CHRISTI LESSON 5

CHRISTIANITY

CONSIDERED THE OST POPULAR RELIGION IN THE WORLD.

STARTS AROUND 1ST CENTURY C.E.
DEVELOPED OF JUDAISM DURING THE REIGN OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN
WEST ASIA
CROSS IS THE COMMON SYMBOL
BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS TO SAVE HUMANITY
BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH
BELIEVE IN THE HOLY TRINITY
ONE OF THE WORLD’S RELIGION WHICH TRACES IT’S ORIGIN TO
ABRAHAM
CONCEPT MAP
CHRISTIANI
TY

WORSHIPS BELIEFS
SACRED
AND AND SUBDIVISI
SCRIPTUR
OBSERVANC DOCTRINE ONS
ES
ES S
CHRISTIANITY IN THE
PHILIPPINES
PHILIPPINES IS A PRE DOMINANTLY
CATHOLIC SINCE THE SPANIARDS
OCCUPATION FROM 16TH TO 19TH
CENTURIES.
IT IS ONE OF THE ENDURING LEGACIES
TO THE FILIPINOPEOPLE.
COUNTRIES WITH LARGER
NUMBERS OF CHRISTIANS
COUNTRIES ESTIMATED 2010
CHRISTIAN
PERCENTAGE OF
POPULATION THAT IS
PERCENTAGE OF WORLD
CHRISTIAN POPULATION
POPULATION CHRISTIAN
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 246,780,000 79.5 11.3

BRAZIL 175,770,000 90.2 8.0

MEXICO 107,780,000 95.0 4.9

RUSSIA 105, 220,000 73.6 4.8

PHILIPPINES 86,790,000 93.1 4.0

NIGERIA 80,510,000 50.8 3.7

CHINA 67,070,000 5.0 3.1

DR CONGO 63,150,000 95.7 2.9

GERMANY 58,240,000 70.8 2.7

ETHIOPIA 52,580,000 63.4 2.4

SUBTOTAL FOR THE 10 1,043,880,000 40.4 47.8

COUNTRIES
TOTAL FOR THE REST OF THE 1,140,180,000 6.3 52.2
WORLD
SYMBOL
THE CROSS
THE CROSS SYMBOL OF JESUS CHRIST’S
VICTORY OVER SIN
CATHOLIC’S CRUCIFIX HAS THE IMAGE OF
CHRIST NAILED TO THE CROSS, IT EMPHASIZES
THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST FOR HUMANITY.
THE PROTESTANT CHURCH OFTEN FEATURES
CRUCIFIX W/O THE BODY OF CHRIST, IT
EMPHASIZES ALSO THE RESSURECTION OF
CHRIST NOT HIS SUFFERING.
SYMBOL
THE FISH
SYMBOL OF THE OLD CHRISTIANITY
USED BY PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS AS A
SECRET SIGNWHEN MEETING FELLOW
CHRISTIAN
THE WORD “FISH” HAS A SECRET MEANING
IT IS MADE ACROSTIC FROM THE GREEK
WORD FOR FISH AS ICHTYS,,,ISEOUS
CHRISTOS THEOU YIOS SOTER MEANING
JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, SAVIOR
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
DEVELOP IN PALESTINE IN 100 B.C.E.
FOUNDED BY JESUS (THE MESSIAH)
REGARDED AS THE OFFSHOOT OF
JUDAISM
CHRISTIANITY SURPASSED JUDAISM
IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF BELIEVERS
SECTS IN CHRISTIANITY
1. ROMAN CATHOLICISM
2. GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
3. PROTESTANTISM
THESE MAJOR SECTS ARE FURTHER BY
DENOMINATIONS THAT DIFFER IN CERTAIN
BELIEFS AND PRACTICES BUT ARE UNITED IN
WORSHIPPING JESUS CHRIST AS THE SON OF
GOD
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
JUDEA WAS THE HOME OF CHRISTIANITY
JUDAISM WAS THE DOMINAT RELIGION IN PALESTINE
THE DEVELOMENT OF THIS REGION NOW CALLED WEST ASIA STARTS
WITH SUCCESSIVE POWERS DOMINATED BY MESOPOTAMIA AND
NEARBY TERRETORIES INCLUDING PALESTINE.
IT WAS CONQUERED BY ASSYRIAN EMPIRE, THEN THE BABYLONIANS
WHICH ENSLAVED THE JEWS, THEN THE PERSIAN EMPIRE UNDER
CYRUS, WHO PERMITTED THE JEWS TO RETURN TO THEIR LAND.
SOON, THE GREEKS UNDER ALEXANDER THE GREAT CONQUERED
WEST ASIA INCLUDING PALESTINE AROUND 400 B.C.E.
ROMANS CONQUERD JERUSALEM IN 63 B.C.E. WHEN JESUS WAS BORN
PALESTINE WAS STILL UNDER THE RULE OF ROMANS.
CHRISTIANITY WAS BORN IN THE ERA WHERE PALESTINE
WAS RULED BY ROMANS (FOREIGN POWER)
THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY WAS IN THE RIGHT
PLACE BECAUSE OF THE SITUATIONS WHEREIN THE JEWS
WAS SUFFERING FROM THE HANDS OF ROMAN EMPIRE.
THE CONCEPT OF MESIAH TO LIBERATE THEM FROM EVIL
PROVED TO BE ATTRACTIVE TO THEM.
THE SOCIAL CONDITION ALSO WAS COOPERATED BECAUSE
OF THE LAW CREATED BY AUGUSTUS “PAX ROMANA’ OR
ROMAN PEACE
THE BIRTH OF A MAN WHO WAS CONSIDERED AS THE
FULFILMENT OF THE PROPHESY, TO LIBERATED JEWS PAVED
THE WAY OF THE NEW RELIGION CALLED CHRISTIANITY.
JESUS AS THE FOUNDER OF
CHRISTIANITY
JESUS FOUNDER OF CHRISTIANITY, LIVED AND PREACHED
TEACHINGS.
HIS TEACHINGS CRITICIZED BOTH THE JEW PEOPLE AND THE
RELIGION JUDAISM THOU CHRIST IS A JEW HIMSELF.
HIS MINISTRY BEGUN IN HIS EARLY 30’S
HIS PREACH IN THE VILLAGES
HEAL THE SICK
THE PREACHING OF JESUS AT THAT TIME CONSIDERED TO BE
REVOULUTIONARY, SINCE HE CRITICIZED THE UPRIGHTNESS AND
INSINCERITY OF RELIGIOUS OFFICIALS (PHARISEES) SINCE JESUS
EMPHASIZES THAT GOD VALUE SERVICE AND LOVE.
JESUS ALSO BEGIN TO THE NEW COVENANT THAT GOD WILL
BRING TO HUMANITY.
THE SENDING OF THE BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD TO SAVE
HUMANITY.
JESUS PREACH THAT HE WAS THE ONE WHO WAS SENT BY GOD,
TO FULFILL THIS JESUS MUST DIED ON THE CROSS AND WILL BE
RESURRECTED AFTER 3 DAYS.
HEARING THESE MESSAGE, JESUS ATTRACTED FOLLOWERS
OTHER THAN THE DISCIPLES AND THEY CALLED THEM TEACHER
OR RABBI.
CHRISTIANITY STARTED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT (PROPHET
ISAIAH).
JESUS WAS SEEN BY HIS FOLLOWER AS THE MESSIAH BUT THE
JEWS DID NOT AND STILL WAITING FOR THE FULFILMENNT OF
THE PROMISE.
RELIGIOUS LEADERS
CATHOLIC CHURCH FOLLOWS HEIRARCHY BASED ON THE CANON
LAW OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
POPE AT THE TOP CONSIDERED AS PETER’S SUCCESSOR, THEN
CARDINALS, ARCHBISHOPS, BISHOPS, PRIESTS AND DEACONS.
EACH MEMBERS HAS HIS OWN FUNCTION FOR THE EFFICIENCY OF
THE CHURCH.
THE HEADQUARTER OF THE POPE IS IN THE VATICAN AN
INDEPENDENT STATE IN ROME.
POPE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GENERAL SUPERVISION OF
THE CHURCH
HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
HEAD OF THE VATICAN
HE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO APPOINT
ADMINISTRATIVE AND RELIGIOUS OFFICIALS IN
THE VATICAN
APPOINT CARDINALS
COLLEGE OF CARDINALS (COMPOSE OF
CARDINALS) ELECT NEW POPE
DEITY/GOD
CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IN ONE GOD
CHRISTIAN IS A MONOTHEISTIC RELIGION
IN CHRISTIANITY GOD IS SEEN AS THE CREATOR AND MAINTAINER OF
THE UNIVERSE.
GOD IS OMNIPOTENT (ALL -POWERFUL)
GOD IS OMNISCENT (ALL- KNOWING)
GOD IS OMNIPRESENT (ALL- PRESENT)
GOD IS OMNIBENEVOLENT (ALL- GOOD)
GOD IS ALSO SACRED, MORAL, UNCHANGEABLE, COMPASSIONATE,
GRACEFUL AND TIMELESS
HOLY TRINITY
CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IN THE HOLY TRINITY, (THE FATHER, THE SON
AND THE HOLY SPIRIT)
HOLY TRINITY WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT,
THOU IT WAS NEVER IMPLICITLY MENTIONED BUT THE BIBLE GIVES
REFERENCE TO IT IN MATTHEW 28:19
NOT ALL CHRISTIANS ADOPT THE BELIEF OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, SOME
CHRISTIAN CHURCH REJECT IT SUCH AS THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
OF THE LATTER- DAY SAINTS, JEHOVA’S WITNESS, CHRISTIAN
SCIENTIST, UNITARIANS, THE UNIFICATION CHURCH, THE
CHRISTALDELPHIANS AND ONENESS PENTECOSTALS, AMONG OTHERS.
SACRED SCRIPTURES
THE BIBLE IS THE SACRD SCRIPTURES OF THE CHRISTIANS
IT IS A COLLECTION OF SONGS, STORIES, POETRY, LETTERS, STORY AS
WELL AS LITERATURE
COMPOSED OF TWO BOOKS, THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
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 C.E.
THE OLD TESTAMENT
COMPOSED OF 39 BOOKS
ARRANGED IN THREE PARTS; THE LAW OR TORAH (GENESIS TO
DEUTERONOMY), THE PROPHETS (DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS EARLIER
AND LATTER PROPHETS) LASTLY, THE WRITINGS, WHICH INCLUDE
PSALMS, PROVERBS AND JOB.
THE BOOK OF EARLIER PROPHETS ARE CONSIDERD HISTORICAL
WHILE THE BOOK OF LATTER PROPHETS CONTAINS SAYINGS AND
STORIES.
EARLIER PROPHETS LATTER PROPHETS
JOSHUA, JUDGES, 1-2 SAMUEL, 1-2 KINGS ISAIAH, JEREMIAH, EZEKIEL, HOSEA, JOEL,
AMOS, OBADIAH, JONAH, MICAH, NAHUM,
HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH, HAGGAI,
ZECHARIAH AND MALACHI
THE NEW TESTAMENT
COMPOSED OF 27 BOOKS WRITTEN AROUND 50 TO 100 C.E.
COMPOSED OF TWO SECTIONS:
THE GOSPELS (MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN) TOLD
THE STORY OF JESUS
THE LETTERS (EPISTLES) WRITTEN TO SERVE AS GUIDE
TO EARLY CHRISTIANS
THEY WERE WRITTEN TO TELL THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF JESUS.
REVELATION IS THE LAST BOOK OF THE NEW TESTAMENT,
TRADITIONALLY ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN AND IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN
EPISTLE AND AN APOCALYPSE.
BELIEFS/ DOCTRINES
CHRISTIANITY HAS CERTAIN BELIEFS
AND DOCTRINES THAT SERVE AS
MORAL COMPASS FOR ITS
FOLLOWERS.
THESE TEACHINGS ARE ESSENTIAL
TO THEIR BELIEF SYSTEM.
TEN COMMANDMENTS
ALSO KNOWN AS DECALOGUE (sets of
laws given by God to the people of Israel at
Mt. Sinai thru Moses)
OUT OF ANGER MOSES SMASHED AND
BROKE THE FIRST TABLE OF
COMMANDMENTS WHEN HE SAW THE
GOLDEN CALF IDOL WORSHIPPED BY
THE ISRAELITES.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
APPEARED TWICE IN THE OLD
TESTAMENT.
STORY OF CREATION AND THE
BIG BANG THEORY
GENESIS CHAPTER 1 NARRATES THE STORY OF
CREATION.
FIRST DAY (LIGHT AND DARKNESS)
SECOND DAY (SKY AND THE OCEAN)
THIRD DAY ( THE EARTH AND THE PLANTS)
FOURTH DAY (SEA CREATURES AND LAND ANIMALS)
FIFTH DAY ( BIRDS)
SIXTH DAY (FIRST MAN AND WOMAN)
THEN GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY
WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES
CHRISTIANS HAVE CERTAIN RELIGIOUS
OBSERVANCES IN WHICH IT
COMMEMORATES PARTICULAR EVENTS IN
THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY.
ADVENT
LENT
PENTECOST
ADVENT
THE SEASON OF WAITING FOR THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH.
THE CELEBRATION LASTS FOR FOUR WEEKS BEGINNING FOUR
SUNDAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND ENDING ON CHRISTMAS EVE.
ADVENT MEANS AN OPPURTUNITY TO REFLECT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE BIRTH OF JESUS WHO WAS SENT BY THE FATHER TO RESTORE
HUMANITY’S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.
ADVENT ALSO MEANS THE ANTICIPATED SECOND COMING OF THE
SAVIOUR.
ADVENT COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD ADVENTUS
THE COLORS PURPLE/DARK BLUE SYMBOLIZES SERIOUSNESS,
REPENTANCE AND ROYALTY AND SIGNIFIES JOY ARE THE FEATURE
COLORS OF THE ADVENT.
LENT
REFERS TO THE SEASON OBSERVED BY CHRISTIANS IN
PREPARATION FRO EASTER.
A CELEBRATION FOR THE RESSURECTION OF CHRIST
THIS TIME IS TO REFLECT ON THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST,
HIS SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS, HIS LIFE AND DEATH, BURIAL
AND RESSURECTION.
THE WORD LENT COMES FROM THE ANGLO-SAXON WORDS
‘LENCTEN’ AND ‘LENCTENID” WHICH MEANS “SPRINGTIDE
AND ALSO THE WORD FOR MARCH, THE MONTH WHEN
EASTER IS USUALLY CELEBRATED.
PENTECOST
IT CELEBRATED AS A HOLIDAY TO COMMEMORATE THE COMING OF
THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THE EARLY CHRISTIANS.
THE PENTECOST ALSO IS 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 WHICH IS
SHAVUOT.
THE REMARKABLE EVENT HERE IS WHEN THE FIRST CHRISTIANS
WERE BAPTISED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEIR GATHERING WHEREIN
TONGUES OF FIRE RESTED ON THEIR HEAD AND THEY BEGUN TO
SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
SUBDIVISIONS
PRIOR TO THE REIGN OF EMPEROR CONSTANTINE IN 312 C.E.
CHRISTIANS AREPERSECUTED UNDER THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
CHRISTIANITY WAS LEGALIZED IN 313 C.E. IN THE DECLARATION OF
THE EMPEROR BY THE EDICT OF MILAN.
IN 324 C.E. EMPEROR CONSTANTINE MAKE CHRISTIANITY AS THE
OFFICIAL RELIGION IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE AFTER DEFEATING HIS
OPPONENT.
IN 325 C.E. HE CONVENED THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL AT NICEA
IN ASIA MINOR.
IN 330 C.E. HE TRANSFERRED THE CAPITAL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
FROM ROME TO BYZANTIUM (ISTANBUL, TURKEY) AND RENAMED IT
CONSTANTINOPLE.
CONFLICT AROSE BETWEEN ROMAN EMPIRE AND BYZANTIUM
EMPIRE RESULTING TO THE SPLIT BETWEEN ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH AND GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH.
THE CONFLICT WAS FURTHER HEIGHTENED WHEN POPE LEO III
CROWNED CHARLEMAGNE, KING OF THE FRANKS AS THE HOLY
ROMAN EMPEROR IN 800 C.E. W/O CONSULTING THE BYZANTIUM
EMPIRE.
THE OFFICAL SPLIT HAPPEN 105 WITH “GREAT SCHISM” WHICH
DIVIDED THE WESTERN LATIN ROMAN CHRISTIANITY FROM EASTERN
GREEK BYZANTIUM CHRISTIANITY.
IN 16 TH CENTURY ANOTHER SECT ARISE BECAUSE ABUSES AND
CORRUPTION IN THE CHURCH
MARTIN LUTHER A TEACHER AND A MONK LISTED 95 PREPOSITION TO
THE DOOR OF THE CHURCH AT WITTENBURG,SAXONY IN 1517 WHICH
LED TO ANOTHER SECT CALLED PROTESTANTISM.
BECAUSE OF THIS KING HENRY VIII CUT HIS TIES FROM ROME AND
CREATE THE CHRUCH OF ENGLAND AND LUTHERANISM IN 1555.
SELECTED ISSUES
ECUMENISM (FOR CATHOLIC CHURCH)
SEXUALITY
FAMILY AND DIVORCE
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AND EUTHANISIA
EVALUATION