Christianity beliefs

Question 1

different branches of christianity

Answer 1

Catholic- based in rome led by the pope
Orthodox-split from catholic christianity in 1054CE in eastern europe
Protestant- split from catholic chirstianity in the 16th centuary and branched out into different denominations e.g baptist, methodist . agree that the bible is the only authority for christians

Question 2

what do christians believe

Answer 2

-only one god’we believe in one god-the nicene creed
-god is creator and sustainer of all that exists
- god works throughout history and inspires people to do god’s will
-people can have a relationship with god through prayer
-god is spirit ‘God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’ John 4:24
-

Question 3

Omnipotent

omnibenevolent

Just

Answer 3

-God is the supreme being who is all powerful
-god has unlimited authority

-uses his power to do good
-god shows love by creating humans and caring for them
-shows his love by sending jesus to earth

• God is a just judge of human kind
  -god will never support injustice ill treatment prejudice or oppression

Question 4

Problems of evil and suffering

Answer 4

• if god is benevolent why does god allow people to suffer
  -if god is omnipotent why does god not prevent evil and suffering
• if god is just why does god allow injustice

Question 5

what are the three parts of the trinity

Answer 5

• God the father- creator of all life, acts as a good father towards his children he is all powerful
  -God the holy spirit- nunseen power of god at work
  -God the son became incarnate through jesus who was both fully human while on earth and fully god at all times

Question 6

Different beliefs of creation-genesis 1:1-3

Answer 6

-many christians believe that the story of the creation in genesis is not scientifically accurate contains religous truth
-some believe that god made the world in literally six days
-god created everything out of choice and created everything ‘good’
-christians believe that go continues to create new life today
Although god the father is referred to as the creator, the holy spirit was active in the creation
-‘In the beginning god created the heavens’

Question 7

Different beliefs of creation-john1:1-3

Answer 7

In johns gospel, everything was created through the word who was both with god and was god.
-the word refers to the son of god who entered history as jesus
-christians believe that the son of god was involved in the creation’ the word was with god, and the word was god’

Question 8

The incarnation

Answer 8

• An angel appeared to mary and jesus explaining that it was not an ordinary conception
  -The gospels of mattew and luke explain that mary conceived jesus without having sex
• the virgin conception is evidence for the christian belief that jesus was the son of god
  -through the incarnation, god showed himself as a human being for around 30 years

Question 9

Son of god UnFINISHEd

Answer 9

• Jesus was fully huam and fully god whoch helps explain his miracles and resurrection
• his words deeds and promises have great authority because they are the word of god
  -most jews expected a messiah who would come to save israel and establish an age of peace but do not believe that jesus was that person

Question 10

Jesus crucifixion

Answer 10

although jesus was fully god he was also fully human so suffered pain and horror
- jesus last words’father into your hands i commit my spirit’- luke 23:46
- a roman centurion acknowledged jesus was innocent and said he was the son of god

Question 11

Jesus crucifixion-whys it important

Answer 11

-jesus sacrifice on the cross gives hope to christians that their sins will be forgiven if they sincerly repent
- christians belive that god understands human suffering because jesus who is god has experianced it
- Christians accept that suffering is part of life

Question 12

The resurrection of jesus

Answer 12

• early on sunday morning some of jesus’s female followers includimg mary magdalene visited the tomb to anoint jesus’body
  ‘either a man or two men who may have been angels told the woman to spread news that jesus had risen from the dead
  -over the next few days jesus appeared to several people including mary magdelene and his diciples. he told them he had risen from the dea, as he predicted he would before the crucifixion
  ‘ And if christians has not been raised our preaching is useless and so is your faith

Question 13

the significance of these events for christians resurrection

Answer 13

• shows power of good over evil and life over death
  -means christians sins will be forgiven if the follow god’s law
  -means christians will be resurrected if they accept jesus so there is no need to fear death

Question 14

the significance of these events for christians- ascension

Answer 14

-shows jesus is with god in heaven
- paves the way for god to send the holy spirit to provide comfort and guidance

Question 15

Different christian beliefs about resurrection

Answer 15

-soom christians believe a persons soul is resurrected soon after death
- other christians belive that the dead will be resurrected at some time in the future, when jesus will return to judge everyone who has ever lived
–some other christians belive resurrection will be sjuts be spiritual no physicial
-catholic and orthodox christians belive in bodily resurrection. this means resurrection is both physical and spiritual

Question 16

the afterlife

Answer 16

-they will be resurrected and recieve eternal life after they die
- this is a gift from god and dependent on faith
-they will be judged by god rewarded by being sent to heaven or hell
-this judgement will happen either very soon after death or on the day of judgement. this is a time in the future when the world will end and christ will come again to judge the living and the dead

Question 17

judgement

Answer 17

• christians believe that after they die , god will judge them on their behaviour and actions during their lifetime as well as their fath in jesus as god’s son
  -in the bible , jesus parable of the sheep and the goats describes how hod will judge people
  -this parable teaches christians that in serving others they are serving jesus

Question 18

what happens after gods judgement

Answer 18

• after gods judgement christians believe they will either experiance eternl happiness in the presence of god,or be unable to experience god’s presence
  -catholics believe some people might enter and intermmediate state called purgatory before they enter
• heaven knowledge of thses states is limited and linked to imagery from the past

Question 19

heaven and purgatory

Answer 19

-heaven is either spiritual or physical or peace,joy,freedom from pain and a chance to be with loved
-traditional images of heaven often show god on a thronenwith jesus next a to him and angels
-however many christians believe heaven is a reward for both faith and actions
-purgatory is an intermmediate state where souls are cleansed in order to enter heaven-catholic belief

Question 20

christians beliefs of who goes to heaven

Answer 20

-only christians
-christians and other religous people who have pleased god by living good lives
-baptised christians regardless of how they lived their lives

Question 21

Hell

Answer 21

-hell is seen as the opposite of heaven- a state of existence without god
-ir is often pictured as a place of eternal torment
-however many people question whetehr a loving god would condom people to eternal torment and pain
-christians who believe god would not do this see hell as an eternal state of mind of being cut off from the possibility of god
- helll would be what awaits someone who did not acknowledge god or follow his teachings during their life

Question 22

Sin

Answer 22

-Christians believe that all humans commit sins.some christians also believe humans are born with an inbuilt tendancy to sin called original-this comes from Adam and Eve’s disobediance of god
-christians believe god gave people free will but they shoukd use their freedom to make choices God would approve of otherwise they will seperate themselves from god. god provides people with the guidance to make to make good choices in his law - exodus 20:1-19

Question 23

two main christians ideas about how salvation can come about.

Answer 23

1) Through good works- the old testment makes it clear that salvation comes through faith in god and obeying god’s law
‘in the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’ james 2:17
2)through grace-salvation is given freely b god through faith iin jesus. it is not deserved or earned but is a free gift of god’s love
‘for it is by grace you have been saved’ ephesians 2:8

Question 24

role of jesus in salvation

Answer 24

-jesus crucifixion made up for original sin
-the death of jesus as an innocent man was nescassary to restorethe relationship between god and believers to bring them salvation
-jesus resurrection shows the goodness of jesus defeated the evil of sin
-jesus ressurection means humans can now recieve forgiveness for their sins
-jesus death and resurrection made it possible for all who follow his teachings to gain eternal life

Question 25

Atonement

Answer 25

-atonement removes the effect of sin allowing peole to have a relationship with gof
-many christiajns believe that through the sacrifice of his death
-this sacrifice made it possible to follow jesus teachings to recieve eternal life