christian beliefs

What are the different denominations of Christianity?

Catholic- Based in Rome and led by the Pope

Orthodox- split from the Catholic Church in the great schism. Generally practised in Eastern Europe

Protestant- split from the Catholic Church in the 16th century eg Methodists, Batista and Church of England

What are the Christian beliefs about God?

There is only one God

God is the creator of all that exists

People have a relationship with God through prayer

Neither male nor female but has qualities of both

God is holy (worthy of worship)

Jesus is the son of God

This comes for the Nicene Creed

“We believe in one God” The Nicene Creed

What is omnipotent?

God is all powerful

God has unlimited authority

God shows his power when he created the world

“Anything is possible with God” Angel Gabriel told Mary when she became pregnant when still a virgin

What is ominbenevolent?

God uses his powers to do good

Showed his love by creating humans and caring/ giving his love to them

Showed his love by sending Jesus, his son to earth to die so humans could gain salvation

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son”

What is just?

God is a just (fair) judge in humanity

God will never support injustice, prejudice, ill-treatment or oppression.

What are the problems of evil and suffering?

They challenge the belief in these qualities of God

Christians believe a just God treats people fairly, so thy trust God even when things seem to be going wrong

What is the trinity?

believe there are three persons in the one

God: Father, son, Holy Spirit

Person does not mean physical being

What is God the Father?

The creator of all life

Acts as a good father towards his children

He is omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipresent

What is God the Son?

Became incarnate through Jesus who was both fully human while on earth and fully God at all times.

Jesus is called the Son of God to show his special relationship to God the Father

What is God the Holy Spirit?

Is the unseen power of God at work in the world, who influences, guides and sustains life on earth

What do Christian’s believe as the start of the world?

Christians believe in creation by God, the act by which God brought the universe into being

God, the Father, chose to design and create the earth and all life on it

The Holy Spirit was active in the creation

The Word, God the son, was active in the creation

What is the creation story from Genesis?

Many christians believe that the story of the creation in Genesis, while not scientifically accurate, contains religious truth

Some Christians believe that God made the world in literally six days

God created everything out of choice and created everything ‘good’

Christians believe that God continues to create new life today

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis

What is the creation John?

In John’s gospel, everything was created through the Word, who was both with God and God

The Word refers to the Son of God who entered history as Jesus

Christians believe that the Son of God, the Word of God, was involved in the creation

What is the incarnation?

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit” Matthew

On separate occasions as an angel appeared to Mary and Joseph explaining that it was not an ordinary conception and it was not to be an ordinary child

Through the incarnation, God showed himself as a human being (Jesus) for around 30 years.

Who is the son of God?

Jesus was fully God and fully human, which explains his miracles and resurrection

His words have great authority because they are the word of God

Most Jews expected a messiah that would save Israel and establish peace, but do not believe that Jesus was this

Christian’s believe that Jesus is the Messiah, but a spiritual rather than a political one

Warned not to describe him as Christ as he would be arrested for blasphemy

What happened in Jesus’ crucifixion?

He was human so still suffered pain and horror

Before dying last words were “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”

A Roman centurion acknowledged Jesus was innocent, and said he was the Son of God

Guards made sure he was dead

Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus in the cave with a stone blocking the entrance

The burial was rushed due to Sabbath beginning

Why is Jesus’ crucifixion important?

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gives hope to Christians that their sins will be forgiven if they sincerely repent

Christians believe that God understands human suffering because Jesus experienced it

Christians accept that suffering is a part of life, just as it was Jesus’

What happened in the resurrection of Jesus?

On a Sunday morning, some female followers of Jesus went to his tomb to discover he was not there

Either a man or two men, who may have been angles, told them to spread the word that Jesus has risen from the dead

Over the next few days, Jesu appeared to several people including disciples.

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so if your faith. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive”

What happened during the ascension of Jesus?

After meeting with his disciples and asking them to continue his work, Jesus left them for the last time, returning to the Father in heaven

“While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven”

What is the significance of the resurrection for Christian today?

Shows the power of good over evil and life over death

Means Christians sins will be forgiven if they follow God’s laws

Means christians will be resurrected if they accept Jesu, so there is no need to fear death

What is the significance of these events ascension for Christians today?

Shows Jesus is with God is heaven

Paves the way for God to send the Holy Spirit to provide comfort and guidance

What are the different views about resurrection?

Some Christians believe a person’s souls is resurrected soon after death

Catholic and orthodox Christians believe in bodily resurrection. The resurrection is both spiritual and physical: the physical body lost at death is restored and transformed into a new, spiritual body

Other Christians believe the dead will be resurrected some time in the future, when Jesus will return to judge everyone

Some believe that resurrection will only be spiritual

What is the impact of belief in resurrection?

Means life after death is real

Gives hope of a future life with Jesus

Gives confidence in the face of death

Shows Christians how much God loves them

Inspired christians to live life in the way God wants them to, so they can remain in his presence in this life and the next

What is the afterlife?

They will be resurrected and receive eternal life after they die

This is a gift from God, and dependant on faith in God

They will be judged by God at some point after dying, and either be sent to heaven or hell

This judgement will either happen very soon after death or on the day of judgement.

“He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead”

What is judgment?

Christians believe that after they die, God will judge them on their behaviour and actions during their lifetime, as well as their in Jesus as God’s son

Jesus’ parable of the sheep and goats describes how God will judge people

This teaches Christians that in serving others, they are serving Jesus, so this is the way they should live their lives

Having faith in Jesus and following his teachings was essential to enter heaven

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me”

What happens after God’s judgment?

After God’s judgement, christians believe they will either experience eternal happiness in the presence of God or be unable to experience God’s presence.

Catholics believe some people might enter purgatory

What is heaven and purgatory?

Heaven is thought to be either a physical place or spiritual state of peace, joy, freedom from pain and a chance to be with loved ones

Christian’s differ in their views of who is allowed into heaven:

-only Christian’s

-Christian’s and other religious people

-baptised Christian’s, regardless of how they lived their lives

However, many believe heaven is a reward for both faith and actions- not just one of these- as the parable of the sheep and goats show

Purgatory is an intermediate state where souls are cleansed in order to enter heaven which is believed by catholics

What is hell?

Seen as the opposite of heaven

A state of existence without God

Often pictured as a place of eternal torment in a fiery pit with satan

Many people question whether a loving God would condemn people to this

Christians who believe God would not do this see hell as an eternal state of mind of being cut off from God

What are the origins of Sin?

Original sin believe by Catholics is that people are born with an in-built tendency to sin

comes from Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God, when they are the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil which was forbidden by God

This was the first (original) sin

The result of their sin was separation from God, and the introduction of death into the world

What is salvation?

To be saved from sin and its consequences, and to be granted eternal life with God

Salvation repairs the damage caused by Sin, which has separated people from God

How can salvation come about?

Through doing good work

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead”

Through grace- given freely by God through faith in Jesus

“For it is by grace you have been saved…”

What is the role of Jesus in salvation?

Jesus’ crucifixion made up for the original sin of Adam and Eve

The death of Jesus was necessary to restore the relationship between God and believers

Jesus’ resurrection shows the goodness of Jesus defeated the evil of sin

Jesus’ resurrection means humans can now receive forgiveness for their sins

Jesus’ death and resurrection made it possible for all who follow his teachings to gain eternal life

What is atonement?

Removes the effect of sin and allows people to restore their relationship with God

May Christian’s believe that through the sacrifice of his death, Jesus took the sins of all humanity on himself and paid the debt for them all. He atoned for the sins of humanity

The sacrifice makes it possible for all who follow Jesus’ teachings to receive eternal life with God

“if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the father- Jesus Christ, the righteous one. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world”