What is a Christian?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

How does one receive Jesus as Lord and Savior? Is this the requirement that Jesus said is what we must do in order to be considered one of His disciples?

In peace

Should any of that factor into whether we consider someone a Christian or not?

I mean, you don't have anything like that in your definition for other religions, do you?

...or do you factor Buddha's opinion on whether a person is following the Noble Eightfold Path correctly into whether you consider someone a Buddhist?

 

[loverofhumanity]

Please give me a good thoughtful answer, and if you can use Scripture.

I can offer you the definition of a true Christian but from Baha’i scripture. I hope this helps. It was written early 1900’s.

“Thou didst begin thy letter with a blessed phrase, saying: 'I am a Christian.' O would that all were truly Christian! It is easy to be a Christian on the tongue, but hard to be a true one. Today some five hundred million souls are Christian, but the real Christian is very rare: he is that soul from whose comely face there shineth the splendour of Christ, and who showeth forth the perfections of the Kingdom; this is a matter of great moment, for to be a Christian is to embody every excellence there is. I hope that thou, too, shalt become a true Christian”


Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá

 

[Marcion]

So being a Christian has nothing to do with following the teachings of Jesus? The founder of Christianity?

In peace

One should not confuse Christianity with Jesuism:
Jesuism - Wikipedia

So someone who follows the teachings of Jesus/Yeshua is not a Christian.
A Christian is someone who is baptised by a Christian priest and who subscribes to the Nicene Creed.

 

[Faithofchristian]

Please give me a good thoughtful answer, and if you can use Scripture.

What is a Christian, One who follows the teachings of Christ Jesus and not the teachings of man's.

As Christ Jesus condemn the teachings of man's in Matthew 15:7-9.
For instance by man's teachings the Rapture, but by the teachings of Christ Jesus the Rapture is false.

For example in the book of Revelation, God given the last Prophecy to happen, That when this last prophecy happens in the book of Revelation, Christ Jesus returns and the tribulation is over.

So what good is the Rapture going to do, seeing that by the time the last Prophecy happens in the book of Revelation Christ Jesus returns which brings about the end to the tribulation.

So what is a Christian one who follows the teachings of Christ Jesus and not man's teachings.

As many people 2000 years ago, called themselves ( The Way) for it is The Way that the teachings of Christ Jesus that sets men free from the false teachings of man's.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I never said or even insinuated that. Of course there were.

Are there still Christians alive today that were around before the New Testament was written? If not, you might want to recheck the tense of the verbs both in the question asked and in my reply.

In English, when someone wants to communicate that something is always or regularly the case, they use present indefinite tense (i.e. what you used).

Nevertheless, I now know that this isn't the sense that you intended.

... so you think the criteria for what makes someone a Christian changed at some point?

 

[metis]

A Christian is someone who is baptised by a Christian priest and who subscribes to the Nicene Creed.

Sorry but that's not true as members of the Church called themselves "Christian" at least during the 2nd century long before the Nicene Creed was even formulated. OTOH, it is true that once a person is baptized into the Church they are then considered a "Christian", although the Catholic Church does recognize baptisms in other most other denominations.

 

[Thief]

Please give me a good thoughtful answer, and if you can use Scripture.

looking to the suffix......

of.....pertaining to.....have the characteristics of.....
Christ

the Anointed One

anyone wanna show off?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Couldn't someone go through the motions of doing these rituals and still not sincerely believe in Jesus? After all, these are just rituals. God constantly condemned the Israelite's for offering sacrifices that was an abomination. Why when God asked them do so? Well, it is because they thought this ritual is what made them right with God.

I think it goes a bit deeper than doing rituals.

In peace

A person's faith and connection with god through repentance, conviction, and conversion are all one. Whether one jumps up and down, reads the Watchtower, commune as a group, or pray with god's disciples have all the same intent. I don't see how you can separate ritual (how-one worships on a daily basis) and the person one has faith in (who-one worships).

Other words for ritual are

Custom

All christians both in Christianity and anti-christiandom or CAC demonstrations are steeped in practice and ethics defined by relationship with christ and god. CAC foundation is custom.

Formality

CAC practice directly from scripture not however they want. Some pray individually to god. Others worship as a group whether as a Mass, Bible study, so have you.

Liturgy and Observance

Rites within liturgy and observances include communion (grape juice, wine, water, so have you), baptism/conversion (water or not), and other sacraments (using all sense to pray) like the bible.

-

Of course, people can do these things above and still not believe jesus.

And

There are those who do believe in jesus and perform rituals because of their faith not in replacement of it.

Ritual is just a word. It has nothing to do with spirituality. I take medicine twice a day; that is a ritual.

If someone wants to pray each Saturday or Sunday mornings at 9 or 10, that's just as genuine as another praying when needed or sporadically.

Unfortunately, the word ritual, among others words, throws people off.

 

[Marcion]

Sorry but that's not true as members of the Church called themselves "Christian" at least during the 2nd century long before the Nicene Creed was even formulated. OTOH, it is true that once a person is baptized into the Church they are then considered a "Christian", although the Catholic Church does recognize baptisms in other most other denominations.

Sorry, but the question is 'What is a Christian', not 'What was a Christian.
There have been many people and groups of people in history who were inspired by Jesus but who were persecuted and even burnt at the stake for not wanting to conform with the orthodoxy of the Church. The proper name for those people is heretics (from the Christian point of view). How people believed and practised in the first few centuries was not enough for later times. The religion was Romanised and became more ritualistic.

 

[Fool]

Please give me a good thoughtful answer, and if you can use Scripture.

one who doesn't practice idolatry, doesn't look like jesus, but follows the path of Loving All as ONE.

to catch a thief you have to think like a thief and to be a thief you must behave like one.

 

[metis]

Sorry, but the question is 'What is a Christian', not 'What was a Christian.
There have been many people and groups of people in history who were inspired by Jesus but who were persecuted and even burnt at the stake for not wanting to conform with the orthodoxy of the Church. The proper name for those people is heretics (from the Christian point of view). How people believed and practised in the first few centuries was not enough for later times. The religion was Romanised and became more ritualistic.

Partially true but overstated, but the above simply doesn't deal with what I posted anyway in response to an error you made about Nicaea, so you might check back and maybe respond to that which I actually wrote.

Also, "ritualistic" really is not only quite a slanderous term, as within all religious faiths, including with Jesus and the apostles, there are rituals. Also, the center of Catholicism is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, not ritual. Catholic rituals are a means to an end, not the end in and of themselves.

If you are going to comment on Catholicism, which is all fine & dandy as far as I'm concerned, please at least get it right.

 

[RedDragon94]

Please give me a good thoughtful answer, and if you can use Scripture.

One who follows the living, trinitarian (3 in 1) God. Desiring to be like that divine community.

 

[RedDragon94]

What of those Christians who were before the Nicene creed or who follow Jesus, but don't accept that creed?

I can answer that, God knows his own. It may be true that the Nicene creed systematizes the faith better but as long as they believe what's important, so what. I like the Apostle's creed better myself simply because I have it memorized and it was the first.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

One who follows the living, trinitarian (3 in 1) God. Desiring to be like that divine community.

I wonder how can there be a triune god when I find Scripture teaches a singular God as Creator.
As Psalms 90:2 says: God is from everlasting ( No start, No beginning )
So, to me that means God had No beginning. Only God was before the beginning.
Whereas, the pre-human heavenly Jesus had a beginning as per Revelation 3:14 B; 1:5.
Thus, heavenly Jesus was Not before the beginning as God was before the beginning.
Plus, God's spirit (Psalms 104:30) is a neuter "IT" as per Numbers 11:17; Numbers 11:25.

 

[RedDragon94]

As Psalms 90:2 says: God is from everlasting ( No start, No beginning )
So, to me that means God had No beginning. Only God was before the beginning.

Means the same thing to me. Can you tell me how this negates the three in oneness of God?

Whereas, the pre-human heavenly Jesus had a beginning as per Revelation 3:14 B; 1:5.
Thus, heavenly Jesus was Not before the beginning as God was before the beginning.

NIV says "the ruler of God's creation". And Colossians 1:15-16 tells us how Jesus was "firstborn". He created all things. That's how Jesus is firstborn, in rank (as some would say).

Plus, God's spirit (Psalms 104:30) is a neuter "IT"

This doesn't say he or she is an "it". Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
Says feminine noun in the part of speech. And it's the same word for all three.

 

[Thief]

I can't turn stone to bread
even if I be a son of God
the line seems a little vague on that one

and I won't toss myself into the flight of angels
just to see if they catch me

still.....the opportunity to walk on water is at hand
but it seems soooooooo elusive

the blind are still blind
the lame still limp

been there myself and just barely recovered

 

[GoldenThread]

one who doesn't practice idolatry, doesn't look like jesus, but follows the path of Loving All as ONE.

to catch a thief you have to think like a thief and to be a thief you must behave like one.

John 15:4-6, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."
According to Jesus we are suppose to be like Him.

In peace

 

[GoldenThread]

Should any of that factor into whether we consider someone a Christian or not?

Should knowing whether or not what someone says is a requirement to be a follow of Jesus (Christian) is the same definition as what Jesus said it should be. Makes complete sense to me.

In peace

 

[Marcion]

Partially true but overstated, but the above simply doesn't deal with what I posted anyway in response to an error you made about Nicaea, so you might check back and maybe respond to that which I actually wrote.

Also, "ritualistic" really is not only quite a slanderous term, as within all religious faiths, including with Jesus and the apostles, there are rituals. Also, the center of Catholicism is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, not ritual. Catholic rituals are a means to an end, not the end in and of themselves.

If you are going to comment on Catholicism, which is all fine & dandy as far as I'm concerned, please at least get it right.

I would certainly not call ritualism a slanderous term. It is part of many religions the world over, just like begging God to change His mind is a wide-spread phenomenon.

There are the so-called holy sacraments performed by Christian priests and they also perform rituals over an altar in a temple-like building.
This would not initially have been part of the practices of the earlier followers of Yeshua, just like things as celebrating the birth of Jesus and his resurrection were not. Seeing God as a trio was also a later invention.

It is not clear how Yeshua was worshipped in the first century but it would be wrong to call that Christianity, perhaps you can call it Jesuism. Christianity came about through syncretism, by mixing the original teachings of Jesus with hellenistic, Jewish and Roman influences. The teachings of Jesus receded to the background and became more iconic and much less important than what the Church teaches (Protestantism did not reverse that in any significant way, just partially).

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Should knowing whether or not what someone says is a requirement to be a follow of Jesus (Christian) is the same definition as what Jesus said it should be. Makes complete sense to me.

In peace

It doesn't really make sense to me. A religion is a social construct; a human thing. Regardless of whether Jesus would (hypothetically) approve of what someone is doing, they're still in the human group and therefore still part of the religion.

Again: do you take this approach to other religions? Do you insist that a person has to be practicing their religion "correctly" for them to count as an adherent of that religion?