WEEK 3

CHRISTIANITY

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD
RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the week, you will be able
to learn:
• Recount the history of Christianity;
• Explain the core teachings and practices of
Christianity; and
• Identify the varieties of Christianity.
What does the word “Christian” mean? What does it
remind you of?

⮚What makes a Christian is a faith in an itinerant

Jewish teacher and prophet who lived for about 30
years in a remote outpost 2,000 years ago- Jesus of
Nazareth.
⮚Christianity draws its name from the Greek word
Christos, which is equivalent to the Hebrew word
“Messiah”; the arrival of Jesus brings about a new
covenant, which is often referred to as the New
Testament.
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT
 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Christianity
DEPARTMENT

• Christianity is a religion that was intended to be

universal; thus, a branch of Christianity called
Catholicism characterizes the church in terms of four
pillars (one, holy, catholic, and apostolic).
• Jesus Christ’s command to “Go and teach all nations”
shows that His teachings are not just for Jews but for all
the world.
• Christianity is a religion that developed from Judaism;
some of its first followers were Jews.
• What distinguishes Christians from Jews is that
Christians accept Jesus as Savior or as Lord and Savior,
while Jews do not ascribe any special status to Jesus,
and the real Messiah is yet to come.
 Jesus of Nazareth
The founder of Christianity
Christianity is a religion that was meant to be universal. Jesus command
to go and teach all nations the goods news.
 BIBLE
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT

• The Christian Bible includes the

Hebrew Bible as the Old Testament,
but the bulk of its early history is
recorded in the New Testament.
• The New Testament is divided into
four parts : The Gospels, The Acts of
the Apostles, the Epistles and the
Revelation. There are 27 books in all.
 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT

NEW TESTAMENT
Gospels follow the life and teachings of Jesus and
they were written by the four evangelists, Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES- Describe the spread of

early Christianity after Jesus’ ascension at the end of
the Gospel stories

THE EPISTLES- Are letters to the early Christians,

most of which were written by Paul.

THE REVELATION- “foretells the symbolic language

the triumph of Christianity”
 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT

GOSPELS HISTORY EPISTLES PROPHECY

MATTHEW ACTS OF APOSTLES ROMANS REVELATIONS

MARK 1-2 CORINTHIANS
LUKE GALATIANS
JOHN EPHESIANS
PHILIPPIANS
COLOSSIANS
1-2 THESSALONIANS
1-2 TIMOTHY
TITUS
PHILEMON
HEBREWS
 The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all
ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin
Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.
 PRACTICES
Seven sacraments
1. Baptism.
2. Eucharist.
3. Confirmation.
4. Reconciliation.
5. Anointing of the
sick.
6. Marriage.
7. Holy orders.
 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

History of Christianity
DEPARTMENT

• According to the Bible, the first church organized itself 50 days after
Jesus’s death on the Day of Pentecost—when the Holy Spirit was
said to descend onto Jesus’s followers.

• Most of the first Christians were Jewish converts, and the church was
centered in Jerusalem.

• Shortly after the creation of the church, many Gentiles (non-Jews)

embraced Christianity.
 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT

• Early Christians considered it their calling to spread and teach the

gospel.

• One of the most important missionaries was the apostle Paul, a

former persecutor of Christians.
Paul’s conversion to Christianity after he had a supernatural
encounter with Jesus is described in Acts of the Apostles. Paul
preached the gospel and established churches throughout
the Roman Empire, Europe and Africa.

• Many historians believe Christianity wouldn’t be as widespread

without the work of Paul. In addition to preaching, Paul is thought to
have written 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament.
MAJOR
DIVISION IN
CHRISTIANITY

1.Roman Catholicism
2.Eastern Orthodoxy
3.Protestantism
 Roman Catholicism
• Catholic comes from the Greek word
meaning “Universal” by the bishop of
Antioch St. Ignatius 107 A.D. ANNO
DOMINI
• Roman- Rome is the headquarter of the
Catholic Church.
• The bishop of Rome is only the Pope
as well as the head of 1.2 billion
Catholics.
 Why Catholicism spread out all over
the Universe?
• 312 A.D Constantine the Great-Roman
Emperor had a heavenly vision, he saw the sign
of the cross appeared in the sky “with the sign
you will conquer” during the battle of Milvian
Bridge near Rome.

• From then on he used the cross as emblem and

won many battles to conquer another land.

• And converted to Catholicism.

 Eastern Orthodoxy
• The term
orthodox
originates from
the Greek
words meaning
“Right Beliefs”.
• Orthodox Christianity
officially broke
communion with its
Latin-speaking
counterparts in the
west-what is now
Roman Catholic
Christianity- in the year
1054.
 Reason
• Roman Catholic headed
by the Pope is having • East Europe
high authority to world
wide unlike leaders from
the East Europe Known
as Patriarchs had no
power.
 Beliefs and practices
conflict
Roman Catholic Orthodox
1. Discourages bishops and 1. While orthodox allow it.
priest from getting married
after ordination.
 Catholic and Orthodox
have the same beliefs.
• Believe the divine and
human nature of Jesus.
• Acceptance of the seven
sacraments.
• Veneration of the saints
and use of icons or
images.
• The head
of Orthodox
known as
“Patriarch”
Protestantism
• The word
“Protestant” is
popularly understood
as one protesting
against the errors of
the Roman Catholic
Church.
Martin Luther was a German professor
of theology, composer, priest, monk, and a
seminal figure in the Protestant
Reformation.

Luther came to reject several teachings

and practices of the Roman Catholic
Church. He strongly disputed the Catholic
view on indulgences, celibacy and dogmas
of the catholic church.
The Reformation
In 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther published 95
Theses—a text that criticized certain acts of the Pope and
protested some of the practices and priorities of the Roman
Catholic church.

Later, Luther publicly said that the Bible didn’t give the Pope
the sole right to read and interpret scripture.
Luther’s ideas triggered the Reformation—a movement that
aimed to reform the Catholic church.

As a result, Protestantism was created, and different

denominations of Christianity eventually began to form.
 Sects of Protestantism
1. Lutheran • They agree with the
2. Anglican Roman Catholic Church
3. Methodist the essential doctrines
4. Presbyterian of the Trinity and
5. Baptist of Jesus as fully
6. Born again Christian
human and fully Divine.
 Protestants follow the beliefs of:
1.Sola Scriptura-only
the Scripture.
2.Sola fide- only by
faith.
3.Sola gratia- only
the grace
After the age of
Protestantism and
Catholic
Reformation bible
translations were
allowed.
Who founded the Anglican Church? How
did the Church flourish?
The Anglican church was
created by edict of the
English King, Henry VIII,
after Pope Clement VII
refused to grant him a
divorce from his Spanish
wive who had passed the
age of child-bearing
without giving him a male
heir.