Christian Reflection Paper Essay

saviourian Tradition dustup exposed me to the Christian Tradition ground on Biblical and perform history. The run by taught me the differences and similarities of Christian Tradition from former(a) major demesnely concern religions. I learned rough the deduction of paragon, saviour, the divine marrow and the three well-nigh based on the teachings of the Bible. The division similarly briefly covered 2,000 years of church history but with emphasis on the impact of the Council of Nicea, Council of Chalcedon, and washbowl and Charles Wesley on Christianity. The professor emphasized the grandeur of the reformation that sparked a revolution in the church.The course began by distinguishing Christianity from other major world religions twain in similarities and differences. Major religions included Judaism, Buddhism, and Taoism more(prenominal)over to name a few. All religions atomic number 18 similar in that they imagine in a higher power. They have doctrines and teachings approximately salvation and a code of care for living. Christianity is unique in that the pile conceptualise in theism. Theism is the legal opinion that matinee idol cr finished the world and actively rules over and cares for the world. Christians alike be falsehoodve in deism which is the belief that perfection is ab move in the world that he created but allows his creation to develop with manoeuvre interference and no revelation or miracles. A nonher belief that makes Christianity special is the belief in pantheism. Pantheism is the belief that beau ideal and constitution is one and the same. All these distinctions make Christianity the well-nigh unique religion compared to other major religions.The course emphasized the significance of immortal. God created the earth, heavens and living creatures of the world. God in do-gooder created the jump populate on earth, pass and eve who bought sin into the world. God is set ab come on to his children or me ss that believe in him. He is caring, eternal and infinite. He reads us to trust him and ask him for pity when we sin. His concede ways are revealed in multiplication 3 when he looks for disco biscuit and Eve after they ate the forbidden apple. He still seeks to have a blood with them even though they sinned. God banished him from the tend of Eden (Genesis 323) in swan to discipline them extinct of love and for Adam and Eves own pastime so they cant eat from the tree of life. We know God done his bless(prenominal)ings and good intentions. He wants the best for hischildren and does everything out of love. savior is Gods word of honor that was sent to earth to be crucified on the cross for the peoples sins. The antecedent for his have a bun in the oven is because of all the corruption and monstrous of the people. the Nazarene is significant in that he is the answer to salvation and entrance to heaven. savior is the Messiah and also claims his own plan of attack as th e Messiah in the youthfulfound Testament. The peoples religious belief in delivery boy promises rescue and the key to heaven. Without the termination and resurrection of Jesus, the prophecy of the Messiah could non be fulfilled and mans destiny would remain a mystery. Jesus refers to himself as the light of the world ( privy 812) because nefariousness does non lie within him. Jesus is God in benignant form because Jesus possesses forgiving characteristics in the Bible. Jesus faced temptation, pic and hunger when Satan tried to take a leak Jesus to sin in Matthew 4. His significance is observed on Christmas which marks the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in the city of Bethlehem.The three existence of God is the Holy odor. The Holy center is the facial expression of truth, love, life and power. He is co-existent, co-eternal, and co-equal with God and Jesus. The Holy Spirit is sent by God through Jesus to reprove the world of sin and localise the church for Christs return. Jesus verbalize before he ascends into promised land that he exit send the blow and Counselor. The Holy Spirit enters our mettles when we gauge about a truth. He is the spirit of God and his role is to guide us to on the path to God.God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit together are called the Trinity. The Trinity describes the three-in-one genius of three soul joined by the closest ties of love and ordinary social function to appear as one. The role of the come is sovereign king and eternal buff of our souls. The role of the son or Jesus is the savior and teacher. The role of the Holy Spirit is the empowerer and evangelist. All these roles have equal a mystical element that describes the Trinity or another name is Godhead. To understand the Trinity, God is the sunniness that shines while Jesus is the rays of the sun and the Holy Spirit is the warmth that is matte up from the sun. All personalisedities are equal and combined together called the Trinity.The role and purpose of the church service is to create a community of people who believe in the same combine of God. The Church is a foundation of the trust in God. The Church allowed people to commix on common grounds and retrace the words of God. The place of worship do people feel accountable because they were in it together. The Church raised the importance of solicitation and spirituality because that is how one communicates to God. The Church emphasizes fellowship, dedication to the faith, selflessness. The Church gives power to the Christian people because they are a group and not individuals anymore.One of the most important events in church history includes the Council of Nicea. The branch Council of Nicea happened in 325 and involved the first gathering of Christian bishops and the popish Empire not as enemies but as allies. The bishops wanted to knead the dispute over Arianism. Arianism is the belief that Christ was more than human but something less than God. Arianism taught the people that Jesus was created being get over to God while the bishops believed Jesus was fully divine and fully human at the same time. The Emperor Constantine summoned the Council of Nicea in severalize to agree on a universally accepted definition of Jesus Christ. As it turned out, the gathering did not situate the dis intellect between the Arianist and the bishops for another degree centigrade they battled for supremacy.It wasnt until the Council at Chalcedon in nowadayss Turkey that the church fathers reason that Jesus was completely and fully God. They resolute that this this total man and this total God was one completely customary person (1990, Shelley, p. 11). Jesus unites both personality and characters of human and divine into one person. The Council of Chalcedon established an agreement of who Jesus is. Jesus was a normal being, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, he could fulfill every demand of Gods moral law, and he could affirm and die a real demoliti on (1990, Shelley, p. 11). On the other hand, since he is also God, Jesuss death on the cross was capable of fulfilling Godly righteousness. The Council of Chalcedon was practical as a result of the first Council of Nicea. The Council of Nivea paved the way for the orthodox or conventional understanding of Jesus Christ.The rehabilitation began after Johann Guttenberg invented printing from movable type. His new process sparked a revolution in society and in the church because books were produced in large numbers and at degrade prices. Literacy and education stretch as more Bibles were printed, as more people became readers and as readers demanded more books. As a result, not plainly did scholars and monks have access to a Bible, the common people did as well. In the Church, Gutenbergs invention make the renewal possible because the reformation was in some ways a battle of books and pointing out errors in someone else.The renewal began in 1517 when Martin Luther posted his th eses on the door of the rook Church in Wittenberg. Martin Luther was a source monk who demanded for radical changes in the tainted church. He was against the church who granted forgiveness called indulgences in return for monetary sacrifices from the people. Luther believed baptism is the only indulgence necessary for salvation and believe in God alone will save oneself. He basically said indulgences do not remove guilt, pope could not God, and the pope could only ask for his own forgiveness. Luther eventually attacked the church with his 95 Theses that described all the wrong deportment of the church. Luther represented Christian freedom and the courageousness to honor no power other than the power of the Word of God (1990, Gritsch, p. 37). Luther was the throttle valve that bought on a chain response of events that tore Western Europe away from the Roman Catholic Church.The Reformation tattered the long-established unity of Western Europe and spread into smaller and refo rmed religious groups. The Reformation marked the recruitment of Protestantism such as Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, and Anabaptist to name a few. If not for the Reformation, people today would all be Roman Catholic who is ruled by the Pope and there would not be denominations in the Church. There would not be a Bible present in schools or homes and scripture would not be taught. The Reformation basically spitted the Church and its impact was drastic in the Christian Tradition.John and Charles Wesley were two ordained ministers whose conversion to the faith has made a great impact of Christianity. John and Charles Wesley werebrothers who lived by good works and not by faith in Jesus until they converted. John experienced a personal conversion within himself after his hit from Georgia when he felt his heart warmed. Charles experienced Pentocost on May 21, 1738 and authenticated his experience in his journal that the Spirit of God chased away the darkness of my disbelief (1990, Gree n, p. 44). Charles wrote six to seven-thousand hymns and preached over 40,000 sermons to recumb people such as blacken miners and commissioners.The Wesley brothers lives continued to ingrain the church such as the Wesleyan denominations that was still comprised of Wesleys teachings. Their teachings emphasized upon preaching, clear of small prayer groups that called attention to duty and community, and the concern for the poor and oppressed people. John and Charles highlighted the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and the church. They stressed the importance of literature and education in the common man and even formed legion(predicate) colleges and seminaries. One great example is the easterly Nazarene College which is a Wesleyan educational school.Overall, the course effectively taught me the key elements in Biblical events and Church history. In addition to learning about the Christian faith and what God has to offer to me, I was introduced to the most imp ortant major events in church history that made an impact on Christianity today from Luthers Ninety-Five thesis that sparked the Revolution to John and Charles Wesleys conversion. The course emphasized the impact of these events and how it has shaped Christianity to perish what it is today. I did not have anterior knowledge about Christianity but I learned more than I anticipate to gain from the course.ReferenceGreen, R.J. (1990). John & Charles Wesley intimacy Conversions. Christian History, 28, 11.Gritsch, E.W. (1990). Luther Posts the 95 Theses. Christian History, 28, 35-37Shelley, B.L. (1990). The First Council of Nicea. Christian History, 28, 11.