Christianity beliefs and teachings

What does it mean to say that God is omnipotent?

God is all-powerful.

What does it mean to say that God is loving?

That God cares for humanity.

What does it mean to say that God is just?

That God is right and fair

What does it mean to say that Christianity is a monotheistic religion?

That Christians believe in one God.

What is the word used to describe the belief that 'God is One and God is Three'?

Trinity

What are the three persons that make up the three persons of God?

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit

How do Christians describe God the Father?

creator; judge; in heaven

How do Christians describe God the Son?

Jesus; God in human form; the Word

How do Christians describe God the Holy Spirit?

God's guiding presence in the lives of Christians today.

What happened in the creation story in Genesis 1?

light; sea and sky; land and plants; sun and moon; birds and fish; animals and humans; rest

What is the fundamentalist interpretation of the story of creation?

The belief that the story of Genesis 1 is literally true

What is the conservative interpretation of the story of creation?

The belief that the story of Genesis 1 is generally true, but some of the specific details are not true

What is the liberal interpretation of the story of creation?

The belief that the story of Genesis 1 is a myth written to teach us something about God

According to Genesis 3, what rule did God give to Adam and Eve?

Not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

According to Genesis 3, what were the consequences of the Fall for Eve?

pain in childbirth and yet desire for children

According to Genesis 3, what were the consequences of the Fall for Adam?

having to work to grow food

According to Genesis 3, what were the consequences of the Fall for both Adam and Eve?

that they became mortal

What 'problem' do Christians have with evil and suffering?

It seems difficult to explain why God doesn't do something about evil and suffering.

How would an atheist respond to the problem of evil?

Evil and suffering show that God does not exist.

What do Christians mean by the word 'sin'?

disobeying or rebelling against God

What does Christianity teach about the consequences of sin?

sin breaks and corrupts relationships with each other, with God and corrupts the world

What is original sin?

The belief that all humans are born in a sinful state.

Why do Christians argue that God does not simply solve the problem of sin?

God's justice requires that sin has to be punished

What do Christians mean by the word 'incarnation'?

That God was 'made flesh'; God became a human being (Jesus).

The Bible teaches that Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary. How does this link to the idea of incarnation?

Jesus was not born as a normal human being, he was different because he was God's son.

What event do Christians remember on Good Friday?

The crucifixion of Jesus.

The Gospel of Mark says that when Jesus was crucified, the curtain in the temple tore in two. What does this mean?

That the barrier between God and humans had been removed

What does the Bible say happened to Jesus three days after he died?

He was resurrected. He was raised from the dead.

What is the ascension of Jesus?

When Jesus was taken up into heaven

What do Christians mean by the word 'atonement'?

That Jesus paid the price for human sin so that God and humans could be reconciled. God and humans can now be 'at one'.

What do Christians mean by the word 'salvation'?

That Jesus has saved us from death and hell by dying for us.

What is meant by the word 'sacrifice'?

giving up something to help others

"What does this Bible verse mean? For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

That through Adam's sin, we are all guilty of sin and will be condemned to hell, but through Jesus, our relationship with God can be put right.

Most Christians say that salvation cannot happen through good works. What does this mean?

That because all humans are sinful, we are separated from God and cannot get back to God through our own efforts.

What do Christians mean by the word 'grace'?

God chooses to offer salvation to humans even though we don't deserve it.

Most Christians would say that salvation happens through grace. What does this mean?

We cannot earn salvation by ourselves, we have to rely on God graciously offering us the gift of salvation.

What role does the Holy Spirit have in salvation?

The Holy Spirit helps us to have the faith to accept God's gift of salvation.

What is the difference between Roman Catholic and Protestant teaching on the role of good works and faith in salvation?

Roman Catholic teaching says that salvation is by faith and good works, with the good works showing that faith is alive and active. Protestant teaching is that salvation is by faith alone.

What is meant by the word 'resurrection'?

That Jesus rose from the dead after three days.

What does this Bible verse mean? 'For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.'

We are all sinful like Adam, so we all face eternal death like Adam, but we can have eternal life through Jesus.

What does St. Paul teach about the resurrection of the body?

Resurrection is not just about the soul, the body will be raised into a new spiritual body.

How can the life cycle of a butterfly be used to explain the idea of resurrection?

A caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly, which is similar to resurrection, where humans are transformed into a spiritual body.

Why is the example of a butterfly not a perfect analogy for resurrection?

The caterpillar does not die before it is transformed, but humans first die before being resurrected.

Christians believe that the resurrection of Jesus shows that death has been defeated. What do they mean by this?

The punishment for sin has been defeated by the resurrection of Jesus. This means humans can have eternal life rather than eternal death.

What does the Roman Catholic Church teach about purgatory?

After death, a soul may go to purgatory for further preparation before entering heaven.

What is the evangelical view of resurrection?

After death, the soul waits until Judgment Day, when the body will be raised and joined again to the soul.

What is the liberal Protestant view of resurrection?

The soul goes to heaven where it will be joined with a new spiritual body. There is no physical resurrection of the old body.

How is heaven described in the Bible?

the new Jerusalem; a city of gold; radiant like a rare jewel

How is hell described in the Bible?

a lake of fire

What does the Parable of the Sheep and Goats teach about salvation?

That those who helped others because they were in need will be saved, but those who helped for selfish reasons will not be saved.

What is the difference between literal and liberal views of heaven and hell?

The literal view is that heaven and hell are real places. The liberal view is that these are metaphors or allegories, but not real places.