1. a. A written or printed symbol representing something other than a letter, especially a number. b. figures Mathematical calculations: good at figures. c. An amount represented in numbers: sold for a large figure.
2. a. Mathematics. A geometric form consisting of any combination of points, lines, or planes: A triangle is a plane figure. b. The outline, form, or silhouette of a thing. c. The shape or form of a human body. d. An indistinct object or shape: saw figures dashing down the street.
3. a. A person, especially a well-known one: a famous historical figure. b. A person's public image or presence: became a tragic figure overnight.
4. Impression or appearance made: cuts a dashing figure.
5. A person, animal, or object that symbolizes something.
6. A pictorial or sculptural representation, especially of the human body.
7. a. A diagram. b. A design or pattern, as in a textile: silk with a paisley figure.
8. An illustration printed from an engraved plate or block.
9. A configuration or distinct group of steps in a dance. A pattern traced by a series of movements, as in ice skating.
10. Music. A brief melodic or harmonic unit often constituting the basis of a larger phrase or structure.
11.Logic. Any one of the forms that a syllogism can take, depending on the position of the middle term.
Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. Although Christians are monotheistic, the one God is thought, by most Christians, to exist in three persons (Gr. Hypostasis), called the Trinity. Most Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God and the Messiah of the Jews as prophesied in the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible). According to other traditions, however, Jesus is thought to be a human Messiah that instructs his followers to worship God alone. Christianity encompasses numerous religious traditions that widely vary by culture, as well as thousands of diverse beliefs and sects; over the past two millennia, Christianity has been grouped into three main branches: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. It is the world's largest single religion, with over 2.2 billion followers.
The term "Christ" is derived from the Greek Khristos which means "anointed one", and is a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach (Hebrew:, also written "Messiah"). Christian means "belonging to Christ" or "of Christ".
Christianity is characterized by a number of reported miracles attributed by Christians to Jesus and his followers.
History of Christianity
Christianity originated in the first century. According to Acts 11:19 and 11:26 in the New Testament, Jesus' followers were first called Christians by non-Christians in the city of Antioch, where they had fled and settled after early persecutions in Judea. After Jesus' death, early Christian doctrine was taught by Paul of Tarsus and the other apostles.
Jesus, a descendant of Judah, is reported to have declared himself to be the long awaited Messiah (John 8:23-24, John 14:11), but was rejected as an apostate by the people generally considered to be the Jewish authorities (Matthew 26:63-64). He was condemned for blasphemy and executed by the Romans around the year 30. The formal charge cited in his execution was leading a rebellion (Luke 23:1-5): he was called the "King of the Jews" by Pontius Pilate (John 19:19-22, see Luke 16:8) on the titulus crucis or statement of the charge hung over the condemned on the cross.
The Gospels indicate that the Roman charge was actually an attempt to appease the Jewish authorities, although some scholars argue that it was an ordinary Roman trial of a rebel. According to Christians, the Old Testament predicted the death and humiliation of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. Examples include the book of Isaiah that alludes to the slapping (Matthew 26:67-68, Isaiah 52:14-15, Isaiah 50:6, Mark 14:65, Luke 23:63-64), whipping (Isaiah 53:5, John 19:1, Matthew 27:26) and general humiliation that is centred on the given references.
Jesus' apostles were the main witnesses of his life, teaching and resurrection from the dead, although some of the early traditions of the church name numerous disciples (as many as 70 including James Adelphos, Mark, Luke, Mary Magdalene, etc) who also followed Jesus in his travels and witnessed his miracles and teachings. After his crucifixion, his apostles and other followers claimed that Jesus rose from the dead, and set out to preach the new message. The original apostles are believed by most Christians to have written some of the New Testament's Gospels and Epistles.
Many of the New Testament's twenty-seven books were written by Paul of Tarsus. Twelve Epistles name him as writer, and some traditions also credit him as the writer of the book of Hebrews. The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are stated as having been writte
