Official Christianity Glossary and Theological Guide
Foundational Apostolic History and Early Christian Creeds
The term Apostle or Apostles refers to the group of disciples hand-selected by Jesus during his period of earthly ministry. Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Church formally bestowed the title of Apostle upon these individuals. Additionally, the missionary Paul was recognized and granted this same title despite not being among the original . The document also defines the Apostles Creed as an early statement of Christian belief. While tradition has historically attributed this creed directly to the Apostles themselves, historical records indicate that it actually originated during the century. A comparative analysis between the Apostles Creed and the later Nicene Creed highlights the theological innovations required to address the Arian Controversy. These innovations specifically concerned the formal statements regarding the nature of the Christian godhead, ultimately leading to the established doctrine of the Trinity.
The Mechanics of Atonement and the Drama of Salvation
Atonement is a central concept in Christianity necessitated by the inherent character of God as a being of absolute Justice. Because God must act with Justice at all times, sins cannot go unpunished. The theology posits that because all of humanity is born with "original sin," every human is subject to the penalty of sin, which is defined as death. This creates a theological dilemma: God cannot exercise Mercy by simply waiving the punishment, as doing so would violate His own character of Justice. Consequently, the penalty must be paid by some means. To satisfy this requirement, God took on human form as Jesus and underwent death on the cross as a substitute punishment for the sinful nature of humanity. This event, known as the Crucifixion, was a Roman method of execution where death could take many hours or even several days to occur. The New Testament relates that the crucifixion was followed by Jesus' resurrection, an event essential to effecting atonement and bringing salvation to humanity.
Rituals of Initiation: The Five Facets of Baptism
Baptism is defined in its most fundamental sense as a ritual involving the immersion of a person in water, though the practice and its meaning have evolved into several distinct forms. First, the baptism practiced by John the Baptist was established before Jesus began his ministry and was intended specifically for the forgiveness of an individual's personal sins. Second, Christian baptism serves primarily as a conversion ceremony that initiates a person into the Christian religion following a formal confession of faith in Christ. Third, across the majority of church traditions, baptism has been codified as a sacrament. Fourth, some ecclesiastical bodies have developed specialized rituals where a person is sprinkled with water rather than undergoing full immersion. Fifth, this practice of sprinkling is commonly applied to infants before they have reached an age where they can make a personal confession of faith. In these instances, most churches maintain the requirement that once the child reaches adulthood, they must undergo a process to confirm their own beliefs.
Scriptural Canon and the Protestant Reformation
The Christian Bible is comprised of two distinct sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is essentially the Hebrew Bible, while the New Testament consists of various books detailing the life of Jesus and the history of the Church during its first several decades. A significant shift in the biblical canon occurred after the Protestant Reformation, during which Protestants removed a specific number of books from the Catholic version of the Old Testament. These removed texts are referred to as the Apocrypha. Furthermore, the document identifies Dogma as the essential collection of doctrines in which a person must believe in order to achieve salvation.
Ecclesiastical Hierarchy: Bishops and the College of Cardinals
A Bishop is a high-ranking church official who holds responsibility for a specific geographical region of churches. In the Catholic tradition, this region is identified as a diocese. The historical duties of a bishop included the oversight of spiritual affairs, church discipline, and public worship, though in modern times the role has incorporated significant administrative responsibilities. In Catholicism, there are specific sacraments—confirmation and ordination—that can only be performed by a bishop. Higher in the hierarchy are Cardinals, a class of clerics attached to the Vatican. Cardinals may hold the rank of priest or bishop and often serve in the upper echelons of the Vatican staff or manage large global regions. Upon the death of a Pope, the College of Cardinals—which currently numbers approximately members—convenes in a secret session to elect the successor.
Historical Transformation and Divine Titles
The title "Christ" originates from the Greek word "Christos," which translates to "the anointed one." This is the direct Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word "meshiach," or "messiah." When applied to Jesus, "Christ" functions as a title denoting his status as the singular messiah rather than serving as a surname or last name. Historically, the expansion of Christianity was significantly impacted by Constantine the Great, who served as the sole Emperor of the Roman Empire from until his death in . Constantine initiated the transformative process that eventually made Christianity the official state religion, leading to the creation of the Holy Roman Empire. In the year , he convened the Council of Nicea to establish a definitive theological stance on the nature of Jesus as Christ. Finally, the document notes the structural diversity of modern Christianity, using the term Denomination to describe the various Protestant branches, of which there are currently over in the United States alone.