PHILOSOPHY

1“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out
of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.”
The First Commandment is about Loyalty.

2“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is
in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve
them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those
who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and
keep My Commandments.
The Second Commandments is about Worship.

3“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in
vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
The Third Commandment is about Reverence.
4“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do
all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you
shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant,
nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your
gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all
that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day and hallowed it.
The Fourth Commandment is about Sanctification and Relationship.

5“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the
land which the Lord your God is giving you.
The Fifth Commandment is about Respect for Parental authority.

6“You shall not murder.

The Sixth Commandment is about Respect for Human life.
7“You shall not commit adultery.
The Seventh Commandment is about Purity in Relationships.

8“You shall not steal.

The Eighth Commandment is about Honesty.

9“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

The Ninth Commandment is about Truthfulness.

10“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your
neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox,
nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.”
The Tenth Commandment is about Contentment.
UNIVERSAL VALUES
•    Worship only God
 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all
your strength.‘ 

•   Respect all people

 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no
commandment greater than these.“ 

• Live a moral life

 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is
in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 
• Practice what you preach; don't be a hypocrite
 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside
but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything
unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as
righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and
wickedness. 

• Don't be self-righteous
 Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the
judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give
will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your
neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how
can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me take the speck out of your
eye,' while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the
log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the
speck out of your neighbor's eye.
• Don't hold a grudge
You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell
you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek,
turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your
tunic, let him have your cloak as well.- You have heard that it was said,
'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father
in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends
rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 
• Forgive others
  If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive
you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins
 
• Be humble 

• Be honest 

• Be generous with time and money 

 Business Ethics and Values
• “Do into others as you would have them do to you” has the underlying lessons for
the businesses that they should treat their stakeholders with the respect and honestly
that they would like those people to show to them.

• “Love the neighbor”: neighbor, in terms of business, are those who work in the
organization itself. The term ‘love’ in this verse refers to form the basis of the family
type of cultural environment that many businesses strive to achieve in the workplace.
Good businesses succeed because of the ethical bond they form with employees.

• “Thou shalt not bear false witness”, “thou shalt not steal”;
These verses present the ethical value of ‘honesty and trust’. All researchers promote
the values of the honesty and trust as being critical to the building of business
relationships. Honesty in terms of advertising, marketing, financial issues and the like
are of sheer importance.

In addition to the above, the influence that the Bible has upon ethical business
practices is also dependent upon the individuals who lead the organization. It is not
the fact that the ethical values might be incorporated within the business code of
practice, but also they will have to see these values reinforced in practice.
ERADICATION OF SOCIAL EVILS
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O
Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
• Excessive attention to material things such as houses,
cars, clothes, jewelry, physical appearance,
entertainment, etc.
• Pursuit of wealth, power, fame, pleasure or status
• Excessive devotion to self, job, hobbies, country,
ideologies, heroes, leaders, even family.
• After saying "Love the Lord your God" is the most
important of the commandments, Jesus continued,
• The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no commandment greater than these.“
• Jesus gave a list of actions that constitute immoral uses of the body:
evil thoughts, murder, adultery, theft, false testimony, slander,
greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, arrogance and foolishness.
The apostle Paul gave similar lists.

• Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!

You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the
outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and
everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you
appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of
hypocrisy and wickedness.

• It is not our right to look down on, criticize, judge, condemn, or try to
control other people. Judgment is to be left to God. Jesus said,
• You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate
your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father
in heaven.

• If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father
will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father
will not forgive your sins. (NLT, Matthew 6:14-15)
Women in the Bible
Roles in the Bible

• Women were portrayed in various ways- victims, sinners,

and leaders
• wives and mothers/center of household
• not the social or economic equals of men
• They could engage in business and trade (Proverbs 31)
• women of highest status within the Tanakh were
religious married mothers, especially mothers of sons i.e.
prophetess Deborah was both married and a mother
• Women could own property, and collect inheritance if
there were no sons
Roles in the New Testament

• Women are mentioned in all the gospels, but especially

in Luke
• Women are presented as wives, mothers, and disciples
• The earliest and most devout followers of Jesus (Luke
8:1-3)
• Often excluded from religious discussion until the arrival
of Jesus (John 4:27)
• Husbands and wives worked as missionary teams
(Romans 16:1-15)
• Teachings were directed towards “Brothers and Sisters”
• 7 of the 55 prophets of the Bible were women :
 Influential Women in the HB

• Eve, wife of Adam: original female sinner

• Sarah, wife of Abraham: patriarch passed her off as his sister .At age 90, God told her she would
become pregnant and she bore Isaac

• Rebekah, wife of Isaac and mother of Esau and Jacob: she conspired with her younger son Jacob to
steal his older brother's blessing. Jacob later became Israel.

• Miriam, sister of Moses: defied the Egyptian law (requiring the death of all male Hebrew children) and
watched infant float Moses down the Nile for pharaoh's daughter to find.
• Delilah: The Philistine wife of Samson. Tricked him into revealing the secret of his power and then
betrayed him to her countrymen.

• Deborah: judge and prophetess.

• Ruth: of The Book of Ruth. Moabite woman who married Elimelech and converted to Judaism; great
grandmother of David

• Bathsheba: married King David, mother of Solomon

• Judith: seduced the tyrant Holofernes and then killed him in his tent as he slept.
HB: Miriam

• Older sister of Moses and Aaron

• Prophetess- she foresaw Moses’ birth as
bringing about redemption for the Israelites
• Responsible for well-being throughout the
Exodus
• Died before reaching the Promised Land
• Miriam is considered one of the liberators of the
Children of Israel, along with her brothers Moses
and Aaron.
• Ex 2:1, 15:20-21, Numbers 12:1-15, 20:1
NT: Mary Magdalene

• “Mary” derived from Miriam, sister of Moses

• Jesus cured her of seven demons and she
followed him from one town to another as
he preached.
• Present at the crucifixion of Christ
• In all of the four gospels, Mary Magdalene is
present at the resurrection of Jesus, one of
the first to learn about his resurrection
Influential Women in the NT

• Elizabeth: Zechariah’s wife, mother of John the Baptist

• Herodias: wife of Herod, persuaded her daughter to ask
for John the Baptist's head
• Mary: wife of Joseph, virgin mother of Jesus
• Mary Magdalene: disciple of Jesus, first to hear of
Jesus’ resurrection
• Martha: sister of Mary and Lazarus, disciple of Jesus
• Numerous unnamed women, important in parables and
conversion stories. (John 4:4-42, Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-
44)
NT: Mary, mother of Jesus

• Known commonly as Mary of Nazareth

• “Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born
Jesus, who is called the Messiah.” (Matthew 1:16)
• Chosen by God to bear His son because of her great faith and
virtue.
• Was a virgin and gave birth to Christ,
the Messiah.
• Present at Jesus’ first miracle, crucifixion,
and resurrection.
• Important saint often prayed for intercession.
• Believed to have been assumed into Heaven,
body and soul.
• Has made many apparitions on Earth, important to many Christians.
NT: Mary Magdalene

• “Mary” derived from Miriam, sister of Moses

• Jesus cured her of seven demons and she followed him
from one town to another as he preached.
• Present at the crucifixion of Christ
• In all of the four gospels, Mary Magdalene is present at
the resurrection of Jesus, one of the first to learn about
his resurrection
 STRESS MANAGEMENT
• When we are stressed, prayer can release our tensions. 
Psalm 62:1-2, TLB. "I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for Him to rescue
me. For salvation comes from Him alone. Yes, He alone is my Rock, my
rescuer, defense and fortress. Why then should I be tense with fear when
troubles come?"
• Stress that cannot be avoided may help us grow in faith and character. 
Romans 5:3-4, TLB. "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and
trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient.
And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more
each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady."
• Stress on the outside need not mean stress on the inside. 
Philippians 4:6-7, TLB. "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about
everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank Him for His answers.
If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful
than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and
your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus."
• perfect peace comes when we keep our mind on the Lord. Isaiah 26:3,
NKJV. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You."
TEAMS & LEADERSHIP
• Delegate and show appreciation for the work of others. 
Exodus 39:43, NIV. "Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as
the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them."
• True leaders are servants. 
Luke 22:25, NIV. "Jesus said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and
those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not
to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the
one who rules like the one who serves.'"
• Be an example of hard work. 
Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for
in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor
knowledge nor wisdom."
• Treat those under your leadership like you would want to be treated. 
Luke 6:31, NIV. "Do to others as you would have them do to you."
• Don't give up easily
. Chronicles 15:7, NIV. "But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will
be rewarded.“
• Share the work load.
 Exodus 18:21, NIV. "But select capable men from all the people—men who
fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as
officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens."
• Supervision and affirmation. 
Exodus 39:42-43, TLB. "So the people of Israel followed all the Lord's
instructions to Moses. And Moses inspected all their work and blessed
them because it was all as the Lord had instructed him."
• "One should recognize their limitations. , Deuteronomy 1:9, TLB. "At that
time I told the people, 'I need help! You are a great burden for me to carry
all by myself."
• Leaders should plan ahead. 
Luke 14:28-30, NIV. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he
not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to
complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it,
everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build
and was not able to finish.'"
• There is help for the leader who feels inadequate. 
James 1:5, NIV. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who
gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to
him."
• A good leader seeks counsel from others. 
Proverbs 15:22, NIV. "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many
advisers they succeed."
• A good leader must exercise patience. 
Proverbs 16:32, NIV. "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man
who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
 KEY LEARNINGS
• Bible is a reliable source for prosperous living which
would include all matters of life including business.

• Jesus told his disciples that following his instructions was

like building a house of a firm foundation. When the
storms of life rage, the man who lives his life according
to Jesus' teachings would stand firm.
• Conversely, Jesus said that not doing things according to
his word was like building a house on top of sand. When
the storms of life rage, their lives would be washed away
by the thunderous tides.
• The Bible claims to be profitable for teaching sound
principles to those who study it which includes principles
for practicing business.

• "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for

teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work." (The Holy Bible, 2
Timothy 3:16, 17).

• The phrase "equipped for every good work" must include

business management practices.
• Third, the Bible has much sound instruction that can be applied to
all parts of life.

• the Bible has many foundation principles that when practiced will
lead to an effective life. These foundation tenets can be found
throughout the entire volume, especially in the first five books of the
Bible; the Psalms and Proverbs; the prophetic literature; the
accounts of Jesus' life on earth; and the letters written and
circulated by his disciples.
• As direct instruction, the Book of Proverbs serves as the best
comprehensive source for how to conduct life in a successful
manner. Most of the wise sayings are attributed to Solomon, the
third king of ancient Israel. There are golden nuggets tucked within
the text concerning many topics related to everyday problems and
reactions.
• Most of the nuggets are not specifically addressed to business
situations but can be easily adapted to the business environment.
• Bible has many examples of good, mediocre and poor management
practices.

• Furthermore, The Bible is more than just a witness of its own

reliability and a book of nice sayings; it is also filled with real live
case studies on management practices. These case studies are
found throughout the entire text and serve as powerful instruction of
how to and how not to lead

• The fact that the Biblical text includes both good and bad examples
of management practices lends to its credibility as a guide in
business affairs.

• The Bible reveals the true nature of humans as imperfect beings

driven by self-preservation and greed.

• Therefore, we can learn much about how to manage in a hostile

business environment and still succeed.
• The Bible addresses many of the toughest issues in the
business world today.

• In just the first five pages, it addresses such issues as:

how to set up the optimal organizational environment;
the basic needs of the average human being;
insubordination; outright rebellion; conflict resolution; and
mediation between opposing parties.

• Beyond these situations, there are examples of: how to

use vision; how to set up organizational culture; selecting
and mentoring successors, and how to approach others
for best results.