Rise of Christianity; Bible Study for non-Christian

[lisabees]

DS13 and I are studying the rise of Christianity in history. I would like to read passages from the Bible - that sums up what Christianity is all about. And stories about Peter and Paul etc. Honestly, I am pretty clueless. I know a bunch of you can point out what books/verses/stories shouldn't be missed.

 

Help! DS is VERY interested.

 

Thanks!

[OnTheBrink]

As a Christian, I don't think any of it should be missed! ;) But, I get what you're asking.

 

If you want to read what Paul wrote, then read his epistles:

 

Romans

First Corinthians

Second Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

First Thessalonians

Second Thessalonians

First Timothy

Second Timothy

Titus

Philemon

 

It's rumored that Paul wrote Hebrews, as well, but there's no definitive proof of that.

 

Peter wrote I and II Peter

 

If you want to read about Peter, he's mentioned in all 4 gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

 

If you want to read about how the Christian church got started; about the first church, read Acts.

 

So, basically, if you read the whole New Testament, you'll have it covered. :001_smile:

 

The bottom line for Christianity is: Love the Lord God with all your heart, spirit and mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself.

 

HTH :001_smile:

[lisabees]

LOL! I guess it's a silly question! :blushing:

 

But you answered exactly the way I needed you to! :) My in-laws are more than excited to share their faith with ds too! I definitely need to get him prepared for that! :lol: We'll also be attending a couple of churches.

 

Thank you!

[Kristin in Hawaii]

I just started listening to "The New Testament" lecture series by Bart Ehrman and so far, so good. He really clearly explains how/when the "books" and "gospels" came about. I think he is agnostic now -- happened somewhere along his journey to his degree in Divinity, as I understand it.

 

Anyhow, I don't know if your son would be up to it -- my 13 yr. old son is not -- but it is helping me to understand and then share with him.

 

Good luck!

 

Kristin

[angela in ohio]

DS13 and I are studying the rise of Christianity in history. I would like to read passages from the Bible - that sums up what Christianity is all about. And stories about Peter and Paul etc. Honestly, I am pretty clueless. I know a bunch of you can point out what books/verses/stories shouldn't be missed.

 

Help! DS is VERY interested.

 

Thanks!

 

A good start would be to read:

 

Matthew and/or John,

Luke,

Acts,

Romans,

Ephesians and/or Philippians,

and possibly Revelation,

 

if you don't want to read the whole New Testament.

[TechWife]

I am a Christian, and I really think to understand Christianity you need to look at the Bible as a whole. The Old and New Testaments are intracately connected, as the NT is a fulfillment of the law & the prophets. It would be very difficult to understand the significance of the necessity of Christs' sacrifice without understanding the Old Testament Covenants. It would be difficult to understand how people determined that Jesus is the Messiah without seeing how He was foretold in the OT, all the way from his ancestry to his actions). All of Christianity rests on realizing these two things - the necessity of a covenental sacrifice and it's fulfillment in Christ, the Messiah.

 

At a bare minimum, one wanting to study Christianity should become familiar with Moses and the Law and Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenants. After a trip through Malachi, then choose one of the gospels to read. The book of Acts tells about the early Christian church and also tells of the conversion of Paul, which is necessary background if you want to try to understand Paul's writings. Paul wrote Romans, which I highly suggest you read for an understanding of basic doctrine. An understanding of the necessity of sacrifice for the redemption of sins (from the OT) makes it so much easier to understand. The book of Hebrews, whose author is unknown, pulls together the Old and New Testaments and tells how they relate to one another - it is not to be missed if you want to see a full picture of Christianity.

[debbielong]

I am a fan of media - especially for teenagers.

 

The Gospel of John is a three-hour movie that uses The Good News Bible, word-for word, to dramatize Jesus' life. I think it can be helpful to really see why folks got so fired up about Jesus and who He said He was.

 

Then, The Visual Bible has Acts on DVD. Again, this dramatization is word-for-word, but this time from the New International Version.

 

After watching John and Acts, I think it would be fun to read Philipians and experience Paul's joy at having discovered the secret to true happiness.

 

From there, with a 13-year-old, you can use the book, The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History to get a sense of what happened after Pentecost.

 

 

 

We are getting ready to start a long unit on Martin Luther, so I bought The History of Christianity on DVD, presented by Dr. Timothy George. But, I haven't watched it yet and can't speak to its quality.

 

So, my two-cents, fwiw:)

 

And, I need to update my signature:)...

[Caribbean Queen]

Genesis

It is full of can't be missed stores. Adam and Eve, Noah's Arc, Father Abraham, Joseph's multi colored coat. Start at the beginning and read a little every day until you come to the end. Don't use a story Bible, use a real Bible. The NIrV is easy. The King James Version is beautiful.

 

Exodus

Baby Moses in a basket on the Nile, God gives Ten Commandments. The beginning of the book is the most important part for you, I think. You may not want to finish it.

 

Matthew

Read it all. Jesus' birth, actions, teachings and death. Essential.

[jonnia]

An excellent accompanying book as you study might be

Mere Christianity by C.S.Lewis.

 

From the Library Journal: "The late Lewis, Oxford professor, scholar, author, and Christian apologist, presents the listener with a case for orthodox Christianity. This is definitely not the shouting, stomping, sweating, spitting televangelist fare so often parodied; Lewis employs logical arguments that are eloquently expressed. He describes those doctrines that the four major denominations in Britain (Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic) would have in common, e.g., original sin, the transcendent Creator God, and the divinity of Jesus as well as his atonement and bodily resurrection."

[EthiopianFood]

This is not a thorough answer, but I think it is the most important part: read one of the gospels (apparently Matthew is recommended the most by PP). Look at it this way. According to Christianity, Jesus was God sent to earth. Jesus IS Christianity, the start of the new way of interacting with God. Only through Jesus can we know God, and can we get to heaven. The bible is about God, and Jesus was a physical example of what God would look like if he were on earth. So, if you understand Jesus, you understand Christianity. Some parts of the Bible seem to contradict each other, but the way I look at it, if it seems to contradict how Jesus lived, then you need to reevaluate.

[Chris in VA]

If you are going to read the Pauline Epistles, you may want the backround for each church. The letter to the Corinthians, for example, has Paul addressing a basically disfunctional church--he goes thru their issues and provides corrections. My hubby (priest) is using it to discuss the things going on in our Episcopal branch of the Christianity tree. He will probably put his lectures on the http://www.pohick.org site when he's done (or as he does them)--usually powerpoint slides. Might help YOU decipher some of the struggles of the early church (and today's, too).