The nature of God:
- Christians believe that God is omnipotent (all powerful), omnibenevolent (all loving),
and just
- However, some Christians struggle to accept the nature of God and explain the
presence of evil and suffering in the world
- Some Christians believe that sin was brought into the world by humans (by Adam
and Eve’s disobedience), so it is not God’s fault as he gave dominion of the Earth to
humans
The Trinity:
- Christianity is a monotheistic religion
- The idea is that God is: the father - powerful creator of everything, the son - Jesus
Christ, incarnation and source of salvation, and the holy spirit - source of inspiration
for Christians today
- The belief in the trinity is supported by the Bible and the Nicene Creed
“Baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” - Matthew 28:19
“The Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us” - John 1:14
Different Christian beliefs about creation:
Fundamentalist Christians:
- They take the creation story to be literally true
- They believe God made the world in 6 24-hour days, and would reject any opposing
theories such as the Big Bang theory
- They believe the Bible is literal and inerrant
Liberal Christians:
- They believe that God created the world, but not in 6 literal 24-hour days
- They do not believe that Genesis was supposed to be taken literally
- Genesis does not tell us how the world was created, so it is quite a metaphorical view
- They believe religion explains why God created the world, but science explains how it
was created, so there is no conflict with science
The Role of Word and Spirit:
- The Holy Spirit and Jesus were both present at the time of creation, the Trinity has
existed since the beginning of time
“The Spirit was hovering over the… water”
“In the beginning was the Word”
, Heaven:
- Some Christians believe that heaven is a physical place
- Other Christians believe it is a spiritual state of being united with God for eternity
Hell:
- Most Christians believe that hell is a spiritual state of being separated from God
- Some believe that it is a physical place of pain and suffering
- The Bible teaches that hell is where unrepented sinners go after death
Judgement:
- The belief that God is just, and will judge people after their death based on how they
lived their life
- Many Christians believe there will be a Day of Judgement at the end of time and God
will decide the destination of people’s souls
- This is supported by the Parable of the Sheep and the Goat
- Some Christians believe that faith alone is enough, however most agree on the need
for good works as well
Resurrection:
- Celebrating when Jesus came back to life from the dead
- He conquered death and sin, and opened the door to eternal life
- This belief gives Christians hope for life after death, and faith that Jesus is the son of
God
“The righteous will have eternal life” - Matthew 25:46
VS “Those who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life” - John 3:16
“The fiery lake of burning sulphur” - Revelation
Crucifixion:
- Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion for blasphemy
- Many Christians believe Jesus’s death was sacraficial: he gave his life as atonement
for the sins of humanity
Resurrection:
- Jesus was brought back to life 3 days after his crucifixion
- He overcomes death and sin and openes the door for eternal life
Ascension:
- The resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after his resurrection
- This suggests his importance and that God is omnipotent
- Christians believe that God is omnipotent (all powerful), omnibenevolent (all loving),
and just
- However, some Christians struggle to accept the nature of God and explain the
presence of evil and suffering in the world
- Some Christians believe that sin was brought into the world by humans (by Adam
and Eve’s disobedience), so it is not God’s fault as he gave dominion of the Earth to
humans
The Trinity:
- Christianity is a monotheistic religion
- The idea is that God is: the father - powerful creator of everything, the son - Jesus
Christ, incarnation and source of salvation, and the holy spirit - source of inspiration
for Christians today
- The belief in the trinity is supported by the Bible and the Nicene Creed
“Baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” - Matthew 28:19
“The Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us” - John 1:14
Different Christian beliefs about creation:
Fundamentalist Christians:
- They take the creation story to be literally true
- They believe God made the world in 6 24-hour days, and would reject any opposing
theories such as the Big Bang theory
- They believe the Bible is literal and inerrant
Liberal Christians:
- They believe that God created the world, but not in 6 literal 24-hour days
- They do not believe that Genesis was supposed to be taken literally
- Genesis does not tell us how the world was created, so it is quite a metaphorical view
- They believe religion explains why God created the world, but science explains how it
was created, so there is no conflict with science
The Role of Word and Spirit:
- The Holy Spirit and Jesus were both present at the time of creation, the Trinity has
existed since the beginning of time
“The Spirit was hovering over the… water”
“In the beginning was the Word”
, Heaven:
- Some Christians believe that heaven is a physical place
- Other Christians believe it is a spiritual state of being united with God for eternity
Hell:
- Most Christians believe that hell is a spiritual state of being separated from God
- Some believe that it is a physical place of pain and suffering
- The Bible teaches that hell is where unrepented sinners go after death
Judgement:
- The belief that God is just, and will judge people after their death based on how they
lived their life
- Many Christians believe there will be a Day of Judgement at the end of time and God
will decide the destination of people’s souls
- This is supported by the Parable of the Sheep and the Goat
- Some Christians believe that faith alone is enough, however most agree on the need
for good works as well
Resurrection:
- Celebrating when Jesus came back to life from the dead
- He conquered death and sin, and opened the door to eternal life
- This belief gives Christians hope for life after death, and faith that Jesus is the son of
God
“The righteous will have eternal life” - Matthew 25:46
VS “Those who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life” - John 3:16
“The fiery lake of burning sulphur” - Revelation
Crucifixion:
- Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion for blasphemy
- Many Christians believe Jesus’s death was sacraficial: he gave his life as atonement
for the sins of humanity
Resurrection:
- Jesus was brought back to life 3 days after his crucifixion
- He overcomes death and sin and openes the door for eternal life
Ascension:
- The resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after his resurrection
- This suggests his importance and that God is omnipotent
