Christianity

Explain the contribution to the development and expression of Christianity (overview)

Paul’s missionaries and epistles make him an important historical figure in Christianity. He spread the message of Jesus throughout the Roman world and guided early Christians’ faith by clarifying core beliefs. His contributions solidified the presence of Christianity and facilitated its future development.

• his missionaries

  • known as the greatest evangelist

  • took 3 journies to europe and asia minor

  • brought major changes to christianity

• his writings

  • wrote epistles to early christian communities

  • guided ethical teachings

Explain the contribution to the development and expression of Christianity

→ his missionaries

Three missionary journeys to spread Christianity into Europe and Asia minor

Known as the greatest missionary and evangelist

• He received a message from God, which converted him to Christianity:

“This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and… the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15) → given the task to spread the word of God

• Paul preached the Gospel and proclaimed Jesus’ peace and unity

• Aimed to convert gentiles (non-Jews) to Christianity

• Established churches and communities in the Western world founded on the belief of the Christian tradition

Paul’s missions brought major change to the religion

“How could we not give thanks to God for… an apostle of this category?” (Pope Benedict 16, 2006)

He enabled Gentiles to become Christian  opened Christianity to more people, and declared that it was no longer a Jewish sect

• Built on the belief that God’s grace is for all

• Council of Jerusalem 50AD: Gentiles did not have to follow Mosaic Law

o Made it easier for Gentiles to become Christians

o Argued that “a person is not justified by works of the [mosaic] law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16)

quotes for paul’s missionaries

• “How could we not give thanks to God for having given us an apostle of this category?” (Pope Benedict 16, 2006) → justifies the extent of Paul’s contribution to Christianity

• This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel (Acts 9:15) → he was chosen by God himself = important

• Argued that “a person is not justified by works of the [mosaic] law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16)

Explain the contribution to the development and expression of Christianity

→ his writings

Paul wrote letters to early Christian communities

• 13 books of new testament are attributed to him

• Established the early Christian church as a formal religious tradition

  • Established early rituals and gave Christianity a unique style and structure to worship

• Provide guidance on how to live an ethical life and the importance of Jesus Christ,

• Helped him establish Christian belief and outline how they should be expressed

  • Epistles contain doctrine of principal beliefs to help establish faith and fundamental beliefs

  • these examples are explored in the theology section of his impacts

CONCLUDING STATEMENT:

Paul’s missionaries and epistles make him an important historical figure in Christianity.

He spread the message of Jesus throughout the Roman world and guided early Christians’ faith by clarifying core beliefs. His contributions solidified the presence of Christianity and facilitated its future development

quotes for paul’s writings

• “It is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:6) → shows how Paul emphasised principal beliefs and how it is universal, since anyone can achieve it

• Christ is like single body which has many parts; (1 Corinthians 12:12) → spread the fundamental beliefs

Analyse the impact of Paul of Tarsus on Christianity (overview)

• impacts on theology

• impacts on ethics and morality

• impact on the establishment of christinaity

Analyse the impact of Paul of Tarsus on Christianity

→ THEOLOGY

CONCLUDING STATEMENT: Through Paul’s contribution in his writings, he founded ideas on which Christian theologians expanded to develop Christian thinking. Ultimately, through his impact on theology, Paul’s establishment of Christian beliefs has lasted through time

Early Christianity

His epistles were important sources of interpretation of the teachings of Jesus and helped establish the core beliefs of Christianity

• Taught about salvation and the need for gods grace → used by Martin Luther as proof of his belief that salvation does not require good works during reformation: “a person is not justified by works of the [mosaic] law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16).

• Clarified the nature of God and the Trinity: “Christ is like single body which has many parts”. (1 Corinthians 12:12)

His epistles were the foundation on which the Christian ways of thinking would be developed

• e.g. He inspired other theologian’s ideas like St Augustine, such as his ideas on salvation being only caused by faith: His work The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope and Love states, “Men are not saved by good works… but by the grace of God through faith.” → reinforces and clarifies Paul’s ideas

• Still used today by modern theologians like Swiss theologian Karl Barth’s Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (1916)

• Re-established pauls ideas in the context of WW1, to assure the univeriality of Gods grace to comfort people’s uncertainty towards God amidst war: “God… is to be found on the plain where men suffer and sin.” (The Epistle to the Romans, 1916)

quotes about paul of tarsus’ theology

• “a person is not justified by works of the [mosaic] law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16).

• “Christ is like single body which has many parts”. (1 Corinthians 12:12)

• Augustine’s work The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope and Love states, “Men are not saved by good works… but by the grace of God through faith.”

• “God… is to be found on the plain where men suffer and sin.” (The Epistle to the Romans, 1916) → emphasises saving power of god’s grace by Karl Barth

Analyse the impact of Paul of Tarsus (POT) on Christianity

→ ETHICS

Paul helped establish Christian moral guidelines that influenced the lives of adherents in the communities he established.

• Did not promote circumcision, saying “circumcision… will be of no benefit to you.” (Galatians 5:2-4) → made it more accessible to gentiles and thought it went against the notion as the body is sacred and “a temple”.

• One must care for oneself as they are God’s creation, and that gift should be respected: “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 6:19) → Taught that mutilation of the body was forbidden since it is sacred as God made humans in his image → acts as moral guidance to inform bio ethical views about euthanasia and abortion

• He taught about the importance of love (or agape) as a unifying principle: “Love is patient and kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4) → Christians must forgive since faith is expressed through love, and it reinforces the Golden Commandment as taught by Jesus

CONCLUDING STATEMENT: When contributing to the development of Christianity, Paul established ethical teachings that impacted the lives of Christian adherents beyond his lifetime, as his ethical frameworks have been used as guides for ethical living

quotes on POT’s ethics

• “circumcision… will be of no benefit to you.” (Galatians 5:2-4)

• “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 6:19)

• “Love is patient and kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4)

impact of POT on establishment of christianity

Since Paul built and expanded on Jesus’ teachings and established communities, Christianity could develop into a living and dynamic religious tradition as seen today.

• The establishment of Christian communities in Europe allowed Christianity to become an international religion that spanned across different cultures and countries → Pauls leadership kept the small Christian communities together and allowed them to spread Christianity further

• Paul established that that gentiles could become Christian and mosaic law did not apply to Christians = which emphasised that Christianity was no longer a Jewish sect (in Council of Jerusalem) → didn’t have to eat kosher diets or circumcise their sons, allowing more people to become Christian

Due to this, Christianity developed into its own religious tradition

• In 2010, there were 2.2 billion Christian world-wide who follow the teachings he explained in his epistles, emphasising that his legacy survives and still operates today.

• Mark Allen Powell said in Introducing the New Testament ‘[Paul’s work is] as profound as it is pervasive’ (Powell, 2009)

CONCLUDING STATEMENT: Through Paul’s missionaries, he solidified the presence of Christianity and enabled its development into a living religious tradition.

Describe and explain Christian ethical teachings on environmental ethics

Ethics – moral principles about what is right or wrong

Stewardship of Creation	God gave humankind the responsibility to take care of it = must care for environement “Lord God [put] man… in the Garden of Eden to… take care of it” (Gen 2:15). Church interprets human “dominion” over the earth as a responsibility to sustain and protect the environment “Let them have dominion… over all the earth” (Gen 1:28) God made man in his image = believe their duty look after creation ‘So God created mankind in his own image’ (Genesis 1:27) Being stewards of creation = demonstrate their love for God
Intrinsic goodness of creation	God is the creator = everything exists for a reason = nature is good because it is how God expresses his love “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). Are intrinsically bound to the care of the environment “If you come to a birds nest... you shall not take the mother with the young” (Deut 22:6-7)
Sacramentality and Respect for Creation	God is present in creation = responsibility to treat creation with reverence. “For since the creation of the world… God’s eternal power… have been clearly seen” (Romans 1:20) loving and caring for one’s neighbour should extend to the environment due to how it is intrinsically good.  “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:14)

Applications of Christian ethics

Church authority and organisations influence Christian adherent’s actions towards the environment by applying the biblical teachings to a modern context

Animal Cruelty

Christians have a duty to combat animal cruelty e.g. World Council of Churches: ‘We affirm that the world, as God’s handiwork, has its own inherent integrity’ (WCC, 1998) → one preserves this ‘integrity’ by showing respect of creation E.g. Catholic Concern for animals NGO Spreading awareness about the impacts of animal cruelty They say “to destroy any of God’s creatures… are abhorrent” (n.d.) Gather donations and gives grants to sanctuaries around the world to take care of animals

Global Warming

Christians have a duty to act against global warming (sustain environment + respect it) e.g. Laudato Si: “We need to think about the kind of world we are leaving for future generations” (Pope Francis, 2015) → stressing the need for action and how Christian conscience = must act and assume duty as stewards e.g. The Uniting Church Australia net zero carbon footprint by 2040 and has Climate Action Plan which advocates for better climate policies ‘Our words are not enough. This Climate Action Plan is intended to drive that action.’

+ deforestation

Describe the significant practice of baptism

• Baptism is an initiation rite into christianity and is an official declaration of faith

• Recipients can either be baptised as children or as adults

  • Child baptism: Anglicans and Catholics → permission from parents

  • Adult baptism: Baptists and Pentecostals → emphasise need for recipients to fully understand their commitments to be reborn into the Church

• Not practiced by all denominations (e.g. salvation army and quakers)

• Involves the trinitarian use of water either by affusion, aspersion or immersion

symbols in baptism

• water = symbolises the washing away of sins and a spiritual rebirth

  • Immersion – full body is immersed in the water (Orthodox, Baptists, Pentecostals)

  • Affusion – where water in a jug or by hands is dropped on to the recipient’s forehead (Lutherans, Anglicans)

  • Aspersion – water is sprinkled on head (typically in Catholicism)

• White garment = purity of the baptised person + cleansing of sin

• Baptismal candle = Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12), and God is a guiding light

overview of general steps in baptism

1. Welcome rite

2. Profession of faith

   1. Questioning godparents = infant baptism

   2. Public testament of faith = adult baptism

3. Exorcism

4. Anointing with oil

5. Blessing with baptismal water in trinity

6. Lord’s prayer

7. Final blessing for parents = infant baptism

Demonstrate how the chosen practice expresses the beliefs of Christianity

Salvation	Reflected in the use of water and white clothes= cleansing of sin = spiritual rebirth → necessary for salvation in Catholism and orthodoxy = baptism purifies them from original sin and actino → Are baptised so that they can be the light for others ‘Repent and be baptised…in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.’ (Acts 2:38)
Death + resurre-ction	Believers cparticipate in the death and resurrection of Jesus → crucifying old life to rise again and live a new life in Christ → St Paul = baptism is a burial in Christ and a rising into newness of life → for catholics and orthodox: allows adherents to achieve salvation → readings focus on this = hope to achieve salvation by better understanding faith “We were baptised in union with his death… so that we might live a new life” (Romans 6:3-4)
The Holy Trinity	Represents the entry into the life with the holy spirit → baptism is a gift from the holy spirit ‘And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:38) → catholics baptise by using the sign of the cross → orthodox immerse infant in water 3x to represent trinity → adherents become a part of body of christ = share his life and mission ·      ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’ (Mathew 28:19)

Analyse the significance of this practice for both the Christian community

Baptism shapes and influences the entire Christian community each time a new adherent is welcomed into the Christian faith as they must guide them on their journey to salvation.

Calls members to reaffirm their Baptismal promises and call to live a Christian Life.	Allows community to reflect on the Christian way of living, and how to live like Jesus Rejection of Satan occurring during baptism = affirmation of faith → For the Rite of Baptism, the Celebrant states “Do you renounce Satan, and all his works and empty promises?” Renewal of baptismal promises → Reject their own sins and reminds them of their commitment to Christian faith → Reflect of their own baptism and their vocation as Christians + how to be a light for others “Baptism is… administered during public worship, so that… the congregation may be reminded of their own baptism” (World council of Churches/WCC, 1982)
Allows members to partake in the mission of spreading the Gospel	Baptism is a celebration of making disciples (Mathew 28:19) → The community becomes a witness the Spread of the Gospel → Allows them to participate in the building of the Kingdom of God because they are a part of the transition of an individual from their old life, to their new one under God Shows their dedication to their faith in how they are continuing the mission of God by baptising in the trinity → Called to make nations, =witnessing their calling Link to adult baptism in Pentecostal churches, and the need to be aware of one’s decision
Unites the Christian community under their common beliefs	Reminds adherents of their own baptism and the choices they made when joining the Christian community → Affirms their faith in the principal beliefs expressed during baptism Allows the recipient to develop a sense of belonging to a like-minded community → (For Catholics and orthodox) The achievement of salvation unites them with the other believes who have achieved this too → For the Rite of Baptism of Infants, the Celebrant states “the Christian community welcomes you with great joy

Analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual

Baptism has a profound and significant impact upon all Christian adherents and remains one of the most important sacraments across the majority of Christian variants

Initiates the adherent into the life of Christ and signifies their new faith journey	Initiation rite = recipients is part of the body of Christ = officially become a part of the Church link to adult baptism in Pentecostal churches, and the need to be aware of one’s decision Baptism represents the beginning of a new life, reflecting their belief in how Jesus overcame death to reach eternal life (Romans 6:3-4) The Roman Catholic Church believes that Baptism is the first step on the path to grace from God, modelling oneself on the teachings of Christ where one is called to do good works.
An act of repentance removing original sin, and thus guides them towards living a Christian life	For Catholics and orthodox, = individual closer to God = achieved salvation necessary to form a relationship with him → First of the sacraments for Catholics and orthodox = emphasises its importance “We possess the joy of salvation.” (Pope Francis, 2019) Spiritual rebirth = cleanses sins + feel renewed → in use of water and white garments → An action of their dedication and faith → continue to do good deeds and live the teachings of Jesus Godparents = mentor to guide the adherent = show Christian way of life
Calls adherents to follow the teachings and practices of the Church and become more connected to Christ	recipients = form a connection to all three parts of the trinity, = a deeper relationship = closer to God →During baptism, recipients are believed to be filled with the Holy spirit: “[become a] temple of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism 1265) Become a part of the body of Christ = officially part of the Church = compelled to deepen their faith and follow teachings Gain a better understanding of the importance of Jesus’ death by allowing them to partake in it →Allowing believers to develop a stronger connection to their faith → Affirm their belief in Jesus