What is a Christian?

[Gregory Matthews]

The following is episode # 1 (not 11) of a series that intends to address the question of how to explain what a Christianity is to a person with a question outside of the social context in which we live.

I do not have the slightest doubt that this series will stimulate disagreement in part, due to who the author is.   But, I also believe that  it will challenge and stimulate thought.  So, read it and enjoy, or even disagree. 

 

https://atoday.org/what-is-christianity-and-what-is-a-christian-a-dialogue-with-a-visitor-from-far-far-away-episode-11/

 

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

On 12/8/2017 at 4:53 AM, Gregory Matthews said:

this series will stimulate disagreement in part, due to who the author is.

why?  "Ervin Taylor" doesn't ring a bell with me. 

I guess I don't run in the same circles of interest...

[Gregory Matthews]

Dr. Ervin Taylor is a well known and recognized, scientist in the field of anthropology.  At a time when a number of people fought to get him expelled from the SDA denomination, he fought extremely hard to remain a SDA member and he won.  Those who wanted to expel him lost.

The result is that he is well known and those SDAs who are within certain elements of Adventism use him as an example of what Adventism should not be.

My position:  Any one who fights as hard as he did to remain a member should probably remain a member.

 

[Kevin H]

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 6:25 PM, The Wanderer said:

oh boy...where to start on this one...where to start

Excellent question. I think that I'd start with the difference between "christians"  and "Christians" the small "c" vs. the capital "C".

A "Christian" with the capital "C" is someone who belongs to the organized followers of Jesus Christ in one way or another. They belong to "Christian" movements and denominations. They know that they are Christians. They say the right things about Jesus.  Sadly they may think that salvation is in Christianity.

On the other hand a "christian" may or may not know about Jesus in the classic sense, and if they do they may not know just where to place the classical Jesus in their life and experience. But these are people who tend to have an attraction to the religious world they live in, and are very caring for each other. There is a sense of there is someone or something out there that has some sort of importance in their life, some kind of guiding in their life. And they also end up being very caring about others.

Now where do we go from here?

[Kevin H]

15 hours ago, The Wanderer said:

Well, to have someone who cares is important, so the "real ones" with the capital C, may not be the best choice for first choice

 

May I ask what you meant by this

Too many people take the texts such as under no other name is salvation and no one comes to the Father but by me to think that they have to have joined a Christian community, that God does not have room for Jews, Muslims, Hindu etc. But the name of Jesus means the character of Jesus, and when you look at the roles of the trinity God the Son is how God reveals himself to us as our personal intimate friend.

Thus people who respond to the Holy Spirit and reaches out to what ever is out there to the best of their understanding and who does the types of things that Jesus would do and prays for the types of things Jesus would pray for has accepted him into their lives no matter what they consider their religious background.

[JoeMo]

Was Jesus a "Christian" or a "christian"?  I don't think He was either.  IMHO He was a Jew, is still a Jew, and will be a Jew forever.  In fact, Jesus is King of the Jews.  Christianity was a Jewish sect in apostolic days.  Those of us "Christians/christians" who make it to the Kingdom are (or will be) grafted into Israel.

[8thdaypriest]

I wonder what tribe I will be grafted in to.   The New Jerusalem has 12 gates.  Each gate has the name of one Tribe over it.   Wonder if we will enter by the gate we are assigned - by tribe.  Just a thought.

[JoeMo]

13 hours ago, 8thdaypriest said:

I wonder what tribe I will be grafted in to. 

Me too!  After thousands of years of being dispersed all over the world, I would be surprised if we all didn't have at least a little Israelite blood in us.  I hope I'm from the tribe of Judah or Levi.

[8thdaypriest]

3 hours ago, JoeMo said:

Me too!  After thousands of years of being dispersed all over the world, I would be surprised if we all didn't have at least a little Israelite blood in us.  I hope I'm from the tribe of Judah or Levi.

Ephraim would be good too.  Descendants of Joseph (a man I seriously admire).  And Joshua was from that tribe. 

[JoeMo]

22 hours ago, The Wanderer said:

I guess I better withhold said teasing.

I'm okay with a good tease; I know - coming from you - it would be in good fun.  WARNING: I bite back.

[phkrause]

On 12/13/2017 at 8:47 PM, 8thdaypriest said:

I wonder what tribe I will be grafted in to.   The New Jerusalem has 12 gates.  Each gate has the name of one Tribe over it.   Wonder if we will enter by the gate we are assigned - by tribe.  Just a thought.

Also one of the apostles if I'm not mistaken?

[aka]

Followers of Jesus Christ were first called “Christians” in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ.

The word “Christian” literally means, “belonging to the party of Christ” or a “follower of Christ.”

The Bible teaches that the good works we do cannot make us acceptable to God. Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

So, a Christian is someone who has been born again by God.

The Bible defines a true Christian as one who has

1. personally received Jesus Christ as Savior,

2. who trusts in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins,

3. who has the Holy Spirit residing within,

4. and whose life evinces change consistent with faith in Jesus.