Christianity beliefs and teachings

Question 1

what are the three qualities of God evidenced in the bible

Answer 1

• omnipotence
• omnibenevolence
• just

Question 2

discuss god as being omnipotent

Answer 2

• means god is all powerful and god can do anything because of this power
• it does not mean that god could do the impossible such as create a mountain that god could then not move
• evidence includes creation of the world (genesis) and miracles performed by Jesus for example, calming a storm on the sea, raising Jarius’ daughter from the dead, the resurrection of Jesus which shows power over death

Question 3

discuss god as omnibenevolent

Answer 3

• god loves all without exception and without prejudice
• even a bad person is loved by god which suggests that even bad people can be redeemed and reconciled to god
• evidence includes sacrificing his own son to make atonement for the sins of humans, the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and Jesus’ teachings for (example a Sermon on the Mount (Mathew 5:43-45,48)

Question 4

discuss god as just

Answer 4

• god is fair and will not act unjustly
• god will give everyone equal value and rights without prejudice or favour
• for Christians it is important to believe god is just because they believe all will be judged after death
• in the parable of the sheep and the goats (Mathew 25:31-46), Jesus talks about that just judgement
• in the book of Job it states that god will not act unjustly, “God is fair and just” (Psalm 25:8)

Question 5

what other characteristics does god have excluding the main three, Omnipotence, omnibenevolence and just

Answer 5

• he is omniscient (all-knowing)
• god is the supreme being so must be omniscient
• St Anselm said that if god exists he must be the ‘greatest conceivable being’ which means the most intelligent
• he is also the creator because he is all knowing and all powerful
• God is eternal
• he created the world so must have existed before it did outside of space and time controlled by neither so must be eternal as time does not impact on god
• this also makes him transcendent which emphasises how different god is to humans and how humans cannot hope to really understand the nature of God
• god is immanent - involved in the world
• Jesus is an example of this as are miracles which are a sign of god at work within the world

Question 6

what is the problem of evil and suffering

Answer 6

Christians believe god is omnipotent, omniscient, benevolent and absolute and that as a fact god exists. Christians from their experience and knowledge realise there is suffering in the world.

some suffering is caused by humans (deliberately and accidentally) which is moral evil. But some is caused by nature as a part of the world we live in and is natural evil

the problem is why if god exists he allows humans especially seemingly good and innocent ones to suffer

he must know about it - omniscient
he as the power to prevent/end it - omnipotent
and loves humans unconditionally - omnibenevolent
so why does god allow the evil which cause suffering

Question 7

what are the potential solutions to the problem of evil and suffering

Answer 7

• moral evil - the devil tempts people like he did to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and humans have free will which they abuse and so hurt others

natural evil - suffering is allowed as punishment for wrong-doing

• it is a test of faith for example the story of Job
• it is needed so that we ca appreciate good
• it is an education, we learn to help others and look after our world by seeing/experiencing suffering

no attempt at solution solves problem fully. most Christians say that humans should just accept the suffering as humans cannot possibly understand god and his purposes
god is just to the fairness of all will be made clear at the end of days
most important is that humans respond positively to suffering for example by helping others like Jesus taught in the parable of the sheep and the goats (Mathew 25:31-46)

Question 8

what is the trinity

Answer 8

Christians believe there is only one god however Christians fundamentally differ from other religions in believing that God has three persons and distinct ways]- trinity or god head

• god the father is loving creator and sustainer of universe
• god the son is saviour who became incarnate (human), lived, was crucified, then resurrected namely Jesus Christ
• god the holy spirit who was a source of strength which Christians find at work in their hearts

the trinity is referred to in all Christian ceremonies for example baptism (I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit)
it is a part of basic statements of belief such as the Apostles’ Creed
many hymns and prayers mention it

Question 9

why is the trinity important

Answer 9

it is god and the religion is based on that concept
symbols such as shamrock and triskelion demonstrate the concept

it helps Christians gain some understanding of god who really is beyond the understanding of humans and it makes best sense of what is written in the bible

Question 10

how does the trinity influence Christians today

Answer 10

as a Christian believing in the trinity influences my life because I have a way to visualise god in my mind when actually god is a really hard concept to describe. Also the act of god sending his son - showing this ultimate love encourages me to always try to show love to others even when it may put me at a disadvantage

the trinity was always here and helped god create the world

Question 11

discuss the genesis creation story

Answer 11

• god prexisted outside of space and time (transcendent)
• he created the world ans is not controlled by it
• Genesis describes the creation 1:1 - “in the beginning god created the heavens and the earth”
• John 1:1-3 opens with “in the beginning was the word and the word was god”
• god created through his word “let there be light”

Jesus relevant to creation - “the word became flesh and loved amongst us”

the holy spirit was involved in creation - “the spirit of god hovering across the face of the waters”

all parts of the trinity were involved in creation so it all must have pre-existed and Jesus, God and the holy spirit are one

Question 12

discuss the alternative creation story

Answer 12

the Big Bang

the world was created by a scientfic explanation

Question 13

what is the importance of genesis

Answer 13

Chrisitans believe the message within genesis 1 is true - the world was planned, ordered and sustained by God

human lives have purpose and meaning because god created those lives and humans are made in the image of god so all humans are of value

humans have a responsibility to treat each other equally and to look after the world because we were made stewards of it

Question 14

what is the difference between john and genesis

Answer 14

john is more the trinity being present in creation whereas genesis is more simple

Question 15

what are the different interpretations of genesis

Answer 15

fundamental christians believe that genesis is literally true - every word is the word of god and god dictated the book and it is literally correct

liberal christians think that genesis does contain truth but it was not dictated. god inspired writers so if there are errors they re human errors

the point of the story is to show that god loves us, we have a place in the world and the world is a good place and was written by a human writer. it is a myth with an important message

Question 16

what is the afterlife

Answer 16

death seperates life on earth (temporary) from life with god (eternal) - it is not something to be feared
christians believe they will be reunited with the dead thus easing the pain of bereavement

the book of revelations says god will wipe every tear- there will be no more death or crying or pain

belief in the ressurection is important to Christians
the dead will be raised to life because of the teachings of Jesus and that he himself overcame death
st paul said this was central to Christian belief

Question 17

what do christians mean by resurection

Answer 17

christians believe god will resurect them before Judgement Day
Jesus told people that the new mode of existence would be different from the earthly one
on earth it is perishable and raised imperishable (a spiritual body)
there is continuity between the person’s earthly life and resurrected life

roman catholics believe in purgatory a state between death and the afterlife. after death of the body the soul goes to pugatory if its destined for heaven where it is purified enough to enter heaven

there are different views about resurection
many Christians say that humans have no answers - only to trust in God
without scientific evidence it is a matter of belief based in Bible teachings and Jesus’ words

Question 18

how does the afterlife influence Christians

Answer 18

know that God will be their ultimate judge
if they live a Christian life and believe in Jesus and his teachings then heaven is open to them
it gives hope that this is not the end and god is waiting for me
eases the pain of bereavement

Question 19

discuss judgement

Answer 19

• Jesus taught God’s mercy and love was unconditional
• at the end of time of the day of judgement all souls Christian or not will be judged by Jesus
• The parables - the Rich Man, Lazarus and the Sheep and the Goats are all judgement teachings
• Jesus will come to judge both the living and the dead

other reject the idea of a second coming of Christ saying Jesus was jut trying to express something that humans simply cannot understand. Humans will account for their actions but no one knows how or when

Question 20

discuss heaven and hell

Answer 20

Heaven:

• Christians use earthly images to explain their understanding of heaven
• it is a state of being rather than a physical place
• being with god outside time and space
• people often see heaven in a way they see their present lives and is often described in a way that would appeal to them now for example a poor person may describe it as a land of milk and honey and plenty

Hell:

• the bible paints a picture of hell via the metaphor of an unquenchable fire
• this idea was historically used into frightening people into obeying church rules
• hell is now seen as a eternal separation from god
• it is neither decided by god nor what god wants for us but humans choose it by turning away from god
• some Christians embrace universalism - they believe everyone will eventually respond to gods love having repented and been forgiven

Question 21

what is the incarnation

Answer 21

central to Christian belief is the belief in the idea that God took on human form as Jesus
John 1;14 - “the word became flesh and lived amongst us”
Christians believe Jesus was fully god and fully human - truly the son of god
If Christians acknowledge Jesus as the Son of god then god lives in them

Question 22

discuss Jesus as the Son of God

Answer 22

• the title son of god is used about Jesus in the new testament
• Mary was a virgin who conceived through the power of the holy spirit
• Some Christians accept the virgin birth as true whereas others suggest it is more of a metaphor to show that Jesus was both human and divine

Question 23

discuss the knowledge of Jesus

Answer 23

• if fully divine Jesus should have had full knowledge of what was happening yet at times his knowledge was limited e.g he said he didn’t fully understand about the end of the world
• this can be explained by saying that to become fully human he had to give up most of his divine knowledge - a great sacrificial act
• he came as a servant but was still fully god in his relationship with and understanding of god

Question 24

discuss the importance in the belief in incarnation

Answer 24

• helps Christians understand the extent of god love for humanity
• it shows how Christians should live - as god loves us so we should love one another - 1 John
• Many Christians have taken on this act of selfless love like Mother Theresa

Question 25

discuss the crucifixion

Answer 25

• Jesus work on earth lasted about 3 years then he was arrested, tried and crucified
• convicted of blasphemy by the Jewish authorities he was put to death for treason under roman law
• he was crucified at Golgotha - the place of the skull
• it took six hours for him to die and Mark records that for 3 of these hours the earth was dark symbolising judgement on Israel for its rejection of the Messiah
• Jesus questioned; “God why have you forsaken me”
• Mark says that at the point of death the temple curtain tore in two believed to show that the death of Jesus had broke down the barrier of sin that separated man from god.

Question 26

why did Jesus have to be crucified

Answer 26

at the time Jesus teachings gave a new understanding of the Torah which brought him into direct conflict with Jewish leaders
at the time the Roman governor was under pressure to keep a peaceful land so came down hard on any religious rebellion. When Jewish leaders implied Jesus was stirring up trouble the governor had to act

In Christian thought Jesus had to die to fulfil God’s plan. Without his death humans could not be reunited with god and enter heaven. Jesus atoned for the sins of humanity bringing god and man back together

Question 27

discuss Jesus and god influencing salvation and reconciliation

Answer 27

• god gave his only son so that humans could be saved in eternal life (salvation)
• Jesus death atoned for human sin
• this was god reconciling with his people. he is so loving and merciless that he made forgiveness possible through his own son
• Christians work for reconciliation with others in the world today

Question 28

what was the resurrection of Jesus

Answer 28

• recorded in New Testament and the four gospels: Mark, Luke, John and Mathew
• Joseph of Arimathea was given permission to take Jesus’ body down from the cross
• Joseph was allowed by Pontius Pilate (the Roman Governor) to bury Jesus in the rock tomb he owned but the burial was delayed as it was the Sabbath day of rest
• when the woman returned on the Sunday morning they found the stone rolled away
• all three gospel writers say that the body had gone and the women were told Jesus had risen
• Mark says a man in white tells the woman to return to Galilee to meet the risen Jesus
• John says a man revealed himself to Mary Magdalene as Jesus himself come back to life and she returns to the disciples to say ‘she had seen the risen Jesus’
• all this is followed by ‘resurrection appearances’ recorded in Mathew, Luke and John only. During the next forty days when he appeared he was not always recognised at first but the physical nature of his appearances is always stressed

Question 29

discuss the impact of the resurrection

Answer 29

the disciples turned from men hiding in to going out spreading Jesus’ message
this put them in great danger indicating that something significant had happened
Peter for example went from denying he even knew Jesus to teachings his message openly
it was seeing the risen Jesus that caused these transformations

Question 30

what happened after the resurrection of Jesus

Answer 30

On the 40th day after the resurrection some texts describe ‘the Ascension of Jesus’
At Bethany Jesus blessed his disciples before being taken up to heaven - ‘a cloud received him from their sight’ (Acts)
this was the successful completion of his mission and return to god

Question 31

how does Jesus’ resurrection influence Christians today

Answer 31

• it is the central element of Christian belief - if Jesus simply died then he is no different to others who may have died for their beliefs or as punishment for going against the authorities
• Christians believe resurrection is the proof Jesus is the Son of God showing how God triumphed over evil and death
• this victory over death opens up heaven for Christians. Jesus’ sacrifice overcame sin, reconciled humanity with God and offered eternal life

makes faith complete as the resurrection makes him different to anyone else and so you know this is the true
if jesus can overcome death as human other Christians can enter heaven as Jesus did

jesus showed gods omnipotence by resurrecting

Question 32

discuss original sin

Answer 32

the story of ‘original sin’ is in Genesis - Adam and Eve were tempted by the devil to eat from the tree of good and evil and they were evicted from the garden of eden as punishment
Christians believe humans were all descended from adam and eve
tainted by this act all humans have an inbuilt tendency to disobey god
most Christians do not take the Genesis story literally, to many it conveys the message that humanity has the inclination to do what they are told not to do hence disobeying god which damages their relationship with him

Question 33

discuss sin

Answer 33

sin separates man from god bringing eternal punishment. As human are full of sin so only god can rectify this problem
Christians believe god offered salvation through the sacrifice of Christ

Question 34

what is salvation and what are the two types

Answer 34

salvation is being accepted by god and having the assurance of eternal life

law and grace

Question 35

what is salvation through law

Answer 35

• In Jesus’ time the Jews thought that obeying the law was the way to salvation
• Some Christians believe in salvation through works (the idea that that a right relationship with God has to be earned)
• Some Christians think salvation can be earned through obedience to God’s laws; others take on Jesus’ idea that God was more pleased with the thoughts in our minds and the love in our hearts for Him and others. Christians need to put these thoughts and actions in their lives

Question 36

what is salvation through grace

Answer 36

• grace means the unconditional love that God has for us. God loves humanity regardless. God’s love is there despite everything humans do so there is no need to earn salvation
• god shows his love in the gift of salvation to all who believe in Jesus as the Son of God
• salvation through grace and spirit is made possible through Jesus’ astonishing death. Jesus’ actions made possible the forgiveness for the sins of the world leading to reconciliation
• Christians believe they receive God’s grace through the presence in their hearts of the Holy Spirit. this allow them to try and show love as Jesus did
• many people today believe the grace of god helps them everyday and that acts of gods grace are seen in the world daily