sect within Judaism
Christianity is derived from the word “Christ,” whose followers believe Jesus Christ was the son of God. The religion dates back two thousand years ago when Christ was born by the Virgin Mary. By the virtue that Jesus was a Jew, some people date Christianity to the beginning of Judaism. Christianity emerged as a movement during the first century C.E. during this time, Jesus assembled twelve disciples who assisted him in preaching the word of God in several places. In the company of the twelve, Jesus ministered to the outcast and the poor in Palestine and Israel. Jesus was later executed in the year 33, C.E by the Roman governor. Christian faithful believe he rose on the third day and ascended to heaven. Through his resurrection, Christians think Christ saved them from sin. However, a population of the Jews did not believe he was the son of God, forcing Christians to be identified as a sect within Judaism.
During the first and the second centuries, Christians worshiped in small groups in the Middle and Near East. At this time, their practices differed from place to place. Believers were often persecuted for professing their faith. This happened until 313 C.E when the Roman emperor Constantine became a Christian and legalized the religion. The emperor convened a meeting with Christian bishops to end the debates and differences among the Christian faithful. The Cristian church was led by the pope until 1517 when Martin Luther criticized corruption within the church. Through his attempts to reform the church, he gained support from a portion of the church leading to the Lutherans. This was followed by subsequent sub-divisions, which led to many denominations within the Christian church. However, Christians across all the denominations worship God as a supreme being who manifests himself in a Trinitarian form.
Christians believe that all human beings are born with sin, and it is only by the grace of God that their sins can be forgiven. They believe the bible is the word of God whose writers had his inspiration. Both catholic and Protestants perceive the bible as a revelation of God’s will. The church respects the individual’s ability to read and interpret the word for themselves.
Reference
McGrath, A. E. (2016). Christian theology: An introduction. John Wiley & Sons.