Christian Beliefs About Jesus: God and Man

The Catholic Creed makes some pretty bold claims about Jesus that shape everything Christians believe. According to this official statement, Jesus Christ is "true God from true God" whilst also being fully human - born of the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit.

This means Christians see Jesus as the second person of the Trinity - the idea that God exists as three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but is still one God. You'll hear this belief every time Catholics start Mass with "In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Because Jesus is believed to be fully God, Christians think his words and actions are literally God's instructions for how to live. This makes Jesus a perfect example to follow since he's God in human form - someone who actually understands what it's like to be human. That's why Catholics bow their heads when saying Jesus's name as a sign of respect.

Think About It: If Jesus really is both God and human, does that make his teachings more or less relevant to modern life?

However, there's a catch - Jesus lived over 2000 years ago. Some of his teachings, like "turn the other cheek" when someone hits you, might seem outdated or even dangerous in today's world. Critics argue this could make Christians easy targets for people with bad intentions.