R.E - Christianity

• Trinity


  The three persons of God: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
• Omnibenevolence


  The state of being all-loving and infinite good – characteristic often attribute of God
• Omnipotence


  The all-powerful, almighty and unlimited nature of God
• Omniscience


  The state of knowing and seeing everything
• Incarnation


  God becoming human (flesh) on earth in the form of Jesus
• Resurrection


  The belief that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, conquering death
• Atonement


  The belief that Jesus' death on the cross healed the rift between humans and God
• Salvation


  Deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ
• Judgement


  The estimate by God of the ultimate worthiness or unworthiness of the individual
• Christians are monotheist, they believe that there is only one God
• Christians believe that the God is eternal and timeless. This essentially means that he has no beginning and no end
• Christians believe that God created all things and gave everything life
• Genesis 1:1: 'In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth'
• There are many scriptures found in the Bible which talks about the power of God (his omnipotence)
• Exodus 14:21: 'Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided'
• Christians also describe God as an individual who is loving to all (his omnibenevolence)
• Psalm 86:15: 'But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger; abounding in love and faithfulness'
• John 3:16: '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'
• Epicurus who is a Greek Philosopher wrote the following about God
• For Christians, suffering is seen as a essential part of human life, there are many arguments on the existence of suffering and evil
• Arguments on the existence of suffering and evil

  • God has given each person free will and people must make their own choices. Some of the choices people make cause evil and suffering
  • There is a force for evil in the world, sometimes characterised as devil/Satan. Traditionally the devil was believed to be a fallen angel, thrown out of heaven when e disobeyed God
  • God shares in out suffering
  • Suffering is a test
  • Suffering is a result of sin
  • How we deal with suffering gives us the opportunity to become better people – it is soul-shaping
  • Without suffering and evil, individuals will not know what is happiness and good
• Job


  A wealthy man who lives in Uz with his large family and flocks, described as blameless and upright, he careful not to do evil things
• Story of Job

  1. Satan goes to God and argues that Job is only good because God has blessed him

  2. Satan challenges God and asks for permission to punish Job to prove his point that Job will turn away from God and curse him

  3. God allows this

  4. Job's flock, servants and 10 children die

  5. Job still blesses God

  6. Satan wanted to test Job again and God allows it

  7. Job gets terrible sores and his wife encourages him to curse God, but Job refuses

  8. Job questions God on why the innocent suffer and the wicked do not

  9. But in Job 42:1-6 he states that God's way is beyond human understanding and that ultimately he has faith in God and his ways

  10. In the end Job passed the test of suffering and gets blessed even more than before
• God the Father


  Jesus taught that that God should be referred to as the Father, this links to God being all-powerful and all knowing, he is the creator of the world, the Father element should that God is caring and has a personal relationship with humans (child and father)
• God the Son


  Jesus id the Son of God, God in human form on earth (incarnation), through Jesus God revealed himself to the world, Jesus' death re-established the relationship between God and humans (atonement)
• God the Holy Spirit


  This element is found after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, God sent the Holy Spirit into the world, it guides individual to live their lives in the best way possible, it is there to give comfort, courage, inspiration, to strengthen faith and believe in Jesus, to help understand and interpret the word of God, the Holy Spirit allows miracles to take place, it is present during worship and prayer, confirming God's presence to worshiper, Charismatic Christians (believe in spiritual gifts and miracles) such as Pentecostal Christians believe that the Holy Spirit allows them to speak in tongues – they feel that they are directly moved by the Holy Spirit
• Speaking in Tongues


  The belief that when someone is filled with the Holy Spirit during worship they are able to speak in an unknown language that only God can understand. It is looked at as a gift
• John 10:3: 'I and the Father are one'
• John 14:6-11: 'Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." Philip said, "Lord, show is the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: "Don't you now me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen my Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father?' Don't you believe that I am the Father; and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather; it is the Father; living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in he Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the world themselves'
• The most important Christians belief about the nature of God are written within the creed, it is a statement of belief
• The Apostles' Creed

  • I believe in God, the Father almighty creator of heaven and earth
  • I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord
  • He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary
  • He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried
  • He descended to the dead
  • On the third day he rose again
  • He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father
  • He will come again to judge the living and the dead
  • I believe in the Holy Spirit
  • the holy Catholic Church
  • the communion o saints
  • the forgiveness of sins
  • the resurrection of the body
  • and the life everlasting
• The Creed teaches individuals that:
• Genesis 1:1-3: 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of the God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light'
• At the end of each day and each phase it states 'and God saw that it was good.' This suggests that God was please with his creation and that everything was working to its designed purpose
• Genesis 2:22-23: 'Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man."'
• Genesis 3:2-3: 'We may not eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, "You must not eat fruit from the trees in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die."'
• Humans are made in the likeness of God, but they are sinful and need the forgiveness of God
• Adam and Eve were tempted by
• Genesis 2:22-23: 'ow bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man."''
• Creation of Adam and Eve


  Man was created before woman