Religions of the World: Christianity for Printing: Christianity

Christianity is the religion centered on the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, a wandering Jewish teacher who lived in Palestine in the early first century. Early Christianity focused on Jesus' unique understanding of God and the Jewish historical faith. Eventually, the distinctions between traditional Judaism and the gospel, or "good news," of Jesus became so pronounced that a new religion was born. Although Roman emperors persecuted Christians for several generations, Christianity eventually came to be the reigning religion of the Roman Empire.

Christianity has been the dominant religious worldview of the Western world for nearly 2000 years, despite the Crusades, the Reformation, the Counter Reformation, and denominational fractures. Although other religions, like Islam, are challenging Christianity's dominance, it remains the largest religion in the world with nearly 2.5 billion adherents. Today there are three main divisions of Christianity—Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox.

Christianity

Jesus

The primary faith commitment of Christianity is that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Messiah who came to bring salvation to all who believe. Jewish messianic expectation ran high during the time before, during, and after Jesus' life. Jews eagerly looked for deliverance from Roman occupation of Palestine and Roman dominance in their lives. Many Jews looked for a political messiah to come and throw off Roman rule and restore Israel to self-rule in its homeland.

Jesus, of course, in no way fit this description. He was an itinerant teacher who told stories, was said to perform miracles, was initially followed by a ragtag group of fishermen, prostitutes, and lepers, and was eventually put to death by crucifixion after only three years of ministry. The writers of the canonical Gospels, nevertheless, believed in his messianic status and sought to express this conviction in their respective Gospels. The writers did this differently, reflecting their own particular convictions about Jesus and writing in ways that would resonate with their respective communities' experience and needs. The Gospels comprise the first four books of the Christian Bible's New Testament.

Scholars debate endlessly about which information in the Gospels, both canonical and noncanonical, represents accurately who Jesus was and what he taught. This debate is understandable. For unlike founders of some other religions, Jesus himself did not write, nor did his immediate followers—at least not while he was alive and could legitimize their writings. The writers of the Gospels relied on the memories of those who had seen or heard Jesus, and on the stories about him passed down orally in the early communities of the Jesus movement. So, the Gospels do not give us perfect historical snapshots of Jesus' life and teaching; rather, they give us nuanced portraits that illumine aspects of Jesus' life as well as the writers' beliefs about Jesus.

The following passage from John's Gospel explains Jesus as the Word of God made flesh. Such an understanding of Jesus—as a being who is the full revelation of deity—became the orthodox theology of Christianity, which is what prompts many scholars to date John's Gospel later than the others. Here, Jesus is not merely the son of a Nazareth carpenter, but the Word of God who existed before creation, and caused all things to be, and who put on the flesh of a human body and came to live among people. Indeed, this idea of God taking on flesh is the "scandal of particularity" in Christianity: God appeared fully and finally in a particular person, at a particular place, and at a particular time, and to a particular group of people. Furthermore, the passage identifies Jesus as the "light of the world," indicating a new way or path being illumined by his human life and ministry.

Jesus

John 1:1-18

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2: He was in the beginning with God;

3: all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

4: In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7: He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.

8: He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

9: The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.

10: He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.

11: He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.

12: But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;

13: who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

15: (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'")

16: And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.

17: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18: No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

John 1:1-18

Questions for Discussion

How can the Word of God be both one with God and the same as God? How can the Word be both God and an instrument of God through which all things are made?
What does it mean to believe in Jesus' name and to "become children of God"?
What is the source of Jesus' "light"? What is the importance of this light to those who follow him?

Christianity

Jesus' Teaching

According to the Gospels, Jesus spent his time traveling, healing, and teaching. He taught an inner group of 12 disciples who traveled with him, as well as larger multitudes of people who flocked to see him in town after town. Jesus taught from within the Jewish tradition, and many in his audiences were Jews. Others outside the Jewish tradition followed him as well. Indeed, from many of its earliest recorded moments, Christianity has looked beyond the Jewish tradition to a more universal message of God's love and divine plan.

The following passage from the Gospel of Matthew—the so-called Sermon on the Mount—is one of the most famous of Jesus' teaching and widely believed to be authentic. The sermon opens with the Beatitudes, blessings upon those marginalized and pious. It continues with exhortations to remain faithful through persecutions, keep God's commandments, practice sexual purity, avoid self-righteousness and greed, beware false prophets, and trust God to meet one's needs. This famous sermon also contains the widely known Lord's Prayer, which is prayed in Christian churches throughout the world nearly every day.

In addition to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is known for his special use of the parable as a teaching genre. Jesus was a storyteller, and his parables reveal as well as conceal, illumine gentle as well as provocative and mysterious truths. The following passage from Mark's Gospel contains the famous parable of the sower, as well as the shorter parables of the hidden lamp and the mustard seed. These parables speak of the "good news" of God's revelation through Jesus and its growth and effect in a world that often is hostile to it.

Jesus' Teaching

Matthew 5:1-7:29

5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.

2: And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11: "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

12: Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13: "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

14: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.

15: Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

16: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

17: "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.

18: For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.

19: Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20: For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

21: "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.'

22: But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire.

23: So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24: leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

25: Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison;

26: truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.

27: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'

28: But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29: If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

30: And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

31: "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'

32: But I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33: "Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.'

34: But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

35: or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

36: And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

37: Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.

38: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

39: But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also;

40: and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well;

41: and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

42: Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.

43: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

44: But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45: so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46: For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47: And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

48: You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

6 "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2: "Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

3: But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4: so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5: "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

6: But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7: "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8: Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9: Pray then like this:

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10: Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11: Give us this day our daily bread;
12: And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors;
13: And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

14: For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you;

15: but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16: "And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

17: But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18: that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

19: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal,

20: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22: "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light;

23: but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

25: "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26: Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27: And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?

28: And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin;

29: yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30: But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?

31: Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

32: For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.

34: "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day.

7 "Judge not, that you be not judged.

2: For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

3: Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

4: Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye?

5: You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

6: "Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you.

7: "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8: For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

9: Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

10: Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

11: If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

12: So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

13: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

14: For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

15: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

16: You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?

17: So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit.

18: A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

19: Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20: Thus you will know them by their fruits.

21: "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22: On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'

23: And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'

24: "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built this house upon the rock;

25: and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

26: And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand;

27: and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."

28: And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,

29: for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Matthew 5:1-7:29

Questions for Discussion

Does Jesus' teaching support his assertion that he comes not to abolish the law but to fulfill it?
Why does Jesus ask his followers to endure persecution?
Why does Jesus advise his followers to pray and practice piety "in secret"?
Is the Sermon on the Mount a message of hope, a challenge, or a warning?

Jesus' Teaching

Mark 4:1-34

1: Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.

2: And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:

3: "Listen! A sower went out to sow.

4: And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

5: Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil;

6: and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away.

7: Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.

8: And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

9: And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10: And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables.

11: And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables;

12: so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven."

13: And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

14: The sower sows the word.

15: And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in them.

16: And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;

17: and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

18: And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word,

19: but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

20: But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

21: And he said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand?

22: For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.

23: If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."

24: And he said to them, "Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you.

25: For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

26: And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground,

27: and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how.

28: The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29: But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

30: And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?

31: It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth;

32: yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

33: With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it;

34: he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Mark 4:1-34

Questions for Discussion

What does Jesus mean when he says that some people "may indeed see but not perceive"?
Why does Jesus use the metaphor of a seed to describe both the word of God and the kingdom of God?
Why does Jesus teach the crowd through parables but then explain the parables privately to his disciples?

Christianity

Death and Resurrection

Luke's narrative, which follows, tells how Jesus was sentenced to death and crucified by Pilate, the regional Roman ruler, at the urging of Jewish authorities. The Gospel writers depict Jesus as knowing beforehand about his eventual suffering and death, as well as about his resurrection from the dead after three days in the tomb. Orthodox Christianity interprets Jesus' suffering and death in light of the sacrificial system handed down to it from ancient Judaism, in which the blood of slain animals serves as propitiation for sin. Thus, Jesus' death—more specifically, his body and blood—serves as the final and complete sacrifice for the sins of all humanity. Furthermore, because Jesus is no mere man, but deity incarnate, his sacrifice demonstrates the powerful love of God, in that God himself was willing to pay the redeeming penalty for all humanity.

The following passage from Mark's Gospel contains Jesus' words to his disciples that hint at the redemptive nature of his body and blood. This passage, and others like it in the other Gospels, provide the textual basis for a primary ritual in Christianity, which is variously called the Eucharist, mass, or communion. In this ritual, wine (or grape juice) and bread are eaten in a communal meal. Christians differ in their views of the elements of bread and wine in this sacrament; however, most agree that they point directly to Jesus' sacrificial and redemptive death without which humanity would have no hope for ultimate salvation.

Of course, the story does not end with Jesus' death. Orthodox Christianity believes that Jesus rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion and then, shortly afterward, ascended to heaven. The resurrection is a powerful symbol for the ultimate victory over both death and sin in that believers can look forward to the day when they, too, will be resurrected to live with God and Christ forever.

Death and Resurrection

Luke 23-24

23 Then the whole company of them arose, and brought him before Pilate.

2: And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king."

3: And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so."

4: And Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, "I find no crime in this man."

5: But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place."

6: When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.

7: And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.

8: When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.

9: So he questioned him at some length; but he made no answer.

10: The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.

11: And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then, arraying him in gorgeous apparel, he sent him back to Pilate.

12: And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

13: Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

14: and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him;

15: neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Behold, nothing deserving death has been done by him;

16: I will therefore chastise him and release him."

18: But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us Barab'bas"—

19: a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city, and for murder.

20: Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus;

21: but they shouted out, "Crucify, crucify him!"

22: A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no crime deserving death; I will therefore chastise him and release him."

23: But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.

24: So Pilate gave sentence that their demand should be granted.

25: He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, whom they asked for; but Jesus he delivered up to their will.

26: And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyre'ne, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.

27: And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him.

28: But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

29: For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!'

30: Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and to the hills, 'Cover us.'

31: For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

32: Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.

33: And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.

34: And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.

35: And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!"

36: The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar,

37: and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"

38: There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."

39: One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

40: But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

41: And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."

42: And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

43: And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

44: It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,

45: while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

46: Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.

47: Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, and said, "Certainly this man was innocent!"

48: And all the multitudes who assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.

49: And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and saw these things.

50: Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathe'a. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man,

51: who had not consented to their purpose and deed, and he was looking for the kingdom of God.

52: This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

53: Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid.

54: It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.

55: The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid;

56: then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared.

2: And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

3: but when they went in they did not find the body.

4: While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel;

5: and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?

6: Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,

7: that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise."

8: And they remembered his words,

9: and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.

10: Now it was Mary Mag'dalene and Jo-an'na and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles;

11: but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

13: That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma'us, about seven miles from Jerusalem,

14: and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.

15: While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

16: But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

17: And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad.

18: Then one of them, named Cle'opas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

19: And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,

20: and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.

21: But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened.

22: Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning

23: and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.

24: Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see."

25: And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

26: Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"

27: And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

28: So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further,

29: but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them.

30: When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.

31: And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight.

32: They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?"

33: And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them,

34: who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!"

35: Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

36: As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them.

37: But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit.

38: And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts?

39: See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have."

41: And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?"

42: They gave him a piece of broiled fish,

43: and he took it and ate before them.

44: Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled."

45: Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,

46: and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,

47: and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

48: You are witnesses of these things.

49: And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high."

50: Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.

51: While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven.

52: And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

53: and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Luke 23-24

Questions for Discussion

Why does Pilate only inquire whether Jesus claims to be "King of the Jews"? Why does Jesus not answer Pilate's question "Are you the King of the Jews?" directly?
What does it mean that the "chief priests and the rulers and the people" demanded Jesus' death in opposition to Pilate's judgment?
Why do the people ask for the release of Barabbas rather than Jesus?
Why, after Jesus departs from his disciples after traveling to Bethany, are the disciples filled with joy?

Death and Resurrection

Mark 14:12-25

12: And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?"

13: And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him,

14: and wherever he enters, say to the householder, 'The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?'

15: And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us."

16: And the disciples set out and went to the city, and found it as he had told them; and they prepared the passover.

17: And when it was evening he came with the twelve.

18: And as they were at table eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me."

19: They began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?"

20: He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.

21: For the Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."

22: And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body."

23: And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.

24: And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

25: Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Mark 14:12-25

Questions for Discussion

Why does Jesus refer to himself as "Son of man"?
Why does Jesus break bread with the disciples, saying, "Take; this is my body," after announcing that one of them will betray him?
What is the redemptive covenant that Jesus offers?

Christianity

Paul

Christianity, in a real sense, has two founders: Jesus and Paul. Paul never met Jesus. He appears in early Christian history only after Jesus' death and presumed resurrection, as a staunch Jewish persecutor of Jesus' Jewish followers. Many scholars argue that Jewish authorities sought to suppress the Christians among them because they feared additional hardships under the Romans if they were in any way connected to the followers of Jesus, who were viewed by the empire as insubordinate threats. Paul's extraordinary conversion to Christianity is recounted in Acts of the Apostles, which also traces his quick rise to prominence in the early Christian communities throughout the regions of Palestine and Asia Minor.

Given that Jesus lived only 33 years and left his teaching to no disciple in particular, Paul's exceptional gifts served the early Christian community well. Paul was a skillful organizer, tireless writer, traveler, and thinker—an apparent "workaholic." Well-trained in both Jewish and Greco-Roman traditions, he had a forceful personality and carried the important credential of Roman citizenship. Although his only encounter with Jesus was in a vision on the road to Damascus, Paul provided what became the definitive philosophical and theological interpretation of Jesus' life, teaching, and death. It is no accident that much of the Christian New Testament comprises Paul's letters to the various faith communities in Rome, Ephesus, Corinth, Thessalonica, and so on.

Paul

Romans 5:1-6:14

5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2: Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.

3: More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

4: and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

5: and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

6: While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

7: Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man—though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.

8: But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

9: Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

10: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

11: Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.

12: Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned—

13: sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

14: Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

15: But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

16: And the free gift is not like the effect of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification.

17: If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18: Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men.

19: For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.

20: Law came in, to increase the trespass; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

21: so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

2: By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

3: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4: We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5: For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

6: We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.

7: For he who has died is freed from sin.

8: But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.

9: For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

10: The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

11: So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.

13: Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness.

14: For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 5:1-6:14

Questions for Discussion

Why does Paul make the assertion that Christians must "rejoice in [their] sufferings"?
In what way is Jesus Christ's "free gift" of grace more powerful than Adam's legacy of "trespass"?
What does Paul mean when he writes that the people are "justified by faith"?
According to Paul, why does grace abound "all the more" as sin has increased in the world?
If, as Paul writes, Christ died so that "we might no longer be enslaved to sin," why do sin and death continue in the world? If, as Paul writes, the people are united in Christ in death, why do the people still have the freedom to let sin "reign in [their] mortal bodies"?

Christianity

Love

Both Jesus and Paul exhort believers in all sorts of ethical behavior on a broad range of issues. Both of them, however, seem to reduce the entire Christian ethos to one thing—love. Jesus, in the following passage from Matthew's Gospel, answers a crafty question from the Pharisees about the Mosaic commandments. Jesus argues that the entire law of God expressed in Judaism can be fulfilled by simply loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself.

Paul continues Jesus' sentiment in his letter to the Christian community at Corinth. This is a famous passage, often read or recited at Christian weddings. Paul, however, intends this passage to apply more broadly than to men and women in marriage. Without love, he writes, all the other virtues lose their vigor. Indeed, love is the bedrock of Christian spiritual life and practice.

Love

Matthew 22:34-40

34: But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sad'ducees, they came together.

35: And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him.

36: "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"

37: And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

38: This is the great and first commandment.

39: And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

40: On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

Matthew 22:34-40

Questions for Discussion

Why is loving God the greatest commandment?
Why does Jesus make loving one's neighbor dependent on self-love, while the commandment to love God is independent and unqualified?
Why does Jesus say that "all the law and the prophets" depend on these two laws?

Love

I Corinthians 13:1-13

1: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

2: And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3: If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4: Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful;

5: it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

6: it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.

7: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8: Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

9: For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect;

10: but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.

11: When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

12: For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.

13: So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I Corinthians 13:1-13

Questions for Discussion

Does Paul write that love comes naturally or inevitably?
In what way is love connected to emotional and intellectual maturity, to the passage from childhood to adulthood?
What does it mean for a Christian to first "see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face"?

Christianity

Apocalypse

Christianity, like Islam and some branches of Judaism, looks forward to the end of time, when the world as we know it will either be destroyed or made over into an eternal paradise of peace and glory in God's presence. For orthodox Christianity, this apocalypse will include a final judgment during which God destroys all forms of wickedness in the world via plagues, war, and fire. All believers who remain steadfast in their faith will survive the destruction to live forever with God in paradise, or heaven.

The Revelation of John is perhaps one of the most famous sections of the Christian sacred text. Its terrifying imagery and complicated story line have been incorporated into literature and film for generations. Tradition holds that the writer John was a persecuted Christian exiled on the island of Patmos when he received his revelation from God. Scholars place John's revelation in a genre of writing that emerges from any community that believes itself to be under siege and desperately hopes for deliverance in a cosmic way. One might argue that the entire messianic message of Christianity reflects such a hope. Revelation, however, takes this hope to another literary and symbolic level. In the following passages, John narrates his vision of the slain Lamb of God (which is Jesus Christ), the widely pictorialized four horsemen of the Apocalypse and the angels who carry the vials of God's wrath, as well as the final culmination of the new heaven and new earth prepared for all believers. These are the images that close the Christian New Testament; moreover, they serve to place Jesus' life, death, and ministry at the center of God's cosmic plan for all the world, time, and history. This, more than anything, is the heart of the Christian "good news."

Apocalypse

Revelation 5:1-6:17, 15:1-8, 21:1-8

5 And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals;

2: and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?"

3: And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it,

4: and I wept much that no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

5: Then one of the elders said to me, "Weep not; lo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

6: And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth;

7: and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

8: And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;

9: and they sang a new song, saying,

"Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals,
for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God
from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10: and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on earth."

11: Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

12: saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

13: And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!"

14: And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.

6 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say, as with a voice of thunder, "Come!"

2: And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

3: When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!"

4: And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another; and he was given a great sword.

5: When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and its rider had a balance in his hand;

6: and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; but do not harm oil and wine!"

7: When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!"

8: And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him; and they were given power over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

9: When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne;

10: they cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?"

11: Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

12: When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,

13: and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale;

14: the sky vanished like a scroll that is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

15: Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the generals and the rich and the strong, and every one, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,

16: calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;

17: for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand before it?"

15 Then I saw another portent in heaven, great and wonderful, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended.

2: And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.

3: And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

"Great and wonderful are thy deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are thy ways,
O King of the ages!
4: Who shall not fear and glorify thy name, O Lord?
For thou alone art holy.
All nations shall come and worship thee,
for thy judgments have been revealed."

5: After this I looked, and the temple of the tent of witness in heaven was opened,

6: and out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, robed in pure bright linen, and their breasts girded with golden girdles.

7: And one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives for ever and ever;

8: and the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were ended.

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

2: And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband;

3: and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them;

4: he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away."

5: And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."

6: And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment.

7: He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son.

8: But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death."

Revelation 5:1-6:17, 15:1-8, 21:1-8

Questions for Discussion

Why is the test of worthiness the opening and looking into a scroll sealed with seven seals?
Why is the Root of David described as both a Lion of Judah and a Lamb?
Are the four horsemen of the Apocalypse agents of God or agents of a corrupt world?
Why is the New Jerusalem presented as "a bride adorned for her husband"?
Why does God make "all things new" but not save those destined for "second death"?
Is God's wrath toward sinners consistent with Paul's ethic of love?

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