Key Concepts of Faith: Exploring Core Beliefs
Key Concepts of Faith
The Old Testament
The first part, the most extensive, contains the books that give the people of Israel testimony of the great deeds of God and His own story. It contains three distinct parts: The Law, the prophetic books, and the poetic and historical Sapiential books.
God’s Covenant
This word means that God’s covenant with Noah is concrete and transcendent, with Abraham, and then with all the people on Mount Sinai.
The New Testament
This consists of 27 works written by the apostles and other disciples between 50 and 100 AD. Among them, there are 21 letters to various communities.
The Nature of Faith
Faith is an affection that adheres reliably to the person of Jesus and the content of all that He has revealed through His apostles and His church. We learn to believe by the example of other Christians, and we know the content of our faith thanks to the teaching we have received from the church. We witness to our faith and are always ready to respond to everyone who asks us the reason for our hope. While faith is an eminently personal act, it is also a community act, transmitted and lived with others. Faith is a personal attitude that exists in the church, with all other Christians.
The Story of Creation
Regarding the story of its origins, it is sometimes said that at the beginning of the Bible is the story of creation, and so there is a danger of interpreting the initial chapter of the Bible as the first book, a more or less accurate description of the events reported in it. When we say that God created the world in six days, the word ‘day’ does not mean within 24 hours. It does not say how the universe was created, but who created it.
God’s Presence
Because we believe, we can be sure that the world and men are covered by fields, definitely one that existed at the beginning and remains close to its creation.
Man and Woman
God created man, male and female, to be companions to each other and help each other. Together they transmit life, knowledge, experience, and His love. Man is like God, knows and loves God and their fellow men. Men and women have the universe to fulfill its vocation, to grow in the love of God and love of each other, participate with God in perfecting creation, and preparing to meet with God in eternity.
Angels and the Devil
God created angels who were close to Him and have seen His glory, but some, like the devil, rebelled against their Lord. They cannot stay close to God and were cast into hell, come into the world of men, and bring them wrong. They try to distract people from God and bring sin. The devil’s power is not infinite, but can do much damage.
Original Sin
Original Sin is the sin committed from the outset, damaging the relationship between man and God. All men are heirs to that guilt. Baptism erases original sin, and man returns to God.
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was the son of the priest Zechariah and his wife Isabel, who had grown old without having children. The angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and announced the birth of a son who has to bear the name of John. John the Baptist is chosen by God and lives in the desert. He baptized in the Jordan River to forgive sins and announces the coming of Jesus to baptize with the Holy Spirit. This is the last prophet of Israel, the forerunner of Jesus, preparing the people to welcome the Messiah.
Jesus Christ, the Messiah
Christ means Messiah, able to act on behalf of God, a messenger protected by God. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Peter acknowledges that Jesus is the Messiah, and Jesus began to proclaim his passion: the messianic kingdom was revealed on the cross, truly given his life for his people.
Jesus, the Son of God
When we affirm that Jesus is the Son of God, we mean much more. Jesus is God Himself, the Son of the Father. There is no relationship in the world comparable to the union of Jesus with the Father.
Peter confesses: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven.”
Serving One Another
When Christians call God Father, they not only call Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, but they confess that Jesus is the same God and proclaim that they are His people and put all their faith in Him. They want to serve one another, just as He ordered on the eve of His passion.