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Religious Studies: Christianity > 2E: Community of Believers > Flashcards

2E: Community of Believers Flashcards

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1
Q

Acts of the Apostles

A

the fifth book of the NT which describes the life and work of the early church. written by the same author as Luke’s gospel

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2
Q

Didache

A

name for the teaching of the apostles of Jesus

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3
Q

Fellowship

A

to be in communication with or participate in something larger than yourself

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4
Q

Kerygma

A

proclamation/announcement/preaching. name given by CH Dodd to the core preaching of the apostles

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5
Q

Mission

A

one of the ways the church seeks to do gods work on earth - focuses on evangelisation and brining non believers to the Christian faith

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6
Q

Outreach

A

one of the ways the church seeks to do gods work on earth - focusing on serving others and working for justice

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7
Q

Pentecost

A

event in Jerusalem, when the HS descended upon the apostles filling them with its power

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8
Q

Sacrament

A

sacred rituals/ceremonies which are believed to be the means by which gods grace is imparted. ‘outward sign of inward grace’

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9
Q

Service

A

one of the ways the church seeks to do gods work on earth - focuses on serving others and working for justice

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10
Q

Teaching

A

one of the ways the church seeks to do gods work on earth - focuses on communicating the gospel message to believers

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11
Q

Worship

A

an act of praise, thanksgiving, devotion or similar towards a deity

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12
Q

Did early Christians have set days to worship?

A

No

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13
Q

What did being an early Christian involve?

A

joining a movement
- expected Jesus to return, which was all they needed

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14
Q

What years do the acts of the apostles cover?

A

roughly 30-62CE (from the death of Jesus onwards, after his ascension, after Pentecost, and before the gospels came to be written down)

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15
Q

What key events do the Acts of the Apostles describe?

A
  • Pentecost (thousands baptised in one day)
  • conversion of Paul
  • Council of Jerusalem (first church council, decided Gentiles did not have to follow the complete Mosaic law)
  • Paul’s missionary journeys
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16
Q

What were Christians inspired by?

A

the Holy Spirit - miracles abound and the apostles are fired up to spread the word of Jesus even in the face of persecution (every apostle ended up executed by sharing the word of Jesus)

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17
Q

What does ‘Church’ mean?

A

Greek - Ekklesia (a group of people who were ‘called out’ in order to come together for political purposes)
- Christian setting: those who believe in Jesus and come together as a group at any time and in any place

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18
Q

Why did early Christians still view themselves as Jewish?

A

‘ekklesia’ was used interchangeably with the term synagogue. they attended the synagogue and participated in the Jewish customs of praying over and breaking bread at the beginning of a meal. Jews and Christians mingled with one another

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19
Q

What was the one precondition for entry into the church?

A

baptism (was only required for converts to Judaism)

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20
Q

Why did John the Baptist offend some Jews?

A

he promoted baptism for all Jews, even the circumcised

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21
Q

What does baptism symbolise?

A

cleansing, holiness, dying to self, new life

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22
Q

What are the four functions of the church?

A
  1. the apostles teachings
  2. fellowship
  3. breaking of bread
  4. prayers
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23
Q

What does ‘apostle’ mean?

A

Greek for ‘one who is sent out’

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24
Q

What are the first writings in the church?

A

letters of Paul (apostle of Jesus Christ; gospels came later)

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25
Q

What did the first Christians know the Bible as?

A

Laws, prophets and writings of the Hebrew scriptures

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26
Q

Who were the Apostles?

A

the group of Jesus’ close followers who were sent out by him with the mission of teaching and baptising people

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27
Q

What is the ‘great commission’ described in Matthew’s gospel?

A

the final command given by Jesus after his resurrection and before his ascension to heaven

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28
Q

Who were the apostles?

A

12 disciples (minus Judas who betrayed him and was replaced by Matthias) and later St Paul

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29
Q

Why were the apostles important?

A
  • they were the first followers of jesus and knew him personally
  • they were witnesses to the events of Jesus’ life and their testimony became the basis of scripture: both through the gospel accounts and their letters which are the earliest Christian writings
  • they received the holy spirit at pentecost which gave the early church it’s power (many Christians believe this power is still active in the church today)
  • Paul, in Ephesians 2.20: “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with christ being the cornerstone”
  • objective perspective: the apostles give us the clearest idea of what ideas became important in the early church and their teachings can be a good source for analysis
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30
Q

What did the apostles teach?

A
  • belief in Jesus and his baptism in his name was necessary for salvation
  • they taught salvation was urgently necesssary as Jesus has been raised to be with god (resurrection and ascension) but that he would soon return and bring the apocalypse
  • the return was known as Jesus’ second coming (parousia)
  • taught this through Hebrew scripture and their own addition teachings based on their close personal knowledge of Jesus
  • known for public preaching, some speeches recorded in the book of acts
  • the early chapters of acts describes some of Peter’s speeches in jerusalem
  • the apostles travelled extensively on missionary journeys and would preach publicly in the towns and cities they visited including rome and athens
  • they also taught and spread teaching on more practical and ethical matters to those who joined the Christian community
  • their letters (epistles) to different churches are a partial record of this
31
Q

Did the apostles teach the Bible?

A

yes and no
- the early church came to being before the NT
- first writings in the church were the letters of paul and some other apostles
- the first Christians would’ve used the bible as they knew it: the law, prophets and writings of the hebrew scriptures
- so some of their teachings became the bible and some of their teaching/preaching was reinterpreting the Jewish scriptures to show how jesus had fulfilled the promises made for a Messiah

32
Q

What was the apostles teaching?

A

the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of salvation in his name
- viewed it as a new and dramatic development in this history of gods work with his people (seen in Acts 2:14)

33
Q

Key quote from Acts 2:14-39

A
  • “and it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the lord shall be saved”
  • “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh”
  • “my flesh will dwell in hope”
  • “nor did his flesh see corruption”
  • “in the name of Jesus Christ”
34
Q

What does didache mean?

A

Greek for ‘teaching’

35
Q

Apostle’s teaching - the didache

A
  • teaching and preaching, encouraging people to repent
  • Dodd identifies the ‘kerygma’ at the heart of the didache
  • Dodd distinguished kerygma from didache: kerygma is a declaration of beliefs (trying to convert) and didache is moral exhortation or teaching
36
Q

What are the six elements common to the speeches in acts that Dodd considered to be authentic?

A

1) Jesus fulfilled the promises of the Hebrew Bible
2) god was at work in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection
3) Jesus has now been exalted and is in heaven
4) the holy spirit has been given to the church to form gods new community
5) Jesus will soon return in glory
6) those who hear the message must change their lifestyles accordingly and follow Jesus

37
Q

The breaking of bread

A
  • Jewish practice to pray over loaves and break them before a meal
  • might merely refer to the fact that early Christians shared common meals in various homes
  • later on in acts refers to the community eating meals together in their homes
  • eating together brings union
  • Acts 2:46: Christians ate together with ‘simplicity of heart’, meaning these were simple meals matched by a ‘plainness and honesty of speech and life’
  • a community rooted in sharing the simple things
38
Q

Prayers

A
  • “they devoted themselves to prayers”
  • plural so means they had different types
  • we can assume there were Jewish prayers they were familiar with, along with the prayer they learned from Jesus, and new prayers that came from the apostles teaching
39
Q

Key prayers

A
  • Psalms (written by King David)
  • eighteen benedictions
  • Lord’s prayer
  • new Christian hymns and psalms
40
Q

How did early Christians pray?

A
  • followed Jewish custom of 3 daily prayers at the temple
  • prayed together in private homes
  • constantly seeking fellowship with god and each other due to the intensity of pentecost
  • praying at the temple brought them into contact with Jews who they could share their news about the messiah
41
Q

Fellowship

A
  • “they held all things in common”
  • Greek is ‘koinonia’ (to have communion or participate in)
  • fellowship that means something
  • they considered their material possessions to be in common and would sell them and distribute them as any had need
42
Q

How is devotion to Apostle’s teachings reflected in the contemporary church?

A
  • all Christian denominations adhere closely to the teaching of the apostles
  • they stuck closely to their original teachings: belief that Jesus was the Messiah, he performed god’s work on Earth and was crucified, buried and raised
43
Q

How is fellowship reflected in the contemporary Church?

A
  • sharing possessions is not compulsory but some denominations have religious orders made up of monks/nuns who live, work and pray together and hold everything in common
  • others practice tithing, where members agree to give 1/10th of their income to the church
  • partaking in sacrament, accepting its doctrines and following a suitable way of life
  • leads believers into fellowship with god
44
Q

How is breaking of bread reflected in the contemporary church?

A
  • sense 1: eucharist is seen as a sacrament by all churches
  • sense 2: Churches may help and encourage christians to share “table fellowship” with others by eating together
45
Q

How is devotion to prayers reflected in the contemporary Church?

A
  • churches will regularly have public worship that includes prayer
  • they may encourage followers to pray regularly at home
  • central importance of lord’s prayer
46
Q

How is outreach reflected in the contemporary Church?

A
  • the lifestyle of the NT community of believers was in itself a form of ‘outreach’
  • one will find Christians involved in educational, medical and humanitarian missions across the world
47
Q

How is selling and giving to those in need reflected in the contemporary Church?

A
  • tithing members of the church agree to give 1/10th of their income to the church
  • many churches will actively support charity work (eg CAFOD, Christian Aid, but most local Churches will be involved in their local area)
48
Q

How is ‘had all things in common’ reflected in the contemporary Church?

A

sharing of possessions, not compulsory BUT many denominations have religious orders of monks and nuns

49
Q

CH Dodd quote about charity

A

“there is no real religious experience that does not express itself in charity”
- a real experience of god leads to charity towards others

50
Q

What is a ‘lectionary’?

A

an organised way of reading through the old and new testaments in public worship

51
Q

Examples of religious teachings in Church

A
  • Sunday school
  • conformation classes
  • adult instruction
  • Martin Luther’s small catechism
  • Bible study groups
52
Q

What is pietism?

A

a movement in Christianity which emphasises personal holiness and Christian growth. had led to many churches organising small group bible studies in member’s homes, prayer meetings, mission trips and other forms of intense communal life

53
Q

What are the 7 sacraments declared by the Council of Trent?

A

baptism, confirmation, eucharist, penance, extreme unction, holy order, marriage

54
Q

What are the 2 sacraments declared by reformers?

A

the two declared by Jesus: baptism and the lords supper

55
Q

How do traditional churches worship?

A

in a way that has continuity with the past, using religious language, music and art to express prayers, praise and thanksgiving

56
Q

How do some Churches worship in a contemporary way?

A

contemporary forms of art and music ie contemporary christian music

57
Q

Final words of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew

A

“go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you”

58
Q

What has mission been interpreted as?

A

the missionary travelling to those who have not heard about Jesus and converting them

59
Q

Dark side of mission

A
  • Christian mission has been held responsible for both helping cultures progress culturally and spiritually but also being agents of white supremacy, furthering capitalism and industrialism, and neglecting the humanity of those not considered christian
  • link to John Chau incident
    (don’t use for AO1, but very useful for AO2)
60
Q

Contemporary examples of service and outreach today

A
  • Quakers involved in social causes
  • Pope francis speaking out for the poor and oppressed
  • world vision
  • other “para church” organisations feeding the hungry
61
Q

Who was Bonhoeffer?

A

20th century pastor and theologian. executed by Nazi regime for attempting to assassinate Hitler

62
Q

Bonhoeffer’s example of fellowship

A

‘life together’ - he insists that the church is a community of love which assists our growth into maturity and take up Christ like action in the world

63
Q

NT Wright quote

A

“it is as impossible, unnecessary and undesirable to be a Christian all by yourself as it is to be a new born baby all by yourself”

64
Q

Who was Hans Küng?

A

a critic of the Roman Catholic Church
- used to be a Catholic and a theological advisor for Vatican II
- he rejected the doctrine of papal infallibility and as a result was stripped of his license to teach as a member of the church

65
Q

According to Küng, what are the core functions of the church?

A
  • teach the Christian message clearly in the language it is spoken today and should avoid trendy theological jargon
  • baptism forbids one denomination from claiming to be the only way to salvation or discriminating against other Christian denominations
  • the Eucharist or Holy communion should be celebrated as a meal of commemoration, thanksgiving and fellowship: a sign of unity in the spirit of Jesus and the early christian community
66
Q

What does Küng say the church needs to do if it wants to regain people’s trust?

A
  • provide pastoral liturgies (from baptism to funerals) in a form which is understandable and appealing. needs to be clear and serve people’s needs
  • globally and locally face up to its social responsibilities
  • it should only be involved in politics impartially and when human rights are challenge
67
Q

What aspects of Küng’s book can be found in Acts 2:42-47?

A
  • fellowship through sacraments of baptism and eucharist
  • worship and rituals; clear and appealing to all
68
Q

What aspects of Küng’s book reflects activities of the church not mentioned in Acts 2:42-47?

A
  • theological jargon: Küng is worried the church gets too tired up in fancy words and ignores its true function
  • social action: globally and locally, needs to work to bring social justice in an inclusive and non partisan way
69
Q

What might some Christians object to in Küng’s point of view?

A
  • might object to his views on baptism or eucharist if they think that only eg transubstantiation is correct
  • might prefer more traditional worship (eg preference for Latin)
  • some might prefer church leaders to use their political influences for particular parties/causes
70
Q

Why might mission be seen as the most important aspect of the Church?

A
  • without mission, beginning with the mission of Jesus, there would be no church
  • the last passage in several of the gospels is Jesus commanding that the disciples go out and ‘make disciples of all nations’ and baptise them. shows the importance of mission.
  • some church bodies have focused on mission as ‘evangelisation’ and have focused time and resources sending missionaries overseas
71
Q

Why might mission not be seen as the most important aspect of the church?

A
  • mission takes place for those who are not yet in the church, so it could be argued that it is a ‘pre church’ activity
  • it is clear there are many aspects of the church ie the 4 mains activities in acts
  • could be argued that teaching of the apostles is most important as it is first in the list and such a key part of early church teaching (like the didache)
  • different churches seem to emphasise different activities. eg Roman Catholic or high Anglican church have a great deal of emphasis given to sacraments whereas Quakers do not practice the sacraments and instead have a focus on meditation and social justice
72
Q

Why might the NT been seen as excellent model for contemporary Christians?

A
  • the early Christian community had several strengths eg united in belief, practices, worship and communal life
  • operated under the divine guidance of the holy spirit
  • the apostles spoke with authority, we’re able to perform miracles and gave strong leadership
  • it’s life was founded on prayer
  • it was mission oriented; it’s goal was to persuade followers of the Jewish religion to be baptised and to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah
73
Q

Why might the NT been seen a flawed model for contemporary Christians?

A
  • the story of the early Christian community in Jerusalem records evidence of disobedience, love of money, lying to the holy spirit, favouritsm and jealousy
  • inconsistent leadership
  • does not appear initially to have made any attempt to convert anyone outside the Jewish community
  • when it eventually happened, it led to the first threat of a split within Christianity between Gentiles and Jews
  • there was a period of bitter argument between Paul and the Judaizers

Religious Studies: Christianity (25 decks)

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