Christianity: Beliefs and Teachings

Page 1

The Nature of God

Different branches of Christianity

Catholic

Based in Rome

Led by the Pope

Respect authority of Bible and Church Tradition

Seven Sacraments

Protestant

Split from Catholicism in the 16th century

Base beliefs and practices on Bible

Both Catholic and Protestant features

39 articles

Bible is the only source of authority

Orthodox

Mainly in Eastern Europe

Seven sacraments

Honour icons (not worship)

What do Christians believe about God?

Monotheistic - one God

Omnipotent - all powerful - allows people to have free will

Omnibenevolent - all loving and caring - follow the example of God

Just Judge - judges people fairly - who reject him and live sinful lives will be punished - God forgives those who are sorry

Omniscient - all knowing - in past, present and future

Eternal - always existed and will exist forever

Transcendent - beyond this world - doesn't depend on it to exist

Immanent - present in human world - active role in humanity

Personal - almighty and divine person - relationship is possible through prayer

Works through history and inspires people to do God's will

God is spirit

Holy - set apart for special purpose and worthy of worship

Jesus is God's son - true representation of God on Earth

Page 2

The Trinity

Relationship of love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit

"Person" doesn't mean a physical being

Although Jesus did have a physical presence in history

Trinity is explained in Nicene Creed

The Father

God of the Old Testament

Created Heaven and Earth and sustains them

Might be described as transcendent part of God

Title is mark of respect

Creator of all life

Acts as a good father towards his children

Omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent

Present everywhere

The Son

Jesus is incarnation of God in human form

Both divine and human

Immanent and personal part of God

Understands human suffering

Provides model for Christian behaviour

Gospel contain record of his life an teachings

Important source of guidance for Christians

Title shows special relationship with God

Holy Spirit

Presence of God in the world

Immanent and impersonal part of God

Continues to guide the Church

Feel that Holy Spirit guides them personally

Unseen power of God

Influences, guides and sustains life on Earth

Page 3

The Creation Stories

Bible describes how God created the universe

Genesis 1 says that God created everything

Process took six days and rested on the seventh

Day 1 - light and darkness

Day 2 - sky

Day 3 - oceans, land and plants

Day 4 - sun, moon and stars

Day 5 - creatures of water and sky

Day 6 - land animals and people

God the Father as the creator

Other persons of Trinity were involved

God created the world by acting through Holy Spirit

Role of the Son is described

Gospel of John

Uses the phrase "the Word" but it's clear he's referring to Jesus

Shows Jesus was vital in creation

Explains how human beings were created

Creation is described in Genesis 1 and 2

First two humans were Adam and Eve

Lived in Garden of Eden

Genesis 1

"God created mankind in his own image"

Genesis 2

"Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground" and "made woman from the rib he had taken out of the man"

Humans created in God's image is important

Humans are special

Humans should behave like God by being loving and fair

Shows that humans are important to God and everyone should be treated with respect

In Genesis 1:28, God told Adam and Eve to "rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves in the ground"

Some believe God gave humans dominion and they can use it as they like

Genesis 2:15 says "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it"

Many view this as humans having stewardship and they are expected to care for it

Different ways to interpret Creation Story

Some view story literally - known as creationists

Believe process took six days

Humans are descended from Adam and Eve

Other Christians are more liberal in their understanding

View Genesis as more of a parable or symbolic description

Acknowledge God as the creator

Open to other theories

Can offer more information to Christians about how God made the universe

Roman Catholic Church has accepted both theories

Creation story can help Christians further understand God's nature

God is eternal as he made time and was present prior to it

Omnipotent as he created universe through words

God's benevolence can be seen through creation too as he brought humankind to life and gave them the world

Page 4

Evil and Suffering

Free Will led to evil entering the world

Evil entered world because of Original Sin

Disobeyed God by eating fruit from tree of knowledge

Switch from perfect role is known as The Fall

Every human is born with a flawed nature - idea of original sin

God created humans with free will

Up to them to choose whether they perform evil deeds

Good is the opposite of evil

Since God is good, Christians try to follow his example

Moral (human-made) Evil

Suffering is brought about by the cruel actions of people

People can choose to be good or bad

Things such as murder, war, rape or torture

Natural Evil

Caused by world and no-one's fault

Recent natural disasters may have been caused by human interference

Things like disease, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes

Question their faith

May lead some to question their belief in God

Some would say, if suffering exists, God can't be both omnibenevolent and omnipotent - wouldn't allow suffering to happen

Maybe he doesn't exist or maybe he doesn't have characteristics people think he has

Others may argue, God has these characteristics but he gave people free will and doesn't interfere - does want to help but isn't powerful enough

Christians react in different ways

Test of faith - unknown reasons

God is with people in suffering - bring people closer to him

Life on Earth isn't meant to be perfect - focus should be on reaching heaven

Book of Job tells of suffering and questioning God

God's all powerful and knows what he is doing

Suffering must be accepted - people can't understand God's plan

Christians believe they should try to help who are suffering

Page 5

The Afterlife

Life after death - although body may die and decay, soul can live on

Christianity teaches that soul lives on after death and body will be resurrected for Judgement Day

Believe God will judge you - you'll either go to heaven or hell

Christians beliefs vary, many believe that:

They will be resurrected and receive eternal life

Gift from God, and dependant on faith

Will be judged by God at some point after they die

Judgement will happen either very soon after death or on the Day of Judgement

Some of these beliefs are found in the Apostles' Creed, which is an important statement of Christian faith

Heaven

Great beauty and serenity

Paradise

Eternity with God

Follow teaching of Jesus - can be saved by God's grace

Soul can go to heaven even though body is gone

Believe heaven is rewarded for both faith and actions - parable of sheep and goats

Different views on who's allowed in heaven

Only Christians (believers in Jesus)

Christian and other religious people who have pleased God by living good lives

Baptised Christians - regardless of their lives

Hell

Opposite of heaven

Place of eternal torment and pain

Non-believers and those who have lived bad lives

State of existence without God

Would a loving God condemn people to a place of torment and pain?

Believe God wouldn't do this so hell is a seen as an eternal state of mind being detached from God

Pope John Paul II - hell was a metaphor for how people who've rejected God will feel

Judgement

Christians believe that after they die, they will be judged on their behaviour and actions during their lifetime

In the Bible, Jesus' parable of the Sheep and Goats describes how God will judge people

Parable teaches that in serving others, they're serving Jesus

Before he died, Jesus told his disciples he would prepare a place for them in heaven with God

Also made it clear that having faith in him and following his teachings was essential for being able to enter heaven

Judgement Day

Many believe Jesus will return to Earth - Second Coming

Everyone who has died will be resurrected

"in Christ, all will be made alive"

Some think all of humanity will be judged at the Last Judgement

Those that God finds acceptable will enter heaven and the rest will go to hell

Told in Parable of Sheep and Gods

Roman Catholics believe in personal day of judgement straight after death

Actions will be judged and they'll go to heaven or hell straight away

They'll be judged again at Last Judgement and will re-enter heaven or hell in resurrected forms

Others don't believe in personal judgement - soul must wait to be judged

Page 6

Jesus Christ and Salvation

The Incarnation

Incarnation - act by which God became human as Jesus

An angel told Mary that she would have a son

Belief is stated in the Nicene Creed: "he ... was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man"

On separate occasions, an angel appeared to Mary and Joseph explaining that it wasn't an ordinary conception and it wasn't an ordinary child

Gospels of Matthew and Luke explain that Mary conceived Jesus without having sex

Virgin conception is evidence for Christian belief that Jesus was the Son of God, part of the Trinity

Through incarnation, God showed himself as a human being for around years

Jesus Christ

Jesus was fully human and fully God

Bible describes how God "appeared in the flesh"

Jesus is referred to as "Christ" or "Messiah" - the "Anointed One of God"

Christians see Jesus' time on Earth as God's way of showing how much he loves the world

Study Gospels to find out about Jesus' life and see how they should live their life

His words, deeds and promises have great authority - they're the word of God

Most Jews expected a Messiah who would come to save Israel and establish an age of peace - don't believe that Jesus was that person

Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah - but a spiritual rather than a political one

Gospel writers refer to Jesus as the Christ - but Jesus warned his disciples not to use the term

Possibly because his opponents would have him arrested for blasphemy

The Crucifixion

Jesus d his disciples ate their Passover meal in Jerusalem

Last Supper

Jesus gave his disciples bread - "this is my body"

And wine - "this is my blood"

Luke's Gospel tells us he said "do this in remembrance of me"

Important y who remember Jesus with bread and wine

Jesus also washed disciples' feet

Teaches how important it is to serve others

Jesus went to pray in Garden of Gethsemane - was arrested here

Authorities felt threatened by him

Put on trial before Jewish high priest and found guilty of blasphemy

Was tried before Pilate

Offered to release Jesus or a thief - crowds chose thief

Was flogged, before being sent to die

Crucifixion

Crucified at Golgotha, next to two robbers

Sign was fixed to Jesus' cross that read "The King of the Jews" to record charge against him

Passers-by threw insults at him - he could say others but couldn't save himself

In his suffering, Jesus cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34 NIV)

Understands how people can feel abandoned in their suffering

Christians believe Crucifixion helped to repair relationship between mankind - atonement

Sacrifice gives hope to Christians that their sins will be forgiven if they repent

God understands human suffering because Jesus experienced it

Christians accept suffering is part of life

Ressurection

After the crucifixion, Jesus' body was put in a tomb

Resurrected and tomb was found empty

Jesus talked to two women and told him "Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me" (Matthew 28:10 NIV)

Jesus also appeared to numerous people

Resurrection is important to Christians:

Shows them that there's life after death - death is less frightening

Shows God's power - raised Jesus from the dead - gives Christians strength to live good lives

Shows power of good over evil Christian sins will be forgiven if they follow God's law

Also see it as proof that Jesus is the Son of God as he was "appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4 NIV) - strengthens people's faith

Different view about resurrection:

Some believe a person's soul is resurrected soon after death

Catholic/Orthodox Christians believe in bodly resurrection

Means resurrection is both spiritual and physical

Others believe dead will be resurrected at some time in the futire

When Jesus will return to judge everyone who has ever lived

Some other Christians believe resurrection will just be spiritual, not physical as well

Ascension