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time:
"Christianity is the only true religion. ... Jesus said that He was the only way.
Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, [or] He was crazy, or He was a
liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a good man, how then could He
be both good and crazy, or good and a liar? He had to be telling the truth. He is
the only way." Matthew J. Slick, President of CARM.
"... there are other possibilities ... perhaps Jesus was simply mistaken or that we
dont have an accurate record of what he truly said if, indeed, he even
existed."Austin Cline 1
"The world is equally shocked at hearing Christianity criticized and seeing it
practiced." Elton Trueblood, (1900 - 1994), American author and theologian.
"Many people think that the Bible is the authentic word of God and they
worship the Bible, making it an idol..." Alan Watts, from "The Essence of Alan
Watts series - GOD.
However, if you find that we have incorrectly explained the beliefs of a Christian
group, please do inform us.
Points of concern:
It is our policy to compare and contrast the beliefs and practices of very conservative
with very liberal/progressive Christians. Most North American Christians belong to
either a mainline denomination or the Roman Catholic Church. Your faith group may
teach some beliefs similar to the conservative wing of Christianity and others similar
to that of the liberal wing, and still others that are unique to your denomination.
We feel that it is important for persons of all faith groups (Christian and nonChristian) to understand the great diversity of Christian beliefs -- both among
denominations today and throughout history. Many Christians are aware of their own
denomination's current beliefs. However, they may be unfamiliar with how beliefs
have changed through the 19 centuries of Christian history and how they differ from
other Christian faith groups.
We hope that the contents of this section will be of interest, whether you want to:
Carry out the Great Commission by evangelizing others, or
Debate with them, or
Dialogue with them, or
Work with them, in spite of theological difference, to jointly tackle social
problems, or
Merely understand them.
33 CE
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Palestine
Followers
2,100,000,000
Deity
God (Trinity)
Sacred Texts
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Christianity developed out of Judaism in the 1st century C.E. It is founded on the life,
teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those who follow him are called
"Christians." Christianity has many different branches and forms with accompanying variety
in beliefs and practices. The three major branches of Christianity are Roman Catholicism,
Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism, with numerous subcategories within each of these
branches. Until the latter part of the 20th century, most adherents of Christianity were in
the West, though it has spread to every continent and is now the largest religion in the
world. Traditional Christian beliefs include the belief in the one and only true God, who is
one being and exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the belief that Jesus is the divine
and human Messiah sent to the save the world. Christianity is also noted for its emphasis on
faith in Christ as the primary component of religion. The sacred text of Christianity is the
Bible, including both the Hebrew scriptures (also known as the Old Testament) and the New
Testament. Central to Christian practice is the gathering at churches for worship, fellowship,
and study, and engagement with the world through evangelism and social action.
Formed: This is the traditional date for the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Some scholars date the rise of Christianity as a religious belief system
later in the first century under the leadership of the apostles.
Quick Fact Sources include www.adherents.com,www.bbc.co.uk/religion, The
Oxford Handbook of Global Religions (2006), The Encyclopedia of
Religion (2005), The Cambridge Illustrated History of Religions (2002), and
theEncyclopedia of World Religions (1999).
Please consider this brief study of who Jesus is, what He did, and
how He lived and died. We discuss His birth, including His eternal
existence, Virgin Birth, and fulfillment of prophecy. The summary of
His life describes His baptism, temptation, teaching, and the
Two of our best-loved hymns talk about "telling the story" of Jesus. One is entitled "Tell Me the
Story of Jesus." The other is "I Love to Tell the Story." Both of them emphasize the fact that
everyone needs to know the story of who Jesus is, what He did, and what He teaches.
1 Corinthians 15:1-5 says that the truth about Jesus is the foundation of the gospel. And Jesus is
the central theme of the Bible. So everyone needs to hear the story of Jesus.
People who are not Jesus' disciples need to hear the story of Jesus.
One of the songs says: "I love to tell the story, For some have never heard, The message of
salvation, From God's own holy Word."
Many Bible examples show that, when teaching people who do not know or understand the life
and character of Jesus, faithful gospel preachers always taught them about these basic truths (see
Acts chaps. 2,3,8,10, etc.).
So, knowing about Jesus' life and character is absolutely fundamental to fellowship with God.
People who are not Jesus' disciples need to hear about Jesus, because they must believe and obey
the gospel message to be saved (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
People who are Jesus' disciples also need to hear the story of Jesus.
Another verse in the song says: "I love to tell the story, For those who know it best, Seem
hungering and thirsting, To hear it like the rest."
God's children need to be reminded of the life and character of Jesus (2 Peter 1:12,13). We need
to be reminded of the evidence on which our faith is based (Rom. 10:17), of God's great love for
us (1 John 4:9,19), and of the perfect example Jesus set (1 Pet. 2:21ff).
Understand that "the story of Jesus" is not just Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And preaching
Jesus is not just preaching about things He did. Preaching Jesus includes preaching what He
taught, including the teachings He inspired His apostles and prophets to teach. In short the entire
New Testament is the story of Jesus.
But the focus of this study will emphasize what Jesus did and who He is. We will use the verses
of "Tell Me the Story of Jesus" to outline of our main points. The questions I hope you will ask
yourself as we study are: (1) Do you love to hear the story of Jesus? And (2) Do you love
to tell the story of Jesus? If so, how diligent are you in telling it to others? Do you seek
opportunities to talk to people about the gospel of Christ?
Micah 5:2 - From Bethlehem would come a ruler, whose goings forth have been from of old,
from everlasting. This passage is applied to Jesus in Matt. 2:4-6. He was born in Bethlehem, but
He existed from eternity.
John 1:1,2 - The "Word" (Jesus - v14) was in the beginning with God, and was God. He is a
separate Being or Individual from the Father (He was "with God"), but He possesses the nature
of Deity just as the Father does (He "was God").
[Psa. 90:1-4; 93:2; 55:19; Heb. 1:12; cf. Psa. 102:24-27 with Heb. 1:8-12; Isa. 9:6; John 8:58]
His work in Creation
John 1:3 - All things were made through Him, and nothing was made without Him. Not only did
Jesus exist from eternity, but He is the eternal Creator of all created things.
Colossians 1:16 - By Jesus were all things created. If Jesus made everything that was created,
then He Himself must not have been created. He is eternal - the eternal Cause of all that exists.
Surely the eternal Creator must possess Deity, so these verses affirm Jesus' Deity.
So, the first thing to know about Jesus is that His life on earth was not the beginning of His
existence. He existed from eternity with the Heavenly Father, and He was, in fact, the eternal
Creator of the entire universe.
[Cf. Heb. 1:2.]
Genesis 12:3 - As part of one of the greatest promises in the Bible, God told Abraham that his
descendant would bring a blessing on all families of the earth.
Acts 3:25,26 - Jesus fulfilled this promise by offering the sacrifice by which all men can be
saved from their sins. God planned from before Jesus was ever born, that His coming would
bless every nation of people on earth in fulfillment of a fundamental Divine promise.
The promise to David
God also promised King David that his descendants would continue to rule God's people (2 Sam.
7:12-16; Jer. 23:5). The Old Testament frequently predicted the coming of the kingdom that
would be subject to this Anointed Ruler (the Messiah or Christ) (Dan. 2, etc.).
Luke 1:32,33 - The angel told Jesus' mother Mary that He would have the throne of David and
would reign over His kingdom forever.
Matthew 1:1-16 (note v17)- Jesus' genealogy is traced back through David, to show He was
David's heir (cf. Luke 3:23-38 Acts 13:22,23).
By right of inheritance, Jesus deserved to rule as King. We will learn more of this as we proceed.
We could spend hours discussing Jesus' life and teachings. We will concentrate on just a few
events that demonstrate His character and His purpose for coming.
A. His Baptism
Jesus' baptism shows the importance of obedience and of baptism.
Matthew 3:13-17 - Jesus was baptized to "fulfill all righteousness" (v15). The gospel teaches that
we today need to be baptized to receive remission of sins (Acts 2:38). But Jesus had no sins to be
forgiven, so He was not baptized for the same reason as us. But He still had to be baptized to
obey God's will.
Hebrews 5:8,9 - Jesus learned the meaning of obedience from personal experience. People tend
to think that other people don't understand us: kids think parents don't understand, wives think
husbands don't understand, etc. So, we might also think that God does not understand us but just
sits in an ivory tower making rules. But by living, suffering, and dying as a man, Jesus assures us
that God does understand and cares about us.
[Luke 7:30]
Jesus' baptism shows the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit
As Jesus was being baptized, the Holy Spirit came in the bodily form of a dove, and the Father
spoke from heaven. This shows that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct Beings or
individuals.
But though Jesus is a separate individual, yet the Father and the Holy Spirit affirmed their unity
with Jesus and their approval of Him. The miraculous voice of the Father and the miraculous
appearance of the Spirit constitute Divine proof that Jesus was the Son of God.
Just as God miraculously demonstrated Jesus' special nature when Jesus was born, He again
demonstrated Jesus' special character at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.
B. His Temptation
Matthew 4:1-11 - Jesus fasted in the wilderness 40 days and nights. Satan then came to tempt
Him. This teaches us:
We can resist Satan by relying on God's word.
Jesus answered every temptation saying, "It is written." We should do the same.
1 Corinthians 10:13 - We can overcome every temptation, just as Jesus did. There is always a
way of escape, so there is never an excuse for sin.
Ephesians 6:10-18 - Using the armor God provides, we are able to stand against Satan, and
quench all his fiery darts.
Jesus' temptation shows us we can overcome Satan, and shows us how to do it: by trusting in
God's word.
Jesus lived a sinless life.
Just as Jesus overcame Satan's temptations in this case, so He did throughout His life. Though
Satan tried repeatedly to defeat Him, Jesus overcame every time.
1 Peter 2:21,22 - He lived without sin, setting a perfect example for us to follow. Though we
have sinned and need forgiveness, this was never true of Jesus. His life set an example and a goal
for us to strive for: we should strive to live above sin as He did.
Hebrews 4:15,16 - Jesus was tempted in all points like we are, but He did not sin. Again, this
shows that God understands what we go through when we face temptation. If Jesus' had not
suffered as we do, we might think that God demands too much. But Jesus' life proves God does
understand and sympathize, but there is still no excuse for sin.
Jesus was the only man ever to live without committing even one sin, so He is the only one who
truly deserves to be counted righteous before God. Later we will see that this sinless life was
necessary for Him to be a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
[Cf. Matt. 10:25]
C. His Teaching
We will not spend much time here considering the specific content of Jesus' teaching, but we can
notice some general points about it.
Jesus' teachings reveal God's will to man.
Matthew 17:1-5 - At the Transfiguration, God again affirmed that Jesus is His Son so we must
listen to Him. God again miraculously demonstrated His Divine approval of Jesus' teaching.
Matthew 28:18-20 - We must observe all Jesus' commands, because He had authority to
command men to obey.
Jesus' teachings were not human opinion or human wisdom. They were the absolute will of God.
Jesus came as God in the flesh to reveal a message to man from God.
[Heb. 1:1,2; Acts 3:22,23]
Jesus' teachings are essential to our salvation.
John 6:63,68 - Jesus' words are spirit and life. He has the words of eternal life.
John 14:6 - He is the way to the Father. No one can come to the Father except by Him.
Acts 4:12 - No one but Him can provide salvation.
Jesus' teachings are not optional. We must accept and obey them, both because they come from
God, and because they show us the only way to receive eternal life. No one should say he
believes in Jesus but sees no need to follow His teachings. Following Jesus' teaching is the only
way to benefit from Jesus' life and death.
[Cf. 1 John 5:11,12; John 12:48]
Jesus' apostles and prophets delivered His teaching after His ascension.
Luke 10:16 - Jesus sent the disciples to speak His will, so we can be sure they spoke truth from
God, even as Jesus Himself had done.
John 16:12,13 - Specifically, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide them to speak truths that Jesus
did not reveal during His lifetime, because the time was not yet right. But all truth would be
revealed to the apostles through the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 14:37 - The Holy Spirit guided these men to speak and write the will of God. The
result is that the written word we have in the New Testament today constitutes the very
commands of Jesus Himself.
Jesus not only spoke for God but He enabled His apostles and prophets to speak for Him and for
God. You and I can know God's will for us today through the message these inspired men wrote.
[Cf. Matt. 10:19,20; Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 3:16,17]
Matthew 7:21-27 - To enter the kingdom of heaven, it is not enough to just believe in Jesus or
even to confess Him as "Lord." We must also obey the will of the Father, which Jesus revealed.
To be truly wise, we must both hear and do what Jesus taught.
Mark 16:15,16 - Jesus said His gospel must be preached to all. He who believes and is baptized
will be saved. But he who disbelieves will be condemned.
Hebrews 5:9 - Jesus is author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.
Those who truly believe in Jesus must not only believe in His miraculous birth and sinless life,
they must also believe that He was the Son of God and a Divine spokesman from God. And we
must recognize our need to believe and obey His teachings as the only way to receive eternal life.
His teachings are revealed for us in the Scriptures.
[See also John 8:24,31,32; Luke 6:46; 2 John 9; 1 Pet. 1:22-25; Rom. 6:17,18.]
E. His Evidence
How do we know that the claims made about Jesus in the Bible are really true? Anyone can
claim to come from God or to speak for God. What proof is there? From the many proofs
available, we will consider just two categories.
Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.
God purposely planned for Jesus to give evidence sufficient for any honest person to be
convinced who Jesus really is. If you seek to know the validity of the Bible's claims about Jesus,
you need to consider the evidence with an honest desire to know the truth.
This is the story of Jesus' life. Do you believe this story to be true? Do you love to tell the story
to others? What efforts have you made to give others the opportunity to hear and believe?
Luke 24:44-46 - Jesus explained that His resurrection fulfilled the predictions of the prophets.
Acts 13:34-38 - For example, David predicted one whose flesh would not see corruption and his
soul would not remain in Hades. This could be true only if one arose from the dead.
Isaiah 53:7-12 - He would die, but "He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days" (v10).
How could this be? Only by resurrection.
[Cf. 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Acts 2:23-31; 17:2,3.]
Jesus' own predictions
John 2:18-22 - Jesus' predicted that the Jews would destroy His body (temple), but He would
rebuild it in three days.
Matthew 16:21 - Jesus plainly told the disciples that He would be killed and would rise again the
third day.
Imagine a man making such a prediction. If he were a fake, shortly after his death, everyone
would know he was a fake. But Jesus made the prediction; and instead of losing His following,
we will see that many people testified that they personally saw Him alive again after He had
died.
[Cf. Matt. 17:9,23; 20:19; 26:32; 27:63; Mk. 8:31; 9:9,10,31; 10:34; 14:28; Luke 18:33; 24:4-7.]
Luke 23:1-11 - Jesus was taken before the Roman governor Pilate, where the Jews accused Jesus
of teaching people not to pay tribute to Caesar, despite the fact that they knew He had really
taught just the opposite (Matt. 22:15-21).
Luke 23:8-11 - Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who mocked Him and sent Him back to Pilate. Pilate
(vv 13-16) then told the people that neither he nor Herod found any fault in Jesus worthy of
death.
Matthew 27:15-26 - Pilate repeatedly stated that Jesus was innocent and tried to release Him, but
the Jews refused. Pilate's wife sent him a message saying she knew Jesus was innocent. But the
Jews said they and their children would bear responsibility for His death, so Pilate called for
Jesus to be crucified.
Matthew 27:27-54 - Read Matthew's account of the actual crucifixion.
John 18:31-34 adds that Jesus' side was pierced with a spear to guarantee He was dead.
So no one ever proved Jesus was guilty of any wrongdoing. His betrayer, two of His judges
(Pilate and Herod), and even a wife of one of the judges all declared Him to be innocent. Yet He
was crucified as a criminal.
D. Burial
Matthew 27:57-60 - Jesus' disciples prepared the body for burial and placed it in the cave tomb
of Joseph of Arimathea.
Matthew 27:62-66 - The Jews remembered that Jesus had promised to rise from the dead. So
with Pilate's permission, they sealed the stone over the entrance and placed guards outside to
make sure the body did not leave the tomb.
Romans 5:6-9 - It would be amazing to find someone willing to give his own life in the place of
a righteous person, but Jesus died for us while we were sinners.
2 Corinthians 5:21 - He did not commit sin, but was made to be sin on our behalf. This is why it
was essential that Jesus live a sinless life. If He had sinned, He would have to be punished for
His own sins. But because He lived a sinless life and did not deserve to die, He was able to suffer
for others who did deserve to die.
Amazing as all this is, it is even more amazing to realize that He came to earth knowing all along
that He would have to die for the sins of others. The Creator took the form of that which He had
created, in order to suffer as a sacrifice to save His own creatures. If Jesus had not died, none of
us could be forgiven of sins. We would all have to die for our own sins (Rom. 6:23). We can be
saved only because Jesus died for us.
[Cf. John 3:16; Rom. 4:25; 1 John 4:9; etc.]
Jesus showed Himself alive by "many infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3). What will you do with this
proof? Honest people must investigate and reach an honest verdict.
[1 Pet. 3:21; Heb. 2:14; Rom. 4:25]
Conclusion
This is the story of Jesus' earthly life, death, and resurrection.
But this is not the end of the story. Jesus will return!
Matthew 25:31-46 - When Jesus ascended, the angels said He would return. He will not return in
order to begin ruling as King; He began ruling as King when He ascended, and He will continue
ruling till He comes again (1 Cor. 15:21-26). He will return as our judge to reward us for how we
have served Him. Those who serve faithfully will receive eternal life; those who do not serve
will receive eternal punishment (vv 41,46).
Acts 17:30,31 - To prepare for this judgment, we must repent of our sins. To repent means we
must "change our minds" about sin, deciding to turn from it and live for Jesus. As we learned
earlier, we must then confess Christ and be baptized so His blood can forgive us, and then we
must live a faithful life.
The story of Jesus is the greatest story ever told.
The lesson for us to learn from this story is that Jesus is our Creator, Savior, and Master. How
you and I react to that story will determine our eternal destiny. We have a choice to serve Him
and receive eternal life, or refuse to serve Him and receive eternal punishment.
This (very briefly) is the story of Jesus. Do you love to hear this story? Do you love to tell the
story? If you understand, believe, and appreciate what Jesus has done for you, you need to make
a commitment to serve Him. Then you need to tell the story to others. What is your choice?
1.
Paschal Mystery is one of the central concepts of Christian faith relating to the
history of salvation. Its main subject is the passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus
Christ the work God the Father sent his Son to accomplish on earth.
How The Catholic Church Started
The word "catholic" means universal. Jesus created one universal church for all of mankind. The
Catholic Church was established by Jesus with his words spoken in Matthew 16. Jesus asked his
disciples "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" The disciples then offered various answers
- "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." But
the question that Jesus then asked was crucial: "But who do you say that I am?"
The answer provided by Simon Peter set in motion the formation of the Catholic Church by Jesus.
"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." With this answer, Jesus established the
Catholic Church with Simon Peter designated the first Pope.
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my
heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and
the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of
heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven."
Many try to imply that it was Peter's faith on which Jesus established the Church. But closer
examination of the words of Jesus reveal that the selection was of divine nature.
"For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." His knowledge of
Jesus was not the reason for Peter's confession to the true identity but it was the fact that it
had been revealed to him by God. In the words of Jesus gives Peter his new name - "The Rock". A
foundation on which his Church will be built.
Many separated from the Catholic Church cling to the notion that the Church was built on the
faith of Peter and not him as a man as justification for their position. Unfortunately, their
understanding is incorrect.
The bible is full of references to the need for respect of authority. It is also full of references
for the need for unity. In one parable Jesus is explaining how he could not be of Satanic origin
(Mark 3:22), "How can Satan drive out Satan?" In this parable he points out the importance of
leadership. "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." Throughout the
scripture we always see - One God, One Son, One Holy Spirit, One Church.
The Church today has become a free enterprise operation. If you can access the Internet you can
be ordained in some church. The reformation began a splintering of the Church - in so many
words, a kingdom divided.
It is much easier to understand Peter's role of leadership by reading Acts. He is clearly the
leader of the Church. One such example, there are others, is Acts 15:6 where Peter addressing
the other Apostles clearly states his leadership role: "My brothers, you are well aware that from
early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth..."
Around or about 45 AD, Peter went to Rome and from there lead the Catholic Church. As of
today, there have been 265 Popes in direct succession to Peter. The position of Pope was
established by Christ and the office has been maintained in an apostolic manner since the time of
Christ. Although the Church has fragmented since the time of Christ with various leadership
centers emerging, the apostolic line of succession in the Church is seated in Rome until this very
day. Many throughout time have tried to rationalize away and deny the authority and structure of
the Church as established by Jesus. In my heart I know that Catholic Church is the Church
established by Jesus and has maintained a clear line of apostolic leadership to this very day. The
Church has celebrated the sacraments and worshiped the Lord in essentially the same way since
the time of Christ.
Every Church suffers occasionally because of the weaknesses of human nature. But I believe that
regardless of temporary problems experienced by the Church, abandoning the Catholic Faith is
not an option. Jesus was more forgiving and understanding of human nature. When Jesus was
arrested Judas had betrayed Him, Peter denied him three times, and the remaining apostles ran
away. If Jesus supported and anointed their apostolic role after some of their human failings, I
can't imagine abandoning my faith for human shortcomings. After all, your faith is in the Church
established by Jesus, not in any person involved in the Church. Of course problems in the Church
must be addressed and corrected, but the faith and Church established by Jesus can never be
denied.
My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it... Feed my lambs; feed My
sheep" (Matt. 16:18,19; John 21:15,17). He also said: "He who is not with Me is against
Me, and he who gathers not with me scatters" (Matt.12:30).
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
9th Century Marked The First Official Schisms Within The Church
827: Eastern Schism began by Photius of Constantinople. The primary difference in
Faith at the heart of the schism was the argument over the addition of the filioque
statement (Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, not just the Father) to
the creed. This schism eventually healed.
900
1000
1100
1200
1300
1378: Death of Pope Gregory XI on 27 March, 1378 began the Western Schism. The
schism came to an end in 1417.
1400
1472: Present Schism of the Eastern Church begins with the repudiation of the Council
of Florence.
1500
1517: Lutheran Church was founded by Martin Luther, a former priest of the Roman
Catholic Church. This marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation
1521: Anabaptist first appeared in Zwickau, in the present kingdom of Saxony.
Initially, they were primarily against infant baptism.
1525: Schwenkfeldians were founded by Kaspar of Schwenkfeld, aulic councillor of
Duke Frederick of Liegnitz and canon. At first he associated himself with Luther, but
later opposed the latter in his Christology, as well as in his conception of the Eucharist,
and his doctrine of justification.
1531: The Socinians and other Anti-Trinitarians attacked the fundamental doctrine of
the Blessed Trinity. Chief founder of Anti-Trinitarians was Laelius Socinus, teacher of
jurisprudence at Siena, and his nephew, Faustus Socinus.
1536: Mennonites founded by Menno Simons, a former Catholic priest and later an
Anabaptist elder. They deny infant baptism and the real presence of Jesus Christ in the
Eucharist.
1534: Church of England (Anglicanism) was founded by King Henry VIII when he threw
off the authority of the Pope and proclaimed himself the head of the Church in England,
because the Pope refused to declare invalid his marriage with Queen Catherine.
1560: The Presbyterian denomination was begun by John Knox who was dissatisfied
with Anglicanism.
1600
1608: The Baptist church was launched by John Smyth in Amsterdam, Holland.
1620: The Swiss Mennonites split into Amish or Upland Mennonites and Lowland
Mennonites.
1671: Quakers were founded by John George Fox of Drayton in Leicestershire. He
favored a visionary spiritualism, and found in the soul of each man a portion of the
Divine intelligence. All are allowed to preach, according as the spirit incites them.
1700
1744: The Methodist church was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England.
1774: The Unitarians were founded by Theophilus Lindley in London.
1784: Episcopalian denomination was begun by Samuel Seabury who was dissatisfied
with Presbyterianism.
1787: The founder of The Salvation Army is William Booth, who quit the Anglicans, and
then the Methodists, and set up his own version of Christianity.
1800
1822: Mormons founded by Joseph Smith, who made his appearance with supposed
revelations in 1822.
1872: The Jehovah's Witness Church was developed by Charles Russell.
1879: Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy began the Christian Scientist religion basing it upon an
outright denial of Original Sin and its effects.
1896: Ballinger Booth, the son of William Booth, quit The Salvation Army and started
his own church.
The Seventh-Day Adventists, the Church of Christ, The Church of the Nazarene, or
any of the various Pentecostal Churches, etc. are also among the hundreds of new
Over 33,000 Sects "Scattered" Outside The One Church Founded By Christ
Jesus Explained The Eucharist The Day After Feeding The 5000
"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do
not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise
him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh
and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." John 6:53-56
Jesus Gave Us The Eucharist For All Time The Night Before He Died
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples
said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
"Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many
for the forgiveness of sins. " Matthew 26:26-28
Today Some Cannot Accept The Gift Just As It Was In The Time Of
Jesus
"'But there are some of you who do not believe.' Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would
not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, 'For this reason I have told you that no
one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.' As a result of this, many (of) his
disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to
the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.'" John 6:64-68
Jesus Explained That Eternal Life Is Gained Through The Spirit - Not
Through The Flesh
Jesus' Flesh And Blood Are Of Divine Nature (Spirit) And Not Of This
World (Flesh)
"It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are
spirit and life." John 6:64-68
It's NOT Just Bread And Wine - It's NOT Just Crackers And
Grape Juice
Jesus Gave Us The Eucharist To Nourish Us Until He Returns
Come Home To HIS Church And Accept HIS Holy Flesh And
Blood
"Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me
rejects the one who sent me." Luke 10:16
One of the most important roles of the priest in the Catholic Church is that he
re-presents Jesus great sacrifice at each Eucharistic (YOO-ka-rist-ick) liturgy.
A Eucharistic liturgy is commonly referred to as Mass, the time when
Catholics gather to worship God by listening to readings of the Bible and
receiving Jesus in the form of bread and wine. Catholics believe that the
bread and wine at Mass are turned into the body and blood of Jesus by the
priest (called consecration). The consecrated bread and wine are then
distributed to the worshippers much like Jesus did with his twelve apostles the
night before he was hung on a cross (crucifixion). This ritual is at the center
of Catholic beliefand worship.
Aside from the special duties of the ordained priesthood, there is also an
expectation of all Catholics to carry out the ministry of Jesus. All Catholics,
when initiated into the church through a ritual called baptism, are baptized as
priest, prophet, and king thereby responsible for a share in the work of Jesus.
Like any institution the Catholic Church is not exempt from having bad
leaders, but even with poor leadership the faith and hope in Jesus Christ
remains and it is that which brings the Catholic Church together.
The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred." The seven
sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and
important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God's
saving presence. That's what theologians mean when they say that
sacraments are at the same time signs and instruments of God's grace.
If you learn more about the sacraments, you can celebrate them more fully. To
learn more about the individual sacraments, please follow the links below.
You'll find easy-to-understand articles and a good sample of common
questions and answers.
In addition to these links, don't miss the special Sacraments issueof St.
Anthony Messenger magazine.
Baptism
The Reformation was not a coherent movement under the leadership of one head with a uniform
program. However, it had many reformational protests that were common landmarks. The Bible was
recognized as the basis of faith and the authority of the pope was rejected. This was also true of many
of the traditional beliefs and practices of the medieval faith, such as the saints, monasticism,
pilgrimages, indulgences, clerical celibacy, the distinction between priests and laity, the number of
seven sacraments, and the doctrine of transubstantiation. With the dismantling of the late medieval
religious life, the reform-minded attempted to renew the church according to the biblical standard,
following the example of the early church. One employed the right as a Christian to evaluate their
worship through ones own study of the Bible.
Humanism and Reformation
A major stimulus in the process of reformation was humanism. Among the educated elite, Erasmus
was admired. His plea for a return to the Christian sources (ad fontes) spoke to many of the
reformation-minded.
When his Treatise On Free Will was published in 1525 and Luther answered with his On the Bondage of
the Will, it was publicly clear that their efforts for renewal of the church were fundamentally different.
Luther and Melanchthon, Zwingli, Bucer, Bullinger and Calvin all stood on the shoulders of the Church
fathers, but their interest in the patristic material was defined by their reformational understanding of
the Bible. Unlike Erasmus, they evaluated the Fathers by the biblical teachings on grace.
Persecution
While the Reformation, via oral transmission and the printing press, called for a personal faith and the
acquisition of an independent knowledge of the Bible, ecclesiastical and secular authorities attempted
to stem the signs of reformational criticism. On July 1, 1523 Henry Voes and John Esch were burned
alive at Grote Markt (Fr. Grand Place) in Brussels. They were the first martyrs of the Reformation in
the Netherlands and in Europe. In total, due to the persecutions, by 1600 there were around 2000
victims in the Netherlands. The vast majority of these were Anabaptist, belonging to the so-called
radical Reformation. These Anabaptist groups originated from Ostfriesland, especially in Zeeland,
Holland, Friesland, and Flanders. In comparison with Switzerland and Germany, the Anabaptists played
a major role in shaping Dutch social, ecclesiastical, and theological thought.
Confessionalization
In the course of the sixteenth century, the reformation process became confessional. First, Lutherans
distinguished themselves from Roman Catholics, and then the Lutherans distinguished themselves
from the Reformed. In France, the Netherlands, England, and Germany the term Reformed was
applied to calvinistic Protestants. From the 1540s Calvinist communities arose in Switzerland, then
also in France and in the Netherlands. These communities called themselves Reformed churches and
followers of teh Reformed religion, a self-characterization that was derived from the Latin reformare.
The Dutch refugee communities outside of the Netherlands played an important role in the
development of Reformed Protestantism in the Netherlands, particularly in England and in the Holy
Roman Empire. The influence of Calvin came to the Netherlands not so much directly from Geneve,
nor by way of France or the southern Netherlands, but more indirectly, through primarily the refugee
communities. This was particularly true of the communities in Londen and Emden. Until 1550,
Calvinism played no role in the Netherlands. By approximately 1560, underground communities had
arisen in Flanders and Brabant, after 1565 there were such communities in the northern Netherlands.
They asked the government for permission to practice the Reformed religion. They asked to be allowed
to live according to the reformation of the Gospel (vouloir unire selon la Reformation de l Evangile /
te willen leven nah die Reformatie dess Evangeliums). From the Roman Catholic perspective, both
ecclesiastically as well as officially, they denied the Reformed claim to live according to the Gospel.
One spoke of the pretended reformed religion.
Impact of the Reformation
The Reformation had great political, cultural, and social implications. It radically changed society.
Ancient religious values in the society were set aside and it broke through the barriers of class and
education. It strove for broad support among the population and, while excluding groups that were
among the radical Reformation, deliberately sought the patronage of the government in order to
implement and institutionalize the desired changes in church and society. Supporters of the
Reformation realized very well the necessity of gaining government approval. There were public
meetings organized for this purpose which functioned as a lobbying group to put pressure on local,
regional, and central authorities. From the beginning, reformational preachers did not operate in
isolation from the political sphere of power. There were official religious colloquies organized, writings
were disputed, compromises were made, and there were tactical responses to expand opportunities
for Reformed guilds, as well as civil and political bodies. Depending on the perspective, the
Reformation can also be called a reformation of the preacher, the people, and the magistrate.
Dr. Frank van der Pol from Christelijke Encyclopedie, (Kampen, 2005). Headings above the paragraphs
were added by Refo500.
Protestantism is one of the three major branches of Christianity, along with Roman
Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. It shares with all other Christians core beliefs in the
doctrines of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, the necessity of grace to save humans from
the consequences of sin, and the centrality of Jesus' death and resurrection for salvation.
Composed of hundreds of denominations with an expansive variety of doctrines, rituals, and
religious practices, Protestantism formed from the split with Roman Catholicism during the
Reformation in the 16th century. Led by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others, the
reformers broke from the Roman Catholic Church due to abusive ecclesiological structures
and theological differences. Protestants share an adherence to the centrality of scripture
(both the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament) as well as a doctrine of salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ. Different Protestant denominations have to varying degrees
maintained or rejected Roman Catholic forms of worship. Anglican and Lutheran churches
have maintained liturgies and rituals similar to those of the Roman Catholic Church,
whereas other denominations, such as Baptists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, and United
Church of Christ, have developed less liturgical forms of worship. Most Protestants practice
baptism and communion as key rites of Christian initiation and ongoing devotion. Though
originating in Europe, Protestant Christianity has spread across the globe through
missionary activity and now has members from nearly every country, race, and ethnicity.