Month: May 2018

The Relation between Adoption and Inheritance in Paul’s thoughts, according to the Epistles.

On By purplefrog01In English 2: Western Literature ILeave a comment

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul wrote a series of Epistles to various peoples, to teach them the word of God.  He uses language that is effective in persuading his audience of the idea of Christianity.  Paul structured his messages in a way that they could be understood.  They were understood in that time, and have become critical literary tools in understanding the early formation of Christianity.

Paul displays a unique relationship between adoption and inheritance and argues this relationship in his Epistles.  His opinion is essentially this: adoption of Christianity; adoption by God, leads to inheritance of the kingdom of God.

Because of the original sin of Adam, men are not automatic heirs to the kingdom of God.  All of mankind are sinners, and Paul categorized himself in this group.  Because of the sins men commit, they are not worthy of inheritance.  Christ, however, enabled mankind to be adopted by God, so that they may be worthy of inheritance.  Death came through sin; death was overcome by Christ.

Paul states that he was once a grave sinner, and he calls himself the chief of the sinners.  Pail once persecuted the Christians; he was a sinner, as are all of mankind.  His eyes were opened by God, and by the grace of God, he adopted the faith, and thus was adopted by God.  He was redeemed and then recruited to do they work of God.  Like Paul, men must be redeemed from their sins, and this happens through a process of adoption, and then they are worthy to be heirs.  Different branches of Christianity believe multiple variations of how an individual participates in this adoption.  Regardless, from Paul’s perspective, as he writes in his Epistles, adoption must take place in order for inheritance to be possible.

Because of the sins of Adam, men are disinherited.  Adoption is the way do undo this disinheritance.  Christ, through his passion, paid the ransom for our sins so that we may be allowed to be adopted children of God.  However, individuals are still given the choice in whether or not they will earn their inheritance.  Christ paid the debt through his passion, but the individual must still obey and live the word of God to earn inheritance.

Everyone is guilty, those who remain guilty, undergo the wrath of God.  The only way out for the guilty (aka everyone) is adoption.  No one has an excuse, and there is no one that can be righteous without God.  Paul motivated his audience by informing them that they must take action, and adopt Christianity, so that they may become adopted children of God, and this is something they must do on their own behalf.

This inheritance is not only available to the Jews, but to the Gentiles and to all peoples throughout the world.  Paul preached of a universal inheritance.  All peoples of the world are able to become heirs to the kingdom of God, but they must do this through means adoption.

In conclusion, the relationship between adoption and inheritance in Paul’s thoughts, is that adoption leads to inheritance.  Christ enabled us to be adopted children of God, through his passion.  Men and women are able to adopt Christianity and become heirs to the kingdom of God.

Chordates, and how they are different from Vertebrates.

On By purplefrog01In BiologyLeave a comment

What is a chordate? How are vertebrates different from chordates?

A chordate is a member of the animal kingdom, and categorized in the phylum Chordata.  Chordates have several characteristics that define them, and set them apart from all other animals.  Some of these traits are only present during embryonic development, but nonetheless, they do serve a crucial purpose within the organism.

Chordates have a notocord, which is essentially a long, flexible rod placed within the organism between dorsal nerve cord and the digestive tract.  The notochord serves many purposes, as it is built out of stiff, fibrous tissues.  Aquatic animals push muscle against this to help them swim, for example.

Chordates also have a dorsal nerve cord, which is a hollow nerve cord.  This dorsal nerve cord, in a human, becomes the spinal cord and brain after the process of embryonic development.

Another characteristic of chordates is the pharyngeal cleft.  The pharynx is the head/neck region of the animal right behind the mouth.  The pharyngeal cleft is a cleft, or pouch like structure in the pharynx region.  The form the pharyngeal cleft takes, and the function it carries out, depends on whether the animal is terrestrial or aquatic.

Chordates also have a muscular tail.  This tail may only be visible during embryonic development, but it is an essential trait during embryonic development.  Depending on the species, it may shrink if the species no longer depends on it.  The muscular tail extends beyond the digestive tract, and for aquatic chordates especially, this tail is important to propel the animal.

How are chordates different from vertebrates?  The vertebrate definition is a craniate with a backbone.  What is a craniate?  Craniates are all the members of the phylum chordata that have a head.  A head contains a brain at the front end of the dorsal nerve chord, as well as the common sensory organs such as nose, eyes, ears, mouth.  There are actually many invertebrates that have a head, however, a craniate is exclusively a chordate with a head.

To conclude, a vertebrate is a chordate, if, and only if, the chordate is a craniate with a backbone.  A chordate must possess a head and backbone in order for it to be a vertebrate.

 

(Biology, Lesson 100 essay.)

 

Soil is much more than just “dirt” that holds up the plant.

On By purplefrog01In BiologyLeave a comment

“Soil is just dirt to hold the plant up.”  — This is a statement that I, and many other individuals can easily disagree with.  However, it seems that a majority of the population agrees with this statement. It is actually fairly easy to adopt the idea of soil being just dirt, intended only to support the plant, but soil is much more than that.

It is easy to overlook soil, and how crucial it is to all levels of life, because it’s not something we notice on a day-to-day basis.  Plants, bodies of water, animals, etc., perform events crucial to the environment that we can, for the most part, see and feel.  The soil, however, is essentially just the dirt under our feet.  If an individual does not want to go into the details of the complexity of soil,  it is easy to adopt the opinion of it being simply dust underfoot.

Soil has so much complexity, that someone could dedicate their entire life to studying it through pedology, or edaphology, and still only cover a small portion of study.

Why is soil so important?  Aside from water, what do animals and humans need for survival? Nutrition. Some of their nutrition comes from other animals, but those animals have to eat something.  Plants support the entire animal kingdom,either by primary or secondary consumption.

What feeds the plants? Plants utilize energy from the sun to perform photosynthesis, and this is their main nutrient, but there are nutrients in the soil that act as supplements for the plant, and affect the production of the plant. Like people, plants benefit from supplements in their nutrition.

There are several biotic and abiotic factors that affect the characteristic of the soil and will determine the plants ability to grow.  Soil supports plants, that’s a mutual opinion, but soil does more than just that.

There are many layers of soil that perform important functions, however the most important of these is the layer of top soil.  The top soil is the layer from which plants absorb minerals and receive benefits from other living organisms.

The soil in an ecosystem is important, it affects plant growth, which then significantly affects the population of other animals and organisms. Soil also supports many organisms such as earthworms, that need the soil environment to survive.  Soil does not just support plants, it supports the entire ecosystem.