The term Christianity refers to what is considered in many quarters of the world as the most widespread religion. It's origin goes back to the work of Jesus of Nazareth in Palestine in the first century A.D.
The word, "Christ, " from which "Christianity" is formed comes from the Greek, Christos, which is the equivalent of the Hebrew mashiah, from which comes the English, "Messiah." Both Christos and mashiah mean the same thing, meaning "The Anointed One." This is a literary meaning which stipulate one specific commissioned to carry out specific, usually national assignments.
Within the biblical context, "Messiah" and "Christ" each refer to a royal personage, initially incumbent, but after the exile, a future King that will come to reestablish the Kingdom of Israel. Judaism visualizes this kingdom as an earthly Israelite Kingdom under a descendant of David. For Christianity, however, the Kingdom is a Spiritual Kingdom of God inaugurated by God's Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, the Mashiah, whose coming has been foretold by the Prophets of the Old Testament, hence Jesus is given such titles as Christ, Saviour, Messiah, and so on.
Christianity is characterized by the adoration of Jesus Christ as the Second Person in the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; the use of rites, especially the Sacrament; the acceptance of the Bible as the Divinely inspired Holy Scripture and authoritative source of moral and theological teaching; the requirement of morally disciplined life; and the maintenance of a structure of Church government of a body of trained clergy. In the words of Friedrich Schleiermacher, Christianity is above all,
"A monotheistic faith... especially distinguished from other faiths by the fact that in it everything is related to the redemption accomplished by Jesus of Nazareth. "
A three-volume study of the Bible by Wilfried J. Harrington bears the following titles: The Record of Revelation : The Bible, The Record of Promise : The Old Testament, The Record of the Fulfillment : The New Testament.
The titles of these books especially the last two, take for granted and presume what has generally been accepted, namely, that Christianity grew out of Judaism. Right from the beginning Christianity has regarded itself as the direct and true successor of the Old Testament traditions.
According to the originator and chief propagator of Gantile Christianity, judaism is the root which supports Christianity before Paul, Jesus himself left nobody in doubt that he regarded himself as the expected Messiah of the Old Testament.
Jesus was a Jew, so we're his Apostle and Disciples. They considered themselves not as constituting a different group from Judaism but as a group whose mission was the fulfillment of the laws of Judaism.
It is not possible for me to discuss and give a comprehensive treatment of the Christian religion. This is because such attempt will require volumes and years, both which we do not have at our disposal. However my next post will focus on the study and consist of essential features and doctrines of Christianity.
Stay Blessed 馃檹
