(Answers are Found in the Past)

FAQ 1: What is a Christian?

This initial question yields the many questions that follow because Christianity is an old religion, entering into its third millennium, based on an even older religion, that of the Hebrews, which began several millennia before that of Christianity. From the beginning two thousand years ago Christianity has been splintered into many sects with different beliefs. During two thousand years of change, growth, and decline, various expressions of Christianity have mirrored the prevailing culture, society, and politics of the time and place. Some expressions have come and gone while others have peaked and entered a slow decline. Still others have continued a stable influence upon millions of people, some dramatic, different from the norm, others with slight, subtle differences that set them apart from the mainstream. Christianity remains the dominant world religion with the most adherents spreading throughout six continents on Earth. The Roman Catholic expression of Christianity is the largest denomination, indeed has always been so since the onset of Christianity among Jesus’s disciples after his Resurrection and Ascension. From this main source of Christian expression scores of variations have developed. During the first several centuries after the death of Christ, the early church assumed a structure led by bishops of cities in the Western and Eastern Roman Empire; a generally-agreed upon canon of Scripture, accepted as genuine, that is, inspired by the Holy Spirit, developed. The sacraments of the church also came together, focusing in particular on Baptism and the Eucharist. The growing orthodoxy of the church centered on bishops was directed by early statements of faith, the Apostle’s Creed and Nicaean Creed. Splinter groups, called heresies by the dominant orthodoxy, included Gnosticism, Donatism, Marcionism, Pelagianism, and Arianism. Gnosticism, for example, inspired by theologians such as Valentinus, merged the developing Christian theology with the ancient Greek search for gnosis; Gnosticism was an internal search for Christ, who was present in spiritual form within the believer’s soul. Gnostics denied the physicality of Christ, seeing Him as a spiritual presence only. Marcionism during the second century rejected Old Testament allegorical interpretations that foretold the coming of Christ as well as the New Testament assertion of the Virgin Birth. Donatism in the early fourth century featured North African purists attempting to reject Sacraments that were administered by sinful/apostate Catholic priests and bishops. Arianism, the expression of Christianity by Arius (d. 336) and his followers, argued that the Son is created, not the same substance as the Father. Pelagianism, the expression of Pelagius, a British cleric (ca 400), and his followers, denied original sin and the human need for grace. From these early heresies many other derivations from Christian Orthodoxy over the past fifteen hundred years. 

But what was the generally orthodoxy, which became in time the Roman Catholic doctrine, from which these heresies departed from? 

Orthodox Christianity, which unites most Christians in the past and present, as well as Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox Christians in the past and present, was based on several sources. The Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) is a collection of writings (narratives, chronologies, poems, prophecies, wisdom literature) that describe the experiences, knowledge, teachings, and theology of the Hebrew Semites during the second and first millennia B.C. (ante christos). In the Old Testament, we find the declaration of a sole God called Yahweh: this was the Hebrew God introduced to Moses in the Book of Exodus as “I am who I am.” In the first chapter of Genesis is described Creation: God is the creator of all things, the world, the heavens, and all forms of life, including humans. God makes humans, Adam (literally “man”) and Eve, formed from Adam’s rib. Genesis chapters one and two have different descriptions of the creation of humans. In chapter one, God proclaims His creation of all things, including humans, Good. In chapter two, however, Original Sin is described, developed from the human response to the search for knowledge: the serpent beguiles Eve, who convinces Adam that they should disobey God and eat from the tree of knowledge. All humans henceforth are condemned by God’s judgment against Adam and Eve. 

Genesis describes God’s people, the Hebrews/Israelites, who were Semites who migrated from Mesopotamia to Palestine during the 2nd millennium B.C. Israel was, historically, the name for Abraham’s grandson Jacob. The Old Testament also features covenants formed between God and humans: the Covenant of Abraham, which is the foundation of God’s relationship with the Hebrews, the Chosen People, which was formed initially with and by Abraham, the founder of the Hebrews. This was a covenant of circumcision. The Covenant of Moses: Moses was the Hebrew who led the Egyptians from bondage in Egypt. He was introduced to Yahweh at Mt. Sinai. After leading the Egyptians out of Egypt, Moses received from God the Ten Commandments, which form the basis of the Law, which forms the basis of the Hebrew Torah and books such as Leviticus and Deuteronomy. 

The Old Testament is a book that describes God’s providential direction of human affairs, focusing on the Hebrews and their enemies. After a period of time of leadership by Moses and his followers, the Hebrews crowned a king, Saul, who was overthrown by David, with whom God formed a new covenant. David the shepherd boy was the anointed of God who drove the Philistines out of Palestine and established a unified kingdom that his son, Solomon, inherited. 

Much of the Old Testament is a history of the various, almost endless, ways that the Hebrews broke the covenant with God by recurrent disobedience. During these centuries of disobedience and punishment some remarkable poetic writing emerged from particularly gifted Hebrews, notably the Psalms. There are 150 Psalms, largely written by David, which form a core of wisdom literature that includes the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, and the Song of Solomon. The Psalms formed in early modern Europe and America the Psalter, and became an important basis for American hymns. There are also books of prophecy. The prophets, such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, were inspired by God to proclaim God’s future works of redemption and punishment. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, the anointed one, called by the Greeks Christos, who was predicted by Hebrew prophets to be a king who would liberate the Jews from their oppressors and, like Moses, return them to glory and the promised land of Canaan.

Besides the Old Testament, Christians believe that the New Testament, the story of Jesus and His followers during the first century, A. D. (anno domini, in the year of our Lord), is inspired by God, the Holy Spirit, and is the most important foundation for Christian belief. The books of the New Testament began with the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, which provide brief biographical narratives that describe the life, work, and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels because of their many similarities.

The Gospel of Matthew was written (traditionally) circa 70 A.D. by a former tax collector and disciple of Christ. Written for Jewish Christians, it shows Jesus as the Hebrew Messiah, fulfilling Hebrew prophecy. The Gospel of Mark, written circa 65 A.D. by John Mark, Peter’s friend and Paul’s associate, is perhaps the earliest Gospel written. It is the partial basis for Luke and Matthew along with other oral traditions (nicknamed Q). Mark presents Jesus as the shadowy Son of Man; it is written for a Jewish and Gentile audience. Third is the Gospel of Luke, written circa 70 A.D. by the physician Luke, Paul’s friend, for Gentile Christians. Luke is the most full biographical account of Christ’s life. The last Gospel is the Gospel of John, written circa 95 A.D. by the disciple whom Jesus loved. Presents Jesus as the logos. The most mystical of the Gospels, it is heavily influenced by Greek philosophy. John was written for Jewish Christians. 

After the Gospels is the Acts of the Apostle, which is the story of the spread of the Gospel by the first disciples and apostles. It was authored by the Gospel writer Luke. After Acts are various Epistles, mostly by Paul (?-67 A.D.), the former Pharisee, later fearless Apostle, who spread the Gospel to Asia Minor, Greece, Italy, perhaps Spain. Paul’s Epistles (to the Romans, Corinthians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Ephesians, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon) focus on the resurrected Christ overcoming the limitations of the Law. Other Epistles by Peter, James, Jude, John are letters of the disciples. Peter (?-67 A.D.?) was the first disciple, the rock of the Church. John (?-100A.D.) was the disciple whom Jesus loved, author of Fourth Gospel, Epistles, and perhaps Revelation, a mystical chapter of eschatological writings. John was teacher of many second century apostles, such as Papias, Polycarp, and Ignatius.

The New Testament presents a unique, fascinating, and captivating theology centered upon the life and teachings of Jesus. The books are centered upon the mystical Incarnation, the miracle of God becoming man, taking on flesh, in Mary’s womb. The Incarnation is the central event in human history by which Christians measure their own lives. The assumption of the Incarnation is based on several mystical assumptions, one of which is the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel to the young virgin Mary that she would bear the Son of God by means of the actions of the Holy Spirit. One interpretation of Mary by the Catholic Church is that she was without sin, a teaching known as the Immaculate Conception. Most expressions of Christianity teach the concept of the Trinity, which is the Christian conception of the tripartite God: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all of the same substance yet with different identities. Further, the Apostle John in his Gospel presents Jesus as the Logos, which in Greek philosophy is the Word, the expression of truth that exists in the universe. Christian writers, influenced by the Greeks, conceived of the Logos as Jesus the Christ. Jesus himself, in the Gospels, declares himself the Son of Man, a mysterious phrase by which Jesus identified himself in the Gospels. Christians argue that after many hidden years Jesus became a proselyte for God and His own role as the Son of God. After several years of teaching he was arrested and crucified, which Christians interpret as the Pascal sacrifice by which Jesus saved the sins of all humankind. The Romans typically crucified criminals and evil-doers. Jesus was crucified at the order of Pontius Pilate, Procurator of Judaea, at the request of Jewish leaders of the Sanhedrin. But on the third day after the crucifixion, the Resurrection occurred–the return to life of Jesus after crucifixion and burial in a tomb. Afterwards the Ascension occurred, which is the departure of Jesus into Heaven several days after His resurrection. Then, after fifty days occurred Pentecost: in which the Holy Spirit comes to the Apostles in tongues of fire and infuses hope, power, and knowledge. An important part of Jesus’s teaching to the disciples is the Great Commission, in which Jesus gave the Twelve disciples (and hence all apostles) a commission to go into the world and spread the Gospel. This involves bringing the Good News to Gentiles: the non-Jews of the ancient world, the uncircumcised. The Apostles of the first and second century A. D. formed the Church (ecclesia). The structure and leadership of the Church during the first centuries involved small communities of persecuted believers, led by Deacons, Presbyters, and Bishops. By the end of the second century, the New Testament canon was formed. Also during the second century, Apostolic authority was assumed by leaders of the emerging Church.