What do Christians believe?
Explore the Affirmation of Faith:
The Apostle’s Creed, The Nicene Creed,
Monotheism, and more!
Bible Basics Custom Google Site Search!
What do Christians Believe?
What do Christians believe? Explore the Affirmation of Faith: The Apostle’s Creed, The Nicene Creed, Monotheism, and more!
Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study
Study manual * Second Edition
Written by
Richard Byrd Wilke and
Julia Kitchens Wilke
Without this study manual writing Bible Basics would have been impossible! Taking the Disciple Classes has been one of the most influential studies that I have ever done and has had a huge impact on my life.
– Osten Aune
Reprinted from Disciple Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study.
· The word Bible means, “Book.” It is the book. All others pale beside it. Yet it is not a single book but a library of sixty-six books, written over a period of a thousand years. But the experiences that are recalled, analyzed, evaluated, and celebrated occurred over a much longer period.
· The Bible tells about the Hebrew people struggling always to be God’s people. (Just like us).
· The Bible, inspired by God, is both human and divine.
· Scripture simply means “writing” But the writing is of every conceivable variety: poetry, laws, historical narratives, liturgies, songs, prophetic utterances, wise sayings, short stores, parables, Gospels, letters, sermons, and apocalypses.
· When we read the Bible and God speaks to us, we hear the Bible as God’s Word.
. The Jewish Torah, The Law, the first five books in the Old Testament (also called the Pentateuch) was written by Moses.
· Pentateuch means 5 volume Book.
· The Torah canon was authoritative for all Jews and later for all Christians.
· The Hebrew Scriptures, known later to Christians as the Old Testament, were originally written in Hebrew, but when they were translated into Greek-language this translation was called the Septuagint.
· The Septuagint differs from the Hebrew Bible in language, in the order of books, and in the inclusion of those books known as the Apocrypha found in the Roman Catholic Old Testament.
*Titles in italics are not in the Protestant Old Testament. They are from the Apocrypha.
· None of the books of the Apocrypha was ever included in the Hebrew Bible.
· The New Testament canon developed gradually. The earliest listing of books identical to our present New Testament canon was prepared by Athanasius of Alexandria in A.D. 367.
Reprinted from Disciple Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study.
Why are there so many different churches?
Baptist, Catholic, Episcopal,
Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian....
Alphabetical order
Why are there so many different religions?
Why are there so many different churches?
Why are there so many different ways to worship?
Why are there so many different people?
Why are their 4 Gospels telling the “Good News”
the life, suffering, death,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
For the same reason God is the Triune God: The Holy Father,
His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost).
Remember God loves all of us despite our sins
and with no regard to our nationality, our race, our wealth,
our profession, or our social status.
God loves all the people you don’t like!
God created individuals; not clones.
God loves diversity in his creation!
Monotheism
There is only one God!
Monotheism adapted definitions are reprinted from:
Theological Diversity in the Bible by Lindsey P. Pherigo
· Originally people were:
Polytheistic – worshipped many gods.
· Henotheism - “Heno” comes from the Greek word “one” but Henotheism is not the belief that there is only one god. It means that one worships only one’s own god or gods. Other peoples have their gods, but one should not worship them.
· The Jewish prophets forbade the worship any other gods, other than “Yahvey” / “Yahweh” the Jewish word for God.
MONOTHEISM IS THE BELIEF IN ONLY ONE TRUE GOD.
· Yahweh will be the God for all of the other nations.
Yahweh is God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
· Since there is only one God, then all of the peoples of the world will eventually acknowledge and worship the one and only God.
· Orthodox Christianity, in all three of its major forms
(Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant), has acknowledged that monotheism means there is only one God. When Moslems call on their god Allah that is the one god by another name.
Since there is only one God who created all of us and loves all of his creations consider: all denominations, religion, all faiths, nationalities, all races, the homeless, the hungry, the poor, the sick, the broken hearted. The Bible even says to “Love Your Enemy.”
You may ask yourself, “why all of the YouTube videos” in this Bible Basics Lesson? During the year in the Bible Basics Bible Study Class we often referred to these prayers and others throughout the year. On the Internet these YouTube videos are to SLOW you down! This is NOT a Prayer Speed Reading Lesson! Slow Down!
Treasure and Ponder the Words of God. Each and every Word of God is perfect. Dwell on the Word, Meditate on the Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to understand the Word.
Are you obedient to God’s Word? How are these Words of God meaningful in your life? How can you apply God’s living Word to your Life?
Please read the Prayers. Enjoy the videos and the Bible Basics presentations, but truly meditate on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.
YouTube - The Nicene Creed
What do Christians Believe?
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
YouTube - Nicene Creed: Faith Of The Ages
The Nicene Creed was formulated among the teachings of the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.. The word Creed comes from the latin word Credo, which means I believe. The Nicene Creed is a 2,000 year old prayer that has been said among Catholics and Orthodox alike in their Masses which profess their faith! Here, the creed is cited in latin with english translations on the bottom.
Affirmation of Faith
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in 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 from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick
(living) 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 life everlasting.
Amen
*universal
Presbyterian
YouTube - The Apostle's Creed
Affirmation of Faith
The Apostles’ Creed
Traditional
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 Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate
was crucified, dead, and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick (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 life everlasting.
Amen
*universal
Methodist
YouTube - The Apostle’s Creed
An old man and a young boy both say the Apostle's Creed
in two different ways.
· Trusting in the gracious mercy of God, do you turn from the ways of sin and renounce evil and its power in the world? I do.
· Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Lord and Savior, trusting in his grace and love?
I do.
· With God’s help, will you be Christ faithful disciple, obeying his Word and showing his love?
I will.
· With God’s help, will you be a faithful member of this congregation, share in its worship and ministry through your prayers and gifts, your study and service, and so fulfill your calling to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?
I will.
When a child is baptized or adult you renounce sin and the entire congregation collectively responds the Affirmation of Faith: The Apostle’s Creed. There is the Thanksgiving Over the Water, The Act of Baptizing and Blessing, the Giving of the Baptismal Candle (to be lighted every year on your Baptism.) Then the congregation responds: With joy and thanksgiving we welcome you into Christ’s Church; for we are all one is Christ. We promise to love, encourage, and support you, to share the good news of the gospel with you, and to help you know and follow Christ.
Baptism is the outward sign of an inward work of grace.
Living Hope Press
Living Hope Press
Ralph Bass: I write Christian theology books. Why? Well, I became a Christian when I was 14 years old. For the next 33 years I was a Baptist. But at age 47 I did the unthinkable—I began to question the theology and practice of all these years.
Presbyterian Doctrine – Tell Me About Presbyterians
Presbyterian Doctrine – I was raised a Baptist. I became a Presbyterian rather late in life. As a result, I did not have a cohesive understanding of all the new elements I found in Presbyterianism.
Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study
Ralph Bass: I write Christian theology books. Why? Well, I became a Christian when I was 14 years old. For the next 33 years I was a Baptist. But at age 47 I did the unthinkable—I began to question the theology and practice of all these years.
