I debated where to place this, but since it comes from Bible study, I'm posting it here. I have been asked a young Japanese man who is Buddhist, to tell him about the Bible and the Christian faith. The following is what I emailed him. I know I've missed some key points I should have included, or did not explain something properly. Please comment as I will want to clarify or correct things I have emailed to him. Here is what I sent him:
The Bible is made up of two main divisions, the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is made up of 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. When you look at a Bible you may view the books like chapters.
The Bible is a book of history, covering the work of God from when he created the heavens and the earth, until the last day of the world sometime in our future. The Bible, while being a book of God's work, it is a book of redemption and the overall central figure is Jesus the Christ, whether by symbol, or is actual existence recorded in the New Testament. The New Testament was written in Greek and the Old Testament is written in Hebrew, except for a very few verses in Aramaic. The Old Testament Jews looked forward to the coming of their Messiah, which in Hebrew is "anointed", and in the New Testament, he is referred to as Christ, or the Christ; and the Greek also is "anointed". It is the same idea, just different how it is expressed in each language.
There are probably 5 key figures in the history of the Old Testament: Adam the first man, Noah who survived the worldwide flood that God sent to destroy all evil mankind, Moses who God used to lead the ancient Hebrews out of Egypt into a group of 12 Tribes, King David and his son King Solomon who were kings over Israel. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, the son of God is central key figure. The Apostle Paul wrote much of the New Testament directed toward Christians and explaining the Christian faith and how we are built upon the Person, Jesus Christ.
I mentioned earlier the book is not only history, but also about redemption. After God created Adam and Eve, humankind's first parents; they sinned. Adam, as the first human was representative of the human race and as he sinned, as mankind's representative, all of his posterity is deemed sinners, all of us receiving physical death and spiritual death. Each person is born now with that sin nature, called "Original Sin" and we can't help ourselves; we do sin. Even the most honorable, good and decent person sins if even it is pride in how good he is. In the New Testament is the record of the Son of God, coming to earth to redeem people by his living a perfectly righteous life, and then dying upon the cross to pay for our sins. While Adam represented every human who has ever lived; Jesus Christ, the Son of God on earth represented everyone who believes in him: "“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." (John 3:16 NRSV)
The universal church, literally the assembly of God, is mystically the body of Christ. It is made up of all believers past, present and future and one day, the last day, Jesus Christ returns to earth and there then is the resurrection of all persons and then a judgment. From then on, we pass on into eternity future. In this universal church of God, you have various denominations. There are liturgical churches which use a lot of symbolism and formal presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and these are mainly the Lutheran, Anglican, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. Then there are the more informal churches whose worship services are considerably simpler: reading of the Bible, preaching the gospel, prayer and praise of God. The word "gospel" means "good news", the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.
One key point. Christianity recognizes God as a spirit being, not material of body parts. In the Bible, there are three Persons who are referred to as this one true God, the creator. These are "God the Father", "God the Son" and "God the Holy Spirit". Because of these references in the Bible comes the Christian teaching of the Trinity. True Christians view anyone who denies the Trinity, specifically that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God, as outside the true Christian faith.
I know this has been a very long email, sort of an overall view of the Christian faith. No doubt I have forgotten some key point, but hopefully in the future I can correct the omission. Here is an important Christian teaching that is different from your faith:
"Just as it is our human lot to die once, with judgement to follow, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of mankind, and will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him." (Heb 9:27-28 REB)
The Bible is made up of two main divisions, the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is made up of 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. When you look at a Bible you may view the books like chapters.
The Bible is a book of history, covering the work of God from when he created the heavens and the earth, until the last day of the world sometime in our future. The Bible, while being a book of God's work, it is a book of redemption and the overall central figure is Jesus the Christ, whether by symbol, or is actual existence recorded in the New Testament. The New Testament was written in Greek and the Old Testament is written in Hebrew, except for a very few verses in Aramaic. The Old Testament Jews looked forward to the coming of their Messiah, which in Hebrew is "anointed", and in the New Testament, he is referred to as Christ, or the Christ; and the Greek also is "anointed". It is the same idea, just different how it is expressed in each language.
There are probably 5 key figures in the history of the Old Testament: Adam the first man, Noah who survived the worldwide flood that God sent to destroy all evil mankind, Moses who God used to lead the ancient Hebrews out of Egypt into a group of 12 Tribes, King David and his son King Solomon who were kings over Israel. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, the son of God is central key figure. The Apostle Paul wrote much of the New Testament directed toward Christians and explaining the Christian faith and how we are built upon the Person, Jesus Christ.
I mentioned earlier the book is not only history, but also about redemption. After God created Adam and Eve, humankind's first parents; they sinned. Adam, as the first human was representative of the human race and as he sinned, as mankind's representative, all of his posterity is deemed sinners, all of us receiving physical death and spiritual death. Each person is born now with that sin nature, called "Original Sin" and we can't help ourselves; we do sin. Even the most honorable, good and decent person sins if even it is pride in how good he is. In the New Testament is the record of the Son of God, coming to earth to redeem people by his living a perfectly righteous life, and then dying upon the cross to pay for our sins. While Adam represented every human who has ever lived; Jesus Christ, the Son of God on earth represented everyone who believes in him: "“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." (John 3:16 NRSV)
The universal church, literally the assembly of God, is mystically the body of Christ. It is made up of all believers past, present and future and one day, the last day, Jesus Christ returns to earth and there then is the resurrection of all persons and then a judgment. From then on, we pass on into eternity future. In this universal church of God, you have various denominations. There are liturgical churches which use a lot of symbolism and formal presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and these are mainly the Lutheran, Anglican, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. Then there are the more informal churches whose worship services are considerably simpler: reading of the Bible, preaching the gospel, prayer and praise of God. The word "gospel" means "good news", the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.
One key point. Christianity recognizes God as a spirit being, not material of body parts. In the Bible, there are three Persons who are referred to as this one true God, the creator. These are "God the Father", "God the Son" and "God the Holy Spirit". Because of these references in the Bible comes the Christian teaching of the Trinity. True Christians view anyone who denies the Trinity, specifically that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God, as outside the true Christian faith.
I know this has been a very long email, sort of an overall view of the Christian faith. No doubt I have forgotten some key point, but hopefully in the future I can correct the omission. Here is an important Christian teaching that is different from your faith:
"Just as it is our human lot to die once, with judgement to follow, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of mankind, and will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him." (Heb 9:27-28 REB)
