CHRISTIANITY Three of the great religions of the world have a number of things in common. These religions are one-god centered. They worship a personal God. Two of them, Christianity and Islam, stem from the third, Judaism. The religions are alike in several other ways, too. They are religions of the Semitic peoples, and came from Mesopotamia. A prophet made each well-known to the common people. Christianity in the 4th and 5th Centuries During the 4th and 5th centuries, Christianity was the dominant religion of the Mediterranean world. From Ireland in the west to Ethiopia in the southeast, people throughout the world had converted to the new Christian faith. Only one century later, the extent of Christianity would change drastically due to the spread of a new religion, Islam. Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Christianity has more followers than any other religion. One of every three persons on earth right now is a Christian. There are over a billion people all over the world who are followers of the Christian faith. All one has to do is believe in Jesus Christ. The Apostles Creed presents the main points of the Christian faith. They are: Belief in God as Father, Belief that God made heaven and earth, Belief that Jesus Christ is God s son, Belief that Jesus was born a special way (of the Virgin Mary), Belief that Jesus died and came alive again and, Belief that those who believe in Him will live forever.
Christianity declares that God is Father. This view is not the way other religions see their god. This belief is shown in the best known prayer of Christians. It begins, Our Father Christians claim that every human being is a child of God. The story of Christian beliefs began with Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman. They disobeyed God, they were sent from their home in the Garden of Eden, and they came to know death. Because of that, the Bible says, all people must die a physical death. But in the Old Testament, God promised to send someone to save them from spiritual death, a Messiah (Savior). This Savior would be God s Son. He would also be human. This would make His life and death have greater meaning. This puts Jesus, the founder of the faith, at its very center. Saint Augustine Saint Augustine, born in what is now Souk-Ahras, Algeria, in AD 354, brought a systematic method of philosophy to Christian theology. Augustine taught rhetoric in the ancient cities of Carthage, Rome, and Milan before his Christian baptism in 387. His discussions of the knowledge of truth and of the existence of God drew from the Bible and from the philosophers of ancient Greece. A vigorous advocate of Roman Catholicism, Augustine developed many of his doctrines while attempting to resolve theological conflicts with Donatism and Pelagianism, two heretical Christian movements. THE BETTMANN ARCHIVE Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He had Jewish parents, Mary and Joseph. His birth was special, because Mary conceived the child with God, not her earthly husband, before
she was married. Jesus grew up to be a carpenter. He lived an almost ordinary life until he was about thirty. Then He began God s work. He traveled short distances around Jerusalem and in Galilee and Judea (religions in Palestine). He preached about God. John the Baptist was a prophet who proclaimed Jesus as God s Son. It was important for Jesus to know peoples problems. He was hungry at times. He was thirsty. He was poor. He was tempted to disobey God (however, the Bible explains that he never gave in to the temptation). He died in pain. He knew about the troubles people have in life and in death. Ever since Christ s birth almost 2000 years ago, Christians have had two major beliefs. One is that Jesus (Christ) in the Son of God. The second is that God sent His son to live as a human on earth to be a sacrifice for peoples sins. Christ suffered as humans do. When he died, he took the sins of people on himself so there could be forgiveness for those who believe. He lives in Heaven, as those who believe can do also. In the Bible, John 3:16 explains: For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Christianity s chief symbol is the cross. Sometimes the symbol shows Christ nailed to the cross. That is the way He died. Sometimes the symbol is the empty cross. This shows the belief that Jesus rose from the dead, called the resurrection. Christians believe that after his death, he became alive again and lives in Heaven. They believe in a personal Lord who is always with them. When He rose from the dead, His life s purpose became known. His preaching became clear. He said, Because I live, you shall live also (John 14:19). He meant that all who believe that he is God s Son who died to take away their sins will live in spirit in Heaven.
Baptism of Christ The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) all give accounts of Jesus baptism. According to some biblical scholars, the baptism signifies Jesus acceptance of the divine plan for him to die for the sins of others and marks the beginning of his public ministry. Baptism of Christ, a panel painting by the Italian artist Piero della Francesca, was painted in about 1445. Bridgeman Art Library, London/New York Some Christians beliefs vary. But most believe in the Holy Trinity. This is the three forms God takes. God is the father. God is the Son. God is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the way God is present in the lives of all Christians. They feel His presence. What Jesus said and did is written in books called Gospels. Gospel means good news. Christians feel that Jesus brought good news of salvation. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament. The Gospels and stories about Jesus followers are written in 27 books, called the New Testament. Jesus first followers were called disciples. There were twelve disciples who spent the most time with him. Along with the disciples, such as John and Peter, the leaders of the early Christian church were called apostles. Paul was an apostle who wrote many books of the New Testament. The disciples and apostles began their work in Jerusalem and then spread their faith to other parts of the world. Aramaic was the language spoken by Judea during the time of Jesus, and the original New Testament is written in Greek, with a few words of Aramaic and Hebrew. It has been translated into English and many other languages. The New Testament and the 39 books of the Old Testament make up the Bible. The Old Testament records Jewish history and Jewish beliefs before Jesus was born. The Bible is unique because its writings include scripture of two major religions, Jewish and Christian.
Christianity has its roots in Judaism and cannot be separated from it. Christians believe that the Bible is the world s greatest book, because it shows the way to eternal life. The Bible has great influence. It is the subject of many writings, discussions, and even movies, as is Jesus himself. Two very important holidays center on Jesus. One, Christmas, celebrates His birth. The other, Easter, reminds people of His resurrection. Christians worship on Sunday in recognition that Sunday was the day of Jesus resurrection. Their practices include the sacraments, such as communion and baptism. They worship in cathedrals or churches and are led in worship by priests or ministers. Different groups within Christianity have different types of leaders. The names of some of these are: Pope, bishops, elders, and deacons. Source: Kent County Core Curriculum