WHAT DO CHRISTIAN BELIEVE?
This summary of what we believe was written by staff of Norwich Cathedral . The Dean has kindly consented to its reproduction here. One of our own congregation discovered this monograpgh which we believe succinctly summarizes our beliefs.
Free copies of this leaflet are available in the church.
GOD
Christians believe that the world and everything in it is created by a loving God who gives meaning and purpose to each person and thing.
No person has ever seen God, and no one is able to understand God fully but we believe we know what God is like through the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth.
JESUS
Jesus was born in about 4BC in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth, both places being present day Israel.He learned a trade as a carpenter-builder. At age of 30, he became a teacher for three years, until he was executed by crucifixion as a common criminal, probably in 30AD in Jerusalem.
Against all the expectations of his friends, he rose from death, and this one thing compelled his followers to tell people far and wide about him.
THE CHURCH
His followers, who were all Jews at first but later included non-Jews, formed a community known as the Church. Its task was to continue the work he had begun. We believe that Jesus is the Messiah foretold in the Jewish scriptures and therefore, we believe that the church has a vital role in the unfolding purpose of God.
We become members of this community through the ceremony of baptism whereby we are ‘born again’ into a new relationship with God through Jesus.
We become members of this community through the ceremony of baptism whereby we are ‘born again’ into a new relationship with God through Jesus.
GOD AS FATHER
Jesus taught people to think of God as a loving Father – he creates us, loves us, protects us, provides for our needs, and guides us through life. He is love. Jesus taught us to speak to him in prayer as “Our Father”. The word he uses for “father,” is “Abba” which means, “Daddy”.
JESUS AS DIVINE
Jesus called himself Son of Man, not Son of God, but he did in fact claim to be divine. He said that whoever saw him had seen the Father. He was the human expression of God, showing God’s will for peace and healing and goodness by his actions and supremely showing God’s love for the world by his death on the cross. After his resurrection, one of his friends could say of him, “My Lord and my God”.
THE BIBLE
Christians use the Jewish scriptures believing that they reach fulfillment in the coming of Jesus into the world. We accept some of the writings of the early Christians also as scriptural – the accounts by his friends of his teaching, death and resurrection, and letters written by the Apostles to the first Churches. We believe that the writers of scripture were inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, and we regard the Old and New Testaments as sufficient to contain our beliefs.
SALVATION
We believe that by dying on the Cross Jesus has won for us forgiveness from the effects of sinfulness. We hope that beyond this life, therefore, we shall be in the presence of God and be united with our loved ones, and that we shall find our fulfillment as human beings in the heavenly life of eternity.