christianity: beliefs and teachings Flashcards
what are the different branches of christianity?
- catholic: based in Rome and led by the Pope
- orthodox: split from catholicism in 1054 CE and practised in Eastern Europe
- protestant: split from catholicism in 16th century and branched into different denominations e.g. baptist, pentecostal, methodist etc (protestants agree Bible is only authority for Christians)
what do christians believe about god?
- there’s only one god
- god is creator and sustainer of all
- god works throughout history and inspires people to do god’s will
- people can have relationship with god through prayer
- god is neither male nor female but has qualities of both
- god is hold(set apart for special purpose and worthy of worship)
- Jesus is god’s son (true representation of god on earth)
give a reference to scripture about christians belief in one god
“We believe in one God” - the Nicene Creed
what do christians believe are some of god’s qualities?
- omnipotent
- god is Supreme Being who is all-powerful
- has unlimited authority - benevolent
- uses power to do good
- shows love by creating humans and caring for them
- showed love by sending Jesus to earth - just
- just judge of humankind
- never supports injustice, ill-treatment, prejudice or oppression
how do the problems of evil and suffering challenge belief in god’s qualities?
(omnipotent, benevolent, just)
- if god is omnipotent, why doesn’t he prevent evil and suffering e.g. suffering caused by natural disasters?
- if god is benevolent, why does he allow people to suffer/hurt others?
- if god is just, why does he allow injustice to occur?
why do christians trust god even when things seem to be going wrong?
christians believe a just god treats people fairly, so they trust god even when things seem to be going wrong
what is the trinity?
christians believe there are three persons in one god: father, son and Holy Spirit
how is god understood by christians?
as a relationship of love between father, son and Holy Spirit
what are features of god the father?
- creator of all life
- acts as a good father towards children
- omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omniscient, omnipresent
what are features of god the son?
- became incarnate through Jesus who was both fully human while on earth and fully god
- Jesus called son of god to show special relationship to god the father
what are features of god the Holy Spirit?
- unseen power of god at work in world
- influences, guides and sustains life on earth
where in the bible is the Holy Spirit active in the creation?
Genesis 1:1-3
what does Genesis 1:1-3 say?
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
what does Genesis 1:1-3 lead Christians to believe about creation?
- many believe story of creation in genesis isn’t scientifically accurate but contains religious truth
- some believe god made the world in 6 days
- god created everything out of choice and created everything ‘good’
- christians believe god continues to make new life today
- god the father referred to as creator, Holy Spirit was active in creation
where in the bible was the son active in creation?
John 1:1-3
what does John 1:1-3 say?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
what does John 1:1-3 lead Christians to believe about creation?
- everything 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 the son of god was involved in the creation
give some references to scripture about the incarnation
“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” - Matthew 1:18
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” - John 1:14
information about Jesus
- son of god, messiah, christ
- fully god and fully human which helps explain miracles and resurrection
- words, deeds and promises have authority as they are the word of god
- most jews expected a messiah who would come to save Israel and establish an age of peace, but don’t believe Jesus was that person
- christians believe Jesus is the messiah, but a spiritual leader rather than a political one
- gospel writers refer to Jesus as the christ but Jesus warned his disciples not to use the term, possibly since his opponents could have him arrested for blasphemy
what does christ mean?
‘anointed one’ or messiah
Jesus’ crucifixion: what happened?
- although Jesus was fully god, he was also fully human so suffered pain and horror
- roman centurion acknowledged Jesus was innocent and said he was the son of god (mark 15:39)
- roman guards made sure Jesus was dead
- Joseph of arimathea was permitted to bury Jesus in a cave-like tomb and blocked the entrance with a large stone
- burial rushed as Sabbath about to begin
what were Jesus’ last words before dying?
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” - Luke 23:46
why is Jesus’ crucifixion important?
- Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gives hope to christians that their sins will be forgiven if they sincerely repent
- christians believe god understands human suffering because Jesus experienced it
- christians accept suffering is part of life as it was a part of Jesus’ life
Jesus’ resurrection: what happened?
- early on Sunday morning, some of Jesus’ female followers, including Mary Magdalene, visited tomb to anoint the body
- Jesus’ body wasn’t there
- either a man or two men, who may have been angels, told the women to spread the news that Jesus had risen from the dead
- over the next few days, Jesus appeared to several people including Mary Magdalene and his disciples; he told them he had risen from the dead, as he predicted he would before the crucifixion
what is a quote about the resurrection?
“And if Christ had not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead… For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” - 1 Corinthians 15:14, 20, 22
“And if Christ had not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead… For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” - 1 Corinthians 15:14, 20, 22
what does this quote show?
- that christianity wouldn’t exist without the resurrection
- it also shows that the resurrection is important because it is significant evidence for christians of the divine nature of Jesus