World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide

©2018 Achieve Page 63 of 96 The Athanasian Creed The Athanasian Creed was received in Western churches as having the same statues as the Nicene and Chalcedonian Creeds. This creed states that worship is of one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity; there is neither the blending of the persons nor the dividing of their essences. 7.3 Jesus Christ A major tenet of Christianity is the belief that Jesus is the Son of God and He came as the Messiah. “Messiah” is Hebrew for “anointed one”. The Greek translation is the word “Christ”. Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah and was anointed by God as the Savior of humanity. He fulfilled the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. Christianity teaches that the one who accepts the death and resurrection of Jesus and sinful human acts can be reconciled with God. After reconciliation, the person is offered salvation and the promise of eternal life. Most Christians believe that Jesus is God incarnate and “true God and true man”, meaning He was both fully Divine and fully human. Since Jesus was human, He suffered the same pains as humans, as well as the everyday temptations of a mortal man. When He was exposed to the temptations, He did not sin. As fully God, He arose from death after his crucifixion. Matthew and Luke, when writing their Gospels, noted that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born from the Virgin Mary. They did not record much of Jesus’ childhood in their canonical Gospels. They did record His birth and some of His infancy. Well-documented in the Gospels is some of His adulthood and the week before He dies. These accounts are in the New Testament. The accounts of Jesus’ life include His baptism, miracles, preaching, teaching, and His deeds. Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christians regard Jesus’ resurrection to be the cornerstone of their religion and faith, and is the most important event in all of human history. Theology is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified, died a physical human death, was buried and sealed in a tomb, and on the third day, he rose from the dead. The New Testament discusses several sightings of Jesus after the resurrection. He presents Himself to the 12 apostles and disciples after this death and to more than 500 brethren at one time. Christians commemorate Jesus’ death and resurrection. There is special emphasis during Holy Week, which marks the death and resurrection (Good Friday and Easter Sunday, respectively). The death and resurrection are the most important parts of the Christian faith, as they illustrate how Jesus has power over life and death; therefore, He is able to give people eternal life. All Christian churches embrace the death and resurrection, but not all do it in the same manner. Some denominations believe in a literal death and resurrection while others believe the story is richly symbolic and spiritually nourishing, but a myth nonetheless. There are many arguments concerning the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus within the Christian faith.