A lot of energy is spent by Christians trying to tell one another what a real christian is. Chances are, this is not a new phenomenon - lol. However, it is eerily similar to political mouthpieces trying to say who really represents the beliefs of one party or another.
Were you to ask people
'What does it mean to be a christian?' or
'What are the minimal requirements for someone to qualify as a christian?', you could get any number of responses. Some common essential properties of being a Christian you might hear are ...
A. Believes the Bible (Or some variation on in what way someone 'Believes the Bible.')
B. Goes to Church (For Catholics, we could enlarge this to include certain practices like eating fish on Fridays, etc.)
C. Believes "Jesus died for my sins."
D. Believes Jesus was/is God
E. Believes only Christians go to Heaven
F. Believes "You cannot make it to Heaven on your own."
G. Believes in the Resurrection
H. Is a member of my denomination
I. Believes God created the world in 6 days
What answer would people you know give ?
It seems to us that most, if not all, the above
have serious problems. For example, "E is self-referential ... saying a christian is someone who believes only Christians go to Heaven does nothing to define who a christian is. If we believed we were Christians and believed we were the only ones going to Heaven, then "E" would apply to us ... yet, by that belief, we have done nothing to explain what it means to be a christian.
lol - many of the above make no sense historically. We have to assume that the early apostles and their churches should count as 'christians', yet they did not have 'The Bible' (indeed, the Church disagreed among itself for centuries as to which books belonged in the bible and which did not), so one could hardly say that a requirement for christianity is that you believe 'The Bible'. Jesus tells us the old testament is most useful if we are willing to acknowledge it is incomplete in nature. Additionally, without the balance infused by the 'enemies' of the israelites, the Words of the prophets, it may become difficult to establish what the Father is doing, and what the children are doing under His disguise.
Similarly, the doctrine of atonement in its current state didn't even exist until the 11th century, and early believers did not have the trinitarian formulas the modern church holds so dear. Indeed, Origen, the most important christian theologian of the 2nd century, would not even be allowed in the church today by that standard.
In addition to historical problems, significant biblical problems stand out from the above list as well.
Where do we see early evangelists stressing to non-believers any of these things? If you want to see what makes a Christian a christian, we think you should look at what the early apostles preached to non-christians in an effort to have them join the Faith.
A study of Acts can be rather revealing here. The following chart has been assembled to illustrate what teachings you find in Acts regarding christianity. The book of Acts was chosen because that is the only book where the focus is on 'evangelism' to non-believers and new believers.
Passage
in Acts | Jesus is
Messiah | Jesus
Arose | Jesus
is Lord | Jesus will
Judge All | Repent! | Believers go
to Heaven | Heathens
go to Hell |
| 2: 14-41 | x | x | x |
| x |
|
|
3: 12-26
| x
| x
| x
|
| x
|
|
|
4: 8-12
| x
| x
|
|
|
|
|
|
5: 30-32
| x
| x
| x
|
|
|
|
|
5: 42
| x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7: 1-53
| x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9: 22
| x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10: 34-43
| x
| x
| x
| x
|
|
|
|
13: 16-41
| x
| x
| x
|
| x
|
|
|
14: 14-17
|
|
|
| x
|
|
|
|
17: 2-4
| x
| x
|
|
|
|
|
|
17: 18-31
|
| x
|
| x
| x
|
|
|
18: 5
| x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18: 28
| x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20: 20-22
|
|
| x
|
| x
|
|
|
22: 1-21
| x
| x
|
|
|
|
|
|
26: 1-29
| x
| x
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note here that "Jesus is Lord" refers to His being Universally elevated to head o' household status (over Heaven and Earth).
Based on the above, the present opinion says that other than emphasizing the Resurrection, the church has rather struck out when it comes to defining who or what a christian is.
It seems, at least if Paul, James, Peter, and Stephen are good sources, that
a christian is someone who has chosen to follow Jesus the Christs' practices, repenting of unloving acts that destroy relationships, and believes Jesus is the Christ (as shown by his Resurrection) who has been given power over Heaven and Earth, including the office of a lovingkindness Judge.
While none of the above are things that most Christians may disagree with, they are also unlikely to be the first thing out of their mouths when asked 'What does it mean to be a christian?'
It seems to the present opinion, Christians in general do not like the idea that repentance is an absolute requirement as opposed to a goal. We would further say that merely believing Jesus is the Christ who sits in power over Heaven and Earth would strike many as "too easy," allowing too many fringe groups in. And in particular, the idea that "Christians, and only Christians, go to Heaven" is such a basic tenet to many that seeing it as not a required one just seems odd.
The truth is that the word for Hell does not even show up in all of Acts. One wonders what that says about modern day evangelists and missionaries who start off their message with "Do you know where you are going when you die?"
Deep breaths ...
But what do you think? What does it mean to be a christian? Are there any passages you believe suggest there is some aspect fundamental to being a christian that is missing from the message given by the apostles in Acts?
One Love
Faith and Belief or bible Study please (& thank you)
This thread examines christians and bibles - lol
Edited by Bailey, : spelling
I'm not here to mock or condemn what you believe, I'm just a fool playing with ideas.
My only intention is to tickle your thinker. Trust nothing I say. Learn for yourself.
Think for yourself.
Mercy Trumps Judgement,
Love Weary
™ Version 4.2
