Colin Christianity Beliefs Knowledge Sheet Flashcards
- Nature of God
Christians believe God is:
John 3:16 -
Luke 1:37 -
. Immanent (present in earth and involved with humanity)
. Transcendent (outside life and beyond understanding)
. Omnipotent (all-powerful)
. Omnibenevolent (all-loving and all-good)
. Merciful (compassionate and forgiving)
. Just (fair and judges humans actions)
‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son’. John 3:16
‘Nothing is impossible with God’. Luke 1:37
- The problem of evil and suffering
. Many question why a loving God would allow people to suffer rather than prevent it.
. Christians believe God treats all people fairly and is incapable of making the wrong judgement.
. Christians are therefore sure that they can trust God even when things appear to be going wrong.
- The trinity
. The concept of the trinity is that there are three ‘persons’ all of which are God.
. God is made up of three persons, not three separate people.
. God is not a physical being.
. Think of the three persons as non-physical elements.
.The trinity describes the following:
o There is only one God.
o Each person of the Trinity is fully God.
o The persons of the trinity are not the same.
- The trinity
The Father:
. The first person of the trinity is the Father.
. God the Father is believed to be the creator of earth and all living things on it.
. As the creator, he acts as a good father would towards his children.
. He is believed to be omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient.
- The trinity
The Son:
. The second person of the trinity is referred to as the Son of God.
. The Son became incarnate on earth through Jesus.
. Christians believe Jesus was both fully human whilst on earth but also fully God as well.
- The trinity
The Holy Spirit:
. The third person of the trinity is the Holy Spirit.
. Christians believe when Jesus left the earth, God sent the Holy Spirit.
. The Holy Spirit is there to influence, guide and sustain the earth and all life on it.
. The Holy Spirit is believed to be the unseen power of God at work in the world.
- Creation
Genesis:
. Christians believe God created the earth and all living things.
. Genesis chapter 1 tells us the story of creation
. The story gives an account of how the universe was created, how the earth was made fit for life and finally how God created life including humans.
. It is believed to have happened in six days after which God rested.
. For Christians the most important part of the story is the fact that everything was created ‘good.’
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth’. Genesis 1:1
- Creation
Literal Interpretation of creation:
. They believe it is literally true.
. Everything that is in the story is the word of God and happened exactly as it is told.
. God created the world in seven days exactly as described in the story.
. Evidence of science and fossils is false and should be ignored.
- Creation
God inspired interpretation of creation:
. They believe that the account contains the truth but is not literally true.
. The world was created by God but the story was not dictated by God therefore may have some errors.
. God did create the world and all that is in it but may not have created it in seven days as described.
- Creation
Inspired by the world and a sense of God interpretation of creation:
. They believe that the story should not be taken as truth but is to show that God created the world and the Bible is to show them the message that God has to send us.
. In the case of creation, it is to show that we were created by a loving God who created us all and created a world for us to live in.
- Creation
The word:
. Experts have debated this teaching for year and specifically the identity of the Word.
. Most agree the Word, refer to God the Son who entered in history through Jesus.
. This shows that all three persons of the trinity were present in creation.
. Therefore, the trinity has existed since the beginning.
. This passage shows that the three persons are not part of a chain with the Son replacing the Father and so on, they have been present since the beginning.
‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made’. John 1:1-3
- The incarnation
. Incarnation means becoming flesh, taking a human form.
. It refers to the act of when God became human in the form of Jesus.
. Christians believe that Jesus was both fully human and fully God during his time on earth.
. The gospels of Matthew and Luke explain clearly that Mary did not conceive Jesus sexually, but rather that it was an immaculate conception.
. It is a fundamental Christian belief that through the incarnation, God showed himself as a human being for around 30 years.
. Christians refer to Jesus as Christ, which is translated in to a Hebrew word which means Messiah.
. Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah, sent to save God’s people.
. When Jesus was baptised, a voice from Heaven was heard and said ‘You are my Son’ Mark 1:11.
. On another occasion Peter referred to Jesus as ‘Christ’.
‘This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit’. Matthew 1:18
‘You may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name’. Mark 14:61b-62a
- The crucifixion
. Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion (where criminals are nailed to a cross and lifted).
. Christians believe that even though Jesus was the Son of God, it does not mean he was spared the pain and horror of his death.
. Jesus forgave those who crucified him because they did not realise the significance on what was happening.
. The crucifixion gives Christians confidence that if they accept Jesus’ sacrifice, sin can no longer destroy their lives as God forgives those who faithfully ask for it.
. It helps them to understand that suffering is a part of life, just as it was for Jesus and God understand what the sufferer is going through.
‘Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I coming my spirit.’ When he has said this, he breathed his last’. Luke 23:46
. Once Jesus had died a man called Joseph asked for the body so it could be buried.
. Due to it being the Sabbath day there was insufficient time to bury it properly, so Joseph laid the body of Jesus in a tomb and rolled a large stone to block the entrance.
- The resurrection
. According to accounts Jesus was placed in the tomb late on Friday afternoon.
. How long Jesus remained in the tomb was unclear because when some of Jesus’ followers went on Sunday after Shabbat they found the tomb empty.
. All accounts make it clear that Jesus’ body was nowhere to be found.
. Each story mentions the women meeting men (who may have been angels) who told them that Jesus had risen and to spread the message.
. The belief that Jesus rose from the dead is called the resurrection and is a key teaching of Christianity.
. For the next few days or weeks Jesus appeared to several people.
. He told each of them he had risen from the dead as he has predicted when he was alive.
. The story spread quickly and there were several different witnesses that said he had risen.
. Christians believe the resurrection shows the power of good over evil.
. They believe by accepting Jesus they can also be resurrection in some way.
. They have no need to fear death.
. It assures them that God will forgive their sins if they follow the teachings of Christianity.
. Without the resurrection there wouldn’t be a Christian faith.
- The ascension
. The ascension is a matter of interpretation.
. If Jesus had the power to be able to rise from the dead, it is possible that the same power meant he could leave the earth physically and return to heaven.
. After meeting his disciples and asking them to carry on his good work, Jesus left them for the last time and ascended to heaven.
‘While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven’. Luke 24:51
