HISTORY AND CORE TEACHING

OF CHRISTIANITY

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF CHRISTIANITY

According to Jose and Ong (2016), Christianity is considered the most
popular religion in the world with the greatest 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. The most common symbol for Christianity is the
cross, for Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humanity from
their sins and to restore people’s relationship with God the Father. Christians
also believe in the Holy Trinity, which means God has three aspects—Father,
Son, and the Holy Spirit. 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.

Christian believed and accepted that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s

promise. Many Christians believed that Jesus Christ who is considered the Son
of God and Messiah or Savior who redeemed the sins of humanity for Salvation.
On the other hand, Christianity and Judaism were similar in their belief in
prophets, angels, and the judgement day. Christianity is considered also as the
world’s largest religion and here in the Philippines, the Catholic is one of the
most predominant denominations of Christianity when the Spaniards colonized
and introduced the Catholicism to the Filipinos.

COMMON SYMBOLS

Jose and Ong (2016) mentioned that there are two

common symbols in Christianity, the cross and fish symbol.

The symbols shown on the left side are the most

common symbols associated with Christianity. 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 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.

Page 1 of 9
 Meanwhile, the fish symbol is as old as Christianity itself, for it was used
by persecuted Christians as a secret sign when meeting other Christians.
Because Christians were threatened by the Romans during the time, they had
to make a secret code to avoid persecution. Thus, when meeting strangers on
the way, a Christian would draw one arc of the fish outline, and if the
stranger drew the other half, it means they are both Christians and therefore
safe in each other’s company. The word “fish” also has a secret meaning, for
Christians made an acrostic from the Greek word for fish, which is ichtys:
Iseous Christos Theou Yios Soter, meaning Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

The early Christian Church expanded through the preaching of people

traveling along the roads of the Roman Empire. This characteristic is most visible
when comparing the details of such an expansion with the map of major Roman
roads. After a time of persecution through the Roman Empire, it finally became the
official religion of the Empire in 313 AC, under the reign of Constantine (who also
move the Empire capital to a new city, Constantinople). The following map shows
the expansion of the Christian faith around the Mediterranean Sea. Evidence of
Christian presence have also been found as far as India (from the 1 th century), Sri
Lanka (from the 1th century) and China (from the 6th century).

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

Page 2 of 9
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. Hearing these messages, Jesus soon attracted a group of
followers who became his disciples and who called Him their teacher. 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. (Jose & Ong, 2016, p. 71)

CORE TEACHING OF CHRISTIANITY

THE DOCTRINES

Deity/God - Christianity is considered as a monotheistic religion. The

word Deity is refering to God who seen as the creator and maintainer of
the universe, all-powerfull, all-knowing, all-present,all-good.

Holy Trinity- Christians believed in the three personas: God the Father, the
Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. The concept of Holy Trinity is not easy to
understand. Although it is central to the most Christian’s denominations, still some
Christian Church 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 is the original Hebrew Bible while the New Testament was written by
Christians (Greek).

Christianity has certain beliefs and doctrines that serve as moral guidelines
for its followers. As much as possible, Christians should follow these teachings
strictly if they want to receive God’s promise of eternal life. These teachings are
essential to their belief system as Christians and not following them would lessen
their chances of being called true Christians and reduces their chances of salvation
in the afterlife. (Jose & Ong, 2016, p. 74)

SEVEN SACRAMENTS

Jose and Ong (2016) also included that Catholic Church has seven
sacraments which are considered signs of inner kindness given by God for
Christians to live a genuine human life. The seven sacraments include Baptism,
Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the
Anointing of the Sick. The first three sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation, and
Holy Communion, which are considered the sacraments of initiation. Baptism is
meant to remove the guilt and effects of Original Sin and welcome the baptized to
the Church. Confirmation, which should be administered right after Baptism, is
meant to complete Baptism, and bring the baptized the graces of the Holy Spirit
that were given the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday. Holy Communion entails the
reception of Christ’s body and blood which helps Christians grow in the likeness of
Jesus Christ. Confession is considered the fourth sacrament, which is meant to
Page 3 of 9
reconcile Christians with God by confessing their sins. The Sacrament of Marriage
comes next, with the union of a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation
and mutual support. It also reflects the union of Jesus Christ with His Church. The
Sacrament of Holy Orders is considered the continuation of Christ’s priesthood
which He passed on to His apostles. And the last sacrament is the Anointing of the
Sick, also known as Extreme Unction or Last Rites, which is administered to those
who are on the verge of death or are seriously ill, or about to undergo a serious
operation, for physical and moral strength.

BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of

heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the
Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended to heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy Catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting. Amen.

EIGHT BEATITUDES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. 1. Thou shalt have no other gods before
2. Blessed are they that mourn: for me
they shall be comforted. 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any
3. Blessed are the meek: for they shall graven image
inherit the earth.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the
4. Blessed are they which do hunger and
Lord thy God in vain
thirst after righteo usness: for they
shall be filled. 4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep
5. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall it holy
obtain mercy. 5. Honour thy father and thy mother
6. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they 6. Thou shalt not kill
shall see God.
7. . Thou shalt not commit adultery
7. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they
shall be called the children of Go d. 8. Thou shalt not steal
8. Blessed are they which are persecu ted 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness
for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the against thy neighbour
kingdom of heaven. 10. Thou shalt not covet

Page 4 of 9
 Followers of Christianity have certain beliefs and practices that needs to
follow especially the Ten Commandments. Likewise, in order to surpass this
pandemic, blaming the government has never been the solution rather the people
itself that everyone must be responsible to every action that they take as we baffled
in quarantine to reduce the mortality. So, we need also to follow the protocols and
guidelines from government like wearing face masks and protective equipment,
proper social distancing, stay at home as much as possible.

Since, everyone is affected from the pandemic, and we are to embrace the
“new normal” as part of our daily lives. Our faith, beliefs, and practices that Jesus
taught us from the bible will be strengthen more and not to change just because of
what is happening right now. In many ways, we have come to believed that we are
in control in our lives, that we can cure every disease, that we can fend off all the
dangers. But as coronavirus gradually dominating the world without any cure
found, we are so lucky that our family, friends, loved ones are still alive. Good
deeds always emerge during the time of crisis. Donating important things like
alcohol, foods, and facemask or even a small amount of money is big help to those
people who are really affected and lastly teaching our colleagues and reminding
them that prayer is the most important tool.

FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS, PRACTICES,

AND RELATED ISSUES

Worship and many religious observances are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many churches are closed, and the cancellation of worship services of various
faiths is also affected because of the outbreak of pandemic that’s why they offered
worship through livestream or virtual worship. Cancellations of other religious
activities like youth camp, Sunday School, celebrations of church festive and even
Christian observances like Advent, Lent, and Pentecost are also affected.

WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES

Advent
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.
During Advent, it is not only the birth of Christ which is
anticipated but the Second Coming of the Savior as well.
The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus,
which means “coming” or “visit.” Advent also features certain

Page 5 of 9
colors, such as purple/dark blue, which symbolizes
seriousness, repentance, and royalty; and pink, which
signifies joy. (Jose & Ong, 2016, p. 77)
Lent

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. This is a time to reflect on the suffering,
sacrifice, life, death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior
Jesus
Christ. It is a time for prayer, penance, sacrifice, and good
works as a way of remembering the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus. The word Lent comes from the
AngloSaxon words lencten, meaning “Spring”, and
lenctenid, which means “Springtide” and the word for
“March,” the month when Easter is usually celebrated.

Pentecost

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. 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 (also known as Shavuot). The event was recorded
in the New Testament, in The Acts of the Apostles,
Chapter 2, which narrates how the first Christians came
together in one place when suddenly they heard a sound
coming from heaven and tongues of fire rested on their
heads. They were said to be filled with the Holy Spirit
which enabled them to speak other languages, after which
Peter stood up and delivered his first sermon. (Jose &
Ong, 2016, p. 77)

OTHER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

Tradition Traditional Way New Way

Page 6 of 9
 1. Santa Sena of INC members go to church to The Deacons delivered the bread
Iglesia Ni receive the bread and wine and wine to the homes of the
Cristo that symbolizes the blood members of INC.
and body of Christ.
2. Mahal na Catholics perform their Catholics prayed inside their
Araw among pabasa, senakulo and house while watching mass on
Catholics prusisyon in the public areas. television.
3. Jehova’s They roam around their They postponed the sharing of
Witnesses community to share their their doctrines during the ECQ
Propagation of doctrines. and continue it with the safety
Doctrines precautions to avoid Covid-19.

Filipino Traditions/Culture Religious Explanation

1. Penance (Penitensya) Remembering the sufferings of Christ for humanity.
2. Burial Preparing for the life after death.
3. Giving gift during Following the act of three kings (wise men) in giving
Christmas the newly born Jesus a present.
4. Celebrating of festivals Thanksgiving for the harvest and commemorating a
religious event.
5. Sunday/Saturday as rest Commemorating the seventh day of God’s creation of
day/Sabbath day the world where He rested.

RELATED ISSUES IN CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is divided into different denominations and nowadays some issues

arises which is conflict to Christian teachings like the issue of sexuality concerning
with the use of contraceptive, abortion, and homo sexuality. We also have the issue
of same sex marriage, capital punishment and Euthanasia as a result of conflict
between the church and the government.

SAME SEX MARRIAGE

According to Fr. John Trigilio, PhD, ThD., One of the questions against Church is,
why does the Catholic Church teach that same sex (gay and lesbian) 'marriages' are
not possible? The US Supreme Court ruled that same sex 'marriage' is legal, so why
does the Catholic Church teach otherwise?

He cited that marriage is, was, and always will be the union of one man and one
woman in a permanent, faithful and fruitful union. Homosexual unions can never
become marriage since they biologically cannot bear a child. There is no
fruitfulness in same sex ‘marriages’. No legal decision can change this, adoption
and artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization or surrogate parenthood are not
viable means to render a relationship capable of married fecundity. Regardless of
the Supreme Court’s decision, God is the author of marriage, not man and not
society or the government. Marriage is a sign of a covenant between God and his
people, between Christ and His bride, the Church. Same sex unions cannot convey
this message because they are the same and not different. The different genders
(male and female) symbolize the difference between God and humankind. Same
gender does not represent that reality. There is no possibility of new life, and one of

Page 7 of 9
the two ends of marriage is procreation. The other end is married unity. Men and
women complement one another, emotionally and anatomically.

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. Since Christianity advocates the belief that life is given by God,
euthanasia or mercy killing is also considered immoral since it entails taking away
what has been given by God, and that human beings should not interfere with the
natural process of death.

Even if a person is extremely suffering from his/ her illness, he/she has no right to
take away what God has given him/her. Also, human beings are made in the image
of God, so people have a unique capacity to become rational which enables them to
see what is good and to want what is good, that is why they have no right to end
this gift from God. Another reason why the Church is against euthanasia is the
belief that people have no right to interrupt the natural process of dying, and that
the period just before death is a reflective spiritual moment. In Christianity, all
human lives are equally valuable and no one, even the person himself/herself who
wants to end his/her life, has the right to assume that his or her life is no longer
valuable. (Jose and Ong, 2016, p. 81)

EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS

Aside from the issues mentioned above we have another issue that against the
church is the extrajudicial killings which is many people died without justice.
According to Neuman (2017), The head of the Catholic Church in the Philippines
has harshly criticized a government campaign of alleged extrajudicial killings of
drug suspects that has claimed thousands of lives, calling it a "humanitarian
concern" that cannot be ignored. Police have killed an estimated 3,200 people in the
past 14 months in encounters they claim involved suspects who put up armed
resistance. Another 2,000 have died in drug-related killings – in many cases carried
out by motorcycle-riding masked gunmen who human rights groups say are either
police in disguise or their hired hit men. In a single day last week, police in the
Philippines killed a record 32 people in drug raids, according to Reuters. "We knock
on the consciences of those who kill even the helpless, especially those who cover
their faces, to stop wasting human lives," Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle said. "The
illegal drug problem should not be reduced to a political or criminal issue. It is a
humanitarian concern that affects all of us." Tagle was supported by Archbishop
Socrates Villegas, who said Sunday that church bells would ring every night for the
next three months to spark greater awareness of President Rodrigo Duterte's
crackdown.

Page 8 of 9
Page 9 of 9