Chapter 2 Section 2 Classics, Doctrines and Etiquette

The classic of Christianity is the "Bible", including the "Old Testament" and "New Testament". The "Old Testament" is the "Bible" of Judaism, which is fully accepted and interpreted by Christianity. The volumes of the "New Testament" were formed in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. In the middle of the 4th century, the "New Testament" was compiled in the name of the emperor of the Roman Empire and published for use in various places.By 397, the church had confirmed the contents and contents of the New Testament.This is the handed down "New Testament".Christianity believes that the "Old Testament" is the "law" promulgated by God through Moses, that is, the "covenant" made with the Israelites. The "Old Testament" emphasizes the "law" and is based on "justice"; the Israelites violated the covenant and were punished for their crimes.God also sent His Son, Christ, to come to the world to redeem mankind suffering from sin.Through the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, the "New Covenant" was established with mankind. The "New Testament" emphasizes "salvation" and is based on "mercy".The "Old Testament", which was finalized before the emergence of Christianity, was regarded by Christianity as the prophecy of Christ's coming into the world, while the "New Testament" formed after the emergence of Christianity was regarded by Christianity as the completion of the "Old Testament" prophecy, and became a unique Christianity. classic.All Christian sects recognize that the Old and New Testaments are written by inspiration of God, are God's revelation, have the highest authority, are the basis of Christian belief, and serve as the standard for the promotion of doctrine and the behavior of believers.

All Christian teachings must be based on the Bible and church traditions.In Catholicism, the authority to preach teachings belongs to the church, which is executed by the godfather, pope, council and bishop.In addition to the Bible, the Orthodox Church also takes the Nicene Creed and the resolutions of the first seven councils as its standards of belief.Protestantism only recognizes the "Bible" as the only supreme authority of faith. The basic teachings that all Christian sects believe in are: (1) Belief in God (also translated as "God" or "God") to create and rule the world.God is a "spirit", invisible, bodyless, directionless, beyond all things, and permeating all things, that is, both superexistence and immanence.God is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipotent, possessing reason and will. (2) Believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Savior of the world.He is fully "divine" and fully "human".He was with God the Father, God's "Word" (logos), before the world was created.In order to redeem the world, he was conceived by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary, and came into the world as a man, that is, "incarnation".He is the messenger of the "Holy Father" God's revelation and the proclaimer of the Gospel of Salvation, and he was willing to be crucified on the cross and shed blood as a sacrifice to sacrifice to God instead of mankind as a ransom.Later, he was resurrected, ascended to heaven, and will return to the world in the future to carry out the final judgment. (3) Belief that the "Holy Spirit" "comes from the Father (and the Son), is worshiped and honored together with the Father and the Son", operates in the world and in the hearts of mankind, and convicts, repents, and sanctifies people.Christianity believes that the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit are all gods, but they are not three independent gods, but three "persons" of the same "ontology", and the three constitute the unity of God.This is the doctrine of the "Trinity". (4) Believe that the church is a group composed of God's "chosen people" established by Christ, which is passed down from the apostles, has sanctity and universality, and has the mission of spreading the gospel in the world. (5) Believe that man was created "in his own image" by God, composed of body and soul, occupying the highest position in all things, but because of his betrayal of God, he fell into sin and could not save himself. Only by trusting in Christ can he be saved Justified, eternal life.The above-mentioned teachings have been systematically explained and cumbersomely demonstrated in various Christian theologies, and each has different emphases and tendencies. However, the belief that Jesus is the Savior and that Christ redeemed the world remains unchanged. This is the difference between Christianity and other religions in terms of belief. fundamental difference.

Some important rituals of Christianity are called sacraments or sacraments, and their theological significance is to bestow invisible charisms on the recipients by means of visible forms or appearances.The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church stipulate seven rituals as sacraments: (1) Baptism, which includes rebirth and washing away original sin, endowed with "grace" and "seal", and has the right to receive the meaning of other sacraments thereafter, so it is regarded as joining the church symbols of. (2) Reinforcement means that the Holy Spirit descends on the body, strengthens the grace received, strengthens the faith, and invigorates the soul. (3) Confession means to forgive believers for sins committed against God after baptism, so as to regain grace. (4) The Holy Eucharist means "merging into one" with Christ, as well as communicating with believers and uniting the church. (5) Finally, there is the blessing of sin forgiveness, so that seriously ill or dying believers can go to see God with peace of mind. (6) Divine grade, which means to "sanctify" the recipient, to dedicate to God, and to be used by the church. (7) Marriage means being "fitted by God" and blessings to both parties.Protestantism generally only recognizes baptism and the Holy Communion as two sacraments instituted by Jesus himself, and a few denominations do not recognize the sacraments.

The most common form of worship in Christianity is Sunday worship. In the 1st century, Christians believed that Jesus was resurrected on the "first day of the week", that is, Sunday after his crucifixion. They often gathered on this day to review Jesus' teachings and held communion ceremonies to commemorate him, which is called "the Lord's Day".The ceremonies of Sunday worship are now complicated and simplified in different sects.It is generally held in a church and presided over by a clergyman.The content mainly includes singing hymns, praying, reading excerpts from the Bible, preaching, blessings, etc.

Christian festivals vary from place to place.The church stipulates that December 25th commemorates the birth of Jesus every year, which is called Christmas.Every year, the first Sunday after the full moon in the spring equinox commemorates the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion, which is called Easter.The 50th day after the festival is Pentecost, also known as Pentecost.Because according to records, Jesus ascended to heaven on the 40th day after his resurrection, and sent the Holy Spirit to descend on the 50th day.These are the three major festivals of the Christian Church.

Christianity has a history of more than 1,300 years in China. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has been introduced into China four times and suffered setbacks three times. It was only in modern times, with the decline and disintegration of feudal society and the invasion of imperialism, that it was able to infiltrate into urban and rural areas and become a Christianity in China. A special force in society.Its mutual influence with traditional Chinese culture and various religions, as well as its relationship with each other, are indeed quite attractive research topics.