Unit C: Historical Overview Flashcards
Christianity is a religion based in and formed by
Community
Judaism which gave birth to
Christianity
What was judasim based on?
was a community-based religion expressing it’s existence in terms of relationship with God and each other. This is most clearly seen in the Torah (the Law)
What grows out of the torah
Ten commandments
The 10 Commandments provides both the
identity and the function of community, that is - what gave them unity and how to function within that unity.
Jesus continued this idea of faith being expressed in community with the summary of the law found in
Matthew
Love God with your whole being and love others as yourself.
Christian Community strips away
traditional divisions: Slave/Free, Male/Female, Jew/Greek and so forth:
What does Christian community replace these divisions with?
It replaces these divisions with the understanding that all are equal before God, and thus all should be treated equally.
Jesus continued this idea of faith being expressed in community with the summary of the law
Matthew
Love God with your whole being and love others as yourself.
What 4 images did the early church saw community as important
Family
Body of christ
Spiritual house
Holy nation
Family -
early Christians referred to each other as brothers and sisters and considered themselves part of an extended family, the bonds of which went deeper than mere friendship
Body of Christ -
the Apostle Paul used this image to emphasize that in spite of the diversity of people in these early Christian groups, they belonged together and worked together - being different from someone else didn’t mean you didn’t belong, rather it meant you had a different purpose or function within that community
Spiritual House -
an image that reflects the unique construction technique of fitting different shaped stones together to build strong walls and eventually a house. This image suggests that Christians have been chosen to part of the structure, that their presence is important to the integrity and strength of the structure, that they are not uniform bricks who all look and act alike, rather they are unique in shape and how they fit in
Holy Nation -.
the word ‘holy’ means set apart for a special purpose, thus Christians saw themselves as individuals chosen by God to be part of this new group of people. They no
‘longer see their primary allegiance as to the Roman Empire, for they were citizens of a more important nation - the kingdom of God (see / Peter 2:9)
Jesus of Nazareth summary
Christian history begins with Jesus of Nazareth, a Jew who was born in a small corner of the Roman Empire. Little is known of his early life, but around the age of 30, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and had a vision in which he received the blessing of God. After this event, he began a ministry of teaching, healing, and miracle-working. He spoke of the “kingdom of God,” condemned religious hypocrites and interpreted the Mosaic law in new ways. He spoke before crowds of people, but also chose 12 disciples whom he taught privately. They eagerly follówed him, believing him to be the long-awaited Messiah who would usher in the kingdom of God on
earth.
Jesus of nazareth death summary
After just a few years, however, opposition mounted against Jesus, and he was ultimately executed by crucifixion by the Romans. Most of Jesus’ followers scattered, dismayed at such an unexpected outcome. But three days later, women who went to anoint his body reported that the tomb was empty and an angel told them Jesus had risen from the dead. The disciples were initially skeptical, but later came to believe. They reported that Jesus appeared to them on several occasions and then ascended into heaven before their eyes.
