Christianity Flashcards
(96 cards)
How did the Jews feel about the Samaritans at the time of Jesus’ birth?
They hated each each for both political and religious reasons
An unknown Roman citizen carved a graffiti that expressed the viewpoint of many people in 200 AD and throughout history. What was the picture and the phrase written in Latin?
The phrase was ‘Alexamenos worships his God’
The picture was of a young man presumably Alexamenos worshipping a man with a donkey head.
An unknown Roman citizen carved a graffiti that expressed the viewpoint of many people in 200 AD and throughout history. Where was the graffiti carried out?
On a wall near the Palatine Hill in Rome
An unknown Roman citizen carved a graffiti that expressed the viewpoint of many people in 200 AD and throughout history. What was the viewpoint in simple terms?
That Christians worshipped a crucified donkey and were to be mocked for such a stupid act.
Where else does Alexamenos appear in graffiti and in what form?
In another room in the building on Palatine Hill.
This time it mocked by saying ‘Alexamenos the faithful’
How many years after Jesus lived, died and rose again was the Graffiti in Rome produced?
About 150 years
How were people who believed in Christianity treated around 200AD?
Because believing in God lacked some vitally important evidence, people like Alexamenos were mocked, ridiculed, excluded or avoided.
They were labelled weak fools for the cross
Why is the story of the Good Samaritan very powerful?
The Samaritan is the one who is able to rise above the hatred and prejudices of centuries and show mercy and compassion for the injured Jew after the Jew’s own countrymen pass him by.
Comment on the parable about the Good Samaritan
On a road between Jerusalem and Jericó, a Jewish traveler has been robbed, beaten and stripped of his clothes and desperately needs help or he will die. First a priest walks by and then a Levite, both of whom should have stopped to help him as Holy people, although neither do.
Then a Samaritan, an enemy of the Jewish people, sees the man, stops, bandages his wounds, covers him in healing oil, gives him wine to drink and takes him to an inn on his donkey. He pays the innkeeper to look after him.
Give examples where one set of people hate another set of people for religious an/or political reasons
- Blacks and Whites in South Africa
- Jews and Samaritans
- Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland
- Rival factions in street gangs in New York or Los Angeles
In the parable of the Good Samaritan why would the Samaritan be the least likely person to stop and help the man.
The man was Jewish and the Jews and Samaritans were religious and political enemies.
The parable of the Good Samaritan was told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. What does the parable teach Christians?
It teaches Christians that they should help anyone in trouble, pain or struggling even if they are not you religion or nationality
What did the Jews want to see in 200AD to make them believe in Christianity?
They wanted a certain kind of proof using parameters they had determined: Jews wanted to see miracles happen or at least miraculous signs.
What did the Greeks want to see in 200AD to make them believe in Christianity?
Greeks look for wisdom. They wanted proof through sound logic, philosophy and intellectual success.
It had to make rational and reasonable sense or it had to be foolishness
Why is it not surprising that Jews expected miraculous signs?
So much of Israel’s history involved God doing miracles e.g. ten plagues in Egypt for Moses, parting of the Red Sea for Moses, feeding of the 5000.
If they could see miracles, they would know their saviour had arrived.
Why is the crucifixion of a Christ a stumbling block for Jews?
They expected their saviour to be a strong and powerful earthly ruler. In Jewish thought, anyone crucified was cursed by god, dying a most shameful death. How could he be the saviour?
What do people consider to be the foolishness and weakness of God?
Crucifying his only son on the cross
Do you think it was foolish of a God to crucify his son?
No, a crucified Christ is the strongest and wisest thing of all as he wins eternal life.
What does the saying ‘the foolishness of a God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength’ mean?
The foolish thing God did and the weak thing God did- namely, a crucified a Christ- is the strongest and wisest thing of all.
External life for Christ.
Why was Christianity mocked by many people including a Greeks and Jews around 200AD?
Both groups thought that the Christian Church lacked some vitally important evidence.
What is a parable?
A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual message as told by Jesus.
It has a hidden message that you have to work out
Name 3 parables that you learned in class.
- The Good Samaritan
- The Prodigal son or the parable of the forgiving father
- The sheep and the goats
What is a Samaritan?
A Samaritan is a Jewish person who has married a non-Jewish person. They are an enemy to the pure Jewish people.
What is a Levite in the Good Samaritan?
A religious man