Christianity- beliefs and teachings Flashcards
Explain two ways the belief in the Trinity influences Christians today?
- to read the Bible and learn more
- attend church to learn more from the priest
- may feel closer to God via the Holy Spirit
- Feel confused
Give two beliefs about the Trinity (5 marks)?
- Father is the omnipotent creator
- The son is the human incarnation who saves humanity from sin
- The Holy Spirit is Gods active presence in the world today
Quote: “The father and I are one”
What is the meaning of Immanent?
- involved in the world, close to humanity (Son and Holy Spirit)
What is the meaning of transcendent?
- outside the universe, beyond space and time (Father)
What is the meaning of eternal?
- has always existed and will always exist (Father, son and Holy Spirit)
How does Gods omnipotence influence Christians?
- to worship God
- to pray to God
Quote: “With God, all things are possible” (Jesus)
How does God’s omnisciene influence Christians?
- to do good
- to avoid sin
“Nothing is hidden from God’s sight”
How does God’s omnibenevolence influence Christians?
- to be loving
- to be forgiving
“God is love” (Gospel of John)
How does God as just influence Christians?
-to treat others fairly
- follow God’s teachings
“He is a God of justice”
The problem of evil and suffering
If God was omnibenevolent, He would want to end evil and suffering
If God was omnipotent, He would be able to end evil and suffering
The fact that evil and suffering exist challenges beliefs about the nature of God
How does the nature of God influence Christians?
- To worship God and be omnipotent
- To pray to God as He can/ will help
- To do good as God sees everything
- To avoid sin as God sees everything
- To be loving towards others
- To treat others fairly as God is just
St Augustine- Adam and Eve’s
Original Sin linking to the problem evil and suffering
Scripture- Genesis 3
- first humans disobeyed God by eating from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden
- they were banished from the Garden of Eden and ever since humans have been born with “original sin”
This explains the origin of evil and suffering- it was Adam and Eve
Criticism> isn’t it unfair to blame and punish all of humanity for what Adam and Eve did?
John Hick- The vale of soul making linking to the problem of evil and suffering
scripture- St Paul “suffering produces perseverance”
- world is a vale of soul-making, it is a place for our souls to be developed
- world needs to include evil and suffering so we can grow (suffering is a catalyst for character development)
developing compassion, perseverance means we become worthy of entering heaven which will be free from suffering
This explains the value of evil and suffering- it is soul making
Criticism> couldn’t God have found a better way to develop our souls?
Explain two ways in which Christians may understand creation in the Bible
God the Father “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1
God the Son “Through him all things were made”
God the Holy Spirit “The spirit was hovering over the waters”
Literalists believe that Genesis 1 is literally true. They believe God created the universe in six literal days:
- creation story is literally true - They would reject scientific accounts (Big Bang) and evolution because the Bible is infallible and tells us everything we need to know
Non- Literalists do not believe that Genesis 1 is literally true. They believe it is a metaphor with spiritual truth:
- non literalists do not believe that Genesis creation is literally true
- they believe it a myth/metaphor that is supposed to convey spiritual truths- eg that God is omnipotent and that human life is sacred. Science helps us to understand how God actually created the universe.
Christians belief in Life after death
Resurrection of Jesus
- Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, three days after he had been crucified
- The resurrection gives Christians hope for life after death. It represents a victory over death as sin and provides a foundation for their Christian faith and provides confirmation that Jesus was the son of God
Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
- Christians believe that God will judge all of humanity, this parable teaches judgement based on performance of six good works
- God will separate the “sheep” (people who have followed his teaching) and the “goats” (those who haven’t)
- Sheep rewarded with heaven and goats condemned to eternal damnation
Is Judgement based on works, faith…or both?
We need good works - “faith without works is death”
We need faith - Jesus “whoever believes in me will have eternal life”
What is judgement?
the belief that God will, decide whether a person should receive eternal life or eternal punishment based on their earthly life
How does the place of Heaven influence Christians today?
- To do good works
- To follow God’s laws
- To pray to God
“My fathers house has many rooms”- heaven is a physical place
“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”- your soul leaves your physical body and lives in a spiritual place for eternity
How does the place of Hell influence Christians today?
- To avoid ain
- To follow God’s laws
- To pray to God for forgiveness
“Fiery lake of burning sulphur”- hell is a physical place, physical body tortured
“State of exclusion from God”- hell is a self-imposed state of separation from god, hell is a spiritual separation from God
“A loving God would not send anybody to Hell”
Evaluate this statement
(AGREE)
Agree- Gods omnibenevolence means He wouldn’t send anybody to Hell. The Bible teaches that “God is love” and to “be merciful like the Father is merciful”.
- sending people to Hell would go against God’s omnibenevolent nature. He is merciful and wouldn’t want anybody to suffer for eternity, so would not send them to hell.
- This is a strong argument because it is based on the teachings from the Bible, which has authority for Christians
Some Christians also agree because God’s omnibenevolence means he ultimately forgives all sins.
- Jesus taught to forgive “not seven but seventy seven times” and used the story of the adulteress women to teach that sin is normal and should be forgiven rather than punished. Even though God could send us to Hell, he chose to forgive us instead.
- This is a strong argument because forgiveness is a key Christian teaching that is taught throughout the Bible by Jesus, who is the son of God.
“A loving God would not send anybody to Hell”
Evaluate this statement
(DISAGREE)
- Some Christians disagree because an important part of God’s omnibenevolence is that he is fair and just.
Parable of the sheep and Goats- god sent those who have not performed good works to “eternal damnation” - important because it means everybody is treated fairly on the day of judgement
- This is a strong argument because it makes sense that a loving God would be fair and just to everyone, showing his omnibenevolence
Some Christians also disagree because the Bible teaches that Hell is a physical place where sinners will be punished. Why would have God created hell if he wasn’t going to send anybody there?
The book of revelation describes hell as the “fiery lake and burning sulphur”. Hell is a place where God must send unrepentant sinners to be punished, even though he is loving. This is a weaker argument because it is hard to reconcile being loving with punishing people for eternity
How does Jesus incarnation influence Christians today?
- To celebrate Christmas, which is a celebration of the incarnation
- To feel his gratitude that God sent his son into the world
What is the importance of God’s incarnation?
- Shows that Jesus was fully God and fully human
- Shows immanence and omnibenevolence
- Means Jesus can teach and heal people
“The world became flesh and made his dwelling among us”
What is the importance of God’s crucifixion?
- Act of atonement that pays the price for human sinfulness and restores the relationship between God and humanity
- Shows God’s omnibenevolence and means sins can be forgiven
“Christ died for out sins”
What is the influence of Jesus’ crucifixion for Christians today?
- To feel thankful to Jesus that he has paid the price for their sins
- To pray for forgiveness because Jesus has made this possible
- To take Holy communion in remembrance
What is the importance of Jesus’ resurrection?
“He has risen”
“If Christ has not been raised your faith is pointless and you are still in your sins”
- Confirms that Jesus is divine (God or like a God)
- Victory of life over death so gives Christians hope for eternal life.
What is the influence of Jesus’ resurrection on Christians today?
- To celebrate Easter because it is when Jesus rose from the dead
- Feel hopeful that they can have life after death
- Feel comforted that it is not the end
What is Atonement?
- making amends or payment for a wrong. Reconciliation between God and humanity was brought about by the death of Jesus as a sacrifice
Explain two Christian beliefs about the Resurrection of Jesus.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in
your answer
- When Jesus rose from the dead as a part of Gods plan to redeem humanity from sin
- Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and discovered it was empty and an Angel appeared and told her “He has risen”
- Jesus then appeared to many people
Explain two Christian beliefs about the crucifixion of Jesus.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in
your answer
- When Jesus died on the cross which is remembered on Good friday
- Crucified by the Roman Empire and Christians see this as an act of Atonement
Explain two Christian beliefs about the incarnation of Jesus.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in
your answer
- When God took on human form in the person of Jesus which is celebrated at Christmas
- Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary, who had been visited by the Angel Gabriel and told she would give birth to God’s son
Explain two Christian beliefs about the Ascension of Jesus.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in
your answer
(forty days after the resurrection when Jesus returned to glory in heaven)
- Jesus was ascended, sent back up to Heaven
- 40 days after the resurrection
“I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”
What is the importance of Jesus’ Ascension for Christians today?
- Confirms that Jesus is divine
- Gives Christians hope that Jesus will return and that Christians can be united with Jesus in Heaven after death
- Jesus could then send the Holy Spirit into the world
What is the influence of Jesus’ Ascension for Christians today?
- To feel hopeful for eternal life in Heaven with Jesus
- To follow Jesus’ teachings as this confirms he is divine
Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension
What event was the most important?
Incarnation: when he was born if he had not entered the world, he couldn’t then do any of the things at Easter, saving the world from sin through his crucifixion on the cross
Crucifixion: Act of atonement that enables forgiveness and salvation, it also shows God’s omnibenevolence
Resurrection: Confirms that Jesus is fully God (divine), gives hope for life after death and it is seen as a victory over death
Ascension: confirms Jesus is fully God (divine), means that the Holy Spirit can be sent into the world, Hope for return
What is the influence of Christian beliefs about sin?
- Christian would try to avoid committing sins
- Try to follow God’s laws and teachings
- Pray for forgiveness from sins
Original Sin
“Sin entered the world through one man”
Adam and Eve disobeyed God
- This is known as the Fall
- This lead to disharmony in nature, causing natural evil
We are born with inclination to sin, causing moral evil
Personal Sin
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
When individuals humans use their free will to behave in a way that goes against God
The seven deadly sins and going against the 10 commandments
- all human beings are imperfect so we all need salvation
Salvation
Law- salvation is gained by following God;s laws and performing good works
“Keep his commands” 10 commandments “Do not kill”
Grace- salvation is a gift from god, it is gained through Jesus’ death on the cross
“Christ died for our sins” “it is by grace you have been saved..the gift from God”
Spirit- salvation is gained with the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides and helps people
“The advocate will teach you and remind you of everything i have said”
What is the influence of Christians beliefs about salvation?
- To follow God’s laws in order to achieve salvation
- To have faith in Jesus because he died on the cross to save us
Salvation Quotes
“Christ died for our sins” Jesus died on the cross to save humans from sin, his death is the act of atonement, he pays the price for sin and restores the relationship
“The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the whole world” Jesus died on the cross to save humans from sin, his life is sacrificed to pay the price for human sinfulness
“If God were loving, there would be no suffering in the world.”
AGAINST: John Hick - free will, develop as human beings
Iraneaus - free will, grow as human beings
Both believed that God made us imperfect to improve ourselves
He may be all loving, may not be all powerful to overcome the suffering in the world
FOR:
Free will - causes pain to improve - loving God would not want pain
Is powerful enough - ‘with God all things are possible’ John
