(3)
Based on the Gospel scriptures, Christians developed two related concepts: the Trinity and the Incarnation. The Incarnation is concerned with Jesus' relationship to God. It refers to the belief that God became man through Jesus. This belief is founded on the resurrection faith and the post-resurrection experiences of Jesus’ disciples as told in the Gospels.
The doctrine of the Trinity states that there are three personages in one God, each distinct but sharing the same divine nature. These personages are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit). How there can exist three persons in one is considered a mystery. One way that is sometimes offered to partially visualize this concept is to examine the nature of water. Water is one substance, but it can take on the form of three distinct properties – liquid, ice, and vapor. The third person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is believed to have been sent to guide humans and is fully God, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, with a will, and can speak, but is separate from God. Belief in the Trinity is a distinctive and controversial characteristic of Christianity.
In Christianity, the Christ (the anointed one) is seen as "pre-existent." That is, creation occurred through him. Thus the Christ is seen in two ways. In pre-existent form, he is God's creative power, who was always with God and in fact was part of Him. As such, he is one of the Trinity. However, he was also born and lived as a human being in Christian history.
Jesus' Life, Death, and Resurrection
God is spiritual and thus could not have a child in the physical sense. The Bible says that the birth was miraculous. Jesus' mother was still a virgin (perhaps unmarried) when she gave birth. Thus, God was responsible for the impregnation, though not physically.
Jesus was executed by the Roman government. However, more than just the Romans were involved: he was identified by one of his own followers and handed over by the Jewish authorities to the Romans.
According to the Gospels, Jesus had warned his disciples that he was going to be killed. He saw himself as carrying out a role described by the prophet Isaiah. The applicable Old Testament passages describe a person who would suffer on behalf of the Jewish nation, bearing the punishments that are deserved because of the people’s sins. As a result of Jesus’ sacrifice, humans are
(4)
considered to be able to reconcile with God. On the evening before he was arrested, Jesus referred to his blood being shed to establish a new covenant, this time to include the forgiveness of sins, but (according to other scripture) not to nullify the old covenant.
The term "resurrection" means coming to life again. After his resurrection, Jesus is described as having a somewhat transformed existence. That is, it does not appear that his body simply came back to life. He was then reportedly able to pass through walls. However, he was more than a ghost or a vision, as he ate a fish and let someone touch him.
Forgiveness of Sins and Immortality
Christians believe it is humankind's obligation to obey God. However, the world is viewed to be in a state of rebellion against God. The acts of disobedience that occur are referred to as “sins.” Forgiveness of sins is one of the key beliefs of Christianity. Christians believe Jesus died to seal our forgiveness by God.
Based on Jesus’ statements, Christianity contains a doctrine of eternal punishment. Before the Day of Judgment, which will occur at the end of human history, everyone who ever lived or died will be resurrected and judged by Jesus Christ. The souls of those who reject the Gospels and/or persist in defying the commandments of God will suffer eternal torment in hell. Some modern Christian thinkers have sought to de-emphasize the doctrine of hell, while modern fundamentalists and Pentecostals have continued to emphasize it.
Many religions believe that there is some existence after death. This is often expressed as the "immortality of the soul." This soul survives death and is in some way united with God. The characteristic Christian belief adds an element: the resurrection of the body. Christianity sees the body as existing in the long run together with an immaterial soul.
