QUEZON MEMORIAL ACADEMY

Progreso St., Poblacion West Umingan Pangasinan

NAME: ______ SECTION:

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MODULE

I. Learning Objectives: At the end of this module, students will be able to;

 Differentiate Abrahamic Religion: Judaism, Christianity and Islam;

 Understand beliefs and doctrines of Christianity;
 Identify worship and observances of Christianity; and
 Familiarized sacred Scriptures Christianity.

Introduction:

C hristianity is considered the most popular religion in the world with the most number of adherents among all religions.
Starting around the 1st century C.E., It developed out of Judaism during the reign of the Roman Empire in West Asia. It centers on the life,
teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is considered the Messiah or Savior of humanity. The most common symbol for
Christianity is the cross, for Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humanity from their sins and to restore people’s
relationship with God the Father. Christians also believe in the Holy Trinity, which means God has three aspects- Father, Son, and the
Holy Spirit. It is believed that God the Father sent His only Son, Jesus, to earth to redeem humanity from their sins for them to avoid the
eternal flames of hell.
Although there has been a prophesy in Judaism that God the Father will send His only Son to redeem humanity from their sins and to
restore relationship with God- the Jews do not accept that Jesus was the fulfillment of that promise. Instead, the Jews are still waiting for
the Messiah to be sent by God the Father. Christians on the other hand, have accepted that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise.
Nonetheless, Christianity is considered one of the first monotheistic religions in the world and shares many similarities with Judaism in
terms of belief in prophets, angels, judgement day, among others. Together with Judaism, and Islam, Christianity is considered one of the
world religions which traces its origins to the patriarch Abraham.

MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITY:

Recall and summarize two Bible stories that you love and why you like those tales.
(Refer to Old and New Testament)

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 SACRED SCRIPTURES

WORHIP AND CHRISTIANITY BELIEFS AND

OBSERVANCE DOCTRINES

SUBDIVISION

 SYMBOLS
The symbols shown on the left are the most common symbols associated with Christianity. The
cross serves as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s victory over sins. When He died on the cross for humanity’s
redemption and salvation. Christ died on the cross and the cross serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made
by God in order for humanity to live. In Roman Catholic churches, the crucifix is a regular feature, with the
image of Christ nailed on the cross. This aims to emphasize Christ’s sufferings for humanity. Meanwhile, the
protestant churches often feature only the cross without the image of the body of Christ, to emphasize
Christ’s resurrection and not His suffering.

Ichtys:Iseous Christos Theoi Yios Soter (Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

Historical Background
Christianity developed in Palestine around 100 C.E. It was founded by Jesus, considered to be the Son of God and Messiah or
Savior. Today Christianity is divided into three major Christian sects-Roman Catholicism, Greek Orthodox Church and Protestantism.
These major Christian sects are further subdivided by Christian denominations that differ in certain beliefs and practices but are united in
worshipping Jesus Christ as the son of God.
 JESUS AS THE FOOUNDER OF CHRISTIANITY
It was in this backdrop that Jesus, founder of Christianity, lived and preached teachings that served as criticisms of Judaism,
although He himself was a Jew. His ministry began when He was in His early thirties. Preaching and healing in the villages, he started to
preachteachings which considered revolutionary at that time. For example, He criticized the uprightness and insincerity of religious
officials and emphasized that God values service and love. He also taught about the new covenant that God will bring to humanity: that
of sending His Begotten Son to save humanity from their sins and restore the people’s relationship with Him.
 RELIGIOUS LEADERS
The Catholic Church follows a certain hierarchy based on the Canon Law of the Catholic Church. At the top of the hierarchy is the
pope, considered as Peter’s successor. The hierarchy also includes the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons.
Each member of the hierarchy has his own function for the efficiency of the church
1. Popes-serves as the head of the Catholic church, the inheritor of Peter
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 2. Cardinals-appointed by the Pope. They represent the Pope and the Roman Catholic church in different parts of the world.
3. Bishops-are teachers of the doctrine, priests of sacred worship, and ministers of church government.
4. Priests- ordained ministers responsible for the administering of the sacraments, such as the Eucharist, Marriage, Baptism, and
Confirmation.
5. Deacons- they are classified into two types: The transitional deacon- a seminarian who is studying for the priesthood.
Permanent deacon- Who can get married and serve as a priest’s assistant in administering some of the sacraments.

DEITY/GOD
Christians believe in one God, therefore Christianity is a monotheistic religion. God is seen as the creator and maintainer of the
universe, and is believed to be omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), omnipresent (all-present), and omnibenevolent
(all good). God is also sacred, moral, unchangeable, compassionate, grateful, and timeless.
HOLY TRINITY
Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, which means that God is composed of three persons: God the Father, The Son (Jesus
Christ), and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine of the Holy Spirit was affirmed at the Council of Nicea in 25 C.E. where it was agreed upon
that the son has the same substance with the Father, therefore they are both eternal. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity was
Christianity’s way to end the controversy generated by Arianism, a teaching by Arius which claimed that Jesus Christ was not
actually a God. (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:1).
SACRED SCRIPTURES
The Bible is considered the sacred scripture of Christianity. It is a collection of songs, stories, poetry, letters, history, as well as
literature. It is composed of two books, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is considered the Hebrew
Bible, written between 1200 and 165 B.C.E. The News Testament was written by Christians around 100 C.E.
THE OLD TESTAMENT
It is also called the Hebrew Bible, is composed of 39 books which are arranged in three parts: The first five books (Genesis to
Deutoronomy) are considered “The Law” or Torah which may refer to guidance or instruction. They are called as such because they
served as guidelines on how people should live their everyday lives, as well as other legal necessities.

Book of the Earlier Prophets Book of the latter Prophets

Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel. 1-2 Kings Isaiah,Jeremiah,Ezekiel,Hosea,Joel,Amos,
Obadiah,Jonah,Micah,Nahum,Habakkuk,Zepahaniah, Haggai,
Malachi

THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament is composed of 27 books written around50 to 100 C.E. and is composed of two sections: The Gospels which
tell the story of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John); and Letters (or epistles), written by various Christian leaders to serve as
guide to the early Christian communities. They were written to tell the life and teachings of Jesus. The Acts of apostle Luke tell how
Christianity developed from a small group of Jewish believers to becoming one of the world’s major religious. Revelation is the last
book of the New Testament, traditionally attributed to the apostle John, which is considered an epistle and an apocalypse.

BELIEFS/DOCTRINES
Christianity has certain beliefs and doctrines that serve as moral guidelines for its followers. As much as possible, Christians
should follow these teaching strictly if they want to redeem God’s promise of eternal life. These teachings are essential to their
beliefs system as Christians and reduces their chances of salvation in the afterlife.

TEN COMMANDMENTS
Also called the Decalogue, the ten commandments are a set of laws given by God to the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai through
Moses. In Exodus, God gave Moses the tablets containing the ten commandments, which Moses smashed into pieces because of
extreme anger. When he saw the golden calf idol created and worshipped by the Hebrews. God gave Moses another set to replace
the broken one.
The Ten Commandments appeared twice in the Bible. (EXODUS 20:1-17, DEUTORONOMY 5:21)

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 The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17 NKJV)

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other
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gods before Me.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am
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a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but
showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments.

3 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor
4 your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens
and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and
hallowed it.

5 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

6 “You shall not murder.

7 “You shall not commit adultery.

8 “You shall not steal.

9 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

1 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female
0 servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.”

EIGHT BEATITUDES
The Beatitudes comprise what is known as the “Sermon on the Mount” recorded in Matthew 5-7. The Beatitudes refer to the
eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the “Sermon on the Mount.” Here are the Eight Beatitudes mentioned in Matthew 5-7:
(Matthew 5:1-12, New Testament King James Version)

5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His
mouth and taught them, saying:

3 
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the [a]earth.
6 
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be
exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

APOSTLE’S CREED

The apostle’s creed is believed to have developed in the 100 or 200 C.E. and was influenced later by the Nicene Creed. A letter
written by the Council of Milan in 390 C.E. is the earliest historical evidence of the Apostle’s creed. It is not written by the apostles
themselves but it serves as a summary of their basic teaching.

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 APOSTLE’S CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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.

STORY OF CRETION AND BIG BANG THEORY

The story of Creations, which narrates how God created the universe in six days, is found in Genesis 1 of the Old
Testament. It narrates how God created light and darkness on the first day; the sky and the ocean on the second day; the earth and
plants on the third day; the sun, moon and the stars on the fourth day; sea creatures, land animals, and birds on the fifth day; and
finally the first man and woman on the sixth day, after which He rested on the seventh day. This story has often been attributed as
the one which explains the origin of the universe from a Christian point of view. Other religions would offer their own explanations on
the origin of the universe. Science also has its own theories on how the universe began. The most accepted among scientists is the
Big Bang Theory, which states that the universe began as an incredibly hot, very dense point in space about 14 billion years ago. It
then underwent rapid expansion in no time, and, as it cooled, let to the creation of stars, galaxies and planets.

WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES

Christians have certain religious observances in which they commemorate particular events in history of Christianity. Some
of the most important Christian observances are Advent, Lent, and Pentecost.

ADVENT

Advent refers to the season of waiting for the birth of the Messiah, hence its celebration lasts for four weeks, beginning four Sundays
before Christmas and ending on Christmas eve. It is meant as an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the birth of Jesus who
was sent by God the Father to restore humanity’s relationship with God. During Advent, it is not only the birth of Christ which is
anticipated but the Second Coming of the Savior as well. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means
“coming’ or “visit”. Advent also features certain colors, such as purple/dark blue, which symbolizes seriousness, repentance, and
royalty; pink which signifies joy.

LENT

Lent refers to the season observed by Christians in preparation for Easter, a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Ash
Wednesday signals the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days before Easter. It is a time for Christians to prepare for
Easter by following certain rituals, such as fasting, repentance, moderation, and self-discipline. This is a time to reflect on the
suffering sacrifice, life, death. Burial, and resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ. It is time for prayer, penance, sacrifice, and good
works as a way of remembering the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon words
Lencten, meaning “Spring”, and lenctenid, which means “Springtide” and also the word for “March”, the month when Easter is usually
celebrated.

PENTECOST

Is celebrated as holiday to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the early Christian. Thus, Pentecost is also celebrated as
the birthday of the Church. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word pentekostos, which means “fifty”, pertaining to the

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Jewish holiday celebrated every fifty days from the end of Passover to the beginning of the next holiday (also known as Shavuot).
The event was recorded in the New Testament, in The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, which narrates how the first Christians came
together in one place when suddenly they heard a sound coming from heaven and tongues of fire rested on their heads. They were
said to be filled with the Holy Spirit which enabled them to speak other languages, after which Peter stood up and delivered his first
sermon.

SUBDIVISIONS

Prior to the reign of Emperor Constantine who declared himself a Christian in 312 C.E., Christians were persecuted under Roman
Emperors. Christianity was only legalized in 313 C.E. upon Constantine’s declaration of the Edict of Milan, which declared equality
among all religions. After defeating his opponents and becoming the sole leader of the Roman Empire in 324 C.E., Emperor
Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the empire and sought to end all doctrinal arguments om Christianity.

SELECTED ISSUES

We have discussed how the Christian Church was subdivided into different sects. In order to address the issue of disunity among
Christians, the concept of ecumenism was adopted by the roman catholic church. Thus, ecumenism is one important issue in
Christianity. Still there are some issues which in conflict with Christian teachings, concerning sexuality, (especially issue on
contraception, abortion, and homosexuality); divorce; capital punishment and euthanasia.

ECUMENISM

Refers to the effort of the Catholic Church to sponsor activities and initiatives to promote mutual understanding and unity among all
Christians. Ecumenism can also be described as the promotion of Worldwide Christian unity. It is based on Vatican II’s Decree on
Ecumenism which states that:

“the restoration of unity among all Christian is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council. Christ the Lord founded
one Church and one Church only…..”

Ecumenism is based on three principles, which states that:

1. Christ established the Church on the Apostles and their successors, whose head became Peter and his successor the
Bishop of Rome;

2. Since the first century there have been divisions in Christianity; but many persons now separated from visible unity with the
successors of the Apostles under Peter are nevertheless Christians who possess more or less the fullness of grace
available in the Roman Catholic Church; and

3. Catholics are to do everything possible to foster the ecumenical movement, which comprehends all “the initiatives and
activities, planned and undertaken to promote Christian unity, according to the Church’s various needs and opportunities.”

SEXUALITY

The issue of sexuality has always been controversial for the Catholic Church, due to its conservative view of human
sexuality, it has often found itself in conflict with progressive and liberal ideas with regard to certain issues connected to sexuality
such as artificial contraception, abortion, and homosexuality. In general, sexuality refers to orientation, sexual activity, and sexual
feelings. Christianity advocates that the goal of sexual union between men and women is procreation, thus anything that might hinder
this may consider immoral. Having sexual pleasure from such union is not necessary., thus when people use artificial contraceptives,
such as condoms, birth control pills, IUDs (Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices), and the like, they are committing a sin because they
are engaging in sexual acts without procreation in the mind. Instead, Christianity advocates natural family planning methods such as
the rhythm method, wherein couples will engage in sexual acts only during days when woman is not fertile and cannot conceive a
baby. In this light, abortion is considered as immoral by the catholic Church since it entails the killing of life. For the Catholic Church,
life begins at fertilization, when the sperm and ovum meet to form a single cell, hence abortion is already considered as taking away
the life of a person.

Homosexuality: It refers to attraction to members of the same sex. Male attracted to male are called gays. Female attracted
to female are called lesbians.

FAMILY AND DIVORCE

The Christian view on marriage is based on Matthew 19:-6

s19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.
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Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

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3 
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

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“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man
will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one
flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Thus, divorce is not allowed in the Catholic Church, since it believes in the sanctity of marriage, which should be a lifetime bond
between a man and woman, and is considered a legal bond on earth and spiritual bond in heaven.

Critical Thinking:

1. Why is the concept of Holy Trinity confusing for some Christians and Non-Christians alike?

2. Despite the split in Christianity into numerous sects, what bind these religious sects together?

3. What does Christianity share with Judaism in terms of beliefs and practices?

II. Poster-Making. Make a poster depicting the sets of laws given by God to people of Israel at Mt. Sinai through Moses or the Ten
Commandments. Use the rubric below as a guide.

RUBRIC FOR POSTER

CRITERIA DESCRIPTION POINTS POINTS OBTAINED

Organization The concept was clearly and creatively conveyed 10
Content The illustration were appropriate to the theme 5
Visual Presentation The idea was clearly presented based on the pictures 5
and words used.
Total: 20

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