JESUS CHRIST — OUR SAVIOR

-Did God abandon man after Adam fell into sin?

No, God did not abandon man after Adam fell into sin. but  promised to send a Savior.

 -To whom did God promise to send Savior?

God Promised to send a Savoir to our first parents, Adam and Eve, and to people of old Israel through the words of the Prophets.

 -For whom did God promise to send a Savior?

God promised to send a Savoir for all mankind.

 -Did the promised Savior come?

Yes, the promised Savior came; He is our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God.

 -What does the name “Jesus” mean?

The name “Jesus” means Savior because He came into the world to save mankind.

 -Why was Jesus also called Christ?

Jesus was also called Christ because Christ means ‘Anoint­ed’; that is, the One to Whom God gave His Spirit and Authority to redeem mankind.

 

 INCARNATION

-What is Incarnation?

Incarnation is the divine action through which the Only Begotten Son of God took to Himself a human body and became man.

-How did Incarnation take place?

When the time came for the Savior to appear on earth, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce to her that she was to be with child by the Holy Spirit. After nine months from this Annunciation, the Only-Begotten Son of God was born of her, thus becoming a perfect man with a perfect soul and mind.

-What do we call the Blessed Virgin Mary for her being the mother of Jesus Christ?

We call Her Mother of God.

-Who is St. Joseph?

St. Joseph was the person betrothed to the Blessed Virgin St Marry; who took care of Mary and Jesus.

REDEMPTION OF CHRIST

-What is meant by Redemption?

By Redemption is meant that Jesus Christ suffered and died on the Cross to save the whole human race.

-Why did Jesus Christ suffer and die for us?

Jesus Christ suffered and died for us because He loved us.

-What did mankind gain on account of the sufferings of our Lord, Jesus Christ?

Mankind regained paradise, which they had lost by Adam’s sin.

-How do we individually regain the heavenly paradise?

We regain the heavenly paradise by believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior and living according to His teachings.

 

RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

-When and where did Jesus Christ die?

Jesus Christ died on the Cross, at a place called Golgotha, in the city of Jerusalem, on Good Friday, at 3 p.m.

-What did they do to His body after Jesus Christ died?

After Jesus Christ died, they took His body down from the Cross and laid it in a Sepulcher in a garden close to Colgotha.

-What happened after He was laid in the Sepulcher?

He rose from the dead on the third day after He was laid in the Sepulcher.

-What Is the Resurrection?

The Resurrection is the coming back to life again and the joining again of the body and the soul.

-When did Jesus Christ rise from the dead?

Jesus Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday, the third day after His death.

-What do we call that Sunday?

We call that Sunday Easter, “Zadig” in Armenian.

-Did Christ appear to anyone after His Resurrection?

Yes, after His Resurrection Christ appeared to His disciples who touched Him, talked with Him, ate with Him, and were witnesses to His glorious Resurrection.

 

ASCENSION

-How long did Christ remain on earth after His Resurrection?

After His Resurrection Christ remained on earth for forty days.

-Why did Jesus Christ remain on earth for forty days after His Resurrection?

Jesus Christ remained on earth to prove that He had truly arisen from the dead, and to complete the instruction of the Apostles, to prepare them for their ministry.

-What happened forty days after the Resurrection?

Jesus Christ ascended into heaven forty days after His Resurrection.

-What did He promise before going into heaven?

Christ promised that He will be with us to the end of the world, and that He will send the Holy Spirit to dwell with us.

-What do we call His ascending into heaven?

We call His ascending into heaven the Ascension, “Hampartsoom” in Armenian.

-Why did Jesus Christ ascend into heaven?

Christ ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us in heaven; to intercede for us, and to send the comforter, the Holy Spirit to guide us in our life on earth

-Will Christ come again to this world?

Yes, Our Lord will again come to this world to judge every­body according to his conduct in this world. It is called the Second Coming of Christ.

 

HOLY SPIRIT

-Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is God and the third Person of the Holy Trinity.

-Is the Holy Spirit equal to the Father and the Son?

Yes, the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son be­cause He is God.

-What does the Holy Spirit do for the salvation of mankind?

The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church as the source of its life and gives the power to Christians to seek perfection in life.

-When did the Holy Spirit appear?

The Holy Spirit first appeared as a dove at the Baptism of Christ; again in the shape of tongues of fire coming upon each Apostle, on the day of Pentecost when they were together in Jerusalem.

-What was the effect of the descending of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles?

The Apostles were filled with special grace and power to preach the Gospel to all nations.

-How does the Holy Spirit work in us?

The Holy Spirit dwells in us and sanctifies us through the gift of grace, and gives us the strength to lead a Christian life.

 

MAN

- What is man?

Man is a rational being created with soul and body.

-What is soul?

The soul is a spirit that comes from God; therefore, it will live forever.

-Is the soul immortal?

Yes, the soul is immortal, because it never dies.

-What are the qualities of the soul?

The qualities of the soul are: understanding, thinking, loving, and free will.

-In whose image was man made?

Man was made in the image and likeness of God.

-Is this likeness to God in the body or in the soul?

This likeness to God is chiefly in the soul.

-How is the soul like God?

The soul is like God in that it is a spirit (as God is Spirit), having understanding and free will, and is destined to live forever.

 

ADAM AND EVE

-Who were the first man and woman created by God?

The first man and woman created by God were Adam and Eve, the first parents of human race.

-In what state did God create them?

God created them in state of grace and happiness, which made them children of God.

-Where did God put Adam and Eve after creating them?

God put Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden called Paradise, or the Garden of Eden.

-What commandment did God give to Adam and Eve?

God gave Adam and Eve the commandment not to eat of the fruit of the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” that grew in the Garden of Eden.

 

DISOBEDIENCE OF ADAM AND EVE

-Did Adam and Eve obey the commandment of God?

Adam and Eve did not obey the commandment of God, but ate of the forbidden fruit.

-What happened to Adam and Eve as a result of their disobedience?

Adam and Eve lost their grace and happiness as a result of their disobedience

-To what did they become subject after their disobedience?

Adam and Eve became subject to death, suffering, and a strong inclination to do evil.

-Did they remain in paradise after their disobedience?

No, they lost paradise as a result of their disobedience. They were driven out from the Garden of Eden.

-What has happened to us because of the sin of Adam?

We, the descendants of Adam, come into the world deprived of grace because of the sin of our first parents.

THE ORIGINAL SIN

-What is this sin of Adam called?

This sin of Adam is called the Original Sin.

-Why is this sin of Adam called Original’’?

This sin is called ‘Original” because it comes down to us through our origin, or descent, from Adam.

-Do we inherit this Original Sin of Adam?

Yes, we inherit the Original Sin of Adam, as we would have inherited his grace and all good gifts had he been obedient to God.

-Is Original Sin the only kind of sin?

No, Original Sin is not the only kind of sin. There is another kind called the “actual sin,” which we commit ourselves.

-What are the chief punishments of Adam, which we inherit through Original Sin?

The chief punishments, which we inherit through Original Sin, are death, suffering, ignorance, and a strong inclination to sin.

 

HUMAN BODY

-What is the human body?

The humans body is composed of material elements which God formed of the dust of the earth.

-What is death?

Death is the separation of the soul from the body.

-What does the fear of death teach us?

The fear of death teaches us that by sincere faith and good works we must prepare ourselves for it, and we must face it calmly and bravely.

-How should death be regarded by the faithful Christians?

Death must be taken as part of this life, and the beginning of a new life without end, i.e. the eternal life.

-Why is the body subject to death?

Because whatever in nature is composed of various sub­stances must eventually be decomposed. Therefore, the body, which is made of earth, must again become earth according to the Divine decree: “For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

-Does the soul also die with the body?

No, the soul cannot die, because it is immaterial and is not composed of various substances. The soul is immortal.

 

THE SOUL

-What becomes of the soul after being separated from the body?

The soul goes, so to say, to the world of the spirits to be judged and rewarded according to its good or bad works on earth.

-What reward will God give to the good soul?

According to his good faith and works, God will grant him exceeding happiness in His heavenly mansions.

-What rewards will the wicked receive?

Those who have been bad people on earth, and who die with­out repentance, will suffer more or less according to their sins.

-Are the happiness and suffering of the souls already final?

No, both the happiness of the righteous and punishment of the sinners are not final.

-When will be the final reward?

The final reward will be at resurrection of the dead, and the last judgment.

 

RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

-What is the resurrection of the dead?

The resurrection of the dead is the coming back into life of the dead bodies, or the reunion of the soul with the body.

-How do we know that the body will rise again?

We know that the body will rise again because our Lord clearly taught it and by His own Resurrection confirmed His teaching about it.

-Shall we rise with exactly the same body, which we have?

No, our present bodies will undergo a change, and shall be­come glorified bodies like the one, which our Lord assumed at His Resurrection.

-What do we learn from the promise of Christ that our bodies will also rise?

We learn that our bodies are precious things, which we must keep holy, and that we should use them for the service of God.

 

LAST JUDGMENT

  -what will take place after the resurrection of the dead?

After the resurrection of the dead, Christ will come to the world with the great glory and power to judge all mankind.

-Why should Christ be the judge of mankind?

Because it was Christ who revealed the will of God person­ally to mankind, therefore it is natural that He must examine each person to see how he has obeyed the wi1l of God.

-Why is the last judgment necessary?

Because in this world many good people suffer unjustly and many sinners enjoy glory and prosperity; the righteousness of God must give each one due reward according to their lives on earth.

-Who will receive rewards?

Those who have made use of their gifts for the benefit of their fellow creatures for the salvation of their souls, and for the greater glory of God will receive rewards.

-Who will be punished?

All sinners, and those who have received wealth, power, tal­ents, etc. in this world and did not use them for the service of God and for the good of their fellow creatures.