Introduction
Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with over two billion people who follow its guidelines and beliefs worldwide. Religion has, for centuries, shaped people’s lives, beliefs, cultures, art, and politics to varying degrees in different regions (Carson & Woodbridge, 2020). The popularity and growth of religion are based mainly on its world view, which has four essential themes. They include Jesus being the son of God and thus God the son, God being one, God caring for the suffering, and Christ returning to restore the world.
However, Christianity is based on many other themes, such as God blessing nations and creating a world of chaos. It is also important to mention that historically, Christians have interpreted the scriptures differently, resulting in different branches of the religion. However, the four core themes discussed in this paper have remained relevant to all Christians.
There Is Only One God
The Christian faith is primarily based on the Hebrew Bible, which has an overlying theme that only one God is to be worshiped. The first line of the Bible makes this clear by stating, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, New International Version). The assertion that the world was created by one God and not a particular God or Gods makes Christianity different from other regions that emerged during the Bronze Age.
The Christian Worldview of only one God is primarily based on Judaism, the oldest monotheistic religion, which dates back 4000 years (Farid & Tasnim, 2022). This belief has since been adopted by Christianity, Islam, and other monotheistic religions that believe the one true God first revealed himself to his servant Abraham. During the exodus, which is regularly referenced by Christianity believers, the God of Abraham revealed himself to his people. According to the Bible, the Israelites were “shown things so that they would know that the Lord is God; and that there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:35, New International Version). God also demonstrated his power by performing miracles to explain this to His chosen people.
The Christians believe that there exists only one God who cannot be understood fully but needs to be known so that the Christians can form a relationship with him. Hudson (2017), in his book Foundations of Christian Thought and Practice, describes this concept further by affirming that there is only one God and “if you can fully comprehend God, then you are God” (p.51). Although today, the concept of there being one God feels natural to many people, during the Bronze Age, this idea was unique among other communities other than Jews. It was not until the New Testament, during the Roman Empire’s rule and after Jesus’s death, that the concept began to spread to other communities.
Paul, the apostle, spread this concept in his teachings, saying, “Yet for us, there is but one God, the father, from whom all things come and for whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:6. New International Version). In this passage and the following verse, Paul narrates the oneness of God and the divinity of Jesus Christ, showing that the complicated nature of God is one yet three. Over the years, Christians have had different interpretations of scriptures, causing the division of the church into Catholics and Protestants, yet the idea of God being one in three has remained solid among the great majority of believers.
Jesus Is the Son of God
The most significant proof that a person is a Christian today is the belief that Jesus is the son of God. Christians, Muslims, Judaizers, and Hindus all believe that there is only one God to be worshiped, yet Christianity sets itself apart by holding the belief that God is one in three and that Jesus is the son of God. The Bible, the primary scripture followed by Christians, proves this in the New Testament, where the authors consistently connect the events of the Old Testament to prove that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah.
The Gospel of John is particularly thorough in demonstrating this, stating that “In the beginning there was word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:1-3, New International Version). These three verses are linked with the creation story in the Bible, which states that in the beginning, God created the heavens and earth. The complexity of the nature of God demonstrated by Hudson (2017) is also portrayed by this verse, making it necessary for Christians to rely on faith to understand Jesus as God.
The Bible, particularly in the New Testament, requires Christians to rely on faith and accept that Jesus is the son of God. When Adam and Eve sinned, God was frustrated by humans and had to remove his presence from them. Christians believe that God, however, promised to restore humanity by sending a messiah who would save his people, as demonstrated in many Old Testament books such as Isaiah and Jeremiah.
When Jesus was born, many Jews refused to acknowledge him as the prophesied Messiah, as shown in Jesus’s constant disagreement with the Pharisees and other religious scribes. Eventually, the Jews ended up betraying him and having him crucified, fulfilling Old Testament prophesies. However, Judaists and Muslims disagree with this belief that Jesus was the son of God, making it a primary differentiating factor between Christians and believers of other religions.
God Carers for the Suffering
Christians believe that God cares for the suffering, as he demonstrated when he saw his people being oppressed in Egypt and sent Moses, his servant, to save them from slavery. In the Bible, there are many instances where God uplifts the poor, both in the New and the Old Testament. Since humans were made from the breath of God, as demonstrated in Genesis chapter two, Christians believe that they should help the suffering to get God’s consideration.
In the ten commandments that have been used as a base for Christianism and Judaism for many years, the first five commandments demonstrate how humans need to relate with God, while the last five guide people on how to relate with other humans. The book of Deuteronomy shows that Christians should help the suffering, stating that Christians should not deprive the fatherless with justice or take cloaks of the window (Deuteronomy 24:17-18, New International Version). Christians hold the Worldview that since they are created in the image of God, they should act in a manner that God would like, and helping the poor and oppressed is a significant way to express their love for God.
In the New Testament, the Bible displays Jesus as a loving and caring son of God, and Christians worldwide seek to follow his example. This Bible shows that Jesus cares for all people when it is written, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, New International Version). The Bible reveals that God expects to help all Christians but also expects them to show their love to their neighbors. For example, it is written that Christians should love God with all their heart and souls, and this is made to be the first great commandment.
Christians must also love their neighbors as they love themselves (Matthew 22:40). Hudson (2017) states that God, as displayed in the Bible, does not care if people are religious. Instead, believing true religion is based on the fact that a person could care for their neighbors as they would care for themselves. This Worldview is also associated with other major religions, such as Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, but one needs to be considered a Christian.
Christ Will Return Again
Many religions have hope for some fantastic event happening in the future for those who conform to it, and for Christianity, Jesus will come again and restore those who believe. Hudson (2017) solidifies this fact by stating that Christ shall return, and when he does so, he will restore all things, as demonstrated in the last two chapters of the Book of Revelation. The basis for this Worldview is not solely based on the Book of Revelation alone. For instance, in the book of Matthew is stated that “They will appear in heaven the sign of man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:20, New International Version).
Christians believe the day Christ returns cannot be known as the lord will return as a thief, and the sinners will face eternal torment (Hood, 2022). Catholics and protestants agree on the nature of Christ returning but disagree with the nature in which one will be qualified to go to the heavens. While protestants believe that faith alone can save a person and give them the holy spirit to navigate life, Catholics believe that divinity will come from grace and through adhering to church teachings and practices.
Comparison Between Christians and Protestants
The four themes of Christianity discussed above hold for all Christians, regardless of their denominations. The two main branches of Christianity today are Catholicism and Christianity, which emerged when the church split during the 16th century. This split occurred between 1517 and 1536 when John Calvin and Martin Luther protested against some of the deeds of the church, and although they wished to correct the church, their protests resulted in them establishing their churches (Hudson, 2017, p. 164).
Some notable differences between Catholics and Protestants include authority, where the Bible, tradition, and magisterium control the Catholics. In contrast, the protestants are regulated by the holy scripture that guides their faith and authority. The Catholics believe that to receive salvation, one needs to have faith, receive sacraments, and do good deeds, while the protestants believe that Christians get salvation through faith alone.
In Catholicism, a hierarchical structure is followed where the pope is the head and is assisted by cardinals, bishops, and priests. In contrast, in Protestantism, a more horizontal leadership structure is observed. Although some protestant churches have adopted hierarchical approaches in their structure, they are not as centralized as the Catholic church, which is one central global institution.
The Catholic church places the seven sacraments at the core of its worship. These include baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, reconciliation, last rites, matrimony, and holy orders. When a believer follows the seven sacraments, the catholic denomination believes they have acquired grace. Conversely, many protestant churches acknowledge baptism and communion as a way of being in touch with the holy spirit.
Conclusion
Being a Christian means you hold a world view of one God, Jesus being God’s son, God caring for the oppressed, and Christ returning to restore the world. The belief that only one God is almost acceptable to all people today was not the case during the early days when Christianity and Islam began to become the major religions. The view that Jesus is the son of God is the most significant difference between people who are viewed as Christians and those who subscribe to other religions such as Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism.
The belief that Jesus is the son of God has been accepted by both Catholics and Protestants. Although common among all humanity, Christians believe in helping the poor and the oppressed, and people who do not can be, at most times, considered non-Christians. Christianity is based on hope, where all believers know that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.
References
Carson, D. A., & Woodbridge, J. (Eds.). (2020). God & culture: Essays in honor of Carl FH Henry. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Farid, M. S., & Tasnim, S. (2022). Assisted reproductive technologies: Comparing Abrahamic monotheistic religions. Asian Bioethics Review, 15(1), 53-67. Web.
Hood, J. (2022). Eternal torments in the westminster confession. TheReformed Theological Review, 81(3), 173-201. Web.
Hudson, D. (2017). Foundations of Christian thought and practice. AAA Printing.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan House, 1984. Print.