Christianity
By Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/
Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered
on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as depicted in the
New Testament. Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God and the
Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, and that the New Testament
records the Gospel that was revealed by Jesus. With an estimated
2.1 billion adherents, or approximately 33% of the world's population
in 2007, Christianity is the world's largest religion. It is the
predominant religion in Europe, the Americas, Southern Africa, the
Philippines and Oceania. It is also growing rapidly in Africa and
Asia, particularly in China, South Korea and the Middle East.
Christianity began as an offshoot of Judaism, and includes the
Hebrew Bible
(known to Christians as the Old Testament) as well as the New Testament
as its canonical scriptures. Like Judaism and Islam, Christianity
is classified as an Abrahamic religion (see also, Judeo-Christian).
The name "Christian" (Greek Χριστιανός
Strong's G5546), meaning "belonging to Christ" or "partisan of Christ",
was first applied to the disciples in Antioch, as recorded in Acts
11:26. The earliest recorded use of the term "Christianity" (Greek
Χριστιανισμός)
is by Ignatius of Antioch.
Beliefs
In spite of important differences of interpretation and opinion,
Christians in the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant
traditions share a common faith. Although Christianity has always
had a significant diversity of belief on controversial issues, most
Christians share a common set of doctrines that they hold as essential
to their faith. This common Christian heritage of beliefs has been
given such titles as "the Good News of Jesus Christ,"
"the Way" and "mere Christianity," among others.
Jesus the Christ
As indicated by the name "Christianity," the focus of
a Christian's life is a firm belief in Jesus as the Son of God and
the Messiah or Christ. The title "Messiah" comes from
the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ
(māšiáħ) meaning anointed one. The
Greek translation - Christos - is the source of the English word
Christ.
Christians believe that, as the Messiah, Jesus was anointed as
ruler and savior of humanity, and hold that Jesus' coming was the
fulfillment of messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. The Christian
concept of the Messiah differs significantly from the contemporary
Jewish concept. The core Christian belief is that, through the death
and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God
and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life.
[Ref. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. Romans 10:13 KJB]
While there have been theological disputes over the nature of Jesus,
Christians generally believe that Jesus is God incarnate and "true
God and true man" (or both fully divine and fully human). Jesus,
having become fully human in all respects, suffered the pains and
temptations of a mortal man, yet he did not sin. As fully God, he
defeated death and rose to life again. According to the Bible,
"God raised him from the dead," he ascended to heaven,
to the "right hand of God," and he will return again to
fulfil the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of
the dead, the Last Judgment and establishment of the physical Kingdom
of God.
According to the Gospels, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born from the Virgin Mary. Little of Jesus' childhood is recorded
there in comparison to his adulthood, especially the week before
his death. The Biblical accounts of Jesus' ministry include: his
baptism, miracles, preaching, teaching, and deeds.
The Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Christians consider the resurrection of Jesus to be the cornerstone
of their faith and the most important event in human history.
According to the Gospels, Jesus and his followers went to Jerusalem
the week of the Passover where they were eagerly greeted by a crowd.
In Jerusalem, Jesus drove money changers from the Temple, and predicted
its destruction - heightening conflict with the Jewish authorities
who were plotting his death.
After sharing his last meal with his disciples, Jesus went to pray
in the Garden of Gethsemane where he was betrayed by his disciple
Judas Iscariot and arrested by the temple guard on orders from the
Sanhedrin and the high priest Caiaphas. Jesus was convicted by the
Sanhedrin of blasphemy and transferred to the Roman governor Pilate.
Pilate was pressured into crucifying Jesus by the nearly rioting
crowds. Although the crowds were incited by the religious authorities,
Jesus was sentenced to death for "inciting rebellion."
Jesus died by late afternoon and was entombed.
Christians believe that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third
day, that Jesus appeared to his apostles and other disciples, commissioned
his disciples to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son (Jesus) and of the
Holy Spirit." and then ascended to heaven. Christians also
believe that God the Father sent the Holy Spirit (or Paraclete)
to the disciples. Many modern writers such as members of the Jesus
Seminar and other Biblical scholars such as Michael Ramsey (a former
Archbishop of Canterbury) have argued that the historical Jesus
never claimed to be divine. John Hick observes that it is generally
agreed among scholars today that Jesus did not claim to be God.
Many also reject the historicity of the empty tomb (and thus a bodily
resurrection) and many other events narrated in the gospels. They
assert that Gospel accounts describing these things are probably
literary fabrications. However, many other scholars and historians
have maintained that the Gospel accounts of Jesus are, in fact,
historically reliable. For example, the late scholar Sir Frederic
Kenyon, referring to the New Testament canon, asserted that:
"The interval then between the dates of the original composition
and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact
negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the Sciptures
have come down to us substantially as they were written has now
been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of
the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established."
The purpose of Jesus' death and resurrection is described in various
doctrines of atonement. Some see Jesus as a Sacrifice (substitutionary
atonement) made to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29} in
a manner similar to Old Testament sacrifices. Others see Jesus'
dying and suffering on the cross as a sign and demonstration from
God the Father that His Son was willing to endure the shame and
suffering of the cross because of his agape (parental, self-sacrificing)
love for humanity. In other Scriptures
which record Jesus' death and resurrection, The Gospel According
to St. John compares the crucifixion of Jesus to the lifting up
of the Nehushtan (brass serpent) saying that "Just as Moses
lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted
up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 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." (John
3:14-16)
Salvation
Christians believe salvation is a gift by means of the unmerited
grace of God, a gift from a loving heavenly Father who sent His
only begotten Son Jesus to be their savior. Christians believe that,
through faith in Jesus, one can be saved from sin and eternal death.
The crucifixion of Jesus is explained as an atoning sacrifice, which,
in the words of the Gospel of John, "takes away the sins of
the world." One's reception of salvation is related to justification.
The operation and effects of grace are understood differently by
different traditions. Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy teach the
necessity of the free will to cooperate with grace. Reformed theology
places distinctive emphasis on grace by teaching that individuals
are completely incapable of self-redemption, but the grace of God
overcomes even the unwilling heart.
The Trinity
Trinitarians
Most Christians believe that God is spirit (John 4:24), an uncreated,
omnipotent, and eternal being, the creator and sustainer of all
things, who works the redemption of the world through his Son, Jesus
Christ. With this background, belief in the divinity of Christ and
the Holy Spirit is expressed as the doctrine of the Holy Trinity,
which describes the single Divine substance existing as three distinct
and inseparable persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ the eternal
Word), and the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7). According to this doctrine,
God is not divided in the sense that each person has a third of
the whole; rather, each person is considered to be fully God (see
Perichoresis). The distinction lies in their relations, the Father
being unbegotten, the Son begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit
proceeding."Begotten," in these formulae, refers to the
idea that Jesus was uncreated and "eternally begotten"
of the Father.
Christians of Reformed theology also conceive salvation to be one
work of the triune God in which "the three divine persons act
together as one, and manifest their own proper characteristics"
with the agency of the Holy Spirit as an essential element."
Trinitarian Christians trace the orthodox formula of the Trinity
- The Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost - back to the
resurrected Jesus himself who spoke these words, and which words
were subsequently recorded in Matthew 28:16-20, and are commonly
referred to as the Great Commission.
The "Indwelling of the Holy Spirit" has been called the
"common privilege of all believers." John 20:22 quotes
Jesus as saying to His apostles, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
They were to receive the Holy Spirit Himself in some way. Nearly
all Christians speak of the "Indwelling of the Holy Spirit."
The person who has "received the Holy Spirit" thereafter
not only has a sinful nature and carnal desires. According to this
theological position, there now is also a second, competing, moral
presence, that of the Holy Spirit, forever indwelling within him/her.
From that point on, the person is able to see daily situations from
either of two perspectives, and as a result, can choose to respond
in a moral, Christian manner. However, the Christian often ignores
these ethical, moral, positive thoughts inspired by the presence
(indwelling) of the Holy Spirit, and respond in some selfish or
lustful way as their own original nature desires. (John 16:7-14;
1 Corinthians 2:10ff)
In Catholic, Orthodox, and some Anglican theology, this indwelling
is received through the sacrament called Confirmation or, in the
East, Chrismation. In most Protestant traditions, the "Indwelling
of the Holy Spirit" takes place in the action of becoming a
Christian.
The New Testament also teaches that the Holy Spirit inspired all
Scripture, a belief shared by most Christians.
Non-Trinitarians
In antiquity, and again following the Reformation, several sects
advocated views contrary to the Trinity. These views were rejected
by many bishops such as Irenaeus and subsequently by the Ecumenical
Councils. During the Reformation (though most Catholics, Orthodox,
and Protestants accepted the value of many of the Councils) some
groups rejected these councils as spiritually tainted. Clemens Ziegler,
Casper Schwenckfeld, and Melchior Hoffman, advanced the view that
Christ was only divine and not human. Michael Servetus denied that
the traditional doctrine of the Trinity was necessary to defend
the divinity of Christ. He claimed that Jesus was God Himself in
the flesh.
Modalists, such as Oneness Pentecostals, regard God as a single
person, with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit considered modes or
roles by which the unipersonal God expresses himself.
Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormons) accept the divinity
of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but deny that they are the
same being. Rather, they believe them to be separate beings united
perfectly in will and purpose. They believe that the Father, like
the Son, has a glorified physical body. (see Godhead)
Present day groups who do not consider Jesus to be God include:
Unitarians, descendants of Reformation era Socinians, Christadelphians,
and Jehovah's Witnesses.
Muslims believe that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity is incompatible
with monotheism, and they reject the Christian teaching that Jesus
is the Son of God, though they affirm the virgin birth and view
him as a prophet preceding Muhammad. The Qur'an also uses the title
"Messiah," though with a different meaning. Muslims also
dispute the historical occurrence of the crucifixion of Jesus (believing
that while a crucifixion occurred, it was not of Jesus).
Christian divisions
There is a diversity of doctrines and practices among groups calling
themselves Christian. These groups are sometimes classified under
denominations, though for theological reasons many groups reject
this classification system. Christianity may be broadly represented
as being divided into four main groupings:
- Roman Catholicism: The Roman Catholic Church,
or "Catholic Church," includes the 23 particular churches
in communion with the Bishop of Rome. It is the largest single body,
with more than 1 billion baptized members.
- Eastern Orthodoxy: Those churches in communion
with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and the other Patriarchal
Sees of the East. A 1992 agreement amongst American theologians
resolved theological differences between Eastern and Oriental Orthodox
Christians -- although this has yet to be universally recognized.
Together with the "Church of the East", these can be
considered a single large grouping.
- Protestantism: Groups such as the Lutherans,
Anglicans, and Old Catholics who retain much of the Christian church's
traditions and history, but reject the authority of the Pope.
And Reformed such as Presbyterians, Congregational/United Church
of Christ, Evangelical, Charismatic, Baptists, Methodists, Nazarenes,
Anabaptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and Pentecostals. Groups which
generally follow Reformed tradition and theology. Largely relying
on the teachings of John Calvin; together with those of the other
Reformers such as Knox, Zwingli, and Melancthon.
The oldest Protestant and Reformed groups separated from the Roman
Catholic Church in the 16th century Protestant Reformation, followed
in many cases by further divisions. Estimates of the total number
of Protestants and Reformed are very uncertain, partly because of
the difficulty in determining which denominations should be placed
in these categories, but it seems to be unquestionable that Orthodox
Christianity is the second major group of Christians (after Roman
Catholicism) in number of followers.
Some Reformed Christians identify themselves simply as Christian,
or born-again Christian; they typically distance themselves from
the confessionalism of Protestant communities by calling themselves
"non-denominational" - often founded by individual pastors,
they have little affiliation with historic denominations. Furthermore,
many members of the the Anglican Communion, a group of Anglican
and Episcopal Churches that are descended from the Church of England,
claim to be both Protestant and Catholic. Finally, various small
communities, such as the Old Catholic and Independent Catholic Churches,
are similar in name to the Roman Catholic Church, but are not in
communion with the See of Rome (the Old Catholic church is in communion
with the See of Canterbury). The term "Roman Catholic"
was created to distinguish the Roman Catholics from other groups.
Restorationists are historically connected to Early 19th Century
Camp Meetings in the Midwest and Upstate New York. American Millennialism
and Adventism, which arose from Evangelical Protestantism, produced
certain groups such as the Jehovah's Witness movement (p. 807),
and, as a reaction specifically to William Miller, Seventh Day Adventists
(p. 381). usually describe themselves as restoring the Church that
they believe was lost at some point and not as "reforming"
a Christian Church continuously existing from the time of Jesus.
Restorationists include Churches of Christ with 2.6 million members,
Disciples of Christ with 800,000 members, and Jehovah's Witnesses
with 6.6 million members. Though Restorationists have some superficial
similarities, their doctrine and practices vary significantly.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity
Re-published from TrueChristianity.info
in October 2012
Submit
your article!
Read
more articles - Free!
Need
translation jobs? Click here!
Translation
agencies are welcome to register here - Free!
Freelance
translators are welcome to register here - Free!
Subscribe
to TranslationDirectory.com newsletter - Free!
Take
part in TranslationDirectory.com poll - your voice counts!
|