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{{Christianity}}

{{Christianity}}

'''Christianity''' is the world's largest religion, having 2.1 billion followers. It is a [[monotheistic]] religion that professes belief in [[Jesus]] as the Son of [[God]].  Christianity takes its name from [[Jesus Christ]] meaning "Jesus the Savior" and "Jesus the Anointed One".  Followers of Jesus are called Christians, meaning "of Christ" or "belonging to Christ".<ref>[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=2661&dict=CALD Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary]</ref>  

'''Christianity''' is the world's largest religion, having 2.1 billion followers.{{fact}} It is a [[monotheistic]] religion that professes belief in [[Jesus]] as the Son of [[God]].  Christianity takes its name from [[Jesus Christ]] meaning "Jesus the Savior" and "Jesus the Anointed One".  Followers of Jesus are called Christians, meaning "of Christ" or "belonging to Christ".<ref>[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=2661&dict=CALD Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary]</ref>  

== Main Christian groups ==

== Main Christian groups ==

God is understood by Christianity as  affirming history, as of all things real and realistic, taking into account the true nature and stages of the man he had created and who had gone wayward. Thus Cain who had murdered a man was at first given a sign on the forehead that  revenge not be taken out on him but to be left in the hands of God, but in the period of Noah and onward, justice was given over by God  into the hands of man to avenge the blood shed by man. God took account of the actual propensity to evil that was shown by the living of man and God made adjustments.   

God is understood by Christianity as  affirming history, as of all things real and realistic, taking into account the true nature and stages of the man he had created and who had gone wayward. Thus Cain who had murdered a man was at first given a sign on the forehead that  revenge not be taken out on him but to be left in the hands of God, but in the period of Noah and onward, justice was given over by God  into the hands of man to avenge the blood shed by man. God took account of the actual propensity to evil that was shown by the living of man and God made adjustments.   

God took notice of one man, Abraham, and the faith in Him that he exhibited, and working through his descendents, Issac, Jacob, the tribes to follow, and  under Moses and the period of the Law, God began to form a people of the people that were, to enlighten and and transform a people not yet come, to see a God, not of wood or stone, but living and true, good and willing to speak to them. Though He was one God and not many, under the leadership of Moses and Joshua, and through the leaving of Egypt and the entrance into the promised land, God demanded,  at the first,  that the people, whatever they believe, have no God before Him, no one above Him, no allegience but to Himself, and then the people understood  as they saw Him take them across boundries,across the rivers, to the very domain of the pagan Gods, beating them in their own territories, emasculating the deities of each town and city that Israel came in contact with, until come the time of the prophets, the people understood what God had revealed to them at the very first - if a god has no power, no ability to speak, no strength to save, then he is no god at all, and there is only one God, and it is the Lord.  

God took notice of one man, Abraham, and the faith in Him that he exhibited, and working through his descendants, Issac, Jacob, the tribes to follow, and  under Moses and the period of the Law, God began to form a people of the people that were, to enlighten and and transform a people not yet come, to see a God, not of wood or stone, but living and true, good and willing to speak to them. Though He was one God and not many, under the leadership of Moses and Joshua, and through the leaving of Egypt and the entrance into the promised land, God demanded,  at the first,  that the people, whatever they believe, have no God before Him, no one above Him, no allegiance but to Himself, and then the people understood  as they saw Him take them across boundaries,across the rivers, to the very domain of the pagan Gods, beating them in their own territories, emasculating the deities of each town and city that Israel came in contact with, until come the time of the prophets, the people understood what God had revealed to them at the very first - if a god has no power, no ability to speak, no strength to save, then he is no god at all, and there is only one God, and it is the Lord.  

Having given up God as their king, and demanding an earthly king to lead them, God did as they wanted, giving them Saul, with all his foibles, which they had not wanted, and then David to be their King, and with him a real kingdom, but with the Kingdom, the evils of all kingdoms, but leading them with the words from Him uttered by the prophets of a better Kingdom to come, with a better and greater than David to sit on the throne, a Kingdom where lion will dwell with lamb, where honesty will prevail over extortion, where goodness, justice and compassion will drip down as the fruit from trees, where Heaven and earth, love, truth and compassion kiss. And so the tyranny of cyclical history of corruption would be broken, by believing and looking forward, with faith to the coming of the Kingdom and the true King.  

Having given up God as their king, and demanding an earthly king to lead them, God did as they wanted, giving them Saul, with all his foibles, which they had not wanted, and then David to be their King, and with him a real kingdom, but with the Kingdom, the evils of all kingdoms, but leading them with the words from Him uttered by the prophets of a better Kingdom to come, with a better and greater than David to sit on the throne, a Kingdom where lion will dwell with lamb, where honesty will prevail over extortion, where goodness, justice and compassion will drip down as the fruit from trees, where Heaven and earth, love, truth and compassion kiss. And so the tyranny of cyclical history of corruption would be broken, by believing and looking forward, with faith to the coming of the Kingdom and the true King.  

===Jesus===

===Jesus===

[[Image:Jesus' Baptism.jpg|180px|left|]]

[[Image:Jesus' Baptism.jpg|180px|left|]]

During the reign of [[Caeser Augustus]] the Son (e.g. the second Person of the Trinity) took flesh from a virgin woman and was incarnate as a man.  He was born in the town of [[Bethlehem]] and was given the name [[Jesus]].  At the age of thirty he was baptized by his cousin, the [[John the Baptist|Prophet John]], and began to preach in the area [[Palestine]].  About three years after his baptism, he raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, prompting the Jewish power establishment to plot Jesus death.  Jesus was [[crucified]].  He came back from the dead and was seen by over 500 people.  He ascended to heaven.  The four [[Gospels]] contain the records of some of what Jesus did and said, but he did much more than those four books relate, as the Apostle John said in his Gospel.

During the reign of [[Caesar Augustus]] the Son (e.g. the second Person of the Trinity) took flesh from a virgin woman and was incarnate as a man.  He was born in the town of [[Bethlehem]] and was given the name [[Jesus]].  At the age of thirty he was baptized by his cousin, the [[John the Baptist|Prophet John]], and began to preach in the area [[Palestine]].  About three years after his baptism, he raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, prompting the Jewish power establishment to plot Jesus death.  Jesus was [[crucified]].  He came back from the dead and was seen by over 500 people.  He ascended to heaven.  The four [[Gospels]] contain the records of some of what Jesus did and said, but he did much more than those four books relate, as the Apostle John said in his Gospel.

{{Clear}}

{{Clear}}

Jesus, conceived of the Holy Spirit, presented a disturbing surprise to his earthly father, Joseph, knowing he had not impregnated his fiancee, Mary. She would ponder the meaning of this miracle all the days Jesus would grow and finally she would behold her son expire on the cross. But Joseph, told by the Lord who his son really was, and how he had come about, and being warned by the Lord to flee the murderous Herod, took his family to Egypt - until the death of Herod made it safe ("Out of Egypt have I called My Son") to return to Israel. The family settled in Nazareth on the elevated rim of the Jezre'el Valley where he grew well and observably no different from the other youth. But when he was about 12 years old, he was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem, and displayed his consciousness that His real Father was God rather than Joseph ("Didn't you know that I must be here about the matters of My Father?".   

Jesus, conceived of the Holy Spirit, presented a disturbing surprise to his earthly father, Joseph, knowing he had not impregnated his fiancee, Mary. She would ponder the meaning of this miracle all the days Jesus would grow and finally she would behold her son expire on the cross. But Joseph, told by the Lord who his son really was, and how he had come about, and being warned by the Lord to flee the murderous Herod, took his family to Egypt - until the death of Herod made it safe ("Out of Egypt have I called My Son") to return to Israel. The family settled in Nazareth on the elevated rim of the Jezre'el Valley where he grew well and observably no different from the other youth. But when he was about 12 years old, he was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem, and displayed his consciousness that His real Father was God rather than Joseph ("Didn't you know that I must be here about the matters of My Father?".   

They returned to Nazereth in Galilee and it wasn't until 28 years later that He began to publicly show His consciousness as to who he was. This was at his baptism at the Jordan River by John, when the voice came, to him, to John, and to the people privileged to be around, "This is my Son, the Beloved,  Listen (Shma'a) to Him!" Here and now, against even the desire of John the Baptizer, Jesus, knowing that sin was not in him, chose to identify with sinful mankind in this baptism of John for repentance of sin, knowing that at the end of his time on earth, he would then be giving this sinless life of his on the cross, bearing the sins of the world upon himself.  

They returned to Nazareth in Galilee and it wasn't until 28 years later that He began to publicly show His consciousness as to who he was. This was at his baptism at the Jordan River by John, when the voice came, to him, to John, and to the people privileged to be around, "This is my Son, the Beloved,  Listen (Shma'a) to Him!" Here and now, against even the desire of John the Baptizer, Jesus, knowing that sin was not in him, chose to identify with sinful mankind in this baptism of John for repentance of sin, knowing that at the end of his time on earth, he would then be giving this sinless life of his on the cross, bearing the sins of the world upon himself.  

[[Image:Carpaccio Christus in Emmaus.jpg|thumb|Christus in Emmaus by [[Vittore Carpaccio]]]]

[[Image:Carpaccio Christus in Emmaus.jpg|thumb|Christus in Emmaus by [[Vittore Carpaccio]]]]

Back, now,  in Galilee, he would begin to do works of mercy, miracles of compassion, healings of deliverance, and overthrowing the devastations of Satan upon the people of God's compassion - in short, bringing in the Kingdom of Heaven and of God and supplanting the Kingdom of Darkness. He began to gather around him his followers, simple fishing folk and others, spending most of his time in the area around the north shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). among the Jews of this Jewish area. He was bringing in the Messianic Kingdom to those who would understand it best, the Jews. But all the time, there was burning within him the knowledge that the blessings of Abraham would be extended, according to the promise,  to all the peoples of the earth, the Gentiles, and there would be a new Kingdom, a new nation, transcending both Jews and Gentiles, the Kingdom of the people of God the Heavenly Father. He began his forays then into gentile areas, Phoenecia, the Decapolis, and other locales, and finding faith there such as he had not found "even in Israel".

Back, now,  in Galilee, he would begin to do works of mercy, miracles of compassion, healings of deliverance, and overthrowing the devastations of Satan upon the people of God's compassion - in short, bringing in the Kingdom of Heaven and of God and supplanting the Kingdom of Darkness. He began to gather around him his followers, simple fishing folk and others, spending most of his time in the area around the north shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). among the Jews of this Jewish area. He was bringing in the Messianic Kingdom to those who would understand it best, the Jews. But all the time, there was burning within him the knowledge that the blessings of Abraham would be extended, according to the promise,  to all the peoples of the earth, the Gentiles, and there would be a new Kingdom, a new nation, transcending both Jews and Gentiles, the Kingdom of the people of God the Heavenly Father. He began his forays then into gentile areas, Phoenecia, the Decapolis, and other locales, and finding faith there such as he had not found "even in Israel".

A crossroads occurred, then, in the choice of Jesus, and consequently in the options of his disciples. It occurred in the Tetrarchy of Philip, at the foothills of Mt. Hermon, at the town of Caesarea Philipi. He knowing who he was, would force the question upon others - "Who do people say Me to be?". From the lips of Shim'on, whom he would call Peter, as leader of the others, He would hear - "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!" It was enough. Jesus would then begin imparting to them what the nature of His mission to be - not to expel the Romans from the Holy Land, but to go to Jerusalem, to be betrayed, to be spurned and rejected by the High Priests and the Elders of the People, to be hung on a Roman cross at the hands of the Gentiles, to die. Casesarea Philipi was in between, on one hand, Gentile pervaded Roman Tiberius to the southwest of the Sea, and on the other hand, anti-Roman nationalistic and zealotic Gamla  to the north east of the Sea. (This latter would end their rebellion against Rome by suicide on Matzada in 73 A.D).  Those two polarities were present in the minds of the disciples and Jesus began, on one hand, to divest from their minds the one, the warrior role of the Messiah against the Romans, and the other, to renew their thinking and their commitment to Him as the self sacrificing Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace and the true Messiah of Israel, on the other hand.

A crossroads occurred, then, in the choice of Jesus, and consequently in the options of his disciples. It occurred in the Tetrarchy of Philip, at the foothills of Mt. Hermon, at the town of Caesarea Philipi. He knowing who he was, would force the question upon others - "Who do people say Me to be?". From the lips of Shim'on, whom he would call Peter, as leader of the others, He would hear - "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!" It was enough. Jesus would then begin imparting to them what the nature of His mission to be - not to expel the Romans from the Holy Land, but to go to Jerusalem, to be betrayed, to be spurned and rejected by the High Priests and the Elders of the People, to be hung on a Roman cross at the hands of the Gentiles, to die. Casesarea Philipi was in between, on one hand, Gentile pervaded Roman Tiberius to the southwest of the Sea, and on the other hand, anti-Roman nationalistic and zealotic Gamla  to the north east of the Sea. (This latter would end their rebellion against Rome by suicide on Matzada in 73 A.D).  Those two polarities were present in the minds of the disciples and Jesus began, on one hand, to divest from their minds the one, the warrior role of the Messiah against the Romans, and the other, to renew their thinking and their commitment to Him as the self sacrificing Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace and the true Messiah of Israel, on the other hand.

This took place on the long 3 or 4 day journey by foot from Galilee to Jerusalem, along the [[Jordan River]] valley, coming to Jericho, ascending to Jerusalem from the east. It was in Jerusalem that he prepared and settled the matter for the perpetuation of the Church at the Lord's last supper of the Passover, to be made palpable later by the descent of the Holy Spirit. It was in Jerusalem, in the Garden of the Oil Press, that what He had been lead to believe about his mission and the meaning and manner of his death was fully embraced and accepted with no reservation or turning back. "Your will be done, Father, if there is no other way", and "There is no other way, Your will be done Father!" It was a perfect decision and commitment, perfecting his life to be a perfect sacrifice. And it was to the west just outside Jerusalem that His teachings came to a concretization and realization on the cross. And just outside of  Jerusalem that His Father would vindicate him by raising him from the dead.

This took place on the long 3 or 4 day journey by foot from Galilee to Jerusalem, along the [[Jordan River]] valley, coming to Jericho, ascending to Jerusalem from the east. It was in Jerusalem that he prepared and settled the matter for the perpetuation of the Church at the Lord's last supper of the Passover, to be made palpable later by the descent of the Holy Spirit. It was in Jerusalem, in the Garden of the Oil Press, that what He had been lead to believe about his mission and the meaning and manner of his death was fully embraced and accepted with no reservation or turning back. "Your will be done, Father, if there is no other way", and "There is no other way, Your will be done Father!" It was a perfect decision and commitment, perfecting his life to be a perfect sacrifice. And it was to the west just outside Jerusalem that His teachings came to a concretization and realization on the cross. And just outside of  Jerusalem that His Father would vindicate him by raising him from the dead.

"No man takes my life from me. I have power to take it and I have power to lay it down... I lay down my life for the sheep." <ref>Bible, Gospel of John, 10:18,15 http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=KjvJohn.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=10&division=div1</ref>

"No man takes my life from me. I have power to take it and I have power to lay it down... I lay down my life for the sheep." <ref>Bible, Gospel of John, 10:18,15 http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=KjvJohn.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=10&division=div1</ref>