The word Christianity simply means followers of Christ. It has nothing to do with denominations or doctrines; God offers everyone the choice to accept Christ Jesus. The title Christ, coming from the Greek word khristos and means anointed. The anointed one, Jesus the promised Messiah, was consecrated, commissioned, and appointed to come as God in the flesh for the atonement of our sins.Jesus of Nazareth is the central figure of the Christian religion, a savior believed to be both God and a human being. He is also known as Jesus Christ. The term "Christ" means the chosen one. Most of the details of his life are unclear, and much of what is known about his life comes from the four Gospels of the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
The Gospels tell the story of Jesus' wonderful birth in a stable in Bethlehem, and then of his life as an adult, a teacher with glorious powers which brought his own death and to his closest followers, called apostles. Jesus, betrayed by the apostle Judas, was crucified by the Romans, and his resurrection three days after his death was taken as proof of his divinity. The date of Jesus' miracle birth to Mary is celebrated each December 25th as Christmas. The holiday was used as the base year for the modern Christian calendar, though researchers now believe that earlier estimates were inexact and that Jesus was actually born a between 4 B.C. and 7 B.C. The date of the crucifixion is now marked as Good Friday, and the resurrection celebrated as Easter.
For the Jews, Jesus arrived as the long awaited Messiah. But on his arrival many people did not recognize him. Others refused to accept him because he did not fit their image as a king of all. Everywhere he went in his short life on earth he had made enemies and friends that would do anything for him. Some men hated him so deeply that they wanted to end his life and did crucify him. They refused to believe the words that he had spoken during his lifetime on earth.
Jesus instructed his disciples (students) in the ways they were to go forth and teach others. He tells them in Matthew 28:19: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...". The book of Acts is a history of the beginning of the early church and is important in proving the truth of Jesus' teachings. Christ's followers dealt with many adversaries though they were highly persecuted for their faith and for pursuing this "Great Commission".
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ greatly impacted his devoted followers. At his death many went into hiding, fleeing for their lives. At his resurrection they finally figured out what he had been trying to tell them and became powerful witnesses to the things that he had said and done. They spoke of how he had changed their lives and the lives of other people who he had touched. The word of their testimony and the power of his name continued to change the lives of many other people.
Their secure belief in Jesus and his teachings enabled them to speak confidently and effectively. Even in the face of persecution, they were compelled to speak what they knew was true, and the movement continued to grow. The spiritual hunger of the people they met needed to be fed and the spirit within those audiences quickly latched onto what they learned to be truth.
Many did not want Christianity to expand any further and ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus. Their reply recorded in Acts 4:19-20 was, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Because they saw first-hand the things Jesus did, they had very strong convictions about the message Jesus wanted them to spread.
Christianity survived and spread because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the power of God's Holy Spirit. Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica: "...our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction..." (I Thessalonians 1:5).
The world today has accepted diversity and has attempted to educate others about their culture and religious beliefs with the exception of Christianity. Even though Christianity is the largest religion in the world, the mention of the name of Christ is forbidden in many schools and at national events. The entertainment industry has shunned any accurate religious portrayals, or the use of the name of Jesus in their productions in spite of the immense popularity of such pictures as the "The Passion of Christ". Religious persecution is steadily growing against Christianity.
It seems that the more strongly the world protests hearing the name of Jesus, the more clearly it shows he is alive and active on earth. He is a powerful force in the lives of his followers who wait in eager expectation for the fulfillment of the Bible prophecies that have been predicted about his second coming when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the name of Jesus. (Philippians 2:10-11)
-by Aubrey Gibson-
This research paper was written by my granddaughter two years ago. I was looking through files and found it and was very impressed by the way she organized the facts she found and made them work together to tell about "Christianity". I'm sure she got an A+. I know the Lord was proud of her time and effort she spent researching.
