I have been a student of Christian history and the Bible for over 44 years. My goal here is to offer a simple summary and historical consensus of the Christian faith. I will try to avoid denominational issues or cultural influences, and concentrate on the central elements of historical, biblical Christianity. Many of the terms will be of classical usage, and might carry ambiguity for some. I will try to clarify if there is confusion. Christianity has been the caretaker of a worldview, concerning the nature of God, man, and the universe. God God is infinite, eternal, omnipotent, and omnipresent. He created all things with a word. He is everywhere, and has no constraints of time and space. He is perfect, without flaw, gender, or limitations common to the creation. Man Man was created perfect, and enjoyed open communion with God. God created man in His image, and shares traits with the creature. Man was created as an eternal soul, that transcends his material being. The Universe The universe was created in purity and perfection, and will be restored to that state when the fallen era ends. The order and majesty of God is reflected in the material universe. The Fall Evil and discord entered the universe when an angelic being rebelled against God, and corrupted the perfection of God's creation. Death and suffering became part of the experience of all living creatures. Man joined in that rebellion, where lies, murder, and human corruption ran rampant. Both the material and spiritual realms are in discord, in this cosmos of rebellion and enmity toward God. Redemption God made provision for the rebellion of man. Even though man's sins and corruption were contrary to the standard and nature of God, He provided a Way of escape from the coming reckoning. He became a man, Himself, and took the penalty for all of man's sins, if they will receive it. God appeared in the person of Jesus, and revealed the nature of God. He outlined the process of redemption, for those who would accept it. It is a spiritual transaction that has been likened to rebirth, or going from darkness to light. It is a quickening of the soul, where the lost human is awakened to the perception of spiritual reality. It usually involves acknowledging God and the atonement of Jesus, repentance for past wrongs, and the reception of God's Spirit into the redeemed soul. It is a very personal transaction, and transforms the life of the recipient. Citizenship The redeemed souls are now God's people. They have been likened to the children of God, His beloved bride, and a home for His dwelling. They are no longer of this fallen world, even though they still live in it. Their primary loyalties are to God and His government, not to any earthly institution of man. Deception This world is under the influence of a great deceiver. His goal is to kill and destroy, and to bring confusion to man so he cannot understand the redemption process, and be reconciled to God. Restoration The evils, suffering, and deceptions of this world are temporary, and will end when Jesus returns to make all things right. The universe will change, and God's kingdom and rule will be absolute and complete. Sin, death, and evil will no longer define the cosmos, but a restoration will take place, and make all things new. My goal here is to present a concise summary of the basic Christian faith. I feel that footnotes and proof texts would detract from this goal, but i would be happy to elaborate on any point. My perspective here is one of a 20th century American, but i have tried to avoid temporal or regional biases in this summary. This is, however, my perspective of the basic consensus of Christian belief and teaching, over the last 2000 years. There are many more nuances and expanded points of science, empiricism, miracles, eternity, destiny, and origins that can be examined in greater detail, if there is interest. But i hope this provides a basic framework for better understanding of the Christian faith.
Even though I am not a Christian, I do appreciate the efforts you've put in this summary and have found a lot of interest in this text. I hope one day we all shall share the acknowledgement of God. Blesses.
Thanks. I see a lot of caricatures of Christianity, based on distortions, smears, and revisionism. Very early on, in the Christian faith, apologists corrected and opposed heresies, false teachings, and distortions that circulated among the followers of this worldview. Irenaeus was an early apologist, and wrote, 'Adversus Haereses,' against heresies, about ad180. The early apostles were also very active in defending the faith, as false teachings, distortions, and outright lies were as common then, as now. The irony is that many of the same heresies and distortions that were common then, are still promoted now, by the new deceivers, distorters, and enemies of Christianity. ..things really haven't changed, for the followers of Jesus, in any millennia.
Oh brother You apparently forgot to insert the word 'Fictional' between the words "A" and "Summary" in your thread title, usfan. Although I will admit that your line about Trump ... "This world is under the influence of a great deceiver." ... is clearly nonfictional... lol
?? What do you find fictional, in this summary of historical, biblical Christianity? What descriptions do not accurately convey the core fundamentals of the Christian faith?
I do realize that many people are 'triggered', when anything about the topic of Christianity comes up, and i expect the usual heckling and mocking of the Christian faith. That has been going on for millennia, and is to be expected. This was not intended as an apologia for critics of the CLAIMS of Christianity, but a clarifying, corrected view of what Christianity is, at its basic level. I am trying to clarify the claims, not defend them. That would come later. And of course, i welcome any reasoned rebuttal or historical facts that might present an alternate view.
It's all a nice little story, usfan. Problem is ... you have no credible evidence to prove that it's anything but ... a nice little fictional story. Blind faith is for chumps, in my view...
Man was clearly created to be corruptible, NOT perfect. Also, Man was created without understanding. Between Biblical statements of this fact and the existence of gigantic number of religious interpretations today and throughout history, this can not be doubted. Since the beginning, mankind has faced the monumental problem of eliminating the mistakes in our imperfect perceptions. In science, it is the primary focus of investigation.
What is your denomination? I appreciate the minimising of temporal, regional and denominational biases and I believe that some biases are inherently impossible to avoid. As some say, it can be better to have a great bias and acknowledge it than to have a small bias but not admit to it. Some of the points above I feel are informed by denomination or some other aspect of world view, in substance or in tone.
"Our Father Who in Heaven" has no gender? How do you figure that? More accurately, the unique attribute that makes humans corruptible is the very thing that makes them uniquely perfectible.
My summary is from thousands of years of Christian orthodoxy, and is not denominational. Genesis 3 recounts the fall of man, where sin entered the world, and death through sin, that Paul described in detail in Romans 5. The fall of man, and the inheritance of sin, is a constant doctrine in Christian orthodoxy since the apostles. Why would one need a Savior, or forgiveness, if sin was not an all consuming inherited trait? If you have an alternate view of man, the fall, or redemption, what is the theological and scriptural basis for that view? I can then address that perspective, and offer quotes that support this view. This is the basic doctrine from apologists and creeds throughout the history of the Christian faith. The Apostles Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN. Here is Paul, who clearly teaches the concept of original sin. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.16The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. Does this clarify some? It is not some 'new thing!', or denominational doctrine, but is at the core of historical Christian theology.
Everyone has faith in something. Spiritual reality has awakened a great number of humans, over the millennia, and is far from finished. There are powerful forces of deception in this world, and glib assumptions or assertions carry little weight for a seeker of Truth.
lol. So, god needed .... what? My bet is that the god as described by ALL Abrahamic faiths had been looking for perfect, he would have pretty much canned that shot. Whether it was from the green or the sand trap would not have mattered. And, I doubt he would need a Mulligan to get the job done.
Nobody who has ever been involved in creating a religion would have contemplated pitching man as perfect. If that had been the pitch, then there would be no need for the religion in the first place. Religion requires there to be some possible mistake that could be made - eating an apple, not contributing wealth and virgins to the high priest, or whatever. So, at the very least man had to be quite easily corruptible.
The biblical narrative is that God created man as a perfect being, but he rebelled against God's order, and infected all of humanity with sin. It is not my purpose here to speculate how corruptible man was, or how many angels can fit on a pin head. We live in the shadow of that corruption. We live and breathe that corruption. We cannot save ourselves. God has provided a Remedy for our dilemma. What we do with that information may have eternal consequence. It is not my intent to debate theology, but to try and present a simple, basic description of historical, biblical Christianity. I am sure that many of the most basic doctrines have different meanings, applications, and interpretations to different people. So just coming to a simple consensus is no mean feat.
While your summary of Christianity does represent the standard dogma of the day - it does not well describe the teachings of Jesus. It needs not be complicated. The rock on which Jesus based is teachings was the Golden Rule "do unto others as you would have done to you". Understanding that the average dimwit would not get it .. he restated this rule a number of ways: Love neighbor as self - Judge not lest you be judged - take log out of own eye before picking speck out of brothers - Let ye who is without sin cast the first rock .. and so on. Matt 7:12 - The rule that sums up the law and the prophets Just be a good person and do some good works and you will be fine. No "faith" required. Sola Fide (salvation by faith alone) is an anathema to the teachings of Jesus (not because the Catholic Church declared it so - that organization is an anathema as well - they just happened to get one thing right)
What about this rebellion of an angelic being, are the quotes you can provide so strong that it is impossible for other denominations to interpret them differently? Also, not all denominations take every line of the Bible (or other scripture) as undeniable truth, it is a quite denominational view of Christianity that a back and forth of scripture quotes is the appropriate way to figure out what Christianity focuses on.
I'll restate my goal here. I am NOT trying to get anyone to like the basic tenets of the Christian faith, but to clarify them, so it can be defined and understood . There are plenty of straw men, caricatures, and heresies floating around over the last 2000 years of history. I am trying to present a clarified summary of the biblical, historical worldview that is labeled 'Christianity.' There is an unbroken line of orthodoxy that defines the Christian faith. Jesus started it, and the first disciples passed down His teachings and precepts to subsequent followers. Scholars and philosophers have taken this very seriously, over the millennia, and have sought to convey an accurate, historical, and scholarly account of the life and mission of Jesus, which is the crux of Christianity. During this time, deceivers, heresies, distortions, and diversions have abounded, so a careful, historical, and scholarly process has been the standard in Christian history. We have the historical records from the apostles, early church fathers, and apologists in an unbroken line to the present. Creeds, statements, and systematic theology present and preserve the historical timeline of the Christian worldview. There is also an unbroken line of deceptions, heresies, and distortions, to lead the followers astray, and to bring confusion and lies to corrupt and distort the simple message of salvation. But that is another topic. The central message that Jesus brought built upon the Judaic historical records from the old testament scriptures, and expanded the New Covenant, which opened the door of redemption for all mankind. This message i have tried to summarize in the OP. It defines the nature of God, man, and the separation between them. The CORE issue, that usually generates the most controversy, is the deity of Jesus. That has yet to come up in this discussion , which is surprising, since it is historically the biggest stumbling block in defining the Christian faith.
I would put your generalization as a pop religious view of Christianity , not the historical, biblical one. Yes, the golden rule was an important teaching of Jesus. But He also emphasized the depravity of man, and our need for a redeemer. Good works have never been adequate for justification , nor do they atone for our sins. The apostles expanded on the importance of faith, as a vehicle of salvation, but Jesus originated it. Surely you have heard the basic quote from Jesus in John 3:16. I'll also provide some context, so the meaning is clear. John3:14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil." The concept of justification by faith is clearly taught by Jesus, as well as judgement upon the unrepentant. Being a good person is not enough, as we all are stained with sin, and must be cleansed and redeemed by faith in the person and mission of Jesus. The disciples affirmed this process: Romans 10:8 ...that is the word of faith which we are preaching,9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. This is the biblical, historical worldview that Christianity teaches, begun by the Founder. Being nice, or doing the best you can is NOT a pathway to salvation or enlightenment, from the Christian perspective. That is the pop religious view, that pretty much defines 'religion' in western civilization. And while this view may borrow bits and pieces from Christianity, it is NOT the defining message that Jesus brought .
In the unbroken line of Christian Orthodoxy, the doctrine of the devil is a constant. Did you want me to provide biblical quotes for this? I would think this would be common knowledge, as a biblical theme. The undermining of the authority and accuracy of the scriptures has also been a constant heretical attack, since the time of Jesus, and even before. A literal, historical acceptance of the accounts in the canon of scripture is definitely a defining trait of orthodox Christianity. It is heretics, offshoots, and outliers who teach otherwise. Most of the creeds and confessions of faith emphasize this cardinal tenet of scriptural authority, and some even include infallibility and divine inspiration. I have not included that in my summary, though i believe it is a critical part of the Christian faith. The scriptures provide historical and doctrinal stability, in a world of deception and lies.
Here is the Nicene Creed, that was an early 'summary' of the Christian faith .. ~ad 325 It affirms the divinity of Christ, the need and redemptive action of Jesus, the authority of scripture, and other basic tenets of the Christian faith. It was based on several written 'statements' of faith, from Irenaeus and others, and are in the direct line of teachings from the apostles and Jesus Himself. The Nicene Creed We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen
It seems to me that the salient characteristic of "Christianity" is that there are so many different interpretations of it. I recognize the particular "Christianity" you've described here... but there are so many others... Is salvation foreordained or earned? That's kinda sorta a big question, but there are "Christians" on both sides. Is there a "Hell", and if so, what is it? Every denomination has a different answer. Is "Christianity" the heritage of Jesus or of Paul? Each of these questions deserves debate. That's probably why they are still debated after two millennia. A one-page summary may be a laudable ideal, but I doubt it can exist.
