Christianity Beliefs and teachings Flashcards
(37 cards)
What are the three branches of Christianity (in the UK)?
Roman Catholic: based in Rome, Pope as leader
Greek Orthodox: split from Catholic church, based in Eastern Europe
Protestant: split from Catholic church in 16th century, include: Church of England (Anglican), Baptist, Methodists, Quakers etc.
Name four things Christians believe about God.
- There is only one God: We believe in one God The Nicene Creed;
- People can have a relationship with God through prayer;
- God is spirit (John 4:24) neither male or female;
- Jesis is God’s son - the true representation of God on earth (Hebrews 1:3)
Christians believe that there is only one God. Refer to scripture of another Christian source of authority to support this idea.
- ‘We believe in one God’ The Nicene Creed
OR - ‘I am the Lord your God’ First of the 10 Commandments
‘Christianity is a major influence on people’s lives’ Write one paragraph to support this statement.
In difficult times, such as during illness or crisis, Christians lean on God for support and strength through prayer and belief. The Church can also offer help to Christians during hardship, for example, the vicar/priest will lead the congregation to pray on behalf of the person in need.
Name three qualities of God.
- Omnipotent: all-powerful;
- Benevolent: loving and kind;
- Just: fair judge of humankind.
Give two ways in which Christians believe God shows his benevolence.
- Creating humans and giving us free will;
- Sending his son, Jesus, to live among us.
Write the response a Christian would make to someone who said that a loving God would not allow suffering.
Think of** two**arguments and develop them.
Try and write this as a 12 mark essay.
Intro: How suffering came to the world through ‘original sin’ (Adam and Eve) in Garden of Eden.
*‘sin entered the world through one man’ (Romans 5:12) *
P1: God is loving because he sent Jesus to live among us and he died on the cross to save us from sin. Christians can be redeemed through Jesus.
‘For God loved the world he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life’ (John 3:16)
P2: Without suffering, people can not develop their strength and faith in God. Christians believe that it is part of His greater plan.
God works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28
What is the Holy Trinity?
The three in one:
God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
Explain each part of the Trinity
God: the creator of all life, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omniscient and omnipresent;
Jesus: the Son became incarnate to live on earth fully as a human;
The Holy Spirit:the unseen power of God at work in the world.
Explain two ways in which belief in creation by God influences Christians today.
- They value every human because God created them;
- They believe we should take care of the natural world as it is God’s creation.
‘The Bible is the best source of information about creation’ Evaluate (12)
- The Bible is the best source of information for Christians about the religious truth of creation.
*‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ (Genesis 1:1) *
Literalists believe that God created the world in six days exactly as it says in the Bible and this is because God is omnipotent and omniscient. Liberal Christians do not agree in the literal account of the creation story, they believe it is symbolic and may look to science to understand how God did this. - On the other hand, scientists argue about the Big Bang theory and evolution, we can not know for sure because we were not around when this happened.
Explain two Christian beliefs about Jesus’ incarnation. Refer to the sacred writings in your answer.
‘The Word became flesh’ (John 1:14)
This is one of the most important beliefs about the incarnation of Jesus is that he was God - part of the Holy Trinity.
Another important belief about Jesus’ incarnation was that he was born to the virgin Mary. He was not conceived in the normal way: ‘She (Mary) was found pregnant through the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 1:18) And that he lived among us for 30 years.
Develop this argument to support the statement ‘The strories of the incarnation show that Jesus was the ‘Son of God’ by explaining in more detail, adding an example or quoting.
‘The Word became flesh’ (John 1:14) Tells us that Jesus was God and human when he lived among us. This also helps explain why he was able to perform miracles and his resurrection.
Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus, *‘she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 1:18) *which shows that he was not an ordinary person, but even though he was flesh and blood like us, he was not conceived like us.**
Describe two ways in which Jesus’ crucifixion influences Christians today.
- Their sins are forgiven
- They have hope when they are suffering.
‘The crucifixion is the most important belief for Christians.’ Discuss.
The crucifixion is an important belief because:
1. Although He was fully God, he was also flesh and suffered like we do so it means he understands our suffering;
2. *‘if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ… He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins… (and) the whole world’ (John 2:1) * His sacrifice on the cross was to atone for our sins so we could go to Heaven if we repent our sins,
3. If Jesus had not died, he would not have been resurrected.
It is an important belief for Christians but, I feel that there are other equally important beliefs such as His incarnation and resurrection and ascention.
Give two reasons why the disciples believed Jesus was alive after his resurrection.
- The tomb where he was laid to rest was empty;
- Jesus appeared to the disciples.
‘The resurrection is the most important belief for Christians.’ Discuss.
‘if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…’ (Corinthians 15:14) This quote shows that Christianity would not exist without the resurrection and therefore could be argued as the most important belief for Christians.
When Jesus was resurrected, it was further proof of his divinity and fulfilled the messianic prophecies like when Jesus told his disciples: ‘he will be raised on the third day’ (Matthew 20:19) The resurrection is a pivitol event that distinguishes Christianity from other faiths.
The resurrections assures Christians that there is life after death and affects the way they live their lives and also the way they view (and not fear) their deaths. It is significant because it shows there is a power of good over evil and that their sins can be forgiven if they follow God’s laws. Christians also believe it is evidence of God’s love.
Jesus ascended to Heaven 40 days after His resurrection, this is also an important belief to Christians because it shows that Jesus is in Heaven, however, I believe that the statement is correct that the resurrection is the corner stone for the Christian faith.
Explain two ways in which belief in resurrection influences Christians today.
- Gives hope that there is life after death.
- Inspires Christians to live in a way God wants.
Give different Christian views about how the resurrection affects them.
- Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe in bodily and spiritual resurrection;
- Some Christians believe a person’s soul is resurrected soon afer death;
- Other Christians believe the dead will be resurrected some time in the future and Jesus will judge them;
- Some Christians believe that the resurrection will just be spiritual.
Think of three reasons for bodily resurrection
For:
1. Jesus rose from the dead and appeared before his disciples.
2. The gospels say he was not a ghost and that he ate, drank and showed his wounds;
3. His body had transformed because he could appear and disappear;
4. Paul says ‘the body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable’ meaning the natural body can be raised as a spiritual body but it is still a body.
5. Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe people’s bodies are transformed into a glorified state in which suffering will not exist.
Give three reasons against bodily resurrection.
Against:
1. Science shows that the body decays after death so it can’t resurrect;
2. Some people are cremated so their bodies no longer exist;
3. Stories of the resurrection appearances may be exaggerated;
4. The disciples may have felt Jesus’ presence spiritually rather than physically;
5. Christians believe in the sould and it is the soul that rises again, not the body.
Name three beliefs about the afterlife.
- Christians believe in an afterlife and it depends on belief in God;
- The afterlife begins at death or at the Day of Judgement when Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead;
- Judgement will be based on how people have behaved during their lifetimes and in their faith following Jesus.
The parable of the Sheep and the Goats explains how God will judge people.
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, found in the Gospel of Matthew (25:31-46), is a teaching by Jesus about the final judgment.
Jesus describes a scene where all nations are gathered before him, and he separates them as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.
The sheep, representing the righteous, are commended for their acts of kindness and compassion, as if they were doing it to Jesus himself.
In contrast, the goats, symbolizing the unrighteous, are condemned for neglecting these acts of mercy.
Jesus emphasizes that whatever was done for the least of his brothers and sisters was done to him, indicating the importance of loving and serving others as an expression of love for God. The parable underscores the significance of compassionate action and warns of the consequences of neglecting those in need when facing the final judgment.
Explain two Christian teachings about judgement.
In the Bible, Jesus told a parable about the Sheep and the Goats, from this Christians believe:
1. that they will be judged on how compassionate they were to others and how they lived their lives;
2. as well as their faith in Jesus.
