Christianity: Belief In God Flashcards

1
Q

What is the Trinity?

A

Christian belief of God as one being, but in 3 ‘persons’ (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).

Each of these are fully God, but they are not three Gods- they are one God.

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2
Q

What is the Nicene Creed?

A

A statement of belief in the Trinity that reveals the nature of each of the 3 persons, which many Christians recite in Church

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3
Q

What does the Nicene Creed say about:

                      God the Father
A
  • Watches over us
  • Creator of the universe
  • ‘Almighty’ (having complete power)
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4
Q

What does the Nicene Creed say about:

                      God the Son
A
  • Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, ‘Lord’
  • Forgiver
  • Spreads the word
  • Updated message of God
  • ‘Sheperd’ (Son of man, also human with human faults)
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5
Q

What does the Nicene Creed say about:

                      God the Holy Spirit
A
  • Part of us
  • Faith on Earth
  • Leads you to God
  • ‘Giver of Life’ (He is spiritually active in the world, helps them to know God and worship him, equips and empowers believers)
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6
Q

QUOTE: The Bible highlights the importance of each person of the Trinity and how they can be understood and worshipped by Christians today.

A

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.”

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7
Q

How is the Trinity reflected in worship and belief today?

A
  • Christians believe the Trinity is a loving relationship with each of the 3 persons relating to the others like a family
  • This helps Christians to understand more about relationships and love because the Trinity is very similar to the way they live
  • This ‘oneness’ is reflected in Christian songs and hymns, E.g. Shine, Jesus, Shine
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8
Q

What is the Incarnation?

A

The Christian belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

This is God becoming a man on earth in order to be more accessible to humanity.

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9
Q

QUOTE: The Bible teaches that God the Son came into the world to live among people, show them what God was like and enable them to have a relationship with him.

A

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

  *One of Jesus’ names is Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’
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10
Q

Why is Jesus the ultimate lamb?

A

Jews used to kill innocent lambs at Passover to remove their sins. Jesus acted as this.

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11
Q

Why is the incarnation important to Christianity?

A
  • Shows us that God loves the world and the people in it (they celebrate this during Christmas)
  • As a human, Jesus could understand humanity and its problems, and identify with their suffering
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12
Q

Reason why the incarnation could be TRUE:

A
  • God wanted to forgive us
  • God wanted us to have a relationship with him
  • God wanted us to know what he was like
  • Jesus performed miracles
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13
Q

Reasons why the incarnation could be FALSE:

A

-There is only one God and he is the creator, but we never see him

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14
Q

What is the Last Supper?

A

The evening before he died, Jesus and his disciples had a meal together, where Jesus spoke of his forthcoming death.

Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for the future.

He said when he was gone he’d send the Holy Spirit.

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15
Q

QUOTE: During the Last Supper, Jesus gave his disciples bread and wine to represent his sacrifice. This was called the Eucharist.

A

“This is my body given for you.”

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16
Q

QUOTE: Jesus knew one of his disciples would betray him, and he told them this during the Last Supper.

A

“The hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.”

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17
Q

Why is the Last Supper important to Christianity?

A

-Highlights that Jesus’ teachings has begun to come true: he knew what was going to happen

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18
Q

What is the Arrest and Trial?

A

Jesus and his disciples spent the night in a garden (Gethsemane).

In the middle of the night, Judas Iscariot brought armed authorities to take Jesus away, identifying Jesus by kissing him.

Jesus was taken to the Jewish High Council (Sanhedrin) who found him guilty of blasphemy.

The Sanhedrin took Jesus the the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, who sentenced him to death.

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19
Q

QUOTE: During the Arrest and Trial, Pontius Pilate thought Jesus was innocent but sentenced him the death anyway.

A

“I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.”

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20
Q

Why is the Arrest and Trial important to Christianity?

A
  • Jesus did not give up his beliefs and was willing to die for them
  • Pontius Pilate recognised Jesus’ innocence, but let him die anyway
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21
Q

What is the Crucifixion?

A

Jesus was nailed to a cross and left to die, crucified between two criminals.

The sky went dark from midday until around 3pm when he died.

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22
Q

QUOTE: When Crucified, Jesus was willing to die showing his faith in God.

A

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

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23
Q

Why is the Crucifixion important to Christianity?

A
  • Jesus’ death was proof of his humanity: he truly was God incarnate
  • Christians believe Jesus’ death was a sacrifice: his death brought about the forgiveness of humanity’s sins
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24
Q

What is the Resurrection?

A

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after he died.

Jesus really was God and overcame death.

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25
Q

QUOTE: The Resurrection showed that all of what Jesus foretold became true.

A

“He has risen, just as he said.”

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26
Q

Why is the Resurrection important to Christianity?

A
  • All Jesus taught is true
  • Humanity’s sins are forgiven, so people can have a true relationship with God again
  • Shows that death is not the end
  • If Christians believe in Jesus and follow his teachings, they will receive eternal life and be reunited with God
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27
Q

What is the Ascension?

A

After Jesus was resurrected, he spent time teaching his disciples that he would soon be taken up to heaven, but they would not be alone.

The Holy Spirit would come into the world and help them to spread the word of God.

When Jesus was taken up to heaven, this was called ascension.

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28
Q

QUOTE: Before the Ascension, Jesus told his disciples the Holy Spirit would come into the world and help them.

A

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

29
Q

Why is the Ascension important to Christianity?

A
  • Jesus knew what was going to happen, but let them know that they wouldn’t be alone
  • Many Christians remember it on Ascension Sunday through worship, hymns and prayers
30
Q

QUOTE: Adam and Eve disobeyed God when they ate from the Tree of Knowledge and so God punished them (painful periods, had to work for food) and banished them from the Garden of Eden.

A

“You will be punished for this; you alone of all the animals must bear this curse.”

31
Q

Why is the creation account important to Christianity?

Metaphorically

A

Some Christians interpret it metaphorically and suggest that it represents God’s relationship with us to show how we broke the trust with God and now have to work to get back in his favour

32
Q

Why is the creation account important to Christianity?

Literally

A

Some Christians, like the Young Earth Creationists, interpret it literally, so believe that the Earth is only 6000 years old, that humans once co-existed with dinosaurs, and that fossils are a test from God/a trick from the devil

33
Q

Why do Christians believe they have a special relationship with God?

A

The Bible says “God created mankind in his own image” so Christians believe that they are particularly important since God expressed himself in making them

34
Q

What is the dominion view?

A

The belief that God made the world and gave it to humans as a gift, so humans can do whatever they want with the world- it belongs to the humans to dominate

35
Q

What is stewardship?

A

The belief that God gave humans the world to the humans to looks after- they are temporary keepers and so must ensure that they return it in a condition that God would want

36
Q

Eschatology

A

Christian theology about life after death

37
Q

Day of Judgement

A

The time when God assesses a person’s actions- good and bad

38
Q

Heaven

A

A place of paradise, to spend eternal life with God

39
Q

Hell

A

A place of punishment, to spend eternal life without God

40
Q

What is the Day of Judgement?

A
  • Christians believe God is fair and merciful
  • They suggest on the Day of Judgement he will separate people based on how they lived their life on Earth
  • The good people (‘sheep’) will be sent to Paradise
  • The bad people (‘goats’) will go to Hell
41
Q

QUOTE: On the Day of Judgement God will separate the good people and the bad people- the good ones will go to Paradise and the bad ones will go to Hell.

A

“Those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward”

42
Q

What does the Day of Judgement say on how a Christian should act?

A

They should live their lives doing good deeds as they will be rewarded on the Day of Judgement by going to Heaven, where they will get to spend eternal life with God

43
Q

What is Heaven?

A
  • A place where God resides with his people after death, where there is no pain and only peace and joy
  • Only people who believe in God and have lived a good life can go there after death
44
Q

QUOTE: People who believe in God are his people and will therefore be able to reside with him in Heaven after death, where there is no pain.

A

“They’re his people, he’s their God (…) tears gone, crying gone, pain gone.”

45
Q

What differing views do Christians have of Heaven due to the Bible not giving detailed descriptions of Heaven?

A
  • It’s a location where they will physically reside with God after judgement
  • It’s a state of being where they can spiritually unite with God
46
Q

What is Hell?

A
  • Non-believers of God will be cast into Hell where they will suffer in agony forever
  • They will never unite with God and Jesus describes it as “eternal punishment”
47
Q

QUOTE: Non-believers of God will be sent to Hell and can never unite with God

A

“Sons of the kingdom shall be cast out (…) away from the presence of the Lord”

48
Q

What differing views do Christians have of Hell due to the Bible not giving detailed descriptions of Hell?

A
  • It’s metaphorical- the absence of God so those who don’t follow Jesus will simply cease to exist after death which is a punishment as they don’t get to spend eternal life with God
  • It’s literal- they suffer a second death in agony for eternity in Hell
49
Q

Grace

A

Humans are given undeserved love as a result of the actions of Jesus

50
Q

QUOTE: God loved his creations so much - undeserving love - that he was willing to give them Jesus to guide them.

A

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son.”

51
Q

Salvation

A

Humanity is saved from sin and can have a meaningful relationship with God in Heaven

52
Q

Atonement

A

The act of restoring a relationship; in Christianity Jesus’ death was atonement to restore the relationship between God and humanity

53
Q

Repentance

A

To apologise and avoid future wrongdoing

54
Q

Law

A

Guidelines to how people should behave; when Christians disobey the laws of God (Ten Commandments) this is called sin (e.g. Adam + Eve)

55
Q

Why is salvation important to Christians?

A
  • When Christians break the Ten Commandments they are sinning and therefore need to reconnect with God by atoning for their sins by repenting and also having faith in Jesus
  • As a result of this salvation they can receive grace and be loved by God again
56
Q

QUOTE: People must repent and atone for their sins in order to reach salvation

A

“Salvation is found in no one else.” -Jesus

57
Q

Moral evil

A

Suffering caused by humans

58
Q

Natural evil

A

Suffering caused by the natural workings of the planet

59
Q

The Inconsistent Triad

A
  • God is good
  • God is powerful
  • People suffer

The triad shows that God can’t be benevolent, omnipotent and omniscient at the same time.

60
Q

Why does evil and suffering cause problems for people who believe in God?

A
  • If God is omnipotent then why doesn’t he end evil?
  • If God is benevolent then why does he let us suffer?

This can make theists doubt their belief in the existence of God or their belief that he is good and powerful.

61
Q

How may Christians challenge the Inconsistent Triad?

A
  • God doesn’t stop our suffering as he cast out Adam and Eve from the Garden Of Eden (and therefore humanity) so that they may suffer for their sins
  • Our suffering may be consequences of our actions from our free will, and therefore justified
  • God might have a different definition for ‘suffering’ so maybe he doesn’t see it as suffering
62
Q

QUOTE: God is omnipotent (all powerful)

A

“God created the universe”

63
Q

QUOTE: God is benevolent (loving)

A

“He blessed them all”

64
Q

QUOTE: God is omniscient (all knowing)

A

“His understanding has no limit”

65
Q

QUOTE: God is just

A

“The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.”

66
Q

Intercessionary prayers

A

People who pray for those who are suffering

67
Q

Why is the original sin important to Christianity?

A
  • They believe that it explains such things as war and cruelty as they are consequences of the original sin
  • Original sin affects humanity today as it separates us from God, bringing dissatisfaction and guilt into our lives
  • The concept of Adam and Eve’s original sin (‘The Fall’) showed disobedience and brought sin into the previously perfect world
68
Q

Original sin

A

The tendency towards evil in all of humanity, inherited from Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God and were cast from the Garden of Eden

69
Q

The Vale or Soul Making

A
  • Irenaeus stated that God made humans imperfect and is therefore partly responsible for the existence of evil
  • To make humans perfect would take away their free will
  • By being imperfect we are given a chance to develop in a soul-making process into the ‘children of God’
  • Eventually good will overcome evil and suffering