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Christianity and Ancient RomeLoading...
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By Cyrus ChoiLoading...
Christian Beliefs
Jesus and the Beginning of Christianity:
Jesus of Nazareth is the main deity of Christianity, and the founder of it. His alternate titles are “Messiah” or “Anointed One”. His title, Christ, comes from a Greek word that means “Anointed One” (christos). Jesus is the son of God, and is considered equal in power to God by faithful believers. However, his story is apocryphal and absurd to those who don’t believe in Christianity.
Jesus was the Jewish son of Mary and Joseph. He studied carpentry under Joseph and was originally a carpenter before he became a teacher and preacher. He had a few brother and sisters. Jesus had two fathers: a heavenly one, God, and an Earthly one, Joseph.
Jesus eventually began preaching and performing remarkable acts in Israel such as turning water into wine, walking on water, healing people, multiplying food to feed the needy and resurrecting others. He recruited twelve disciples to help him spread the word of Christianity- these twelve disciples were called the apostles. However, Jesus was unpopular with the Romans, who saw him as a danger to the government’s power, especially after he proclaimed himself King of the Jews. He also damaged the wealth of the high priests under Roman control by disrupting their trading, believing that the corrupt high priests were being bribed by the Roman authorities to control the Jews. The authorities began hunting Jesus, who went into hiding. However, one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, sold Jesus out (for the price of 30 silvers, as believed by some). The Romans arrested Jesus and had him executed by nailing him to a cross, or crucifixion. Unexpectedly, Jesus’s tomb was discovered to have been empty after 3 days. His disciples claimed that Jesus rose from the dead and met his disciples one last time in a vision before he went to heaven.
Jesus of Nazareth is the main deity of Christianity, and the founder of it. His alternate titles are “Messiah” or “Anointed One”. His title, Christ, comes from a Greek word that means “Anointed One” (christos). Jesus is the son of God, and is considered equal in power to God by faithful believers. However, his story is apocryphal and absurd to those who don’t believe in Christianity.
Jesus was the Jewish son of Mary and Joseph. He studied carpentry under Joseph and was originally a carpenter before he became a teacher and preacher. He had a few brother and sisters. Jesus had two fathers: a heavenly one, God, and an Earthly one, Joseph.
Jesus eventually began preaching and performing remarkable acts in Israel such as turning water into wine, walking on water, healing people, multiplying food to feed the needy and resurrecting others. He recruited twelve disciples to help him spread the word of Christianity- these twelve disciples were called the apostles. However, Jesus was unpopular with the Romans, who saw him as a danger to the government’s power, especially after he proclaimed himself King of the Jews. He also damaged the wealth of the high priests under Roman control by disrupting their trading, believing that the corrupt high priests were being bribed by the Roman authorities to control the Jews. The authorities began hunting Jesus, who went into hiding. However, one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, sold Jesus out (for the price of 30 silvers, as believed by some). The Romans arrested Jesus and had him executed by nailing him to a cross, or crucifixion. Unexpectedly, Jesus’s tomb was discovered to have been empty after 3 days. His disciples claimed that Jesus rose from the dead and met his disciples one last time in a vision before he went to heaven.
One of the reasons Jesus is so important to the Christians is that he sacrificed himself for the betterment of humanity. All humans are inherently sinful, because they are all descended from Adam and Eve, the first humans who sinned because the devil tempted them. Hebrew 9:22, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Redeeming a human requires a sacrifice, which humans used animals for, as allowed by God. However, animal sacrifices are only temporary, as humans continued to sin, and a permanent solution was needed- a human sacrifice. However, no human on Earth was without sin, meaning there were no suitable sacrifices available. This is why Jesus was born- he would be the son of God, the one without sin to be sacrificed. Those who accepted Jesus’s sacrifice for other humans are redeemed. Jesus’s sacrifice opened the door between man and God, and humans could get into heaven again.
As the Messiah, or the prophet of God and the person who would free mankind from sin, Jesus was responsible for protecting humans from sin, and for elucidating the path to heaven. Jesus is both human and god- he became human so he could relate to them and know their suffering. Jesus is so important to the Christians that he is mentioned over a thousand times in the New Testament. They believe that only through loving Jesus can they gain access to God and heaven. Thus, they worship him.
Redeeming a human requires a sacrifice, which humans used animals for, as allowed by God. However, animal sacrifices are only temporary, as humans continued to sin, and a permanent solution was needed- a human sacrifice. However, no human on Earth was without sin, meaning there were no suitable sacrifices available. This is why Jesus was born- he would be the son of God, the one without sin to be sacrificed. Those who accepted Jesus’s sacrifice for other humans are redeemed. Jesus’s sacrifice opened the door between man and God, and humans could get into heaven again.
As the Messiah, or the prophet of God and the person who would free mankind from sin, Jesus was responsible for protecting humans from sin, and for elucidating the path to heaven. Jesus is both human and god- he became human so he could relate to them and know their suffering. Jesus is so important to the Christians that he is mentioned over a thousand times in the New Testament. They believe that only through loving Jesus can they gain access to God and heaven. Thus, they worship him.
Above: The Last Supper of Christ, where Jesus was betrayed by Judas. Jesus is the figure in the middle.
Below: A portrait of the Lord and Saviour.
Below: A portrait of the Lord and Saviour.
God and the Holy Trinity:
Christians believe that the highest divine deity is represented in three ways- the Father, the Son (who is Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Though there are three, they are all representative of one holy deity. Though this may be strange to process for humans, God is far more complex than beings like us, and is not restricted by the laws of a 3D universe. The Holy Trinity is interpreted and spoke about differently in different denominations of Christianity; For example, some may think Jesus is not equivalent to God while others may differ.
Christians believe that the highest divine deity is represented in three ways- the Father, the Son (who is Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Though there are three, they are all representative of one holy deity. Though this may be strange to process for humans, God is far more complex than beings like us, and is not restricted by the laws of a 3D universe. The Holy Trinity is interpreted and spoke about differently in different denominations of Christianity; For example, some may think Jesus is not equivalent to God while others may differ.
Creeds and the Bible:
Christians show their faith and beliefs by citing creeds and other important religious Christian texts, like the Westminster Confession of Faith (used by the Church of England and various other Presbyterian churches) or the Apostle’s Creed (a text reaffirming the faith of the apostles in the Holy Trinity and used by various Western Christian faiths like Catholicism). A creed is a statement or a set of ideas that represent the beliefs of the people backing the creed.
The Old and New Testaments were two sets of texts written in Hebrew, the language of Palestine (where Christianity originated), and Greek, the commonly-spoken language in the Mediterranean (when the New Testament was being written) respectively. The Old Testament was heavily inspired by the teachings of the Jewish (or Hebrew) Bible, and was known Tanak. It focused more on the history of Judaism and the Jews. The New Testament, on the other hand, focuses on Jesus and his disciples, along with the spread of Christianity. The two texts are combined to form the Christian Bible, a central collection of scriptures all Christians revere and follow, with the Old Testament forming the first half and the New Testament forming the second. In the Testaments, there are many stories about Judaism and Christianity. The Old Testament contains the stories of Abraham, the ancestor of all Jews who was told to sacrifice his son in a sign of faith to God (though the order was rescinded), Moses, the Hebrew prophet that led the Israelites out of Egypt and scribe of the Ten Commandments, and stories pertaining to the creation of the universe. The New Testament features the Gospels, or teachings, of Matthew, Mark, Luke
Christians show their faith and beliefs by citing creeds and other important religious Christian texts, like the Westminster Confession of Faith (used by the Church of England and various other Presbyterian churches) or the Apostle’s Creed (a text reaffirming the faith of the apostles in the Holy Trinity and used by various Western Christian faiths like Catholicism). A creed is a statement or a set of ideas that represent the beliefs of the people backing the creed.
The Old and New Testaments were two sets of texts written in Hebrew, the language of Palestine (where Christianity originated), and Greek, the commonly-spoken language in the Mediterranean (when the New Testament was being written) respectively. The Old Testament was heavily inspired by the teachings of the Jewish (or Hebrew) Bible, and was known Tanak. It focused more on the history of Judaism and the Jews. The New Testament, on the other hand, focuses on Jesus and his disciples, along with the spread of Christianity. The two texts are combined to form the Christian Bible, a central collection of scriptures all Christians revere and follow, with the Old Testament forming the first half and the New Testament forming the second. In the Testaments, there are many stories about Judaism and Christianity. The Old Testament contains the stories of Abraham, the ancestor of all Jews who was told to sacrifice his son in a sign of faith to God (though the order was rescinded), Moses, the Hebrew prophet that led the Israelites out of Egypt and scribe of the Ten Commandments, and stories pertaining to the creation of the universe. The New Testament features the Gospels, or teachings, of Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John, four of Jesus’s apostles. The Gospels tell of the actions, deeds and wisdom of Jesus, along with his story. However, some parts of the four Gospels contradict each other, leading to debate between the scholars studying Jesus. Besides the Gospels, the New Testament also contains the Acts of the Apostles (also known simply as the Acts), a book that explains the actions of the 12 Apostles and the rise and spread of Christianity. Finally, the New Testament contains information concerning the start of the new Earth and Heaven by God on Judgement Day (in the last book of the New Testament, Revelation, also known as Apocalypse). The Christian Bible also contains many rules that are laid down by God, called commandments. There are the Ten Commandments originally recorded by Moses that appear the Hebrew text Exodus regulating faith, worship, sabbath (more on this later), filial piety, murderer, theft, adultery, jealousy, sacrilege and dishonesty. However, these ten are only the tip of the ice-berg. There are 603 other commandments that can be seen in the Old Testament, though only 297 are pertinent in modern contexts. The Bible serves as the basic dogma for every Christian faith, with every single Christian believing in its validity. Studying the Bible is tantamount to being a good Christian, and many Christians study the scriptures extensively. Parts of a section of the Old Testament, the Book of Psalms, are still sung today as hymns and prayers. Besides being useful for lore and regulations, the Bible also contains good advice, and is frequently quoted (the Bible is quoted in the Book, Chapter:Verse format) The exact meaning at some parts of the Bible, however, are interpreted differently by different sects of Christianity. For example, some believe Jesus only appeared to his disciples in visions, but others say he appeared to them in person (Acts 1:2-4).
Due to its ubiquity and widespread use around the globe, the Christian Bible has been translated to many languages. Here is one in Chinese.
Values:
Christians value the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught that one should:
-Love your peers, be it your neighbor or your family, and God (Matthew 22:36-40, New Testament)
-Be pious in your marriages. Adultery was frowned upon, as shown in this quote from Chapter 19, Verse 6 of the Gospel of Matthew: “Whom God has joined together let no man put asunder.” Devotion to your marriage means you should avoid divorce as well.
-Abstain from retribution. “If a man strikes you on one cheek, turn the other cheek.” This quote from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 6, Verse 29 states that when one is wronged, one should give way (another version of the quote can be found in Matthew 5:39). Pacifism was practiced by Jesus- he took no revenge on the Romans who wronged him.
-Forgive those who have wronged you, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins [sic], you Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
-Love unconditionally. This means you must love even your enemies and your opposition, as shown in the quote from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 6, Verse 27-28, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
There countless more virtues for Christianity, like compassion, friendship, trust and peace.
Christians value the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught that one should:
-Love your peers, be it your neighbor or your family, and God (Matthew 22:36-40, New Testament)
-Be pious in your marriages. Adultery was frowned upon, as shown in this quote from Chapter 19, Verse 6 of the Gospel of Matthew: “Whom God has joined together let no man put asunder.” Devotion to your marriage means you should avoid divorce as well.
-Abstain from retribution. “If a man strikes you on one cheek, turn the other cheek.” This quote from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 6, Verse 29 states that when one is wronged, one should give way (another version of the quote can be found in Matthew 5:39). Pacifism was practiced by Jesus- he took no revenge on the Romans who wronged him.
-Forgive those who have wronged you, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins [sic], you Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
-Love unconditionally. This means you must love even your enemies and your opposition, as shown in the quote from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 6, Verse 27-28, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
There countless more virtues for Christianity, like compassion, friendship, trust and peace.
The New Testament, the second half of the Christian Bible and where many of Jesus's teachings come from.