Doctrinal Study: What is Christianity

BLJ: I wanted to post a few days on Christian doctrine. I firmly believe that a lack of a good foundation makes it difficult to build any structure. Our foundation is Jesus Christ as revealed through the Holy Scriptures. Without sound doctrine, many errors in practice will be seen. For example, I once had a "Christian" husband ask me if he could divorce his wife after seven years because in the Old Testament all the slaves were set free after seven years. You can probably guess what I said to him. Understanding doctrine will keep you from error. The text come from a booklet, "The ABCs of Christian Doctrine."


WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY?

1. What is Christianity?

Christianity is the religion founded upon Jesus Christ, His teachings and atoning work, and promulgated by the universal brotherhood of believers, the Christian Church, bringing to all mankind the true revelation of God and of His redeeming love.

2. What summarizes the Christian creed?

The Apostle's Creed, namely: 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; 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 (in the sense of Universal) Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. What is the Christian's model prayer?

The Lord's Prayer-Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen (Matthew 6:9:13).

4. What is the summary of the Christian moral law?

a. The Ten Commandments

I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

IV. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

V. Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

VI. Thou shalt not kill.

VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

VIII. Thou shalt not steal.

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's (Exodus 20 3-17).

b. And the commandments given by Jesus: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Mark 12:30-31). "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34)