All believers in Jesus Christ belong to the kingdom of God. Before we believed, we were outside the covenant and considered foreigners or strangers in God’s kingdom (2:11-13). But because of our faith in him, we are now part of God’s community — strangers who have been welcomed in.
Jesus ( c. 4 BC – AD 30 / 33), also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity, the world’s largest religion.
The conversion of adherents of other religions is widely accepted within Christianity . Many Christian organizations believe that they have a duty to make converts among every people.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Within the New Testament, which Christians read in continuity with the Hebrew Bible or “The Old Testament ,” the most often cited passage dealing with welcoming the stranger is from Matthew 25: 31-40. “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
And frequently individuals are said to sojourn within ancient Israel (Leviticus 22:17–18; Isaiah 16:4). These individuals are to be treated well, especially the “widow, orphan, and sojourner ” (Deuteronomy 10:17–18; 27:19), as well as the Levite (Deuteronomy 14:29; 24:19).
Unitarians believe in the moral authority but not necessarily the divinity of Jesus. Their theology is thus opposed to the trinitarian theology of other Christian denominations.
Jesus’ name in Hebrew was “ Yeshua ” which translates to English as Joshua . So how did we get the name “Jesus”?
The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma (Sanskrit: सनातन धर्म: “the Eternal Way “), which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts.
Some high level Buddhists have drawn analogies between Jesus and Buddhism , e.g. in 2001 the Dalai Lama stated that ” Jesus Christ also lived previous lives”, and added that “So, you see, he reached a high state, either as a Bodhisattva, or an enlightened person, through Buddhist practice or something like that.” Thich
Religious exclusivism, or exclusivity, is the doctrine or belief that only one particular religion or belief system is true . This is in contrast to religious pluralism, which believes that all religions provide valid responses to the existence of God.
Discovery Shows Early Christians Didn’t Always Take the Bible Literally . Before the printing press, Christians were more flexible with how they interpreted the Bible . Scholars have long known that early Christians didn’t always take everything in the Bible literally .
As we turn to the Bible for wisdom and discretion, let’s meditate on this piece of encouragement: Don’t close off your heart when you’re in the situation of being asked to give to beggars . “ Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Keep your heart soft, and open to the Holy Spirit.
And tithing 10 % specifically is biblical , but that doesn’t mean you have to be a Christian to tithe. In fact, in Matthew 23:23, Jesus warns against focusing too much on the rules of tithing without paying attention to the more important things like justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should be giving in some way.
Scripture says that’s because we’re better together than we are alone (Romans 12:4–5). It can be hard for some of us to commit to community , especially if we’re guarded or prefer solitude. But community is God’s desire for us—and a sign of a mature faith.