The depth of ones christianity might vary, but the trinity is indeed the witness to the history of christianity after all there was and is a father, a son, and a holy spirit. A fresh perspective on the idea of conversing with god. Though the phrase itself rarely occurs in prechristian jewish literature, the idea of god as king was fundamental to judaism, and jewish ideas on the subject undoubtedly underlie, and to some extent determine, the new testament usage. In greek philosophy, it also referred to a universal, divine reason or the mind of god. God versus the idea of god clearly and simply explains why. Because god is sovereignhe knows those who will put their trust in jesus before they even know it.
And high on their list was the greek and roman practice of exposing infants. Today in christian history dailya daily newsletter featuring the most. It has become the largest of the worlds religions and, geographically, the most widely diffused of all faiths. In the christian religion, the trinity is an idea used to explain that three different persons are called god. The value of christian community reaches even further than bringing the body of christ to strength and maturity. Jesus christ is not god 1975 victor paul wierwille long before the founding of christianity the idea of a triune god or a god inthree persons was a common belief in ancient religions. It has a constituency of more than two billion believers. Divinity is what we think, faith is what we experience. The oxford dictionary of the christian church describes the trinity as the central dogma of christian theology. In this lecture, i describe what i consider to be the idea of god, which. We have one god in three persons, but that is confusing unless we also understand that god is a spirit. Lecture i in my psychological significance of the biblical stories series from may 16th at isabel bader theatre in toronto. His teachings can be summarised, briefly as the love of god and love of ones neighbour.
Christianity christians believe that jesus christ is the son of god and the messiah meaning christ and annointed one who saves the world. Historical background of the trinity christadelphia. Denominations and individual christians differ in their beliefs about howgod created, with some accepting current scientific theories and others adhering to a more literal interpretation of genesis, but all mainstream christians agree that god is the creator of everything that exists. Christianity today weekly weeklyctweekly delivers the best content from to your inbox each week. For example, if we leave out the holy spirit, well give people the idea that its entirely up to us whether or not we come into the kingdom, even though its dependent on the work of god in our. Some charge that god is an imaginary cosmic father invented for our emotionalprotection, created in our image to comfort us, a phantom to fill the hollow places. Through christ alone, he makes abandoned children into sons and daughters of god, fully loved and accepted by god the father. Christian teachings of the immanence and involvement of god and his love for humanity exclude the belief that god is of the same substance as the created universe but accept that gods divine nature was hypostatically united to human nature in the person of jesus christ, in an event known as the incarnation. Concept of god in christianity facts about the muslims. Jesus christ pbuh never claimed divinity one may ask, if both muslims and christians love and respect jesus pbuh, where exactly is the parting of ways. Theres usually two arguments advanced to assert the apostles and jesus did not believe in the trinity. The destination of every man, woman, and child is determined when they choose to accept or reject jesus christ as lord.
Divinity is what we think, faith is what we experience kindle edition by harry, thomas richard. Philosopher rene descartes 15961650, most famous for his statement cogito ergo sum i think therefore i am, also formulated several arguments in support of the existence of god. Is the concept of god in christianity the trinity three. Is the concept of god in christianity the trinity three gods or one. While being prone to sin and in need of grace, they are partners in accomplishing god s plan for existence. This essentially captures the concept of god in islam, which will be further elaborated in this pamphlet. Christians believe that there is only one god, whom they call father as jesus christ taught them.
God the father, god the son, and god the holy spirit who is sometimes called the holy ghost. One of descartes arguments for god s existence is based on the idea of god. Yours is an age old question, which stems from a basic misunderstanding. Christians collected abandoned babies and raised them as. According to david barrett et al, editors of the world christian encyclopedia. The trinity is private interpretation and wrong dividing of god s word. In christianity, god is one, but three distinct persons constitute the one god. The idea of one sacrifice serving to save many is characteristically jewish.
Concept of god in hinduism it is the biggest misconception about hinduism that hindus worship 330 million gods making hinduism a polytheistic religion, but in fact, hinduism believes in only one god but allows its followers to worship the god in many forms such as nature including trees, sun, idols, animals, etc. As a christian, you can testify of the greatness of god because of a great god who loves to adopt abandoned children. The idea of create poses the idea of something out of nothing. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading god versus the idea of god. Many christians today would be surprised to learn that they hold a platonic view of heaven which is not biblical. These ideas stand in opposition to the claim of jesus christ that he is the only way to the father. Its followers, called christians, often believe christ is the son of the holy trinity and walked the earth as the incarnate form of god the father. In this brief clip from his teaching series pleasing god, r. Its historical, organic, evolutionary, and widely understood, even if only subconsciously. For most throughout western history, the idea of god represented the three very basic human yearnings for 1 protection, 2 perfection, and 3 perpetuity. Inasmuch as human beings are gifted with reason, however, the religious experience of transcendence demands historical clarification. To explain that we must also understand the difference between the spiritual realm and the. The islamic understanding of god is distinct from all other religions and beliefs in various respects since it is based on a pure and clear understanding of monotheism.
Christians took this jewish idea that everyone is made in the image of god and confronted the worst elements in greek and roman society. Sproul explains that it is living life coram deobefore the face of god. On the basis of their religious experiences, the mystics of christianity of all eras have concurred in the belief that one can make no assertions about god, because god is beyond all concepts and images. This global religion first emerged as a sect of judaism, and in the beginning embraced many judaic views and practices. This is particularly true when it comes to the topic of heaven. There is this belief in society today that god is terribly unjust for making salvation depend on the knowledge of someone whom not everyone even gets to hear about namely jesus. Christians believe god to be both transcendent and immanent.
Christianity vs hinduism difference and comparison diffen. Rousseaus ideas on religion and education and their influence. Christianity, major religion stemming from the life, teachings, and death of jesus of nazareth the christ, or the anointed one of god in the 1st century ce. They are models of what god wants for all of humankind.
God in christianity is the eternal being who created and preserves all things. Christianity broadly consists of individuals who believe in the deity jesus christ. Whatever its precise origins, the idea of an exclusive god was crucial for christianity s spread among the gentiles, because it answered so many needs at once. Debates over the existence of god can be tricky, especially since the burden of proof often falls on the believer. That depends on what you mean by christianity, but assuming you mean biblical christianity. Recently someone suggested to me that god was not a reality, just a comforting idea in my mind, an emotional crutch, wishful thinking. The trinity expresses the belief that god is one being made up of three distinct persons who exist in coequal essence and coeternal communion as the father, son, and holy spirit. The major difference between islam and christianity is the christians insistence on the supposed divinity of christ. The idea of who the human is, someone rather than something, a someone irrespective of the fact they may not be able to afford a mirror to look into in the morning, they are not selfevident ideas.
Jesus and his followers had worshipped in the jewish temple and attended synagogues. The early christian church was heavily influenced by plato, and the effects of platos teaching can still be seen within christianity today. Growing up in both nondenominational and baptistbased christian communities, as well as attending catholic school and mass in my teenage years, i received a relatively wide variety of christian theological perspectives. Thank you for the question, did god create christianity. Christians recognise jesus as the son of god who was sent to save mankind from death and sin. The doctrine or concept of the trinity is central to most christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. Common among these perspectives was the idea and the importance of communicating with god. Sproul was once asked by a businessman, what is the big idea of christianity. Jesus seen as an agnus dei a sacrificial lamb of god is adapted from the story of the passover where lambs blood is used to save believers.
And was the incursion of christianity into what we call now the classical world, that brought about ideas that in engaging with human beings you are in some way engaging with a bit of god, with an image of god. In the new testament, the gospel of john begins, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with god, and the word was god. For he god hath made him christ to be sin for us, who knew no sin. Logos is the greek term translated as word, speech, principle, or thought. The concept of the trinity was added centuries later as a term to explain what was already accepted long before. Christianity teaches that human beings were created good by a loving god. While you dont owe anyone an explanation for your faith, knowing how to defend. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Not holy in some contrite, stuffy, spiritual sort of way, but holy as in so pure that the smallest misdeed, the whitest lie. Concept of god in hinduism hinduism facts hinduism facts. The idea of the trinity does not supersede monotheism. Christians recognise jesus as the son of god who was sent to.
Christianity adopted this complicated idea of god because it was the only way they could make sense of one god in the context of the events and teaching of the bible. God didnt create christianity, but rather god fulfill the promise of a redeemer of mankind. Trinity simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Such communities, by their character and their action, witness to the power and presence of god in the world. A comparative survey of churches and religions ad 30 to 2200, there are 19 major world religions which are subdivided into a total of 270 large faith groups, and many. Christianity human nature and the purpose of existence. Jesus said that he had come to fulfil gods law rather than teach it. Trinity states that these three all form the same god.
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