Topic outline

  • General

  • UNIT 1: HUMAN SALVATION IN GOD’S PLAN

    Key Unit competence: Explain God’s plan for the salvation of humanity and

    values related to God’s revelation.

    INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 1
    Read the following scenario and answer the questions
    A ship was about to capsize in Lake Kivu in 2016 after developing a mechanical
    problem. This happened after it had moved few kilometres from the shore. It
    needed a fast rescue agent to be contacted to save the lives of the travellers.
    Fortunately, there was fast communication by the crew to the Rwandan
    Ports Authority. The concerned authority responded immediately by sending
    rescue team in two aircrafts who managed to save all the travellers in that
    ship.
    Questions:
    1. Suppose you were one of the travellers in that ship, what will be your
    attitude towards the rescue team?
    2. What is the importance of team work in saving those travellers?
    3. What moral lessons can you derive from this scenario in connection to

    God’s salvation?

    1.1 Creation and Fall of Human kind
    LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.1

    Basing on your understanding and using available resources, discuss
    the meaning of creation, redemption, the fall and other terms that are
    used in human salvation history then identify features that show that

    man is created in God’s image.

    1.1.1 Creation


    Creation
    According to the Biblical dictionary, the word creation refers to God’s act of
    bringing into being all that exist; the act of causing to exist; and especially, the
    act of bringing this world into existence.

    Redemption or Salvation

    The dictionary defines redemption as: the action of saving or being saved from
    sin, error, or evil or the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in
    exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.

    Redemption is used in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament,
    redemption involves deliverance from bondage based on the payment of a price
    by a redeemer.

    In the New Testament, redemption refers to the announcement that Jesus of
    Nazareth is the fulfillment of Israel’s messianic hope and that, in him,
     the long awaited redemption has arrived.
    • Sanctification: it refers to the subject of the working of God in the life
    of a Christian after salvation, making him more like Christ.
    • Justification (by faith as taught by Paul): it is the declaration by God
    that a person who believes in His gift of Christ is released from the guilt

    and punishment due to his or her sins. 

    • Rebellion: it refers to opposition to one in the authority or going
    against a given instruction or order. In the Bible, it is demonstrated
    by Adam and Eve when they ate the forbidden fruit against God’s
    instruction.
    • Exodus: the deliverance of the 12 tribes of Israel, under the leadership
    of Moses, from slavery in Egypt, by God, through the miraculous parting
    of the Red Sea. It is the great salvation event in their history, recorded
    in the book of Exodus.
    • The fall: the event of Adam and Eve’s self-focused disobedience which

    broke their relationship with God.

    The Bible presents to us two different creation accounts. The accounts are
    similar in that both describe the creation of animals, plants and human beings.
    The First account (Genesis 1:1-31) describes how God created the world in an
    ordely manner from the first to the sixth day as given below:
    Day 1 - God created light and separated the light from the darkness, calling
    light «day» and darkness “night.”
    Day 2- God created a wide and open space to separate the waters and called it
    “sky.”
    Day 3 - God created the dry ground and gathered the waters, calling the dry
    ground «land,» and the gathered waters «seas.» On day three, God also created
    vegetation (plants and trees).
    Day 4 - God created the sun, moon, and the stars to give light to the earth and
    to govern and separate the day and the night. These would also serve as signs
    to mark seasons, days, and years.
    Day 5 - God created every living creature of the seas and every winged bird,
    blessing them to multiply and fill the waters and the sky with life.
    Day 6 - God created the animals to fill the earth. He also created man and
    woman (Adam and Eve) in his own image to commune with him. He blessed
    them and gave them every creature and the whole earth to rule over, care for,
    and cultivate.
    Day 7 - God had finished his work of creation and so he rested on the seventh
    day, blessing it and making it holy.

    The second creation story ( Genesis 2:1-25),assumes that the creation of heaven
    and earth had already taken place. God creates human beings, plants, then

    animals and later he divides the human into female and male. 

    In the creation of man and woman, God creates man first then from him he
    created the woman.

    Creation answers fundamental questions on human life, such as, where do we
    come from? Where are we going? What is our origin? What is our end? Creation
    is so important for all human life that God in his tenderness wanted to reveal to
    his people that His is the origin of everything that exists.

    Man is the only one created in God’s image and likeness among all God’s
    creatures. The Fact that Human beings were created in the image and likeness
    of God, does not suggest any kind of physical reality. Rather, suggests a deep
    spiritual reality. It shows that Human being is capable of profound covenant
    relationship with God. Below are some important dimensions concerning

    Human beings created in the image and likeness of God.

    • God-likeness in man means that, man can begin to understand creation.
    He is commanded to have dominion over the earth. He understands
    not only aspects of God’s wonderful creation , but also knows how to
    use that creation to build a better life for himself.

    • Human beings are cultural beings. Animals do not create a culture, they
    operate by instinct but people create cultures. For example, all dogs
    around the whole world bark the same manner, but human languages
    have immense diversity. Language is one of the significant aspect of
    culture; it is a creation of human society. Nature shows us that God also
    creates enormous variety, for example, every human being is different.
    Our cultural creativity is a dimension of our God- likeness.

    • Human beings know right and wrong. Man is a moral being. The sense
    of right and wrong is embedded deeply in the conscience. Even if
    human cultures vary greatly, everywhere there is a deep sense of right
    and wrong. For example, people everywhere seem to sense that it is
    not right to kill a fellow human being. This moral consciousness is a
    very significant aspect of our being created in the image of God.

    • Human beings sense that he should grow to become a better person.
    People in all cultures seem to have an awareness that they are not as

    good as they should be. 

    This is the witness of our God- likeness within our conscience. It is a
    persistent voice in the conscience that we should become better people.
    Conscience, that voice which calls us to do better, is the stamp of the

    image of God deep within our spirits.

    • Human beings are immortal. We know that when we die, that is not
    the end of our personal existence. We sense that there is life beyond
    the grave. This is a significant aspect of our being created in the image
    of God. God is eternal. In a similar way, God has established that we
    should not vanish when our bodies die. He also determined that man,
    whom he has created in his own image and likeness, shall experience
    eternity and immortality.

    • Man has fellowship with other human beings and with God.
    Communication is very important in the experience of fellowship; it is
    an evidence that we are personal, and that we long to relate to others
    in a deep and personal way. God desires likewise to have fellowship
    with us. Genesis 3:8-9, tells us that God had a blessed fellowship with
    Adam and Eve. He conversed with them in a cool evening. Animals are
    not personal, they are not created in God’s image. Man is a fellowship
    creature. He is personal. He is created in the image and likeness of God.

    • God created everything for man, but man was in turn created to serve,
    love God and to offer all creation back to him. This is the central mission
    of man in this world. Every human life that is conceived in this world
    has a mission to accomplish in this world. Man is the only creature that
    God has willed in for its own sake. He is called to share, by knowledge
    and love, in God’s own life.

    • Male and female, God created them. Equality and difference are willed
    by God. When he created man and woman, it is a perfect equality as
    human persons and a reality which is good. Man and woman are both
    with one and the same dignity, in the image of God. In their “being man
    ” and “ being-woman” they reflect the creator’s wisdom and goodness.

    • God gave man freedom to choose. God does not impose anything to
    human beings. He respects our freedom. God gave man and woman
    all the fruits to eat in the garden of Eden except the the middle of the
    garden. Man voluntarily chose to disobey God’s command.

    • Man is a rational being. Man is endowed with mental faculties such as
    reasoning, memory and because of this, man can make something new.
    E.g. build a house. Animals on the country, cannot make anything new

    because they have no intellect. 

    The Catechism of the Catholic Church elaborates that: Creation is the foundation
    of a saving plan of God.

    Creatio is the beginning of the history of salvation that culminates in Christ. It
    is so important for all human life that God in his tenderness wanted to reveal
    to his people. Beyond the natural knowledge that every man can have of the

    Creator, God progressively revealed to Israel the mystery of creation. 

    Thus creation is inseparable from the Revelation. Creation is revealed as the

    first step towards the covenant between God and his people.

    1.1.2 Rebellion and Consequences of Fall



    The Bible narrates how man broke his relationship with God (Genesis 3).
    Adam and Eve sinned against God by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of
    knowledge of good and evil. It was Adam and Eve themselves who decided to
    turn away from God. However, Satan was present in the form of a serpent. Satan
    tempted them to eat the fruit but was not the central figure in the drama.

    They listened to the serpent’s temptation and ate the frobidden fruit, thus
    committing the original sin. It was their personal decision to sin against God.

    Sin enters in the world through the misuse of human freedom. All of us
    participate in the sin of mankind; all of us have misused our freedom. The Bible
    says, “ All like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own
    way...” (Isaiah 53:6) We are personally and collectively responsible.

    Below are some of the consequences of the original sin as asserted by Kateregga

    D. B and Shenk W.D (1980):

    • Adam and Eve became ashamed of themselves (Genesis 3:7). Before
    they turned against God, they were not ashamed in each other’s
    presence. They did not wear clothing.They had a beautiful and
    shameless relationship with each other. They sewed fig leaves together

    as aprons to cover themselves.

    They also hid behind the bushes in the garden. We also try to cover our
    true selves with fashionable clothing we wear or smiles we put on our
    faces. We try to pretend that we are different from what we really are. .
    Shame, pretence and insincerity are consequences of our sins.

    • Adam and Eve were afraid of each other and also of God. Man created
    in the image of God, man whose greatest joy should be right and joyous
    fellowship with the Creator, this man is hiding from God His loving
    heavenly Father.

    • Adam and Eve did not accept the blame from what they had done;
    they made excuses for their sin. God asked Adam, “ Have you eaten of
    the tree which i commanded you not to eat?” Adam answered, “The
    woman you gave to be with me gave me fruit of the tree and I ate. Then
    Eve said, “ The serpent tricked me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:11-13). All of
    them made excuses for their sin. We are all like that. When we know
    we have done wrong we blame others and sometimes even blame God
    for our sins. This common human experience of blaming others for the
    evil that we do is called psycho-projection.

    • The marriage relationship was spoiled. Before Adam and Eve sinned,
    they had a beautiful relationship, but after sin, they began to hide their
    true selves from each other. Adam began to dominate his wife, and she
    submitted to him. (Genesis 3:16) This kind of relationship in marriage
    is exploitative. The husband rules, and the wife submits. Because of
    Man’s rebellion, against God, sex became exploitive. Women dress in a
    way that attract men, on the other hand men are aggressive and try to
    get women to submit to them in marriage and even outside marriage.

    Even the experience of childbirth became painful (Genesis 3:16).
    Children should bring a great blessing in any home, but our sinfulness
    brings pain into the experience of having children. Children are born
    through pain; they also cause their parents pain through disobedience
    and rebellion.

    • Work becomes a wearisome labour for mankind (Genesis 3: 17-18).
    Before man sinned against God, work was a blessing; it was central to
    the covenant God made with Adam and Eve. They were commanded
    to work and make the earth better, but after they rebelled against God
    their realtionship to nature became difficult. Man began to exploit
    nature and the earth groaned under exploitation.

    The ground was cursed because of man. Thistles began to grow on the
    land which man cultivated for his crops.

    Man began to struggle and fight for his living.

    • Death came into the world. God is the Life-Giver. We experience life
    when we live in a joyous relationship with God, who is the eternal giver
    of life. When Adam and Eve turned away from God, they were turning
    towards death. We die because we live in rebellion against God. The
    Bible says, ‘ the wages of sin is death’ ( Romans 6:23).

    • The original sin lead to other serious sins. Cain murdered his brother
    Abel (Genesis 4: 1-16) because he was jealous of him. History is
    evidence of the sinfulness of man. History books from every culture
    and civilization are the stories of wars. History is the story of death:
    man killing man; destruction of the good things which man has built;
    the rise and fall of empires; the death of civilization; the death of

    empires; the death of people through wars and conflict.

    1.2 The Choice of Israel
    LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.2
    Read in groups Exodus 1: 8-14; 3: 1-22, then write a short summary on

    the life of Israelites in Egypt and on the call and mission of Moses.

    Abram the son of Terah was told by the Lord to leave his land, his relatives, and
    his father’s house to the land which God was going to show him. The Lord God
    promised him “a great nation (descendants), blessings, and the land (Canaan),
    Genesis 12:1-7.

    When the famine broke in the land where Abram and his wife Sarai were, they
    went to Egypt where Sarai was taken over by the King of Egypt because Abram
    had not declared her as his wife. When Pharaoh came to know that he had taken
    Abram’s wife, he gave her back to Abram and ordered them to leave Egypt with
    the immediate effect with all their possessions. That is how Abram and his wife

    left Egypt to the place called Negeb, Genesis 12:10-13:1-11.

    Since Sarai was barren and had not given to Abram any child, she advised her
    husband to take their house-girl called Hagar as the wife and she bore him as
    son called Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-15) but this was not the promised son from
    whom the promised great nation would originate (Genesis 17: 19 and Genesis
    21:12). God renews His covenant with Abram and He changed Abram’s name to

    “Abraham” and Sarai changed to Sarah, Genesis 17:1-15.

    At 100 years, God gave Abraham the promised son and by the names of Isaac,
    (Genesis). Isaac gave birth to two sons by the names Esau and Jacob from his

    wife Rebekah, (Genesis 25:25-26).

    When Isaac was so old, he lost his sight. When he wanted to bless his older son
    Esau, his wife Rebekah conspired with her beloved son Jacob and they tricked

    Isaac who blessed Jacob thinking that he was blessing Esau,( Genesis 27:1-29).

    This Jacob became the heir to his father Isaac in place of his elder brother
    Esau. Jacob fled from his brother to Haran and from there he married Leah and
    Rachael the daughters of Laban (Genesis 29:1-30). His wives and servants bore

    twelve sons to Jacob (Genesis 29:31-30:1-25. 35: 16).

    Genesis 35: 10-12 shows us how God changes Jacob’s name to Israel and the
    covenant made to Abraham was repeated to Israel. Thus, the descendants of
    Jacob are known as the descendants of Israel or Israelites, the chosen people

    of God

    It implied a covenant between God and the people of Israel whereby Israel
    was to be faithful to God and obey his commandments, and God in turn was to
    protect and bless his faithful people. Being chosen brought to Israel not more
    privileges but, rather, special obligations to carry out the will of God: “Obey my
    voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk in all the

    way that I command you, that it may be well with you” (Jer. 7:23).

    1.2.1 Life of Israel in Egypt


    Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Israel, was sold to slave traders by his brothers.
    Yet with God’s help, Joseph rose to power in Egypt. His brothers were driven

    there by a famine which Joseph had foretold.

    Egypt was surviving the famine because of Joseph’s wisdom in storing food

    during the preceding good years.

    Joseph, having revealed his identity to his family, forgave his brothers, welcomed

    them to Egypt, and settled the family in the Egyptian territory of Goshen.

    When Jacob’s family settled in Egypt, they fared well under Joseph’s
    administration. Joseph’s power was immense in Egypt, so the Israelites

    prospered in that land under his protection, and made it their home.

    However, they would be reminded that their people’s eventual home was not to
    be Egypt but rather Canaan, the land God had sworn to give their descendants to

    possess it.

    The introduction to Exodus informs us that the sons of Israel were fruitful and
    increased greatly and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the

    land was filled with them

    After the death of Joseph, however, the descendants of Jacob were made slaves

    of the Egyptians as had been foretold (Genesis 15:13-16).

    This happened because “a new king arose over Egypt who did not know
    Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). This Pharaoh not only made Israelites slaves, but also
    took drastic steps to stem their increase. He decreed that all their male children

    be slaughtered at birth.

    In the midst of harsh treatment, the Israelites remained faithful to God’s
    command to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). That entailed bearing
    children, which in turn depended on the work of midwives. The midwives in
    this narrative possess a fear of God that led them to disobey the royal order to
    kill all of the male children born to the Hebrew women (Exodus 1:15-17). The
    “fear of the Lord” in the Bible refers to a healthy and obedient relationship with
    the covenant-making God of Israel (Hebrew, YHWH). Their “fear of God” was

    stronger than any fear that Pharaoh of Egypt could put them under. 

    1.2.2 Vocation of Moses and his Mission


    After forty years of shepherd life, Moses speaks with God. This happened at
    Mount Horeb, when Moses was tending the flock of his father in-law Jethro. A
    bush there flaming unburned attracts him, but a miraculous voice forbids his
    approach and declares the ground so holy that to approach he must remove his

    shoes. 

    Mission of Moses

    The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob designates Moses to deliver the Hebrews
    from the Egyptian yoke, and to conduct them into the “land of milk and honey”
    (Canaan) the region long since promised to the seed of Abraham, the Palestine
    of later years. Next, God reveals to him His name as “I am who I am”. He then
    performed two miracles to convince Moses, his staff changed into a snake and
    his hand got leprosy and was healed immediately. God also appointed Aaron as

    Moses’ mouthpiece(Exodus 4:16). 

    Moses then returned back the flock of his father in-law, Jethro, and took his wife
    and son. He carried in his hand the “rod of God”, a symbol of the fearlessness
    with which he is to act in performing signs and wonders in the presence of a

    hardened, threatening Pharaoh. 

    Aaron was sent by God to go and meet Moses at Mount Horeb Moses shared
    with him all what God had sent him to do.

    When Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh to allow the Israelites to go for three
    days to offer sacrifices in the wilderness to their God, the angry Pharaoh not
    only refused, but he ridiculed their God. Moses divinely uses Aaron’s rod to
    cause the first plague, but Pharaoh hardened his heart. Moses causes a series

    of divine manifestations described as ten plagues in number in which he 

    humiliates the sun and river gods, afflicts man and beast, and displays such
    unwanted control over the earth and heavens that even the magicians are
    forced to recognize “the finger of God”. Pharaoh softens at times but never
    sufficiently to meet the demands of Moses without restrictions. He treasures
    too highly the Hebrew labour for his public works. A crisis arrives with the last
    plague. The Israelites, forewarned by Moses, celebrate the first Pasch with their
    loins girt, their shoes on their feet, and staffs in their hands, ready for rapid
    escape. Then God carried out his dreadful threat to pass through the land and
    kill every first-born of man and beast, thereby executing judgment on all the
    gods of Egypt. Pharaoh resisted no longer. He joins the stricken population in

    begging the Hebrews to depart.

    Prepare a detailed drama on the vocation and mission of Moses.
    1.3 Redemption of Israel from Egyptian captivity
    LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.3
    Using the religious students’ textbook, discuss about the departure of

    the Israelites from Egypt then share in the class.

    The Bible narrates departure of Israelites from Egypt in Exodus 12:31-42.
    The Israelites had followed the directions given them by God (Exodus 12:21-
    28); and while the angel of death was passing from house to house among the

    Egyptians, they were all ready for their journey.

    It came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of
    Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of
    the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh
    rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was
    a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
    And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise up, from among my
    people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have
    said. Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said.” 

    The people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs
    being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. And the children of Israel
    did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed from the Egyptians
    jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and the Lord gave the people
    favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as

    they required. 

    The children of Israel went out of Egypt with their possessions, which did not
    belong to Pharaoh, for they had never sold them to him. Jacob and his sons took
    their flocks and cattle with them into Egypt. The children of Israel had become

    exceedingly numerous, and their flocks and herds had greatly increased. 

    It came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, but God led the people,
    through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel
    went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Joseph
    up with him: for he had strictly sworn the children of Israel, saying, “God will

    surely visit you; and you shall carry up my bones away hence with you.” 

    Liberation of Israel from Egypt was but the foreshadowing in history of the
    great act of deliverance by which history would be brought to an end. Israelites
    had an expectation of the Messiah who would be the Redeemer of Israel, and

    the great Day of the Lord would be the day of redemption.

    1.4 Prophecies on the coming of the Messiah
    LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.4
    Using different religious resources like Bibles, textbooks, internet,
    identify in groups the prophecies in the Old Testament , foretelling the

    coming of the Messiah.

    The Old Testament prophets recognized that the New Covenant would be
    fulfilled through the Messiah. The first prophecy concerning the coming of the
    Messiah was made the time when Adam and Eve sinned, God revealed that a
    child born of a woman would crush the head of evil one (Genesis 3:15). The
    prophetic development throughout the Old Testament increasingly anticipated
    that the promises of God to mankind would be fulfilled and completed in the
    Messiah. He is the one through whom God would create a new and better
    covenant with mankind (Isaiah 11:1-9). The following are some Old Testament

    prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah:

    • He would be from King David’s family (2 Samuel 7: 12-13);
    • He would be born of a Virgin (Isaiah 7:14);
    • He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5: 2);
    • He would be ‘God with us’ (Isaiah 7:14);
    • He would not be accepted by mankind ( Isaiah 53:3-9);
    • He would suffer and die with the wicked (Psalms 22:16-17);
    • He would be buried in a rich man’s grave ( Isaiah 53: 9);
    • He would rise from the dead (Psalms 16: 10);
    • He is the anointed one to bring Good News to the afflicted (Isaiah 61:

    1-3).

    Birth, Mission, death and resurrection of Jesus as the Messiah 


    Jesus was born around 6 B.C. in Bethlehem. His mother, Mary, was a virgin who
    was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter. Christians believe Jesus was born through
    Immaculate Conception. His lineage can be traced back to the house of David.
    According to the Gospel of Matthew 2:1, Jesus was born during the reign of
    Herod the Great, who upon hearing of his birth felt threatened and tried to kill
    him by ordering all of Bethlehem’s male children under age two to be killed.
    But Joseph was warned by an angel and took Mary and the child to Egypt until
    Herod’s death. After Herod’s death, Joseph and his family back and settled in

    the town of Nazareth, in Galilee.

    There is very little written about Jesus’ early life. The Gospel of Luke (2:41-
    52) recounts that at 12years-old, Jesus had accompanied his parents on a
    pilgrimage to Jerusalem and became separated. He was found several days later
    in a temple, discussing affairs with some of Jerusalem’s elders. Throughout the
    New Testament, there are trace references of Jesus working as a carpenter
    while a young adult. It is believed that he began his public ministry at age 30
    when he was baptized by John the Baptist, who upon seeing Jesus, declared him

    the Son of God.

    After baptism, Jesus went into the Judean desert to fast and meditate for 40
    days and nights. The Temptation of Christ is mentioned in the Gospels of
    Matthew, Mark and Luke (known as the Synoptic Gospels). The Devil appeared
    and tempted Jesus three times. All the three times, Jesus rejected the Devil’s

    temptation and sent him off.

    Jesus’ Ministry



    Jesus returned to Galilee and made trips to neighboring villages. During this
    time, several people became his disciples and twelve men were chosen as his

    his Apostles (Luke 6:12-16). 

    According to the Gospel of John (2:1-11), as Jesus was beginning his ministry,
    he and his disciples traveled with his mother, Mary, to a wedding at Cana in
    Galilee. The wedding host had run out of wine and Jesus’ mother came to him
    for help. At first, Jesus refused to intervene, but then he relented and asked a
    servant to bring him large jars filled with water. He turned the water into a wine
    of higher quality than any served during the wedding. John’s gospel depicts the

    event as the first sign of Jesus’ glory and his disciples’ belief in him.

    After the wedding, Jesus, his mother Mary and his disciples traveled to Jerusalem
    for Passover. At the temple, they saw moneychangers and merchants trading.
    In a rare display of anger, Jesus overturned the tables and, with a whip made
    of cords, drove them out, declaring that his Father’s house is not a house for

    merchants.

    The Synoptic Gospels chronicle Jesus as he traveled through Judea and Galilee,
    using parables and miracles to explain how the prophecies were being fulfilled
    and that the kingdom of God was near. As word spread of Jesus’ teaching and

    healing the sick and diseased, more people began to follow him. 

    As Jesus continued preaching about the kingdom of God, the crowds grew
    larger and began to proclaim him as the son of David and as the Messiah. The
    Pharisees heard of this and publicly challenged Jesus, accusing him of having
    the power of Satan. He defended his actions with a parable, then questioned
    their logic and told them such thinking denied the power of God, which only

    further hardened their resolve to work against him.

    Near the city of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus talked with his disciples. According
    to the gospels of Matthew (16:13), Mark (8:27) and Luke (9:18), he asked,
    “Who do you say that I am?” The question confused them, and only Peter
    responded, saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus blessed
    Peter, accepting the titles of “Christ” and the “Son of God,” and declared the
    proclamation was a divine revelation from God. Jesus then proclaimed Peter
    to be the leader of the church. Jesus then warned his disciples of the Pharisees’
    conspiracy against him and of his fate to suffer and be killed, only to rise from

    the dead on the third day.

    Less than a week later, Jesus took three of his disciples to a high mountain
    where they could pray alone. According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus’ face
    began shining like the sun and his entire body glowed with a white light. Then,
    the prophets Elijah and Moses appeared, and Jesus talked to them. A bright
    cloud emerged around them, and a voice said, “This is my beloved Son, with

    whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 

    This event, known as the Transfiguration, is a pivotal moment in Christian

    theology. It supports the identity of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God.

    Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the week before the holiday of Passover, riding on
    a donkey. Great numbers of people took palm branches and greeted him at the
    city’s entry. They praised him as the Son of David and as the Son of God. The
    priests and Pharisees, fearful of the growing public excessive praises about

    Jesus, felt he must be stopped.

    All four Gospels describe Jesus’ final week in Jerusalem. During this time, Jesus
    raised Lazarus from the dead, confronted moneychangers and merchants in the
    temple, and debated with the high priests who questioned Jesus’ authority. He
    told his disciples about the coming days and that Jerusalem’s temple would
    be destroyed. Meanwhile, the chief priests and elders met with high priest
    Caiaphas, and set plans in motion to arrest Jesus. One of the disciples, Judas,

    met with the chief priests and told them how he would deliver Jesus to them

    The Last Supper


    Jesus and his twelve disciples met for the Passover meal, and he gave them
    his final words of faith. He also foretold of his betrayal by one of the disciples
    and privately let Judas know it was he. Jesus told Peter that before a rooster
    crowed the next morning, he would have denied knowing Jesus three times.
    At the end of the meal, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, which in the Christian

    religion, signifies the covenant between God and his people.

    After the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane
    to pray. 

    He implored a group of his disciples to pray with him, but they kept falling
    asleep. Then the time had come. Soldiers and officials appeared, and Judas was
    with them. He gave Jesus a kiss on the cheek to identify him and the soldiers
    arrested Jesus. After his arrest, many of the disciples went into hiding. Jesus
    was taken to the high priest and interrogated. He was hit and spat upon for not

    responding. Peter denied him three times.

    Summary of mission of Jesus

    Jesus is the firstborn of God the Father in the spirit and is the only child of
    God in the flesh. His mortal mother, Mary, carried Him before He was born and
    raised Him while He was on earth. His mission was decided before the world
    was created. Jesus’s miracles convinced many that He was a prophet, but He
    was much more than that. When He asked His disciples, “Whom say ye that
    I am?” Simon Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”

    (Matthew 16:15-16).

    He was a great teacher

    Jesus was the greatest teacher to ever live, and He still teaches us today. At age
    12, Jesus was found teaching doctors in the temple (see Luke 2:46). They were
    astonished at His knowledge. Jesus went on to teach great sermons throughout
    His life. Jesus taught that all people “might have life, and that they might have it

    more abundantly” (John 10:10). He taught using parables.

    Jesus as a Saviour

     Jesus lived a perfect life free from sin and provided a perfect example for us to

    live by. All religious things should be done in His holy name.

    Jesus did not need baptism to wash away any sins. But He did to show us that

    baptism is required by all “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). 

    Jesus is also the perfect example of love. In His life on earth He cared for the
    poor, He healed lepers (see Luke 17:12-19), and He never turned away little
    children (see Matthew 19:13-14). His love is endless and available to all who
    need it. Jesus taught that we must forgive. Even as He died on the cross, Jesus

    forgave the people who killed Him

    The Hebrew name for Jesus means “Savior.” Jesus fulfilled His role as Savior
    through His death and Resurrection.“God so loved the world, that he gave his

    only begotten Son” John 3:16

    The Crucifixion and death


    The next day, Jesus was taken to the high court where he was mocked, beaten
    and condemned for claiming to be the Son of God. He was brought before Pontius
    Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. The priests accused Jesus of claiming to
    be the king of the Jews and asked that he be condemned to death. At first Pilate
    tried to pass Jesus off to King Herod, but he was brought back, and Pilate told
    the Jewish priests he could find no fault with Jesus. The priests reminded him
    that anyone who claimed to be a king speaks against Caesar. Pilate publicly
    washed his hands of responsibility, yet ordered the crucifixion in response to
    the demands of the crowd. The Roman soldiers whipped and beat Jesus, placed

    a crown of thorns on his head and then led him off to Mount Calvary.

    The Gospels describe various events that occurred during the last three hours
    of his life, including the taunting by the soldiers and the crowd, Jesus’ agony

    and outbursts, and his final words. 

    While Jesus was on the cross, the sky darkened, and immediately upon his

    death, an earthquake erupted, tearing the temple’s curtain from top to bottom. 

    A soldier confirmed his death by sticking a spear into his side, which produced

    only water. He was taken down from the cross and buried in a nearby tomb.

    Resurrection of Jesus Christ


    Three days after his death, Jesus’ tomb was found empty. He had risen from the
    dead and appeared first to Mary Magdalene. She was sent by Jesus to inform
    the disciples, who were in hiding, and later, Jesus appeared to them and told
    them not to be afraid. After 40 days, Jesus led his disciples to Mount Olivet,
    east of Jerusalem. Jesus spoke his final words to them, saying that they would
    receive the power of the Holy Spirit, before he was taken upward on a cloud and

    ascended into heaven.


    1.5 END UNIT ASSESSMENT 1

    1. Define the terms; creation, redemption and the fall as used in
    God’s plan of salvation.
    2. Compare and contrast between the two creation accounts in
    Genesis.
    3. Identify the consequences of the original sin.
    4. Write a short summary about the vocation and mission of Moses.
    5. Analyse how the prophecies about the coming of the Messiah in
    the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Testament.
    6. What lessons can you draw from the life and teachings of Jesus

    Christ?


  • UNIT 2: EXPANSION OF CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM

    Key Unit competence: Describe the growth and expansion of
    Christianity and Islam teachings, and their contribution
    to social life.
    INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 2
    1. Based on the knowledge acquired from year one Religious Education,
    write a short summary on the possible answers about the historical

    background of Christianity and Islam.

    Characteristics of the Early Christian Church

    The first Christian church also called the Early/Primitive/First Community of
    believers in Christ during the centuries immediately after the resurrection of
    Christ and Pentecost. The Bible narrates both the spiritual life and the social life

    of the First Christian community.

    The characteristics of the spiritual life (Acts 2: 42-47)
    1. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching
    The early church was founded on the testimony of the apostles. They listened as
    Peter, James and John and others repeated to them the teachings of Jesus. They 
    heard these great leaders expounding upon those teachings and explaining the
    meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The apostles also taught
    the early church the meaning of the Old Testament and how Jesus fulfilled its

    promises and prophecies. 

    2. They were devoted to fellowship

    The Greek word used in Acts 2:42 for “fellowship” is Koinonia. A helpful way
    to translate this word is, “Christian community”. In other words, these first
    Christians devoted themselves to each other. In fact, this was their way of living

    out in a practical what Jesus said in John 13:24-25.

    3. They were devoted to the “breaking of bread”

    This phrase, “the breaking of bread” refers to the Celebration of the Lord’s
    Supper. Paul uses it in 1 Corinthians to describe Holy Communion, and the
    language parallels that of the gospels as well. The Lord’s Supper tells this basic
    message of Christianity every time it is celebrated. Their devotion to the Lord’s
    Supper was evidence of an ongoing hunger and thirst for more of God in their
    lives. The central meaning of the Lord’s Supper is the Presence of Jesus. More

    explicitly the Great love of Jesus who gave his life for those he loved.

    4. They were devoted to prayer

    Prayer, both together and alone, was central to the experience of the first

    Christian community. They met every day in the temple for prayer.

    Characteristics of the social life of Early/First Christian Church (Acts 4:
    32-37)

    5. They had all things in common (Acts 4:32)

    The first Christians lived in community, and had all things in common. They
    sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according to
    their needs. Their common ownership was not imposed on them by Church
    leadership, but had its roots in their unity of heart and mind. These Christian

    brothers and sisters loved each other, and so they supported each other.

    They had all grown up in a society where the family was the social unit on which

    they could rely when they experienced tough times. 

    6. Great grace was on them all (Acts 4:33 )

    In the New Testament, charisma most often refers to the grace or the undeserved
    favor of God. That is certainly part of what is meant here. God showered these

    new Christians with blessings.

    However, the word charisma can also refer to the loveliness of harmonious
    relationships, and that is also involved here. These new Christians were living as
    brothers and sisters, as a family. They are taking care of each other and making 
    personal sacrifices to help each other considering the well-being of Christian

    brothers and sisters above their own personal welfare in many cases.

    7. There was none among them who lacked (Acts 4:34-35)

    The miracle that these early Christians experienced is not one of God opening
    the heavens and filling their purses with money. It is a miracle of community
    of brotherhood and sisterhood of one minded people sharing both wealth and
    poverty so that none might be truly poor. It is a miracle of generosity human
    generosity inspired by divine generosity. It is a miracle of agape, love that

    focuses on the needs of the other person rather than one’s own needs.

    As noted above, this does not mean that every Christian sold every piece of
    real estate to contribute to the common good and wellbeing of everyone. Some
    Christians probably did sell everything but Peter’s comments to Ananias and
    Sapphira make it clear that Christians retain the right to own property. What is
    celebrated here is not total communal living in the sense that every possession

    belongs equally to every person, but compassionate living within community.

    2.1.1 Mission of Apostles ( Matthew 10: 1-42 )

    The Twelve Apostles

    Apostles were the twelve men chosen and sent by Jesus. Disciples are all
    followers or believers in Jesus Christ. These are the names of the twelve
    apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James
    son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and
    Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the

    Canaanean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

    The Mission of the Twelve Apostles

    Jesus now formally summons and names the twelve disciples and sends them
    out in mission with authority to preach the good news of the kingdom and to

    heal every disease and sickness.

    He accompanies their disciples’ instruction with warnings about the need for
    endurance and the promise of reward for those who take up the cross and

    follow him.

    According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus summons the twelve disciples and
    formally hands over to them his same authority to preach the Good News of
    the kingdom and to heal “every” disease ( Matthew 10:1,7-8), but not, telling,
    the authority to teach! That will come only at the end of the Gospel after the

    resurrection ( Matthew 28:18-20). 

    In so doing, key themes of discipleship and mission are noted. The call for the 

    decision to acknowledge the Son of Man will bring not peace but a sword (
    Matthew 10:34). Worthy discipleship will mean to take up the cross and
    discover what it means that those who lose their lives for Jesus’ sake will find
    it (Matthew 10:37-39). Finally, disciples are given to realize that whoever
    welcomes them is actually welcoming the Messiah and, in turn, “the one who
    sent me.” The Messiah’s identity is constituted in the mission of his disciples. So
    it is significant that such welcoming is linked here to the theme of righteousness.
    Three times righteousness is specifically mentioned in connection with the
    disciple mission (Matthew10:41) and even a cup of water for these “little ones”

    in the name of a disciple merits reward ( Matthew 10:42). 

    2.1.2 Saint Paul’s Conversion and mission (Act 9: 1-19)



    St. Paul the Apostle, original name Saul of Tarsus, was born 4 BCE (before
    Christian era or before common era), Tarsus in Cilicia (now in Turkey). He was

    a pharisee who had come to Jerusalem as a student of the famous Rabbi Gamaliel. 

    Saul was a strong Judaism adherent and persecuted the primitive Church. He
    was the one who plotted the martrydom of Saint Stephen, the first martyr (Acts
    8:1a). Paul died during the first Church persecution under Roman empire
    (under Nero 62-64, in Rome).

    One day while on his mission to Damascus to persecute Christians, he 
    experienced a more dramatic conversion after meeting with the Risen Christ.
    He later became one of the leaders of the first generation of Christians,
    and he is often considered to be the most important person after Jesus in

    the history of Christianity.

    After his conversion, Saul (renamed Paul) became passionate in spreading
    Christianity as he was persecuting Christians before his conversion. Paul
    describes his own conversion as a sudden reception of grace in contrast to the
    gradual transformation over time because as he suddenly was in the midst of

    sin, his heart was perfectly moved by God.

    Paul briefly refers to his own conversion’s experience in three places in two of

    his letters. In first Corinthians 9:1, Paul asks a rhetoric question, 

    “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” In first Corinthians 15:8-9, he relates, “last of all,
    as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles,
    unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.” he writes
    in Galatians 1:11-12 that “The gospel preached by me is not of human origin, for
    I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a
    revelation of Jesus Christ.” He adds in Galatians 1:15-16, “When He, who had set
    me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased
    to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the gentiles.”
    In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke the Evangelist’s description of Paul’s
    conversion is the most extensive because he was Paul’s companion in his last
    three missionary journeys. Paul’s conversion is first recorded in Acts 9:1-28,
    secondly to the Jews of Jerusalem in Acts 22:1-21, and finally to King Agrippa at

    Caesarea (Acts 26:4-23).

     In the first encounter between Jesus and Saul, we notice that Jesus identifies
    himself with his Church! In Damascus, Jesus appeared to Ananias and told him
    that Saul is His own chosen instrument to carry His Name before gentiles,
    kings, and Israelites” (Acts 9:15). Here the mission of Paul is clearly defined by

    Jesus himself that, he called Paul to be an Apostle of the Gentile world.

    Ananias then laid his hands on Saul, restored his vision, and baptized him. Saul
    began proclaiming in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:20) and
    that he is the Christ (Acts 9:22). Saul is called Paul on his first missionary journey
    to Cyprus (Acts 13:9). However, Paul was disapproved by Christian Jews and
    remained throughout his career a controversial figure. He gained recognition
    for the converts of the Gentile mission by the Christian community in Jerusalem.
    He saw clearly that the coming of the Messiah was to bring salvation to all
    humanity not only the Jews. He preached the message of repentance that called
    all humanity to repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by
    their deeds (Acts 26:20). His letters are an eye opener that should move people
    from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, to receive forgiveness 

    of sins, and thus attain salvation.

    2.2 Persecution and Doctrinal issues in Christianity
    LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.2
    Brainstorm some fundamental beliefs and teachings of Christianity
    Christianity is a monotheistic religion, meaning all believing in one God,

    Generally, Christians believe that there is only one God (Holy Trinity). 

    The fundamental beliefs and teachings of Christianity are summarized in a creed
    (Credo, “I believe”) which are statements of beliefs. These beliefs originated
    from the testimonies of the Apostles, i.e. the men who lived with Jesus, directly
    experienced his resurrection and were associated by him to his revealing and

    saving mission. 

    There are two main Christian Creeds used by Christian churches. They include
    the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. The Apostles’ Creed was an early
    statement of Christian doctrine and is still in widespread use. The Nicene Creed
    is more definitive and was first formulated by the First Council of Nicaea (325
    AD: Anno Domini) and then subsequently refined by the second Ecumenical
    Council in 381 AD. The Nicene Creed is the most widely accepted in mainstream

    churches and is a concise statement of fundamental Christian belief.

    Apostles’ Creed

    This appears to have been formulated in order to refute Gnosticism (the belief
    that matter is evil and that the revealed knowledge of God rather than faith is a
    means to attain redemption for the spiritual element in man). It is shorter than
    the Nicene Creed and it is also the oldest fashion of Creed. The Creed therefore
    emphasizes the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness

    of sin.

    Today the Apostles’ Creed is used by many Western churches, including the
    Anglican Communion, Methodists, Congregationalists and some Baptists, but
    it is not used by the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is sometimes used during the

    Sacrament of baptism. It is summarized as follows:

    I believe in God, the Father almighty,
    creator of heaven and earth.

    I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
    He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
    and born of the Virgin Mary.

    He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, died, and was buried.

    He descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose again.
    He ascended into heaven,
    and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
    I believe in the Holy Spirit,
    the holy catholic Church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins,
    the resurrection of the body,

    and the life everlasting

    Amen

    Nicene Creed
    The Nicene Creed is very explicit on three Persons of the Holy Trinity. In particular
    it uses the statement “God from God” to describe Christ. This countered the
    Arian controversy that declared that Jesus Christ is not truly divine in the sense

    that He is created.

    The Creed is widely accepted by the Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholics,
    Anglicans, Lutherans, Calvinists, and almost all branches of Protestantism. Many
    groups that do not have a tradition of using it in their services nevertheless
    are committed to the doctrines it teaches. The Nicene creed is summarized as

    follows:

    I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
    maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

    I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
    eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,

    true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

    Through him all things were made.

    For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven: by the power of the
    Holy Spirit, he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
    For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was

    buried.

    On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended

    into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

    He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom

    will have no end.

    I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the
    Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
    He has spoken through the Prophets.
    I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism
    for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life

    of the world to come.

    Amen.

    2.2.1 Persecution of Christians 

    Persecution refers to the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by
    another individual or group, in a cruel and unfair manner. The most common

    forms of persecution are religious, ethnic and political persecutions. 

    Persecution of Christians can be traced historically from the time of Jesus in
    the first century to the present time. The accounts of Christian persecution
    are found in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. According to the book
    of Acts, one of the first Christian martyrs was Stephen, a member of the
    Early Church who was brought before the Sanhedrin, the assembly of Jewish
    religious leaders, on charges of blasphemy. Stephen was subsequently stoned;
    touching off a mass persecution of Christians led by Saul of Tarsus. When Paul
    was converted to Christian faith, he too suffered various imprisonments and

    beatings, some of which he recounted in New Testament writings.

     Early Christians were persecuted for their faith at the hands of both Jews from
    whose Christianity arose and the Roman Empire which controlled much of the
    land where Christianity was born. Early in the fourth century, the religion was
    legalized by the Edict of Milan (313 AD:Anno Domini), and it eventually became

    the State church of the Roman Empire, through Emperor Constantine.

    2.2.2 Causes of persecution by the Roman Empire

    • The Roman state considered Christianity in its early stages just
    another sect of Judaism, and Judaism was a legal religion. Christianity
    was considered as illegal religion, it became an illegal religion and was
    considered a threat to the Roman Empire. Christians spoke of Christ as
    their ruler, and as the king of his kingdom. The Romans held Christians
    guilty of treason.
    • The Roman government acknowledged the emperor as the highest god
    and demanded that all religions include worship of him. Christians
    refused to acknowledge any king but Christ, and would not offer any
    sacrifice to Caesar. Consequently, they were considered disloyal to the
    state.
    • Christians held their meetings early in the morning or late at night, and
    Roman authorities felt this could only be done for reasons of conspiracy.
    • The Roman pagan religions were mechanical and external with altars,
    idols, priests, processionals, rites, and practices that people could
    see. The Christians had no idols, and their worship was spiritual and
    internal. Because Christians refused to recognize the pagan gods and
    idols, they were called atheists.
    • The early Christians partook regularly of communion, and spoke of
    eating and drinking Christ’s body and blood in a symbolic sense. But
    this was misunderstood by Roman authorities to mean that Christians
    were guilty of cannibalism. The close fellowship of Christians and the
    holy kiss were misconceived as incest and immorality.
    • Christians separated themselves from pagan gatherings at temples,
    theaters and places of recreation. This nonconformity to accept social
    patterns brought upon them false accusations against the empire and
    despite of their virtuous living, Christians were a threat to society and
    the state.
    • Christians were also made the scapegoats for great calamities, such as
    famine, earthquakes and pestilence, which were sometimes regarded

    as punishment meted out because people had forsaken the Graeco Roman gods.

    2.2.3 Major Christian persecutions under the Roman Empire



    This was the first organized Roman persecution of Christians which was
    ordered by Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. Nero blamed Christians for the Great
    Fire of Rome, although it is speculated by some historians that Nero was
    responsible for setting the fire in the first place. It was during this time that the
    Apostle Peter, according to tradition, was crucified upside down because he felt
    himself not worthy to die exactly like his Master. Also Paul, as a Roman citizen,
    was beheaded under Nero’s reign. For the burning of Rome, Christians were

    arrested and terribly persecuted. 

    Many Christians were crucified. Some were sewn up in the skins of wild beasts;
    then big dogs were let loose on them, and they were torn to pieces. Women were
    tied to mad bulls and dragged to death. After nightfall Christians were burned
    at the stake in Nero’s garden. The Roman people who hated the Christians were
    free to come into the garden, and Nero drove around in his chariot wickedly

    enjoying the horrible scene.

    b. Persecution under Domitian ( 68-96 AD:Anno Domini )

    This persecution appeared because Jews had refused to pay taxes to the state.
    Rome still considered Christianity which was considered as part of Judaism,
    so persecutors punished Jews and Christians alike. Some Christians were
    martyred, some dispossessed of property, and others were banished. It was
    at this time that the apostle John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, where he

    received the vision of the Revelation.

    c. Persecution under Trajan (98-117 AD:Anno Domini)

    Until this time no official policy was set by the state on the handling of Christians.
    Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, wrote the Emperor Trajan his policy on
    state discipline for Christians. Pliny said that when someone informed upon a
    Christian, he brought the Christian before his tribunal and asked him if he were
    a Christian. If he still admitted the charge after three such questions, he was
    sentenced to death. In his answer Trajan assured Pliny that he was following
    the correct procedure. No Christians were to be sought out, but if someone
    reported that a certain individual was a Christian, the Christian was to be
    punished unless he denounced and worshiped the gods of the Romans. This
    became official procedure, and governors throughout the empire followed the
    principles Trajan had approved. It was during this time (about A.D. 115) that
    Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, was thrown to the wild beasts in the Colosseum. 

    d. Persecutions under Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD:Anno Domini)

    Marcus Aurelius had no love in his heart for Christians. He thought all this
    martyrdom by Christians was silly nonsense. He was the first to introduce a spy
    system against Christians, and promised that the property of Christians would
    be given to their accusers. With such rewards for the informers, many Christians
    were turned over to authorities and persecution became almost universal. This
    persecution was cruel. What happened to the Church in Lyons and Vienna in
    southern Gaul (modern France) can give us some idea of the severity of the
    persecution. By the most horrible tortures, they sought to make the Christians
    deny their faith. When at last the persecutors became convinced that no
    amount of torture would make the Christians deny their faith, they beheaded
    those Christians who were Roman citizens, and the others they threw to the
    wild beasts. The bodies of the martyrs were burned, and the ashes were thrown
    into the river Rhone. It was during this time that Justin Martyr (166 AD:Anno
    Domini) was scourged and beheaded in Rome with six other Christians. 

    e. Persecution under Decius (249-251 AD:Anno Domini):

    Decius took the imperial throne about the time Rome was reaching the end
    of the first millennium of her history, and at a time when the Empire was
    facing natural calamities, and internal and external attacks upon its stability.
    Christianity, because of its rapid growth, was picked out as the major cause of
    all the Empire’s troubles. Decius issued an edict in A.D. 250 that demanded an
    annual offering of sacrifice on the Roman altars to the gods and the genius of

    the emperor. 

    Those who offered the sacrifice were given a certificate. Christians were
    demanded to give up their faith or suffer loss of property, torture and death. The
    persecution was very cruel and empire-wide. Multitudes perished. During this
    time, many also denied the Christian Faith, but many true Christians persevered

    to the end. Fortunately for the church, the persecution lasted only several years.

    f. Persecution under Valerian (253-260 AD:Anno Domini):

    Valerian was more sympathetic to Christians at first but later he continued the

    persecution. 

    Many saints and important men lost their lives for Christ during this time.
    Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, was beheaded as a Christian martyr (258 AD:Anno

    Domini).

    g. Persecution under Diocletian (303-305 AD:Anno Domini):

    Diocletian was a strong military leader who came to the imperial throne at the
    end of a century that was marked by political disorder in the Roman Empire.
    He decided that only a strong monarchy could save the Empire and its classical
    culture. A strong monarchy offered the only alternative to chaos. In such an
    empire there was no place for the toleration of faith hostile to the state religion.

    The first edict in A.D. 303 ordered the cessation of meetings of Christians,
    the destruction of church buildings, the imprisonment of bishops, elders and
    deacons, the torture of all who persisted in their testimony to Christ, and the

    destruction of all Scriptures by fire. 

    The second edict ordered Christians to sacrifice to pagan gods upon pain of
    death if they refused to do so. As a result, prisons became so crowded with
    Christian leaders and their congregations that there was not even enough room
    for criminals.Christians were punished by loss of property, exile, imprisonment,
    or execution by the sword or wild beasts. Some were sent to the Roman labor
    camp where they were worked to death in the mines or starved to death. It
    was the most violent persecution of all persecutions that Christians underwent

    under Roman Empire.

    2.2.4 Christian responses on persecutions

    1. In the face of persecution, many Christians chose to die than to renounce
    their faith in Jesus Christ. Those who did so came to be called martyrs,
    which means, witnesses of faith in Jesus through the shedding of their
    own blood. “Tertulian said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the
    church.” Indeed, it was through persecution that the Christianity spread
    and faith in Jesus was strengthened.

    2. A second response of the church to Roman persecution was that some
    Bishops and leaders( were called apologist) wrote to write apologies,
    or defenses, of the Christian faith. This was done in the 2nd century AD.
    The Apologists’ primary goal was to defend Christianity against pagan
    accusations and misconceptions in an effort to stop the persecution.

    Though this did not help much to stop the persecution.

    2.3 Heresies in the Early Church

    A heresy is a teaching that deviates from some standard, official belief. It can
    also be defined as formal denial or doubt of a core doctrine of the Christian faith.
    The heresies were mainly corrected through Church Councils which were
    convoked by both the Pope and the the Roman emperor ruling at any given
    time. A Church council refers to a group of bishops, cardinals, theologians
    and Pope who gather to discuss and make decisions about major issues in the

    church. 

    Major Heresies in the Christianity

    a. Marcionism (2nd Century)

    This heresy was named after Marcion, 85-160 AD:Anno Domini). He explained
    that the wrathful and war-like God of the Old Testament is a different god from
    the just and forgiving God of the New Testament, who, on discovering human
    suffering, appeared as Jesus Christ to bring salvation; the Old Testament is
    irrelevant; in the New Testament only parts of Luke and parts of the Pauline

    letters are authentic.

    This is partially heresy because; it denied the unity of God, it misunderstands
    the humanity of Christ and it rejected accepted scriptures. The council of

    Nicene Creed (325 AD:Anno Domini) officially rejected this heresy.

    b. Manichaeism (3rd century)

    This was named after Mani, (216-276 AD Anno Domini). Mani explained that
    the world is caught in a conflict between the forces of good and evil, led by two
    gods. A conflict which has existed since the beginning of time. This is partially
    heretical because: it postulates more than one god. In the beginning there was

    only God and evil therefore could have entered the world only afterward.

    Manichaeism was not really a Christian sect, and its doctrines therefore should
    be classified as paganism rather than heresy. But it was an important force in
    the third and forth centuries when it was illegal to apply such a teaching, and

    competed with Christianity, with which some people tried to combine it.

    c. Arianism (4th century)
    This was named after Arius, 256-336 AD: Anno Domini). Arius taught that
    Jesus was different from God and was only a human being. This is heretical
    because: Christ was truly divine, and truly human, and, being wholly divine,
    could in no way be only a human being. This heresy was condemned at the

    Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople, 381)

    d. Nestorianism (5th Century)

    This is named after Nestorius, (386–451 AD:Anno Domini). He taught that
    Christ had two natures, human (Jesus) and divine (Christ), quite distinct from
    each other, but united in the historical Jesus Christ. Thus Mary was the mother
    of Jesus, his human nature, but was not the “Mother of God,” since God was his

    divine nature.

    This heresy was condemned at the Third Ecumenical Council ( Council of
    Ephesus, 431). This is heretical in part because: Christ was both wholly human
    and truly divine, and these two natures were united in a single entity: the Christ.
    To speak of them being distinct implies that he was not wholly either of them.
    Then the council also clarified that Mary was Mother of God, she is ‘Theotokos’

    meaning the God’s bearer.

    e. Pelagianism (5th century)

    This heresy was named after Pelagius, ( 420 – 440AD: Anno Domini). Pelagius
    taught that, the sin of Adam affected only Adam, not all humanity. Every
    individual is born innocent, but is free to choose to perform good or evil deeds.
    Thus, choosing to behave virtuously will earn one spiritual salvation. This is
    heretical because: First, people are saved only by God’s grace through their faith
    in Christ, not by the works they perform, which may have many motivations,
    including bad ones. Secondly, it is illogical so speak of complete free will, since
    even free will is a gift of God, and therefore contingent upon God’s agency.
    Thirdly, it denies the contamination of all humans by original sin and allows for
    the possibility of sinless humans without the need of salvation through Christ,

    or of sinful humans able to gain merit on their own without reference to Christ.

    f. Monophysitism (5th century)

    This heresy taught that ,Christ had a single, divine nature, not separate human
    and divine natures. This is heretical because: Christ was both wholly human
    and therefore suffered as we suffer, and also wholly divine, and therefore able
    to forgive sins and redeem us. To argue that he has only a divine nature is to
    deny that he had a human nature able to suffer as a human suffers.

    It was condemned twice, first time at the Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon,

    451) and second time, at the Third Council of Constantinople (680).

    2.4 Christian Pluralism
    LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.4
    1. Brainstorm the major Christian groups that are found in the
    world.

    2. Find out the causes of the rise of the different Christian groups.

    Pluralism refers to a social organization in which diversity of religious or racial
    or cultural groups is tolerated. Christianity is comprised of various religious
    groups and subgroups within itself. These vary according to differences in
    beliefs, teachings and practices. However, the history of Christianity allows to
    distinguish three main Christian branches: The Catholicism, the Orthodoxy and

    the Protestantism. 

    • Catholicism
    The Roman Catholic Church is a community of believers who have been
    incorporated into Christ through Baptism. It has a twofold dimension: the
    spiritual one since it has Jesus Christ as its Head and the visible one since it is
    composed of men and women. The latter consider themselves as the People
    of God; they share the same faith in Jesus Christ and they are governed by the
    successors of Peter (Popes) in communion with bishops. The Roman Catholic
    Church is in communion with the Eastern-rite Catholic churches such as

    Armenian, Byzantine, Coptic, Ethiopian, etc. 

    The fundamental catholic beliefs are contained in the Apostle’s Creed (See the

    previous lesson) and the Church councils (e.g.: Nicea, Trent, Vatican II, etc.).

    These beliefs imply liturgical actions, doctrines, and ethics which constitute
    together the Catholic Tradition. Catholic Tradition may be defined as the Word
    of God, given to the Apostles by Christ and the Holy Spirit, and handed down to
    their successors through the Church. Scripture and Apostolic or Sacred Tradition
    are the two sources of God’s revelation. The Sacred Scripture is the Word of God
    put down into writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit. The Sacred Tradition

    is the living transmission of the message of Gospel in the Church.

    The Catholic community usually gathers to celebrate sacraments (actions and
    words of Jesus, through which God sanctify his people). The Roman Catholic
    Church has seven sacraments: Baptism (John 3:5), Confirmation (Acts 1:8),
    Eucharist (Matthew 26: 26-28), Penance and Reconciliation (John 20:23),
    Anointing of the Sick (James 5:14-15), Matrimony (John 2:1-10) and the Holy

    Orders (Luke 22:19). 

    • Eastern or Greek Orthodox Church

    The Eastern orthodox Church resulted from the 1054 schism (separation) that

    split the Western (Rome) and Eastern (Orthodox) churches. 

    The Orthodox church is a family of self-governing Churches; it is not headed by
    a pope. The unity of the Church is manifested in a common faith, communion in

    liturgical actions and in Jesus, the one and real Head of the Church. 

    Orthodoxy is the life which strives to be in union with God. This union begins
    with the faith in the dogmas (e.g.: Holy Trinity, Incarnation, Redemption by
    Jesus, etc.). This faith is manifested in the life of each believer through liturgy
    (rituals) which includes the sacraments (the same seven sacraments as the

    Catholic Roman Church). 

    The sources of the Orthodox faith are the Church Tradition that includes the
    Holy Bible, the teachings of the Ecumenical councils (e.g.: Nicea, Constantinople,

    etc.), the Book of prayers, the lives of the saints and Oral tradition of the Church.

     Protestantism

    Schism is part of the history of Christianity. In 1054 the Great Schism (or
    Eastern Schism) divided the Roman Catholic Church of the West from the
    Orthodox Church of the East. Another separation occurred with the Protestant
    Reformation in 1540. The great figures of reformation are: Martin Luther and
    John Calvin. Both believed in the sufficiency of the Scriptures as a rule of faith

    and practice (Sola Scriptura). 

    Those who embraced the separation were referred to as “Protestants.”
    Protestants believed they were professing the pure teachings of the early
    church, which had been viewed as obscured through the Catholicism of that
    time. Several “groups were formed from Rformation” including the Lutherans,
    Calvinists, Anglicans, Presbyterians, etc. In the 17th and 18th centuries, these
    churches further divided and produced denominations including Baptists,

    Methodists, Episcopalians, Disciples of Christ, Congregationalists, etc.

    Causes of Pluralism in Christianity
    1. Denominations are made up of churches and members who often just
    do not get along. Like everyone else, Christians struggle with pride,
    selfishness, stubbornness, the desire to wield power, and hypocrisy. So,
    they sometimes respond to the disagreements poorly. This has often led
    to debates and divisions within churches and denominations, which in
    turn lead to the creation of new churches and denominations.
    2. Christians have sometimes legitimate disagreements about beliefs or

    practices. Eg. what does baptism mean and who should be baptized? 

    How should believers structure their local churches? Who should
    fill leadership roles? How often should the faithful practice Holy

    Communion? 

    How should Christians interpret certain passages of Scripture?

    3. Disparity in personality, passions, and talents. Some people connect
    with God best through the exercise of their minds or while in nature.
    Others experience spirituality through creative or artistic expression.
    Still others feel a sacred or divine connection when they serve others or
    help those who are hurting.
    4. The role of tradition. Some people appreciate the structure and heritage
    of worshiping God according to traditions passed down over many
    centuries. Thus they might be more comfortable in Eastern Orthodox,
    Roman Catholic, Episcopal, or Lutheran churches. Others, however,
    prefer to explore new and different ways of worshiping God or practicing
    their faith; they might feel boxed in by rituals or traditions. Therefore a
    nondenominational church might suit them best.

    5. Culture plays a critical role as well; people from different cultures practice
    their faith in distinctive ways. It should not surprise us if churches in a
    middle-class English town are extremely different from those in a wartorn,
    poverty-stricken village in Africa. Consequently, churches and
    denominations vary greatly depending upon the geographical location
    and cultural values of the people themselves.

    6. Churches may be divided according to people. The group that Mr. John
    Wesley started eventually became the Methodist Church. It has its
    independent organization and administration and has branches all over
    the world. Then there is the Lutheran denomination, which was formed
    after the death of Martin Luther. Now Lutheran churches appear all over
    the world also. There are many other organizations that denominate
    themselves in this way.

    7. Emphasis of truths. Those who emphasize justification by faith set up the
    Lutheran Church. Those who look to Pentecostal experiences started the
    Pentecostal churches. Some groups emphasize church administration.
    Those who believe in the independence of jurisdiction formed the
    Congregational churches.

    Those who proposed the order of eldership started the Presbyterian
    Church. Those who emphasize apostolic succession began the Apostolic

    Church.

    2.5 Birth and expansion of Islam in the World
    LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.5
    Using various available resources, identify the main Islamic territories

    today in the world, founded from its beginning.

    The beginning of Islam is marked in the year 610 AD: Anno Domini, following
    the first revelation to the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad and his followers
    spread the teachings of Islam throughout the Arabian peninsula. Soon after
    the death of the prophet Muhammad, there were military expeditions, called
    “futuhat,” or literally “openings,” into what is now Egypt and other parts of North
    Africa. In other parts of the world, Islam spread through trade and commerce.
    The following is a brief timeline that highlights some of the major occurrences
    in Islam’s development, as well as the geographical spread of Islam to some of

    the countries. The following are important dates in Islamic history.

    570 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Muhammad is born in Mecca. 

    610 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) According to Muslim belief, at the age
    of 40, Muhammad is visited by the angel Gabriel while on retreat in a cave near
    Mecca. The angel recites to him the first revelations of the Quran and informs
    him that he is God›s prophet. Later, Muhammad is told to call his people to the
    worship of the one God, but they react with hostility and begin to persecute him

    and his followers.

    622 C.E(Common Era or Christian Era) After enduring persecution in Mecca,
    Muhammad and his followers migrate to the nearby town of Yathrib (later to
    be known as Medina), where the people there accepted Islam. This marks the

    «Hijrah» or «emigration,» and the beginning of the Islamic calendar. 

    In Medina, Muhammad establishes an Islamic state based on the laws revealed
    in the Quran and the inspired guidance coming to him from God. Eventually he

    begins to invite other tribes and nations to Islam.

    630 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Muhammad returns to Mecca with a
    large number of his followers. He enters the city peacefully, and eventually all 
    its citizens accept Islam. The prophet clears the idols and images out of the

    Kabah and rededicates it to the worship of God alone.

    633 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Muhammad dies after a prolonged
    illness. The Muslim community elects his father-in-law and close associate, Abu

    Bakr, as caliph, or successor.

    638 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Muslims enter the area north of Arabia,

    known as «Sham,» including Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.

    641 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Muslims enter Egypt and defeat the
    Byzantine army. Muslims consider their conquest as the liberation of dominated

    people, since in most instances they were under oppressive rule.

    655 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Islam begins to spread throughout

    North Africa.

    661 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Imam Ali is killed, bringing to an end
    the rule of the four «righteous caliphs»: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. This

    also marks the beginning of the Umayyad rule.

    711 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Muslims enter Spain in the west and
    India in the east. Eventually almost the entire Iberian Peninsula is under Islamic

    control.

    732 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Muslims are defeated at Potiers in

    France by Charles Martel.

    750 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) The Abbasids take over rule from the

    Umayyads, shifting the seat of power to Baghdad.

    1000 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era)Islam continues to spread through the
    continent of Africa, including Nigeria, which served as a trading liaison between

    the northern and central regions of Africa.

    1099 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) European Crusaders take Jerusalem
    from the Muslims. Eventually Muslims defeat the Crusaders and regain control

    of the Holy land.

    1120 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Islam continues to spread throughout
    Asia. Malaysian traders interact with Muslims who teach them about Islam.

    1299 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era)

    The earliest Ottoman state is formed in Anatolia, Turkey.

    1453 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Ottomans conquer the Byzantine seat

    of Constantinople and change its name to Istanbul.

    Circa 1800 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Approximately 30 percent of

    Africans forced into slavery in the United States were Muslims.

    1870-1924 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Muslim immigrants from the
    Arab world voluntarily come to the United States until the Asian Exclusion Act

    is passed in 1924.

    World War I ends with the defeat and dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, which
    was the last of the Islamic empires. Many regions populated by Muslims in
    Africa and Asia are colonized by Europeans. Traditional religious ways of life

    are threatened and, in some cases, destroyed.

    1930 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) The Nation of Islam is created in the
    U.S. by W. D. Fard. It is based on some Islamic ideas, but contains innovations,

    such as the appointment or declaration of Elijah Muhammad as a prophet.

    1948 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) The state of Israel is created. Some
    Palestinian and Lebanese refugees flee to the United States, among them,

    Muslims and Christians.

    1952 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) The McCarran-Walter Act relaxes the
    U.S. ban on Asian immigration. Muslim students come to the U.S. from many

    nations.

    1965 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Revisions of immigration law further

    open the doors for Muslim immigration.

    1975 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) Wallace D. Muhammad, the son of
    Elijah Muhammad, takes over leadership of the Nation of Islam after his father›s
    death and brings most of his followers into mainstream Islam. He later creates
    the Muslim American Society, which attracts many members, most of whom are

    African-American.

    1979 C.E (Common Era or Christian Era) The Iranian Revolution results in the
    establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the first attempt at an Islamic

    state in the modern era. 

    Islam in Rwanda

    Islam was first introduced into Rwanda by Muslim traders from the East Coast
    of Africa. Since its introduction, Muslims have been a minority in Rwanda in

    comparison to Catholics and Protestant adherents. 

    Muslims built their first mosque in 1913. This mosque is known as the al-Fatah

    mosque. During its history, many efforts were made to impede the spread of 

  • Topic 3

  • Topic 4

  • Topic 5

  • Topic 6

  • Topic 7

  • Topic 8

  • Topic 9