Christianity: Beliefs and Teachings Flashcards
How many Christian followers are there in the world today?
2.4 billion
What does ‘omnipotent’ mean? (in relation to God)
God is all-powerful
What does ‘omnibenevolent’ mean? (in relation to God)
God is all-good
What does ‘omniscient’ mean? (in relation to God)
God is all-knowing, of past, present and future
How many days after his crucifixion did Jesus rise from the dead?
3
What religion were Jesus and his disciples?
Jewish
What does ‘messiah’ mean in Greek?
Christ
Why do Christians believe Jesus died?
For the sins of humanity
What are the ‘gospels’?
Writings that record Jesus’ life
What is ‘monotheism’?
The belief that there is only one god
What does ‘eternal’ mean? (in relation to God)
God is without beginning or end
What does ‘atemporal’ mean? (in relation to God)
1) God is outside time
2) He is in control of both time and space
What does ‘transcendent’ mean? (in relation to God)
1) God is ‘outside the world’
2) God is not active in human affairs
What does ‘immanent’ mean? (in relation to God)
God is active and ‘in the world’ today
Why is it not possible for God to be evil or lie?
God is omnibenevolent
What parts of God are in the Holy Trinity?
1) The Father
2) The Son
3) The Holy Sprit
What is the Father referred to as? (in the Holy Trinity)
God
What is the Son referred to as? (in the Holy Trinity)
Jesus
Which two parts of the Holy Trinity are unseen?
1) The Father
2} The Holy Spirit
What did God the Father create?
The universe
What does God as Father provide for his followers?
A sense of safety and protection
How was Jesus placed in Mary?
By the Holy Spirit
Why did God come to Earth in the form of Jesus?
1) to reveal Himself to people
2) to sacrifice Himself on the cross
3) to rise from the dead
Why did God reveal Himself to people?
1) to show His love and power
2) to teach them how He wants people to live
Why did God sacrifice Himself on the cross?
1) to receive God’s punishment for human sin
2) for repentant people to be forgiven
Why did God rise from the dead?
1) to show that God has power over death
2) to show that He is eternal
3) to show that Christians may have an everlasting life in heaven after death
What does the Spirit do?
1) helps Christians to live in the way that God requires
2) helps Christians to understand God’s teaching
3) promises life with God in heaven after death
What is a creed?
A summary statement of religious beliefs, often recited in worship
How many days did God take to create the world?
6
What did God do on the seventh day after creating the world?
He rested
In what order did God create the world?
1) the heavens and the earth
2) light
3) sky
4) land
5) vegetation
6) the sun and the moon
7) animals (water)
8) animals (land)
9) man
What is the original sin?
Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God when they ate a forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden
What two categories is evil divided into?
1) natural evil
2) moral evil
What is natural evil?
Suffering created through no fault of humans
Give some examples of natural evil
All natural disasters that bring devastation and tragedy to innocent people
1) earthquakes
2) floods
3) tornadoes
What is moral evil?
Suffering caused by the actions of human beings
Give an example of moral evil.
The immeasurable suffering caused when Adolf Hitler tried to kill all Jewish people in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s
What is the problem of evil?
1) if God is omnibenevolent, then He would care enough to stop the suffering caused by evil, but He hasn’t so maybe He is not omnipotent
2) if God is omnipotent and has the power to stop suffering but He hasn’t, maybe He doesn’t care enough, so He is obviously not omnibenevolent
What is the Irenaean theodicy?
1) God allows evil and suffering to exist
2) the world was deliberately created with both good and evil in order that humans would be able to choose and learn what is right and good
3) through suffering we learn and develop spiritually
4) God allows suffering because He wants our souls to develop
5) as long as people are open to learning from their actions they can get to heaven
What is the Augustinian theory?
1) God made a perfect Creation as recorded in Genesis
2) there is no evil in God’s creation
3) evil is the absence of goodness
4) evil is when something good becomes corrupted and lacks its intended perfection
What is ‘The Fall’?
The move by humans out of a perfect relationship with God
Give some titles that consider Jesus to be God’s chosen one.
1) Messiah (Christ)
2) Son of God
3) Lord
4) Saviour
Why is Jesus’ life and examples important for Christians?
1) they give them a pattern for their own lives
2) his death is the sacrifice that provides the means by which humans can be brought back into the relationship with God
What does it mean that Jesus was God incarnated?
Jesus was God in human form
What does the Old Testament contain prophecies about?
God coming to Earth
What does ‘Messiah’ mean?
Anointed one
Why was Jesus sent to Earth by God the Father?
1) to take the punishment for human sin
2) to restore the broken relationship between God and humanity
What was the result of Jesus’ death and resurrection?
Forgiveness from God
What does the Sermon on the Mount contain?
Jesus’ teachings about how Christians should live in order to please God
What does the word ‘beatitudes’ mean?
Blessings
What attitudes/qualities do Beatitudes 1-3 show?
1) how to be better, truer
2) to be more open to God
3) know your needs
What attitudes/qualities do Beatitudes 4-7 show?
1) search for truth and righteousness
2) seek to be pure in heart
What is adultery?
The act of having a sexual relationship with someone other than one’s husband or wife
What does Jesus say lust is?
The act of committing ‘adultery in the heart’
What is the Lord’s Prayer?
A structure for believers to base their own prayers on
What is the structure of the Lord’s Prayer?
1) the worship of God
2) request that God meet daily needs
3) repentance and asking for God’s forgiveness
Why does Jesus say that the love of money is wrong?
It becomes an idol that may lead to selfishness and greed
What is sacrificial love?
Love that places God, others, and even enemies, above yourself
How do Christians aim to share the message of Jesus?
1) preaching
2) their actions
What is evangelism?
Sharing Jesus’ message and persuading others to become believers
What does Jesus’ resurrection show?
1) his power over death
2) he was God incarnate
3) he was God and man
4) God approved of his sacrifice
5) there is life after physical death
How many days after Jesus’ resurrection did he ascend back up to heaven?
40
What does Jesus’ ascension signify?
1) his success of good over evil
2) he lives alongside God and reigns with him
3) the end of his life and work on Earth
4) there is life after physical death
What does ‘atonement’ mean?
Something that makes amends or pays for having down something wrong
What does God’s grace mean?
Humans have God’s blessing even if they are imperfect and sinful as long as they have faith in Christ
What is redemption?
The process of buying something back or paying off a debt
How do Christians believe they can be saved?
Say sorry to God for their sins (to repent) and to ask for forgiveness for them
How do Roman Catholics believe they can be saved?
1) being baptised
2) belonging to the Church
3) ongoing participation in the sacraments
How do evangelical Christians believe they can be saved?
Having faith in Jesus
Why is human life sacred?
People possess a soul
What is hell?
A place of indescribable, eternal torture for non-believers
What did the Church often use the fear of hell as a way of?
Getting people to follow its religion
What do Christians believe heaven means?
Being in the eternal presence of God
What Christian denomination believes in purgatory?
Roman Catholicism
What is purgatory?
The purification of the elect (people who will go to heaven)
Why do Catholics pray for the dead?
1) they do not believe that when you die, you are beyond help
2) they believe that prayers can help people in purgatory
