Christianity BTP Flashcards
According to Christians, what is the nature of God?
He is:
* Eternal
* atemporal
* omniscient
* transcendent
* immanent
* omnibenevolent
* omnipotent
How is God seen to be personal?
He is often shown to be in a relationship with people through prayer, visions and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Why would God be a fair and righteous judge of humans?
God sees all that humans do, say and think and has set rules for humans to follow, and Christians believe that He provided a perfect example of the right way to live when He came into the world as Jesus.
What aspect of God does the Plymouth Bretheren focus on?
His holiness and purity
Why do Plymouth Brethren avoid a common lifestyle?
to remove themselves from evil
Quote to support the detatchment of the Plymouth Brethren from normal lifestyles
‘Do not love the world or anything in the world.’
Why do the Amish live in their own secluded communities?
to separate themselves from the pollution of sin in the world
What do the Amish believe about salvation?
While God has provided salvation through the death and ressurection of Jesus they also believe that they must practice life of salvation by works; living in accordance with laws set in the Bible is necessary for salvation (link to parable of sheep and goats)
Quote to support God’s judgement.
‘He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.’
Quote to support God’s omnipotence.
‘When he is angry the Earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath’
Quote to support God’s stature and authority.
‘I am the alpha and the omega… the Almighty’
Quote to support that God is benevolent.
‘God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles’
Quote to demonstrate God’s love for humans through Jesus.
‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son’
Quote to support monotheism.
‘You shall have no other Gods before me’
What do Hillsongs believe about salvation and forgiveness?
A person does not need to do any action to get God’s forgviveness; His forgiveness is a revelation of his benevolence and it is a gift and simple belief and acceptance is all that is needed.
Quote to support the Holy Trinity.
people must be baptised ‘in the name of the father, son and holy spirit’
Who is the Father in the Holy Trinity?
God; the creator of the universe
Quote to support God as the Father and the Creator.
‘I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth’
What does calling God ‘abba’ respresent?
the close, loving relationship that Christians may have with Him as abba means father
Who is the Son in the Holy Trinity?
Jesus; God in human form
Quote to support the Son in the Holy Trinity.
‘I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only son’
Why is Jesus considered to be free of all sin?
Since he was not made by 2 humans and instead placed into Mary by the Holy Spirit; original sin does not affect him and God cannot sin anyway
Why did God come to earth in the form of Jesus?
- To reveal himself to the people
- To show his love and power
- To teach people how to live
- To forgive humans of their sins by sacrificing himself on the cross
- To show God has power over death by rising from the dead
Which symbols symbolise the trinity?
- Shamrock
- Borromean rings
- Triskelion
Who is the Holy Spirit in the Holy Trinity?
the part of God that is with Christians as their constant guide and comforter
Quote to support the Holy Spirit in the Holy Trinity.
at the feast of Pentecost after Jesus died and ascended to heaven; ‘All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.’
How is the Holy Spirit important in the life of a Christian?
The Spirit helps believers live in the way God requires, helping them to understand His teaching and giving them the promise of life with Him in heaven after death
Why would belief in the Trinity be opposed by some Christians?
it could lead to the idea there is more than one god which puts monotheism of Christianity in danger.
Which type and denominations do not believe in the Trinity?
Unitarians; Christadelphians
Quote to support that Christians should live a life according to God.
‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’
What is the Nicene Creed?
a statement of Christian faith that was originally formulated in 325 CE at the Council of Nicaea
Which denominations use the Nicene Creed?
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches.
ecumenical
efforts or movements aimed at promoting unity or cooperation among different Christian churches or denominations (eccumulate all the churches together)
Quote to support women were made in man’s image.
‘she shall be called ‘woman’, for she was taken out of man’
Quote to support God’s power so great that anything He speaks shall happen.
‘God said “let the lands produce vegetation”… and it was so’
Quote to support human’s role on Earth to look after and care for the Earth.
Humans must ‘rule over the fish of the sea and birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground’
anthropomorphic
describing God by using human characteristics
How did original sin originate?
The Fall; Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit, and bacuse she did, God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
What is the effect of original sin on believers?
original sin is seen as to be born out of a relationship with God and in need of His salvation to bring them back to the relationship. Unless the price of original sin has been paid, a person has no hope of eternal life in heaven with God.
What do all Christians believe about the story of Creation, regardless of denomination?
- God created the universe
- God acted out of love and goodness as he cares for his Creation even in its broken and sinful state
- Humans are made in God’s image although are sinful and lack His perfection
Creationist
Someone who takes the story of Creation literally; they reject any science that suggests that the world was not made in 6 days as the Bible is God’s word and His word is infallible
Theistic evolution
Belief in evolution as a process that God started as a mechanism by which God brings about life
How can the story of Creation be compatible with science?
God’s time may not be considered as our time; each day of the week could maybe represent billions of years which is factually compatible with evidence provided by science about the age and development of Earth
Quote to support immortality for humans was lost through sin.
‘sin enetred the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men becuase all men sinned’
evil
everything that is the opposite of good
natural evil
suffering created through no direct fault of humans
Example of natural evil:
all natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods which bring devastation and tragedy to innocent people
moral evil
when suffering is caused by the actions of human beings