Basic Christianity - Doctrinal Overview of the christian faith

Question 1

WHat is a creed?

Answer 1

A statement of faith a confession of what someone believes (from the latin word “credo” which means I believe.

Question 2

WHat is a heresy?

Answer 2

(a false or misleading teaching, a departure fromt he acccepted religious understanding)

Question 3

What does the creed do to christians?

Answer 3

The creeds helped the christains unify around a common understanding in spite of poor communication and large geographic dispersion.

Question 4

What is arianism?

Answer 4

Was a theological doctrine attributed to Arius of <alexandria. Arius taught that jesus was not fully god, but rather a creation of God’s

Question 5

WHat is Gnosticism?

Answer 5

A doctrine that taught only the spritual realm could be pure, that the physical realm was corrput. <thus they concluded that jesus could not have been truly human, but only y appeared to be human

Question 6

WHat is the problem between the two heresis Arianism and <gnosticism?

Answer 6

Only as god can jesus have the power to offer forgiveness, salvation and eternal life to all people, and only as a human can jesus fully relate to us. to our struggles, suffering and death. without jesus’ death there could not be a resurrection, so both aspects of <jesus’ nature need to be affirmed according to christains throughout the centuries.

Question 7

What is the aposiles creed divided into?

Answer 7

3 articles

Question 8

What do the 3 articles deal with in the apostles creed?

Answer 8

the trinity

Question 9

What are the different aspects of the trinity?

Answer 9

One God, yet three persons
1. Father/ creator
2. son/savior
3. Spirit/ sustainer or comforter.
(the first of the terms is relational, the 2nd is vocational)

Question 10

what are the 3 articles?

Answer 10

1. mystery
2. Expansive
3. Revealed/singular

Question 11

What is the relational term in the apostles creed?

Answer 11

Father
to picture God as the one who provides, protects, supports, and mentors like a parent.

Question 12

What does the term almighty?

Answer 12

It implies that God is all powerful that is to sau thay God has the necessatu power to both create the universe and then protect those whom hod has created

Question 13

What is the vocational term in the apostles creed?

Answer 13

Creator
INdicarted what god does.
To say god is creator is tl say hthat God us resoibsuvke i=fir akk that we see around us (the visible) as well as those thing we do not, or cannot sre (the invisble). God provides us with a place to live and everything necessary for life the term creator indicates purpose not process

Question 14

WHat is the first artical of the aplostles creed?

Answer 14

talks about God in both relational and vocational terms.
“I beleive in god the father almighty creator of heaven and earth.

Question 15

WHat is the second artical of the aplostles creed?

Answer 15

To show the full divinity and full humanity of jesus christ
it shows the interconnection jesus has with god the father and <god the holy spirt by indicating that jesus was conveived by the holy spirit, and is seated at the right hand of the dather, this reinforces the cocept of the trinity and jesus’ part in it.

Question 16

WHat does lord mean?

Answer 16

The one who had ultmiate authoriy over you> In jesus’ time this title was most often associated with the Roman Emperor, but christians used this term with <Jesus instead.

Question 17

Is jesus’ job to punish those who sined?

Answer 17

NO
He will be the one who will set things right, justice not revenge

Question 18

WHat is the third artical of the aplostles creed?

Answer 18

The person and work of the holy spirit.

Question 19

WHat is the third artical of the aplostles creed divided into what 6 phrases?

Answer 19

1. I believe in the holy spirit
2. The holy catholic church
3. the communion of saints
4. the forgiveness of sins
5. The resurection of the body
6. and the life everlasting

Question 20

I believe in the holy spirit meaning?

Answer 20

In the original Hebrew the word spirit (ruach) literally means breath (life force) or wind (a powerful, but invisible, force in nature). The word holy means of God or divine in this context.
The Holy Spirit is the power or ‘life-force’ of God which gives life to people and the church.

As with wind, the Holy Spirit is a power that is invisible (not seen directly), but rather through its impact (for example at Pentecost when the power of the Spirit turned the disciples of Jesus from a fearful group with no purpose into the dynamic and courageous leaders of what became the early Christian church - see Acts chapter 2 and following). This power or breath of God is a living force, functioning in an ongoing relationship with the world.

Question 21

The holy catholic church meaning?

Answer 21

The word holy literally means set apart (by God or for God) - thus Christians believe that they have been set apart by God as a group of people with a special purpose and identity. The word catholic literally means universal. Thus this phrase refers to the connection all Christians have with each other, wherever they are in the world. Christianity is not a religion bound to one region or cultural group - it transcends all human borders and divisions (everywhere). The word church does not refer to a building, but rather a community of people who share faith as a common denominator. Christians believe that their connection with God puts them in relationship with one another. This church, the gathered people of faith, is created through by the Holy Spirit’s work and with the Holy Spirit’s power.

Question 22

the communion of saints meaning?

Answer 22

This expands the image to include all people of God - past, present and future and the supportive connection they have with each other through God’s Spirit. Early Christians used the term ‘saint to refer to any believer in Jesus. This phrase indicates that Christians have a connection with one another not only throughout the world, but throughout time - that physical death does not end the relationship.

The Apostle Paul talks about the “great cloud of witnesses” cheering fellow Christians on (similar to spectators at a sporting event), with this analogy he is referring to the people of faith who have already passed away, but still exist in the spiritual realm. This is why Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe in praying to the Saints. The communion of saints refers to the relationship people of faith have with each other, a connection which transcends time and mortality (everytime or all time).

Question 23

the forgiveness of sins meaning?

Answer 23

The literal meaning of the Greek word translated into English as ‘sin’ is ‘missing the mark.’ It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sinfulness. This is what is sometimes called our conscience, the inner voice that tells us when we are doing or thinking of doing is something that is wrong. It is also the work of the Holy Spirit to convince us of God’s forgiveness. To be assured of forgiveness is a source of comfort. Believing that one is truly forgiven and that the offended party is not holding a grudge is often difficult - sometimes we find is hardest to forgive ourselves.

Question 24

The resurection of the body meaning?

Answer 24

Christians did not believe in an eternal soul only, rather the whole person (physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual) has an eternal existence. The resurrection body, however, does not have the same limitations as our current bodies do. Jesus’ post-resurrection body could enter a locked room and ascends into heaven according to the New Testament writers.
“Our citizenship is in heaven. We look forward to a savior that comes from there- the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform our humble bodies so that they are like his glorious body, by the power that also makes him able to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:20-21
The primary emphasis here is that our identity and presence are not bound by time, we can maintain relationships beyond death. Thus the resurrection of the body is less concerned with flesh and blood and more concerned with the integrity of the person past the point of death.

Question 25

and the life everlasting meaning?

Answer 25

Life: The ability to be in relationship with another being.
(Note this definition reflects the difficulty of defining life and death in a society that is able to sustain life functions with medical equipment and treatment, leading to questions about the quality of life versus simply biological functions).
Death: The ending of one’s ability to be in relationship with others which results from the
ceasing of all physical functions (e.g. brain, heart and lungs).
Both of these definitions are not intended to be complete and for all circumstances, rather they are intended to highlight the understanding that what makes life meaningful is relationship with others.
For Christians the phrase life everlasting suggests that relationships will no longer be interupted by death, illness, loss of memory or any other factor that limits relationships in this physical existence that we currently are experiencing.

Question 26

WHat is a near death exprice:?

Answer 26

of life after death, nor are they easily explained by purely biological/chemical functions of a body/brain in trauma. In the end all that can be said for sure is that there are many people who have had such experiences and whose lives are often dramatically altered following their N.D.E.
Some scientists have speculated that N.D.E.s give us evidence that consciousness exists outside the brain (consciousness is the quality or state of being aware of an external object or something within oneself). In the end all we can say for sure is that N.D.E.s remain a mystery.

Question 27

life everlasting?

Answer 27

The Bible describes eternal life with numerous images that express joy, fulfilment and community. The concept of eternal life as presented in the Bible does not simply refer to an endless continuation of time, rather it suggests an existence outside of time. This itself is a mystery because, as humans, we have no point of reference for such an existence.

Question 28

What is sin?

Answer 28

Sin: an attitude of selfishness self-centeredness which leads to harmful and destructive acts
towards others and the world.

Question 29

What is forgivness?

Answer 29

Forgiveness: the attitude of acceptance that is necessary in order for a broken relationship to be restored. Forgiveness is a new start. Forgiveness is not saying that what happened was
“okay”, it is the acceptance of the person, but not of the hurtful behaviour.

Question 30

How does western soocty treat death

Answer 30

In our modern North American society we have dealt with our fear of death by institutionalizing it. As a society we have removed death as far as possible from our everyday lives, hiding away in institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes and funeral homes. At the same time we look to science and technology to provide ways to extend life. If such things are taken to an extreme we can end up simply avoiding death rather than living life.

Question 31

What is eternal life

Answer 31

Eternal life does not mean endless time, rather it means timelessness.
To exist within endless time could weigh people down with the burden of regret and boredom. To live with a serious regret endlessly would not be a wonderful thing, to do the same thing forever could also be seen as being trapped in a boring existence. The concept of eternal life rather indicates an existence outside the confines of time - a state of being that is hard for us to imagine or understand. It is more helpful to consider live everlasting as the end of time rather than time without end

Question 32

What is a common image of heaven?

Answer 32

One common image of heaven given in the New Testament is one of a Wedding Banquet. This image suggests three things about a heavenly existence:
1)
it is an existence built around community (family and friends gather at a wedding).
2)
it is a time of great and unceasing celebration (weddings in Jesus’ culture went on for days).
3
it is an existence lacking for nothing, complete (like a banquet - plenty of food and drink).

Question 33

What stories references weddings?

Answer 33

(the parable of the wedding banquet)
(the parable of the ten bridesmaids)
(marriage of the Lamb - symbolic of Christ and the church)
(new Jerusalem like a bride)
(Jesus refers to himself as the groom)
(John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the groom)

Question 34

Jesus’ life steps

Answer 34

Gods only son, out lord will come and judge
the living and the dead

     conceived by the holy spirit                                                                                                 seated at the right 
                                                                                                                                                      hand of the father
 
                            Born of the virgin mary                                                                     ascended into heaven

                                                suffered under pontius pilate                        on the third day he rose again
                                                                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                        crucified died and buried 

                                                                                         descended to the dead