The trunk of the line
Christianity
Christianity is not a branch off the biblical line. It is that line reaching its goal in Jesus Christ, the promised seed, the Son of God, crucified and risen.
Key person
Jesus of Nazareth, born in the line of Abraham and David, is confessed as fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless life, was crucified as a substitute for sinners, rose bodily on the third day, and ascended to reign. The apostles are the eyewitnesses who carried this message to the nations.
Timeline
Genesis 3:15
The first promise of a redeemer who will crush the serpent.
Genesis 12:1-3 · c. 2000 BC
The covenant with Abraham to bless all nations through his seed.
2 Samuel 7:12-16
The Davidic covenant establishes the royal line of the Messiah.
Isaiah 53
The suffering servant who bears His people's sin is foretold.
c. 4 BC to AD 33 · the Gospels
The incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus.
Acts 2 · c. AD 33
The church is born at Pentecost and the gospel goes to the nations.
Revelation 21-22
The new creation completes the covenant story.
The trunk, not a branch
Where the other faiths on this site are defined by a point of departure from Christ, Christianity claims to be the line kept whole. In Jesus the promise is not partly true but fully kept: the seed of Genesis 3:15, the blessing of Abraham, the son of David, and the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 are one person. To measure the other traditions is simply to ask what each does with Him.
What Christianity holds
- One God who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Trinity).
- Jesus Christ is God the Son, truly divine and truly human.
- Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
- His death and resurrection are the center of the gospel and of history.
- The Bible, Old and New Testament together, is God's complete written revelation.
Biblical touchpoints
- Luke 24:27, 44 - Jesus shows that Moses and the Prophets speak of Him.
- John 1:1, 14 - The Word was God, and the Word became flesh.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - Christ died for our sins and rose again, according to the Scriptures.
- Acts 4:12 - Salvation is found in no one else.