Mark Stibbe - Guide to Christian Belief

Guide to Christian Belief

This book is a simple introduction to what Christians believe. There is a great need for a beginner's guide like this today. Many people are longing to connect with God, but they no longer know what previous generations in most Western nations took for granted-the foundational beliefs of Christianity. Indeed, today there is a great deal of confusion about what Christians believe. One of the goals of this volume is to stimulate the reader to go deeper into what Christians believe. What do Christians believe? Traditionally, Christians have used what are known as creeds as a way of affirming the basic tenets of their faith. A creed (from the Latin credo, meaning I believe) is simply a statement of faith. The following is known as the Apostles' Creed and is the most popular of the creeds used by Christians in the western world. It was developed over a period of six centuries (between the second and eighth centuries AD): We believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. We believe in JesusChrist, hisonlySon,our Lord,who wasconceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pi-late, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. We 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. Most of the core beliefs of the Apostle's Creed will be covered in this book: Table of Contents Introduction Revelation God Creation The Fall Jesus The Cross Resurrection The Holy Spirit Last Things Index