Christainly

 What is Christainity?

Christianity is focussed on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe to be the Son of God. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the Middle East over 2,000 years ago.

The four largest branches of Christianity are the Catholic Church (1.3 billion/50.1%), Protestantism (920 million/36.7%), the Eastern Orthodox Church (230 million), and the Oriental Orthodox churches (62 million) (Orthodox churches combined at 11.9%),[12][13] though thousands of smaller church communities exist despite efforts toward unity (ecumenism).[14] Despite a decline in adherence in the West, Christianity remains the dominant religion in the region, with about 70% of the population identifying as Christian.[15] Christianity is growing in Africa and Asia, the world's most populous continents.[16] Christians remain persecuted in some regions of the world, especially in the Middle East, North Africa, East Asia, and South Asia.[17][18]

What is Gospel?

The term gospel is found ninety-nine times in the NASB and ninety-two times in the NET Bible. In the Greek New Testament, gospel is the translation of the Greek noun euangelion (occurring 76 times) “good news,” and the verb euangelizo (occurring 54 times), meaning “to bring or announce good news.” Both words are derived from the noun angelos, “messenger.” In classical Greek, an euangelos was one who brought a message of victory or other political or personal news that caused joy. In addition, euangelizomai (the middle voice form of the verb) meant “to speak as a messenger of gladness, to proclaim good news.”1 Further, the noun euangelion became a technical term for the message of victory, though it was also used for a political or private message that brought joy.2

That both the noun and the verb are used so extensively in the New Testament demonstrate how it developed a distinctly Christian use and emphasis because of the glorious news announced to mankind of salvation and victory over sin and death that God offers to all people through the person and accomplished work of Jesus Christ on the cross as proven by His resurrection, ascension, and session at God’s right hand. In the New Testament these two words, euangelion and euangelizo, became technical terms for this message of good news offered to all men through faith in Christ

What is the Bible?

The Bible is a collection of 66 books written across hundreds of years by dozens of different authors, which all come together to tell one incredible story about Jesus Christ. Not only is it the best-selling book of all time… according to the NY Times, it’s the best-selling book of the year, every year. With that in mind, it’s hard to deny that the Bible is the most loved, most read, most incredible piece of literature the world has ever known.

But it’s more than just a book. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God – it’s how he speaks to us. Therefore, it carries his authority, and it tells us true and wonderful things about him.  As we enjoy, understand and submit to it, we enjoy, understand and submit to him.

Who is the Church?

The church is not a building, and it’s not a meeting. It is a people. God’s people.  As we’re saved by him, we’re invited into a community of believers – often described in the Bible as the family of God.

There’s two ways to think about the church, both of which are equally true and real. One is as the ‘local’ church – the gathering that we can see, and smell and touch as we get together in the same room each week, because we live at the same time, and in (roughly) the same place.

On the other hand, there’s the ‘global’ church – which is the gathering that we can’t see – because it extends across the world, and throughout history, to include everyone who has ever called Jesus their Lord and saviour. One day – we’ll all be in the same place singing the same song. But until then, we enjoy the blessings of being part of the global church by belonging to a local community of believers.

What is baptism?

God in his love has acted through Jesus Christ to free us from our slavery to sin. When Jesus had risen from the dead, he said to his disciples ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make all nations my disciples, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’. Baptism is the outward sign which symbolises that we have received ourselves what Christ has done for us; we are united with Jesus in his death; we are granted the forgiveness of sins; we are raised with Christ to new life.