One of the most beloved verses for Christians in the Holy Bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. (King James Version)
This verse essentially captures the tenets of the Christian faith: (1) That God loved humanity so much that he sacrificed his only son, Jesus, so that sinful man would not be doomed to an afterlife in torment. (2) That Jesus lived a sinless life on the earth, was crucified for the sins of mankind, overcame death and returned to his Father. (3) That those who believe that Jesus is the resurrected Christ will never die, but will pass from this earthly life into eternal life with God.
Christian beliefs have historically evoked a wealth of passion in both “believers” and “non-believers”. The world has been shaped dramatically by the responses of individuals, cultures and nations to this religion since its birth following the death of Jesus in the approximate year 33AD. Christianity spread rapidly, becoming one of the three major world religions. Today, Christians can be found in virtually every country on the earth. However in some locales, believers face persecution, torture and death.
The writings of Flavius Josephus (a Jewish historian who lived from 37AD to about 100AD), the Dead Sea Scrolls (authenticated early biblical and Jewish documents discovered between 1947 and 1956), and an abundance of other historical evidence, have helped to confirm the events chronicled in the bible. Josephus was an eyewitness to the growth of Christianity after the death of Jesus, and was later advisor and historian to at least three Roman emperors. His writings were extremely popular and widely read for centuries, especially in Europe. Even today, scholars and others continue to study and reference his works. He wrote the following about Jesus:
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.” (Antiquities, Book 18, Chapter 3, paragraph 3)
The Christian faith emphasizes obedience to God, love for one another, forgiveness, prayer, evangelism, service, and generosity. You can learn more about Christianity via an online Christian School.
