
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Jesus by asking this question -” …is it against our law for us to pay taxes
to the Roman Empire, or not?
Jesus used the currency and told them “pay the Emperor Caesar what
belongs to him and pay God what belongs to God.” (Verse 25)
This was a tricky question. Jesus here teachers people to obey the rules of
the land and to obey God’s rules
d. The Question about Resurrection
The Sadducees who did not believe in resurrection tempted Jesus with
another question. They wanted to know this. When resurrection comes,
who shall be the husband to a woman who was married to the first brother
and inherited as a widow by the other six brothers?
Jesus told them the men and women who shall be worthy of resurrection
shall not marry. They shall be like angels and cannot die (verse 34 to 38)
e. Jesus warns against the Teachers of the law
Jesus warned his disciples. Be careful and guard yourselves against
teachers of the law, the scribes. They were hypocritical. They wore long
robes, said long prayers, looked for positions of honor and exploited the
widows.
f. The Widow’s offering. Luke, 21: 1- 4
When people were giving offerings in the temple, a widow gave “two
little copper coins”. Jesus said the poor widow had given all she had.
Likewise Christians should give to God not to be seen but from their
hearts. It is not the quantity of the gift that matters but the attitude of the
giver.
THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS ABOUT ESCHATOLOGY LK. 21: 5

– 38
Eschatology is from two Greek words, ‘eschatus’ and ‘logos’. Eschatus
means end, Logos means study.
Eschatology means the study of the end times or in CRE the last days of
Jesus. For biblical information, read Luke 21:5-38 and Mathew 24: 1 – 36
and Mark 13:1-31.
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a. Signs of the end times

Jesus gave many signs that will inform Christians that end of the time has
come. These were to happen at different times. The signs were:
a) Destruction of the temple of Jerusalem by invading armies which shall
surrounded it
b) Hatred of disciples and Christians because they were followers of
Christ
c) Rejection of disciples by families because they were followers of Christ
d) Betrayal of the followers of Christ
e) Prosecution and imprisonment of Christians.
f) Many false messiahs. People would come claiming to be the Messiah,
the Son God
g) Wars as nation rise against nations
h) Eruption of natural calamities such as plagues, earthquakes, famines,
great fear among people. Disruption in the sky and seas. Fall of strange
heavenly beings from the sky and rise of seas.
j) Natural calamities such as earthquakes, plagues, famines bringing
despair and distress in all nations
k) The times shall be announced by signs in the stars, moon, sun and sea
l) Appear of the ‘Son of man ‘in power and glory at the end of times.
b. Uses of the temple during the time of Jesus
During the time of Jesus, the temple was used for (a) Child dedication (b)
Circumcision (c) Purification (d) Trading and business centre (e) Wor-
shipping and prayer (f) a place for celebrating festivals such as the
Passover and other major feasts (g) a learning centre or school for
religious purposes. For example, disciples of the scribes learnt law in the
temple.
The destruction of the temple symbolized the birth of Christianity. From
that time Christians became the new temple of God.
c. The parable of the fig tree Lk.21: 29 – 33
Jesus used the parable of the fig tree to explain more about the end times.
Appearance of leaves in the fig tree and other trees inform us that summer
will soon come. When Christians see signs of the end times, they should
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know that the kingdom of God is about to come. Jesus told disciples to be
watchful, alert, and praying for strength to endure the coming tribulations.
See the previous teachings on watchfulness and readiness. Christians are
to watch out and be ready for the end times.
d. Relevance of Jesus’ teachings on eschatology
These teachings assure and continue to tell Christians these messages
from Jesus:
a) There is life after death
b) Christ will return to receive the faithful
c) Christians are to be watchful, prayerful, and hopeful despite trials and
tribulations
d) Christians are assured of God’s protection from evil.
e) Christians should prepare for the coming of Christ by leading a
righteous life
f) Do not lose hope
g) Do not be pre occupied with the cares of this would for they never end
h) Preach and spread the word of God Obey God’s commandment
j) Help the needy
Revision questions
a. Describe Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem according to Luke
chapter 19:29- 30
b. What does the manner of Jesus entry into Jerusalem reveal about the
nature of his kingdom?
c. What lessons can Christians learn from Jesus’ triumphant entry into
Jerusalem?
d. State and explain why Jesus wept over Jerusalem
e. Explain the cleansing of the temple
f. Give reasons why Jesus cleansed the temple of Jerusalem
g. What lessons can Christians learn from the cleansing of the temple?
h. Explain Jesus’ conflict with the Jewish leaders
i. Describe the parable of the tenants in the vineyard
j. Explain the relevance of the parable of the of tenants in the vineyard
k. Explain the question about paying taxes
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l. Explain the question about the resurrection

m. What is eschatology?
n. What will happen at the end of the world (eschatology) according to
Jesus’ teaching in Luke’s gospel?
21; 5-38
o. How do Christians prepare for the second coming of Christ?
THE PASSION, DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS LK. 22

– 24
Passion is a strong feeling of love, hate or anger. Passion of Jesus is the
great sufferings of Jesus, which was a deep emotional anguish.
The plot against Jesus
The Jewish religious leaders were determined to ensure that Jesus was
either arrested or killed (Lk.22: 1 – 6)
They were helped by Satan who entered into Judas Iscariot one of the
twelve disciples of Jesus. Judas decided to betray Jesus. He communed
with the Jewish leaders who agreed to pay him money to betray
Jesus. He searched for a way to betray Jesus without knowledge of Jesus.
He forgot who Jesus was. Judas agreed to betray Jesus probably because:
a. He belonged to the party of Zealots who wanted political changes
b. He was probably frustrated by Jesus’ approach to the Kingdom of God
which was establishing a peaceful spiritual kingdom
c. He expected Jesus to establish a political kingdom
d. He was greedy for money
e. Satan entered him
THE LORDS SUPPERS/ THE LAST SUPPER. LK 22: 7 – 13

The last supper was the lost Passover meal that Jesus took before his
arrest. Passover is celebrated in obedience to God’s command to Moses. It
is a remembrance of Israel’s deliverance by God from slavery in Egypt.
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a. Passover The meal

Preparations for the Passover, Read Luke 22: 7 – 23.
Peter and John were sent by Jesus to go and prepare the Passover meal.
They were to do so in a house in the city. They were taken to the house
by, a man who was carrying a vessel of water. They were given a big
furnished upper room upstairs. They prepared the Passover meal as
instructed by Jesus.
Passover meal
During the meal with the 12 disciples / apostles Jesus told them that this
was going to be his last meal with them before his death. He took a cup of
wine gave thanks to God and said “Take this and share it among
yourselves. I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the
Kingdom of God comes.” The cup of wine was his blood that he was
going to shed for them. Wine therefore symbolized the blood of Jesus,
shed for the purification of humankind and forgiveness of sins. This blood
is the New Testament and covenant with Christians.
After drinking of wine, He “took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God
“and shared it and told them that the piece of bread represented his body
which is “given for them”.
He presented his death as a sacrifice whose blood sealed the new
covenant. His death replaced the sacrifices of the Old law, those of
animals, which sealed the Sinai covenant. The new covenant will be for
all people including Gentiles. This is to fulfill God’s promise of salvation
for all people.
Jesus and disciples ate Passover together so that henceforth Christians
would eat the meal together in remembrance of Jesus. Passover was
initially taken to remind them of the deliverance from Egypt. But during
the last supper, Jesus gave the Passover a new meaning.
As they ate, Jesus foretold of his betrayal by one of his disciple.
Q
i. Which items were used to celebrate the Passover in the Old Testament?
ii. What items do modern Christians use to celebrate the Lord’s Supper?
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Comparisons of the Lord’s Supper and the Passover

(a) The Passover commemorates the divine act of redemption of the Jews
from their bondage in Egypt while the Last Supper commemorates the
deliverance of human kind from sin.
(b) The Passover feast reminded the Israelites that they were free,
redeemed people while the Lords Suppers is to remind Christians of their
forgiveness of sins. The death of Jesus set Christians free from sins.
(c) Passover was followed by the Old covenant of Mount Sinai. The Lords
suppers is a new covenant based on the death of Jesus for sins of
humankind?
(d) Passover (Old Testament) was sealed by the blood of Lambs while
New Covenant (Lords suppers) is sealed by the blood of Jesus on the
cross.
(e) Items for celebrating in Passover (Old Testament) are different from
the cup of wine and pieces of bread used by Jesus to celebrate his last
supper with the disciples.
Relevance of the Lord’s Supper today
Christians celebrate the Lords supper. This celebration is called the
Eucharist, the Lords suppers, or Lords meal. Christians celebrate it as an
act of repentance; through which they receive assurance of forgiveness of
their sins. The presence of Jesus becomes a reality when Christians share
bread and wine.
Bread and wine are symbols of heavenly feast, which Christians will
partake in God’s kingdom.
The Lords supper is also a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God. It
is a time for rededication to Christ and self-renewal. Through the
celebration of the Lords supper, Christians anticipate the second coming
of Jesus and the establishment of Gods Kingdom. It is also a time to
remember the death and resurrection of Jesus and reflect on God’s love
for humankind.
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b. The Argument about Greatness. Read Luke, 22: 24 – 30

A question arose among the disciples. They wanted to know who among
them was the greatest. Jesus told them that they do not belong to the
world system of authority given on the basis of wealth and fame.
The authority among the disciples will be determined on the basis of their
service to others. The greatest is the servant. Jesus likened himself to a
servant hence disciples are called to serve. By sharing in trials and
sufferings of Jesus, the disciples will share in his ruling power over the
new Israel.
Leadership in church should be understood in terms of service – being a
servant of people. In the community of Christians, all people who are
followers of Jesus are all equal.
Q: In your opinion, which are the signs of greatness in the world?
c. Jesus Predicts Peters’ Denial. Read Luke, 22: 31 – 38
Jesus told peter that Satan had received permission to test or tempt all the
disciples but Jesus had prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail. Jesus told Peter
that he shall deny Jesus three times before the cock crows.
Jesus was telling his disciples that they will encounter hostility in their
evangelism hence they should be prepared for suffering and opposition
because of Him as Isaiah 53:12 says ‘he shared the fate of evil men.’
Jesus death was imminent inevitable. The disciples were expected to be
strong
PRAYER, ARREST OF JESUS AND DENIAL BY PETER

a. Prayer on the Mount of Olives. Read Luke. 22: 39 – 46
After celebrating the last supper, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives with
his disciples to pray to resist temptation. Jesus went ahead of his disciples,
knelt down and prayed.
Jesus left them to pray by himself. He said” Father if you will, take this
cup of suffering away from me.
Not my will, however, but your will to be done” (42). An angel came to
strengthen him. He prayed earnestly, in agony and turmoil great than the
physical pain. He sweated great drops of blood.
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After praying, Jesus found his disciples asleep “worn out by their grief”
vs. 45). Jesus asked them to wake up and pray to avoid temptation.
Significance
The disciples fell asleep. This was a sign of moral and physical
exhaustion. Jesus expressed inner struggle about the fulfillment of his
messianic mission. He prayed for God’s help. Christians should always
pray to avoid temptation and seek God’s help.
b. Betrayal and arrest of Jesus. Read Luke, 22: 47 – 53
Jesus was arrested by: the chief priest, elders, officers of the temple guard,
and a crowd of people as he talked to his disciples. He was taken to the
house of the high priest. Judas had identified Jesus with a kiss. Jesus
asked Judas” him “Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of
man?”
Jewish religious leaders had come to arrest Jesus as they arrested other
criminals. Jesus told his disciples not to resist his arrest. He rejected
armed resistance refusing the role of a political messiah. Peter followed
him from a distance.
c. Peters Denies Jesus. Read Luke, 22: 54 – 65
After Jesus was arrested he was taken to the house of the High Priest. As
Peter sat warming himself with others, a maid identified Peter. She said,
“This man too was with Jesus. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.
After the third denial, the cock crowed just as Jesus predicted.
Jesus turned and looked at Peter who remembered the words of Jesus.
“Peter went out and wept bitterly” (Vs. 62). Weeping was a sign of
repentance
THE TRIALS AND CRUCIFIXION OF
a. Trials of Jesus by the various authorities
i. Trial by the Sanhedrin Lk.22: 66 – 71
After being taken to the house of the High Priest, the next morning Jesus
was taken to the Jewish religious council or court; called the Sanhedrin.
They all asked him if he was the messiah. Jesus told they wouldn’t
believe whatever he says. But “the Son of Man will be seated on the right
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hand of Almighty God.” (Vs. 69). Jesus told them he was the Son of God.
The Sanhedrin accused Jesus of blasphemy, a sin punishable by death.
ii. Trial before Pilate. Read Luke 23: 1 – 5
The second court was the Roman court. The judge was Pilate, the Roman
Governor. In this court the Sanhedrin accused Jesus of:
Inciting people to revolt, and rebelling against Roman authority
Forbidding people to pay taxes to the Emperor
Claiming to be the king, a Messiah, they could not accuse him of
blasphemy before Pilate since this offence was not acceptable under the
Roman law. Pilate asked Jesus if he was the king, Jesus replied, “So you
say”. (vs.3). Pilate found no fault with Jesus so he sent him to Herod.
iii. Trial by Herod. Read Luke, 23: 6 – 12
Herod was in Jerusalem. When Jesus was brought before him, he
expected Jesus to perform miracles to impress him. He asked Jesus many
questions and Jesus kept quiet. Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus, and
ridiculed him. They put on him royal clothes; then sent Jesus back to
Pilate.
iv. Jesus is sentenced to Death. Read Luke 23: 13 – 25
Jesus was brought back to Pilate a second time. Pilate repeated that Jesus
was not guilty (innocent) of any crime. Pilate offered to have Jesus beaten
and then released.
The crowds, leaders and chief priests gave their judgment. “Kill him!”
and release Barabbas, who was a rioter and a murderer. Pilate did not find
Jesus guilty. But he did what they wanted. He released Barabbas and
“handed Jesus over for them to do as they wished” (vs. 25).
v. The crucifixion of Jesus. Read Luke 22: 26-43
Jesus was led away to be crucified. Solders forced Simon of Cyrene to
carry the cross for Jesus. Women followed Jesus and weeping. Jesus told
them not to weep for Him but for themselves and their children. Jesus was
then crucified at a place called Golgotha (place of skull) or Calvary
together with two male criminal; one on His right and the other on His
Left. Jesus asked God to forgive those (persecutors) for they did not know
what they were doing.
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The Jewish leaders, said “He saved others; let him save himself if he is
the Messiah whom God has chosen” (vs. 35); Solders mocked Jesus and
said “Save yourself if you are the king of Jews” and one criminal hanged
with Jesus mocked Jesus and told Him “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save
yourself and me”.
The other thief rebuked him saying they deserved the punishment for their
deeds but Jesus had done nothing. This thief repented and told Jesus,
“Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King”. Jesus told him that he
would be in paradise with Jesus on that day (vs. 42 – 43).
On top of the cross, Jews wrote, “This is the King of the Jews” (vs. 38).
DEATH OF JESUS Read Luke. 23: 44 – 50

a. The death of Jesus. There was darkness from 12 o’clock until three
o’clock. The veil/curtain of the temple tore into two. Jesus cried out with
a loud voice “Father, into the hands I commit my spirit”. At this shout
Jesus died.
The Roman centurion saw and praised God. He declared, “Certainly this
was an innocent man”. The multitude that watched the crucifixion and
death went home beating their breasts, a sign of repentance.
The women, who knew Jesus from Galilee, stood at a distance watching
all these things.
b. The burial of Jesus. Read Luke 23: 50 – 56.
Joseph from Arimathea, a town in Judea sought permission from Pilate to
bury the body of Jesus. He was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of
God, a likely secret disciple of Jesus. He was a good and honorable man.
The body of Jesus was laid in a sepulchre (Tomb) where nobody had ever
been laid. Jesus’ burial in Joseph’s tomb fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that
the suffering servant of Yahweh was buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah
53:9)
The Galilean women and Joseph saw where the body of Jesus was laid.
They went home, and prepared spices to use to wash Jesus’ body. They
rested on the Sabbath.
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c. Relevance of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ to Christian

life today
Christians today should practice or do the following activities.
I. Pray in times of sorrow, pain, trials and temptations.
Iii they should not give up when rejected.
IV They should be aware of hypocrites and traitors amongst them.
V They should be willing to suffer for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
VI They should be ready to fight for a just cause
Vii They should never condemn the innocent.
Viii They should go through their suffering bravely.
Ix They should know and accept suffering as a part of the Christian
calling
X They should not be afraid of rejection by people l
Xi they should be encouraged that Jesus suffered for them.
d. In which ways can Christians prepare for their death?
Death is inevitable. Hence, Christians should at all times: live a holy life,
repent sins, and forgive those who have wronged them, make a will,
accept death as inevitable, and read the word of God
THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS. Read Luke 24: 1 – 53

a. The Resurrection. Resurrection refers to the event of Jesus rising
from the dead
After the Sabbath day, on Sunday morning; Mary Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James, Salome (Joanna) and other women went to the tomb
with the spices they has prepared. They found the entrance open. The
stone covering the tomb was rolled away. The tomb was empty. The body
of Jesus was not in the tomb.
Suddenly, two men, who were angels, appeared dresses in dazzling and
shining clothes. They said “Why are you looking among the dead for one
who is alive? He is not here; he has been raised.”
The women went and told the 11 disciples, who did not believe them.
Peter ran to the tomb and found it empty.
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Women were the first to witness the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is
significant as they (women) were empowered to become witnesses of
Christ as evangelists beyond the Jewish culture.
b. Witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus
The disciple’s en route to Emmaus
Two disciples were traveling to Emmaus, which was 11 km from
Jerusalem discussing Jesus suffering, death and the empty tomb. Jesus
met them but their eyes were blinded and they did not recognize him.
The disciples explained to Jesus the events that had taken place and how
they had hoped that Jesus would liberate Israel from the Roman rule.
Jesus explained to them the scriptures concerning the messiah. When they
got to Emmaus, they invited him to dine with them for it was evening.
When Jesus, “took the bread and said the blessings; then he broke the
bread and gave it to them”, the disciples recognized Jesus but he vanished
out of their sight (Vs. 30-31). They returned to Jerusalem and told the 11
disciples that Jesus has risen.
c. Jesus appears to his Disciples. Read Luke 24: 36 – 49.
As the two disciples explained the event that happened on the journey to
Emmaus, Jesus came and said to them ‘Peace be with you’ (vs. 36).
Disciples were terrified and frightened. He asked them to look and touch
his hands, and feet. He was not a ghost.
He has flesh and bones unlike ghosts, which do not have.
He explained to the apostles his mission, which was prophesied by
prophets, and written in the Law of Moses, and Psalms (v.44).
He commissioned the disciples to preach repentance and remission of sins
and be his witnesses. He also promised to send them the promise of the
father (Holy Spirit)
Q: what was the nature of the resurrected body of Jesus?
d. The ascension of Jesus, Luke, 24: 50 – 53
From Jerusalem, Jesus took his disciples to Bethany, a town outside
Jerusalem. He lifted his hands and blessed them. As he blessed them, he
was lifted up and carried to heaven.
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The disciples worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
They continued to go to the temple to praise and give thanks to God.
The disciples were now confident about their mission and who Jesus was
e. The importance of the resurrection of Jesus to Christian
Resurrection is the foundation of Christian faith. Christianity is based on
the fact that Jesus resurrected and was taken up to heaven.
Further to this:
1. Resurrection proved that Jesus is the Son of God.
2. Through resurrection, Christians have hope of eternal life
3. Through resurrections, Christians are assured of a new life in Christ
4. Sin and death were conquered by resurrection, giving hope of victory to
Christians over death and sin.
5. Resurrection is a fulfillment of the writings of the prophets. It fulfilled
Old Testament prophesies by Moses, Elijah, Elisha and others.
6. It is a proof that there is life after death.
7. Through resurrection, man was reconciled to God.
8. Jesus has power over death, over Satan and his Kingdom of darkness
9. It led to the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Revision questions
a. Give the different names used in reference to the Lord’s Supper by
Christians in different churches
b. Describe the institution of the Lord’s Supper
c, State the Christian teaching about the lord’s supper
d. What is the meaning of the Lord’s Supper to Christians?
e. Compare the Passover feast with the practice of the Lord’s Supper
f. Describe the prayer on mount olives
g. Describe the betrayal and arrest of Jesus
h. State the reasons that made Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus
i. Describe the trial of Jesus under the following headings: - the council of
Sanhedrin, the trial before Pilate, the trial before Herod and Pilate’s
judgment.
j. Why do you think Pilate agreed to have Jesus crucified?
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k. Identify and explain the lessons that Christians learn from the actions of
Pilate during the trial of Jesus
l. Actions taken by the Jewish leaders to ensure that Jesus was put to
death
m. Explain the crucifixion of Jesus
n. Describe the death of Jesus
o. The burial of Jesus
p. Define the term resurrection
q. Describe the four witnesses of the risen Christ
r. Describe Jesus’ appearance to the disciples
s. Describe the ascension of Jesus
t. Give five evidences from the bible to show that Jesus rose from the
dead
u. Explain the significance of passion, death and the resurrection of Christ
v. What is the significance of Jesus resurrection to Christians Today?
w. Explain five importance of eulogy of death of the society.
Revision Questions
OLD TESTAMENT PROPHESIES ABOUT THE COMING OF
THE MESSIAH
Lesson one:
1. The prophecy of Jeremiah about the Messiah
a) He shall be a descendant of David
b) He shall be a king
c) He shall prosper
d) He shall execute judgment and justice
e) He shall ensure Judah/Israel is safe and lives in peace
f) He shall be called the lord our righteousness
2. Meaning of Messiah mean?
Messiah is a Hebrew word ‘Meshiach’ which means ‘the anointed one’. It
is equivalent to ‘Christ’, a Greek word, which also means the ‘Anointed
one’. A Messiah is therefore someone called, anointed and appointed by
God to serve Him in a special way.
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In the Old Testament, the Priests and Kings were the only people who
were anointed. When a person is anointed oil is poured on them. The
anointed person was set aside from the rest of the people in order to serve
God and His people. Examples of anointed people are Aaron (Priest) and
King David. In addition, God himself anointed Prophets: for example,
Samuel, Elijah, Jeremiah, and Nathan among others.
3. Jewish expectations of the Messiah in the Old Testament
The messiah shall be a political leader, a victorious ruler, a king to lead
people to a time of great power and prosperity, a king in whose reign
there shall be no sorrow or injustice nor fear, a king to rule forever
4. How Jesus Christ fulfilled the Old Testament prophetic of the messiah
a) He was born from the lineage of David
b) He was born of Mary, a virgin as foretold by Isaiah
c) The messiah was called Immanuel (Jesus) Isaiah prophecy
d) He was born in Bethlehem – Micah’s prophecy
e) He was referred to as “son of David” – Nathan/Jeremiah/s prophesies
f) He suffered – suffering servant prophecy by Isaiah
5. Prophets in the Old Testament who prophesied about the expected
Messiah Isaiah, Nathan, Jeremiah, Micah and psalmist prophecy.
Answers
Qn 1. The qualities of john as described by angel Gabriel
a. He would be a prophet of god
b. He would prepare the way for the messiah
c. He would bring joy to Zachariah and others
d. He would be a Nazarite
e. He would call people to repentance
Qn 2 why john was referred to as the second Elijah
• Like Elijah john had also lived in the wilderness
• John was also filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaimed god’s message
to the people
• He also met opposition from the king just like Elijah
• He was beheaded and Elijah was threatened with death by jezebel
• He stood firmly for the covenant way of life
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• He was a great prophet of his time

• He led a simple life and faced many problems like hunger just like
Elijah
Qn 3 what lessons do Christians learn from annunciation of the birth
of john the Baptist?
• God answers prayers however long it may take
• Christians should not doubt God’s messages
• We should be persistent, faithful and patient in prayers
• Christians should be devoted to God in prayer
• Children are a gift from God and a source of joy to their parents
• God has a purpose for every child’s life
Qn 4 Describe the birth of john the Baptist
• Elizabeth was very happy and so was Zachariah
• John was circumcised after eight days in accordance with the Jewish
customs
• Elizabeth named the child john
• Zachariah affirmed the name of their son in writing
• They were surprised at the name because it was not in Zechariah’s
lineage
• Zechariah was now able to talk
• He broke into a hymn called the Benedictus
• Zechariah expressed his feelings of joy, gratitude and praise
• Zechariah told of the mission of his son.
TOPIC TWO: INFANCY AND EARLY LIFE OF JESUS
Qn 1 What lessons can Christians learn from the annunciation of the
birth of Jesus Christ?
• God exalts the humble and rejects the proud
• Christians should humbly accept god’s plan for their lives
• God has a purpose for the life of every one
• Nothing is impossible with god
• God wanted Jesus Christ to be part of the human family for him to
identify with the human race
Qn2. Describe Mary’s visit to Elizabeth
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• Mary went to visit Elizabeth after angel Gabriel told her that Elizabeth
was expecting a baby
• Mary greeted Elizabeth and the baby in the Elizabeth’s womb leapt with
joy
• The spirit also revealed that Mary was the most blessed of all women
• Mary sang a song known as the magnificent
Qn3. identify the main ideas in the magnificent
• Mary thanks god for
• Being good to her
• His goodness and love for all human beings
• Fulfilling his promises to the people
• Delivering the oppressed from the oppressors
Qn 4 Describe the dedication ceremony during the infancy of Jesus
• The parents of Jesus offered the purification sacrifices according to the
Law of Moses
• Simon was moved by the Holy Spirit and took Jesus into his arm and
praised God
• Simon prophesied about the mission of Jesus
• Prophetess Ann thanked God for sending Jesus who would bring
redemption
• The things Simon and Anne said about their child amazed the parents of
Jesus.
TOPIC TWO: THE GALILEAN MINISTRY
Qn a. What is the relevance of John the Baptist teachings to
Christians today?
• Christians should not fear to condemn the evils in the society
• Christians should commit their lives wholly to the work of God
• Christians should accept their role with humility and preach the gospel
• Christians should be ready to proclaim the gospel even harsh
environment for the people to know God
• Christians should share their resources with the less fortunate
• Christians should be contended with their pay and thus not accept bribes
• Christians should learn to be truthful in their work environment
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• Christians should pronounce the consequences of judgment to those

willing to repent
Qn b. Give reasons why Jesus accepted to be baptized
• To be identified as the messiah
• To identify himself with the sinful human kind
• To receive the Holy Spirit
• For God to manifest the trinity
• It was a cleansing ritual
• To acknowledge the work of John the Baptist
• He saw it as a way of fulfilling the Old Testament prophesies about the
Messiah
• It was his final acceptance of the work of salvation
Qn c. describe the baptism of Jesus
• When all the people were baptized Jesus was also baptized
• He was baptized by John the Baptist in river Jordan at a place called
Bethbora
• Jesus was praying when the heavens opened
• The holy spirit descended from heaven upon him inform of a dove
• A voice came from heaven saying “thou art my beloved son with thee I
am well pleased
Qn d. what is the significance of the baptism of Jesus to Christians
today?
• Christians get new names that symbolizes new life in Christ
• Christians receive the Holy Spirit who gives them guidance in their lives
• Christians identify themselves with Jesus and the church
• Water is symbolically used as a cleanser as it wipes away one’s sins and
gives a new life
• Christians are brought together as members of the church of Christ
• During baptism Christians receive the Holy Spirit who guides them in
their lives
• The old self dies and becomes a new person as a Christian
• It is the first step of being accepted into the Christian brotherhood
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LESSON THREE: TEMPTATIONS

Qn a. describe the temptations of Jesus
• Satan told Jesus to turn stones into bread
• Jesus answered that man does not live on bread alone
• Satan then took Jesus to a high place and showed him all the kingdoms
of the world. Satan promised to give Jesus everything if Jesus worshipped
him
• Jesus answered that one should worship God and serve him alone
• Hastily, satin took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple. He asked Jesus to
throw himself down since
God would send his angles to ensure that he did not get hurt. Jesus
answered that no one should tempt
God
Qn b. from the gospel of St. Luke, identify five occasions when Jesus
was tempted
• In the wilderness
• When he healed a dumb man the commanded a sign
• Jesus was tempted to arbitrate between two brothers
• When the rich young ruler called Jesus a good teacher
• When he was asked whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar
• In the garden of Gethsemane, he was tempted to escape the cup of
suffering
• During his trial he was asked whether he was the Messiah
• During crucifixion he was spat on but did not fight back
• On the cross one of the thieves wanted him to deliver them
• He was questioned by the Sadducees about resurrection
Qn c. Outline ways in which Christians can overcome temptations in
the contemporary world
• They should depend on Jesus
• They should be well versed with the scripture so that they can refer to
the bible
• They should seek guidance and counseling
• They should attend bible classes for the right interpretation of the bible
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• They should have faith or believe in God to help them during trials
• They should avoid bad company
• The should take part in active leisure
• They should avoid circumstances that can lead them to sin
• They should resist Satan
Qn d. Explain ways in which Christians can be tempted
• To give a bribe in order to get a job
• To engage in irresponsible sexual behavior due to peer pressure
• To steal money entrusted to them
• To cheat in examinations
• To take drugs/alcohol
• To exploit those who serve under them in their places of work
• To keep excess change from a shopkeeper or tout
• To show off
Qn e. What lessons can Christians learn from the temptations of
Jesus?
• Since Jesus was tempted, he fully understands our difficulties
• God does not tempt us beyond our strength
• Through temptations we will also be tempted
• Through temptations and trials our faith is strengthened
• When we are tempted we should turn to the bible for guidance
• We should seek the Holy Spirit who enabled Jesus to conquer evil
LESSON EIGHT: THESERMON ON THE PLAIN:
1. Give the main teachings of Jesus on the sermon on the plain
The sermon on the plain consisted of five main parts namely:
Blessings (Lk 6: 20 – 26) and woes
These are also referred to as the beatitudes. Here, Jesus had a message for
the poor, the rich, those who hunger and those who are full, those who
weep and those who laugh. His concern is to show the social differences
and mystery of Christian suffering. Persecution seems to be a common
phenomenon for followers of Christ. The poor are those who cannot meet
their basic needs and Luke depicts them as hungry and weeping.
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The disciples are included in the poor because they have given up
everything. But Jesus gives hope.
Jesus warns the rich against using their economic points to oppress the
poor. They have an opportunity, however to belong to the Kingdom by
using their riches to help the needy.
Love of Enemies: (6:27-37)
Followers of Jesus are supposed to “Love your enemies, do good to those
who hate, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who abuse you”.
Judging Others (6:37-43)
Disciples are expected to acknowledge their own shortcomings before
they can condemn the faults in others. Failure to recognize one’s fault is a
hindrance to becoming a member of the Kingdom of God.
Evidence to Good Discipleship
The proof of a person’s goodness is seen in his deeds. The true nature of a
person cannot be hidden because what they do and say will reveal their
nature.
Hearing and Doing (6: 47-49)
It is not enough for His followers to proclaim Christ as Lord. They must
also do what He tells them.
Q2. What is the relevance of the (beatitudes) sermon on the plain to
Christians today?
The teachings on blessings and woes tell us that the goal of a person
should be to inherit the Kingdom of God.
Christians should love their enemies as Jesus loved them sinful as they
were.
Human beings are self-centered. It is easier to see other people’s mistakes
than our own Christian should examine them before passing judgment on
others. By so doing we appreciate that we are all sinners who should seek
forgiveness from God and we should always appreciate others however
sinful they may be.
Be steadfast in faith and do well all the time.
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LESSION 9: JESUS’ WORKS OF COMPASSION

Q2 Narrate the story of the forgiveness of the sinful woman (Lk 7:36-
8:3)
On one occasion, Jesus was invited by Simon the Pharisee to his house
to eat with him.
While this is a sinful woman walked into the house weeping.
She began to wet Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her
hair.
She kissed his feet and anointed them with an ointment.
When Simon saw this, he questioned Jesus’ power. If he were a prophet,
He would have noticed that the woman was a sinner.
And Jesus answered him the telling him about a certain creditor who
has two debtors, one owed him hundred denarii and the other fifty.
When asked Simon which of the two debtors would love the creditors
more.
Simon said the one who was forgiven more.
Jesus said you have judged rightly.
Then he had not given Him even water to wash His feet.
But the woman used her tears to wet Jesus’ feet and wiped them using
her hair and oiled them.
Therefore her sins, which are many, are forgiven for she loved much,
one with little love receives little more.
Jesus told Simon he gave him no kiss but the woman had not stopped
kissing Him.
Those at table began to ask who Jesus was who ever forgiven sins?
And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace.”
Q3. What lessons do Christians learn from the above story?
Christians should accept their sins and seek for forgiveness as the sinful
woman did.
Faith is important for one to be forgiven. Jesus told the woman “Your
faith has saved you.”
A repentant sinner is greater than a righteous man (the Jewish religious
leaders).
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It is not the magnitude of sin that matters but the attitude of a person
towards his sins.
Shows the importance of women in the ministry of Jesus
Q4. Describe the story of the raising of the widow’s son at Nain (Lk
7:11-17)
After His preaching in Capernaum, Jesus went to the city of Nain.
He found a man being carried out near the gate.
He was the only son of a widow.
When the Lord saw her, He had compassionate on her and said to her,
“do not weep.’
Then He came and touched the open coffin.
And those who carried him stood still.
Jesus said, “Young man, arise.”
And he who was dead sat up and began to speak.
Jesus presented him to his mother.
Then fear came among all and they glorified God.
They said a great prophet has come among us. God has visited His
people.
LESSON 10: JESUS’ TEACHING – WHAT IS THE IMPORTA-
NCE OF PARABLES?
1. Give reasons why Jesus used parables
• To attract the attention of his listeners
• To help his listeners understand better
• To separate the serious people from the onlookers
• To enrich his teachings
• To avoid direct confrontation with his enemies
• It was a common way of teaching those days
• To teach about God’s mercy to sinners
• To make people think critically out issues concerning God’s kingdom
• To relate patent issues with those of the future kingdom positively
Qn 2 Identify various methods used by Christians in spreading the
gospel today
• Preaching
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• Teaching
• Being role models
• Holding crusades
• Organizing seminars and conferences
• Electronic mechanisms e.g. sms and emails
• Print media e.g. posters and magazines
• Door to door evangelism
• Through demonstration and role play
• Through the mass media e.g. radios and TVs
• Through Christian music e.g. cassettes and C.Ds
Qn 3 Discuss the reasons why Jesus faced opposition from the Jewish
leaders
• His popularity
• His interpretation of the Sabbath
• His failure to observe the law of fasting
• He associated with tax collectors
• He claimed to be the messiah
• He out rightly condemned them
• Teaching with authority
• His claims to forgive sins.
LESSON 11: MIGHTY WORKS OF JESUS
Q1 Narrate the healing of the Gerasene demoniac – Lk 8:26-39.
After crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus came across a demon –
possessed man in a gentile town called Gerasa.
The man had been living in the caves used for burial of the dead.
He wore no clothes.
When the man saw Jesus, he asked Him not to torment him.
When Jesus asked him what his name was; he responded that he was
called “Legion” – which stands for 2000 – 6000 soldiers.
This meant that this man possessed by many demons.
Jesus had sympathy and ordered the unclean spirits to leave him.
Jesus let the evil spirits to go to the pigs, which were grazing nearby.
They then fell into the lake and drowned.
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Q2. What lesson can Christian learn from the healing of the
demoniac man above?
Jesus valued human life. That is why He led the evil/spirits into the
pigs, which drowned into the lake and saved the man.
It shows Jesus came for all regardless of tribe. This man was a gentile.
Jesus heals the whole person – physically and spiritually.
That Jesus has power over evil spirits.
Shows that Jesus came to destroy the power of evil
It teaches that Christians have to fight the power of evil constantly. But
with Jesus’ help they will overcome it.
God will never allow them to be defeated. He will come to their aid,
however, much.
They should give out their material possession to save those in need.
This man needed help.
They should tell their people about God as this man went to in his
village etc.
Q3. What do the miracles of Jesus teach us about Him?
They show that Jesus is the Son of God.
That Jesus gets power from God.
That Jesus shares his power with His disciples.
The miracles show Jesus compassion to suffering people e.g. the raising
of the widow’s son.
They also show that Jesus is Lord. He is the life and the resurrection.
That affirms that Jesus came to save man from sin.
They show that Jesus is a universal savior e.g. the Gesarone demoniac
who was a gentile.
They were part of His teaching – they helped Him teach.
Through them He showed the concern for human life, physically,
spiritually and mentally.
LESSON 12: COMMISSIONING OF THE TWELVE DISCIPLES
(LK 1:1-10)
Q1. What is the role of the clergy in Kenya?
To preach the word of God.
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To advise the leaders.

To warn evildoers against their sins.
To condemn evil.
Pray for the needy
Help the needy e.g. give them food, shelter etc.
Hold seminars/workshops where they lead people into forgiveness
Being a good example for emulation
Q2. How does the church participate in the upkeep of the clergy?
By giving sadaka
By giving 1/10 of their income
They pay for their training.
Fundraisings for building theological institutions
Building their residential houses in the church compound.
Giving ‘matega’ – foodstuffs as part of sadaka during service
LESSON 13: THE TRANSFIGURATION
Q2. Describe the transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9:28-37)
Jesus needed encouragement and reassurance that what He was about to
do was the will of His Father.
Therefore He took with Him Peter, James and John and went to Mount
Hermon to pray.
As He prayed, His appearance was changed and His face became
dazzling white.
Two men, Elijah & Moses appeared and talked of His departure (death),
which He was to accomplish in Jerusalem.
The disciples were asleep as this happened.
When they woke up, they saw glory and the two men who stood with
Him.
And as the men were parting form Him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it
is well that we are here, Let us make booths, one for you, one for Elijah
and one for Moses.
As he said this, a cloud cursed the whole area and they were afraid.
A voice came out of the cloud saying, ‘this is my only son, my chosen,
Listen to Him.’
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Q3. What is the significance of the transfiguration of Jesus (Lk 9:28-

37)?
A voice from heaven confirmed that Jesus was the Son of God.
It strengthened the faith of the disciples so that they would continue
with His work after death.
It showed that Jesus had fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and
God. This is seen with the appearance of Elijah and Moses.
The cloud was a symbol of God’s presence.
It was a sign that Jesus’ mission was no longer a secret. It marked the
onset of His passion, which would lead to His death.
It confirmed to Jesus that He was doing the right thing and God was in
support of His suffering.
It shows that faith in prayer can lead us to God’s presence.
THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
DUTIES, PRIVILEGES AND COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
Q1. What are the characteristics of a true follower of Jesus?
Following Jesus means accepting homelessness and enduring hardship
because Jesus did not have a permanent home.
Being a disciple of Jesus means self-denial and suffering.
Being ready to give e.g. to the needy
To spread Christianity and make Jesus known.
Following Jesus means being loyal to Him.
Q2. State the privileges of being a disciple of Jesus
One becomes a member of the Kingdom of God.
One is assured of eternal life.
He has the joy of winning others to the Kingdom of God through
preaching.
Q3 why did Jesus choose the 12 disciples?
In order to help Him in the work of spreading the good news
So as to belong to the Kingdom of God and get eternal life
To witness to his work
To share with them the power of God e.g. in performing miracles.
For Company as He worked.
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A COMMITED FOLLOWER OF JESUS Lk 10:25 11:1-13

(Note: Not the parable of the Samaritans)
Q1. From the teaching of Jesus on the parable of the Good
Samaritan, who do you think is a committed follower of Jesus?
One who understands the law and obeys i
One who understands that a neighbor is anybody who requires help
regardless of their social status
One who uses his resources selflessly to help the needy
One who is not restricted by cultural and religious practices in
responding to a needy situation
One who is compassionate, kind and generous
One who shows solidarity with the suffering, this includes identifying
with the needy and being ready to experience their suffering.
LESSON 3: JESUS’ TEACHING ON PRAYER
Q1. What did Jesus teach about prayer?
Jesus taught that prayer must be persistent, use the parable of Friend at
Midnight.
Prayer should be done in a private place.
It should be genuine.
One should not be proud when praying e.g. the parable of the tax
collector and the Pharisee.
One should have faith during prayer.
One should pray always/continuously.
There is no formula in prayer. One should address God as a father.
Honestly confess sin as they pray.
Qs 1 & 2 is out of topic.
LESSON 5: JESUS’ TEACHINGS ON HYPOCRISY, WEALTH,

WATCHFULNESS AND READINESS
Q1. Hypocrisy – In what areas were the Pharisees hypocritical?
In the washing of hands, cups and dishes which were done
ceremoniously He told them to pay attention to issues of charity than
external appearance.
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Tithing habits – They paid this well for the support of priests but
neglected justice and love for God.
He criticized them for recognition in the synagogues by taking reserved
seats and their desire to be noticed at market places by wearing long white
robes.
He accused them of being like their ancestors who persecuted the
prophets of God.
LESSON 6: JESUS’ TEACHINGS ON WEALTH AND POVERTY
Read Lk: 11:13-34: Parable of the rich fool
Q1. From the parable of the rich fool, what can Christians learn
about the use of wealth?
Material wealth should come second after God.
We should try to help the poor.
It teaches that wealth comes from God.
Wealth should not be misused e.g. in drinking, etc.
We should thank God for wealth received.
It can make Christians to forget God.
Q2. Narrate the parable of the shrewd manager
Jesus taught the following parable about a rich man and his servant.
A rich man wanted to sack his manager. He called the manager and
asked him for a full account of how the property was being managed.
The manager knew he was going to be sacked. He made friends with
some of his master’s debtors so that they would take care of him if he got
sacked.
One debtor who owed 100 barrels of olive oil was asked to pay 50
barrels and one who owed 1000 was asked to pay 800 barrels.
The master praised him for being wise and acting property in his
moment of crisis.
LESSION 8: TEACHING ON FORGIVENESS
What were the teachings of Jesus on forgiveness?
Jesus taught that one should forgive and forget
All sins are equal before the eyes of God.
One ought to ask for forgiveness after he has wronged.
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One should forgive as many times as he is offended.

One should have faith when asking for forgiveness.
PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER
Q1. State the parable of the widow and the unjust judge 18: 1-8
Jesus told the Pharisees a parable to the effect that they ought always to
pray and not lose heart.
In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded
man.
And there was a widow in that city which kept coming to him and
wanted her right given.
For a while he refused, but afterwards he said to himself, though I
neither fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I
will allow her set her right or she will wear me out by her continual
coming.
And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says, and will he
not vindicate His elect who cry to Him day and night?
Will he delays long over them, I, you, He will vindicate them speedily.
LESSON 10: THE WAY TO SALVATION Lk 18: 15 – 19
Q1: What did Jesus teach by using the example of little children?
Jesus said, ‘Let little children come to me because the kingdom of God
belongs to such as them.
He went on to tell them that for one to enter God’s kingdom, he must
humble himself like children.
This is because children are powerless, innocent and open.
Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is for those who are simple,
humble, innocent and trusting like children.
Q2. Give an account of how Jesus healed the blind beggar (18:35-43)
A blind man recognized Jesus as the messiah.
The blind man asked Jesus to heal him.
He received his sight because of his faith.
He followed Jesus, giving thanks to God.
To receive salvation one needs to be bold and determined.
We should seek Christ to heal our physical and spiritual blindness.
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Q3. Explain the relevance of Jesus’ teaching on salvation to

Christians
Christians learn that they need to repent their sins and seek forgiveness
in order to receive salvation and eternal life.
They need to humble themselves like children in order to earn salvation.
They learn to obey the commandments of God so as to receive
salvation.
Use their abilities to glorify God e.g. the rich man’s parable
They too learn that wealth can be a hindrance to salvation.
They learn that salvation is given to all by God.
TOPIC FIVE: THE JERUSALEM MINISTRY
Qn a. describe Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem according to
Luke chapter 19: 29-30
• After his journey from Galilee ended, Jesus approached Jerusalem
passing through Bethaphage,
Bethany and the mount olives
• He sent two of his disciples to a village to get him a donkey on which
nobody had ridden
• He gave the disciples instructions that if the owner of the donkey
demanded to know why they were untying it, they were to respond, “The
lord has need for it”
• When they got the donkey, they threw their garments on it and helped
Jesus to sit on it
• As Jesus rode along, they spread their garments on the road
• The crowds following him rejoiced and praised God for all the
wonderful work Jesus had done this included: teaching, healing and
feeding the hungry
• The crowds sang, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the
lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest”. By singing, the crowds
acclaimed Jesus as king.
• The Pharisees objected to the crowds singing and asked Jesus to silence
them
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• Jesus responded that if his followers were silent, “the very stones would
cry out”. Insensitive than stones not to know what was happening, that is,
the Messiah has come
Qn b. What does the manner of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem reveal
about the nature of the kingdom of God?
• Jesus was a descendant of David, prophesied Messiah and son of God
• Jesus is a triumphant, victorious yet a humble king. A donkey is a
symbol of humility and peace. So he came to establish a peaceful
kingdom
• Jesus wanted to proclaim the coming of his kingdom but not as an
earthly/ military leader, thus leading them to lay their garments for him to
step on. In doing this, they were acknowledging Jesus as
Jerusalem’s promised king
• Jesus was greeted as a king the same way the kings of Israel were
greeted with acclamation and joy
• By riding on a donkey, Jesus fulfilled the prophesy of Zechariah which
says, the king is coming riding on a donkey triumphant, humble and
victorious
• Christianity is not propagated through violent means but peace
Qn c. What lessons can Christians learn fro Jesus’ triumphant entry
into Jerusalem?
• Christians learn that they should be prepared to receive Jesus into their
lives like the crowd which escorted him to Jerusalem
• Christians also learn that they should emulate Jesus and be channels of
peace in their communities
• They also learn that they should expect opposition and resistance as they
witness to Christ. They should not give up hope
• Christians learn that they should be humble like Jesus in their service to
others
• Christians should thank and praise God for his intervention in their lives
by sending Jesus
• They should be bold in their witnessing to Christ like the crowds that
followed Jesus to Jerusalem and
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Qn d. State and explain why Jesus wept over Jerusalem.

• When Jesus came close to the city of Jerusalem he wept over it saying,
“If you only knew what is needed for peace! But now you cannot see it!
The time will come when your enemies will surround you with barricades
block you and close in on you from every side. They will completely
destroy you and the people within your walls, not a single stone will they
leave in its place because you did not recognize the time when God came
to save you”.
• According to Luke, all song and rejoicing stopped suddenly when Jesus
was deeply distressed at the sight of Jerusalem
• Jesus knew that Jerusalem (the city of peace) would reject his final
appeal and by so doing would bring judgment down on itself. The
destruction of the city is viewed as the consequence of its rejection of
Jesus. They cannot see when the true peace comes in the person of Jesus.
The coming destruction is a symbol of God’s judgment on lack of trust.
The tears of Jerusalem are the tears of tragedy.
• The heart of the tragedy is that Jerusalem did not recognize the time
when God came to save them
• Now Jesus says that Jerusalem was not ready to receive him as their
savior and this would lead to her ruin
• Just like the Babylonians were God’s instruments of destruction of
Jerusalem during the time of
Jeremiah, so will the Romans be instruments of destruction of Jerusalem
• Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Roman armies in the year
A.D 70
Qn e. Explain the cleansing of the temple.
• While in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple where he found people
buying and selling
• He drove them out and overturned their tables saying that they had
turned his father’s house into a den of robbers
• Here Luke uses this incidence to show how Jerusalem was still
unprepared for the day of God’s visit
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• Jesus carried out a symbolic act by driving out those who were buying
and selling in the temple
• Jesus used the words of Jeremiah who too attacked the in his time for
turning the temple into a hideout for thieves
• According to Jesus the temple will no longer give them the sense of
security because it will be destroyed
• Although the temple will be destroyed, a new one will be built. This is
the Christian community, which will be a house o prayer for all nations.
The new temple will not be limited to Jesus alone but to all people
• In short Jesus is the Messiah. He exposed the unrighteousness of public
life in Jerusalem by attacking the merchants in the temple
Qn f. Give reasons why Jesus cleansed the temple of Jerusalem
• The temple authorities had allowed a market in the court of the gentiles
where the everyday money issued by the Roman government could be
exchanged for the special temple coins which had to be used for paying
the temple tax
• In the same place they could also buy the animals needed for sacrifice.
These animals had to be certified as acceptable
• But both the changing of money and the certifying of animals gave
ample opportunity for making exorbitant profits
• Jesus made his protest because all this trading was hiding for the real
purpose of the temple and prevented Israel from being a light to the
gentiles. For this reason, the temple would be destroyed because it was no
longer serving as “a house of prayer”.
Qn g. What lessons can Christians learn from the cleansing of the
temple?
• Christians learn that they should respect the house of God and use it
appropriately
• Christian leaders should avoid exploiting members through asking for
excessive contributions
• Christians should pay more attention to inward righteousness than
external observance of rituals
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• Christians should have more courage like Jesus to condemn evil

practices by leaders in the church and society
• Christians should be exemplary with their life styles so as to win others
to the kingdom
• Finally the cleansing of the temple by Jesus provides valuable lesson to
Christians who are called upon to be Christ’s ambassadors. There are
many incidents where churches have been subjected to disrespect and
dishonor and this discourages many people from knowing God. Christians
should also avoid leadership wrangles, corruption, sexual abuse, gossip
and many others that have caused churches to split
Qn h. Explain Jesus’ conflict with the Jewish leaders
• In a series of conflicts in and around the temple between Jesus and the
official leaders of the Jewish nation, the public ministry of Jesus came to
its close
• After the cleansing the temple, he daily dominated the temple area
teaching large crowds. His popularity grew steadily and the leaders felt
the threat against their own position. They could not allow this to go on
but they were afraid to arrest Jesus. In the end they tried to trap him into
making statements which would either get him into trouble with the
Roman authorities or discredit him before the people
• First Jesus was challenged about his authority. The Jewish religious
leaders wondered whose authority
Jesus used. They wanted to know which Rabii taught him or to which
Jewish religious groups he belonged to i.e. the Pharisees or the Sadducees
• If Jesus proclaimed himself as the Messiah he could be accused before
the Roman authorities for rebellion
• If he refused to make his claim the crowds would soon leave him alone
• But Jesus skillfully defeated his adversaries. He invited them to answer
their own question. “Tell me, did John’s right to baptize come from God
or human beings?”
• Whatever answer they gave to Jesus’ question about John the Baptist
would apply in even stronger measures to their own question about Jesus
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• But they had never supported John and they could no now admit that his
right to baptize came from
God
• If they did they would also have to accept Jesus whom John had
announced. Neither could they say
John was a prophet for that would bring trouble from the people who held
John in high self-esteem
Qn i. Describe the parable of the tenants in the vineyard
• After the question of Jesus’ authority, Jesus challenged the Jewish
leaders by telling them the parable of the wicked tenants. He said that
there was once a man, who planted a vineyard, let it to the tenants and
then left home for a long time
• When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent a slave to the tenants
to receive from them his share of the harvest but the tenants beat the
slaves and sent him back without a thing. The same treatment was given
to the second and the third slave
• The owner decided to send his own son whom they killed. He therefore
decided to come by himself, killed the tenants and handed over the
vineyard to other men
• When the people heard this they said, “Surely not” but Jesus explained
to them “the stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to
be the most important of all. And every one who falls on the stone will be
cut to pieces and if that stone falls on someone, it will crush him to dust
• In this parable, the vineyard represents God’s kingdom, Israel. The
servants are the prophets sent to Israel and they are rejected. The son here
represents Jesus and the owner is God who will bring judgment on Israel
• The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone this
shows that Jesus saw himself as the rejected but most important. He
makes a new foundation of Israel for both Jews and Gentiles. On hearing
this, the Pharisees wanted to seize Jesus but were afraid of the people
Qn j. what is the relevance of the parable of the tenants?
• Over the centuries the situation has not changed. Jesus is still rejected by
nations and by men
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• What happened to Jesus happened as he foretold those who follow him

• Church history reveals many examples of men rejected by political and
religious leaders and by the people their time and who have later been
seen as the key man in the revelation of God’s purpose
• As Christians we should also pray for strength and guidance from God
to be able to deal with rejection
• As Christians we should not fear rejection but stand firm for the truth
• Christians should also seek pastoral counseling from the church leaders
and other Christians. When we endure persecution we may be finally
proved right
Qn k. the question about paying taxes
• The teachers of law and the chief priest, after falling to arrest Jesus
bribed some spies to ask whether it was right for them to pay taxes to
Caesar or not
• The Israelites were compelled to pay taxes to the Romans who
controlled them
• Many resented this because according to them payment of taxes using
coins which had some emperors image was a violation of the Jewish law
which forbade the use of images
• If Jesus would tell them to pay, the people would be against him for
supporting Roman rule over them
• Many resented this because according to them people would be against
him for supporting Roman rule over them
• If he told them not to pay, they would accuse him to the Roman
authorities
• Jesus knew their trick and wanted his questioners to make their own
decision about the issue
• According to him it was right for the Roman government to exert the tax
payments without demeaning God’s authority
• In other words, by having the silver coin in their possession, the Jews
accepted Roman authority
• They had a duty to pay tax to the emperor because they enjoyed the
benefit of the Roman rule
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• At the same time they had a duty to be loyal to God. A person’s loyalty
should not be owed to the state or Caesar
Qn l. explain the question about resurrection
• The Sadducees raised the question concerning marriage an resurrection
or life after death
• They asked Jesus whose wife a woman would be in the resurrection
when she married seven brothers who had died without bearing children
• The question was meant or designed to make Jesus look foolish thus to
shame him. This would undermine the popular support that we had
prevented action against Jesus
• In his response, Jesus made the following observations
• He does not accept the assumption that marriage continues after
resurrection
• Quoting from exodus a book that the Sadducees accepted, Jesus
confirms that there is life after death
• The resurrection life is different from earthly life
• It is a new existence where those who resurrect, live with God as his
children in eternity
Qn m. what is eschatology?
• The term eschatology is derived from two Greek words ’Eschatus’ and
‘Lagos’, which means end and study respectively
• Eschatology therefore is the study of the last things such as death,
judgment, and life after death and the end of the world
• Jesus talked about the end of the world to his disciples just before he
was arrested
Qn n. what will happen at the end of the world (eschatology)
according to Jesus’ teaching in Luke’s gospel 21: 5-38?
• Jesus taught his disciples about the end times in the temple of Jerusalem
• In his speech, he talked about what will happen to the city of Jerusalem
and the world at the end of time
• Jerusalem was going to be destroyed because of her refusal to recognize
and accept the Messiah
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• Jesus told the disciples of the signs that would accompany the end of the
world
• People come claiming to be Jesus the Messiah, the son of God
• There will be wars between nations
• Natural calamities like earthquakes, famines and plagues will occur
• Strange heavenly beings will come from the sky
• There will be disruption in the sky and in the sea
• All nations will be in despair
• People will faint from fear as they witness these signs
• At the end of all these, the son of man will appear in power and glory
• Jesus’ teaching of the end times was meant to provide encouragement to
the disciples in difficult times
• They were expected to have hope
Qn o. how do Christians prepare for the second coming of Christ?
• Christians should prepare for the second coming of Christ by not losing
hope in the face of trials and tribulations because the kingdom of God
with its promises of a new life will definitely come
• They prepare for his second coming by leading a righteous life. They are
to avoid too much feasting and drinking
• They should prepare by being watchful through prayers so that God will
give them courage and strength to stand firm in their faith
• They should prepare by preaching the word of God to those who have
not heard it
• They should prepare by being obedient to God’s commandments
• They should prepare by helping the needy
• They should prepare by preaching and evangelizing and converting
others
TOPIC SIX: THE PASSION, DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF
JESUS CHRIST
THE LORD’S SUPPER
Qn a. gives the different names used in reference to the Lord’s
Supper by Christians in different churches
• The holy Eucharist
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• The mass
• The Lord’s Table or the table of the lord
• The Holy Communion
• The Last Supper
• The breaking of bread
• The sacrament
Qn b. describe the institution of the Lord’s Supper
• Jesus was at the last supper with his disciples the night he was betrayed
• In the room which had been arranged by Jesus. He told his disciples how
much he had longed to eat the Passover meal with them before he suffered
death
• He took a piece of bread and gave thanks to God and broke it. He gave it
to them saying, “This is my body which is given for you. So do this in
memory of me”
• He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God and said “ take this and
share it among yourselves”
• He also gave them a cup of wine after supper saying “ this cup is God’s
new covenant sealed with my blood which is poured out for you
Qn c. state the Christian teachings about the Lord’s Supper
• The Last Supper was inaugurated by Jesus
• It’s celebration of the crucified and rise Christ
• The Lord’s Supper is a gift from God
• It is a sacrifice of praise and thanks giving
• It is the church’s effective proclamation of God’s mighty works acts and
promises
• It is a sign of the unity of the church or the believers
• It is a new paschal meal of the church. The meal, which by visible signs
communicates God’s love in
Jesus Christ. It is the sacrament of Christ’s real presence
• The bread is a symbol of the body of Christ which was crucified
• The wine or cup is a symbol of his blood, which was shed. It is the
blood of the new covenant
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• It is a fore state of Christ’s passion and of the final kingdom. It is

symbolic of the heavenly banquet
• It is central to Christian worship. (Eucharist)
Qn d. what is the meaning of the Lord’s Supper to Christians?
• The sacramental meal communicates God’s love in Christ
• The washing of the disciple’s feet by Jesus signifies humble service to
and love for one another
• They proclaim the lord’s death until his second coming
• They share in the body of Christ
• The unity of Christians is evidenced
• The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus which was crucified on the
cross for the sins of human kind and for the healing of their diseases
• The wine symbolizes the blood of Jesus which was shed for forgiveness
of sins
• The wine also symbolizes the sealing of a new covenant
• The partaking of the Lord’s Supper strengthens the faith of believers in
that, Christ’s presence is felt and in this way they constantly keep in touch
with him
• The Lord’s Supper enhances a personal relationship between the
individual believer and Christ
• It is thanksgiving to God for everything accomplished in creation,
redemption and sanctification
• Through the Holy Communion, Christians offer themselves as a holy
and living sacrifice. They rededicate and renew themselves. Those who
share in the sacred meal declare their loyalty to Christ
• The Lord’s Supper is an act of repentance. The partakers receive re-
assurance of the forgiveness of sins and are assured of salvation
• The bread and the wine which represents the body and blood of Jesus
become the final sacrifice replacing all O.T sacrifices that were offered
for the salvation of the human race
Qn f. Prayer on mount olives
• After celebrating the last supper, Jesus and his disciples went to mount
olives
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• He knelt down and prayed and asked his disciples to join him
• In response, God sent an angel from heaven to encourage him
• Jesus prayed in agony until his sweat was like drops of blood
• This sweat which was like blood was an indication of the struggle and
agony he went through to accept the will of his father
• Though Jesus suffered agony and turmoil, he approached it with great
courage and composure
• His suffering was even greater for it involved more than physical pain. It
meant bearing the sin of the world
• So he prayed to God, his father to give him strength for his coming
mission
• When he went back to his disciples, he found them asleep a sign of
moral and physical exhaustion or maybe it was an indication that they
were in sorrow because Jesus had told them he was about to be crucified
• In conclusion, we can say that Jesus expressed an inner struggle about
the fulfillment of his Messianic mission. So he prayed to God to help him
bear the suffering. Prayer was very important in Jesus’ ministry
Qn g. describe the betrayal and arrest of Jesus
• When Jesus came down from Mt. Olives he met a multitude of people
• Judas Iscariot appeared accompanied by a large crowd, the chief priest,
elders and the temple guards who had ordered to arrest Jesus
• Judas Iscariot came forth and kissed Jesus. This was a sign identifying
Jesus as the man they were looking for. That kiss was the betrayal
• When the disciples noticed what was happening one of them used his
sword to cut off the ear of a high priest’s slave
• In other words Jesus stopped his disciples from resisting his arrest
• By rejecting armed assistance, Jesus was refusing the role of a political
Messiah
• Jesus was arrested and taken to the house of the chief priest Annas
Qn h. state the reasons that made Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus
• He lacked moral courage to stand by Jesus during his moment
• He could have been an informer of the Jewish religious leaders
• He was overcome by the power of evil
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• He was disappointed by Jesus’ teaching on spiritual kingdom rather than

fulfilling the Jewish expectation of a political Messiah who could liberate
them from the Roman rule
• He was a mercenary motivated by greed for money
• He had little faith in Jesus or lost his trust in Jesus Christ
• He was not loyal to the master
• He was a northerner who felt foreign and thus was jealous against other
disciples
• He was a zealot who believed in war rather than peace
Qn i. Describe the trial of Jesus under the following
The council of Sanhedrin
• Jesus was brought to the Sanhedrin council early in the morning
following his arrest
• The council of elders asked him if he was the Messiah
• Jesus responded by speaking of the son of the man coming in triumph
• The Sanhedrin accused him of the sin of blasphemy for allegedly
claiming to be the son of God
• He was condemned to die for alleged blasphemy
• In the Jewish law, blasphemy was punishable by death
The trial before Pilate
• Since the Sanhedrin could not carry out the death sentence, they took
Jesus to the Roman governor Pilate
• They accused Jesus of inciting the people to revolt, forbidding payment
of taxes and claiming to be a king in rebellion to Roman authority
• They could not accuse Jesus of blasphemy. This charge would not be
accepted under Roman law
• However, by taking Jesus to Pilate, the Jewish religious leaders wanted
the Roman authority to take responsibility for Jesus’ death
The trial before Herod
• Jesus’ ministry works had mesmerized Herod. So when Pilate learned
that Jesus was from Galilee, he handed him over to Herod who was the
district officer of Galilee and happened to be in Jerusalem at that time
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• The trial of Jesus before Herod (only mentioned in St. Luke’s gospel) is
not really a trial because King Herod only wanted to satisfy his curiosity
about Jesus
• He joined the soldiers in mocking Jesus
• Jesus refused to answer Herod’s questions and he consequently sent
Jesus back to Pilate
• Interestingly the mockery by Herod and his soldiers as another step in
the public ridicule of Jesus. It will continue as he hangs on the cross
Pilate’s judgment
• Jesus was brought to Pilate a second time
• Pilate reiterated that he found Jesus not guilty of any crime
• The chief priests prevailed upon Pilate who passed a sentence of death
on Jesus to die by crucifixion.
This was the punishment of high treason according to the Roman law
• The Jewish leaders asked that Barnabas a criminal be released instead of
Jesus
• It was customary for a convicted person to be released during the
Passover
• So the Jewish leaders and not the Jewish people or Pilate were
responsible for Jesus’ death
• Jesus was killed because of the blind hatred of the Jewish leaders
Qn j. why do you think Pilate agreed to have Jesus crucified?
• He was afraid of a Jew revolt. It was his duty to maintain peace in his
territory in accordance with the expectations of the Roman emperor. If he
had released Jesus, the Jew would have caused a disturbance
• He did not want to be disloyal to the Roman emperor after learning that
Jesus had been accused of treason. Disloyalty could have resulted in
losing favor with the emperor and consequently his job • He washed his
hands. This means that he was absolving himself of the guilt of having
Jesus crucified.
This is because he had learnt from the Jewish leaders that Jesus was the
Son of God. His wife had also cautioned him about Jesus’ innocence.
Pilate himself had found no evidence to convict Jesus
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Qn k. Identify and explain the lessons that Christians learn from the
actions of Pilate during the trial of Jesus
• Jesus is the king of the Jews
• Jesus is without sin. Pilate found no guilt in Jesus and he sent him to
Herod
• Pilate gave in to their demands on the grounds of treason- Christians
should refrain from giving false witness
• Pilate was afraid of a revolt. It was his duty to maintain peace as a
Roman officer. Christians learn that they should not be compromised by
worldly standards
• Christians should stand firm for the truth because the truth will always
prevail
• Christians should strive not to lose favor with God. They should desire
to please God rather than man
• Pilate washed his hands he learnt that Jesus is truly the son of God
(innocent)
• Great evil can happen when the truth is at the mercy of political pressure
• Christians should take time before making decisions
• Resisting the truth leaves a person without purpose or direction
Qn l. actions taken by the Jewish leaders to ensure that Jesus was put
to death
• They paid Judas Iscariot to betray him
• They bought false witnesses to accuse him of blasphemy before
Sanhedrin/ blasphemy was punishable by stoning to death
• They hurriedly tried Jesus at night before people knew what was
happening
• They framed treason charge against Jesus when he appeared before
Pilate/ treason carried a death sentence
• They employed armed temple guards and armored soldiers to deal with
those who would fight for
Jesus
• They blackmailed Pilate to have Jesus crucified
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• They organized a mob to shout for the death of Jesus and release of
Barnabas
• They crucified him dead when they got permission from Pilate
Qn m. explain the crucifixion of Jesus
• Jesus was given the cross beam to carry to his crucifixion site
• Simon of Cyrene helped him carry it
• A group of women followed Jesus and wept over his plight
• Jesus asked them to weep over themselves and their children
• He talked about the impending destruction coming over Jerusalem
• Jesus eventually arrived at Golgotha and was nailed on the cross
• Two criminals were crucified on either of his sides
• After his crucifixion, the soldiers cast lots to divide his garments. This
action fulfilled psalms 22: 18,
Jesus is the righteous Messiah who suffers unjustly and is mocked by
people as he cries to God
• The soldiers, Jewish leaders and one of the thieves mocked Jesus for
claiming to be the royal Messiah
• Jesus is mocked with the challenge to save himself
• One of the criminals crucified with Jesus usually referred to as the
repentant thief acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah and admitted the
justness of his own condemnation
• Above Jesus it was written, “This is the king of Jews”
• Jesus forgave his killers and all those who had accused him falsely. He
promised one of the thieves hanging on the cross a place in paradise
Qn n. describe the death of Jesus
• The death of Jesus was preceded by extra ordinary happenings
• Darkness covered the land for three hours
• The curtain in the temple tore into two
• Jesus died after crying “father into thy hands I commit my spirit”
• On seeing Jesus die, the Roman centurion who was present testified to
Jesus’ innocence. As he recognized Jesus’ lordship
• In his death, Jesus showed total commitment to God’s will
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Qn o. the burial of Jesus

• Joseph of Arimathea, a rich and righteous member of the Sanhedrin
asked Pilate to allow him bury
Jesus
• Joseph could have been a secret disciple of Jesus
• Jesus’ burial in Joseph’s grave fulfilled Isaiah’s prophesy concerning the
suffering servant of Yahweh who was buried in a rich man’s tomb
• A group of women followed Joseph and saw where he buried Jesus
• They went back home to prepare spices with which to wash Jesus’ body
after the Sabbath
• Jesus was indeed a king judged by the way he was buried
THE RESURRECTION:
Qn p. define the term resurrection
The term resurrection refers to the event of Jesus rising from the dead.
This event took place on the third day i.e. the Sunday morning after Jesus
was crucified on Friday afternoon
Qn q. the witnesses of the risen Christ
The testimony of the repentant thief
• He rebuked his unrepentant companion
• He recognized his own sinful condition
• He declared Jesus to be sinless
• He professed in Jesus’ true Messiah-ship and Lordship
• He recognized that Jesus would live and exercise his saving power after
he died
The testimony of Joseph of Arimathea
• Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of Christ
• He witnessed to the lordship of Jesus Christ after his death by his actions
• He did this by seeking permission from Pilate to bury the body of Jesus
• By giving Jesus this royal burial he was witnessing to the truth that Jesus
was king
Testimony of the holy woman
• On the day after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of
Jesus went to the tomb planning to prepare Jesus’ body for a proper burial
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• On arrival, they found the stone covering the tomb had been rolled away
• The tomb was also empty
• Two men in dazzling clothes confirmed that Jesus had risen as he had
prophesied. The two men were angles
• When the women learnt of Jesus’ resurrection, they broke the news to
the apostils and all the others.
The apostles rejected the women’s testimony
The testimony of disciples on their way to Emmaus
• Jesus appeared to the disciples who were on their way to Emmaus
• They were discussing Jesus’ suffering, death and the empty tomb
• They regarded Jesus’ death as a tragedy, for they had hoped he would
liberate the Jews from the Roman rule
• Jesus explained to the scriptures, which say the messiah would suffer to
reach his glory.
• They invited Jesus to dine with them
• Jesus shared the Holy Eucharist with them before they recognized whom
he was at the breaking of the bread
• The disciples at Emmaus thus became the second witnesses to the risen
Christ. The effect of this testimony is that the disciples went and told the
eleven apostles about their encounter with the risen
Christ
Qn r. the appearance of Jesus to the disciples
• As the disciples narrated their encounter with Jesus to the eleven
apostles, Jesus appeared to them
• Jesus asked them to confirm that he had risen by touching his body
• He explained to the apostles his mission through telling them the
prophesies about him in the law of Moses, prophets and psalms
• Jesus brought his disciples to be witnesses by proclaiming repentance
and forgiveness of sins
• He tested some cooked fish
• He promised that he was going to be with them through the power of the
Holy Spirit
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THE ASCENSION OF JESUS

Qn s. Describe the ascension of Jesus
• From Jerusalem Jesus led his disciples to Bethany
• He raised his hands blessed the disciples and lifted to heaven
• The disciples returned and witnessed Jesus’ ascension with joy
• They continued to go to the temple to pray to God waiting for the Holy
Spirit that Jesus had promised them
• From this incidence where Jesus blessed the disciples, we learn that the
disciples became confident about their mission. This earlier disbelief and
blindness to who Jesus was now overcome
Qn t. Give five evidences from the bible that show that Jesus Christ
rose from the dead
• The tomb was empty
• Assurance of the angle to the women that Jesus had risen
• Thomas witnessed the resurrection by feeling the scars on Jesus’ hands
• The women who had gone to the tomb had found it empty
• The disciples witnessed his resurrection when he appeared to the two
disciples at Emmaus
• Jesus shared a meal with his disciples after his resurrection in Jerusalem
• Jesus walked with the disciples up to Bethany prior to his ascension
Qn t. explain the significance of passion, death and the resurrection of
Jesus to Christian life
• The passion deed and resurrection refers to seven incidences namely,
Jesus’ last supper, suffering in the garden, suffering before Sanhedrin,
Pilate and Herod; mocking by the soldiers, death on the cross, resurrection
and ascension
• Those events are of great significance to the modern Christians. First
they proof that Jesus was indeed the son of God and the Messiah
• The passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was a fulfillment of
the Old Testament prophesies and Psalms
• The resurrection resulted in the rapid spread of the church. The spread of
the church is as a result of the risen Christ and the influence of the Holy
Spirit
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• The resurrection is thus the basis/ the central idea or foundation in the
Christian faith and missionary activity; if Christ has not been raised, then
our preaching is useless and you believing it is useless
• The passion, death and resurrection reveal the power of God to those
who believe in him. They also prove that Jesus who was God’s
triumphant envoy is alive and Christians are assured living again after the
physical death
• The raising of Jesus from the dead proved that Jesus was not only man
but lord over human life so that Christians share in his life on earth by
believing in him and living according to the fruits of the Holy Spirit
• The resurrection of Jesus is a source of inspiration and confidence in
Christians. It also points to the fact that Jesus was a man of his word i.e.
he fore told the resurrection and it came to pass. His resurrection was a
real fact because he showed his disciples the crucifixion marks
• All that happened during the passion, death and resurrection of Christ
was just a completion of God’s revelation through Christ
• They also point to the power and glory of God in which those who
believe share in the hope of their own resurrection in the second coming
of Jesus
Qn v. the significance of Jesus’ resurrection to Christians today
• It is the foundation of the Christian faith and hope which their belief
would be useless
• Christian faith would be in vain (futile) if Jesus had not resurrected
• Through resurrection Christians have confidence and hope in God
because the one they believe in has been exalted and sits at the right hand
of God almighty
• Through the resurrection, Christians are given hope of eternal life
• The resurrection of Jesus led to the coming of the Holy Spirit which
helps Christians to live according to the teachings of Christ, preach the
gospel and speak boldly against the evils in the society
• The resurrection give meaning to baptism in that one dies in sin and is
raised with Christ to new life
• The resurrection confirms the divinity of Jesus as the true son of God
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• The resurrection gives Christians courage to face death because they

have hope of resurrecting at his second return
• It is remembered by Christians during the Eucharist
Qn w. explain five importance of Eulogy of death in the society today
• It enables mourners to know the cause or nature of death
• It enables the mourners to forgive the dead person in case of any grudge
between them and the dead person
• It enables the mourners to ask for forgiveness from the dead person
• It enables the mourners know the wish or last words of the deceased
before he/ she died
• Mourners have an opportunity to declare what they owe or are owed by
the dead
• It enables mourners to know the contribution of work of the dead to the
society
• It provides the mourners with an opportunity to know the nature or
character of the dead and his/her social life
• It enables mourners to know the background or life history of the
deceased e.g. education.
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FORM THREE NOTES
SELECTED TEACHINGS FROM THE NEW AND THE OLD

TESTAMENTS
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
TEACHINGS OF JESUS ON THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Read JOHN 14:15-26, 16: 5-15, And ACTS 1: 7- 8
Introduction
The Holy Spirit is the third person in the trinity. There is the power of
Christ, the power of God, and the Holy Spirit who gives gifts such as
prophecy and healing. The Holy Spirit is mentioned several times in the
Bible; (1) during creation in Genesis, (2) at the annunciation of the birth
of Jesus, (3) at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, (4) during baptism,
(5) revelation of Jesus in the temple (6) Jesus spoke of the
Holy Spirit during his mission or ministry, after resurrection and before
ascension
a. The role of Holy Spirit in Church and in Christian lives today.
Read JOHN 14:15-26 and JOHN 16: 5-15, ACTS 1: 7- 8
The Holy Spirit has many roles in the church and in Christian lives
today. These roles are to:
Teach Christians on a daily basis messages of Jesus
Live in the hearts of believers of Christ
Be an advocate, a counselor, helper and a comforter to those who love
Jesus Christ and obey God’s commandments
He would remind the disciples the words said by Jesus Christ and
introduce them to their deeper meanings.
Interpret the deeper meaning of the messages of Jesus Christ
Reveal the truth and mysteries of and about God
Affirm the right of Jesus as the Son of God
Reveal the glory of Jesus death
Reveal what is right and wrong
Give the disciples of Jesus power to become witnesses of Christ.
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Give courage to the disciples of Jesus and modern Christians to face

prosecution on the account of following Jesus
Enable the disciples to expose the secret lives and heart of sinful people
Guide Christians; help believers to cast away evils spirits, to heal, to
preach the word of God, to encourage, and to condemn evil in the society.
b. Paul teaching about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Read 1 Corinthians
chapters 12, 13, and 14
Spiritual gifts are extra-ordinary favors, talents, abilities, and dispositions
given to Christians by God for the benefit of all believers. The gifts are
used for the service of others and not for self-glorification and
gratification.
The message of Peter on the day of the Pentecost
Peter told the disciple that what was happening was the fulfillment of
Jesus’ prophecy.
- He said that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God.
- He said that the suffering and death of Jesus was according to God’s
plans.
Death was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
1. Gift of wisdom: – having deep understanding of issues- ‘seeing far’,
being perceptive.
2. Gift of knowledge: – ability to understand the basic facts about Jesus,
His mission and knowledge about spiritual issues.
3. The gift of faith: – refers to the confidence in God’s help. It is deep
trust in God.
4. The Gift of healing: – ability, and power to heal all forms of sickness
by calling upon the name of Jesus
Christ.
5. The gift of performing miracles: – gift of healing miracles, creative
miracles for example, dead legs becoming alive.
6. The gift of preaching
7. The gift of prophecy: – the ability to interpret God’s word. The ability
to foresee what will happen in the future as revealed by God.
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8. The gift of distinguishing spirits or discernment: – the ability to

know whether a spiritual gift is from
God, the Holy Spirit or from the evil spirit
9. The gift of speaking in tongues. The ability to utter, speak in a tongue,
language unknown to the believer. Tongues are used when addressing
God for self-edifications. It is personal growth.
10. The gift of interpretation of tongues: – the ability to understand and
interpret the messages of those speaking in tongues.
11. The gift of love. (Read 1 Corinthians 13)
Paul stressed that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be demonstrated
with love. He stressed that love, a fruit of the Holy Spirit is supreme over
other spiritual gifts possessed by Christians. It’s the greatest of all.
Speaking in tongues, preaching, and martyrdom without love is useless.
Components of Love
Love is patient, kind, not jealous or boastful, not arrogant or rude, is not
ill mannered or selfish, and does not insist on its own way. It is not
disrespectful. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrong
but rejoices in truth. It bears all things.
Love believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love is
eternal. Love never fails. The other gifts are temporary but love, faith and
hope are eternal.
c. Manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the church and Christians today
Gifts of the Holy Spirit have been manifested in churches today. We see
this manifestation through people possessing the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
For example, leaders in church have displayed the gift of wisdom.
Preachers and Christian’s ministers have been casting out demons and
performing healing.
There are reported cases of interpretation of tongues and gift of prophecy
in churches today.
When Christians display the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in
tongues the Holy Spirit is manifested. Other manifestations of the Holy
Spirit are:
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Through healing, prophecy, gifts of discernment, boldness in preaching,

and casting out demons among others
Christians helping the poor by giving generosity and in kindness
Through singing, dancing, shouting (fruit of joy)
Through unity of believers and fellowships
Through praying,
Christian’s persecutions/temptations
d. Criteria for Discerning the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Christians who have the Holy Spirit and are guided by Jesus have certain
characteristics. These are:
They will confess that Jesus is Lord
They cannot say a curse.
They speak the truth. They worship God and behave in accordance with
Jesus teaching.
They led by the Holy Spirit and are known by the fruits of the Holy
Spirit. These fruits are love, joy, peace, and patience.
Such persons serve all Christians without discrimination and strife.
They do not do sinful acts such as sexual immorality. They do not
practice idolatry, and sorcery. They do not have in their hearts and minds
hatred, and jealously or any other negative feelings and actions.
e. The fruits of the HOLY SPIRIT (GALATIANS 5:16-26)
Paul taught that the fruit of the spirit are: Love, Joy, Patience, Long
suffering, Goodness or Generosity, Faith and faithfulness, Peace,
Meekness and kindness, gentleness, self- control and temperance.
Answer these questions after reading – JOHN 14:15-26 and JOHN 16: 5-
15, ACTS 1: 7- 8 and 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14.
1. What is the role of the Holy Spirit among Christians? (Read a)
2. Discuss the gifts of the Holy Spirit
3. Write a talk about the Holy Spirit
4. Define love?
5. Describe the different types of love
6. Why do Christians need the Holy Spirit today?
7. State the role of love in church and in Christian lives today.
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8. How has the gift of the Holy Spirit been manifested in Christian lives?
9. Which activities show that the Holy Spirit is working among Christian
in Kenya.
10. How have the gifts of the Holy Spirit been misused in the church
today?
Answers are also in the text. Read sections with answers
1. The role of the Holy Spirit
-An advocate, a counselor and a comforter.
-He would remind and introduce the disciples to the deeper meaning of
the word of Jesus Christ. To reveal the myth and mysteries of God.
-He would affirm the right of Jesus as the Son of God.
-He would reveal the glory of Jesus’ death.
-He would enable the disciples to discern and expose the secret heart of
sinful men.
2. The gift of the Holy Spirit has been misused today by pride and public
manifestation of the gift as a way of show off. Some Christians have
misused the gift of Holy Spirit of prophecy by prophesying for money.
PETER’S MESSAGE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST. Read ACTS

2: 14-41
Introduction
Jews commemorate Pentecost day. This is the day that God gave Moses
his laws on Mount Sinai. It is also referred to as the festival of weeks.
Pentecost day was celebrated 50 days after the Passover. It was
compulsory for all Jews. On this day, Jews brought offering, the first
fruits of harvest, to the temple in Jerusalem.
a. Pentecost a day
On the Pentecostal day, the disciples were gathered in Jerusalem awaiting
the promise of the Holy Spirit. And as promised, the Holy Spirit came in
the form of a strong wind, and tongues of fire. The Holy
Spirit rested on the head of each disciple. The disciples received the gift
of the Holy Spirit. They spoke in new tongues. Some of the observers
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mistook this experience. They thought that the disciples were drunk with
wine.
Peter stood up to explain what was happening and defend the disciples.
He told those who saw the experience that the disciples were not drunk. It
was in the morning.
b. Peter’s Message. Read Joel 2: 28 – 32
Peter told the onlookers that; what was happening is fulfillment of Joel’s
prophesies about the outpouring of Gods spirit. He said that Jesus of
Nazareth was the Son of God. This was proved by the miracles that Jesus
performed. He emphasized that the suffering and death of Jesus was
according to God’s plans. Jesus is a descendant of David. Death and the
resurrection of Jesus fulfilled prophesies in the Old Testament.
God raised Jesus from the dead. He taught that Jesus had both the nature
of God and Man. The apostles are the living witnesses of the resurrection
of Jesus. Jesus has been exalted and sits on the right hand of God where
He is Lord and Judge. They holy Spirit is a gift from Jesus
Peter then invited the listeners to repentance so that they could be
forgiven and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Three thousand souls
accepted salvation message and were added to the fellowship of the
disciples.
c. After the Holy Spirit infilling.
The disciples sold their possessions and goods and assisted the needy.
They did many wonders and signs. They continued to live in unity,
worshiping God, fellowshipping together, and breaking the bread.
d. Lessons Christians learn from Leadership of Peter.
Christians should be:
1. Courageous and stand up for Jesus Christ all the times.
2. Ready to spread the Gospel of Christ.
3. Win new converts to Jesus by inviting them to repentance.
4. Have faith in the risen Christ.
5. Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit like Peter and those in church
leadership should take their roles seriously.
e. Relevance of the Pentecostal Experience
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Speaking in diverse tongues signified that Christianity is a universal

religion. It pointed out the importance of all languages when
communicating to God. There were no specific languages for speaking
with God, as it was when Latin was the language of literacy and
Christianity.
Christians should be bold in their preaching. They should not be afraid as
they have the counsel and helper, the Holy Spirit. Christians should
understand that God chooses anyone as a leader, preacher, and witness of
Christ.
Pentecostal experience signifies that Christians need to receive and be
filled with the Holy Spirit
Revision questions
a) Explain the meaning of the Pentecost
b) Describe the manifestations of the Holy Spirit on the day of the
Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-40) (or narrate the events that took place on the day
of the Pentecost)
c) Write down five teachings about Jesus from Peter’s speech on the day
of the Pentecost
d) What were the qualities of peter that made him a successful leader of
the apostolic church?
e) What lessons can Christians learn from the events of the day of the
Pentecost?
f) State the teachings of Jesus on the Holy Spirit (John 14:14-26) (acts
1:7-8)
g) What is the role of the Holy Spirit according to Jesus?
h) What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the believers or the church or
Christians?
i) Outline the fruits of the Holy Spirit
j) State the criteria for discerning the spiritual gifts
k) List down the gifts of the Holy Spirit
l) Explain why Paul taught that love is the greatest of all spiritual gifts
m) Explain how the Holy Spirit is manifested in the church today
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n) State ways in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are being abused in the
church today
THE UNITY OF BELIEVERS

TEACHINGS OF THE UNITY OF BELIEVERS IN SELECTED
NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS
Unity of believers refers to oneness of those who have faith in Jesus
Christ.
a. Early Christians
The early Christians in Jerusalem demonstrated their unity by.
Holding joint prayer sessions
Sharing the Lords supper that is Eucharist
Sharing their possessions with the poor
They showed oneness and unity as believers. They expressed their
oneness using various terms, images, Metaphors and symbols. They
regarded themselves as the people of God, the church and an Assembly of
God. When they celebrated the last supper, eating of bread was a symbol
of the body of Christ. They saw themselves as belonging to one tree with
the vine and branches. As followers of Christ, the early
Church saw itself as the Bride of Christ.
b. Discussion of Symbolic Expressions
i. The people of God
Read 1 PETER 2: 9-10. Peter has outlined the characteristics of the people
of God. He says that the people of God are -
Believers in God: through faith in Jesus Christ.
The ‘Chosen race’, ‘a royal priesthood’, a holy nation’ ‘a chosen people’
-Those that stand out from the rest because they live a holy and righteous
life.
Form a Holy nation chosen to proclaim the works of God.
Not just the descendants of Abraham but people who follow Jesus Christ
and His teachings.
ii. The body of Christ
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, and Ephesians’ 4:1-12.
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The Holy Spirit is the one who brings Christians together as one body of
Christ to serve the church.
Christians are given gifts for the purpose of sharing the body of Christ.
Jesus Christ is the head of the church. And just as the body has many
parts, playing different roles, so has the Church. Every member of the
church plays a vital role because different members have different
spiritual gifts and callings. Some are Apostles, Teachers, Prophets,
Evangelists, Pastors and Miracle performers, Administrators and those
who show mercy to others and encourage (exhort) others.
All church activities should be directed to the welfare of the church, just
as the function of each part of the body is necessary for the well being of
the whole body. To have a united body, members should be meek and
patient in order to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. For a church to be
united, or to be considered as one body, Christians should have faith in
God the father, one Lord Jesus Christ, and one Holy Spirit and have faith
in God through Jesus Christ.
iii. The Vine and the Branches
Read John 15:1-10
The vine represents Jesus. Vine tree was a tree that bore grapes. The vine
tree was a symbol of prosperity and peace. Jesus is the vine and the Father
is the vinedresser. Christians/ believers are the branches. They are
expected to produce good fruits by remaining faithful and united in
Christ. Faithful branches bear fruit like good Christians while unfruitful
branches are like unfruitful Christians.
Christians should remain united to Christ who is the vine so as to bear
fruits. The teachings of Jesus purify the Christians. The dead branches of
the Vine trees are cut off and the livings ones are trimmed or pruned. This
is done so that the vines may produce high yields. Likewise unfaithful
Christians, believers are rebuked and corrected so as to bear high yields.
iv. The Church or Assembly of God. Read Ephesians 5: 21 – 32
Church is a Greek word “““ekklesia””, which means people, People who
belong to the Lord. Assembly of God is the coming together of people of
diverse social and cultural backgrounds who recognize lordship of Jesus.
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The church is likened to the relationship between a husband and a wife.

Christians (the church) are expected to be united with Christ just as a
husband and wife are united in marriage. Just as husbands and wives are
expected to love one another, so too, are Christians called upon to express
love to one another and to love God.
A husband is the head of a family; Jesus is also the head of the church.
v. The Bride. Read 2 Corinthian 11: 2, and Revelations 21: 1 – 12
In the Old Testament, God calls Israel a bride. In the New Testament,
Christians are referred to as “a bride’ in the New Jerusalem’. God or Jesus
Christ is the bridegroom. Christians are reminded that the life on earth is a
temporary home. Their real home is in heaven, the Holy city of God. Just
as a bride is expected to be faithful to her husband, so are Christians
expected to be faithful to God by observing the covenant way of life.
Deviation from the covenant was portrayed as adultery.
John, who wrote the book of revelations, sees a vision of a new heaven
and a new earth in which faithful Christians will be rewarded. Christ will
come to take His bride to eternity to live there forever. The relationship
between Christians and Jesus/ God is like a marriage. It is a covenant. It is
a relationship where the church (bride) is expected to submit to God.
Jesus died for the church, a show of His or God’s love. Likewise
Christians should be committed in their relationship to God.
Q 1. Discuss in twos who is a bride and what takes place in a wedding.
2. Discuss the significance of the symbols used to express the unity of the
believers. These are “The people of God”, “The body of Christ”, “The
vine and the branches” “The church or assembly of God” and “The
bride”.
CAUSES OF DISUNITY IN THE EARLY CHURCH

The early church experienced some challenges, which led to divisions
among the early disciples and Christians.
a. Causes of Disunity in the Early Church
After Jesus ascended to his Father and left the Holy Spirit to look after his
followers, the disciples established congregations or communities to
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spread the Word of God. As believers of Christ met and prayed together,
there were disagreements and divisions brought about by several factors
and issues.
These were:
Disputes, among early Christians; were concerning leadership of the
Church. Christians wanted different leaders: Paul, Apollo’s, Cephas or
Christ. Paul told them that Christ couldn’t be divided (1 Corinthians
1:10 -21).
Sexual immorality was another cause of disunity in the early church.
Some Christians were doing or having irresponsible sexual behaviors.
These were incest, fornication, and prostitution. Paul condemned such
behaviors and told Christians to stop sinning and honor God with their
bodies. The body of a Christian is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1
Corinthian 5: 1-13, 6:12 – 20).
-Christians settling disputes in civil courts. Paul advised they ought to talk
over issues among themselves and agree to solve problems on their own
(1 Corinthians 6).
-Dispute over marriage and divorce. Some Christians were opposed to
marriage. Others were encouraging divorce. Paul addressed these issues in
1 Corinthian, chapter 71-16. Paul advised Christians that it was okay to
marry or not to marry. But marriage was needed to stop immorality.
Eating of meat offered to idols. Some Christians were eating meat offered
to idols while others were against it. Paul advised Christians not to eat
anything that will cause their faith to weaken or fail. (1 Corinthians 8
and10: 14 – 20.
There were disputes about dressing during worship. Should women cover
their head during worship?
Should women shave hair? Should men wear long hair? (1 Corinthian
11:1-16).
-Some Christians were overeating and over drinking during the Holy
Communion – misuse of the Lord’s Supper, (1 Corinthians 11:17 – 33).
-Misuses of spiritual gift especially the gift of speaking in tongues. Paul
taught that all gifts are equal (1 Corinthians 12).
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There was a misunderstanding about the resurrection of the body and the
dead. Some were saying there is no resurrection. Paul preached that if
there is no resurrection then their preaching was in vain as they were
witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15).
b. Causes of disunity among believers and church in Kenya today
- Leadership differences. Some Christians are struggling for power. This
has led to formation of splinter groups, divisions and enmity between
these groups.
- Cultural differences. Christians are divided by their African cultural
beliefs from their backgrounds. This culture is merged with Christianity
and Western cultural practices forming a unique mixture of beliefs.
Some Christians are permissive, while others are conservative. This has
led to disunity, for example in the areas of dressing.
-Discrimination. There is inequality within the church between the rich
and the poor, the whites and blacks. Some Christians are viewed as more
spiritual than others, on basis of the tribe, gender, wealth and social status
among others.
-Misuse of freedom of worship. Christians are starting sprinter churches,
probably because they want to control church finances without
supervision by the wider church. To justify their departure, they spread
propaganda against the ‘mother’ church, and other churches in order to
attract followers. The more followers a church has the more tithe it
collects.
-Misuse of church funds. Some church leaders and followers misuse
church funds
Differences in the practice of baptism
-Arrogance and pride by some Christians.
Sins: sexual immorality in the church, divorce and marriage issues.
Some Christian denominations reject the human nature of the person of
Jesus Christ; that Christ had both a human and divine nature e.g. Nomiya
church.
Q: Can you think of factors that led to disunity among Christians in
the early church that you have noted in the Kenyan church?
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c. Reasons why Christians should work in Unity.

Christians face many problems and they therefore need to work together
in unity to:
-Promote oneness of Christians in Jesus Christ.
-Promote the teachings of Jesus Christ.
-Achieve effective evangelism or ministry.
-Adopt a common attitude to the integration of African culture in worship.
-Prevent the formation of sprinter groups and cults.
-Reduce the internal wrangling.
-Have a common stand in dealing with issues affecting the society.
d. Possible Solutions to disunity

The church should settle issues that divide its members by Christians:
Learning to appreciate and respect the practices and belief of other
Christian’s denominations.
-Having or forming a common goal
-Striving to be guided by the principle of love in solving problems facing
them.
-Observing the teachings of disciples, prophets, apostles, God, laws of ---
Moses, Jesus and the Bible.
-Avoiding doing anything to their fellow Christians that would cause
suffering and disharmony.
-Activities that the early church did in order to remain united were that
they:
-Ate bread together.
-Held fellowships together.
-Shared with the needy.
-Prayed together for each other
In the current worldwide Church, there is disunity amongst believers or
Christians. The most common ones are due.
-Leadership differences and wrangles for power.
-Cultural differences amongst Christians.
-Some Christians are permissive while others are conservative.
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-Differences in the interpretation of the Bible.

-Misuse of church funds
-Pride and arrogance.
Revision questions
a. Write down terms used in the New Testament to refer to believers
in Christ
b. Identify five causes of disunity in the church today
c. Identify factors which cause disunity among the Christians today
d. Discuss reasons why members of Christian families in Kenya find it
difficult to harmoniously live together
e. Explain how the church strengthens family relationships today
TEACHINGS FROM SELECTED OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter introduces one to the work of prophets in the Old Testament.
In Form One, some Prophets were taught e.g. Moses, Elijah, Nathan and
Samuel. Traditional African prophets were also taught.
In Form Three, we compare true and false prophets and the Traditional
African prophets.
PROPHETS
a. Definitions of a prophet, and prophecy
The word prophet comes from a Hebrew word “Rabii’ meaning ‘one who
is called or one who announces God’s message. A prophet is also referred
to as a seer. A prophet is a person sent by God to teach and give people
messages about things to come in future from God. Prophets received
divine messages from God and communicated them to the people.
A prophet is therefore a person who foretells events as revealed to him or
her by God. Examples of prophets include Samuel, Elijah, Jeremiah and
prophetesses (female prophet) Deborah, and Huidah.
Prophecy is a statement, a message of something that is going to happen
in the future. The action of giving future messages is called prophecy.
b. Categories of prophets
There were many categories of prophets. These were:
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a) Major Prophets. These were Prophet’s whose messages covered a

long period of time. Their messages were long and detailed. For example,
Prophet Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
b) Minor prophets. There are 12 books of the Minor Prophets examples
they are called minor because their messages are short, brief and do not
contain detailed information. The Minor Prophets are Amos, and Hosea,
Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, Malachi.
c) Canonical prophets the term canon means law. Canonical prophets
are law prophets. The individual utterances of these prophets are laws.
Both minor and major prophets are canonical prophets,
d) The early prophets are Moses, Nathan Elijah, and Elisha. These
prophets belonged to guilds schools.
Their prophecies are not recorded under their names. Their prophecies are
written in books, which do not bear their names.
e) Cultic prophets like Hannah (N.T.) served in the places of worship.
They assisted the priest officiating worship
f) Professional / court prophets like Samuel, Micah, and Gad lived
together in the temple and in groups.
They earned their living through their work. They did not work elsewhere
g) False prophets are pretenders to speak in the name of Yahweh but
God did not call them. They spoke lies in accordance with the messages
people wanted to hear.
c. Characteristics of true prophets
There were two (2) major categories of prophets in the Old Testament, (1)
true prophets and (2) false prophets. True prophets are those whose
prophecies occurred and were fulfilled. Prophesies of false prophets did
not occur. True prophets distinguished themselves from false prophets
and ordinary people.
They experienced God dramatically when He called them and in their
ministry. They were God’s spokesmen and women. They responded in
faith to their call.
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God gave them specific tasks in their commission and God’s assurance
and support in their ministry.
They urged people to repent and turn back to God.
In their messages, they taught that God demands sincere worship and not
elaborate rituals. They understood God and taught about God righteous-
ness, goodness, mercifulness, and loving care. They condemned evil in
the society and proclaimed God’s judgment and punishment to those who
failed to keep the covenant. They spoke with authority and acted with
courage. They upheld God as a universal God for all nations. They talked
of a remnant that shall remain after punishment or those that have
continued to worship God sincerely. Their utterances were true because
they were fulfilled.
They spent a lot of their time in prayers. They prayed regularly. At such
times they withdrew from people in order to have a quiet time to seek
God.
All the true prophets received opposition from their audiences and they
were ready to suffer for telling God’s word.
d. The Characteristics of false prophets.
Some of the prophecy of false prophets contradicted prophesies of the true
prophets. False prophets followed their own imaginations, and gave false
hopes. They told people what they wanted to hear.
They had no personal knowledge of God. Hence, their prophecies were
not in line with the divine revelations.
They used evil forces such as magic, and divinations to call upon the
spirits of the dead. They were paid for prophesy and benefits materially
from their clients. They served Baal and were mainly immoral. They
committed crime.
Review questions
How can we know true and false prophets today?
IMPORTANCE OF PROPHETS IN ISRAEL

Introduction
1. Work of prophets in Israel
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Prophets kept Israelites in communication with God. They communicated

God’s will to the people of Israel. They foretold God’s judgments and
punishment for sinners. They condemned the behavior of the rich towards
the poor. Through their messages, people reformed their lives since they
condemned all forms of social evils and ritual sins. They contributed to
the writing of their messages leading to the compilation of the Bible.
Prophets guided and gave people hope. They taught people the laws of
God. They warned people of dangers to come. They condemned idolatry
and stressed the worship of one true God, Yahweh.
They anointed the Kings in Israel. Kings consulted the prophets before
any major undertaking such as war among others.
They acted as conscience of kings. They advised them and challenged
Kings when they went wrong.
2. God’s communication with prophets and Israelites
God communicated to Prophets through visions, voices that were audible
and clear, events, prayers, dreams, signs, ordinary things, and words
which came to their minds with great power.
Writing messages of the prophets
The canonical prophets as mentioned earlier had their works and
prophecies recorded under their names. Canonical prophets are referred to
as writing prophets. It’s possible that some prophets wrote down their
own prophecies. They wrote what God spoke to them as He dictated. An
example is Jeremiah who wrote what he was told …’Get a scroll and
write on it everything that I have told you about Israel, Judah and all
nations. (Jeremiah 36:2, Isaiah 30:8).
Two, the prophet’s message were probably written by other people. These
were their assistant, secretary, scribe, and disciples or followers as the
prophet prophesied.
Thirdly some of the prophetic messages could have been preserved as oral
traditions and later written as books. A good example is 2 Kings.
e. Content of the Prophetic messages
Prophetic messages contained lessons from God to Israel. For example,
the:
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i. Prophetic sayings were and still are oracles or poetic passages spoken
by God himself through prophets. The prophecies were addressed to
different nations. They carried specific teachings to the people, for
example predicting future occurrences
ii. Narratives in the first person give an account of the prophet’s
testimony. They spoke of their experiences with God, and responses to the
call of God. They tell us about prophet’s impelling compulsion to speak
God’s word. The narratives are written in the first person. They have a
format ‘The Lord said to me… The year that King Uzziah died, I was the
Lord…”
iii. Narratives in the third 3rd person have messages written by a third
party, i.e. not the prophet but another person. For example, “Isaiah said to
them, “Thus you shall say to your master, thus says the
Lord: “Do not be afraid of the words.” (Isaiah 37:6). The message
recounts the prophets’ personal life, and political background.
PROPHESIES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, NEW TESTAMENT

AND AFRICAN TRADITIONAL SOCIETY
Introduction
The Israelites and the African traditional societies as well as other world
communities had prophets who foretold the future. Among the Israelites,
there were prophets chosen by God and false prophets who told messages
which communities wanted to hear. Among the African traditional
communities, there were wise men and women who prophesied about the
future.
In this lesson, we shall compare these prophecies and learn what was
similar and different about these them. The Old Testament prophecies are
compared with those from the African traditional society and the New
Testament
-Learning outcomes. After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
a. State relationships between Prophesies in the Old Testament New
Testament and the African Traditional Society
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b. Discuss the similarities between prophets in the African traditional

society and the Old Testament
c. Identify differences between prophets in the African traditional society
and the Old Testament
Several Old Testament (O.T.) prophecies were and are fulfilled in both
the old and New Testament (N.T) in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
The Law of Moses is used in both the Old Testament and the New
Testament. However Jesus gave the law a deeper meaning.
The teachings and prophecies of the prophets provided the foundation for
the message in the New Testament. The prophecies of Prophet Nathan to
King David that God would raise up an offspring from the lineage of
David were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the expected messiah.
Jesus disciples in the New Testament referred a lot to messages in the Old
Testament. The teachings of Jesus in the New Testament are based in the
Old Testament prophecies. They are therefore similar to each other
because New Testament is a continuation of the Old Testament.
The New Testament is the new covenant spoken of by Prophet Jeremiah
and other Prophets like Isaiah, Micah, and Nathan. Their prophecies about
Messiah are fulfilled in the New Testament.
b. Similarities between prophets in the African traditional society and
the Old Testament. In both traditions, prophets:
Were endowed with divine powers and they dealt with religious matters.
Acted as intermediaries between God and people
Warned people of impending dangers and disasters due to disobedience
Had supernatural experiences
Encouraged morality and discouraged evil ways
In some cases, could heal
Withstood oppression and opposition by the political rulers
Encouraged people to fight injustices in society
 Foretold future disasters such as drought and wars. They explained why
they were going to occur.
Were consulted when things were not well in the society.
Received revelations through dreams, visions and thoughts
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 were gender sensitive male prophets and female prophetesses.

c. Differences (O.T.) between prophets in the African traditional
society and the Old Testament.
The Old Testament prophets had a personal relationship with God. They
communicated God’s messages to Israelites.
The prophets in the African traditional society communicated and
received messages from the ancestor spirits
Old Testament prophets were God’s mouthpieces. They began their
prophesy with ‘thus saith the lord’…. While the prophets in the African
traditional society predicted what would happen to individuals, and
communities.
The authority of prophets in the Old Testament came from God while the
authority of prophets in the
African traditional society came from their ancestors’ spirits.
In the Old Testament prophets were called directly by God while in some
African traditional communities the prophetic office was hereditary. The
African traditional prophets dealt with family and local community issues
while Old Testament prophets dealt with national issues, and crises.
African traditional prophets were diviners while Old Testament prophets
consulted God.
d. Relevance of Old Testament prophets to Christians today
Christian should be ready to be messengers of God. The call to be a
Christian has a prophetic role. Some
Christians are called to the office of a prophet and should prophecy for the
glory of God and for the common good of the people. As God’s spokes
person one should always stand for the truth. Christian should proclaim
God’s will even if the message is not pleasant to the people.
Once appointed as a prophet, one should pass the messages to whoever
they are sent to without fear or favor. God’s messengers should always
condemn the social political economic evils in the society.
As God’s messengers Christians should live exemplary lives. They should
stand for what they preach and should expect persecutions because of
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their works as God’s messengers. They should be ready to suffer for the
sake of the gospel.
Christians should pray to God to give them guidance, wisdom, and
inspiration to be able to handle hardships in their lives. They should
provide hope for the people in times of suffering.
Christians should realize that God calls both men and women to His
service. They should be ready to obey Gods’ prophetic call and not run
away e.g. Jonah. They should be concerned and take care of the welfare
of the poor community members.
Revision questions
1. Define the terms prophet and prophecy
2. List five categories of true prophets
3. State the difference between true and false prophets
4. In what ways were God’s prophets called?
5. Outline the similarities and differences between the Old Testament
prophets and the traditional African ones.
6. What is the relevance of prophets to Christians today?
PROPHET AMOS
Introduction
Amos is one of the prophets God sent to Israel to warn the people because
of their evil life. Politically, the Nation of Israel had become rich. There
grew classer, the rich and the poor. The rich started oppressing the poor.
Socially, there was still the rich – poor gap. The rich exploited the poor.
Merchants sold bad food, expensive and used false measurer.
Religiously, the Israelites had turned away from God and were
worshiping false gods. Syncretism was practiced. Priests were paid and
God’s prophets were rejected.
It is in this situation that Amos was called.
He is called through visions.
Amos is one of the canonical or writing prophets. The book of Amos is a
temptation of oracles spoken by the prophet on different occasions. Note
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that after the death of King Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was split into
two and rules by Rehoboam and Jeroboam. The northern Kingdom; called
Judah was ruled by Rehoboam and was inhabited by two tribes. The
southern kingdom called Israel was ruled by
Jeroboam and was inhabited by 10 tribes. Amos came from Judah and
prophesied in Israel.
Prophet Amos work in Israel Read Amos 1:1
1. The call of Amos (AMOS 1:1, 3:8, 7:10 – 15)
Prophet Amos was born in a village called Tekoa in Judah, the southern
kingdom. Before his call, Amos was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamore
trees. He was not a professional prophet. But God called him to be a
prophet. He received his call in form of a vision around 758 BC. Amos
responded to God’s call with obedience. He felt a deep compulsion to
prophesy (Amos 3:8). God directed him to give his message to the people
of Israel, the northern kingdom (Amos 7:15). He was asked to speak the
will of Yahweh. He was also to fore tell punishment if Israelites did not
repent their sins. His message was opposed, and challenged by Amaziah
the priest of Bethel.
3. Religion.
Israelites worshipped Yahweh and other gods. Idolatry was also present.
This form of worship is called Syncretism. There was religious hypocrisy.
Like today, there was an emphasis on external observances of religious
practices and less concern for internal observances. The priests were paid
for religious work. Those who couldn’t pay did not have religious
ceremonies. They were offered at the expense of the poor. The prophets
of God were rejected.
4. Social – economic – political situation.
When Amos prophesied, King Jeroboam ruled Israel, the northern
kingdom while King Uzziah ruled Judah. Amos was sent to prophesy to
the people of Israel in the northern kingdom. He concentrated his work
mainly in Bethel and Samaria – the capital city of Israel and the main
centers of worship.
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When Amos started his prophesy, there was peace and prosper in Israel
and Judah. Both kingdoms were wealthy. However, the wealth did not
reach the poor. This was because the wealth and power were in the hands
of the king, his family, his officials, and wealthy merchants. As a result,
Israel citizens were divided into two classes; the rich and the poor.
Unfortunately, the rich people owned big luxurious houses. They drunk
wine, and used the most expensive perfumes. They acquired their wealth
at the expense of the poor. They oppressed and exploited the poor. The
merchants of trade for example, were dishonest in their trade businesses.
They sold bad wheat to unsuspecting customers and overcharged
customers by measuring with false scales.
Because of the inflated prices, the poor borrowed money from the rich at
high interest rates to buy basic things like food. Hence, there was massive
bribery and corruption in society and law courts.
As a result the poor lacked basic necessities or needs like food, shelter,
and clothing. It was at this time when God sent Amos to give prophesy to
Israel.
Q. How did the rich oppress the poor in Israel?
VISIONS OF AMOS
Read AMOS 7: 1 – 9, 8:1 – 3. 9:1 – 4)
Vision is a picture we have in our mind. It is a future to come. Amos was
shown many visions by God.
-Lesson outcomes. After reading these verses in Amos you should be able
to: -
1. Analyze all the visions and
2. State the message of each vision
3. Summaries things that God condemned through Amos
1. The vision of the locusts (Amos 7:1 – 3)
Amos saw a swarm of locusts being sent by God to destroy all plants and
food crops in the land. The locusts were a sign of disaster, which God was
going to send to Israel as a punishment for their disobedience. Amos cried
to God to forgive the people. God heard and changed his mind.
2. The vision of a great fire (Amos 7:4 – 6)
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Amos saw a vision of a supernatural fire that burnt up the land. He asked
God to forgive the people and
God listened. The punishment was stopped.
3. The vision of a crooked wall/ the plumb line (Amos 7:7 – 9)
Amos saw the Lord standing beside the wall checked it with a plumb line.
The wall represented the Israelites. They stopped observing the laws of
their covenant with God. God found Israelites disobeying the covenant.
God promised to destroy holy places of Israel..
4. The vision of a basket of ripe fruits (Amos 8:1 – 3)
In this vision, Amos saw a basket of ripe fruits. Fruits are harvested at the
end of the summer. This meant that Israel was ripe for punishment for her
refusal to turn to God. Amos did not pray for forgiveness. God would no
longer withhold His judgment. Time for repentance was over.
5. The vision of the destruction of the altar. Read Amos 9:1 – 4.
Amos saw the Lord standing by the altar. The Lord ordered the
destruction of the temple. The shrines of Dan and Bethel were destroyed
because they were the centres of idolatry. No one would escape punish-
ment no matter where they hide.
Summary of issues that God pointed out to Israel through Prophet
Amos
a. Lack of social justice
There was lack of social justice and responsibility by the king of Israel.
Social justice means dealing with other people fairly. It implies showing
concern for the needs of others.
b. Lack of responsibility.
This refers to the rulers and people of Israel being accountable for their
actions.
In modern life, it is doing ones duty and fulfilling ones obligation to God
and others.
c. Practice of hypocritical religion in Israel.
The Israelites were insincere in their worship. They made empty sacrifi-
ces. They worshipped idols as well as God. They profaned the name of
God (Yahweh). They made idols of Baal and offered sacrifices to them.
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They worshipped other gods. This is syncretism and God does not allow
worship of any other God but himself.
d. God’s judgment against Israel and other nations.
God promised to destroy Israel and leave a remnant of them for restora-
tion.
e. Oppressions of the poor by the rich
God condemned King Jeroboam rule of Israel because of the oppression
of the poor, government corruption and bribery of king’s officials. These
officials sold the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals
(shoes) i.e. it’s like practicing slavery. The rich trampled on the poor,
despised them and placed no value on the poor. The poor gave their
garments as security for loan. This was contrary to God’s commandments.
The garment was supposed to be returned back to the owner before
sunset. The Samaritan women were ‘fat like the well fed cows of Bashan’
led luxurious lives and were very unkind to the poor. The rich took an
excessive share of the harvest from the farmers. Rulers loved luxury and
were arrogant. They loved material things and showed pride in material
possessions. They used expensive perfumes.
f. Corruption and bribery.
The judges were corrupt. They accepted bribes. There was a conspiracy
between the rich and the judges against the poor
g. Pride in materials possessions
The capital city of Israel was Samaria. It was built on a mountain called
Bethel, which was also a place of worship. There was prosperity in the
land. The Israelites prided themselves in their riches and materials
possessions. Amos told them God would destroy their wealth.
h. Dishonesty.
This is telling lies, cheating or using unjust means to get certain things.
The wealthy merchants waited impatiently for the end of the holy days so
that they could engage in lucrative businesses. They cheated the poor by
using false scales. They sold bad wheat to the poor. They mixed good and
bad grains and sold them to unsuspecting people.
i. Sexual immorality
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Sexual immorality was prevalent or common in Israel. For example a

father and son would have sex with the same girl. There was temple
(cultic) prostitution. There was dishonesty; sexual immorality. This sexual
behavior made the temple unholy.
j. Drunkenness
They Israelites spent time drinking when the poor lacked the basic needs.
They engaged in excessive drinking of wine. They even forced the
Nazarites to drink wine. They accepted drunkenness.
k. Profaning the name of the God
Israelites did not respect the name of God. They committed sin. They
forced Nazirites to drink wine; forcing it down their throats yet they knew
that Nazirites were people set aside and chosen by God to serve God. This
act showed contempt of God’s commands. Nazirites were not supposed to
drink wine or cut their hair. Israelites did this to show their contempt of
the Lord.
l. Hypocritical Religion and Idolatry in Israel
Hypocrisy is pretending to be something different from the person one is.
It is also saying one thing, and doing another thing. For example, Israeli-
tes did a lot of religious rites according to the laws of Moses and yet
majority of them were unjust, corrupt and oppressed the poor. They
observed the external religious activities while their hearts were corrupt
and insincere. Amos condemned Israelites for this hypocrisy, characteri-
zed by insincere worship, and mixture of religious beliefs leading to
diverse practices of religion i.e. syncretism. This is a combination or
mixture of Israelites’ monotheism (Yahwehism) and worship of idols and
other gods especially Baal, the gods of their neighbors.
m. Empty sacrifices
The Israelites made elaborative offerings and sacrifices. Yet God was
interested only in sincere worship and free will offerings and not mere
sacrifices, and tithes. ‘Take away from me the noise of your songs’
(Amos 5:21 – 23).
GOD’S JUDGMENT AGAINST ISRAEL AND OTHER NATIONS

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Read Amos chapter 1 and 2

i) Israel.
She committed several crimes, which were condemned by Prophet Amos.
Read lesson two again before you go on and list down crimes that were
pointed out by Amos. Okay, you have seen that
Israel committed crimes of injustice, disobedience to God, breaking their
covenant with God, idolatry, hypocrisy among other sins mentioned
above. Israel was punished for these crimes.
Punishments were severe. Israelites would be exiled forcibly and
painfully. Earthquakes, famines, fires, oppression from foreign kings,
epidemics and divine silence, would destroy their kingdom and holy
places.
ii) Syria.
Its capital was Damascus. Syria committed war crimes. The soldiers were
excessively cruel in times of war. They murdered their prisoners brutally.
For this cruelty, their punishment was to be severe. Their palaces would
be destroyed by fire and the people would be exiled in Kir.
iii) Gaza and philistines.
Their crime was capturing other people and selling them into slavery. For
this sin, God’s punishment was destruction of their city by divine fire. It
would burn down the wall of Gaza city and destroy it. God would have no
more association with them.
iv) Tyre.
Their Crime was violation of a treaty of friendship they had made. They
broke it by capturing a “whole nation into exile in the land of Edom”. The
punishment was …God would send fire to destroy city of Tyre and its
fortress (Amos 1:9-10).
v. Edom.
Her people were descendants of Esau. Yet Edom was ruthless to the
Israelite to whom they were closely related. For this crime of ruthlessness,
the punishment was … God would destroy them by fire
vi) Ammon committed crime of brutal killings.
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The people of Ammon attacked and killed their neighbors. They “ripped
open pregnant woman in Gilead” (vs. 13). God’s punishment was
destruction of the fortress and wall of the city of Rabbah by fire. “Their
king and his officers will go into exile: (vs. 15).
vii) Moab.
The people of Moab; their crime was mishandling the body of the king of
Edom. They burned his bones to ashes. God’s punishment was destruction
of the city of Kerioth by divine fire. The people, their rulers and leaders
would be killed in battle.
viii) Judah.
Their crimes were:
(1) Failure to obey God’s commands and
(2) Despising god’s teaching.
ix) Samaria, Egypt and Ashdod.
Their crime was dishonesty and “filling their mansions with things taken
by crime and violence” (Amos 3:10). Women of Samaria committed the
crime of drunkenness, oppressing the weak and poor. The punishment for
all these countries is destruction of their land, mansions and army. But a
remnant will not go to captivity, and shall not be destroyed. Amos said the
remnants are like … 2 legs, or a piece of an ear of a sheep rescued from
the mouth of a lion (Amos 3:12)
x) Amaziah the priest of Bethel.
He strongly opposed Amos and told him to go back and prophesy in
Judah. Amos told Amaziah God sent him to Israel. His punishment for
opposing God’s messenger was Amaziah’s wife would be a harlot, his
children will die in the war, his land will be given to others, and
Amaziah will die in a foreign land (Amos 7: 14-17).
Lessons to learn from God’s judgment of Israel and other nations
The Assyrians attacked Israel, occupied their land and exiled others. God
is (a) universal; (b) God hates sin (c) God is concerned about the welfare
of his people
(d) God is merciful and spares a remnant
xi. Israel’s election (Amos 2:9 – 11, 3:1 – 2, 9:7
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Election: is an act of choosing a person or group of people for a purpose

or action. Israel’s election refers to God’s choice of the Israelites out of
the entire human kind to be his people. God chose them to serve him, be a
Holy nation and to be the light of the world. God made a covenant with
the Israelites. In the covenant they agreed to live a holy life. In return,
God looked after them. He led them out of Egypt to the wilderness and
finally to Canaan. God chose His prophets from the Israelites and raised
Nazirites.
Despite God’s favour, the Israelites rebelled and sinned against God. And
although Israelites were reminded that God cared for other nations equally
and are to be punished if they disobeyed God; and that they were neither
superior, nor better than other nations, they disobeyed God several times.
xii. The day of the lord
Amos taught that the day of the lord would be a day of severe judgment
for sins.
. It is not a time of happiness, joy or victory. It is a day of darkness, terror,
disaster, gloom, wailing, flooding, mourning, defeat, punishment, famine
for food and God’s word.
xiii. The Remnant and Restoration.
Remnant means a small number of survivors. These are the Israelites who
will remain after the entire nation is punished. They are also those who
returned to Jerusalem after the exile.
Restoration is an act of reinstating things / persons to their former state or
position. Amos informed the Israelites that God was still looking after
them, and waiting for their repentance. The nation of Israel would not be
destroyed completely. God would preserve the few righteous ones. He
would raise the fallen dynasty of David. People would be restored back to
their land to rebuild their cities. There was to be a great harvest and
grapes shall overflow.
xiv. Duty of Christians.
Christians are the selected people of God. As the chosen ones, they should
one, live holy lives and two, use their position to serve God and others.
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Three, Christians have a moral responsibility to spread God’s word, four,

care for the needy and five, be the light of the world.
xv. The Day of the lord. Read Amos 5:18-20, 6:3-5, 8:7-13.
In the Old Testament, the day of the Lord is the day that Yahweh would
make Israel victorious against other nations. On this day the Israelite
believed that God would establish his rule over and with Israel. The day
of the Lord was also believed to be the day when Israel would be
prosperous, would have favor with God, and the just would triumph over
the wicked.
In the New Testament, the day of the lord is also the Day of Judgment
(Parousia). It is the day of the second coming of Christ. On that day,
everyone will be judged. Christians believe that it is the day that Christ
will come for His bride (the church). Those who had obeyed the laws of
God shall be received by Christ and given the reward of the eternal life.
On that day, God’s kingdom shall be established and Christ will reign
forever.
xvi. Relevance of Amos teachings to Christians today.
The messages of the prophecy of Amos are relevant to Christians today.
This is because God is universal. He chose Israel but still punished her for
her disobedience and sins just as He punished other nations like Syria and
Gaza.
The message that God hates hypocrisy is very clear. Thus Christians
should truthful and practice what they preach. They must worship God in
sincerity. Other messages are: Justice. Christians should be just / fair in
dealing with others.
-Self – Indulgence. Christians should not pursue luxury and self-
indulgence when others lack the basic needs.
-Bribery. Christians should condemn bribery and corruption, and uphold
justice.
-Punishment. Christians should bear in mind that God will punish every
evil.
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-Wealth. When Israel became wealthy, they departed from the covenant
with God. Christians should share their wealth with the needy and acquire
their wealth justly
-Hypocritical religion. Amos taught about hypocrisy in religion. This was
for example offering empty sacrifices. Christians have to learn to be
sincere, to be concerned about their internal well being and soul more
than outward observances of religion.
-Drunkenness. Christians should not engage in activities that can divert
their faith from God. If that happens, they should learn to be Repentant.
Revision exercise
1. List the visions that Amos saw
2. Explain the evils that Amos condemned in his teachings
3. Give reasons why prophet Amos condemned idol worship in Israel
4. List evils in the society today that Amos would condemn
PROPHET JEREMIAH
Introduction
Israel had not taken heed to Amos’ prophecies. This was especially on
idolatry. So, God sent another prophet to continue with the same work.
Jeremiah was therefore appointed as a prophet.
Jeremiah is one of the Old Testament Major Prophets. He was called to a
prophet at around 627 B.C. He was called as a young man, probably 20
years old. He prophesied in the southern kingdom- Judah, for a period of
40 years. His prophetic ministry took place before and during the exile of
Judah.
THE CALL JEREMIAH
a. The Kingdom of Judah
Social background
The people of Judah were divided into three social classes. At the top
were the (i) Aristocrats. These were the ruling class, which consisted of
the king, his family, royal officials, princesses, priests, and professional
prophets. This class of the rich oppressed the poor.
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Below them was the class (ii) of technical professional such as

stonecutters, carpenters, builders, masons, blacksmiths, masons, and
others craftsmen (2 Kings 12:12). Below them was class (iii) made up of
poor people such as slaves, widows, orphans, and foreigners. All these
poor people were mistreated.
In terms of ethics, there was moral degradation. They committed adultery,
prostitution, murder, false witness, and corruption.
-Religions background.
The Kings and people of Judah worshipped idols. They practiced human
sacrifice, divination and magic, and listened to false prophecies. They
abandoned their covenant with God and their way of life and practiced
syncretism, which is worshipping God and other false gods like Baal.
King Josiah tried to restore true worship by carrying out several reforms.
Prophetess Huldah prophesied that Judah would be punished after
Josiah’s death since he humbled before Yahweh.
-Political Background.
Prophet Jeremiah lived in the 7th century BC and prophesied when Judah
was ruled by King Josiah, and later his sons Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah; and
king Jehoiachin. Judah was conquered and ruled by Assyrians who were
conquered by Egyptians who ruled Judah up to 605 BC. Egyptians; were
conquered by Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar. This was
according to the prophecies of Jeremiah.
b. The Call of Jeremiah. Read Jer 1: 19.
Jeremiah’s father was a priest called Hilkiah. He was born in the territory
of Benjamin; at a place called Anathoth, He was well educated.
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet in 627 B.C during the reign of King
Josiah. He received his call in form of a dialogue with Yahweh. God told
him that he had appointed him to be his messenger; even before he was
formed in his mother’s womb; God had selected him to be a prophet.
Jeremiah said he was too young and did not know how to speak. Jeremiah
was forewarned of the hostility he would encounter in his prophetic
career. God told him that He would protect him and not to fear.
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God touched Jeremiah’s mouth. This symbolized that God is the one who
shall put words in his mouth.
Jeremiah responded to God’s call in faith and obedience. He was given a
message that God was going to bring judgment upon the Kingdom of
Judah. God promised to make him a fortified city, an iron pillar and
bronze wall for protection. He was commanded by God not to marry,
neither have children and not to attend social gatherings, weddings, and
funerals. His mission made him isolated and lonely.
As a result, his own family and relatives rejected him and plotted to kill
him. But he had few friends like Ebed- melech, Ahikam who helped him
to get out of a pit.
Jeremiah was persecuted by; the kings of Judah. Priests including priest
Pashhur opposed him, and false prophets like Hannaniah. He prophesied
that God shall punish wicked Kings, priests, and ordinary people. He
suffered spiritually and emotionally.
At the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C, the army officers of Nebuchadnezzar
released him from prison. He went to Egypt where he died at an old age
and as a faithful servant of God. His life was symbolic to the people of
Judah. During his call, Jeremiah saw two visions.
Vision one was the vision of a “branch of an almond tree”.
The tree seemed dead, bare, yet life was in it. This vision was telling
Judah that although God seemed to be ‘sleeping’, He was watching over
them if they obey Him.
Vision two was “a pot boiling in the north, and it is about to tip over this
way” (1:13). The boiling pot tilted away from the north signified that the
destroyers of Judah would come from the north. The pot was ready to boil
over and spill its contents. This meant that Judah was soon going to have
trouble.
Babylon would pour horrifying disasters on Judah.
Lessons from the call of Jeremiah
God has a purpose for each person and He can call anybody to do His
work. He calls the unborn, the young, old, rich, and poor. God prepares
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people for His work, through specific experiences at family level, in

school, and church.
A person who is called to serve God should be ready to meet opposition.
God protects His servants and promises to be with them. Jeremiah felt
inadequate to speak. Christians should not let their human weakness
hinder them from performing their tasks. Christians should respond to
God’s call in obedience.
EVILS ADDRESSED BY JEREMIAH. Read Jeremiah 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9,
10, 23, and 28.
There were many evils in Judah and Israel. We have mentioned some of
them. These were: necromancy, dishonesty, deception, false prophecy,
human sacrifice, and idolatry
i. Necromancy.
Words related to necromancy are divinations, magic, sorcery, and playing
tricks on people’s minds. Necromancy is the art of seeking hidden
knowledge from the mysterious world of spirits: using magic, and
divination, which is invoking the dead. Divination was condemned in the
Hebrew language. Diviners, magicians, sooth Sayers and fortunetellers
used necromancy. Prophet Jeremiah condemned necromancy.
Reasons why Jeremiah condemned necromancy
Necromancy was a deception and therefore an evil practice. The diviners
gave false information from their own imagination. This practice polluted
the true worship of Yahweh and indicated Israelites lack of faith in the
one true God. Two, by trusting in divination, and magic, the Israelites
showed their lack of knowledge of the one true God. Three, by consulting
the mediums, the Israelites disobeyed God (Jer 27:8-10).
ii) Deception and Dishonesty
Dishonesty is lack of moral integrity or moral uprightness. Deception is
cheating, and telling lies intentionally. It is also giving false and
misleading information.
The Israelites were dishonest because they worshiped God and at the
same time committed social injustices against their brothers and sisters.
Their repentance was insincere. There was treachery, and greed. They laid
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traps for each other. People pretended to be friendly and at the same time
conspired to kill. Jeremiah challenged the Israelites people to ‘circumcise
their hearts which were deceitful. Their tongues were ‘deadly arrows’ and
they listened to false prophesies like that of Hannaniah.
Jeremiah condemned deception. This was because it led to syncretism,
and hypocrisy in worship; and breaking down of the covenant way of life.
Jeremiah warned the Israelites and asked them to repent
iii. False prophesy by Hannaniah. Jer 28
During the reign of King Zedekiah, Hannaniah broke the yoke that
Jeremiah was wearing. Hannaniah spoke in the name of Yahweh. He lied
to the people as he spoke from his imagination and dreams.
Jeremiah denounced Hannaniah. He predicted and prophesied the death of
Hannaniah in the same year.
And it came to pass. Jeremiah had also prophesied that the captivity of
Judah should be long contrary to Hannaniah who said Judah will be exiled
for 2 years.
Reasons for condemning false prophets
Prophets of Baal were still in existence. False prophets like Hannaniah
had filled the people of Israel with unrealistic hopes of peace yet Judah
was to be destroyed. Recall the characteristics of true and false prophets.
False prophets did not condemn sin. They prophesied for money and in
the process misled people away from Yahweh. False prophets prophesied
from their dreams, imaginations and not from God. They gave people
false hopes. They intended to make themselves popular, with the King
and the people.
iv) Human sacrifice.
The people offered human sacrifice to idols and oppressed each other.
Human sacrifice is the act of killing human beings for a religious or
spiritual purpose. The Israelites copied this activity from the Canaanites.
Children were believed to be the best sacrifice since people believed they
would get great favors from the deities. Some kings such as Ahaz and
Manasseh sacrificed their sons to idols. Jeremiah condemned human
sacrifice.
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Reasons for condemning human sacrifice

Human sacrifice was an act of idolatry. It indicated infidelity of the
Israelites to the one true God. It demonstrated Israel’s disrespect for the
sacred gift of life. It showed their lack of knowledge of the true nature of
Yahweh. Human sacrifice defiled the land for life is in the blood. Blood
speaks hence the land was crying at this vengeance. God did not ask for
human sacrifices. Human sacrifice was a sign of lack of love of God and
love for one another. It is a demonstration of disregard for human life.
Only God has the right to take away life. In our country people kill each
other every day especially on the road. Why do we do this?
v. Idolatry
Idolatry is the worship of many gods. Idols are images made by people for
worship. The Israelites practiced syncretism, which we said was the
worship of Yahweh and idols. The people of Israel were worshipping
Baal the Queen of heaven, sun, moon, stars, and also Yahweh (Jer 8:2).
Idols were placed even in Yahweh’s sacred places. The temple was
defiled by idols. This temple is unclean. Jeremiah condemned it. He told
the people of Israel that “{they have forsaken the fountain of living waters
(GOD) and hewn out for themselves broken cisterns (IDOLs) that can
hold no water” (Jer 2: 11-13).
Why did Jeremiah condemn idolatry? Read Jer 2: 20, 2:1- 3, 5: 7- 8.
Idolatry is like adultery and prostitution. It defiled people and was a sign
of lack of faith in Yahweh. It defiled the land. Idolatry led to divine
judgment and punishment.
People of Judah abandoned Yahweh the ‘Husband’ and chased “lovers”
the idols and deities The Israelites (Northern kingdom) had been punished
before and yet Judah did not learn from them. By worshipping idols Judah
broke the covenant and their relationship with God. And unless the people
of Judah repented, they would be punished; as there is only one true living
God to be worshipped and obeyed. Is there idolatry among Christians
today’s
vi. Other evils condemned by Jeremiah
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People of Judah trusted that the temple was secure, holy and cannot be
destroyed. Jeremiah denounced this false belief about the temple. He
warned them that God would destroy the temple because of the many
evils committed in it. The temple of God had become a ‘den of robbers’
and human sacrifices.
People of Judah committed other evils such as hypocrisy (Jer 7; 9-10);
social injustice (adultery, murder), stubbornness, and rebellion.
vi. The temple
Temple is a place of worship. The temple of Israelites was in Jerusalem. It
signified the presence of God among his people. The Israelites believed
God could never destroy or allow destruction of the temple.
Jeremiah stood at the gates of the temple court during Jehuiakim’s reign,
and Judah that God would destroy the temple and send them to exile. He
urged them to repent and turn back to God. King Josiah heard the
message of Jeremiah and he reformed religious practices in Judah.
Vii. Religions reforms carried out by King Josiah
This topic is not clearly spelt out in the syllabus. It is based on the book of
Deuteronomy. The scroll was discovered in the temple during repairs.
Josiah ordered the repair of the temple of God. He led a national
ceremony to review the covenant. He destroyed idols and altars associated
with the worship of foreign deities throughout Judah. He eliminated all
the priests associated with the worship of false deities. He celebrated
Passover in
Jerusalem. The successors of King Josiah did not follow his example.
They became corrupt. They persecuted the prophets of God. They listened
to false prophets. They promoted idolatry and child sacrifice.
Viii. The Relevance of Jeremiah’s teachings to Christians today.
Christians should denounce hypocrisy in the society today. They should
not result to witchcraft, divination and sorcery. They should be upright,
and worship God in sincerity. They are to proclaim divine judgment upon
those who refuse to obey God’s will, just like Jeremiah declared God’s
judgment upon Judah due to the sins of the people.
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Like Jeremiah, Christians should speak out against modern idols like love
of money, power, and obsession with sports, sex, and drugs among other
evils. Christians should condemn destruction of human life, violence;
murder, abortion, parents killing their own children, genocide and
exploitation of the poor.
Christians should be aware of the existence of false teachings and
prophecies. They should pray for God’s guidance and wisdom to be able
to distinguish truth from false teaching. Christians have a responsibility to
correct one another and call on sinners to repent.
Christians are to be trustworthy, upright, and merciful to the poor and
condemn dishonesty. They should practice justice in their relationship
with others; preach against disobedience, stubbornness and pray to God to
help them overcome these vices.
Q: Read these review questions and answer before reading answers>

1. Why was Jeremiah reluctant to accept the call?
2. Which evils / sins did Jeremiah Condemn?
3. Give examples of idol worship in Kenya.
4. Describe Jeremiahs temple sermon
Answer.
1. Jeremiah felt inadequate because he was too young to work for God.
He argued that he did not know how to speak. He was afraid. He knew he
would face stiff opposition from the people of Judah. The message of
God’s judgments is difficult to deliver.
2. Read text again and look for evils and sins that Jeremiah condemned.
3. Examples of idol worship in Kenya are many. Some people including
Christians practice witchcraft, sorcery, personality cults and hero worship
of religions and political leaders. Other people, worship money,
materialism, media, and sports obsession with power / status Sexual
immorality – devil worship
4. Jeremiahs temple sermon. Read text again.
JEREMIAH’S TEACHINGS ON JUDGMENT AND PUNISHMENT
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Read Jeremiah 5:12-18, 6;1-30, 7:30, 8:1-17, 10: 17-25, 15;1-9, 17:1-
13, 25: 1-38
a. Jeremiah teachings
. Sin was internalized in the hearts of the people of Judah. God punished
them. God punishes people because of their unfaithfulness. Punishment is
a penalty, for an offence or a crime committed.
But in punishing people, God is a just judge. He does not punish people
without a reason irrespective of their status.
God judges people by looking into their hearts. Divine judgment is for a
group. For example, the people of Judah were punished as a group.
However God searches each person’s heart and judges accordingly.
God executes His judgment by means of political and historical events.
Divine punishments are in forms of natural disasters like drought, famine,
and epidemics. God’s punishment is unavoidable, and inescapable. Judah
took the best option by surrendering to the Babylonians.
The purpose for God’s judgment is to correct the sinner. God gave his
people a chance to repent before he punished them. God’s judgment is
universal. It is not limited to one nation. God punished the neighbors of
Judah who at that time were Egypt, Moab, Ammon, and Babylon. God’s
punishment is severe compared to that of venomous snakes that bite the
people of Judah. God’s judgment is not necessarily a punishment from
God for one’s sins. It is symbolic. The sufferings of Jeremiah were
symbolic of the life of the people of Judah.
What can we learn about God’s punishments? Are modern disasters such
as cyclones, floods, earthquakes, landslides, epidemics, bomb blasts, civil
wars, forest fires, rebellions in schools a sign of God’s judgment and
punishment? What do you think?
b. Symbolic acts related to judgment and punishment
People use several methods to convey messages to each other. We use
songs, advertisements, dramas, and stories by the fireside, in novels, the
Internet, and magazines to communicate messages about children, adults,
society, political leaders, poverty and many others. The prophets used:
(1). Oracles;
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‘Thus says the Lord’; (2) Allegories (3) Parables (4) Songs (5) Symbolic
Visions (6) Symbolic actions and (7) dramatized messages
Symbolic acts of Jeremiah
i. The linen waist cloth (Jer.13)
ii. Jeremiah’s personal life (Jer.16)
iii. Jeremiah’s visit to a potter (Jer.18)
iv. The broken earthen flask (Jer.19)
v. The symbolic vision of 2 baskets of figs (Jer.24)
vi. The wearing of the yoke
I. The Linen Waist Cloth. Read Jer.13
Jeremiah was instructed by God to buy a linen waistcloth and wear it
around his waist without dipping it in water. He was told to hide the cloth
in a hole near river Euphrates. Afterwards he was told to take the cloth.
He found it spoilt for wearing.
-Significance. The liner material was for priestly garments in Israel. It
symbolized Israel’s holiness. The unwashed cloth represented Judah’s
sinful pride. Israel used to cling close to God but now Israel / Judah were
spoilt, rebellious, and arrogant and pursued foreign gods. God was going
to destroy them if they did not repent. The spoilt linen waistcloth was a
symbol for future God’s action.
ii. Jeremiah’s personal Life. Read Jer 16.
His life was a symbolic act. He was told not to marry, have children, and
not attend funerals, social gatherings, feasts and wedding parties.
-Significance. The personal life of Jeremiah was one of suffering. This
signified the suffering that the people of Judah would be subjected to.
Judah was punished because of their wickedness and rebellion.
Jeremiah’s loneliness signified the perishing of families through the
sword, famine and disease. It would be a time of terror for the families of
Judah. Their normal social life of feasting, merry making would come to
an end. There would be no weddings and no one to bury the dead. Hence
Jeremiah was forbidden from mourning for the dead.
iii. Jeremiah’s at the potter’s house (Jer.18)
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Jeremiah was told to go to a potter’s house. He found the potter making a

clay vessel. “Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would
take the clay and make it into something else (18: 4).
The potter made a better pot, more perfect vessel than the spoilt one.
-Significance. God is the potter. People of Judah are the clay. As the
potter destroyed to vessel, God intended to destroy Judah because of their
wickedness and mould those who repented into better people. God was
going to shape them into faithful people. God’s judgment was to be a
corrective punishment.
iv. The broken clay Jar. Read Jer.19.
God told Jeremiah to buy a clay flask
He then took some elders and priests to the valley of Valley of Hinnon.
He delivered a sermon condemning the people of Judah for their idolatry
and other evils. Jeremiah then broke the clay jar in their presence and
announced to them that Yahweh would destroy Jerusalem and Judah as
Jeremiah had destroyed the jar.
-Significance. The kings, priests and prophets of Judah would be
shattered like the clay flask because of their sins. Sine, they brutally
sacrificed their children; they are to suffer horrifying experiences at the
hand of their enemies. They shall suffer starvation and turn into cannibals;
eating their own children and neighbors (v.9).
Broken pieces of a clay pot cannot be molded. No one was to escape
judgment. However there is hope after punishment.
v. Two Baskets of Figs (Jer.24).
Jeremiah received the visions, after the deportation and exile of leading
citizens of Judah and Israel to Babylon. Two baskets of figs were placed
in front of the temple. One basket had very good figs, which had ripened.
The other basket had bad figs unfit for human consumption.
-Significance. The basket of good figs signified the first exile. God would
renew their hearts; use them to fulfill his promises to the Israelites. He
would recreate them to a new people. The basket of the bad figs
represented people living in Jerusalem and Egypt. Since they were not
exiled they had a self-righteous attitude. They thought that God spared
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them because they were truthful but it was not so. They shall also be
destroyed through famine, and diseases. This vision signifies hope and
restoration of the Israelites.
vi. Jeremiah Wears an Ox Yoke. Read Jer. 27.
When Zedekiah son of Josiah became the ruler of Judah,
Jeremiah was instructed by God “to make” for himself “a yoke out of
leather straps and wooden crossbars” and to wear it around his neck (27:
2). Jeremiah moved around in the yoke for quite some time in public.
He was also given a message for ambassadors of kings of Edom, Moab,
Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon, who were coming to see King Zedekiah in
Jerusalem. They were to give God’s message to their kings. The message
was to “submit to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia; his son, and his
grandson. Any nation that accepted this message shall not suffer; but if
any nation.Will not submit to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia rule,
God will punish that nation by war, starvation and disease” Read Jer 27:6-
8. The message for king Zedekiah was to surrender to the Babylonian rule
and live, if he resists he would perish.
The message for priests and people of Judah was not to be misled by the
false prophets. The temple would be destroyed. Its treasures looted by the
Babylonians.
-Significance. The yoke represented the Babylonians rule.
Nebuchadnezzar was used by God to bring judgment to all nations.
Yahweh is a universal God and his judgment is universal. Sinners are
punished regardless of their origin or nation. Those who repent are spared.
Reflection questions
Q: Why did God inspire Jeremiah to use symbolic acts to convey his
message?
Answer
Israelites were stubborn. Jeremiah acts were reminders to Judah to turn to
God and stop idolatry and all the sins they were committing. They had
drifted too far from God. False prophets were prophesying lies to them.
The people of Judah were expected to meditate on these acts and
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understand God’s will for them and see the seriousness of the matter. This
was also to imprint a lasting impression in their minds.
Q. Which methods do pastors / priests use to communicate God’s
message to Christians today?
c. The sufferings and lamentations of Jeremiah
Read Jer 11, 12, 17:14 – 18, 18:18- 23, 20: 1 – 6, 27, 37, and 38.
Jeremiah sufferings were experiences that were painful; physically and
emotionally. In suffering there is loss and grief. Lamentations are strong
emotional expressions of pain and grief. Jeremiah suffered in the
following ways
I. Rejection by his own family and relatives. They plotted to kill him. This
grieved Jeremiah.
II. Anathoth planned to kill him but God protected Jeremiah. He
pronounced God’s judgment upon them
III. Jeremiah suffered when he was accused falsely. He was accused of
blasphemy after the temple sermon. He foretold the destruction of the
temple, just like Jesus Christ in the New Testament did.
IV. He was accused of treachery. That he was planning to leave Jerusalem
and join the Babylonians. This led to Jeremiah being arrested and put in
an underground jail.
V. Jeremiah received death threats because of speaking for God. King
Jehoiakim plotted to kill prophet
Uriah. The prophet escaped to Egypt but he was followed to Egypt,
arrested and killed by king Jehoiakim. The king had planned to accuse
Jeremiah of Uriah death. Ahikam and other elders defended Jeremiah.
(Jeremiah 26)
VI. Jeremiah suffered loneliness and solitude. He felt emotional anguish
and complained to God of his orders not to marry; neither attend social
gathering and celebrations. This made Jeremiah lonely since he did not
participate in the family life, political life, community activities and
religious life.
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VII. Jeremiah experienced inner personal struggle due to his love for his
own people He did not want to see them suffer but the people were
stubborn Read Jer. 12:1 – 6, 15:10 – 21, and 27.
VIII. Jeremiah’s prophesying judgment caused him emotional pain and
agony. His messages were mainly of severe judgment and punishment.
IX. He went through a spiritual struggle in his relationship with God. He
felt frustrations, doubts, self-pity and despair. He wondered why God
made him suffer. Why do the wicked prosper? He also wondered why
God was taking too long to fulfill his prophecies. God assured him that
Judah would be punished and promised to give Jeremiah victory against
his enemies.
X. Jeremiah suffered physical assault, imprisonment and an attempt on his
life. Pashhur, the chief temple priest ordered beating and chaining of
Jeremiah to the temple gate. Jeremiah prophesied that Pashshur’s name
would change to ‘terror everywhere’.
XI. King Zedekiah released Jeremiah from the cell to his court. Jeremiah
continued to prophecy and was thrown in a muddy cistern. Here he was
rescued by Ebed- melech an Ethiopian Eunuch. The court officials had
accused him of not being patriotic. Jeremiah remained in jail until the
Babylonians overthrew Jerusalem. He did not change his prophecies.
Read Jer. 10:1 – 6, 27, 37, and 38.
Is there relevance of the sufferings and lamentations of Jeremiah to
Christians today? From his suffering
Christians learn to be ready to face opposition and rejection from their
own family members and relatives for the sake of the gospel. Christians
should be prepared to suffer persecution for the Lord.
Christians should be ready to make sacrifices for the sake of God. Be
ready to lead humble lives.
Jeremiah’s open confessions to God encourage Christians to be open to
God. Christians should let God avenge for them just like Jeremiah prayed
to God to revenge his enemies. Christians should not lose hope in times of
difficulty. Christians learn that tribulations strengthen their faith.
Christians should learn to deal with negative emotions such as self – pity,
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grief and trust God. Jeremiah was told by God to repent of his negative
utterances. Christians should do the same as they are assured of divine
security and protection against their persecutors.
JEREMIAH’S TEACHING ABOUT THE NEW COVENANT
A covenant is an agreement. Another word for covenant is testament.
Jeremiah taught that there would be a new covenant between God and
Israel. This new covenant would be different from the Old (Sinai)
covenant. The new covenant would renew the broken relationship
between God and his people.
a. The New Covenant. In the new covenant, the law would be written in
the hearts of the people unlike the old covenant where the law was written
on stone tablets. Every individual would know God personally and not
through prophets as it was during times of Jeremiah and previous one.
Each person would be responsible for his/her sins. God would forgive sins
and remember them no more. The new covenant would be established
after God’s punishment of Israel and establishing a’ new Israel’, a ‘new
people’ of God.
The new covenant would establish a new beginning. People would forget
the first Exodus. The second Exodus would be deliverance and restoration
from Babylon. God would initiate the new covenant as he did with the
first. It would be a new covenant of peace, unity, prosperity, Joy and
gladness. In the new covenant a ‘righteous branch’ would be established.
The new covenant would be everlasting. It would not be broken again.
b. Differences between the old covenant and the new covenant
Old Covenant New Covenant
1. Based on law Based on faith
2. Word written on stone tablets Word written in people’s hearts
3. God known personally by a few priests prophets and prophets. Each to
person to know God personally
4. Covenant broken when people sinned Everlasting covenant
5. Sins punished collectively Sins punished individually
6. 1st Exodus from Egypt 2nd Exodus from Babylon
7. Sealed by animal sacrifice Sealed by Jesus sacrifice (blood)
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What are the similarities between the old and the new covenant?
Jesus fulfilled the new covenant. Jesus is the ‘righteous branch’ from
the lineage of David. In the last supper, before his death, Jesus said
‘this cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Read Luke, 22:20. The death and resurrection of Jesus marks the new
covenant. Jesus spoke of forgiveness of sins of humanity Jesus forgave
people’s sins, for example, the sinful woman in Simon’s house (Luke7: 36
– 50). In the new covenant the law would be written in people’s hearts.
Jesus summarized the Mosaic Law into ‘love God with all your heart,
mind, and strength and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Jesus
established the kingdom of God as a new community of God’s people
based on faith (the Christians).
Jesus fulfilled the new covenant prophecies The teachings of Jeremiah
new covenant of hope and restoration is fulfilled in Jesus Christ and the
new testament church (Christians) Heb.8:7 – 12.
JEREMIAH’S TEACHINGS ON HOPE AND RESTORATION
A. Symbolic acts related to hope and restoration.
The symbolic acts were one hope and restore. Hope is to expect
something that is desired; while to restore is to bring back as nearly as
possible the former or original state or condition. The symbolic acts were
5 in number.
The first symbolic act was a vision of 2 baskets of figs. We have
discussed it. Refer to the symbolic act related to judgment.
The second symbolic act was Jeremiah buying a field. God instructed
Jeremiah to buy a field from his cousin Hanamel of Anathoth. Jeremiah
bought the field for 17 cents of silver. He then handed the title deed and
open copy to Baruch. Baruch was told to keep the title deed and the copy
in an earthen vessel for preservation for a long time. Jeremiah prophesied
the restoration of the exiles to their homeland.
The significance of this symbolic act is the assurance of restoration of
Judah and Israel after suffering.
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People will be restored to their homeland. After 70 years people of Judah

would reconstruct their homes, cultivate their land, and own property (Jer
32; 1 -15).
-The third symbolic act was Jeremiah’ letter to the Jews in Babylonia.
Jeremiah wrote to the people of Judah a letter of encouragement while in
exile. They were to settle down, build houses, marry and have children,
live in peace with the Babylonians. They were to pray for the welfare of
their masters and to ignore false prophets who lied to them about the
safety of Jerusalem and a quick return. God would restore them back to
their land after 70 years of exile were over. The exiles were to trust in
God and not give up (Jer.29).
The four symbolic acts was a wooden ox yoke. The yoke represented
captivity and suffering of Jews in exile. It was also a sign of hope if the
people of Judah were willing to submit to the Babylonian rule. God would
restore them back to their land. Their yoke would be broken and they
would be set free.
The fifth symbolic act was the visit to the porter’s house
b. The fall of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites (Jer.39)
Jeremiah’s prophecy came to pass. Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in
the ninth year of King Zedekiah in 587BC. The Babylonians conquered
Jerusalem and seized it. King Zedekiah fled but; he was captured by the
Babylonians army. He witnessed the execution of his sons. His eyes were
gauged out. He was then taken in chains to captivity in Babylon.
Solomon’s temple was looted and destroyed. Villages,
Jerusalem and the palace were destroyed and burnt down. The priests,
court officials, army officials, people in the upper class, craftsmen were
executed. City people were taken to Babylon as captives. The poor, aged
and a few people were left behind and given vineyards to farm.
Nebuchadnezzar’s army was brutal to the Israelites. Many were killed. A
few like Ebed – Melech were spared as prophesied by Jeremiah (he had
rescued him from the well). Nebuchadnezzar ordered the release of
Jeremiah. He was treated well
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Judah became a province of Babylon. Gedaliah was appointed governor

of Judah. He stayed at Mizpah, the headquarters of Judah. Ishmael killed
Gedaliah. Later Jeremiah was forced to go to Egypt by the Israelites.
Jeremiah died in Egypt, an old man, and still faithful to his call.
RELATING THE TEACHINGS OF JEREMIAH TO THE NEW
TESTAMENT AND CHRISTIAN LIFE TODAY
Jeremiah was rejected by his relatives, friends and the Israelites. In the
New Testament, Jesus was rejected in his hometown of Nazareth: and by
the religious leaders of Israel. Jeremiah compared himself to a lamb being
led to the slaughter. Jesus in the New Testament is referred to as a lamb
led to the slaughter. Jeremiah’s suffering symbolizes divine judgment
over Judah. However Jesus sufferings were to bring salvation to all
mankind. Both Jeremiah and Jesus experienced spiritual agony. Jeremiah
experience agony and felt left alone by God. Jesus too felt agony when
praying in the garden of Gethsemane and when on the cross.
Jeremiah taught that God is universal and a just judge. The gospel of
Jesus is universal and everybody is judged according to his or her faith in
God. Jeremiah and Jesus accused the Israelites of turning the temple into a
“den of robbers”. Jeremiah and Jesus were both accused of blasphemy.
Both challenged false beliefs about the temple. Both Jeremiah and Jesus
spoke of the coming judgment of God.
The new covenant was fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ
Jeremiah spoke of hope and restoration. Jesus gives hope of eternal life in
the New Testament.
ii. Relationship of Jeremiah’s teaching to Christian today.
Christians are to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are empowered
by the Holy Spirit to endure suffering and to grow spiritually. Christians
like Jeremiah face false prophets who speak in Jesus name.
Christians are to be watchful and obey Yahweh
Like Jeremiah Christians should call people to repentance. The new
covenant is fulfilled in Christian’s individual relationship with God.
Christians are the new people, the new Israel as prophesied by Jeremiah.
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His teachings reveal that God is universal. Christians are from all corners
of the earth.
Christians should prepare for divine judgment by practicing love,
righteousness, self-denial, and faith in God.
Revision exercise
1. List the evils that Jeremiah condemned
2. What are some of the evils that church leaders condemn today?
3. Explain the symbolism used during the call of prophet Jeremiah
4. What did Jeremiah teach about the new covenant?
5. Why did prophet Jeremiah condemn the way the Israelites worshipped?
6. Explain Jeremiah’s temple sermon as recorded in jeremiah7: 1-15
7. What forms of punishment did Jeremiah prophesy that God would use
on Judah?
8. Outline the content of Jeremiah’s letter to exiles in Babylon
9. Explain four symbolic acts related to judgment and punishment as
demonstrated by prophet Jeremiah
10. Identify the relevance of Jeremiah’s teaching to Christians today
11. In what ways is the prophetic mission of Jeremiah similar to that of
Jesus?
NEHEMIAH
Introduction
The book of Nehemiah is a historical writing. Nehemiah is a record of his
deep dependence on God and his frequent prayer to God. Nehemiah
means “Yahweh has comforted. Nehemiah was the son of Hacaliah of
Judah. He was not a prophet. He was exiled to Babylon. Persians captured
Babylon and improved the living condition of the Israelites. They were
allowed religious freedom but had to pay tributes.
BACKGROUND TO NEHEMIAH
a. Political and historical background.
From 587 BC to 538 BC, Israelites were in exile. In 538 B.C., the first
group of Israelites was set free and returned to Judah. Cyrus the Great, of
Persia ruled his subjects through governors. They were led out of Babylon
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by Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel who became the first governor
of Judah.
Some Jews remained in Babylon. They were referred to as Jews in
Diaspora or dispersion. Other Jews remained in other lands including
Egypt, and Mediterranean lands Nehemiah. He was a cupbearer in the
palace of the Persian king Artaxerxes I. He later became a governor of
Judah. Even after the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, Israelites
remained subjects of the Persian king.
The Wall of Jerusalem was important to Israel and Judah. The Wall
represented a sense of pride, ownership, privacy, independence and
Security. The Greeks conquered the Persians; who were later conquered
by Romans.
b. Social background
The Jews in foreign lands retained their Jewish way of life. The land of
Israel was partly occupied by foreigners. The foreign cultures of
neighboring rulers influenced Israelites who returned. They for example,
intermarried with foreigners, a custom that God did not allow. Israelites
were not to intermarry with other people according to the Mosaic Law. In
spite of this however, Jews maintained their separated identity. Some of
the foreigners despised Jews. The wealthy Jews oppressed the poor Jews.
In Jerusalem there was starvation. Nehemiah condemned oppression of
the poor.
c. Religious background
Jews returned to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem and the altar of God for
sacrifices. While in exile, Jews were allowed by the Babylonian king to
practice their religion. They worshipped Yahweh, practiced circumcision,
obeyed dietary laws and observed the Sabbath. The exiles could not
however observe all the religious practices for example offering animal
sacrifices.
Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild it’s the wall. The temple of
Jerusalem was rebuilt, cleared and dedicated to God.
Prayers by Nehemiah and modern Christians
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Nehemiah prayed, mourned, and fasted. He prayed often and for all
actions, keeping God’s law, forgiveness, punishments, human relations,
Jerusalem, good works, contributions and offerings, observance of
Sabbath day, and preparing duty allocations for priests and Levites. .
i. When he learnt about the suffering of Jews who remained in Judah and
the ruined state of Jerusalem; He prayed for forgiveness on behalf of his
people (Neh.4: 1 – 11).
ii. Making a request to King Artaxerxes to be permitted to return to Judah
(Neh.2: 4 –
iii. When his enemies ridiculed the Jews and planned to discourage them
from rebuilding the wall of
Jerusalem. Tobiah in particular said that the wall was poorly constructed
and it could be brought down by; a fox jumping on it. Nehemiah reque-
sted God to punish the enemies who were mocking temple builders
(Neh.4: 4 – 5).
iv. When he learnt that his enemies were conspiring to attack Jerusalem to
stop the construction work, he prayed and organized people to provide a
24-hour guard of the wall (Neh.4: 7 – 9).
v. For his good work, he prayed for his works (Neh 5:19).
vi. When his enemies plotted to destroy him, he prayed God for strength
and courage to overcome his enemies (Neh 6: 19).
vii. When Shemaih attempted to frighten him to hide in the temple
claiming that there was a plot to kill him, Nehemiah prayed and asked
God to punish his enemies (Neh 6:14).
viii. When he organized contributions for Levites and musicians; and
people to distribute them. He asked God to remember his work for the
house of God (Neh 13:14).
ix. He stopped trade on the Sabbath day, and organized rest on the
Sabbath day. He warned traders against violating the Sabbath law. He
asked Lord to remember him for these actions (Neh.13: 22).
x. Nehemiah prayed for punishment of the son of Joiada. The son of
Joiada had brought disgrace to the priest hood by marrying a foreigner,
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the daughter of Sanballat from the town of Beth Horon, (Neh 13:29). after
cleansing the Israelites of foreign influence, he forbade mixed marriages
xi. He prepared duty regulations for priests and Levites. He allocated
them duties. He then organized Jews to bring offerings for maintaining
priests and Levites. He prayed God to remember his work for the temple,
priests and Levites (Neh 13:31).
b. Importance of prayer in Christian life
Through prayers, Christians express their faith in God and praise God for
his greatness, goodness, holiness, and majesty. Prayer brings Christians
closer to God; it strengthens their relationship with God.
Through prayer Christians request for their needs, blessings, success,
good health, and protection among other requests.
Prayers help Christians to listen to God and to seek his will. Prayer is a
source of strength. It gives Christians courage to face and overcome life’s
challenges. Christians seek guidance, comfort and support in times of
trials. In prayer, Christians intercede for the sick, poor, hungry, prisoners,
friends, family and community. The communal / public prayers unite
Christians together. Through prayers, Christians ask for forgiveness and
the ability to forgive others. In prayers, Christians trust that God listens
and answers their prayers.
LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF NEHEMIAH

Introduction
A leader is someone charged with the responsibility of guiding, contro-
lling, directing and leading others. Nehemiah had many leadership
qualities. These were: -
1) God fearing man. Nehemiah feared God, relied and depended on God.
2) Prayerfulness – he prayed constantly before and after making
decisions.
3) Courageous – He displayed courage even when his life was in danger
4) Hard work and commitment. He was dedicated to the rebuilding of the
wall of the temple and Jerusalem.
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5) Team spirit – he was a team leader, motivating people to work.

6) He had planning and organizational skills
7) He was visionary
He had compassion for the needy especially the poor, Levites and priests
9) He was patriotic loved his country
10) Wisdom. He made wise decisions at the right time.
11) He led by example, a role model
12) He was honest and sincere in his prayers
13) He was shrewd and impartial
14) His trusted God absolutely.
15) He was decisive. He told God about decisions he had made and asked
for their recognition.
16) He was humble. He asked to be allowed to return to Jerusalem and
oversee the repair of its wall and temple.
16) He believed in law and punishment of wrong doers. He asked God to
punish lawbreakers especially Jews who married foreigners.
b. Relevance of Nehemiah’s leadership to Christians today
Christians should copy all the leadership qualities of Nehemiah. They
should trust in God and seek his guidance in all their activities and needs.
1. Christians should live a life of prayer
2. Christians should be courageous, be ready to defend the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
3. Christians should be dedicated to their work. Work diligently and
honestly
4. Christians should set realistic goals and organize their activities.
5. Christians should seek wisdom from God to be able to choose
appropriate activities to attain their visions.
6. Christians should care for the needy and be compassionate to all
7. Christians should be patriotic and ready to defend their country against
internal / external threats.
8. Christians should need to fight for the rights of the helpless children,
widows, orphans, and aged.
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9. Christians should seek God first, view themselves as servants of God

and be good role models.
BUILDING THE WALL OF JERUSALEM
The wall of Jerusalem was destroyed when Babylonians conquered Judah.
After finishing the wall, he dedicated it to the Lord. Dedication is to
devote something in honor of a person held dear or to set aside something
for some special purpose.
a. Nehemiah rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. The rebuilt wall had several
gates with different names. The gates were the entrances to Jerusalem.
Their names were Dung gate, Potsherd gate, Fountain gate, Water gate,
Horse gate, East gate, Sheep gate, Fish gate, Watch gate and Ephraim
gate. Knowing the names of the gates may not be necessary but its good
information.
b. Problems faced by Nehemiah.
When Nehemiah was building the wall of Jerusalem, he faced many
challenges. There was lack of cooperation by the nobles of Tekoa. They
did not want to do manual work at first but they later repented. Nehemiah
faced opposition from enemies such as. Sanballat, and Tobiah, the Arab
who tried to thwart the progress of Nehemiah’s work. As he built
Jerusalem, the rich oppressed the poor. This was worsened by famine
The priests misused the temple and the offerings. For example, temple
duties had been abandoned. The Levites were not getting their share of the
offerings and the Sabbath was violated. There was laxity in observance of
the Sabbath. This was a challenge to Nehemiah because Sabbath day
should be kept holy.
There was a lot of foreign influence because of the conquests by several
foreign armies, intermarriages and interactions between Jews, neighboring
people and foreigners. Marriages in particular threatened the identity of
the Israelites as a nation. Worse still Priests married to foreign women
defiled the priesthood according to Nehemiah. Because of these
assimilations of Jews through marriages, Nehemiah knew that Israel and
Judah would eventually be lost as God’s nation. Because of his opposition
to these interactions, Nehemiah received death threats.
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c. Dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (NEH. 12:27 – 47)

The rebuilt wall was dedicated to God. The wall restored security and
prestige of God’s people. The wall of Jerusalem was set-aside for God in
a solemn ceremony. There was a dedication ceremony in which people
sung with symbols, harps, lyres, trumpets and other instruments. The
priests and Levites purified themselves.
The people led by Ezra, Nehemiah, the priests and other leaders of Judah
walked around the wall. They divided themselves into two groups. One
group walked from the right side and the other group from the left side
and converged at the temple. Sacrifices were offered and people rejoiced.
Some men were appointed to be in charge of the storehouses; where tithes
and first fruits of harvest were kept.
d. Relevance of Nehemiah’s experience to Christians today
Christians should expect opposition, as did Nehemiah. They should not be
afraid of being ridiculed, mocked and despised. If it happens, Christians
should persevere in God’s work. They should put their trust in God like
Nehemiah did.
They should also fight for the welfare of the disadvantaged groups and
not exploit them. They have a moral obligation to condemn injustice and
take practical steps to help solve problems that afflict individuals, groups,
nations, and society. They should be in the forefront fighting HIV/ AIDS
and drug abuse.
Christians should be on the lookout for external influence that may
corrupt morals of the society and the church. They should learn that
leadership involves suffering, persecution, and sacrifices. This is
foregoing personal interests for the sake of the kingdom of God.
RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT
i. Stages of the renewal of the covenant.
Israelites were the chosen people of God. They had suffered many
hardships. There was therefore a need for the renewal of the covenant
between God and Israelites. The ceremony to renewal the covenant was
held in Jerusalem and was led by Ezra, the Levites and other religious
leaders. The renewal of the covenant can be discussed in 3 main stages:
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-Stage 1. A great public assembly was held in the square of Jerusalem

inside the water gate. God’s law was read and expounded to the people.
The people of Israel praised and worshipped God. They cried and grieved.
They were sad because they realized that they had failed to observe the
Mosaic Law. They were instructed to go and celebrate, as it was a holy
day of God and an occasion for joy not sorrows.
-State 2. The feast of booths/tabernacle was celebrated for 7 days. It was
a reminder of the days in the wilderness when the Israelites dwelt in tents.
The Law of Moses was read each day during the celebrations.
-Stage 3. There was a public confession of sin. People fasted, prayed and
praised God. The public confession was followed by the renewal of the
covenant vows and a promise to keep God’s law in future.
Ezra’s prayer closed the celebrations. In his prayer, he recalled God’s acts
of creation. He then recounted the history of the Israelites. He mentioned
the previous acts of God; where the Lord had demonstrated His love and
mercy for the Israelites. He then confessed the sins of their ancestors and
the present Israelites. These were the sins of rebellion and disobedience.
ii. Promises and vows made by Israelites during the renewal of the
covenant. Israelites promised God that they would:
 Live according to God’s law, by obeying all his commands and
requirements.
 Stop intermarrying with foreigners living in their land.
Cancel debts every 7th year
Contribute annually towards the temple expenses to ensure that the
house of God was not neglected.
Provide sacrifices and offerings for the temple and arrange for provision
of wood for burnt sacrifices according to the law.
Offer first fruits of their harvest and dedicate the first born and flocks as
required by the law.
 Pay for their tithes as required by the law.
Which lessons can we learn from the renewal of the covenant? God is
good, loving, merciful, and faithful to his promises. God forgives all
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people and we are all sinners. We fail in our moral obligation to God and
to one another.
Since we are sinners, we should repent our sins and strive to live
according to God’s law. Christians are to encourage one another as well
as others to repent as it brings about reconciliation with God and with one
another.
Christians should be forgiving and avoid situations that lead them to sin
Q. Check from form 1 work, this information.
1. Outline Nehemiah’s final reforms
2. What is a covenant?
3. What are the components of a covenant?
4. Discuss how the covenant was renewed
5. List examples of covenants in the Old Testament and modern life.
6. Explain what Christians can learn from the experiences of Nehemiah
7. Compare or relate the teachings from Nehemiah’s exemplary life to the
teaching of St. Luke’s Gospel and Christian life today.
FINAL REFORMS OF NEHEMIAH
Introduction.
Changes for improvement are known as reforms, which are political,
economical, social, religious or a combination of any of them. Examples
of reformers are King David, Prophet Elijah, and Martin Luther King
among others.
-Nehemiah. After building the wall, Nehemiah went back to King
Artaxerxes II who if you remember had given permission to go to
Jerusalem and build its destroyed perimeter wall. Later he returned to
Jerusalem and carried out these reforms.
a. Reforms by Nehemiah. We have discussed reforms, which
Nehemiah carried out during his stay in Judah, where he was the
governor (Neh 5:14). The major reforms were:
i Rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem as well as its gates.
ii. Cleansing of the temple: Nehemiah threw him out Tobiah a foreigner
who was living in the temple quarters.
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iii. Reinstatement of the Levites and other temple workers. Levites, and
musicians had left the temple duties to work in their farms to earn a
livelihood. They were supposed to work in the temple and be supported
by member contributions. Nehemiah organised Jews to make offerings
and tithes to support temple workers. With these contributions, Nehemiah
reinstated and redeployed Levites, priests, musicians and other temple
workers.
iv. Reform of the Sabbath observance. The Israelites were told by the
Lord to work for 6 days and rest on the Sabbath day. The Jews started
working on the Sabbath day. The merchants camped outside waiting for
the reopening of the gates of the temple to do business. When Nehemiah
started rebuilding Jerusalem, he ordered closure of the gates of Jerusalem
from the eve of Sabbath to the end of the Sabbath.
v Separations from foreigners (Neh.13: 23 – 30). It was against God’s law
to marry foreigners. Nehemiah cursed the men who had married foreign
wives. He beat Jews, pulled their hair and forced them to take oaths that
neither they, nor their sons nor daughters shall intermarry.
vi. Purification of priesthood and the office of the Levites. Nehemiah
cleansed the priesthood. He sent away Eliashib, a grandson of the High
Priest Joshua, because he had given Tobiah a foreigner, a room in the
temple.
b. Comparing teachings of Nehemiah and St. Luke’s Gospel

i. Nehemiah lived a prayerful life while St. Luke’s gospel emphasizes
importance of prayer. Jesus taught the role of prayer in Christianity.
ii. Nehemiah fasted, St. Luke’s gospel records that Jesus fasted.
iii. Nehemiah prayed for forgiveness of sinful Jews. We see Jesus in St.
Luke’s gospel being a leader who prayed for the forgiveness of his
enemies.
iv. Nehemiah cared for the needy. Jesus showed compassion to the needy
and taught his followers to follow His example.
v. Nehemiah condemned evil so did Jesus
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vi. Nehemiah is seen as a reformer of the Mosaic Law. In St Luke Gospel,

Jesus was also a reformer. He insisted on inner holiness.
vii. Nehemiah cleansed the temple of traders so did Jesus.
viii. Nehemiah was very strict on the Sabbath observance. St. Luke’s
gospel teaches that Jesus is lord over Sabbath. He healed and “Worked”
on Sabbath.
ix. Nehemiah was opposed to racial intermarriages; St. Luke Gospel was
dedicated to Theophilus, a gentile convert
x. Christianity kingdom of God in St. Luke’s gospel is for all, not just the
Jews.
xi. Nehemiah had good leadership skills and wisdom. These are
demonstrated in St Luke Gospel.
c. Relating Nehemiah’s teachings to Christian life today
i Prayers and fasting are fundamental to Christians just like they were to
Nehemiah who led a prayerful life.
ii. Nehemiah’s example teaches Christians to face all forms of opposition
with courage, wisdom, and firmness
iii. The good leadership qualities of Nehemiah are relevant to Christians
and they are to be emulated.
iv. Nehemiah cared for the needy. Christians should learn to give spiritual
food, physical food and clothing to the needy, orphans, widows.
v. As Nehemiah renewed the covenant, Christians should seek spiritual
renewal publicly and privately.
They should seek for communal as well as individual forgiveness.
vi. Nehemiah cleansing the temple and organized an inventory for temple
contributions, offerings and tithes. He also appointed key people to look
after temple contributions and pay Levites and priests.
Christians should learn to use the church buildings and contributions
rightly
vii. Nehemiah was guided by the Law of Moses and land just like
Christians are guided by the scriptures (Bible) and the law of the nation.
The Bible is the source and basis of Christian principles.
Revision questions
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1. Describe the political background of Nehemiah

2. Describe the social background to the vocation of Nehemiah
3. Describe the religious background to the vocation of Nehemiah
4. Describe occasions when Nehemiah prayed
5. State occasions when Christians pray
6. What is the importance of prayer in Christian life?
7. Identify the leadership of Nehemiah’s patriotism
8. Explain the relevance of Nehemiah’s leadership to a Christian today
9. Explain the relevance of Nehemiah’s experience to Christians today
10. Explain the problems that Nehemiah encountered in his vocation
11. Explain the steps taken by Nehemiah to renew the covenant
12. State the promises the Israelites made during the renewal of the
covenant
Study activities. Visit a church or your church and observe the display of
the gifts of the Holy Spirit by the members. Study the books of Amos,
Jeremiah and Nehemiah beforehand.
Form three answers.
TOPIC ONE: THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Qn a. Explain the meaning of the Pentecost.
Pentecost means fifty days after the harvest.
It was one of the religious festivals celebrated by Israelites annually.
In the Old Testament, the day of the Pentecost was celebrated during the
wheat harvest in order to thank god for the blessing of the harvest.
Israelites came from all over the world and gathered in Jerusalem for
this celebration.
In the New Testament, the meaning of the festival changed. It was
celebrated to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon God’s
people as they gathered in the upper room.
Qn b. Describe the manifestations of the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost. (Acts 2: 1-40) OR (narrate the events that took place on the
day of Pentecost).
Disciples gathered in a room.
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Sounds came from heaven like a rush of mighty wind and filled the
house.
There appeared tongues of fire.
The tongues of fire were distributed on each one of them.
They were filled with the Holy Spirit.
They were speaking in foreign languages and tongues.
Those who were observing them were amazed, as they could not
understand what they were saying.
They accused them of being drunk
Peter stood up and explained that they were not drunk as it was too
early in the day to get drunk.
He explained how they were filled with the Holy Spirit as prophesied by
Prophet Joel.
He told them that it was Jesus whom they had rejected and crucified
who had sent them the Holy Spirit.
The people asked peter what they could do.
Peter told them to repent and be baptized.
On that day about 3000 people were added to the church.
Qn c. write down five teachings we learn about Jesus from Peter’s
speech on the day of Pentecost.
Jesus was from Nazareth
He had a divine nature or was son of God
He had a human nature
He was attested by God to work miracles and wonders through Jesus.
Jesus’ death/ crucifixion was according to God’s plan
God raised Jesus from the dead
Jesus conquered death
The death and resurrection of Jesus fulfils the prophecy of David
Jesus was a descendant of David
The Holy Spirit was from Jesus Christ as he had promised.
God has made Jesus Christ both lord and Christ/ messiah
Jesus ascended into heaven. He is exalted at the right hand of God
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The risen Christ is a source if hope or salvation to many

sinners/crippled/the dead
Qn d. What were the qualities of peter that made him a successful
leader for the apostolic church?
He was a man of great faith
He was a good orator
He dedicated his life to Jesus
He was filled with the Holy Spirit
He could perform miracles or wonders
He was an eye- witness of the ministry of Jesus Christ.
He was full of wisdom and knowledge i.e. Anania’s and Saphira’s case
Qn e. what lessons can Christians learn from the events of the day of
Pentecost
They learn that Jesus always honors and keeps his promises e.g. he
promised to send the Holy Spirit and did it
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is very important for every believer
That obedience yields immediate results i.e. the disciples obeyed Jesus
by testifying in Jerusalem and they received the Holy Spirit.
It is important for believers to meet for fellowship. The disciples did
this and they received the Holy
Spirit
That the Holy Spirit enables Christians to declare the gospel with
boldness
It was the plan of God that Jesus was crucified
Jesus indeed rose from the dead as peter witnessed
Jesus was the son of God
Qn f. state the teachings of Jesus on the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit comes from the father
The Holy Spirit will comfort disciples
The Holy Spirit will abide with believers forever. He was to teach the
world and reveal the truth about God
The Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth and make them
understand or know more about Jesus
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The percolate i.e. comforter/make strong/counselor who give advice

He was to help them attain eternal life. If it was necessary for him to die
and return to the father so that Holy Spirit will be sent to them. It was to
replace Jesus as a counselor and an advocate
He was to give the disciples authority to forgive or not to forgive
The spirit would remind them all that Jesus had taught them
The holy spirit will reprove the world of sin, righteousness and
judgment
He would glorify Jesus amongst the believers
He will enable believers to be witnesses of Jesus in the whole world
He was to strengthen disciples as a wonderful counselor
He was to continue with the work of Jesus as a witness
Qn g. what is the role if the holy spirit according to Jesus?
He comforts believers
He teaches believers all things
He bring into remembrance all that Jesus taught his disciples
The holy spirit would convict the world of their sins and lead them to
righteousness
He will guide the believers in all the truth
He will glorify Christ and teach about him
He will tell of the things to come in the future
He would not speak on his own authority but would speak only what he
hears from the father
He will enable believers to be witnesses of Jesus in the world
He will counsel believers because he knows the mind of God
He will enable believers know the perfect will of God
Qn h. what is the role of the Holy Spirit in the believers (or Christians
or the church)
He enables believers to preach with power
He comforts believers
He guides believers in all truth
He gives believers boldness to witness about Jesus
He enables Christians to produce the fruit of the spirit
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He washes sacrifices and justifies the believer in the name of Jesus
He teaches believers all things
He enables Christians to access God the father and son in prayer
He enables Christians talk in tongues in worship
He enables Christians to perform miracles in the name of Jesus
He enables Christians to declare sins and transgressions of others
Qn i. Outline the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:6-26)
Love showing compassion to one another
Joy deep happiness when one has a good relationship with God
Peace being at peace with all people
Patience being to wait in difficulties
Kindness being caring and helpful towards others
Goodness seeking to do best in their lives
Faithfulness having confidence in God
Gentleness being calm and avoiding violence
Self-control have strong control over their emotions
Qn j. state the criteria for discerning of the spiritual gifts
The gift must glorify Jesus so that one who is under the influence of th
Holy Spirit will be able to recognize Jesus as lord and savior
The gifts must not call Jesus accursed
The test of love. The gift must be accompanied with a good or true frit.
To discover whether or not the person who has the Holy Spirit must bear
the fruits of the spirit
 One who is user the influence if the Holy Spirit is known by his or her
way of life, He/she will act and behave in accordance with the teachings
of Jesus.
Doctrinal test for example, prophecy should always in agreement with
the scripture because the Holy
Spirit cannot contradict what is written
 Loyalty or conformity to Jesus. The gift doesn’t envy other believers
The gift must be subject to the word of God
The true gift will be guided by principles of sincerity and honesty
The true gift will humbly submit to God
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The gift should encourage the growth of the church and edify her
Qn k. List down the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The gift of wisdom (a deep understanding of who God is an his purpose
for human life)
The gift of knowledge that is the basic understanding of the truth about
Jesus Christ
The gift of faith that refers to the confidence or truth in God’s
inspiration and help in undertaking difficult tasks
The gift of healing: the power to heal all types of sicknesses
The gift to perform all types of miracles including healing
The gift of prophecy: that is the ability to expound on the scriptures and
foretell its future implications
The gift of distinguishing gifts: the ability to tell the difference between
gifts that come from the spirit and those that are not
The gift of speaking in tongues: the ability to understand and interpret
tongues
Lastly the gift of love, which is the greatest of all the spiritual gifts.
Qn l. Explain why Paul taught that love is the greatest of all spiritual
gifts.
Paul taught that love is the greatest of all spiritual gifts. He said that
love is patient and kind
It’s not jealous or boastful. It is not arrogant or rude or conceited. It
does not hold grudges or ill mannered or selfish
It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful
It does not rejoice at wrong doings but rejoices in the truth
Love bears, believes, hopes and endures all things
It is ready to deep firm its faith, hope and its patience
Love does not succumb to pressure but always perseveres
He justified that love is the greatest gift of the spiritual gifts because in
prayer, the gift of tongues becomes nothing but meaningful when
accompanied by love (charity)
On faith, Paul says that even if one has faith that can move mountains
but has no love, he is nothing
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Charity or generosity including sacrificing own life is nothing without

love
Qn m. Explain how the Holy Spirit is manifested in the church today
Through dynamic, power, bold and vigorous teaching of the gospel
Through speaking in tongues in many evangelical churches
Through the gift of healing many people are healed as they are prayed
for
Through the gift of love, Christians show mercy to all members of the
society regardless of their race, sex or age (helping the poor in the
society)
Through the gift of prophecy some believers give proper guidance to the
church
Through the gift of discernment of spirits believers are able to tell the
type of spirit that is in operation
Through the gift of faith, believers have been able to accomplish tasks
that seem rather impossible
Some Christians through the Holy Spirit are able to withstand a
persecution to the point of death
The Holy Spirit convicts sinners and makes them confess their sins
Through the Holy Spirit many Christians see heavenly visions and
dreams
The fear of the lord is upon many evangelical groups through the Holy
Spirit
In some evangelical gatherings, there are many supernatural things
during worship e.g. shaking and swaying
It is also manifested through prayer at individual or congregational
levels
Through decision making in church i.e. solving problems and issues in
church
Through singing and dancing or music
Through offertory and alms or sadaka
Holding fellowship meetings, bible study and reading the bible
Celebration of sacraments e.g. Eucharist and lord’s supper
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Bringing new converts to the church

Pastoral cave and counseling It is manifested in Ecumenism: working
together of the churches
Writing Christian literature e. g. books, pamphlets and magazines
Enabling Christians to confess their sins and reconciliation meetings
Education and giving instructions
Qn n: State ways in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit have been
abused in the church today.
Cheating that one has a certain gift of the Holy Spirit
Commercialization of the gifts. People are asked to pay money before
being prayed for or being healed
False interpretation of the bible, prophecy or predicting the future
Unscrupulous Christians may impart demoniac powers or innocent
faithful
Some Christians who possess the gifts of the Holy Spirit develop pride
or selfishness or superiority complex
Wrong use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit where faithful get into ecstasy
or trance which may lead to injuries
Distinguishing oneself as a person with a special call e.g. preacher with
intention of exploiting others or situations
TOPIC TWO: UNITY OF BELIEVERS
Qn a. Write down the terms used in the New Testament to refer to
believers in Christ
The people of God
The body of Christ
The bride of Christ
The vine and the branches
The Assembly of God
Christians
The people of the way (followers of the way) other terms
Followers of Christ
New Israel
Church
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The sheep
The royal church
Brethren
Royal race
Royal priest hood
Holy nation
The children of light
Saints
Brothers and sisters in Christ
Qn b. identify five causes of disunity in the early church
 The question on the inclusion of the gentiles in the church. Some
Jewish Christians were not ready to accept gentile Christians in the church
unless they underwent circumcision
There was negligence of the widows in the distribution of food
Disagreement between and among leaders e.g. Paul and Barnabas, Peter
and Paul
Groupings in the church where some Christians owed loyalty to
individuals. They said that they belonged to individuals like Apollo others
Peter and others Paul
Question of immorality, where some Christians did not live according to
the teachings of Christ
 The problem of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some Christians became
arrogant because they were more gifted than others
Different interpretations of the doctrines e.g. resurrection, sin, salvation,
Christology, Holy Spirit, dressing
Behavior during the Lord’s Supper
Christians took others to a pagan rule of law
Question of the resurrection of the body
Question of celibacy
Question of incest sexual immorality
Different approaches to common life between Christians communities
in Jerusalem and Antioch
Qn c. identify factors, which cause disunity among Christians today
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Selfishness or greed for money by some Christians

Rivalry or competition for leadership positions or greed for power
Misinterpretation by some Christians of the work of the Holy Spirit
Arrogance or pride by some Christians
Corruption in the church
Failure by some Christians to live according to the law of God or their
failure to live exemplary
Lack of concern by some Christians about the plight of others
Misinterpretation of the bible or doctrinal differences
Misuse of church funds or power by some leaders
Lack of transparency and accountability in running church affairs
The emergence of charismatic movements in the church creates a
situation where some Christians think that they are more spiritual or holier
l than others
Political interference where Christians find themselves in different
political camps
 Sexism where women are not involved in decision-making. Women are
under represented
Discrimination against the youth or churches ignoring the youth in
running the church
Tribalism where Christians are divided along tribal lines
International differences
Qn d. Discuss reasons why members of Christian families in Kenya
find it difficult to harmoniously live together
Unfaithfulness or promiscuity
Misuse of family resources or lack of resources
Child abuse e.g. beating, raping, incest or favourism
Alcoholism or drug use and abuse
Separation of family members e.g. due to wage labor or education
Denial of conjugal rights
Sickness e.g. HIV/AIDs, impotence, barrenness or cancer
Child delinquency
Lack of tolerance or forgiveness or presence of cruelty
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Greed for wealth or self esteemed prestige or professionalism

Religious fanaticism or denominational differences
Traditional or cultural inhabitation or western cultural influences or
permissive
Generation gap
Qn e. explain how the church strengthen family relationships today
Through guidance and counseling and mediation
Hold seminars, conferences for couples, children the youth through
publications on Christian living e.g. magazines, books or pamphlets
Use of mass media e.g. televisions Radios or videos
Through offering pastoral care in homes or house to house visits
Giving financial support to the needy families
Praying for families
Through preaching, teaching and condemning vices
Offering employment to the jobless
Providing vocational training skills
SELECTED OLD PROPHETS AND THEIR TEACHINGS
Q1. Define the terms prophet and prophecy
Prophet: Refers to one who speaks God’s message. He is God’s
spokesman. His message includes predictions of the future.
Prophecy: Is the message spoken by a prophet. Oracles spoken by
prophets
Q2. List the five categories of true prophets
i) Major Prophets.
• These include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.
• They are called Major Prophets because the books are long and contain
clearly written messages.
• They bear the names of the writers.
ii) Minor Prophets
• These refer to 12 books that are short and contain less important than
those in major books e.g. Amos,
Hosea, Joel, Obadiah through to Malachi.
iii) Canonical prophets
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• Both the major and minor prophets are together referred to as canonical
prophets.
iv) The early prophets
• They belonged to guilds or schools.
• They lived together in communities under a chief prophet. Elijah and
Elisha are examples.
• These are those who served in places of worship e.g. at Dan, Bethuel)
• They were called cultic prophets because they were associated with
religious activities in shrines.
• They traveled around together delivering oracles.
v) Cultic prophets
• They worked side by side with priests and said prayers especially
people’s petition to Yahweh.
Q3. State the difference between true and false prophets
True Prophets false prophets
They were called by God to be His spokesmen Not called by God.
Were obedient to God
Not obedient to Him
Believed in one God
Could worship other gods and led people into immorality.
They were prayerful.
Spoke and acted with authority from God.
No authority from God
They led holy lives.
Were immoral e.g. believed in false gods.
Spoke God’s word
Spoke their opinion
Suffered physically and psychologically because of speaking the truth
Run away suffering
Spoke the truth
False
Did not ask for pay.
Asked for pay
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Spoke form a common tradition based on the Mosaic Law.

Did not have any reference.
Q4. In what ways were God’s prophets called?
Some were called through visions or dreams e.g. Amos and Samuel.
Others were called through other prophets e.g. Elisha.
Words or message came into their minds.
Through prophetic symbolic actions e.g. Jeremiah
Through common objects – an object becoming a significant sign of
God’s power and activities Jer.1:11-13.
Through prayers
Q5. Outline the similarities and differences between the Old
Testament prophets and the Traditional African Ones
a) Similarities:
Both possessed spiritual powers.
Both were mediators between people and a Supreme Being.
Both performed the role of healing people physically and spiritually
(miracle).
They received calls mainly through visions/dreams, which were
considered supernatural.
Were both expected to be people of integrity and obedient to religious
codes.
Gave warnings and solutions to their people in case they offended the
Supreme Being.
Foretold the future
b) Differences:
Old Testament Tradition African
Received their message from God Received their message from spirits
and ancestors
Appointed by God
Inherited
Rejected by people
Respected and feared in society
Prophecy went to other nations
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Confined in tribal community

Prophecies preserved in writing
Passed on orally
Believe and worship of one God
Believe in god spirits
Performed miracles
Q6. What is the relevant of prophets to Christians today?
Through reading their prophecies, Christians get to know the will of
God.
Jesus who is the cornerstone of Christianity is stressed throughout
prophecy – since Abraham.
Prophecy has helped many to be preachers (i.e. prophecy  preaching).
Christians learn to be faithful to Yahweh just like the Old Testament
prophets.
They too learn to be holy and prayerful like them e.g. Jeremiah.
Prophets encouraged justice e.g. Elijah, Christians should do the same.
As prophets, Christians should provide hope to the people in times of
suffering.
They learn that they can face suffering just like the prophets did e.g.
Jeremiah e.g. persecution, rejection etc.
They should condemn sin like the prophets.
The writings of the prophets strengthen their faith when they need them.
PROPHET AMOS
Q1. List the visions that Amos saw
He saw a swarm of locusts. Amos 7:1-3
He saw a great fire. Amos 7:4-6
The plumb line/crooked wall. Amos 7:7-8
Basket of ripe fruits Amos 8:1-3
The destruction of the temple Amos 9:1-4
Q2. Explain the evils that Amos condemned in his teachings
Sexual immorality (Amos 2:17)
• Amos condemned temple prostitution – 23:17.
• Father and son were going to the same woman.
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• They copied these from the Canaanite pagans, which was wrong and
unfaithful to Yahweh.
Slavery: (Amos 2:6)
The righteous, the rich made the poor slaves. This is because they
borrowed from the rich and could not repay so they made them work like
slaves and treated them harshly. Some sold them for a pair of sandals.
This was breaking God’s laws, which guided them on how to treat their
poor fellow Israelites.
Idolatry: Amos 5:26
Amos accused them for breaking God’s covenant by worshipping other
gods.
Cheating in Business: He condemned the following:
• Merchants used false measures
• They overcharged the poor
• Sold goods of low quality
• They sold poor people for not paying debts
• They too charged high interest rates
Bribery and Corruption Ex. 23:8
• He condemned elders who were unjust and corrupt.
• They took bribes and grew rich from heavy levies from innocent people
in law courts.
Greed and excessive luxury
• He condemned women of Samaria who drink and lived in luxury when
there were poor needy people.
Breaking God’s law on garments secured for pledges
• God gave Israelites items that were to be given out to the creditors as
guarantees for the goods borrowed e.g. Millstones for grinding, were to be
taken and returned in the evening because they were used daily.
Robbery and Violence
• Poor were being oppressed and violated.
Self – Indulgence and false sense of security
• Leaders thought God could not punish them because they were a chosen
race.
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• But Amos told them they would be attacked.

Q3. Give reasons why Prophet Amos condemned idol worship in
Israel
It broke the covenant way of life.
It was against the 10 commandments, which directed the Israelites to
worship one God.
It was a sign of disobedience to God.
It promoted immorality e.g. temple prostitution.
The worship of God belittled and degraded God.
It promoted falsehood in the society.
Religion became commercialized.
Led to false prophecy
People got concerned with external behavior and not internal.
Q4. List evils in society today that Amos would condemn
Tribalism
Bribery and corruption
Robbery with violence
Dishonesty in business
Grabbing of public land and property
Stealing
Oppression of the poor e.g. underpayment
Immorality e.g. prostitution
PROPHET JEREMIAH
Q1. List evils that Jeremiah condemned
• Human sacrifice
• Hypocrisy in worship
• Dishonesty in business
• Defilement of the temple – temple prostitution
• Social injustice
• Idolatry
• False prophecy
• Necromancy
• Exploitation of the poor
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Q2. What are some of the evils that the church leaders condemn
today?
• Hypocrisy/pretence in worship
• Murder/suicide/abortion/genocide
• Exploitation of the poor/robbery
• Dishonesty
• False prophets
• Human sacrifices among devil worshippers
• Sexual immorality e.g. adultery
Q3. Explain the symbolisms used during the call of Prophet Jeremiah
God touched Jeremiah’s mouth. This was to symbolize that God was the
source of the message.
Jeremiah was to deliver.
A branch of an almond tree that was base – God was watching to see the
fulfillment of the message he gave to Jeremiah.
A pot of boiling facing away from the north and about to tilt toward
Judah. God would use a nation from the North to bring judgment on the
people of Judah because of their wickedness.
A fortified city. A bronze wall and an iron pillar. God was going to
protect him even though he was going to meet opposition.
To uproot and pull down, to destroy and overthrow. God would pass
judgment on the nation of Judah and other nations.
To build and to plant. There was still hope of the restoration of people
of Judah after exile.
Q4. What did Jeremiah teach about t the New Covenant?
The new covenant was to be written in people’s hearts.
The covenant was to be made between God and the remnant community
after exile.
The people were to have a personal knowledge of God in the new
covenant.
God was to forgive their sin and remember them no more.
Each individual was responsible for his own sins.
The new covenant was to be initiated by God.
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The new covenant was to last forever.

It was as a result in the emergence of a new people of God or new
Israel.
Q5. Why did Prophet Jeremiah condemn the way the Israelites
worshipped?
They broke God’s commands e.g. the 1st and do not worship other gods
– they worshipped idols.
They practiced hypocrisy i.e. they were concerned with external
religious observance while their hearts were far from God.
They forgot the saving history of God and worshipped other gods e.g.
Asherah.
They practiced syncretism i.e. they worshipped both Yahweh and
foreign Gods.
They listened to false prophets and rejected God’s prophets e.g.
Jeremiah. They even killed some.
They dishonored the sanctity of human life by offering human sacrifice.
They neglected the disadvantaged (widows & orphans).
They were dishonest in business and deceitful to one another.
They narrowed themselves in necromancy, divination and magic.
They rebelled against God by breaking the covenant relationship.
Q6. Explain Jeremiah’s temple sermon as recorded in Jeremiah 7:1-
15
God commanded prophet Jeremiah to speak in the temple.
It was a response to the people of Israel to stop understanding religion
through the practice of syncretism and immorality.
At the gate to the temple, Jeremiah proclaimed that the people of Judah
had to change their way of life and stick to the covenant they made with
God.
They had to stop defiling the temple of placing idols in it.
They had to stop committing social injustices and as
murderer/exploitation of the weak, orphans widows and foreigners.
The practice of human sacrifice was murder and displeasing to God.
Hypocrisy was bad.
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The Israelites believed that the temple was secured from destruction
because of its holiness was not true.
God would destroy Israelites/Jerusalem through invasion of a foreign
nation.
If the people stopped their evil ways, God would not bring judgment
upon them.
God would destroy the temple of Jerusalem and send the people to
exile.
Q7. What forms of punishment did Jeremiah prophesy that God
would use on Judah?
The punishment would be in form of a foreign body that God use to
conquer Judah.
They would be attacked and their city destroyed.
People would suffer and die due to their sins.
The punishment would in form of drought. This would affect people
and animals.
God’s punishment would come through death, diseases and sword.
Their punishment would be a defeat inflicted to them by Babylonian.
The punishment would be the loss of their land to a foreign nation and
their enslavement.
God would allow the enemy to destroy Jerusalem and take survivors to
captivity.
Q8. Outline the content of Jeremiah’s letter to exiles in Babylon (Jer.
29)
He encouraged the Israelites in Babylon to build houses and live in
them.
Plant gardens and eat their produce.
Marry and increase
Pray for their ruler
Not to worship false gods
Not to be cheated by false prophets
To obey their masters.
Worship one God
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Q9. Explain four symbolic acts related to judgment and punishment

as demonstrated by Prophet
Jeremiah
Linen waist cloth – the rotten/useless linen cloth that had been hidden in
the caves and lift to rot stood for Israel’s state of being useless before the
eyes of God. A sign that they had soiled their priesthood.
Jeremiah was asked not to marry the solitary life symbolized solitude in
exile.
Two baskets of fig fruits – the bad fruits signified that the bad people
would be punished.
Wooden yoke – he was asked to carry a wooden yoke and work around
with it signifying suffering in Babylon – exile.
Breaking an earthly flask – destruction of the temple
 Visit to a potter whereby the potter destroyed a pot due to poor shape
and remolded it, God would remold Israel to a shape befitting them.
Not to comfort anybody – these would be sorrow and suffering, no help
while in exile.
Q10. Identify the relevance of Jeremiah’s teaching to Christian’s life

today
Christians are called to preach God’s gospel as Jeremiah did.
Christians should accept suffering like Jeremiah did.
They should learn to distinguish between false and true prophets.
Like Jeremiah, they should condemn evil in society.
They have a duty to call people to repentance as Jeremiah did.
Christians should be good examples to the people by living, holy and
upright lives as Jeremiah did.
People should be able to know the nature of God through the lives of
Christians.
They should believe they are the new community as prophesied by
Jeremiah in the new covenant.
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Q11. In what ways is the prophetic mission of Jeremiah similar to

that of Jesus?
Both were rejected by their own relatives and communities.
Both experienced opposition from political and religious authorities.
Both prophesied the destruction of the temple.
Both lamented over the stubbornness of the people of Jerusalem.
Both predicted divine judgment and punishment in Israel.
Jeremiah predicted the new covenant that is fulfilled by Jesus.
Prophet Nehemiah
Qn 1 Describe the political background of Nehemiah
He worked during the Babylonian exile which lasted between 589- 538
BC
During his vacation, Israelites were oppressed politically
The Israelites hoped that God would soon liberate them from this
bondage
In 538 BC the Babylonians were conquered by Cyrus the great king of
Persia
In 538 BC king Cyrus allowed Israelites to return to Judah
King Cyrus gave the Israelites a decree to rebuild the temple of
Jerusalem
In 538BC the first exile under Zebu Babel
Joshua the priest departed from Babylon and started to rebuild alters of
God
Under the guidance of prophets Haggai and Zachariah the temple was
rebuilt and dedicated
The second exile arrived under prophet Ezra; after king Artaxerxes
authorized Ezra to re establish Israelites religious and moral expectations
of the Mosaic Law.
Nehemiah was a servant the king Artaxerxes palace. The king
authorized him to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
Amidst all opposition from Samaritan, Nehemiah accomplished the
reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days. He then dedicated the
walls to God.
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This restored the sense of political pride in Israel. However the

Israelites remained subjected to the
Persians and continued to pay tribute. The Persians were later overthrown
by Romans who ruled the entire region until the time of the birth of Jesus
Qn 2 Describe the social background to the vacation of Nehemiah
Israelites men married foreign women
Children spoke different languages from their mothers
Hebrew language almost became extinct
Nehemiah condemned mixed marriages and even banned them
Exiles who returned home were humiliated by foreigners who partially
occupied their land
The Samaritans threatened Nehemiah’s life as the rebuilt walls of
Jerusalem
Rich Jews oppressed the poor e.g. they would confiscate their property
for failure to repay debts
Qn 3 Describe the religious background to the vocation of Nehemiah
While in exile the Babylonians allowed the Jews to continue with their
religious lives
The exiles became the period of purification
They returned with a new zeal to worship God; they rebuilt the altar
under Zerubbabel for offering burnt offerings to God
The returnees built the temple of Jerusalem under Haggai and Zachariah
and dedicated to god by Ezra
Nehemiah embarked on rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem amidst
opposition in 52 days the wall was complete. Consequently, Jerusalem
once more became the centre of worship for Israel. Idolatry was not
allowed again in Israel after the exile.
The temple of Jerusalem was dedicated to Yahweh. The Israelites
renewed their covenant with God under prophet and priest Ezra.
Nehemiah carried out various religious reforms
Qn 4 Describe occasions when Nehemiah prayed
When he heard about the suffering of his fellow Jews back in Judah
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When he learned about the state of ruin of Jerusalem and king

Atarterxes to request him to allow him go back to Judah
When his enemies e.g. Tobiah and Samballat ridiculed him as he
reconstructed the walls of Jerusalem
When he learned of his enemies’ conspiracy to attack Jerusalem
When his enemies conspired to destroy his life/ kill him
When Shemiah attempted to frighten him to hide in the temple as hi life
was in danger
When he cleansed and arranged the temple as a house of God
When he warned the people of Judah against violating the Sabbath law
After chasing away the son in law of Samballat from the temple
After cleansing the Israelites of foreign influence
Qn 5 State occasions when Christians pray
When they are faced with diverse persecutions. They ask God to protect
them
When they don’t understand certain scriptures. They ask God to give
them revelation
When they are faced with certain difficulties of life. They ask God to
help them
When the nation is facing political crisis. They pray for peace
When they feel inadequate and sinful. They ask God to perform certain
miracles for them e.g. healing
Qn 6 what is the importance of prayer in Christian life?
Prayer helps Christians to praise God, give thanks to him and to repent
It helps Christians to pour out their hearts to God
It helps Christians to rely to God for emotional and mental stability. It
helps put our problems to God
It strengthens Christians. It gives them determination and character to
remain steadfast in their responsibilities despite the challenges
Through prayer a Christian can request to stand against personal attacks
and temptations
Prayer is the source of courage and strength in times of tribulations
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It brings one closer to God, we use it to praise God, use it to ask for
God’s supply of their needs, used to ask for forgiveness and promotes
important virtues e.g. persistence and patience and promotes unity among
different communities
Qn 6 Identify the leadership of Nehemiah’s patriotism
He was a tune patriot i.e. after talking to the Jews and getting the news
of distribution of Jerusalem, he was forced to go back home.
Reliance to God- He totally relied on God and to his call i.e. in most
cases he prayed before carrying out an activity
Devoted/ talented- As a cupbearer to the emperor he was an educated,
talented and trustworthy young man
Visionary- He had a vision and he shared it with enthusiasm to inspire
Jerusalem leaders to rebuild the wall
Initiative
He took the initiative to persuade the emperor to put things right
Excelled organizer-He carefully organized the rebuilding process. He
organized how the wall of
Jerusalem was to be built in steps
Careful planner-He carefully examined and inspected the wall before
starting the work
People’s representative- He was a proper representative of his people in
Israel. He had a sense of responsibility to his community
Shrewd-He avoided the meetings organized by his opposer and
overlooked the abuses placed on him
Impartial- He appointed men of integrity and God fearing to keep guard
over Jerusalem
Selfless and kind-He had the skill of solving problems. He hence
cancelled all debts that people had
Homogenous- He employed different strategies to counteract his
opposer
Qn7. explain the relevance of Nehemiah’s leadership to a Christian
today
A Christian should use his/her present position to serve God
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Christians should acknowledge God as their source of power and giver

of gifts
A leader should appoint people who are trustworthy and honest to help
him/ her in ruling the country
God answers our prayers as a result of asking others for help
A Christian leader should keep his /her plans a secret until it matures to
make an announcement
Christians should share their visions with others the way Nehemiah did
Leaders should take care of the needy in the society
As a Christian one could be lured to temptations; the way Nehemiah
was opposed we should be ready to resist temptations
Christians should be ready to help in solving problems in the society
Christians should act as role models by carrying out spiritual activities
with the truth and helping in work after starting projects.
Qn 8.Explain the relevance of Nehemiah’s experience to Christians
They should not exploit the needy and disadvantaged
They should defend the rights of the weak and use their work place,
family and friends
They should ask God to protect them from the mischief of their enemies
That they should pray to God to give them guidance in their endeavors
That they should persevere in all difficulties as Nehemiah did
They should condemn the injustices in the society
They should know that leadership involves challenges and difficulties
They should be practically involved in problem solving e.g. HIV/AIDs
scourge
Qn 9 Explain the problems that Nehemiah encountered in his
vocation
Oppression of the poor Jews by the rich Jews e.g. demanded high
interests on borrowed money
Great opposition from the enemies they tried to frustrate his/her efforts
to build the walls of
Jerusalem
Threat to his own life- His adversaries wanted to kill him
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Lack of co-operation and support from the Jews- They refused to work
with him on the wall project
Excessive foreign influence in Israel- Intermarriage brought about
foreign influence which threatened
to extinct the Jew culture and language
Violation of the Sabbath laws- Israelites went on to do their daily chores
on the Sabbath day
Abuse of the temple- Eliaship housed Tobias the heathen and God’s
enemies
Misuse of offerings- The levies were denied their share of sacrificial
offerings as required by the law
Qn 10-Describe the steps taken by Nehemiah to renew the covenant
Ezra the priest read the book of the covenant and explained the meaning
of the Law of Moses. The
Israelites listened carefully and their lives changed. They responded
Amen, amen
Celebration of the feast of shelters- After reading the scriptures, they
realized that they had not been celebrating the feast of shelters. This was
to remember their deliverance from Egypt. They were also to think about
God’s protection and guidance
The Israelites confessed of their sins as they learnt that they had not
been following God’s commandments. Nehemiah was devoted to
confession of national sin and prayers to God’s grace
Recital of God’s dealings with Israel- They recital of God’s mighty acts
is done in this. They remembered their history and this renewed God’s
grace and power in them
A renewed covenant sealed. The covenant was renewed in writing and
the leaders put seals
The binding agreement that people and God was done by the Israelites
joining hands
Qn 11 State the promises that Israelites made during the renewal of
the covenant
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That every seventh year, they would cancel debts according to the
Mosaic Laws
That they should observe God’s commandments and live according to
his laws
That they would offer the first of their harvests as required by Torah
That they would dedicate their first-born sons to God
That they will not intermarry with foreigners at all
That they will not buy corn or anything else on the Sabbath day
That they will remit their arrival temple expenses to ensure that God’s
house was okay
That they will provide sacrifices and offerings at the temple
That they will pay their tithes according to the law
Group study activities
1. Read and study the book of Luke by
2. Dividing up the chapters in the book of Luke among the members of
the class and let every group present a summary of the chapters allocated
to them.
3. Check out movies about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
but note that your study according to the syllabus is based on St. Luke’s
gospel.
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FORM FOUR NOTES
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN LIVING

Form four work deals with social issues in society. We shall compare the
issues in the following communities – The Traditional African Society
Christian community and the contemporary one. By the end of it the
student should be able to understand the meaning of life and live to its
fullest.
INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN ETHICS

Instructions
Form four work covers contemporary issues in a Christian’s life. You are
advised to read newspapers, listen to radio news, watch television news
and current affairs and any other relevant news source. Work in twos.
Give yourself topics to study and then give a presentation to your partner
or co learner.
Ethics are moral principles, which influence a person’s behavior. Ethics
are defined as the systematic study of human actions and behavior. We
use ethics to judge, determine and assess the right and wrong of human
behavior. Morals refer to human character, which is the inclination to
behave in one-way or another. Ethics is the study of morals and they
determine and influence personal and societal behavior. Christian ethics is
the study of human conduct or behavior from a Christian point of view.
b. Basis of Christian ethics. Sources of Christian’s ethics: -
1. The bible, teachings of Jesus Christ
2. Human reason and experience
3. Natural law
4. The Christian community – the church
5. Situation ethics
6. Authoritative Christian literature – based on the bible
7. Gods revelation – through prophets
i. Human reason. These are internal thoughts that guide us when we are
making decisions and taking actions. We use our minds and thoughts
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when confronted by situations. They also rely on internal thoughts in their

life experiences.
Internal guiding thoughts have many parts. One is our Conscience. This is
our inner self that tells us and lets us know what is right and wrong. There
are four types of consciences; doubtful conscience, sensitive conscience,
certain conscience and perplexed conscience.
For a Christian, rights and wrongs are in the Bible. God gave the Law of
Moses to Israelites. Jesus came and explained the Old Testament and
taught new scriptures in the New Testament. These teachings, which we
have covered from Form one to three, explain very clearly what is right
and wrong. When doubtful of the morality of an action, Christian consults
the Bible to know if a decision is right or wrong.
ii. Human Experiences: – these are internal and external guides
When confronted by situations, Christians use their minds i.e. human
reason and their life experiences in making decisions.
They rely on internal guides, (Human reason) and experience (external
guides)
Internal guides
(i) Conscience: – Mind, aspect of knowing right or wrong. When right,
there’s’ approval when wrong it registers guilt. When doubtful of the
morality of an action we should not do it if conscience is perplexed then
make us decision. A decision should be based on a certain conscience.
Types of conscience
- Doubtful conscience
- Sensitive conscience
- Certain conscience
- Perplexed conscience
2. One can also make decisions based on knowledge and free will
To make a decision one should have
- Facts about the act, its aims, circumstances.
- One should be free to perform
A decision ought to be thoughtful
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3. Intuition: inner feeling, insight

It’s an internal moral sense to do good or avoid evil. Intuition is important
in situations that require quick and immediate that requires quick and
immediate action.
4. Feelings
Feelings are subjective e.g. it feels good to do so this, hence will do…” it
can be dangerous to make decisions purely based on feelings especially in
marriage friendship etc.
Eternal guides
Experience
Guides here include authoritative persons such as parents, teachers,
police, civil leaders’ philosophers, and religious leaders.
Rules from secular, religions, and African traditional culture are part of
external guides.
The bible
The bible, quoted in the text but now out of text guides Christian
behavior. God communicates to his people through the Bible. The Bible
offers answers to questions in relation to the life of a Christian.
Today, there are ethical issues not found in the bible e.g. HIV / AIDS,
sexual and reproductive health rights, contraceptives, abortion,
globalization, cloning, environmental degradation, genetically modified
foods, terrorism, international trade etc. this gives reason and other
sources / factors are basis of Christian ethics in addition to the bible.
Moral principles in the bible
- They are mostly found in the teachings of Jesus and the Ten
Commandments, sermon on the mountain
- Christians are also encouraged to have
Faith
- The virtues encouraged include generosity, love, kindness, faithfulness,
patience, humility, peace, mercy, loyalty etc.
Christian community – church
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Church leadership can make decisions, which touch on their followers.

They guide people on ethical issues e.g. politics, land, justice, abortion,
contraception etc.
Church organizations give rules on those conducts of their members.
Natural law
- The awareness that one has to choose good and avoid evil
- If one studies human nature and reflects upon it he/she will discover
natural laws of human behavior
- Natural law, natural rights such as right to education, life own property
many etc. are incorporated into the constitution of any nation.
- The constitution then guides the behavior of list citizens; Christians
being citizens of a country are guided in their behavior by the
constitution.
Situation ethics
One should reason out the rightness or wrongness of an act. The rightness
or wrongness of an act depends on its uniqueness, the circumstances
- Christians are warned against making decisions based on circumstances
or the situation e.g. a pregnant student seeking abortion as the option so as
to continue with education. God’s revelation
God reveals himself to people through prophets, natural events, the law,
dreams and visions. Through such ways God guides Christian on how
they should approach certain issues. God’s revelation does not contradict
with the bible.
Revision questions
1. What is the meaning of Christian ethics?
2. What is the basis or source or foundation of Christian ethics?
3. List the basic life skills that one needs to be able to lead a better life
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CHRISTIAN APPROACHES TO HUMAN SEXUALITY, MARRIA-

GE AND FAMILY
INTRODUCTION
Christian approaches refer to how Christians view and handle issues of
human sexuality, marriage and the family in accordance with Christians
ethics. Through marriage, the family is formed.
HUMAN SEXUALITY
a. Human sexuality.
This is a sacred gift from God. It was given to Adam and Eve. Human
sexuality is that which makes us male or female. It is our biological or
physiological differences associated with the state of being male or
female. It is part of our biological make up. Males and female have
different body structures, features, appearances and biological
characteristics. In terms of physical strength more men are stronger than
females. Besides the biological make up, we have an emotional side,
which includes our attitudes, and feelings. Females are said to be more
emotional and talkative than males. Human sexuality is also in our brain
and mind and it is what makes us human beings. If you look at animals
they also have different physiological features based on sexual differen-
ces.
b. Christian teaching on human sexuality.
Males and females are God’s creation. Men and women were created for
many reasons. These are (1) to be fruitful and to multiply; and (2) for
companionship. In Genesis we learn that men and women share the image
of God because God intended man and woman to play complementary
roles and both are equal before God.
Sex in marriage is a sign of love and it is sacred. In marriage man / and
woman become one flesh. Both of them have the ability to control their
sexual desires. Christian teaching forbids: sex before marriage, adultery or
unfaithfulness, and other unnatural sexual behaviors like lesbianism,
homosexuality or being gay, and incest. God created human body and it is
to be kept holy. Chastity is encouraged while unfaithfulness in marriage is
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discouraged. Husbands / wives are to respect one another and give to each
other in mutual love.
c. Traditional African understanding of human sexuality.
Human sexuality is highly valued in traditional African communities. It is
understood in terms of marriage and parenthood. Procreation was the sole
purpose of sex. Sex was to be practiced in marriage and it was regarded as
another sacred duty.
Adultery was discouraged and offenders punished.
Irresponsible sexual relationships were forbidden. Virginity before
marriage was highly valued. If a girl lost her virginity before marriage,
she was treated with scorn and punishment. If a boy impregnating a girl,
he was fined.
In traditional African society it was a taboo to discuss openly sex matters.
Grandparents taught sex education to their grandchildren. Sex education
was taught during initiation stages. Free mixing of girls and boys was not
allowed except under supervision. Girls were married off immediately
after initiation to avoid temptation of engaging in pre-marital sex. To
reinforce self – discipline in relationships between the opposite sexes the
African traditional society instilled the fear of supernatural curses through
myths, marital status. Husbands and wives were expected to relate to each
other, their parents, and in laws according to the community customs.
Conflicts between a husband and a wife were resolved through
intervention of relatives.
d. Gender roles.
There are specific chores and duties for either male or female in African
traditional societies. Roles were therefore according to gender. Boys went
hunting, herding, while girls fetched firewood, and helped in cooking. At
an early age, girls and boys would mix freely as they played together.
Mature boys and girls however, were restricted from mixing freely witho-
ut supervision by elders. But there was gender identification. The boys
identified with their fathers and other male adults, while girls identified
themselves with their mother and other female adults. Education. Children
belonged to the community and not just to their biological parents. At the
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adolescent stage; 13 – 18 years education was given to the adolescents

and intensified at initiation stage. Boys and girls were taught traditional
rules and secrets of the society during initiation. Learning was informal.
Knowledge was communicated through songs, stories and riddles among
other forms of presentations. All adults acted as parents to the young
ones.
Socialization:
Men were socialized to be superior, while women were socialized to
accept their subordinate position and role. Everyone knew and accepted
what he/she was culturally supposed to do.
Division of labor was based on sex. In the African communities, despite
their differences, there were many common customary roles, rules,
regulations, taboos and beliefs that governed the practices related to male
– female relationships from early childhood to old age. These traditional
African practices relating to male – female relationships existed at various
levels. In all of them, man held superior positions when compared to
those of women.
Age:
Old women and men were accorded respect. They were consulted for
advice and counsel. Kinship system was emphasized.
e. Christian teaching on male- female relationships.
We learn that the husband is the head of the house and should love his
wife like Christ loved the church. Once a wife is loved, she should submit
to her husband. We also learn that both male and female are equal and co
– creators with God. Adam and Eve were created to complement each
other. Likewise men and women should love each other. Jesus taught that
each man should have one wife and vice versa. Once married, the
husbands’ body belongs to the wife and hers belong to him. If that is the
case, wife and husband should avoid immorality.
Males and females are to relate freely. But the youth are to avoid the
passions of youth. These are sexual sins. There are no specific chores or
duties for either male or female. Relationship between sexes should be
governed by love, chastity, respect, self-control, and self-discipline.
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Parents are to love their children, while children are to obey and honor
their parents. Parents are asked to bring up their children in a Godly way.
CHRISTIAN TEACHING ABOUT HUMAN SEXUALITY
a. Christian teaching on responsible human sexuality.
Christianity teaches us about responsible sexual behavior. Being respon-
sible means that one is exercising self control or self-discipline in matters
of sexual behavior. Self-discipline is necessary when we have a
relationship with the opposite sex (Read, 1 Cor.7: 9 1 Peter 5:8). It is
called responsible sexual behavior, which is obedience to God’s
commands.
Christians promote healthy social relationship between boys and girls,
men and women, and husbands and wives. Responsible sex is between
male and female. Sexual intercourse is allowed only between married
couples (1 Cor.7: 3 – 5). Married couples are obliged to be sexually
faithful to one another
(Heb.13: 4) adultery is condemned (exodus 25:14). Relationship between
a husband / wife should be one of respect faithfulness, love, care, mercy,
submission, tolerance, and forgiveness
b. Christian teaching on irresponsible sexual behavior.
There is much irresponsible sexual behaviour.
They include among others all acts and forms of: perversion, misuse, and
abuse of sex, incest, rape, fornication, adultery, homosexuality,
lesbianism or gay, prostitution, concubine, masturbation, bestiality and
child marriages among others. These irresponsible sexual behaviors are
against God’s will for humanity. Christians are to shun irresponsible
sexual behavior. This is because their bodies are the temples of the Holy
Spirit. Thus whatever Christians do with their bodies, it should be for the
glory of God.
Let us now discuss in brief some of the irresponsible sexual behavior;
beginning with
(I) Incest
-Which is a sexual relationship between people who are closely related
by blood. For example, sex between a brother/sister, father / daughter.
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Incest is condemned in the Bible. It was punishable by death in the Old

Testament. Read Leviticus 18:6 – 8.
ii) Rape
. Rape cannot be justified and it is condemned in The Bible. Rape is an act
of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse without his or her
consent. It is sexual violence and a crime against humanity. It is also a
denial, and a violation of human rights of the victims who are sexually
assaulted.
Victims of rape include boys, men, girls, women, and babies especially
girls.
Rape is an expression of hatred toward the opposite sex. In traditional
African society rape was abhorred and culprits were punished by death. In
Kenya rape is punishable by 20 years imprisonment.
Indecent assaults or sexual abuses such as touching a person of the
opposite sex without their permission or use of vulgar language are both
punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment.
iii. Fornication.
This is consensual sexual intercourse between unmarried people. It is
condemned by both African and Christian teachings and punishment in
African traditional society was by either payment of fines, stoning, and
ritual cleansing. In the Old Testament, men were forced to marry the girl.
Jesus said that fornication was due to people’s evil thoughts. Abstinence
for the youth is encouraged and preached.
Why do the youth engage in pre – marital sex? There are several reasons.
Some of them are: sexual curiosity, proving manhood, human weakness,
lack of self control, testing fertility, fear of being jilted / rejected;
commercial sex for money; copying acts in the print and electronic media.
Others reasons are frustrations, drug abuse, bribe to get a job, and
permissiveness in the society.
iv. Adultery
- Is committed by adults who have extra marital affairs; between “married
partner and another party”. Adultery is having sex outside marriage with a
person with whom one is not married to.
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Adultery is caused by lack of self – control, sexual dissatisfaction, and

long periods of wife and husband separation, sexual dysfunction and
vengeance by an initially faithful spouse who wants to be even with the
unfaithful spouse.
v. Prostitution.
This is the practice of giving sexual pleasure for money or other material
benefits. A prostitute can either be male or female. Prostitutes are referred
to as commercial – sex workers.
Why is there prostitution? There are factors leading to prostitution. These
are economic reasons such as unemployment, poverty, rejection of a girl
at home, drug abuse, stress, anger, anxiety, frustrations in the family and
pornography. The church condemns prostitution because it defiles the
body, which is a temple of the Holy Spirit. It’s sexual immorality. Read
Gal 5: 19 – 21.
vi. Homosexuality/ Gay/ Lesbianism.
This is sex between people of the same sex for example; man and man
(homosexuality), woman and woman (lesbianism). Homosexuality is a
common practice in modern world. It is also a church problem. The
Anglican Church in USA, and Canada have accepted homosexuality. The
Anglican Church has gay bishops. African Anglican churches are
opposing this practice.
What makes people prefer sex with the same sex? The Christian view is
that homosexuality is a sign of a lack of Christian moral values. It may
also be due to confinement in a prison and permissiveness in society. If it
is allowed to continue, it shall disintegrate traditional African values.
Because of its threat to God’s people, the Church condemns
homosexuality. Other reasons for condemning it is because (1) God
created a male and a female. Read, Genesis 1:28. Two, sex is sacred.
Homosexuality is an unnatural relationship, which lowers human dignity.
It does not provide sexual fulfillment (as traditionally).
Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya.
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Vii. sexually transmitted Diseases (STDs)

There are many diseases passed from one person to the other through sex.
These are gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes genitalis is, hepatitis B, Chlamydia,
trichonomiasis, HIV/AIDS. Let’s discuss them one by one. HIV / AIDS,
This is human immune deficiency virus (HIV) that causes acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) condition. Syndrome refers to many
symptoms. HIV is transmitted largely through sex with an infected
partner; through blood transfusion; sharing sharp objects with infected
persons; and from an infected mother to the unborn child. The HIV virus
destroys the white blood cells, and weakens the body‘s immune system.
When the body is weak, it is not able to fight, and defend itself against
infections. Persons with the virus are vulnerable and susceptible to
opportunistic infections.
The signs / symptoms of AIDS are manifestations of symptoms of the
opportunistic infections. Some symptoms include persistent coughs, loss
of weight, oral thrush, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.
Churches encourage Christians to be compassionate to HIV/AIDS
affected people, and to support the infected and the affected individuals
like the orphans, widows, and widowers. It also teaches against sexual
immorality and against all forms of discrimination.
Gonorrhea -is caused by a bacterium called “Neisseria gonorrhea”. Its
symptoms appear a4 days after infection. Its symptoms are burning
sensation when passing urine; pain or discomfort in the genitals; sticky
discharge or pus in the vagina or through the urethra. The good news is
that Gonorrhea is curable if treated early.
Syphilis.
Primary syphilis may show up in the form of a sore or a wound in the
genitals a few days after infection. The wound heals by itself without
treatment after some time. Syphilis infection may take several years about
7 years before its symptoms re appear. The symptoms of syphilis are a
painless sore or pimple on the man’s penis or woman’s vulva; and
swelling of the glands in the groin. Other symptoms, which may appear
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later, are skin rashes and sores either in the face armpits, under breasts,
mouth or throat.
Herpes genital -is a sexual disease caused by a virus. It creates wounds in
the genitals. A pregnant woman can transmit the infection to her newborn
baby during delivery. This disease can be controlled although there is not
an effective treatment.
Hepatitis B virus causes Hepatitis B. It is transmitted through sex,
injections by unsterilized needles and contact with contaminated blood.
The infection does not show on the genitals. The signs and symptoms of
Hepatitis B include yellowness of the eyes (jaundice) due to liver damage
and pain around the upper abdomen.
c. The effects of irresponsible sexual behavior.
There are many effects of irresponsible sexual behavior. They include
among others HIV / AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STI),
abortion; family separations and divorces, deaths, unplanned pregnancies;
children living in the streets; school drop outs and psychological
problems.
i. Effects of incest.
These are many. One, incest undermines the healthy relationships
between members of a family as it brings shame and guilt among the
parties involved. Two, incest destroys relationships within the family and
can lead to breaking up of a marriage. Three, incest destroys self-esteem,
self – respect, and dignity of the victim. We find that abused boys and
girls end up having problems when trying to establish healthy relationship
with members of the opposite sex. Four, incest can lead to pregnancy, and
abortion. And as you have read in the newspapers, it can lead to infections
with sexually transmitted diseases (S.T.I.’s) and HIV / AIDS. As I write, a
father was jailed for life for raping his daughter and infecting her with
HIV/AIDS virus.
ii. Effects of Rape.
This crime has very serious consequences and harmful effects on the
victim. Rape may result in pregnancy and can lead to physical,
psychological, social, and spiritual side effects. The victim may suffer (1)
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serious physical injuries and (2) may contract the STI’s, and HIV / AIDs.
The victim is traumatized, and ashamed of self. The victim suffers from
guilt, loneliness, humiliation, posttraumatic stress disorders, and
depression among others psychological manifestations. Young rape
victims in particular may lose trust in the opposite sex. All these
sufferings can lead to suicide and death.
iii. Effects of Fornication.
Some of these are having children out of wedlock; feelings of distrust,
guilt, and hurt; contracting STI’s and HIV/AIDS; loss of self-respect;
early and forced marriage and abortion.
iv. Effects of Adultery. Christians teach against adultery because it is
against God’s commandments and can lead to divorce, abortion, STI,
HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, murder (death) and psychological
problems.
v. Effects of Prostitution.
. It can lead to break up of marriage, and family. It lowers a person’s
dignity and can lead to unplanned pregnancies, school dropouts;
infections such as STI’s and HIV /AIDS and improper use of family
resources.
vi. Effects of homosexuality.
It is a threat to procreation. It promotes loose short-term informal
relationships and therefore promotes HIV / AIDS. Homosexual couples
are prone to HIV/AIDS infections because of having many partners;
although this is changing in USA where homosexual couples are being
married in churches.
vii. Effects of Sexually transmitted diseases
HIV / AIDS effects are numerous. They include recurrent illness due to
opportunistic infections. There is also stigmatization. Some individuals
have feelings of guilt, anger, denial and depression. The sick persons have
to look for extra finances to care for their health. They have the burden for
medications, and special diet. HIV/AIDs has no cure and leads to death
like many other diseases. Parents die and leave their children as orphans.
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Gonorrhea effects are many. The disease damages a woman’s fallopian

tubes leading to infertility; and a man’s epidydymis leading to sterility.
An infected expectant mother can infect her newborn baby with
gonorrhea. The disease may affect the eyes of the unborn child causing
blindness. Gonorrhea can also cause inflammation of joints, the heart and
liver.
Effects of Syphilis are damage to the heart, brain and the nervous system.
This disease can lead to madness and death of the victim. If a child is
infected while in the womb, or during birth, the brain maybe damaged.
The child may have either physical deformities or the infected mother
may give stillbirths.
Effects Herpes genitals. Infection can cause severe brain damage; cancer
of the neck of the womb. If a woman is pregnant, the disease can cause
death of the baby. The wounds and sores expose the sick person to HIV
/AIDS infections.
Effects of Hepatitis B. This disease damages the liver and may lead to
death of the infected person. It has a vaccine, but not treatment.
viii. Other consequences of irresponsible sexual behaviors these are death,
unplanned pregnancies, children living in the streets, school dropouts and
psychological problems related to irresponsible sexual behavior. These
include among others: stress, depression, self – pity, withdrawal,
aggressiveness, and violence.
Stress is the response of the body and mind to any situation that exerts
pressure or makes demands on a person. The intensity or pressure
experienced determines the level of stress. Some of the signs of stress are:
anxiety, worry, and drop in performance, chest pains, mood swings,
rebellion, ulcers, heart palpitations, and fatigue and guilt feelings.
Solutions
To avoid stress, it is suggested that individuals should accept that one is
stressed; identify sources of stress, rest, exercise, listening to therapeutic
music and talk to a counselor.
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Depression
This is an acute mental disorder. It is also a state of hopelessness and low
spirits. Depression can be mild or severe. It has physical, emotional and
behavioral signs and symptoms. Let me caution you that it is only a
medical doctor who can know if one has a depression or not. We are told
by doctors that signs of a depression are: persistent headaches and chest
pains; loss of appetite; too much appetite; loss of memory; insomnia i.e.
lack of sleep; weight loss or gain; nervousness and mood swings; low
self-confidence; suicidal tendencies and self-pity. Other signs and
symptoms are loss of libido (sexual desire); poor performance in school
and in work places; hopelessness; loss of interest in ones activities;
hypertension and high blood pressure
d. Irresponsible social and human behavior.
There are social and human behaviors that are contrary to Christian life.
These unacceptable behaviors are abortion, and divorce.
Abortion is termination of pregnancy before the foetus is capable of
independent life. There are two types of abortions. One is spontaneous
abortion or miscarriage. The other is induced abortion, which is deliberate
and illegal in Kenya. Induced abortion has been debated in Kenya. The
main question is should abortion be legalized or not. This is because
abortion is legal in some European countries.
Why do mothers seeking abortion? There are many reasons, which are
known only to mothers. These are one, pregnancy due to rape and incest.
Two, if the mother believes that the unborn child will be a burden. This
may be because the baby is conceived outside wedlock and the mother
lacks economic resources to take care of the baby. Another reason maybe
that the mother is in school and she cannot look after the baby and conti-
nue with her education. Three, medical personnel may abort a deformed
foetus or in order to save the life of the mother if it is in danger.
Christian’s view of abortion as murder (Exodus20: 13). This is because
abortion interferes with the mother’s body, and destroys the baby.
Christian view is that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
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God is the giver of life and He alone has the right to take it away.
Abortion carries with it stigma and the effects mentioned above make
Christians condemn abortion.
e. Effects of irresponsible social and human behavior.
Effects of abortion are infertility, ectopic pregnancy, destruction of a
woman’s body parts; fetal malformation; risk of the mother bleeding to
death and destruction of uterus. Other effects are that the mother may
experience in future still births, miscarriages, risk of barrenness; failed
abortions leading to deformed babies and psychological problems that we
have discussed. These are stress and depression.
Revision questions
1. Explain the T.A. understanding of human sexuality
2. Explain Christian attitudes towards human sexuality
3. In what ways is sex abused in Kenya?
4. Why do you think minors are defiled or sexually abused in Kenya?
5. Explain the Christian teaching on male/female relationships
6. What is the Christian teaching on responsible sexual behavior?
7. List the different types of irresponsible sexual behavior
8. Explain the Christian teaching on irresponsible sexual behavior
9. State the effects of irresponsible sexual behavior
MARRIAGE
a. Definition of marriage.
Marriage is a binding legal union between a man and a woman who agree
to have a lasting relationship as husband / wife. Marriage partners choose
each other. In some cases, senior member of the family and church
influence the choice of a marriage partner. When marrying partners agree
to marry, they are joined in church and they become husband and wife.
Marriage is thus a covenant in which the partners give themselves to one
another.
Marriage involves other members of the community hence it is a social
and community affair. Marriage is a permanent union. Marriage is a
community requirement in which everyone in the community participates.
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Each person is expected to undergo marriage because it is a rite of

passage. Marriage gives a person, a high social status and prestige in the
community.
Marriage is also a covenant between a man and a woman that should not
be broken. Two people are joined in marriage in order to procreate and
perpetuate the community. Once married, a couple is allowed to have
sexual relationship, and companionship. Marriage is an expression of and
fulfillment of mutual love and comfort. It enhance unity; social prestige,
and respect in society. Purpose of marriage is sexual fulfillment; cultural
and social requirement; obligation to build a family; and procreation
although children are a gift from God.
Forms of marriages
There are many forms of marriages. There is a marriage ceremony
organized as a symbol or mark of the union between a man and a woman.
These marriages ceremonies are either civil, or religious. The main
religious ceremonies are Christian, Islamic, Hindu, and Sikh among
others. We also have African customary ceremonies many of which are
polygamous. Christianity does not allow polygamous marriage.
Secular approaches to marriage.
In the modern world, some people choose not to marry for personal
reasons. Some people have children without getting married while others
opt to have a marriage without children. Husband and wife are equal.
Monogamy is practiced for economic reasons. In some families’ women
are the heads of the family. Choosing a partner is an individual act and not
communal. In marriage traditional qualities of a good wife such as
industrious, honesty, and hospitality are not considered. The modern
society values external beauty, financial status and social status. As a
result, there is a high rate of marriage, separation, and divorce. At times
young people fail to be married in church. There is no formalization of
marriages. These marriages are called “Come-we-stay” arrangements.
Gender issues in marriage. The wife is subordinate to the husband but had
rights. Marriage did not end with death of the husband. The wife was
inherited by one of her husband’s brother. This is widow inheritance /
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Levirate marriage. She could also refuse to be inherited but remained

married to that man even in death. The wife could not marry outside the
family because of dowry. There was dowry payment to parents. If a wife
died, the man would marry the sister of his dead wife. This is surrogate
marriage.
Those who did not marry were considered “lesser humans”. Young people
were prepared for marriage during initiation, which was witnessed in a
public ceremony. During marriage, couple makes vows to each other. The
ancestors are invoked to bless the marriage.
Factors that lead to a stable, healthy and successful marriage
People are different and they understand their roles differently. Here am
giving you a few suggestions.
Discuss with your study companions and come up with other
suggestions. One important factor is mutual responsibility by the couple.
This occurs if there is mutual consultation with each other in decision-
making. Two is forgiveness of each other. Three is good treatment of each
other especially with equal respect. Four is sharing scriptures together.
Five is giving love and respecting each other. Six is having a faithful
sexual relationship and lastly being open and honest.
Seven is African traditional qualities of a good wife who is described as:
hardworking, fertile, morally upright, generous, kind, obedient, humble,
clean, beautiful, polite, warm hearted and hospitable. Eight are the
qualities of a good husband, which are described as: being able to provide
good leadership in the family. Other qualities are being aggressive, wise,
brave, courageous, responsible and good property manager.
b. Christian Teaching about Marriage.
Christians teach that marriage is sacred and that it is a divine institution,
which is ordained God. God started it when he created Adam and Eve.
Marriage should therefore be monogamous and permanent as God
protects marriages. The woman should submit to the husband who is told
to love the wife as Christ loved the church. Church teaches respect of
each other.
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Marriage is complete even without children as it is between a male and a

female. Marriage is not obligatory and it ends when one partner dies.
Christian’s preparation and approach to marriage
Christians organize youth seminars, and rallies to teach the youth how to
choose marriage partners and how to treat wife / husbands; care for the
children; behave towards in laws; acquire wealth (men); and head a
family. Youth are taught to avoid sexual intimacy before marriage. Those
intending to marry are encouraged to go for pre marital counseling.
During counseling, they are informed that love is the most important bond
of unity in marriage. Church encourages partners to go for HIV /AIDs test
before. Marriage ceremony is conducted in church
Choice of a marriage partner
There are many ways of identifying a marriage partner. One is
arrangement by parents. If not one can make an individual decision and
choose a wife or husband. Two is through an intermediary or third party.
In African traditional polygamous marriages, the first wife identified a
wife for her husband.
Girls would be given out to a chief as a gift
c. Courtship in African Traditional society (A.T.S). Courtship varied
from community to community.
Courtship is the period between engagement and wedding ceremony.
During courtship premarital sex is forbidden. Girls and boys dressed with
bracelets and rings. Courtship was important in A.T.S. This was because
the man and woman who were girls and boys got to know each other
better before marriage. It was a period when girls/boys were instructed in
family life education. It was also a period for linking the two marrying
families. The couple had time to learn about one another’s character, and
know their families. It is a symbol (sign) of the girl’s presence in her
home (maternal home). She continues to live with her own people.
The families and clan had an opportunity to check if the marrying couple
was related and if their clans were acceptable to the parents. Courtship
gives time to the two families to negotiate and pay the bride wealth or
dowry.
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Bridal Wealth, dowry, bride price are all expressions of partnership. The
family of the man pays dowry to the family of the woman. Some churches
disregard bride wealth, while others encourage it. Dowry is paid in
different forms. The girl’s family decides what it wants. Will it be
livestock (poultry, pigs, camels, cows, goats, and sheep), beer, grain,
jewellery and clothes among others?
Importance of dowry
It acts as a compensation for the girl’s labor and seals the marriage
covenant. It is a public expression of appreciation for the coming of a new
wife/mother into the man’s family. It promotes friendship and cements
relationship between families. It shows commitment and seriousness of
the future husband. After dowry payment, the woman belongs to her
husband.
A ceremony is carried out depending on the community. Bride price
payment is accompanied by marriage ceremonies. Lastly dowry helps in
maintaining peace
Traditional African approaches to marriage preparation. Polygamy is one
husband, married to many wives. Polygamy is allowed by the African
traditional religion because it occurs if the first wife is barren; ensures that
all women have husbands; prevents infertility; provides extra labor in
farms. A polygamous man has a higher status because many wives
symbolize wealth.
Children are important in a marriage because they promote social status of
their parents. They cement a bond of unity between husband / wife. They
are a source of labor, and wealth. They are heirs to the family wealth
They provide security to the family.
Divorce is legal dissolution of marriage. Christians allow divorce
because of specific grounds. Divorce was rare in African traditional
societies. Divorce is granted under circumstances of: adultery, witchcraft,
laziness, cruelty and disrespect of wife.
In the contemporary society, divorce is sought after or allowed because
of: unfaithfulness in marriage or adultery; domestic violence; misuse of
family resources; childlessness; in-law interference and alcohol abuse.
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Legal reasons for divorce

According to the laws of Kenya, divorce is allowed under the following
reasons; adultery; if a man deserts his wife for more than 3 years; if a
partner becomes insane; and domestic violence for example, physical, and
psychological torture.
Christian teaching about divorce
Christians discourage divorce because marriage is a permanent status.
There is no room for divorce. Church discourages divorce because of its
adverse effects. Some denominations allow divorce if there is adultery.
God hates divorce. Married couples should remain faithful to each other
Effects of divorce are strained relationships, children suffering
psychologically, and experiences of rejection. A divorcee faces social
stigma, rejection, and isolation. If parents separate, they create single
parent families. These families suffer from economic hardships and
feelings of failure and inadequacy.
e. Celibacy as an alternative to marriage.
Celibacy is a Latin word “Coelebes” meaning bachelor. Why do some
people fail to marry? There are many reasons. Some of these are to pursue
education leading to delayed marriage; and career demands (workaholic).
Other people are discouraged by examples of failed marriages. Other
reasons maybe economic independence, poor health, HIV /AIDS, mental
illness, parental interference and disappointment from past failed
relationships. This happens if parents do not approve a partner.
Revision questions
1. Explain the traditional African understanding of marriage
2, what is the importance of children in traditional African society?
3. What is the Christian teaching about marriage?
4. What is the importance of courtship period in T.As?
5. Why are many people opting for celibacy?
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THE FAMILY
Introduction
As society grows and changes, the family grows and changes. As a result,
there are several types and practices of the family. In this lesson, we shall
discuss the traditional family as it is practiced in the Bible, the traditional
African societies and some Christian families.
The family
What is a family? Family is the basic social unit of human society. This
basic unit is extended to include relatives bound together by blood,
marriage, friendship, and adoption. They are all members of the family. In
Kenya, there are many types of families.
a. Types of families
i. Nuclear family is parents and their children. .It is father, mother, and
children. There is an increase of monogamous families or nuclear because
of urbanization as rural youth come to towns in search of white-collar
jobs. Migration to cities by people of different tribes has led to pluralism.
Education, high cost of living has led to the death of the African culture,
which required men and women to marry many partners to produce many
children to defend their tribe.
Advantages of nuclear families are many. One, the man is able to give
undivided attention to one wife and children. Two, there is sharing of
mutual love, and peace in the home. Three it is economical to manage one
family. Four there is little competition for attention, less strife, quarrels
and stress. Five, it is easier to monitor the behavior of a few children.
ii. Polygamous family – Father, mothers, children. These types of family
have disadvantages in modern Kenya. Modern society is a cash economy.
Thus if a man has many wives and children, they may lack basic
necessities like food, shelter, education and clothes.
iii. Single parent family – one parent, and children. Single – parent
families are created by several circumstances. One is by parents
separating. Separation of parents is due to several reasons. These are for
example, one partner going to another country and failing to return to his
or her country and family.
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Two, a single family is created by divorce. Divorced parents may decide

not to marry again. Three is when one parent refuses to marry. This
happens when a girl gets pregnant and the boy does not marry her. Four is
because of death of a spouse. The remaining parent may decide not to
remarry. Five is when some mothers decide to have children without
marriage. This may not be correct as there is no research to suggest it. Six
is imprisonment of one partner for a long time. One parent is left looking
after children because one is in jail.
iv. Extended family – father, mother, children, uncles, aunts, and
cousins. This is the common family type in traditional African
communities.
v. Children led family. This happens when parents die and the 1st born
takes care of brothers and sisters including cousins.
vi. Grandparent headed family. The HIV/AIDs epidemic has introduced
this type of family where grandparents take care of their grandchildren
due to the death of both parents especially the mother due to HIV / AIDS
disease. This scourge has made many children orphans. In other cases
parents go for further studies abroad and leave their children with their
parents.
b. Traditional African family values and practices.
In African societies creation of a family is through marriage, and
subsequent procreation. Family is viewed as a sacred institution in
African society. The African traditional family includes the dead
(ancestors), the unborn children and the living.
An African traditional family has obligations and duties. These were
(1) offering sacrifices to ancestors,
(2) Pouring libations; and
(3) Giving the dead decent burials
(4) Providing basic needs to their children
(5) Bringing up children to be morally upright individuals. Further to this,
the African traditional family is responsible for the upbringing, caring,
and protection of its children. This is demonstrated by the nuclear family,
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which provides necessities required to meet and satisfy the economic

needs of its members.
The African traditional family is expected to participate in communal
activities. Work in the family was divided according to age, gender and
social status. Each family member worked for its basic needs as well as
the welfare of the community.
The African family had well-stated and practiced values There were
(1) respect for family members
(2) Providing responsible parenthood, which is the process of bringing up
children to become all round or self reliant persons
(3) Educating children in all aspects of life. Parents and the extended
family members helped their children to develop intellectually and
cognitively.
The family taught children physical skills. It also gave children
confidence to appreciate their physical strength. Children were taken
through a rigorous physical curriculum of games such as wrestling,
swimming and running to develop their physical strength. Children’s
bodies were nourished thoroughly.
They were served good and nutritious food, which improved their muscle
strength.
Children were taught social skills. They learnt how to behave towards
adults, peers and grandparents.
They developed social skills since parents allowed them to socialize and
interact with other children, grandparents and the community. This made
them grow socially, emotionally and psychologically.
They had a curriculum for teaching and training in traditional African
religious values, family matters, moral and social values. This teaching of
children started from an early age. The teaching method used was
observation and practice. Parents taught by being good role models. They
were expected to model desired values and family practices. Children
were taught how to relate with one another as brothers and sisters. Parents
were to show tolerance to children. These values show that African
parents understood their parental roles and responsibilities.
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These values were sometimes; exploited by the irresponsible family

members or specific individuals.
This exploitation encouraged dependency, leading to conflicts,
competition, hatred, and jealousy.
Christian parents are expected to train their children to know God; be self
-disciplined, and follow the Christian way of living. Another duty is to
provide basic needs to their children.
Christian understanding of the family
Among Christians, family is sacred and instituted by God. Read again
about the Christian teachings about marriage.
Role of children in the Christian family A Christian child is expected to
obey parents, honor them, and respect parents. This is one of the Ten
Commandments given to Moses by God.
Parenting styles
a) Dictatorship /authoritative / autocratic – the parents is the final
authority, imposes decisions
b) Permissive or liberal style – also referred to as “Laissez faire” the
children do as they want
c) Democratic style – parents discuss with their children on family issues.
This is the best style.
Problems related to family life today
Families are faced with numerous problems such as
a) Children abuse – sex assault, beating
b) Domestic violence – abusive language, frequent fights, emotional
abuse
c) Diseases e.g. HIV / AIDS epilepsy, autism.
d) Children with special needs, blindness, deafness or those with mental
challenges, motor co – ordination (Autism)
e) Separation, divorce
f) Childlessness
g) Single parent families – economic hardships
h) Misuse of family resources, economic crisis
i) Affluence – a lot of wealth
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j) Unemployment, underemployment
k) Retrenchment – lying off of some employees in order to reduce the
workforce
l) Mismanagement of family finances
m) Alcohol and drug abuse
n) The generation gap
o) Poor relations with in-laws
p) Cultural and religious differences
• Traditional African approaches to problems related to family life
today
1) Individuals were prepared for challenges of family life right from
childhood
2) Adolescents, initiates were given family life education
3) People entered marriage knowing that it’s a lifelong union
4) Rules were clear to govern marriage relations
5) Polygamy helped reduce unfaithfulness
6) There were no single parent families. Members lived together reducing
loneliness
7) Widows / widowers were encouraged to marry again
Traditional brew was taken in moderation
Christian’s approaches to problems related to family life today
1) Christian families are obliged to live according to Christian principles
and values such as mutual respect, self discipline, understanding, honesty,
faithfulness, love and forgiveness
2) Premarital counseling is carried out
3) Church holds regular seminars and conferences on family life matters.
Love and respect for each other. Christian wife to submit to husband who
is head of the family. They are taught to take each other as
complementary and equal partners.
4) Women are encouraged to form participate in church organizations e.g.
mothers union, women’s guild where they learn roles of being a wife,
mother, and a woman.
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5) Some churches offer advice to families on management of their

families. They are encouraged to have investments.
6) Breadwinner is encouraged to write a written will
7) To improve the parent – child relationship churches offer guidance and
counseling to the youth
Christian parents are advised to set positive role models to their children
9) Parents are encouraged to be open and promote effective
communication with their children
10) Churches in case of serious family conflicts such as child abuse,
domestic violence, advise legal action.
11) Churches organize youth seminars where they talk about drug abuse,
premarital sex, negative peer pressure and media influence etc.
12) Relevant information is passed through books, pamphlets, magazines,
media FM, TV etc.
13) Some churches welcome unwed mothers
14) Churches provide health services, guidance on HIV / AIDS
15) Some churches care for widows, orphans widowers and the needy
Revision questions
1. State the different types of families
CHRISTIAN APPROACHES TO WORK

DEFINITION OF TERMS
Work
-Use of energy, physical or mental, for the purpose of improving human
life. It is any activity that requires expenditure of energy or application of
skills e.g. studying, teaching, cooking, farming etc.
Vocation
Work can be described as a vocation, profession, trade, craft, career or a
job.
Vocation is from a Latin word “Vocare” which means call. Christians
believe that every individual has been called of God to various duties.
Vocation is work that requires special skills, special training or a unique
call or a special mission in society.
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Profession
-Work that is characterized by a code of ethics, lengthy specialized
training, advance knowledge and self – disciple. Professionals have their
own set standards. The professionals determine entry requirements for
new members and usually have machinery for dealing with errant
members. E.g. Law, medicine, architecture etc
A trade
-Refers to an occupation, a way of making a living. Some trades require
specialized training examples hairdressing
A craft
An occupation which requires manipulative skills or use of the hands e.g.
woodcarving, pottery, weaving. A craft may be a trade depending on the
nature of occupation.
A career
-An occupation that one chooses to pursue in his/her life. It’s the general
way of earning a living.
Job
Refers to tasks performed, services rendered in return for payment of
wages. Most jobs are temporary others casual and others permanent and
pension able.
What determines one’s career, vocation?
1. Available opportunities for future development in a particular job
2. The need to serve others especially the church and the needy
3. Interests, strengths, talents, abilities
4. Inclination or attraction to a certain kind of work
5. Pressure from parents, peers etc
General reasons why people work
a) It’s an essential element of life
b) God ordained work. Humans work for their food
c) Work contributes to the development of the community
d) Work is personal. It defines a person
e) People work to earn a living
f) People work for enjoyment, leisure
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g) To assist and give to the needy

h) To get luxuries
i) People work to raise their standards of living
j) For self satisfaction and fulfillment
k) For personal development
l) To keep a person occupied and not idle
m) To acquire wealth and status in the society
n) To socialize with other members of the society
o) To attain independence and not depend on someone else
TRADITIONAL AFRICAN ATTITUDE TO WORK
a. Explain importance of work
1. Work is essential to the well being of the individual and survival of the
community
2. Work ensured basic needs such as food, shelters etc were provided.
3. In traditional African society work was divided according to the age,
gender, and status e.g. chief, elder of the individual.
4. Everyone was a worker. Boys assisted in herding, fishing, girls assisted
in cooking fetching firewood.
Women cooked, took care of babies constructed houses (maasai) etc.
5. Works among the traditional African societies included pastoralist,
farmers, livestock keeping, fishing, bee keeping etc
6. Work was a communal affair; people would work together and assist
each other
7. Work was not for a wage (Money). The rewards of work-included food,
communal unity, acquisition of moral values etc
8. Hard work was emphasized, laziness was condemned
9. There were some specific works for specialization e.g. herbal medicine
men, divination, prophecy, rain making, pottery etc.
10. Work involved giving prayers, offerings, and sacrifices to God
11. Through work, the basic needs of the individual, community were
fulfilled
12. Through work potentials; talents and skills were explored, acquired
and utilized.
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13. Work had a religious dimension as well as a social dimension. It

brought people together improving their relations
14. SAE
1. Find out how different communities in Kenya lived in the past and how
they live today
2. How did the lifestyle of the communities influence daily activities?
CHRISTIAN TEACHING ON WORK
1. Describe the christens teachings about work
The Christian teaching on work is based mainly on the interpretation of
the bible, the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the apostles. Some of
the teachings are: -
1. God himself instituted work. He created the heavens and the earth and
all in it. Since God worked man should work. (Gen. 2:1)
2. God’s work of creation is good (Gen. 1:31) Christians should endeavor
to produce good works
3. Work is a duty, an obligation, a command Christians are responsible for
God’s creation (Gen.2: 15).
They are to protect it – animals, birds, plants, marine life are all under the
care of man.
4. Human beings should work to acquire their basic needs (Genesis. 1:29
– 30, 3:19) God blesses the work of our hands
5. Human beings are co – creators with God (Gen.1: 28) God continue to
create through human beings.
Human beings glorify God through their work.
6. God reveals himself through his work of creation. God had a purpose
for his creation. He is orderly, source of life, Almighty etc.
7. Work is a co – operative undertaking. Eve was created to be Adam’s
helper (Gen. 2:20) Christians should co – operate in their undertakings
8. Hard work is praised and laziness is looked down upon. (Proverbs
31:27). Christians should work for their daily needs and not become a
burden to others.
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9. Work should be accompanied with rest (Gen.2: 2) God rested on the

7th day from all his work. God commanded the Israelites to rest on the 7th
day.
10. People should enjoy what they have worked for (Ecc.3: 22)
11. Work should be done for the glory of God and for the good of the
society.
12. People should work honestly not steal but work to earn an honest
living (Eph.4: 28)
13. Those who do not work should not eat
They should always work since God is always at a work (John 15:17)
ROLES OF PROFESSIONAL ETHOS, ETHICS AND CODES IN
THE SOCIETY
Definitions
Professional ethics –: principles of behavior / conduct that guide
members of a particular profession.
What workers are allowed to do and not to do.
Professional ethos
The group identity of members of a profession, their unique custom or
character e.g. what identifies doctors, lawyers etc.
Profession codes or code of ethics Collection of laws arranged
systematically according to major concerns and core functions of the
profession.
Roles
- To regulate the behavior of professional (workers)
- Enables professionals to understand their role
- Ensures professionals provide quality of services to their clients
- To encourage respect among professionals
- Give guidance on how professionals should relate to one another
- They safe guard professionals against being compromised / misused
- They determine expected level of performance
- They serve as a measure of competence
- Act as a measure of quality service
- They protect the professionals
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- They provide a reference point for disciplining (used to discipline the

errant professional)
- They inspire respect and high esteem for professionals
- Through professional codes, ethics, ethos, professional earn public trust
VIRTUES RELATED TO WORK
Definition
A virtue is a good human habit. It’s a moral principle, moral quality or
goodness of character and behavior.
Examples of virtues elated to work
(i) Diligence – hardworking
(ii) Honesty, integrity – ability to be relied upon (Integrity) Honest is
being truthful.
(iii) Faithfulness – being trustworthy and loyal
(iv) Responsibility – ability to make decisions and take action
independently. Being mindful of other people’s welfare
(v) Tolerance – ability to bear with others or with difficult situations
MORAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYERS

AND EMPLOYEES
Employers: government, non – governmental organization, private sector
– individuals, company, self-employment.
Employers have several duties and responsibilities towards their
employees. They are:
- To organize and conduct business efficiently for the benefit of the
institution, employer, community
- To respect the employee, treat them with dignity
- Pay a fair wage to the employee
- Ensure good healthy and safe working conditions
- Provide social welfare for the employees e.g. time off, leave days, time
for recreation
- Grant leave as required by law or the terms of contract
- Take care of the welfare of the employees give medical cover, pension
scheme etc
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- To motivate their employees

- To reward employees
- Compensate employees made redundant
Rights of the employer
Employers have a right to / are entitled to
(a) Get profits from their businesses
(b) Carry out their businesses without unfair taxation
(c) Form association with other employers
(d) Obtain and conduct business
(e) Hire, dismiss employees in accordance with the requirements of their
firms and contract
(f) Demand a fair day’s work
(g) Conduct business without subjection to unfair conditions and
competitions
Moral duties of the employees
1. Carry out their duties to the best of their ability without supervision
2. Respect and protect the property of the employer
3. Encourage peaceful solutions to any problems encountered in their
work place
4. To work diligently for self – fulfillment and development
5. To respect their employer and fellow employees
6. Observe terms of contract with employer
7. Be loyal, honest, respect to the employer
Rights of the employees
To receive fair wages
To have a reasonable work load
Have reasonable hours of work
Have safety and protection at work
Right to join a labor union
Right to further individual training and development education
Rights to retirement, terminal benefits
Rights to a fair opportunity for provision
A right to time for rest
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Right to Favorable working conditions

CHRISTIANS APPROACHES TO ISSUES RELATED TO
EMPLOYMENT
Wages and industrial action (Strikes)
A wage is payments for work done. Payment is in modern times done
according to hours, weeks or days that one works.
Christian teachings on wages
- Human beings have the right to work for a decent living (Matt.20:1 –
16) they should be paid for their work.
- Workers should be paid wages to the amount and value of their work (1
Timothy 5:18)
- Wages should be paid as agreed upon (Mathew 20:13)
- Employers should not take advantage of the poverty of the employee
(Deuteronomy 24: 14 – 15)
- Human beings should not be enslaved to work (Ex.5:22 – 23)
- Employers who degrade their workers in wages are condemned
(Deut.24:14 – 15, Jer.22:13)
- Oppression is condemned (Amos 5:18, 8; 4)
- Workers wages should never be withheld (James 5:4)
Industrial action
Also commonly called ‘Strike’ this is an effort by workers to stop work in
protest by boycott go-slow sit – ins or refuse to work. There has been
increase of industrial action in the recent past in most countries of the
world.
Reasons for industrial actions
1 Due to increased awareness of workers’ rights
2 Exposure to global trends through the media
3 Formation of trade unions that fight for the rights of workers
4 Due to poor working conditions
5 Underpaying workers
6 Threatening workers with unjustified dismissals
7 Suspending the workers / interdiction – unjustly
8 A hostile working environment
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Results of workers strikes (industrial / action

a) Pay cuts
b) Demotions
c) Loss of jobs
d) Employers suffer losses
e) Inflation
f) Injuries even death when confronted by police
g) Victimization of some individuals
h) Bitterness among the workers and employers
Christian approaches towards strikes
a) Christians recommend a peaceful co – existence between workers and
employers
b) There should be fairness, justice, love among workers, employees
c) There should be an open communication channel across the ranks from
top to bottom
d) Employees should not destroy property
e) Working conditions should be better and improved
f) Employees to be human when dealing with employees
CHILD LABOUR
A child is a person below 18 years. A child does not have an identity card,
does not vote (in Kenya).
According to International Labor Organization the minimum employment
age is 14 years.
Child labor
It is engaging a person below the age of 14 years in wage / paid employ-
ment.
Reasons why children are employed
- To provide cheap labor
- They cannot fight for proper terms
- They are easily hired and fired
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Disadvantages of child labor

Children are not yet mentally and physically prepared to do adult jobs.
This leads to
a) Exploitation of children
b) Children paid less, taken advantage of
c) It inhibits the growth of a child and denies them a chance to enjoy their
childhood
d) It deprives them of their right to basic education
e) It exposes children to hazards (dangers) from machines, chemicals
f) Heavy workload deprives children of social educational, moral,
psychological, physical rights
Places where children are employed
- Plantations – coffee, tea
- Domestic services – homes
- Tourism sector
- Industries
- Children are trafficked and employed as commercial sex workers
Causes of child labor – reasons why children work
1 Lack of money / poverty
2 Death of parents
3 Dropping out of school due to pregnancy, indiscipline, (truancy), poor
academic performance or lack of school fees.
4 Those who never went or taken to school
5 Lack of good role models e.g. coast province Mombasa; Malindi has
several of the financially stable people being school dropouts, engaged in
drug trafficking, commercial sex etc.
6 Influence of cultural values e.g. circumcision of boys in some
communities is done later in life and one is declared an adult e.g. the
kikuyu circumcising at 13 years, or 12 years
7 Children being lured by employers
8 Greed for material benefits
9 Being homeless ending up as a street child
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Position of church in dealing with child labor

- The church condemns it
- It has put up homes for poor children (orphanages)
- It provides guidance, counseling to both parents and children
- Children are blessing from God hence should be loved and cared for
- Parents have the responsibilities to protect their children from harm.
UNEMPLOYMENT AND SELF –EMPLOYMENT

Unemployment
When people are capable and willing to work but are unable to find a
viable income or occupation it is referred to as unemployment.
Causes of unemployment
1 Preference for prestigious white collar jobs (Office jobs, non – manual
jobs)
2 Corruption, tribalism, nepotism, bribery denying jobs to the qualified in
preference for the unqualified.
3 Unequal distribution of wealth – some regions are more resourceful than
others. Industries, good infrastructure concentrated in some areas.
4 Inadequate resources for self – employment (lack of capital, skills)
5 Limited job opportunities – probably due to high population growth
6 Few international investors in Kenya, probably due to high crime rate,
insecurity
Identify ways of creating job opportunities
Response of Christians to issues of unemployment
a) They encourage self – employment in cases of unemployment
b) They have set up vocational training, polytechnics to train people
towards jobs that are for self – employment
c) Christians condemn idleness
Self-employment
Self-employment is an economic activity initiated, controlled by an
individual. It is an occupation in which a person initiates a personal
enterprise and manages it with the help of others.
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Examples
Small businesses enterprises, Jua kali sector, music industry,
entertainment (e.g. comedians), community work, agriculture etc
Problems / challenges
- Some lack sufficient capital to start a business and keep it running
- Lack of necessary skills to run the business
- High taxation leading to some business closing down
- Small scale traders face undue competition from larger firms
Revision questions
1. What is work?
2. List any six reasons why people work
3. Explain T.As attitude towards work
4. List some of the factors that have changed the attitude towards work in
the modern society
5. What are the rights of employers?
6. State the duties of employees
7. Why has child labor become common in Kenya?
8. What are the causes of unemployment in Kenya?
9. What can the government do to reduce unemployment in Kenya?
CHRISTIANS APPROACHES TO LEISURE

MEANING OF LEISURE
Work is an obligation – however people cannot work 24 hours. They need
to rest. God rested on the 7th day after work. Work and rest are
complementary elements of human life.
Definition of leisure
This is the time when one is free from work or other duties. Time at one’s
own disposal, which can be utilized in a productive manner depending on
one’s interests and abilities. Leisure provides mental, physical relaxation,
spiritual, emotional relaxation and enrichment
Forms of leisure
1. Passive
2. Active leisure
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Passive involves use of mental energy

Active leisure – there is use of physical energy
Examples of activities of passive leisure are
- Watching television
- Reading story books
- Playing video games
- Chatting with friends
Examples of activities of active leisure are
- Jogging
- Mountain climbing
- Gardening
- Dancing
- Tree planting
- Playing football
Leisure is used for
- Enjoyment
- Entertainment – song, dance, watching movies etc
- Relaxation – exercises
- Socialization – sharing, education
- Religious engagement – wedding ceremonies, visiting the sick, worship
In passive leisure others entertain while in active leisure the person is
active, whole body is involved.
Active leisure enables a person to
1. Develop his/her body
2. Build stamina
3. Strengthen relationships etc
Some leisure activities are dangerous e.g. boxing, motor racing; while
others are expensive e.g. golf.
Other leisure activities are addictive while others are unproductive.
- Leisure activities should be planned for
- Leisure activities can also be economic, income generating activities.
In traditional African society leisure permeates all aspects of life. Leisure
activities accompany work.
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Leisure and work were entertainment. Work was accompanied by singing,

reciting stories sharing past events. Examples of leisure activities in
traditional African society include
- Wrestling
- Running
- Playing ajua
- Mock fighting
- Swimming
- Spear throwing
- Poetry
- Music and dance etc
Leisure activities that were communal include
• Bull fighting
• Tongue – twisters
• Poetry recitation
• Telling of myths legends
• Dancing
• Brain teasers
• Riddles etc
-Work in African society included fishing, tilling the land, herding,
hunting, harvesting o most leisure activities in traditional African society
were active form of leisure, communal, not individualistic and not for
monetary gains
-All forms of leisure had an educational value. Folk stories had a moral
value. People were taught not to be selfish, greedy jealousy etc Myths and
legends tell of the origin of the community and its history of important
people as well as history of the community.
- In African traditional society, leisure led to acquisition of values or
virtues such as co – operation, sharing, solidarity, love, bravery, empathy,
endurance, tolerance etc.
- Most activities were linked to the worship of God and, veneration of the
ancestors
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- Leisure activates were organized along gender and age group season
(E.g. harvest – dancing, singing); wet rainy seasons – boat swimming
- Rites of passage e.g. initiation, marriage, birth and naming provided
leisure activities
-Leisure activities were planned for
CHRISTIAN TEACHING ON LEISURE
Christian teach that:
a) Work and leisure are of divine origin. God rested on the 7th day after
working
b) Leisure is a gift from God leisure should be put to good use. Its not be
wasted
c) Leisure provides us with the opportunity to worship God. Leisure
should be used to serve God.
d) Christians associate leisure with personal growth and fellowship
e) Jesus recognized the need for rest by withdrawing his disciples from
their active ministry. It’s good to have time alone for reflection, rest, visit
friend etc.
f) Leisure should be used to seek God and help others e.g. Jesus prayed,
helped the needy restored people’s health.
Ways Christian use their leisure time – activities
Worshipping God
Visiting the sick
Caring for the needy
Resting
Watching television
Chatting with family members
Retreat – time spend away with a group of people to be alone with God
Visiting friends, relatives
Reading the bible
Praying etc
IMPORTANT USE AND MISUSE OF LEISURE
Importance of leisure
Leisure is necessary. It’s important in various ways
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1) It is a good time to assess the work we have done (Reflection time)

2) It brings people together leading to self – growth and fulfillment
(Social function of leisure)
3) Leisure helps individuals to discover their hidden talents
4) Leisure relaxes the mind – a change of activity, relieves the mind
5) Leisure refreshes the body – restores lost energy
6) Leisure enables Christians to offer charity to those in need
7) Leisure provides time for worship and spiritual renewal
8) Leisure gives one time to rest
9) It’s time for recreation
10) Give one time to attend social occasions
11) Allows people to travel and visit friends and relatives
12) Leisure can be used to enhance and acquire new skills and knowledge
13) It’s a time to develop and discover ones talents
Uses of leisure – proper use of leisure
Leisure can be used for
a. Religious experience
b. A time for rest
c. Leisure is used to provide us with time to help others
d. Leisure can be used to spread the word of God
e. Development of talents
f. It’s an opportunity for individual growth
g. Leisure strengthens social relationships
h. Leisure can be used for reflection on one’s decision; actions etc leisure
activities reveal who we are.
i. Leisure can be used for educative and economic purposes
Proper use of leisure is when leisure time is spent doing activities that add
value to us.
Misuse of leisure today
Leisure time can be misused through various activities e.g.
1) Spending too much time in passive activities e.g. pornography
watching, watching films that are violent
2) Spending leisure time in idle talk – gossip-leading to conflicts
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3) Spending time in gambling, casinos making bets on horses playing

Ajua games etc
4) Alcohol and drug taking – when a person over drinks alcohol, spends
time drinking at the expense of family, abusing drugs is misuse of leisure
time.
5) Leisure can also be misused by engaging in dangerous activities.
Night dancing, disco dancing has become a common form of leisure
worldwide. What are the advantages and disadvantages?
DRUG ABUSE AND ITS EFFECTS- ALCOHOL, SOFT AND

HARD DRUGS
A drug is any substance which when taken may alter or cause changes in
the normal functioning of the body.
Drug abuse
-Improper use of drugs. Using a drug for another purpose than what it is
intended for
Drug use
Proper use of drugs
Drugs are taken in various forms namely
1 Liquid
2 Lotions
3 Ointments
4 Powders
5 Cake form,
Drugs are classified as legal and illegal
Ways of administering drugs
Drugs are taken /administered in various ways
- Infecting
- Inhaling / smoking
- Chewing
- Swallowing
- Drinking
- Sniffing / snuffing
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Categories of drugs
a) Medicinal
b) Soft drugs
c) Hard / narcotic drugs
Types of drugs
1) Preventive drugs e.g. drugs to prevent polio, cholera, yellow fever
2) Curative drugs – drugs that cure diseases
3) Sedatives, palliatives – drugs that alleviate pain, put patients to sleep
e.g. drugs for diabetes, heart diseases, asthma, painkillers
4) Tranquillizers – drugs that relieve tension induce sleep e.g. piriton,
valium
5) Stimulants – drugs used to increase physiological activity of a
particular organ. They arouse the activity of the central nervous system /
senses.
6) Volatile drugs – these drugs intoxicate the user, they are derived from
petroleum products paint thinners dry cleaning fluids glue etc. stimulants
and volatile drugs classified as soft drugs.
7) Hard drugs or narcotic drugs
These are highly addictive drugs. The body forms dependence on these
drugs. These drugs affect the mind causing drowsiness; sleep, stupor and
they are the most commonly abused drugs. Examples are
Cocaine
- From coca leaves
- Its highly addictive
- Causes mental problems
- Can lead to death on overdose
- A very expensive drug
Other side effects are confusion, Convulsions, circulatory collapse and
rapid heart beat
Bhang / Marijuana
- A plant of Indian hemp
- Also called marijuana, Hashish, Cannabis, and Sativa depending on
which part of the plant is taken i.e. leaves, stem, or roots.
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- Users become aggressive excited or high

- Bhang changes perception of space, time and reality
- It causes drowsiness and irresponsible behavior
- Its side effects causes people to be engaged in criminal activities e.g.
robbery with violence as it gives changes in perception
Morphine
It’s used to suppress pain clinically
- Its addictive
- Its derived from cocaine
- Used as local aesthetic
Heroine
- Its pain relieving
- Highly addictive
- Powder heated in foil paper, vapor forms hence smoked referred to as”
chasing the dragon”
- Also called brown sugar
- Its injected and inhaled
- An overdose can lead to death
- Its expensive
- It causes respiratory problems
- Its depressive
- Withdrawal symptoms when heroine is not available are nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea and severe anxiety
Soft drugs
- Cigarette
- Alcohol
- Miraa / khat
Cigarette
- Made from tobacco
- Cigarettes contain
a) Nicotine – a highly addictive substance.
b) Carbon monoxide, which damages arteries heart and lungs
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c) Tar – black substance which promotes cancer of the throat, heart and
lungs
Cigarettes are legal drugs in Kenya.
Pregnant women may miscarry or terminate the pregnancy if they smoke.
Leads to chest respiratory diseases poor blood circulation
Leads to destructive fires due to carelessness
Miraa / khat
1 Plants / legally in Kenyan, and other parts of the world
2 They are chewed
3 Causes temporary excitement
4 Makes one loose appetite for food and sex
5 The juice in miraa causes temporary excitement in the user when
ingested
6 Miraa makes the user to be irritable
Alcohol
- Alcohol is a drug made through fermentation
- It’s a drink used in social ceremonial occasions
- It’s in form of beer wines, traditional brew (e.g. busaa, muratina, mnazi )
and spirits e.g. whisks, brandy, gin, chang’aa
- Alcohol is prepared by fermentation or distillation – heating to a certain
degree.
- In African traditional society, alcohol was fermented and used for
1. Medicinal value
2. Entertainment
3. Marriage celebrations
4. Beer parties given to visitors
- Excessive drinking was discouraged
- Drunk people were scorned or scolded
- Young people were not allowed to drink alcohol
- When alcohol is taken excessively it is abused
Alcohol abuse
- Alcohol can lead to body dependence or addiction
- Consequences of abusing alcohol are such as
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(i) Squandering family resources

(ii) Health deterioration
(iii) Lack of concentration leading to poor quality of work
(iv) Family break-ups due to frustrations
A man experiences a desire for sex but lacks the ability to perform leading
to break ups
(v) Deformed foetus if a mother abuses alcohol when pregnant
(vi) Alcohol destroys brain cells
(vii) It leads to unruly behavior such as fights, violence
(viii) One is vulnerable to risky behavior – a drunken person is unable to
make proper decisions hence vulnerable to sexual infections such as HIV /
AIDS
(ix) Can make a person cause accidents if driving under the influence of
alcohol or staggering on the road.
CAUSES OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE (REASONS WHY
PEOPLE ABUSE ALCOHOL AND
DRUGS)
(i) Frustration due to unemployment, inability to perform well and meet
set standards or other personal frustrations.
(ii) Idleness – when idle some turn to alcohol and drug use
(iii) Addiction
(iv) Boredom
(v) Bad examples from adults
(vi) Availability of drugs in the Kenyan market
(vii) Negative peer pressure
(viii) Experimentation then addiction
(ix) Media influence
(x) Societal permissiveness
(xi) Urbanization
(xii) Pressure of work
(xiii) Financial stress
(xiv) Globalization – foreign world influences
Effects of drug abuse
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Drug abuse poses danger to the health of a person, affects family, society
in general. Effects of drug abuse are
A. Psychological problems – drugs are addictive. The body becomes
dependant on them. It cannot perform without the drugs. It leads to
depression, irritability, aggressiveness, paranoia, one becoming afraid to
face reality etc.
B. Crime – robbery, theft, people abusing drugs will rob, steal so as to get
money to buy the drugs. Drugs have led to students setting schools on
fire, killing their fellow students
C. Illusion – users do not face reality
D. Health problems – one is prone to diseases because of frequent use of
drugs. Drugs weaken the body’s system e.g. alcohol leads to liver
Cirrhosis, stomach ulcers. One is susceptible / prone to HIV /
AIDS infection STI’s lung cancer, still birth etc
E. Economic problems
Drugs are expensive. Abuse leads to depletion of family resources leading
to poverty
F. Loss of job and income
G. Social problems
Abuse of drugs leads to family conflicts, leading to separation, divorce,
family quarrels fights and even murder (domestic violence)
H. Accidents
I. Frustrations
J. Poor performance in school work
K. Death
People die out of drug abuse. An over dose of heroin, cocaine kills.
Alcohol can lead to a blackout, this affects the brain
REMEDIES TO DRUG ABUSE
Drug abuse has become a global problem. Remedies or solutions include:
a) Law enforcement
-Through bodies such as UNDCP United Nations International Drug
Control Programme Anti Narcotics Police Units, NACADA National
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Agency for the Campaign against Drug Abuse so as to control abuse of

Narcotics and other drugs.
b) Education
-People to be educated on the effects of drugs. The curriculum from pri-
mary to secondary to include topics on drug abuse.
Guidance and counseling
Religious teachings – all religious condemn the abuse of drugs
Family values to be promoted. Parents should set good examples to their
children
-Every individual to cultivate individual values. Respect their body and
take care of their bodies
-Rehabilitation of drug users / abusers
CHRISTIAN CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING THE USE OF

LEISURE
Criteria – criterion – a principle or standard for judging something.
How does a Christian determine whether a certain leisure activity is
lawful, acceptable before God – criteria for evaluating the use of leisure?
1) Christians, should engage in leisure activities which promote their
respect and dignity they should socialize with people who are morally
upright (bad company corrupts good morals)
2) God ordains leisure hence it should serve God’s purpose.
3) Leisure should come after work
4) Leisure should be used for the good of others. The activities that are
harmful to others should be avoided
5) Activities chosen should enrich their knowledge of God
6) Activities should provide service to others
7) Leisure doesn’t mean laziness
A Christian should not engage in a harmful activity to self but those that
promote respect and dignity
9) Christians to avoid activities that lead to sin or to addiction
10) They should perform an activity which develop their physical
emotional social and spiritual well being
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11) Leisure should be enjoyed with moderation

12) Activities for leisure should be moral, within the laws of God and
pleasing to good.
Revision questions
1. Identify five (5) reasons why the taking of alcohol as a way of spending
leisure is condemned
2. Write down five ways in which modern Christians use their leisure time
3. Give five ways in which drug use and abuse could affect a Christian
4. Identify ways in which Christians can overcome temptations to drug
use and abuse
5(a). Why is leisure important in the life of a Christian?
5(b). What factors have contributed to the misuse of leisure in Kenya?
6. State the factors that have led to the misuse of drugs in Kenya
CHRISTIANS APPROACHES TO WEALTH, MONEY AND

POVERTY
DEFINITION OF THE CONCEPTS WEALTH, MONEY AND
POVERTY
a) Wealth: – accumulation…
-Accumulation of materials owned by an individual, family or a group of
people. Wealth is property that has economic value e.g. land, animals,
money, valuable possessions such as jewellery, commercial and
residential buildings etc.
Ways of acquiring wealth
Inheritance
Business
Commercial farming
Salaried Jobs
Investment of money in financial institution
Provision of commercial services
b) Money
It’s the medium of exchange that functions as a legal tender. It is
something that is generally accepted as a medium of exchange, a means of
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payment. It is usually in form of coins or notes. Good monetary media

(money) has certain qualities.
Qualities of money
• It should be acceptable
• It should be fairly stable
• Easy to divide into small units
• Easy to carry
• Should be relatively scarce
• It should be durable
• Its value should be maintained through proper control of its circulations
Money is a measure of wealth. What it can purchase is the value. Money
is used to buy services, goods, pay debts etc.
Examples of currencies in the world are
Ksh. (Kenya), Rand (South Africa) US & Dollar, Pound (Britain) Euro
(Europe), Yen (Japan) Etc
c) Poverty
State of being without adequate basic necessities of life e.g. food, shelter,
clothing
It’s a state of helplessness. It is characterized by poor health, hunger, and
lack of education facilities, uncared for environment.
Causes of poverty
a. Adverse climatic conditions (Geographical factors)
b. Poor family background (historical and social factors)
c. Political stability leading to civil wars
d. Poor governance
e. Regional imbalance of natural resources
f. Low level of technology
g. Laziness
h. Over dependence on foreign aid
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THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING OF

WEALTH AND POVERTY
In African traditional societies wealth was measured in terms of the
amount of land, livestock, grains, and wives, children possessed by an
individual or the community.
Wealth was acquired in various ways.
(i) As a gift from God
Most Africans believe that wealth is a blessing from God.
(ii) Inheritance
In cases where the head of the family is dead, the eldest son becomes the
custodian of the estate. The clan and community elders give direction on
how the wealth is to be shared out.
(iii) Bride wealth
(iv) Farming
(v) Exploitation of natural resources – honey, wood for carving, building
materials etc
(vi) Trade
African communities were involved in barter trade where they exchanged
good and services
(vii) Raids – wealth was also acquired by raiding other communities –
goats, sheep, Cattle.
- People were encouraged to work hard to acquire wealthy honesty
- Wealthy people were highly regarded and were considered for
leadership position
- Wealth was incomplete without a family
Poverty
Poverty was viewed as punishment or curse for wrongdoing.
Other causes of poverty according to African Traditional Society were: -
• Laziness
• Lack of inheritance
• Raids by other communities
• Famine
• Natural calamities
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• Sickness – rendering the individual weak to acquire wealth

- In acquiring wealth, principles such as value for human life, mutual
responsibility, and sharing, communal ownership were emphasized.
- Places that were communal include grazing land, rivers, and watering
places
- Laziness was ridiculed through songs, riddles and proverbs.
IMPACTS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF MONEY ECONOMY IN
TRADITIONAL AFRICAN SOCIETY
Introduction
- Money was introduced to Africa by the Europeans
- Before colonial period, Africans practiced barter trade – actual goods
exchanged with other goods e.g. animals would be exchanged with food
grains, millet, sorghum, cowpeas, children exchanged for food during
famine.
- Trade merchants from Asia had introduced into Africa forms of currency
such as the cowry shells, gold and the Indian rupees. Europeans
introduced currency still used today
Economy: – careful management of resources, finances, income and
expenditure of a family, a business enterprise, community or a country.
The economy of a country is to be well managed if it has the ability to
meet the social economic needs of her members.
Development
It’s measured by the health of its economy in the provision of health,
education, housing, sanitation, employment, and longevity of life,
decrease of material and child mortality.
Money economy: – Use of money as a means of exchange in economic
activities e.g. banking, investment, insurance, payment of goods and
services.
Reasons for money introduction
1) Colonization brought a lot of changes such as unoccupied land declared
‘Crown land’ for colonialists.
2) Tax introduction
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Africans were supposed to pay taxes to the government. Taxes were paid
in form of money.
3) Introduction of formal education School fees was introduced. Fees
were paid in form of money.
4) Introduction of modern medical services
People paid medical services using money.
5) Emergence of new lifestyles
Converts to Christianity were emphasized on to have materials, hence had
to work to improve their living standards. They built houses, took their
children to schools practiced modern family techniques hence had to use
money.
Impact of the introduction of money economy in traditional African
society
1) Introduction of wage – labor
2) Break up of family ties as people migrated from rural to urban areas in
search of employment
3) African land taken by the colonialists, reducing people to squatters
hence need to work
4) There was creation of a gap between people – the rich and the poor
5) Emergence of vices e.g. corruption, bribery, prostitution, robbery
6) Deterioration of cherished African values e.g. bride wealth has become
commercialized, customs lost etc.
7) Loss of African human dignity. Africans had to pay taxes to the
colonial government. They were forced to work in European farms so as
to get money. They worked under dehumanizing conditions
Production of traditional food crops declined replaced by cash crops.
9) Individual ownership of land was emphasized. Land could be sold at
will
10) There was increase of rural – urban migration leaving the rural people
less educated.
11) Exploitation of the poor by the rich – poor wages, overcharging prices
on foods.
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12) Destruction of the natural environment to create room for building

projects, urban centers
13) The cost of living increased. Almost everything is acquired by money.
THE CHRISTIAN TEACHING ON WEALTH, MONEY, POVER-
TY
Teaching on wealth
1) Wealth is a blessing from God
2) Those who obey God’s laws, teachings of the prophets are promised
blessings by God Deut28: 1 – 4
3) Wealth has duties associated with it e.g. 10% tithe, alms to the poor,
and an aspect of stewardship.
4) Wealth should be used wisely. People are not owners of their property
but are stewards. Should share with the poor and needy.
5) Wealth is not permanent e.g. parable of the rich fool. When people die,
they take nothing with them. Naked into the world, naked out of the
world. Job. 1:21
6) Wealth can create a false sense of independence feeling of self reliance
no need for God
7) Wealth should be obtained justly – no happiness for a person who gets
riches in the wrong way.
Wrong attitude to wealth can lead to idolatry and other dangers. Matt.19:
23 – 24 danger of materialism – making riches their God, the love of
money is the root of all evil (1 timothy 6:10)
9) It is wrong to discriminate against others on the basis of material
possessions. Jesus associated with the rich, the poor, the sick etc.
10) Seek spiritual wealth, which is permanent and more fulfilling than
material wealth, which is transitory – temporal. Matt 6:19 – 20)
11) Acknowledge God as the source of one’s riches
12) Use wealth to help the needy
13) Wealth is an instrument to enable us live decently.
14) Obsession with money and wealth leads to sin
15) Church leaders should avoid greed for wealth (1 Timothy 3:3)
16) God will judge rich exploiters.
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Christian teaching on poverty

1) Christian teachings discourage irresponsible behavior and habits e.g.
laziness, idleness and negligence. Some people became poor because of
such.
2) Some people become poor because of misfortunes
3) Others are poor because of judgment due to disobedience to God
4) God cares for the poor
5) Those with more should share with the poor
6) People should work to alleviate poverty in the society
7) Jesus helped the poor so should we.
The poor in spirit will be blessed
CHRISTIAN APPROACHES / RESPONSE TO ISSUES RELATED
TO WEALTH AND MONEY.
Christians can respond by:
A. Insistence on fair distribution of wealth
B. Fighting against bribery and corruption
C. Using life skills
D. Practicing Christian values
Introduction
- Affluence – having a lot of material possessions and a luxurious
standard of living. Poverty is a state of lack of the basic necessities.
- Illegal means of acquiring wealth include fraud, grabbing public land,
selling narcotic drugs etc
Factors that have contributed to poverty
1. Political instability
2. Lack of formal education
3. Laziness
4. Negative attitude towards work – choosing jobs
5. Historical factors – colonization lack of land
6. Exporting unprocessed agricultural products cheaply then sold back
expensively.
A. Fair distribution of wealth / resources
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a) Christians to promote the value of justice, fairness, social

responsibility. How? By having anti – corruption crusades, be role
models, teach or import skills, advocate for cancellation of foreign debts,
taxation to all etc.
b) Fair salaries
c) Promotion of affordable and decent housing
d) Favorable terms of loans
e) Encourage Jua Kali artisans
f) Christians to demand transformation of society through implementation
of just economic policies that can ensure fair distribution of wealth.
g) Encourage foreign investors through good infrastructure, incentives
e.g. shorter process to register business, security.
h) Christian to encourage investments by churches and inculcate in people
the values of hard work, proper time management free education free
health care for the poor or needy.
Fair distribution of wealth / resources refers to jobs, infrastructure,
hospitals, water, agricultural products etc.
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION

Fighting against bribery and corruption
Bribery and corruption are related terms.
Corruption: – practice of giving a bribe in the form of money, goods or
privileges in return for a service.
Bribery: – act of giving money, material goods or services to someone to
influence the recipient to give underserved favor. It is aimed at influen-
cing a decision to favor.
Bribery is a form of corruption.
- Corruption is some kind of moral degeneration. A practice whereby
someone uses his/her influence in an activity that is not morally
acceptable.
- Example of corruption include promotion by a senior for a favor,
colluding to miss work, use of government vehicles to attend to personal
matters.
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In Kenya, Kenya Anticorruption commission KACC is a national body

formed to fight corruption.
Factors leading to bribery and corruption
1. Un-employment – one will bribe to secure employment
2. Greed for money – caused by peer pressure, poor moral values, wrong
ethical foundation about money etc.
3. Fear – fear of being imprisoned
4. Ignorance – giving bribes in form of gifts
5. Disintegration of traditional African values
6. Lack of moral integrity – no Christian values, one having no spiritual
basis
7. Frustration in the place of work
8. A perverted conscience
Consequences of corruption and bribery
1. Leads to injustice
2. Leads to incompetent supplies of goods or services being awarded
hefty contracts – leads to poor services e.g. road construction
3. Poor infrastructure, poor public service delivery
4. Leads to undermining moral fabric of society – leading to social
hopelessness and despair
5. Has led to lack of trust in public servants, and the government
6. Discontentment among people.
7. Degrades the personality of an individual
8. Can lead to imprisonment and lose of job
CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE TOWARDS BRIBERY AND
CORRUPTION
1. It is condemned as an evil practice (a social evil) Ex. 23:8
2. Bribes cause injustice proverbs 17:23
3. Seen as morally wrong as they negatively affect one’s family
4. Jesus drove out merchants from the temple. They had started
exploitation of the poor.
5. Condemned because it degrades the personality of an individual
6. Amos condemned taking and giving of bribes
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7. Bribes blinds the eyes

In the parable of John the Baptist condemned soldiers from taking bribes
Corrupt judge and the widow, corruption is condemned
8. Christians are to live righteously and not give bribes or receive. They
are the light of the world.
9. Money gained from corruption is not acceptable before God.
C Using life skills
Life skills are abilities, which enable a person to face the challenges of
life in an effective way they are
Decision making
Critical thinking
Creative thinking
Self esteem
Assertiveness
a. Decision making
Process of identifying the best alternative to overcome a challenge
encountered. Often decisions we make do not only affect us but those
around us.
Steps to decision – making
1. Identify the challenge (problem) what’s the problem? What is bothering
you?
2. Understand the challenge / problem: – What is really bothering you?
3. Find out possible solutions
4. Find out the possible options and alternatives
5. Consider the possible consequences for each option
6. Select the best option
7. Implement
8. Evaluate the outcome of the action
b. Critical thinking
g. Ability to examine and assess a given situation impartially or
objectively. It involves reasoning carefully. Getting detailed information,
consider the option before making a decision. Critical thinking makes a
person responsible for their actions.
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c. Creative thinking
This is the act or practice of using ideas imaginatively to solve a problem
d. Self-esteem
- This is the regard one has about himself or herself. Self-esteem can be
low or high, positive or negative.
A positive or high self-esteem person has confidence, is outgoing, social,
appreciates self, realistic and independent.
- A person with low, negative self-esteem is naïve, withdrawn, shy, feels
inadequate, and no self-confidence.
e. Assertiveness
-Ability to express ones feelings and wishes without hurting others.
Assertive people are confident; direct in dealing with others assertive
people have a high self-esteem.
CHRISTIAN VALUES RELATED TO WEALTH, MONEY, AND

POVERTY.
Values – Beliefs, which guide people on what is right and wrong. There
are
- Social values
- Cultural values
- Moral values
Values related to wealth are: -
- Love
- Honesty
- Reliability
- Fairness
- Justice
- Respect
- Faithfulness
- Humility
- Persistence
- Chastity
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Love – intense emotion of attachment, affection, warmth, fondness,

regard for a person or something
How should love guide a Christian in relation to wealth creation?
Honesty – quality of being truthful, fair trustworthy, sincere, genuine.
The opposite of honesty is dishonesty.
Reliability – being dependable, faithful, predictable, unfailing. The
ability of being relied upon and keeping promises
Fairness – condition of being unbiased, free from discrimination.
Justice – fair dealings with the people, as they deserve according to the
law. Being fair, giving people what’s due to them. Opposite of justice is
injustice.
Respect
-Quality of having high regard for somebody or something. Politeness.
It’s important to respect other people’s property.
Humility – quality of not thinking that you are better than others. Being
humble. Opposite of humility is pride, being proud. Those who humble
themselves shall be exalted.
Faithfulness – quality of remaining loyal or true to someone. Christians
should be faithful at their places of work and in allocating their wealth to
God’s work.
Those who are entrusted with public resources to manage on behalf of the
people should show a high degree of faithfulness.
Persistence – quality to persevere. Quality to continue steadfastly,
unrelentingly despite opposition e.g. the unjust judge and widow, job ,
Jeremiah are people who persisted.
Chastity – a state of being pure, holy, innocent modest. It is abstinence
from actions that may make one impure before God.
-Christians should strive hard not to defile their bodies in search of wealth
-Christians should strive to live holy lives, avoid prostitution, drug abuse;
corruption
-people use sexual favor to get jobs or promotion. Christians should thus
avoid such.
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Revision questions
1. Explain the biblical teaching on wealth
2. Discuss the biblical teaching on acquisition and use of wealth
3. Explain ways in which people misuse wealth in Kenya today
4. Show how misuse of wealth leads to family instability
5. Give ways in which the Kenyan government is alleviating the high
levels of poverty
6. State the factors that have contributed to high levels of poverty in
Kenya today
APPROACHES TO LAW, ORDER AND JUSTICE

DEFINITION OF TERMS
Introduction
- Law, order, justice are essential for the survival of any society
- Following laws leads to order and justice lack of following leads to
disorder and injustice laws of Kenya are laid down in the constitution.
A. Law
Established rules by an authority to regulate human behavior in the
community Schools laws, religious laws, factory laws, hospital laws etc.
laws differ from society to society. Laws are dynamic. Laws cover all
Aspects of life.
B. Order
Condition brought about by obedience to set rules or laws. Order leads to
peaceful co – existence in the society. Where there is order, things are
done systematically. The opposite of order is disorder.
Types of laws
1. Non – legal laws – no court action e.g. school rules
2. Customary traditional laws – based on culture, social traditions. They
have to agree with state laws.
They are respected by state.
2. Statutory laws / legal laws – laws made by local council or national
government and citizens are expected to obey them.
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Types of statutory laws

a) Civil laws – made by parliament on issues such as taxes, labor, divorce
etc
b) Criminal law – on crime / punishment
c) Constitutional law – matters of state and governance
d) Company law
e) Religious laws e.g. Islamic law ‘sharia’
C. Justice
Treating others the way they deserve in relation to the law. It’s
administration of rightful dealings in a fair manner according to their
actions. A just society follows rules and administers legal action to those
who offend others or disobey rules. Justice means treating people the
same way without discrimination.
IMPORTANCE OF LAW, ORDER AND JUSTICE
1. Importance of law, order and justice
a) They are essential to preserve harmony and protect people
b) Laws guide people and ensure people’s rights are protected.
c) They protect people’s property and enable people to live in harmony
d) They protect the consumer from exploitation
e) They safeguard religious freedom
f) Laws control power of those in authority and promote political stability
g) Provides stability, encouraging economic growth
h) Helps to control discontentment among people
i) Helps implementation of taxes effectively
j) Provides / help in maintenance of security
k) Ensures human rights are upheld
l) Enables the government to protect its citizens from internal or external
threats.
m) International law regulates relations between countries.
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RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF CITIZENS

Citizen – person who is a member of a state, kingdom, empire. A person
who has full rights as a member of a country by birth, decent, registration,
naturalization.
Rights – legal claims that one is entitled to from the government
Duty – ones responsibility to the government.
Rights
1) Right to life – to live securely
2) Right to education
3) Right to liberty / freedom e.g. one should not be imprisoned, detained,
without trial. One is innocent until proven guilty
4) Right to protection of property
5) Right to own a family – right to marry and raise a family
6) Right to health
7) Freedom of movement
Right to freedom of association
9) Right to freedom of assembly
10) Freedom of religion
11) Right to own property
12) Right to equality – non discrimination
13) Protection of freedom of expression and speech (own opinions, ideas)
Children have rights e.g. Right to life, education, parental care, health,
protection from exploitation, right to identity etc.
Duties of citizens (responsibilities)
1) Pay taxes to the government
2) Respect the flag and national anthem
3) Respect those in authority
4) Respect the laws of the land
5) Register as a voter and voter in national elections
6) Be responsible at work
7) Participate in national development
Promote peace and harmony in the society
9) Report errant members of the society to law enforcement agents
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10) protect the environmental – clean, plant trees, avoid poaching etc
TRADITIONAL AFRICAN PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE LAW,
ORDER, JUSTICE
Some of the practices that promote law, order and justice are:
a) Punishment of offenders
People who committed offences such as stealing, murder, witchcraft were
punished through death, curses, paying heavy fines etc. this promoted
law, order, justice
b) Installation of rules, kings, chiefs, elders
They were installed to maintain law, order and to execute justice in their
areas of jurisdiction
c) Administration of oaths
- Administered by specialists and are used as a method of establishing and
maintaining law and order
d) Making of covenants
- Covenants were made if there was a conflict between two communities.
They would promise to live in peace and harmony.
e) Observing of taboos and customary law
Taboos were prohibitions. Those who went against taboos were severely
punished
f) The kinship system – defined how people related one to another
g) Rites of passage – ensured customs, laws were adhered to
h) Religious practices- such as praying, singing, sacrificing and giving of
offerings had the effect of maintaining order.
BIBLICAL TEACHING ON LAW, ORDER AND JUSTICE
God initiated Law, order, and justice.
1. God’s creation is orderly. God desires order
2. Man was created with a conscience to know right from wrong sin has
consequences or punishment.
God does punish disobedience i.e. justice
3. God instituted the laws as part of his plan for salvation e.g. law of
circumcision, Torah (10 commandments), circumcision of the heart, laws
on what to eat etc.
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4. God’s law governed kingship in Israel. National prosperity depended

on a king’s ruler ship. Kings were to ensure law and order
5. In the New Testament John the Baptist urged people to observe the law
(social justice).
6. Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is based on law, order and justice.
There should be fair treatment for all people
7. Jesus said that the Law of Moses was given to guide people
8. Christians should obey the law of the land and respect those in
authority
9. The apostolic teachings stress the need for law, order, justice (1 Cro.14:
33)
10. Christians should be orderly.
11. The birth of Jesus was orderly. His ministry was also orderly hence
should Christians.
CAUSES OF SOCIAL DISORDER AND THEIR REMEDIES
Social disorder is a state of confusion or lack of order in the society
Causes
1) Discrimination
2) Inequitable distribution of wealth, resources
3) Crime
4) Racism
5) Tribalism
6) Sexism
Discrimination
Discrimination is unfair treatment. Discrimination is on basis of
- Race
- Tribe
- Sex / gender
People or a particular person is singled out and treated with disfavor or
distaste. It is showing bias or prejudice.
Causes of discrimination
a. Culture
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b. Prejudice – bias original from opinions that have no known basis or

supporting facts – stereotypes
c. Ignorance e.g. on HIV /AIDS
d. Social status – ones position in a society
Inequitable distribution of wealth and resources
- This is when riches of family, community, and nation are not fairly
shared out due to Selfishness or poor planning. Some areas are
marginalized.
Racism – unfair treatment of people because of their race
Tribalism – discrimination on basis of ethnic group
Crime – an offence against state, normally settled in court. It’s antisocial
behavior causing disorder.
Causes of crime (Why people commit crime)
1. Poverty
2. Public mistrust for law enforces
3. Lack of parental guidance
4. Wide gap between the rich and the poor
5. Greed for power, money
6. Materialism
7. Drug and substance abuse
Sexism
- Discrimination against people because of gender
- Women are discriminated in areas such as jobs, no promotion for
women, oppression of women at home, cultural values demeaning the
status of women, wife beating / men beating, female genital mutilation
(FGM) early children marriages etc.
Remedies to social disorder
1) Rehabilitation for drugs users / abusers
2) Punishment for offenders of crime
Forms of punishment
- Imprisonment
- Payment of fines
- Corporal punishment
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- Probation
- Being assigned community work
- Being placed under house arrest
- Learning in approved schools, Juvenile homes
3) Equitable distribution of national resources
- Develop marginalized areas
- Create jobs
4) Campaign against drug abuse
5) The public to use hot lines to report crime to police
6) Preach against racism, tribalism, and preach equality, freedom and
interaction with all people
7) People to be sensitized to appreciate and respect different ethnics
groups
Promote national unity through education /cultural programmes
9) Creation of more national schools so as to have students from all
backgrounds
10) Encourage domestic tourism
11) Enlighten women on their rights
12) Employment on merit
13) Rich countries to share wealth with the poor
ROLE OF CHRISTIANS IN TRANSFORMING THE SOCIAL,
ECONOMIC, POLITICAL LIFE OF THE SOCIETY
Transformation is to completely change the attitude, character, and well
being of the society
a) Christian participation in the social life
- Christians are involved in the preaching of the gospel in many places in
the country. They use print and electronic media to spread the gospel.
- Christians have shown concern for the destitute and victims of violence
in the society by building homes for them and providing them with food
and clothing.
- Christians run schools, vocational institutions, and universities providing
educational services
- Christians offer medical services to the society
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- They speak openly against sexual immorality, murder, bribery,

corruption, abortion etc.
- They show compassion to those in need the poor, HIV / AIDS orphans,
widows, widowers, aged etc.
- They offer guidance and counseling to dysfunctional families (the
pastors, those trained to do counseling – almost all pastors get a training
in guidance and counseling)
b) Christians participation in the political life
- Christians participate in the political life by advocating for fair
distribution of wealth
- They offer prayers for government, political leaders
- They exercise their right by voting
- They also participating in the political life by standing up for elections
(Vying for elections)
c) Christian participation in economic life
- Christians participate in economic life by paying taxes to the
government
- By contributing in collection of funds for construction of churches,
schools, hospitals
- They invest in business that promotes their own development as well as
the development of the country.
- They provide financial resources in order to assist others to start
economic activities or self employment
- They discourage business practices such as using faulty scales, hiking of
prices cheating in business etc and encourage proper acquisition of wealth
d) THE CHURCH – STATE RELATIONSHIP
The government and the church interact at various levels and in different
areas
a) Religious leaders give advice to the state
b) The church speaks against corruption, robbery, rape, abortion, vices
which the government is fighting
c) The church is the conscience of the state
d) Both educate the citizens on the constitution and their rights
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e) The church preaches peace, love, unity, order

f) The state needs support of the church in mobilizing citizens to adopt
government policies
g) Both are involved in rehabilitation of prisoners
h) The church builds schools and other institutions that supplement
government institutions.
i) The church is involved in formulation of educational curriculum.
However the church differs with government on various issues such as
a) Use of condoms (Some churches opposed to this)
b) Use of live bullets by the law enforces when curbing riots
c) Fight on corruption a thorn to the church since state leaders are
involved
d) Issue of death penalty – church been fighting against death penalty to
convicts
NB. The government lifted the death penalty as a form of punishment in
the year 2009.
Revision questions
1. State ways in which Christians can promote peace/unity in the society
2. Why should Christians take part in voting?
CHRISTIAN APPROACHES TO SELECTED ISSUES RELATED
TO MODERN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
DEFINITIONS
Science – subject field that deals with a systematic study of our
surroundings and behavior of materials in the universe
It is based on observation, experimentation and measurement.
Technology – application of science to achieve desired objectives.
Environment – our surroundings – both natural and human made i.e.
mountains, lakes, land, forests, animals, buildings, flowers etc
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
Ways science and technology has improved human lives:
1) Improvement of crop production – a quality seeds, fertilizers leading to
improved yields
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2) Better nutrition, health care, medical services

3) Improvement of livestock production through artificial insemination,
quality medicine leading to more milk production.
4) It has led to development of efficient means of transport – land, air,
seas
5) Work has been made easier and enjoyable. There is use of machines,
automation, and use of computers.
6) People’s lives have been spared, saved e.g. through life saving
machines (ICU), incubators
7) Business transactions are being done through the internet
Communication has been made easy – fax, email, short text messages on
mobile phones etc
9) Research is ongoing for incurable diseases i.e. HIV / AIDS, cancer
10) There is better management of environment
11) Technology has made the world a global village
12) Through family planning methods, it’s easier to control population
growth
13) There’s a better security system through use of scanners, alarms,
electrified fences etc.
14) Improvement of learning through e–learning
15) There’s easier movement from one country to another
Negative effects of science and technology
1. People use medicine to commit suicide
2. Increase of crime, fraud and death through modern means of
communication
3. Destruction of family relationships
4. Breakdown of community names, values morals, breakdown of family-
es
5. Terrorism
6. Greed for money / materialism
7. Unemployment – replacement of personnel by machines
8. Health hazards such as accidents in factories
9. Pollution, air poisoning
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CHRISTIAN VIEW ON ISSUES RELATED TO SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY.
a. Euthanasia
b. Blood transfusion
c. Organ transplant
d. Genetic engineering
e. Plastic surgery
Euthanasia
It’s a Greek word, which means an easy and painless death. It is ‘mercy
killing’ ending a person’s life so as to alleviate them from experiencing
pain.
Its practiced with the sick person’s knowledge
It is involuntary when it’s practiced against or without the sick person’s
consent
It’s done by
a) Injecting an overdose of sleeping pills to the sick person
b) Switching off life support machine
c) Exposing the person with chronic pneumonia to very cold air.
Christians view on Euthanasia
Christians are opposed to euthanasia for several reasons such as
a) Life is sacred; a gift from God and only God can take away human life
b) Suffering is part of human life
c) Euthanasia is against medical ethos, which demands that doctors and
nurses work for the sustenance of human life and alleviation of suffering
but not to terminate it.
d) Jesus has power over sickness and through his name all sickness are
healed
e) Accepting euthanasia discourages medical research on vaccines that
may cure various diseases.
f) Euthanasia discourages patients and makes them to lose hope in life.
They may feel unwanted and rejected.
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Blood transfusion
- It’s the process of injecting a person’s blood into another person through
his/her veins. The giver is a donor the receiver is a recipient.
Reasons for blood transfusion
1. When a person is suffering from acute anemia (little blood in the body)
low blood level.
2. To restore blood lost during fatal accidents, wars, or childbirth
3. To maintain blood levels for patients undergoing major operations
4. To correct the low hemoglobin level of some patients
5 Blood has to be screened for any diseases, and then kept in blood bank
after determining the blood group. The transfusion should be in a hygienic
way. The equipment used should be sterilized
6. Donors should not be below 16 years or above 65 years
Alternatives to blood transfusion
a) Volume expanders – increase fluid levels in the body
b) Growth factors – intra operative / post operative
c) Blood salvage – same blood when on surgery is saved then transfused
back to the patient
Christian view on blood transfusion
a) Some Christian’s believe it is wrong to take blood from a healthy
person and transfuse it to another person.
b) Blood is life and life cannot be taken from one person to another
c) Blood transfusion is essential as it saves life
d) Blood transfusion can transmit dangerous diseases like HIV / AIDS
and Hepatitis B
e) God has given Christians the intelligence and capability to make the
right decision and choice
Organ transplant
- This is the removal of a defective organ and replacing it with a healthy
one. Body organs transplanted are kidneys, heart and eyes small
intestines, pan crease.
- The purpose is to replace the damaged organ of a recipient
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- Common transplants are the heart, kidney, eyes from living and the dead
(heart) within a span of hours. Eyes can be transplanted from animals.
Christian view on organ transplant
a) It saves life hence acceptable to some
b) Its transferring human life from one person to another
c) It’s wrong to transplant from animals – view by some Christians
d) Some support organ transplant by referring to the story of creation of
Eve from parts of Adam
e) It is part of human beings continuing with the creation work of God.
f) It is an expression of love and concern for those suffering as taught by
Jesus Christ.
Genetic engineering
- It’s a scientific technique used by scientists to change the biological
characteristics of living organisms by deliberately altering the structure of
individual genes.
- There are genetically modified foods, genetically engineered seeds, test
tube babies, human clones, and genes of human insulin.
Human cloning
This is a form of genetic engineering. It’s a creation of genetically
identical copy of a human being, human cell.
Twins are a form of natural cloning
There’s therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning (human cloning)
Therapeutic cloning is when cells from an adult are used in creating
medicine or for research
Reproduction cloning is the making of human beings
More than 90% of cloning has failed.
Animals cloned have died young, had cancers or arthritis.
Human cloning is illegal worldwide
Genetic cells are used to treat Alzheimer, heart attack, cancer
Test tube babies are different from human cloning. Test tube babies are
where the egg and sperm is fused together outside the body.
In cloning, a needle like device is used to draw out the cells from an
embryo, then preserved using chemicals, then put in a womb/uterus to
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grow. Some do not need a sperm cell; they use other body cells for
fertilization.
Reasons for advocating human cloning
Can clone people whose genetic composition is of a genius, people with
special abilities or talents
Can be able to bring, revive back great extinct characteristics.
Those who support it believes it can reduce immorality
Reasons against human cloning
1. God is the sole creator. Cloning takes the place of God.
2. It de –humanizes human beings purpose of human reproduction
3. It destroys uniqueness of each individual (Cloning is an exact copy)
4. It can be abused and used to create antisocial people (rapists, thieves)
5. May create deformed people
6. Its un-ethical, immoral experiment. Its destruction of the embryo hence
abortion
7. 95% of clones have failed (animal) most animals died
8. It’s illegal
9. Closed animals died of cancer, had arthritis, deformities and an early
death
10. Cloning may bring a destructive copy of humans
Advantages of genetic engineering
1. Implanting genes that are diseases free in people, plant and animals
could prevent diseases.
2. Genetic crops yield more
3. Helps to determine the biological parent in case of dispute on babies
(DNA)
4. Helps to increase disease resistance in crops and altering animal traits
in plants and animals
5. Assists in classifying blood during screening before it’s transfused to
another person.
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Christian view of genetic engineering

1. Christians support genetic engineering that is beneficial to human
beings e.g. Cure of genetic diseases, production of drugs, plant and
animals
2. Human beings are made in God’s image and are loved by God with or
without defects.
3. The dignity of the human being is eroded or disregarded and should be
upheld.
4. Christians oppose cloning and test tube babies
5. it’s against God’s will or teaching
Plastic surgery
- It’s to change or mould the shape of something, to enhance or restore an
area of the body
- It’s repairing or improving of damaged, diseased or unsatisfactory
shaped parts of the body with pieces of skin or bone taken from other
parts of the body.
- Skin grafting is the most common type of plastic surgery
- Plastic surgery is done on cleft lips i.e. cosmetic surgery, breast surgery
– reduction or enlargement, surgery done to look younger.
Reasons for plastic surgery
- It can help restore ones confidence or self – esteem
- It enhances beauty, attractiveness or youthfulness
- It enhances a person’s life and can be a life changing procedure
- It may help a person to get a new job
Disadvantages
- Its expensive
- Can lead to transmission of diseases
Christian views on plastic surgery
- Some support it, as it has some benefits
- Some Christian oppose plastic surgery in order to look younger
- Some argue that some people do it because of a lack of self –
acceptance, low self esteem hence should work on such issues first.
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THE CHRISTIAN VIEW ON THE EFFECTS OF MODERN

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ON THE ENVIRONMENT
(POLLUTION, DESERTIFICATION)
In Genesis 1, man was given the responsibility of taking care of the
environment
Ways of taking care of the environment
1. Cleaning up the environment, clean up rivers
2. Educating people on the importance of conservation
3. Dispose industrial wastes properly
4. Enforce use of environment – friendly fuel (unleaded fuel)
5. Factory owners to supply protective wear to factory workers
6. Planting of trees and flowers
7. Establishing airports, industries, and disco clubs away from residential
areas.
8. Advocate for laws to be passed to minimize noise from vehicles,
aircrafts, and entertainment centers.
9. Waste to be managed through
Reuse e.g. bottles
Recycle plastic bottles to be recycled to plastic bins, old newspapers to
be recycled to tissue papers.
Recover – burning waste products to produce electricity
Waste can be managed to reduce use of ‘Throw away’ goods e.g. batteries
to use of electricity.
POLLUTION AND ITS EFFECTS
Its introduction into the environment of substances or energy that is liable
to cause hazards to human health, harm to living resources and ecological
systems
In simple terms pollution is the contamination of the environment.
Substances that cause pollution are called pollutants. Some of the
pollutants include;
Industrial affluent
Pesticides
Insecticides
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Fertilizers
Ultra – violet rays from nuclear plants
Dust
Smoke
Noise
Waste heat
Exhaust gases from automobiles
Types of pollution
a) Water pollution
p) Air pollution
q) Land pollution
r) Radiation pollution
s) Sound pollution (noise)
Water pollution
This is the increase of substances in water in excess of its rightful
chemical components thus making it unsuitable for human, animal or
plant use.
- Disposing domestic and industrial waste into rivers, lakes, seas etc
pollutes water.
- Disposing agricultural chemicals pesticides into water bodies.
- Oil spilling into waters
- Poor sanitation bathing or washing clothes in rivers or dams
Effects of water pollution
a. Causes diseases, which are communicable such as cholera, typhoid, and
dysentery.
b. Leads to death of marine life – birds (Flamingo) fish by oil spills
c. Mercury (metal) leads, silver are poisonous. They kill organisms.
d. Water becomes unfit for human consumption
Air pollution
- Presence of contaminants in the atmosphere caused by
a. Smoke
b. Fumes
c. Dust – from mines, quarries
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- When there is an increased level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

that’s pollution
- Other major atmospheric pollutants include gases such as
chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), and sulphur dioxide (SO2)
- Nitrogen Oxide (NO) i.e. fumes from vehicles, aircrafts, and industries
Effects
(i) Leads to diseases such as bronchitis, asthma
(ii) Leads to depletion of the Ozone layer leading to ultra – violet rays of
the sun penetrating to the earth causing skin cancer, cataracts (eye
problems), and low plant yields.
(iii) Causes rusting of roofs
(iv) Causes acid rains
(v) Carbon dioxide (02) in the atmosphere has led to global warming.
(vi) Formation of smog (thick fog), which can lead to accidents.
(vii) Colored rain due to large amounts of dust in the atmosphere
(viii) Eyesight loss due to gas leakages from industrial plants.
Land pollution
Land pollution is any physical or chemical alteration to land, which
causes change in its use and renders it incapable of beneficial use without
treatment.
- Improper or excessive use of insecticides, pesticides makes land acidic
- Land is also polluted by improper disposal of waste / garbage, broken
glasses.
Effects
(i) Waste is an eye sore spoiling the beauty of the environment
(ii) Broken glass can lead to injuries
(iii) Open mining leaves pits, which are a danger to people and animals.
Noise pollution
- Experienced especially in urban centers, near roads, running water,
mining areas, airports, music from bars, nightclubs etc.
- An instrument called sound meter measures noise. The lowest unit is O
Decitel, which is okay. More than 80 decibels is harmful to the ear.
Noise over 80 decibels can cause (effects)
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- Deafness, hearing problems

- Psychological disorders – frustrations, irritation
- Insomnia
- Shock due to sudden noise
- Cracking of walls
Noise can be minimized by
Construction of sound proof buildings
Location of residential areas away from industries, airports, bars, main
roads
Banning of unnecessary hooting, playing of loud music in public
vehicles
Installing silencers in generators
Education people on the effects of noise pollution
Pollution caused by radiation
Mainly in developed countries
-Atomic explosions e.g. Hiroshima / Nagasaki in Japan in 1945. The side
effects of mutations of born children. Some children born with deformi-
ties. The radiation caused chromosome mutations. Some mutations on the
cells of the parent / grandparents.
Nuclear power stations also a danger
Medical equipment e.g. X ray machines when one is over exposed to
these radiations (x – rays) it can lead to development of cancer.
DESERTIFICATION
This is slow encroachment of desert – like a condition to land that was
previously productive making it desolate, uncultivatable and
uninhabitable. Human activity accelerates creation of deserts.
Causes of deserts
1. Natural
a) Persistent rains in a semi – arid area
b) Exposure of an area to very high, very cold temperatures
c) Inadequate rainfall for a long period of time
2. Human
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Human activities that lead to desertification are

(i) Cutting down of trees (deforestation) for land use such as building,
industries, and not replacing them.
(ii) Use of water from wells to irrigate land. Its harmful especially salty
water – salt on soil salination is toxic to soils.
(iii) Incorrect use of pesticides and fertilizers destroy soil nutrients.
(iv) Industrialization – industries emit carbon dioxide (CO2) leading to
formation of acid rain, which leads to unproductive land hence
desertification
(v) Overgrazing especially among the pastoralist communities
(vi) Poor farming methods like cultivation on riverbanks and slopes,
which causes soil erosion, leading to desertification.
SOLUTIONS TO DESERTIFICATION
Land can be restored through the following ways;
(i) Removal of people, livestock from certain areas e.g. forests
(ii) Installation of good drainage systems
(iii) Reduction of water logging / salination
(iv) Use of alternative sources of fuel such as wind, solar, biogas instead
of cutting down trees to use as fuel (charcoal)
(v) Advocate for penalties to those who pollute the environment –
factories
(vi) Replace trees that are cut down
(vii) Build water storage facilities to store rain water then use it for
irrigation
(viii) Educate people on the importance of the environment
(ix) Use of manure instead of harmful fertilizers
Emulate Prof. Wangari Maathai implanting trees – 8th October 2004 she
was awarded the Nobel peace prize, an international award, for her efforts
in preserving the environment.
Revision questions
1. How can modern Christians evaluate scientific and technological
discoveries?
2. Why is the church in Kenya opposed to plastic surgery?
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3. How has science and technology improved human life?

4. What are the consequences of science and technology in our society?
C.R.E. – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
TOPIC ONE
CHRISTIAN ETHICS
Q1. What is the meaning of Christian Ethics?
This is the study of human conduct or behavior.
It is about how Christians make choices in their daily lives guided by
Christian principles and value.
Q2. What is the basis or sources or foundation of Christian Ethics?
The Bible/Biblical scripture (holy)
The natural law
Human experience and reason
The Christian community – preachers
Situation Ethics
Secular/Civil Law
Q3. List the basic life skills that one needs to be able to lead a better
life
(a) Critical thinking
(b) Creative thinking
(c) Decision – making
(d) Self-esteem
(e) Assertiveness
TOPIC TWO
MALE/FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS
Q1. Explain seven Christian teachings on male/female relationships
Male/female were created as equal human beings: created in the image
and likeness of God.
Male/female created for companionship, help/ partners/ complements
each other.
Both are co-creator with God – done through procreation.
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Union between both is consummated in marriage.

Relationship is based on love and respect/chastity.
Man/husband is the head of the family.
Each man to have his own wife and wife own husband.
Husband and wife should not deny each other conjugal rights.
Youth should abstain from sex until marriage.
Male/female body is temple of the Lord.
Short periods of abstinence are allowed among married people but with
consent from each other.
Christians appreciate different roles of men and women in the church
e.g. leadership in choir for women and men.
TOPIC THREE: HUMAN SEXUALITY
Q1. Explain the Traditional African understanding of human
sexuality
Human sexuality is regarded as sacred and secret in many African
communities.
The sacredness of sex is related to the power to transmit life –
procreation.
It is taboo to discuss sex matters freely especially in the presence of
children.
Grandparents who are free from any tying job teach sex education.
Young people are prepared for adult life in the context of age group e.g.
games of sexual nature take place within an age group. The age group has
control of each other and there is no sex whatsoever.
During initiation ceremonies, vigorous sex education is provided to the
initiates.
They are taught about sex, its secrets and the mystery of manhood and
womanhood.
Girls are expected to remain virgins
Rape offenders are severely punished.
Boys and girls are not allowed to mix.
Division of labor is on the basis of sex.
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Roles of boys and girls are taught from childhood e.g. by copying their
parents.
Q2. Explain Christian attitude towards human sexuality
Sex is sacred.
Man and woman are equal before God.
It is for procreation.
Man and woman are complimentary.
Both were created in the image of God.
They became one in marriage.
Sex is only allowed in marriage.
Virginity is valued.
Human beings have the ability to control sexual desires.
Chastity is a virtue.
All forms of irresponsible sexual behavior are condemned.
Q3. In what ways is sex abused in Kenya?
 By practicing fornication/sex before marriage.
Adultery – sex outside marriage
Through prostitution
By practicing bestiality
Through homosexuality/lesbianism/gayism
Incest
Rape/defilement of minors
Masturbation
Pornographic literature – using of technological devices in sex
Q4. Why do you think minors are defiled or sexually abused in Kenya
daily?
Lack of self-control among some men
Drugs and drug abuse
Permissiveness in society
Influence from the mass media
Mental illness – mad people
Erosion of the African culture/moral values
Devil worship/strange cults/false religion
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Breakdown of religion values

Irresponsible parenthood
Indecent dressing
Leniency of the Law/no punishment for criminal
Idleness
Poverty
Responsible Sexual Behavior
Q 5 what is the Christian teaching on responsible sexual behavior?
Responsible sex is between male and female.
Sexual intercourse is allowed between married people.
Faithfulness is a virtue in this: Both partners must avoid adultery.
Responsible sexual behavior means exercising self-control.
It entails obedience to God’s commands hence a Christian has to shun
forbidden sexual behavior e.g. fornication.
Body temple of the Lord, Our sexual relationships should uphold human
dignity and respect for our bodies.
The Bible teaches that whatever we do with our bodies should be for the
glory of God (1 Cor. 7:19-20).
Q6. List the difference types of irresponsible sexual behavior
• Homosexuality (lesbianism, sodomy)
• Bestiality
• Masturbation
• Rape
• Incest
• Prostitution
• Fornication
• Abortion
Q7. Explain the Christian teaching on responsible sexual behavior
It defiles the body, which is the temple of God.
It is wickedness.
It is unholy and dirty before God.
It is spiritually unclean.
Those involved break the commandment of God.
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It involves coveting – a sin.

Polygamy is condemned and considered irresponsible.
Q8. State the effects of irresponsible sexual behavior
It can lead to sexually transmitted diseases (AIDS).
Can lead to pregnancy and then abortion.
If married people are involved (adultery) divorce may occur.
Separation
Children suffer lack of parental care due to divorce as a result of
adultery.
It may lead to street children.
It discourages young people from marrying.
It can lead to fights, quarrels, misunderstanding and friction.
Young people can chop out of school due to pregnancy/AIDS.
Can lead to single parenthood.
Withdrawing from family and society
Self-pity and loneliness
Psychological problems e.g. depression
Stress
Suicide and death
Unwanted/unexpected pregnancies
Aggressiveness and violence
LESSON THREE: THE FAMILY
Q5. State the different types of families
Nuclear family
Single parent family
Polygamous
Extended
LESSON TWO: MARRIAGE
Q1. Explain the Traditional African understanding of marriage
Marriage is viewed as the focus of existence, i.e. the point where the
three members of the community meet (i.e. living, departed and the
unborn).
A rhythm of life through which everybody must participate
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Marriage is a duty/a must/compulsory

Failure to marry means the person has rejected society and the society
rejects him in turn.
Those who do not marry are considered as sub-human or lawbreakers.
Marriage is God ordained.
Young boys and girls are prepared for this sacred institution during
initiation.
They are taught everything pertaining to marriage e.g. sex.
Children cement the marriage.
Q2. What is the importance of children in Traditional African
Society?
They help their parents at old age.
Cement a marriage: One without children is considered incomplete.
Children (boys) provide security at home and the community.
They help in the perpetuation of the family and community name.
The departed are reborn through naming of children.
Provide labor
It is through children that (new) members meet and get to know each
other. Young children are introduced to their relatives e.g. during
initiation, marriage etc.
Children uphold the statue of parents.
Q3. What is the Christian teaching about marriage?
The church defines marriage as a covenant.
The Bible teaches that marriage is a divine institution.
Marriage is for procreation.
Marriage is for companionship.
It is for fulfillment of mutual love.
Marriage is a remedy against sin – fornication.
It should be monogamous.
Marriage should be permanent – no divorce.
Without or with children marriage is complete.
Sex outside marriage is forbidden.
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Q4. What is the importance of courtship period in Traditional

African Societies?
It helped in identifying a suitable marriage partner.
The two families involved established a firm relationship.
The boy and the girl had a chance to learn each other’s character.
It gives an opportunity to know whether the boy and girl are related.
Allows time for exchange of gifts between the two families, thus a firm
relationship is established.
Time to negotiate the bride-wealth
Boy and girl are instructed about their duties and responsibilities.
Q5. Why are many people opting for celibacy instead of marriage
today?
Celibacy is used to refer to the unmarried.
Many remain single today because of Christianity – to serve God.
Some are born Eunuchs – cannot father children.
Education – one may want to pursue education
Career demands – too demanding to allow one get time for a family.
Lack of guidance and counseling on marriage and family
Discouragement from failing marriages
Economic reasons – one may not have money for a big house, wedding
and bringing up a family.
Poor health e.g. epilepsy
Economic independence – whereby young people feel satisfied when
they have enough money
Parental interference – or whom their son should marry.
Disappointing relationships
CHAPTER SIX
CHRISTIAN APPROACHES TO WORK
Q1. What is work?
Answer
Work means any human activity, be it manual, intellectual or both.
Q2. List any six reasons why people work
People work for self-satisfaction and fulfillment
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For personal development

In order to acquire basic needs of life
To give life meaning, direction and dignity.
To provide service for the community.
To acquire wealth and status in the community.
In order to socialize and grow as a member of a community
To attain independence and stop depending on others.
In order to help others e.g. beggars.
Q3. Explain the Traditional African attitude towards work
Work was understood as a fundamental dimension of human existence
here on earth.
It is through work that human beings were able to change, reorganize
and restructure their society.
It was regarded as a recreational activity as through it, people built their
houses, places of worship, produced art like sculpture and carving.
Work was highly valued and the dignity of work was taught early in
life.
Each member had his own role to play e.g. men went out to hunt, herd
etc accompanied with boys while mother did house work with the help of
daughters.
Grandparents taught the youth how to behave and baby seated.
They believed work was God’s will and so they invoked God’s name
through prayer, sacrifice to bless their work.
They had freedom over their work. No supervision. They decided when
to work, when to rest but rest came after work.
Work was related to leisure, for people sang, danced and told stories as
they worked.
Through work, many people exploited talents or learned e.g. building
houses, song etc.
All were workers – work was compulsory.
Work brought people together – solidarity. This is because they shared
work (communal work).
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Q3. List some of the factors that have changed the attitude towards
work in the modern society
Level of education – determine the type of work.
Availability of job opportunities
Stiff competition
Work is personal unlike in Traditional African Communities where it
was social.
Negative attitude to work, this is where some people hate manual work.
People work for personal gain and gratification
Work is a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder.
Q4. What are the rights of employers?
They have a right to a fair taxation in their business.
Get profits from their business.
Have association with other employers
Expect loyalty form their employees.
Receive from their employees work input as agreed upon on the
employment contract.
Operate without being black mailed by trade unions.
Open business ventures without Government restrictions.
Q5. State the duties of employees
To carry out their duties to the best of their ability without supervision
e.g. is punctual, present etc.
To respect and protect the property of the employer.
To resort to peaceful means of solving problems, and not destructive
ways e.g. strike.
To work diligently for self – fulfillment and development
To respect the employer and fellow employees.
Q6. Why has child labor become common in Kenya?
Definition: – This is the employment of children on a full time basis.
Reasons:
Their labor is cheap.
They are not union sable and can therefore not fight for proper terms
and conditions of service.
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They can easily be lured and fired.

They do not have qualifications in any skill so as to negotiate for their
terms.
They are looked at as a source of income by their parents or guardians.
Q7. What are the causes of unemployment in Kenya?
High population – There are too few job opportunities as compared to
the many young people.
Hatred for manual work – many youth are looking for white-collar jobs
despising the available “blue jobs.”
Bribery and corruption – In the job market whereby the rich are able to
give while the poor though with good qualifications cannot secure a job.
Lack of skills and capital to start self-employment
Bad governance and poor economic policies from the government
SAPS – Structural Adjustment of Programmes i.e. Policy – not giving
funds has led to poverty.
International policies of globalization that have affected the agric sector
that has been the greatest employer in Kenya
Retrenchment of workers in the Civil Service and Private Sectors
Increase in crime that has aggravated insecurity in the country. This has
discouraged local and international investors.
Q8. What can the Government do to reduce unemployment in Kenya?
By creating more job opportunities
By starting more industries
Increase of workers by 10% after every 10 years
Encouraging self-employment whereby loans and space are given
Starting of a school curriculum (8.4.4.) – starting that gears students
into blue-collar jobs.
Starting the District Funds for Rural Development  C.D.F.
Stopping rural –urban migration
By Africanisation of jobs – sending away foreign workers
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CHAPTER SEVEN
CHRISTIAN APPROACHES TO LEISURE: AND THE USE AND
ABUSE OF DRUGS
Q1. Identify five (5) reasons why the taking of alcohol as a way of
spending leisure is condemned
It leads to conflicts/quarrels within the family.
Misuse of family resources
May lead to addiction.
Leads to irresponsible sexual behaviors e.g. prostitution, adultery, and
fornication
Could lead to loss of income.
May lead to irresponsibility, which leads to accidents such as motor
accidents.
Q2. Write down 5 ways in which modern Christian use their leisure
time
Organize/attend religious seminars.
Participate in church choir/concerts
Offers services to the aged
Read religious literature e.g. Bible
Keep the church and its environment clean.
Have fellowship with other Christians
Initiate self-help projects to assist the needy.
Provide guidance and counseling to the community.
Preach the word of God
Visit relatives and friends
Be with family members
Listen to Christian preaching/songs on radio
Q3. Give 5 ways in which drug abuse could affect a Christian family
Drains family resources
Fights in families may occur.
Leads to diseases
Leads to family break-ups/separation/divorce
It reduces one’s capacity to be productive in the family.
398
Results in making wrong decisions/judgment

Leads to denial of conjugal rights
Leads to loss of religious values
Leads to poor role models for children
Leads to crime/imprisonment
Q4. Identify ways in which Christians can overcome temptations to
drug abuse
Practicing self-control
Praying against being tempted.
Seeking guidance and counseling
Avoiding the company of those who misuse drugs
Reading literature on the correct use of drugs
Participating in activities that promote proper use of drugs/healthy
activities
Q5. Why is leisure important in the life of Christians?
Gives one time to visit the sick/needy
For dedicating oneself to God/worshiping God
Provide an opportunity to fellowship with others
It allows one to develop the different talents given by God.
It gives one an opportunity to meet new friends/family.
One is able to read the word of God.
Provides an opportunity for one to preach/evangelize
Provides an opportunity to take care of the environment
Provides an opportunity to guide and counsel others and be guided
Provides time to rest to gain lost energy.
Q6. What factors have contributed to the misuse or leisure in Kenya
today?
Too much money/wealth/availability of drugs/contraceptives
Inadequate facilities
Lack of proper guidance/education on how to use leisure
Poverty
Inability to make right decisions
Bad company/peer pressure
399
Watching/reading phonographic materials/negative media

Misunderstanding in families/frustrations
Inability to balance between different activities
Permissiveness
Lack of role models
Idleness/boredom/unemployment
Q7. State the factors that have led to the misuse of drugs in Kenya
today
Poor role models
Stress/depression/rebellion
Peer pressure/curiosity
Irresponsible parenthood
Influence of mass media
Availability of drugs/wealth
Lack of guidance and counseling
Corruption/greed
Poverty
Moral decay/permissiveness in the society
Lack of knowledge/ignorance on use of drugs
Idleness
Urbanization/west culture
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO ISSUES RELATED TO WEALTH,
MONEY AND POVERTY
Q1. Explain the biblical teaching on wealth
It is a blessing from God.
When wealth comes with responsibility.
Wealth can create a sense of false independence.
It should be acquired in just and honest way.
Wrong attitude to wealth leads to idolatry.
One should seek spiritual wealth, which is permanent and more
fulfilling.
It is wrong to discriminate others on basis of material possessions.
400
Christians should share whatever wealth they have.

Wealth is not supreme good.
Wealth gives people independence so that they do not beg.
Wealth may bring suffering and insecurity.
God is the owner of wealth and people should realize that they are only
stewards.
Q2. Discuss the biblical teaching on acquisition and use of wealth
Riches acquired through just and fair means are not condemned.
Even if wealth is acquired through just means it should not be idolized.
Failing to use wealth to glorify God
God is the source of all riches.
Wealth is acquired through obedience to God’s laws.
People ought to take care of their wealth not misuse.
Wealth should be equally distributed and not concentrated in the hands
of a few.
Wealth should be used to develop the nation’s infrastructure.
Q3. Explain ways in which people misuse wealth in Kenya today
Indulge in alcohol and drugs
Engaging in immoral practices e.g. prostitution
Gambling which might lead to loss of wealth
Being luxurious/extravagant
Unfair class competition among the wealthy
Using wealth to undermine others e.g. assassination
Using wealth to promote crime
Engaging in risky/dangerous sports or projects e.g. motor racing,
wrestling.
Using wealth selfishly/lack of social concern
Using wealth to engage young people into immoral practices e.g. sex
tourism.
Q4. Show how misuse of wealth leads to family instability
One may indulge in alcohol/drug abuse at the expense of family needs.
Engage in immorality/extra-marital sexual relations/prostitution
Leads to misunderstanding on how to use wealth/invest
401
One uses wealth to engage in gambling.

Spoils children/encourages laziness.
Arrogance/pride/showing off
One becomes obsessed with wealth and fails to care for the family love
– has no time for the family.
Inheritance squabbles in case of death.
One fails to meet the basic needs for the family.
Q5. Give ways in which Kenyan Government is alleviating levels of
poverty
Offering free education
Provision of C.D.F
Allocation of bursary to the needy
Creating and enabling environmental employment in formal and
informal sectors (easy access to loans)
Providing market for agricultural products e.g. K.C.C, Cereal Board
Provision of low cost health services
Improving infrastructure e.g. roads, electricity
Providing youth fund through the Ministry of Youth Affairs.
Q6. State the factors that have contributed to high levels of poverty in
Kenya today
Geographical factors e.g. adverse climate conditions.
Historical/colonialism and social factors e.g. poor family background
Political instability, which may lead to civil wars
Poor governance
Regional imbalance of natural resources
Low level of technology
Unemployment
Laziness
Over dependence on foreign aid
Abuse of alcohol and other drugs
Lack of formal education hence no employment
402
CHAPTER NINE
CHRISTIAN APPROACHES TO LAW, ORDER AND JUSTICE
Q1. State ways in which Christians can promote unity/peach in the
society
By reporting criminals to the police
By being good example to others as peacekeepers
Praying for criminals
Building and counseling criminals
Teaching the society the importance of keeping peace
Condemning evil and evildoers
Q2. Why should Christians take part in voting?
They belong to the society and leadership affects them.
It is a God-given duty.
In order to choose righteous leaders who will encourage values/virtues
In order to help reduce bribery and corruption and other vices in the
society
CHAPTER 10
CHRISTIAN APPROACHES TO SELECTED ISSUES RELATED
TO MODERN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
Q1. How can modern Christians evaluate scientific and technological
discoveries?
They should keep in mind that God gave them high-level power of
thinking.
Discoveries must be used intelligently to solve man’s problems.
They should not be used as an insult to God who created all things e.g.
in things like plastic surgery, test tube babies etc.
Discoveries must be used intelligently to solve man’s problems.
Discoveries should not erode Christian values by increasing man’s trust
in scientific and technological production.
Acknowledge God as the source of all truth including science
Should help man make moral decision and judgments e.g. effect of
alcohol, smoking, etc.
403
Man should not be a slave to scientific discoveries instead he should

control it.
Q2. Why is the church in Kenya opposed to plastic surgery?
It is against God’s plan of old age and death.
It is a sign of lack of appreciation to God’s work of creation.
It can lead to death if the operation fails.
It interferes with God’s image given at birth.
May be very expensive.
Emphasis on beauty and pleasing which are seen as idolatry
Certain diseases can be transmitted especially where tissues may be
detached from a donor with an infectious disease.
Can bring about other operations like diseases.
Scientists use it to compete with God’s creation.
Leads to vices such as pride
It may lead to criminal activities by the victim due to different
appearances.
It is a sign of lack of faith in God’s power of creation/healing.
It is against human dignity.
Q3. How have science and technology improved human life?
Modern methods of transport and communication have improved social
interaction and faster movements.
It has improved efficiency at work where machines are used.
Has improved agricultural development hence increasing food
production.
Irrigation and wealth forecasting have too increased in food production.
It has brought better health care through modern medical technology.
Human beings are now better placed in terms of security matters by use
of radar, alarms and electrical fencing.
It has led to the creation of job opportunities through industrial
development.
Formal education and training has equipped human beings with new
skills for survival.
Trade has been promoted through the use of computers and the Internet.
404
Q4. What are the consequences of science and technology in our

society today?
Unemployment is acute in our society today because computers have
taken over.
There is exploitation of workers by the employers because they want
maximum profits.
It has caused pollution and air poisoning.
It has caused health hazards and accidents in factories, roads etc.
Machines have replaced human labor.
Families are separated due to employment whereby a mother lives in the
rural with children while the father goes to town to work.
It has destroyed family relationships and replaced it with individualism

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1

FORM ONE NOTES

INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING CRE

Why the Bible is a library

THE BIBLE: MAJOR DIVISIONS AND ITS BOOKS

Exercise 1 – Go through the 12 books and check page by page the

MAJOR BIBLE TRANSLATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL LAN-

CREATION AND THE FALL OF MAN (GENESIS 1-3, 6-9, 11)

Differences between the two creation stories

Mentions what was created on -doesn’t mention the daily activities of

Similarities between the two accounts of creation

e) Man is given the responsibility of controlling animals, birds and plants

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD FROM THE BIBLICAL CREATION

(iii) Created everything out of nothing.

THE TEACHINGS FROM THE BIBLICAL CREATION

BIBLICAL TEACHING: THE FALL OF MAN, ORIGIN OF SIN

GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL

9) What does the command “Subdue the earth” in Genesis 1 verse 28

FAITH AND GOD PROMISES TO ABRAHAM

FAITH AND GOD’S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM (HEBREWS 11: 1

c. GOD’S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM (GENESIS 12:2-3, 15:1-21,

Through Jesus Christ Christians enter into an everlasting covenant with

f) IMPORTANCE OF THE COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND

Loyalty /oath: Leaders in public service for example the president,

h) THE TESTING OF ABRAHAM’S FAITH (GEN. 22: 1 – 18)

IMPORTANCE OF FAITH IN CHRISTIAN LIFE TODAY

JEWISH AND AFRICAN PRACTICES OF CIRCUMCISION

In the New Testament

Reasons Moses gave against the call

5. He acquired leadership skills while living at pharaoh’s palace

THE TEN PLAGUES EXODUS 7:14-11:10

PASSOVER (EXODUS 12:1-30, 19, 20, 34)

7) Remaining indoors – for security from death. Anyone outside was

DEFEAT OF THE AMALEKITES (Exodus 17: 8 – 16)

MAKING THE SINAI COVENANT (EXODUS 19: 24 1 –

BREAKING THE SINAI COVENANT (Exodus 32:1 – 35; 34:6 –8)

RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT (Exodus 34:1 – 14)

WORSHIPING GOD IN THE WILDERNESS

(i) The Israelites: Worshipped God through intermediaries. These were

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Exodus. 20: 1 – 17)

g. God is a God of victory. He defeated the Amalekites, perizzites, and

LEADERSHIP IN ISRAEL: DAVID AND SOLOMON

e. Some of the judges acted as God’s prophets

ACHIEVEMENTS AND FAILURES OF KING SAUL (Israel 13:8 –

IMPORTANCE OF DAVID (1 Samuel 16: 1 – 23, 2 Samuel 6:1 – 15)

as an ancestor of Jesus Christ (2 Samuel 1 – 29, LK 1:26 – 33) David

LEADERSHIP OF KING DAVID

ACHIEVEMENTS AND FAILURES OF KING SOLOMON (1

sayings known as the proverbs of Solomon. He also composed songs like

IMPORTANCE OF THE TEMPLE IN ISRAEL

LOYALTY TO GOD – ELIJAH

Characteristics of the Canaanite religion

Jeroboam also set up images to represent Yahweh. Though he had no

6) Feasts and celebrations were changed to correspond with those of

ELIJAH’S FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION AND FALSE

b) Elijah’s fight against corruption (1 Kings 21: 1 – 29)