The Basics of Christianity

Which religion has the most number of followers in the world?

• Christianity
• Buddhism
• Hinduism
• Islam

Answer explanation

In 2024, Christianity has about 2.4 billion followers. 50% Roman Catholic, 37% Protestant, 12% Orthodox.

Islam has about 2 billion followers.

Hinduism has about 1.2 billion followers.

Buddhism has about 500 million followers.

Who is the founder of Christianity?

• Saint Christus

• Paul

• Jesus of Nazareth

• Abraham

Answer explanation

Jesus of Nazareth is the founder of Christianity. He is also called "the Christ" by his followers which is where we get the name of the religion.

Christ is the Greek word for "Messiah" or "anointed" which means that he is set apart. Kings in the Jewish tradition were anointed.

Where is Jesus from?

• Rome

• Greece

• Mesopotamia

• Israel

Answer explanation

Today we call this area Israel - a modern country after the kingdom ruled by Saul, David and Solomon. It has changed names many times.

In Jesus' day, he was from the area called Galilee. But most of his ministry occurs in Judea, where Jerusalem is.

Jesus can be described as _____.

• a fisherman

• a Jewish teacher

• a Jewish soldier

• a philosopher

Answer explanation

Jesus was a Jew. He was bringing a new perspective to the Jewish teachings.

People called him "Rabbi", a Hebrew word for a religious teacher.

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY: Christian Scriptures (The Bible) are made of _____

• Jewish Scripture (Tanakh)

• The visions of Muhammad

• The sutras of Buddhism

• Life and Teachings of Jesus and his followers

Answer explanation

Christianity's holy book or scripture is called the Bible.

It has two main sections:

Old Testament - Jewish Scripture (Torah, Neviim, and Kethuvim, aka Tanakh)

New Testament - Gospels, doings of Jesus' followers, letters of the early church

This shows that Christianity is built on Judaism.

What lesson did Jesus teach when he talked about sheep?

• The rules should not keep us from doing good.

• We have to keep all the rules even when we do them for the wrong reason.

• Everyone needs to drink water.

• Sheep are not worth saving.

Answer explanation

Jesus didn't want the rules (the law) to be in the way of doing good things - like saving a life on the day of rest.

Jesus also wanted people's hearts to have the right attitude.

Jesus' death brings people back into relationship with God. It is an act of grace because humans could not earn it by following the rules alone. Christians call this _____.

• Nirvana

• Heaven

• Salvation

• Monotheism

Answer explanation

Christianity is a monotheistic religion. Jesus is God in human form (often called the Son of God).

His death is seen as a path for people to return to a relationship with God. People are not good enough or cannot follow the rules enough to fix this relationship on their own.

Why didn't the Roman Empire like Jesus' teachings?

• Jesus' teachings threatened their authority and social order.

• The Roman Empire was indifferent to Jesus' teachings and focused on other matters.
• Jesus' teachings supported Roman laws and customs.

• The Roman Empire supported Jesus' teachings to gain popularity.

Answer explanation

Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God and he was called "Christ" which made him like royalty.

The Roman Empire was afraid that Jesus would lead a revolution to tear down the Roman Empire and replace it with his own Kingdom.

Which person spread Christianity around the Mediterranean?

• Paul of Tarsus

• Judas Iscariot

• Simon Peter

• Matthew the tax collector

Answer explanation

Judas Iscariot, Simon Peter and Matthew were all in Jesus' close group of followers - the disciples or apostles.

Paul of Tarsus was a Jewish leader and Roman citizen. He was able to travel throughout the empire starting new churches.

What happened to Christians before Constantine issued the Edict of Milan?

• Christians faced persecution, discrimination, and violence.
• Christians were leaders in the Roman government.
• Christians had equal rights as other religions.
• Christians were widely accepted and celebrated.

Answer explanation

Christians were persecuted and mistreated. Some leaders forced them to die in the Coliseum as entertainment. Their faith was not allowed, yet it continued despite harsh treatment from the government.

Emperor Constantine became a Christian and he made it safe for Christians in the Roman Empire.