Baptists are a branch of Christianity, which, with over 2.1 billion adherents, is the world's largest religion. For Christians, the centre and focus of their religion is Jesus, who lived two thousand years ago in present-day Israel. Jesus was known as “Christ”, meaning the “anointed” or “chosen” one, and this title has given the name for the faith.
Christians believe that Jesus was no mere man. Instead they hold that he was God in human form, not merely because he claimed to be so, but also as evidenced by his virgin birth, his miracle-working power, his bodily resurrection from the dead, and his ascension to heaven. It follows therefore that the words of Jesus, as recorded in the Bible’s New Testament, are viewed as the very words of God, and valued above all other teachings.
Christians are not all united in their understanding of how exactly Jesus was both man and God. Nor do they all agree on how the “church” - the organisation established by his followers - should be run. But they all endeavour to remain faithful to his memory and to his teachings, living their lives in ways which are in line with his instructions.
