LESSON 5 : CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is considered the most popular religion in the world with the most number of
adherents among all religions. Starting around the 1 st century C.E., it developed out of Judaism
during the reign of the Roman Empire in West Asia. It centers on the life, teachings, death, and
resurrection if Jesus Christ, who is considered the Messiah or Savior of humanity.

The most common symbol for Christianity is the cross, for Christians believe that Jesus died on
the cross to save humanity from their sins and to restore people’s relationship with God the Father.
Christians also believe in the Holy Trinity, which means God has three aspects Father, Son, and
the Holy Spirit.

Christianity is considered one of the first monotheistic religions in the world and shares many
similarities with Judaism in terms of belief in prophets, angels, judgement day, among others.

The cross serves as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s victory and when he died on the cross for humanity’s
redemption and salvation. The fish symbol is as old as Christianity itself, for it was by persecuted
Christians as a secret sign when meeting other Christians. Greek word for fish which is Iseous
Christos Theou Yios Soter, meaning Jesus Christ, Son of God.

Christianity is divided into three major sects:

•Roman Catholicism

•Greek Orthodox Church

• Protestantism

Christianity was born in an era when Palestine was ruled by a foreign powet, the Romans. Social
conditions cooperated with the relatively free atmosphere created by Agustus’ Pax Romana or
Roman Peace. Also, the birth of a man who was considered as the fulfillment of the prophesy
among the Jews that God will send his Son to liberate the people sufferings and sins paved the way
for the development and spread of a new religion Christianity.
Jesus, a Jew, founded Christianity. He taught about love and serving God, saying his death would
create a new relationship between God and people. He believed God sent him to save humanity.
After his death and resurrection, his followers believed he was the Messiah, a belief not shared by
all Jews.

Religious Leaders

The Catholic Church follows a certain hierarchy based on the Canon Law of the Catholic Church.
At the top of the hierarchy is the people, considered as Peter’s successor. The hierarchy also
includes the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons.

Pope- serves as the head of the Catholic Church, the inheritor of Peter.

Cardinals- who are also appointed by the Pope. They serves as advisers to the Pope and elect a
new pope as the need arises. Also, they have the power to choose the successor of the outgoing
pope. The body comprising the cardinals is called the College of Cardinals.

Bishops- are teachers of the doctrine, priests of sacred worship, and ministers of church
government. It is ordained to his station, just like priests.

Priests- who are ordained ministers responsible for the administering of the sacraments, such as
the Eucharist, Marriage, Baptism, and Confirmation. They may belong to particular religious order,
such as Jesuits, Dominicans, Augustinians, among others, or they may be committed to serve a
certain congregation.

Deacons – who are classified into two types: the transitional deacon is a seminarian who is
studying for the priest -hood and the other one is a permanent deacon, who can get married and
serve as a priest’s assistant in administering some of the sacraments.

DEITY/GOD

Christians believe in one God, therefore Christianity is a monotheistic religion. God is seen as the
creator and maintainer of the universe, and is believed to be omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient
(all-knowing), omnipresent (all-present), and omnibenevolent (all-good). God is also sacred,
moral, unchangeable, compassionate, graceful, and timeless.

HOLY TRINITY

Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, which means that God is composed of three persons: God
the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine of the Holy Trinity was
affirmed at the Council of Nicea in 25 C.E. where it was agreed upon that the Son has the same
substance with the Father, therefore they are both eternal.

The concept of the Holy Trinity is not easy to understand. Although it is central to most Christian
denominations, some Christian churches rejected it, such as The Church of the Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, Jehova’s Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Unitarians, the Unification Church, the
Christadelphians, and Oneness Pentecostals, among others.

Sacred Scriptures

The Bible is considered the sacred of Christianity. It is a collection of songs, stories, poetry, letters,
as well as literature. It is composed of two books, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The
Old Testament is considered the original Hebrew Bible, written between 1200 and 165 B.C.E. The
New Testament was written by Christians around 100 С.Е

THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Old Testament, also called the hebrew bible, is composed of 39 books which are arranged in
three parts:

The first five book (Genesis to Deuteronomy) are considered “THE LAW” or TORAH which
may refer to guidance or instruction. Later this books were called the Pentateuch.

The second part of the old testament is called “The Prophets” which is divided into two parts, the
earlier prophets and the latter prophets. The book of former prophets is considered historical while
the book of latter prophets contains sayings and stories of the prophets.
The third part is called “The writings”, which include Psalms (songs, prayers, and worship
liturgies), Proverbs (wise sayings), Job (a drama that explores the nature of suffering), and the five
scrolls (Megiloth).

NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament is composed of 27 books written around 50 to 100 С.Е. and is composed of
two sections:

The Gospels which tell the story of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the Letters (or
Epistles), written by various Christian leaders to serve as guide to the early Christian communities.
“The Acts of Apostles and Luke tell how Christianity developed from a small group of Jewish
believers to becoming one of the world’s major religions. Revelations the last book of the New
Testament, traditionally attributed to the apostle John, which is considered an epistle and an
apocalypse.

TEN COMMANDMENTS

Also called the DECALOGUE, The Ten Commandments are a set of laws given by God to the
people of Israel at Mt. Sinai through Moses. In Exodus, God gave Moses the tablets containing the
Ten Commandments, which Moses smashed into pieces because of extreme anger when he saw
the golden calf idol created and worshipped by the Hebrews. God gave Moses another set to
replace the broken one.

The Ten Commandments are said to appear twice in the Bible, in Exodux 20:1-17, and at
Deuteronomy 5:-21. They are meant to guide Christians on how to behave within the family,
society, and most especially with respect to God.

1. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you
shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,
visiting the iniqulity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of
those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My
commandments.”
3. “You shall not take the name of the Lord Your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold
him guiltless who takes His name In vain.
4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy Six days you shall labor and do all your
work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work,
nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your
cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it”.
5. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which
the Lord Your God is giving you.”
6. “You shall not murder.”
7. “You shall not commit adultery”
8. “You shall not steal.”
9. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.”
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s. wife,
nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your
neighbor’s”.

SEVEN SACRAMENTS

The Catholic Church has seven sacraments which are considered signs of inner kindness given
by God for Christians to live a genuine human life. The seven sacraments include Baptism,
Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of
the Sick. The first three sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion, which
are considered the sacraments of initiation.
BAPTISM is meant to remove the guilt and effects of Original Sin and welcome the baptized
to the Church.

CONFIRMATION which should be administered right after Baptism, is meant to complete

HOLY COMMUNION entails the reception of Christ’s body and blood which helps Christians
grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

CONFESSION is considered the fourth sacrament, which is meant to reconcile Christians with
God by confessing their sins.

The SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE comes next, with the union of a man and a woman for
the purpose of procreation and mutual support. It also reflects the union of Jesus Christ with
His Church.

The SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS is considered the continuation of Christ's priesthood

ANOINTING OF THE SICK, also known as Extreme Unction or Last Rites, which is
administered to those who are on the verge of death or are seriously ill, or about to undergo a
serious operation, for physical and moral strength.

EIGHT BEATITUDES

Beatitudes comprise what is known as the “ Sermon on the Mount” recorded in Matthew5-7
and it refers to the eight seeing of jesus at the beginning of the “ Sermon on the Mount”. Here
are the Eight Beatitudes mentioned in Matthew 5-7:

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples
came unto him:

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.

Blessed are they, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of
evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the
prophets which were before you.

-Matthew 5:1-12. New Testament King James Version

APOSTLES’ CREED

The Apostles Creed is believed to have developed in the 100 or 200 C.E. and was influenced
later by the Nicene Creed. A letter written by the Council of Milan in 390 C.E. is the earliest
historical evidence of the existence of the Apostles Creed.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, died, and was
buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; He ascended to heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father, And he will come to judge the living and the
dead.
 I believe in the Holy Spirit, The holy Catholic Church, The communion of saints, The
forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen.

STORY OF CREATION AND BIG BANG THEORY

The Story of Creation, which narrates how God created the universe in six days, is found in
Genesis 1 of the Old Testament. It narrates how God created light and darkness on the first
day; the sky and the ocean on the second day; the earth and plants on the third day, the sun,
moon, and the stars on the fourth day; sea creatures, land animals, and birds on the fifth day;
and finally the first man and woman on the sixth day, after which He rested on the seventh day.

Science also has its own theories on how the universe began. One of the most controversial is
the Big Bang theory, which is sometimes explained in relation to the Story of Creation
according to the Bible.

WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES

Christians have certain religious observances in which they. Commemorate particular events
in the history of Christianity. Some of the most important Christian observances are ADVENT,
LENT, and the PENTECOST.

ADVENT- refers to the season of waiting for the birth of the Messiah, hence its celebration
lasts for four weeks, beginning four Sundays before Christmas and ending on Christmas eve.
During Advent, it is not only the birth of Christ which is anticipated but the Second Coming
of the Savior as well. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means
“coming” or “visit.” Advent also features certain colors, such as purple/dark blue, which
symbolizes seriousness, repentance, and royalty; and pink, which signifies joy.

LENT- refers to the season observed by Christians in preparation for Easter, a celebration of
the resurrection of Christ. Ash Wednesday signals the start of the season of Lent, which begins
40 days before Easter. It is a time for Christians to prepare for Easter by following certain
rituals, such as fasting. Repentance, moderation, and self-discipline. This is a time to reflect
on the suffering, sacrifice, life, death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ. It is a
time for prayer, penance, sacrifice, and good works as a way of remembering the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus. The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning
“Spring” and lenctenid, which means “Springtide” and also the word for “March,” the month
when Easter is usually celebrated.

PENTECOST

Pentecost is celebrated as a holiday to commemorate the coming of the Spirit to the early
Christians. Thus, Pentecost is also celebrated as the birthday of the Church. The word Pentecost
comes from the Greek word pentekostos, which means “fifty,” pertaining to the Jewish holiday
celebrated every fifty days from the end of Passover to the beginning of the next holiday (also
known as Shavuot). The event was recorded in the New Testament, in The Acts of the Apostles,
Chapter 2, which narrates how the first Christians came together in one place when suddenly
they heard a sound coming from heaven and tongues of fire rested on their heads.

SUBDIVISIONS

Before Emperor Constantine’s reign in 312 C.E., Christians were persecuted under Roman
emperors. Christianity was legalized in 313 C.E. through the Edict of Milan and the First
Ecumenical Council at Nicea. In 330 C.E., Constantine transferred the capital to Byzantium
and renamed Constantinople. Conflicts between the Roman Empire and Byzantium Empire led
to the split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. The "Great
Schism" in 105 divided Western Latin Roman Christianity from Eastern Greek Byzantine
Christianity. Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation, the second greatest split in Christianity,
was influenced by his ideas and spread to England, leading to the Catholic Church initiating
its own reformation.