Christian beliefs Flashcards
5 features of God’s oneness.
Who is God the father and what is his role? (detailed)
God the Father helps Christians to understand the power and creativity of God and his care for the world and its people. It also shows that God creates human life like a father does. God is not a creator who creates and then leaves his creation to get on with things, he has a relationship of love and care with his creation. In the Lord’s Prayer or ‘Our Father’, Christians learn that God will provide their daily bread and protect them from evil precisely because he is ‘our Father’. Because God is the Father, Christians can turn to God as they would to a human father when they are in need.
Who is God the son and what is his role?
God the Son helps Christians to understand the love of God. In his life and teachings, Jesus showed God’s love by healing people and feeding people. In his death he showed how much God loves the world.
Who is God the Holy Spirit and what is his role?
The Holy Spirit helps Christians to understand the presence of God in the world. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is the means by which God communicates with humans, revealing God’s presence in the world. Christians believe that through the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, God can strengthen and empower Christians today.
What do Jehovah Witnesses believe?
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jehovah is the only true God. Jesus was created by God and so is God’s son; the Holy Spirit is God’s power applied to the world and so is not a person.
What do Unitarians believe?
Unitarians believe that there is only one God and that Jesus was
a man whose teachings and life give him moral authority, but not
divinity. They believe that there is no difference between God and God
the Holy Spirit.
How the Trinity is shown in belief and worship? (5 Points)
- Participants repeat the Nicene Creed in every service of Holy Communion (also known as Mass, Eucharist, the liturgy, the Lord’s Supper, breaking bread), which can be at least once a week for many Christians.
- Catholic and Orthodox Christians (and some Anglicans) express their belief in the Trinity by crossing themselves when they enter a church or when the name of the Trinity is invoked
- Priests (known as ministers or pastors in Protestant Churches) begin their sermons with the words, ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’.
- Priests bless a congregation at the end of services with the words, ‘May the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you now and for evermore’.
- Baptisms and marriages are performed in the name of the Trinity.
Creation days 1-6 of Genesis 1, SOWAA for the first day.
- He created heaven and earth, light and dark on day 1. “‘Let there be light,’ and there was light”
- He separated the earth from the sky on day 2.
- He created the dry land, plants and trees on day 3.
- He created the sun, moon and stars on day 4.
- He created fish and birds on day 5.
- He created animals and humans on day 6
The account of creation in Genesis 2-3. SOWAA about God’s breath is the human’s life.
- God created the heavens and the earth.
- God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed life into him. “breath of life”
- God made trees grow out of the ground and formed the Garden of Eden.
- God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden.
- God thought Adam would be lonely, so he created birds and animals which Adam named.
- The birds and animals were not suitable helpers for Adam, so God put Adam to sleep, removed one of his ribs, and from the rib he created woman, Eve.
- Adam and Eve lived in innocence in the Garden of Eden until the serpent tempted them to eat the fruit of the tree that God had forbidden them to eat, telling them that if they ate it they would become like God and know good and evil. Eve ate the fruit and gave some to Adam. As a result of this first (original) sin, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. Eve was condemned to bearing children in pain and to be ruled over by her husband. Adam was condemned to working hard for his living.
What are literalists interpretations of the Genesis creation?
They believe that the Bible is the actual word of God. This means that they believe that every word in the Bible is the Word of God and so is true. As far as Genesis 1 and 2 are concerned, such Christians believe that both accounts are correct and do not contradict each other. Genesis 1 gives the overall broad picture of creation, whereas Genesis 2 zooms in on day 6 of creation and gives details of exactly how God created male and female and animals. Literalist Christians do not accept the scientific theories of the Big Bang and evolution.
What are conservatives interpretations of the Genesis creation?
They believe that the Bible is the Word of God, but not his actual words. This means that they think the writers of the Bible were inspired by God, and guided by God in what they wrote, but they used their own ideas. Conservatives see the Bible as a book about faith rather than a book about science, and so they do not regard Genesis 1 and 2 as absolute scientific fact. Most of them would see Genesis 2 as a commentary on chapter 1 rather than a different story. Conservative Christians tend to regard Genesis 1 as fairly factual (although they would see the days as eras lasting millions, or billions, of years rather than 24 hours) whereas Genesis 2 and 3 are poetic explanations of such things as how suffering and evil came into the world. Conservative Christians accept the Big Bang and evolution.
What are liberals interpretations of the Genesis creation?
They believe that the Bible is a book of words about God rather than the words of God. They feel that the Bible writers were people who had special insights or experiences of God which they wrote in their own way. This means that there may well be mistakes and contradictions in the Bible, but what matters are the great truths about God that the Bible contains. Such Christians regard Genesis 1–3 as a metaphor about creation where what is important is the truth that the universe was created by God, and that that creation was good. They see Genesis 2–3 as written by a different person, and so it is a different story of creation expressing some other truths, such as that evil in the world comes from human misuse of free will. Liberal Christians accept the theories of the Big Bang and evolution.
What does Ex nihilo mean?
From nothing.
What is the importance of creation for Christian today?
- They show God’s goodness.
- This is the basic Christian belief that God gave humans the stewardship of the earth and its resources.
- God created human beings in his image, meaning that humans occupy a unique place in creation.
Give 4 importance and significance of the incarnation.
- It shows Christians that God cared so much about the world that he sent his Son to show humans what God is like and to teach them how to live.
- It is the basis of the Christian faith; without the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, there would be no Christianity.
- In Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, humans can see what God is like. It is hard for humans to understand an infinite, non-material, omnipotent being, but an incarnate God brings God closer to human understanding.
- Through the incarnation, God began the process of salvation from sin, so making it possible for humans to have a full relationship with him and go to heaven after death
Explain two reasons why Christians believe Jesus was God incarnate. In your answer you must refer to a source of wisdom and authority.
One reason is because it shows Christians that God cares so much about the world that he send his only son. This shows Christians how merciful and loving God is. Another reason is that God is infinite and Jesus in human form is finite. This means that people can better undertsand God because he is a form that humans are capable of understanding. This is supported by “The word became flesh”
What is Sanhedrin?
The supreme religious authority in Israel at the time of Jesus.
Where and what day was the last supper?
Maunday Thursday in the upper room
What did Jesus do in the Mount of Olives? Give SOWAA
He prayed to God to “take this cup from
me”
What did Jesus say when he was on the cross? SOWAA
“Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
