Hello there everyone! Sonny here again.
This semester, I took one subject that is called Moral Studies.
And in this subject, we did study about every religion in Malaysia.
One religion mentioned is Christianity, and since I’m a Christian,
and Christians are supposed to spread the word about Jesus Christ
and Christianity, I’ve included a document that my friends and I
have found out about Christianity.
*Notice to those who are not CHRISTIANS and everybody else, you may delete this attachment
if you don’t want to read about christianity. I am very sorry if I have
disturbed you.
For those who want to learn more about Christianity, you
can either contact me, surf the web for Christianity or ask some of your
Christian friends and church members.
Thank You Very Much for reading this.
Sonny Sommers
The religion studied here is
Christianity.
CHRISTIANITY
Christianity really emphasizes on the
worshipping of God. Christianity believes that there is one and only one God. The
God that is worshipped by the Christians have 3 images (or the Holy Trinity),
which are:
o God
the Father
o God
the Son – Jesus Christ
o God
the Holy Spirit
The founder of Christianity is
Jesus Christ himself. The first year Jesus Christ was born was on the 1 A.D. Anno Domini (A.D.) means the year of
Jesus Christ’s birth.
Christians believed that on the
year 27 A.D., God sent down a revelation to Jesus Christ. They believed that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God that God sent to this world to clean humanity’s
sin, that is to save humans from all sin if they worshipped Him (referring to
the Holy Trinity)
The holy scriptures of Christianity
is the Bible. The Bible has 2 parts, which are the Old Testament, which was
written before the birth of Jesus Christ, and the New Testament was written
by the disciples of Jesus Christ.
History and The Denominations Of Christianity
According to Preston,
Ronald (in Singer, P. 1991), Christianity’s believe is usually
associated with Jesus Christ. The word ‘Christ’ means deliverer that was sent by God to save the world. The earliest
Christians were the Jews who believed that Jesus was actually a prophet that
came from the Jews.
Christianity’s believes are strong
ethics. The first Christian source can be found in the Bible, which is the Old
Testament. The Old Testament is
associated with the preparation and the execution
of God’s promise about the birth of Jesus Christ. The New Testament on the other hand, is the witness for Christ’s life, death, and His glory, and also the
existence of a new community or the People of God that was evident due to the
rule of Jesus Christ.
After Christ’s death, His disciples
worshipped God through Him. This explains why Christian churches end their
prayer by saying,
‘Through
Jesus Christ our Lord’
The term ‘resurrection’ which is
used by Christianity to picture Jesus Christ’s victory over death, comes from
Jewish writings a few centuries after His death.
Today, Christianity has gone
through a lot of changes. Christianity has been divided into 5 confessional
traditions. Every traditional denomination has achieved stability and has their
own doctrine patterns and ethics. These denominations are:
Table 1:The 5 Confessional Traditions
|
The Orthodox
|
v Most
of these churches are in
East Europe
and
Russia
.
|
|
The Roman Catholic
|
v Has
the most number of Christians
|
|
The Lutherans
|
v Supporter
or follower of Martin Luther. A member of the Protestant churches in
Germany
.
|
|
Calvinist (The Calvinist or Reformed)
|
v Followers
of John Calvin from the Protestant denomination. The followers came from an
environment that spoke English, in the form of Presbyterians,
Congregationalists and Baptists.
|
|
The Anglican
|
v
England
’s
Church or churches that are allied with it, such as the Methodists.
|
The Holy Bible
The Holy Bible contains scriptures
or sacred sentences. These scriptures are considered to be the main thing that
leads humanity towards a moral, bright and a beautiful life. Besides that the
Bible can also give advice to all men so that men shun away sinful things, and
save men from negative elements. The Bible contains two parts, which are the Old
Testament and the New Testament. Examples of the contents
of both these testaments are shown below.
In The Old Testament
An important part of the Old
Testament is the Ten Commandments that was given by God to Moses. These
commandments can be found in the book of ‘Exodus’, the second book in the Old
Testament. The behavior of Christians in everyday life should be following
these commandments:
The Ten Commandments
(Taken from the book of Exodus)
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The Ten Commandments
|
|
No.
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Commandment
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Bible Verse
|
|
1
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Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
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Exodus 20:3
|
|
2
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Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image or any
likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
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Exodus 20:4-6
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|
3
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Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain…
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Exodus 20:7
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4
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Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
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Exodus 20:8-11
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5
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Honour thy father and mother.
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Exodus 20:12
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6
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Thou shalt not kill.
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Exodus 20:13
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7
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Thou shalt not commit adultery.
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Exodus 20:14
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8
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Thou shalt not steal.
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Exodus 20:15
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9
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Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
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Exodus 20:16
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10
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Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house; thou shalt not
covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant nor his maidservant, nor his
ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s
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Exodus 20:17
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The Thirty Wise Sayings (Taken from the book of Proverbs)
In the book of Proverbs, we can
find that a few very useful ethical values to help us in humanity’s morality.
Among them are advice to the young, wisdom calls, warnings, thirty wise sayings
and many more. Below are 8 of the Thirty Wise Sayings”:
|
|
The Thirty Wise Saying
Listen, and I will teach you what the wise men have said.
Study their teaching, and you will be glad if you can remember them and can
quote them.
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|
No.
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Saying
|
Bible Verse
|
Meaning
|
|
1
|
“Pay attention to
what your father and mother tell you, my son. Their teaching will improve
your character as a handsome turban or a necklace improves your appearance.”
|
(Proverbs 1:8-9)
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Obey your parents
|
|
2
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“When sinners tempt
you, my son, don’t give in.”
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(Proverbs 1:10)
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Avoid sin
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|
3
|
“My teaching will
give you a long and prosperous life. Never let go of loyalty and
faithfulness. Tie them around your neck, write them on your heart. If you do
this, both God and man will be pleased with you ”
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(Proverbs 3:3-4)
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Loyalty and faithfulness
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|
4
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“Sensible people
always think before they act, but stupid people advertise their ignorance…”
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(Proverbs 13:16)
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Rationality
|
|
5
|
“The lips of another
man’s wife may be as sweet as honey and her kisses as smooth as olive-oil,
but when it is all over, she leaves you nothing but bitterness and pain. She
will take you down to the world of the dead; the road she walks is the road
to death. She does not stay on the road to life; but wanders off, and does
not realize what is happening.”
“Adultery is a trap
– it catches those with whom the Lord is angry”
|
(Proverbs 5:3-6)
(Proverbs 22:1-4)
|
Avoid adultery
|
|
6
|
“Lazy people should
learn a lesson from the way ants live. They have no leader, chief or ruler,
but they store up their food during the summer, getting ready for winter. How
long is the lazy man going to lie in bed? When is he going to get up? ‘I’ll
just take a short nap,’ he says, ‘I’ll fold my hands and rest a while.’ But
while he sleeps, poverty will attach him like and armed robber.”
|
(Proverbs 6:6-11)
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Don’t be lazy
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|
7
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“Wealth that you get
by dishonesty will do you no good. But honesty can save your life.”
“Honest people are
safe and secure, but the dishonest will be caught.”
|
(Proverbs 10:2-3)
(Proverbs 10:9)
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Honesty
|
|
8
|
“If you want people
to like you, forgive them when they wrong you. Remembering wrongs can break
up a friendship.”
“Be generous and
share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it.”
|
(Proverbs 17:9)
(Proverbs 22:9)
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Generosity
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New Testament
Besides that, the New Testament
also gives a lot of ethical values that need to be understood by every
Christian. As an example, in the book of Matthew, Jesus Christ taught a lot
of people about true happiness.
|
The
Sermon On The Mount
|
|
Jesus saw the crowd
and went up a hill where He sat down. His disciples gathered round him, and
he began to teach them:
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|
True
Happiness (The Beatitudes)
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|
“Happy are those who know they are
spiritually poor, the kingdom of heaven belongs to them!”
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Matthew 5:3
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“Happy are those who mourn, God will
comfort them”
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Matthew 5:4
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“Happy are those who are humble, they will
receive what God has promised”
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Matthew 5:5
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“Happy are those whose greatest desire is
to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully”
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Matthew 5:6
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“Happy are those who are merciful to
others; God will be merciful to them.”
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Matthew 5:7
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“Happy are the pure in heart; they will
see God!”
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Matthew 5:8
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“Happy are those who work for peace; God
will call them His children!”
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Matthew 5:9
|
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“Happy are those who are persecuted
because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!”
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Matthew 5:10
|
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“Happy are you when people insult you and
persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my
followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven.
This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted.”
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Matthew 5:11
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Good Values To Be Practiced
Besides that, other ethical
teachings in the Bible also include good values such as humbleness, gentleness,
being patient, loving, being moderate, and justice. Below are some of the
values promoted by the Bible:
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Good Values To Be Practiced
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Ephesians 4:2-3
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“Be always humble,
gentle and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. Do
your best to preserve the unity of the Spirit by means of the peace that
binds you together.”
|
|
Mark
12:31
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“You must love
others as much as yourself.”
|
|
Isaiah 28:17
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“Justice will be the
measuring line for the foundation and honesty will be plumb-line.”
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Meaning & Explanation of Terms Used In The Bible
Below are the meanings and
explanations of terms used in the Bible:
|
Terms In The Bible
|
Explanation
(Bible
Verses From The Bible)
|
|
Bible
|
“And that from
childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise
for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scriptures is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
(Timothy 3:15-16)
“The law of the Lord
is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, make wise
the simple.”
(Psalm 19:7)
|
|
God
|
“…For the Lord our
God is Holy”
(Psalm 99:9)
“Now the King
eternal, immortal, invisible, to God alone is wise, be honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen. ”
(Timothy 1:17)
“…And there is no
other God besides Me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides Me.
Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there
is no other.”
(Isaiah 45:21-22)
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|
Man
|
“So God created man
in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He
created them.”
(Genesis 1:27)
“And the Lord God
formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life; and man became a living being.”
(Genesis 2:7)
“Everyone who is
called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes,
I have made him.”
(Isaiah 43:7)
|
|
Heaven
|
“And I heard a loud
voice from heaven saying, ’Behold, the tabernacle of God is with man, and he
will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God Himself will be with
them and be their God,
And God will wipe
away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor
crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’”
(Revelation 21:3-4)
“But there shall by
no mean enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie,
but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
(Revelation 21:27)
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Sin
|
“Therefore, just as
through one man sin entered the worlds, and death through sin, and thus death
spread to all man, because all sinned.”
(Romans 5:12)
“But your iniquities
have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from
you, so that He will not hear.”
(Isaiah 59:2)
“For all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23)
|
|
Hell
|
“In flaming fire
taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These will be
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the
glory of His power.”
(2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)
“And anyone not
found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
(Revelation 20:15)
|
|
Jesus
Christ
|
“I and my Father are
one.”
(John 10:30)
“Jesus said to him,
‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except
through me.’”
(John 14:36)
|
Christian Festivals
Among the denominations of the
Christian churches that can be found in
Malaysia
are:
v The Roman Catholic
v Anglican
v Presbyterian
v Christian Brethren
v Methodist
v Baptist
v Evangelical Lutheran
v Evangelical Free
v Lutheran
v Assemblies of God
v Mar Thoma
v Latter Rain
v True Jesus
v Seventh Day Adventist
v And many more.
Each of these denominations has
their own ways of worshipping God and the presentation of Christian teachings.
However, most of them celebrate Easter
and Christmas
Day, in their own ways. Easter Day falls on early April
every year. It marks the 40 fasting days which is called the ‘Lent’.
The ‘Lent’
season is to commemorate Christ’s sacrifice when He secluded Himself for 40
days in the desert. Easter Day is also celebrated to commemorate Jesus Christ’s
resurrection after His death.
The celebration of Christmas
day is to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ Himself. The real birth day of
Jesus Christ is actually a mystery and not known precisely by the Christians.
Even though all of that, the 25th of December every year is
celebrated as Christmas Day.
Even though Easter is not a holiday
in
Malaysia
,
but Christmas is considered a public holiday and celebrated by each Christian
merrily.
Why do we take Christianity as our religion?
Lau K. L. states
that he’s a Christian because there was a calling from God. Besides that, he
also followed his parents’ footsteps in becoming Christians.
Vanessa J. S. mentioned
that she’s a Christian today due to the Bible studies that she has taken. She
found that the Bible was speaking the truth, with all the evidences in the
world today. Besides that, she also learned about Christianity from a club
named I.S.C.F. (Inter School Christian Fellowship) in her school. She also
prays every day to God Almighty to help her in her life.
For Sonny S.A.R.S., he
said that due to a sickness that he experienced in 1995 and 1999 (pineal gland
teratoma or brain tumour), he has learned that God the Knowledgeable does know
every single human beings life on Earth today. From the Bible studies that he
has taken, he has also learned that God the Powerful is always there for those
who seek them.
