Foundational Christian Beliefs about Jesus
Then early church
There are many different branches on the tree of the Christian Church. We read how the church began in the Biblical book called The Acts of the Apostles, or just Acts for short. In chapter 2 we read about the coming of the Holy Spirit and the first Christian sermon. The disciples, together with about seventy others were gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem. They were prayerfully waiting for a sign from God that the risen Jesus had promised them. When the Holy Spirit comes upon them like fire and wind they begin to speak in tongues, in languages that they did not know. The resulting noise drew a crowd and gave Peter the opportunity to preach the first Christian sermon.
In this sermon Peter gave the following foundation beliefs about Jesus. First of all Jesus was not left dead in his grave, but raised to new life by God the Father. After spending forty days on earth appearing to the disciples he was raised to the right hand of God. From there he sent God the Holy Spirit upon believers. In response to Peter’s sermon the people asked what they must do to be saved. Peter responded explaining they must repent of their sin and be baptized in the name of Jesus. Then they too will receive the Holy Spirit.
Persecution
Soon after these events we read how persecution came upon the church and the disciples began to flee in all directions taking the message of Jesus with them. A man named Saul was the leader of the persecution. However, Saul was converted by an encounter with Jesus. That’s another story. However, it is key because Saul, better known by his Christian name, Paul, became a great evangelist and church builder among the Gentiles (any one who is not Jewish). In time there was some dispute between the first Christians, who were all Jewish and the Gentile Christians. The Jewish Christians had all been circumcised and were keeping kosher dietary laws. In Acts Chapter 15 we read how the council of church leaders in Jerusalem decided it was not necessary for Christians to be circumcised. They did require them to refrain from eating food sacrificed to idols, from drinking blood, and from sexual immorality.
Growth
The church continued to grow and thrive throughout the Roman Empire into Egypt, north towards Russia and South into India. By the time Constantine became emperor in the 300s there were a variety of beliefs and theology among the various branches of the church and no central authority to say what was and was not basic teaching for all. Constantine had converted to Christianity and declared it to be the official religion of the empire. So he gathered many church leaders together in the town of Nicaea and charged them to stay until they decided on what beliefs were essential to the faith. The result was what we know as the Nicene Creed. They also decided which books would make up the Bible. You may have heard of, so called, lost Gospels. There were many Gospels written in the first couple of centuries after Jesus. The Council of Nicaea chose, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John from among them.
The Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is still the foundational teaching of Christian belief. It affirms the concept of the Trinity: One God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It speaks of God the Father as creator of heaven and earth. Yet with another creed, the creed of Athanasius, the church affirmed there is no separation between the three persons. The word “begotten” describes the relationship of the person of the Son to the Father. Some centuries later the church clarified the creed by saying the Holy Spirit “proceeds” from the Father and the Son.
The other foundational teachings about Jesus in the creed affirm his virginal birth, life, death on the cross at the hands of Pontius Pilate, his resurrection from death, ascension to heaven, and his coming again in the future. The creed also talks about the catholic church. This did not mean The Roman Catholic church. The word “catholic” means universal. Where ever the church believes what is in the creed, it is “catholic.” Finally it confirms believers can receive forgiveness of their sins and eternal life through faith in Jesus and his sacrificial death.
Additions over time
It took several hundred years for the church to say more foundational things about Jesus. The most important is the dual nature of Jesus. He is both fully human and fully divine. It is not a contradiction, nor a paradox, but what the church calls a mystery.
Over the centuries the church in Rome became more or less the center of most of the Christian world with the other major groups being the Orthodox church in the east and the Coptic church in Egypt. Various questionable practiced developed involving the veneration of Mary, and the Saints, etc. Until a young Monk, named Martin Luther posted a list of 95 things he thought were wrong and the Protestant Reformation began. From that time forward a number of denominations evolved. Each denomination developed some unique teachings or at least emphasis which tended to create divisions. Calvinist are very strong on the first of the Ten Commandments and don’t have any pictures or statues. Presbyterians believe in predestination: the belief that it has already been determined who will be saved. The Baptist believe a person must be adult enough to accept the faith and be totally immersed at baptism.
Ecumenism
In the 1960s the ecumenical movement arose as an attempt to work towards greater unity among the various branches of Christianity. There has been some progress in this regards. The Lutherans have been among the most able to bridge the divides. They have worked out sharing agreements with Episcopalians, United Church of Christ, Presbyterians, and recently Methodist.
In the early part of the 1900s the Pentecostal church movement birthed a variety of denominations that believe in the availability of Gifts of the Holy Spirit for every believer. This movement spread to other denominations. It is known as the Charismatic movement.
KAIROS as an example
The interdenominational prison ministry of KAIROS is one good example of the church agreeing on foundational beliefs today. Men and women from all denominations, non denominational, Pentecostal, and Roman Catholic churches come together to share the faith in prisons. They agree to share what they all affirm and keep silent about areas of disagreement. God loves us unconditionally. He wants to reconcile us to himself through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The resurrection of Jesus confirms what Jesus taught. Repentance of sin and faith in Jesus gives us forgiveness of our sins as we forgive others. The church happens were two or more are gathered in Jesus name.
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