LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET (WEEK 5)

2nd Sem Christianity

Week 5 In this LAS, you are expected to:
April 19-23, MELC 5 – Examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and related issues
2021 of Christianity
1.Explain that the core teaching of Christianity is the message that a loving God sent His
begotten Son in order to redeem humankind from eternal damnation
2. Recite the Apostle’s Creed, The Lord’s Prayer, or the Beatitudes
3. Empathize with the Parable of the Prodigal Son
INTRODUCTION
Christianity is considered the most popular religion in the world with the most number of adherents among all
religions. Starting around the 1st 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 of Jesus Christ, who is considered the Messiah or Savior of humanity. It is
believed that God the Father sent His Only Son, Jesus, to earth to redeem humanity from their sins for them to avoid the eternal
flames of hell. Together with Judaism and Islam, Christianity is considered one of the world religions which traces its origins to
the patriarch Abraham.
PRE-TEST:
Directions: Read the following sentences carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer in your answer sheet.
1. What is considered as the sacred scripture of Christianity? A. Torah B. Pentateuch C. Nahum D. Bible
2. What do you call a set of laws given by God to the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai through Moses?
A. The Ten Commandments B. Old Testament C. New Testament D. dogmas
3. What serves as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s victory over sins? A. Fish B. Cross C. Bread D. Dove
4. Which among the following is also called the Hebrew Bible that is composed of 39 books?
A. New Testament B. Pentateuch C. The Old Testament D. Torah
5. What do you call Christianity’s doctrine that means God is composed of three persons: God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ),
and the Holy Spirit? A. The Holy Sacrament C. The Holy Ghost
B. The Holy Matrimony D. The Holy Trinity
ANSWER KEY:
Pre-Test No.5

1. D
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. D
 
Reading 1: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Cross - serves as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s victory over sins when He died on the cross for humanity’s redemption and
salvation. Christ died on the cross and the cross serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by God in order for humanity to live.
In Roman Catholic churches, the crucifix is a regular feature, with the image of Christ nailed on the cross. This aims to
emphasize Christ’s sufferings for humanity. Meanwhile, Protestant churches often feature only the cross without the image of the
body of Christ, to emphasize Christ’s resurrection and not His suffering.
Historical Context - Judea, the mountainous southern part of Palestine, was the home of Christianity. During that time, Judaism
was the dominant religion in Palestine and it was considered by the Jews as land promised to them by God. Thus, Christianity
was born in an era when Palestine was ruled by a foreign power, the Romans. Conditions were ripe for the beginning of a new
religion. Since the concept of Messiah (which was promised in Judaism as the one who will liberate them from the evils of the
world) proved to be very attractive for a group of people being colonized by a foreign power, 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 fulfilment of the prophesy among the Jews that God will send His Son to liberate the people from
sufferings and sins paved the way for the development and spread of a new religion called Christianity.
Jesus as the Founder of Christianity
It was in this backdrop that Jesus, founder of Christianity, lived and preached teachings that served as criticisms of Judaism,
although he himself was a Jew. His ministry began when he was in his early thirties. Preaching and healing in the villages, he
started to preach teachings which were considered revolutionary at that time. He also taught about the new covenant that God
will bring to humanity: that of sending His begotten son to save humanity from their sins and restore the people’s relationship
with Him. Jesus preached that he was sent by God to fulfill this goal by dying on the cross, then resurrecting to life after three
days to prove that God’s plan had succeeded. Thus, Christianity started with a prophecy in the Old Testament: that God will send
his only begotten Son to save humanity from eternal damnation. Jesus was seen by his followers to be the Messiah they were
waiting for. Meanwhile, Jews did not accept this to be true; instead, they are still waiting for the promise to be fulfilled.
Core teachings - Jesus emphasized that God values service and love. Jesus said we are to love the Lord our God with all your
hearts, with all your souls, with all your minds, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30 – 31). This verse is interesting because the
phrases are specific, emphasizing the very need to love God with our entire being.
(For additional readings: https://christian.net/resources/what-are-the-core-teachings-of-jesus/)
Reading 2: The Holy Trinity, Sacred Scriptures, Doctrines and Subdivisions
Holy Trinity – As 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. 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 doctrine of the Holy Trinity was Christianity’s
way to end the controversy generated by Arianism, a teaching by Arius which claimed that Jesus Christ was not actually a God.
For some Christians, the concept of the Holy Trinity is not easy to understand. Although it is central to most Christian
denominations, some Christian churches rejected it.
Sacred scriptures - the Bible is considered the sacred scripture of Christianity. It is a collection of songs, stories, poetry, letters,
history, as well as literature. It is composed of two books, the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament - also called the Hebrew Bible, is composed of 39 books which are arranged in three parts: The first five
books (Genesis to Deuteronomy) are considered “The Law” or Torah which may refer to guidance or instruction. Later these
books were called the Pentateuch, which were attributed to Moses. Meanwhile, 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 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) which were grouped together for their associations with a particular religious’
festival.
The New Testament - is composed of 27 books written around 50 to 100 C.E. 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. They were written to tell the life and teachings of Jesus. 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. Revelation is the last book of the New Testament, traditionally attributed to the apostle John, which is considered an
epistle and an apocalyptic literature.
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.
Eight Beatitudes - The Beatitudes comprise what is known as the “Sermon on the Mount” recorded in Matthew 5-7. The
Beatitudes refer to the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the “Sermon on the Mount.”
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. It is not
written by the apostles themselves but it serves as a summary of their basic teachings.

Reading 3: 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 Pentecost.
(1.) 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. It is meant as an opportunity to reflect on the
significance of the birth of Jesus who was sent by God the Father to restore humanity’s relationship with God. (2.) 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. (3.)
Pentecost - is celebrated as a holiday to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the early Christians. Thus,
Pentecost is also celebrated as the birthday of the Church.
Reading 4: Selected Issues
Ecumenism - refers to the effort of the Catholic Church to sponsor activities and initiatives to promote mutual understanding and
unity among all Christians.
Sexuality – the issue of sexuality has always been controversial for the Catholic Church. Due to its conservative view of human
sexuality, it has often found itself in conflict with progressive and liberal ideas with regard to certain issues connected to
sexuality such as artificial contraception, abortion, and homosexuality. In general, sexuality refers to sexual orientation, sexual
activity, and sexual feelings. Christianity advocates that the goal of sexual union between men and women is procreation, thus
anything that might hinder this is considered immoral. Another issue with regard to sexuality is that of homosexuality. It refers to
attraction to members of the same sex. The Catholic Church states that homosexual orientation itself is not a sin, it is nevertheless
a tendency towards the "moral evil" of homosexual sexual activity. It also states that when God created humans He created male
and female only, and that their union is meant for procreation. The Church does not allow same-sex marriage and is vocal in
opposing homosexual relationships. Nevertheless, while the Church condemns homosexual acts (sexual activity), being
homosexual (orientation) is not wrong or sinful in itself. It also states that homosexual persons must be accepted with respect,
compassion, and sensitivity.
Family and Divorce - The Christian view on marriage is based on Matthew 19:6, “He who made man from the beginning, made
them male and female. And he said: For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two
shall be in one flesh. Therefore, now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put
asunder.” Thus, divorce is not allowed in the Catholic Church, since it believes in the sanctity of marriage, which should be a
lifetime bond between a man and a woman, and is considered a legal bond on earth and a spiritual bond in heaven. As of today,
every country in the world has a divorce law except the Philippines. Although some lawmakers have been pushing for the divorce
bill, the strong opposition of the Catholic Church as well as the devout Catholics in the Congress and the Senate have made it
difficult for the divorce bill to be passed.
Capital Punishment and Euthanasia - Capital punishment or death penalty wherein a person is punished by death for his or her
capital crime goes against the Christian belief that life is given by God and should not be taken away by any person. It is illegal in
most Christian countries such as the Philippines, but some push for capital punishment as a way of deterring crime.
Activity 1 – (Timeline) Make a timeline of important events in the history of Christianity and explain briefly the significance of
each event.
Rubric for Activity 1: Timeline
CRITERIA DESCRIPTION POINTS POINTS
OBTAINED
Quality of content Included events are important and interesting. No major details are excluded. 10

Accuracy of content Facts are accurate for all events reported on the timeline. 5
Sequence of content Events are placed in proper order. 5

Total:20

Activity 2 – (Poster-making) Make a poster depicting the set of laws given by God to people of Israel at Mt. Sinai through
Moses or the Ten Commandments.

Rubric for Activity 2: Poster-making

CRITERIA DESCRIPTION POINTS POINTS
OBTAINED
Organization The concept was clearly and creatively conveyed. 10
Content The illustrations were appropriate to the theme. 5
Visual Presentation The idea was clearly presented based on the pictures and words used. 5

Total:20

REFLECTION:
In the space provided, write your personal insights about the lesson using the prompts below.
I understand that
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I realize that
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ASSESSMENT:
Directions: Read the following sentences carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer in your answer sheet.
1. What do you call the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the “Sermon on the Mount.”
A. Trinity B. Beautitudes C. Mesiah D. Pentecost
2. Which among the following refers to the effort of the Catholic Church to sponsor activities and initiatives to promote mutual
understanding and unity among all Christians?
A. Creed B. Lent C. Ecumenism D. Euthanasia
3. What is celebrated as a holiday to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the early Christians?
A. Great Schism B. Pontius Pilate C. Advent D. Pentecost
4. What is considered the sacred scripture of Christianity? A. Bible B. Pentateuch C. Qur’an D. Torah
5. In its historical context, where was the home of Christianity? A. Palestine B. Judea C. Moses D. Hagar
Key to Correction:
Assessment No.5

1. B
2. C
3. D
4. A
5. B