Christianity

On the Golden Rule . . .

“This is my command; that you love one another, even as I have loved you.”

— Jesus (7BC – 30 AD)

CHRISTIANITY — An Overview

Inception: Jesus (7BC – 30 AD)
Adherents: 2.1 Billion (2005) [EBI Estimate]

Primary Value Proposition: The Kingdom of Heaven is within you together with the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood / Sisterhood of humankind. These relationships are mediated by Jesus Christ.

The Word of (about and/or attributed to) God:

• This one God is our heavenly Father, in whom all things consist, and who dwells, by his spirit, in every sincere human soul.
• We who are the children of God should learn how to commit the keeping of our souls to him as to a faithful Creator.
• With our heavenly Father all things are possible.
• We cannot search out God by knowledge, but we can know him in our hearts by personal experience.
• All good things come down from the Father of light, in whom there is no variableness neither shadow of changing.
• The spirit of the true God is in man’s heart.
• We live in God and God dwells in us.
• Core Beliefs: Christianity teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, God having become human and the savior of humanity. Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah prophesied in the Hebrew Bible. The foundation of Christian theology is expressed in the early Christian ecumenical creeds, which contain claims predominantly accepted by followers of the Christian faith. These professions state that Jesus suffered, died, was buried, and was resurrected from the dead to open heaven to those who believe in him and trust him for the remission of their sins (salvation). They further maintain that Jesus bodily ascended into heaven where he rules and reigns with God the Father. Jesus is considered the model of a virtuous life, a balanced portrayal of the nature of God and service to man. He is and was both the revealer and physical incarnation of God. Christians call the message of Jesus Christ the Gospel (“good news”) and hence refer to the earliest written accounts of his ministry as gospels. The unwritten gospel that Jesus and the Apostles went about preaching and teaching was based upon the Fatherhood of God and its correlated Truth, the Brotherhood and Sisterhood of humankind. Jesus compared the progressive growth of the faithful individual and society to that of a mustard seed. The Son of God always deferred to the Heavenly Father. He also placed great emphasis on the enveloping and indwelling spiritual ministries of the Holy Spirit as well as the Spirit of Truth.