What is a "Christian"?

[Bran_Stark]

And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. - Acts 11:26

Simple question - who falls within the bounds of this word? My definition is pretty broad. Trying to be as objective as possible, as if I were an alien visitor reporting back to Saturn on the religious practices of humans, I propose this:

*A Christian is one whose religion is centered on an attempt to follow the teachings of the historical personage, described in the New Testament, of “Jesus of Nazareth”. *

I must emphasize this says nothing about the state of the person’s soul; nothing about the orthodoxy of his beliefs. It just acknowledges that he is, or at least is trying to be, a follower of “Christ” and hence deserves the title “Christian”. So Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants, as well as the more contentiously accepted groups like Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Messianic Jews, classical Unitarians, Christian Deists like Thomas Jefferson, and the ancient heretics like Arians and Gnostics, all are in. Those like the Muslims, however, who while believing in Jesus do not make Him the center of their beliefs, don’t count.

 

[simspt]

And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. - Acts 11:26

Simple question - who falls within the bounds of this word? My definition is pretty broad. Trying to be as objective as possible, as if I were an alien visitor reporting back to Saturn on the religious practices of humans, I propose this:

*A Christian is one whose religion is centered on an attempt to follow the teachings of the historical personage, described in the New Testament, of “Jesus of Nazareth”. *

I must emphasize this says nothing about the state of the person’s soul; nothing about the orthodoxy of his beliefs. It just acknowledges that he is, or at least is trying to be, a follower of “Christ” and hence deserves the title “Christian”. So Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants, as well as the more contentiously accepted groups like Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Messianic Jews, classical Unitarians, Christian Deists like Thomas Jefferson, and the ancient heretics like Arians and Gnostics, all are in. Those like the Muslims, however, who while believing in Jesus do not make Him the center of their beliefs, don’t count.

Good works aren’t unique to Christians, loving God and others isn’t either. It is what one believes about who Jesus is (Apostles Creed) that IMO defines that person as exclusively a Christian or not. Of course following the teachings as you mention and obedience to the master is necessary. Therefore my view is much narrower than yours because I would argue that Gnostics were no more Christian than Muslims are today.

 

[raumzeitmc2]

And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. - Acts 11:26

Simple question - who falls within the bounds of this word? My definition is pretty broad. Trying to be as objective as possible, as if I were an alien visitor reporting back to Saturn on the religious practices of humans, I propose this:

*A Christian is one whose religion is centered on an attempt to follow the teachings of the historical personage, described in the New Testament, of “Jesus of Nazareth”. *

I must emphasize this says nothing about the state of the person’s soul; nothing about the orthodoxy of his beliefs. It just acknowledges that he is, or at least is trying to be, a follower of “Christ” and hence deserves the title “Christian”.

Well, I think you’re trying to get way too much mileage out that single passage! Consider what St. John explicitly says:

“Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.” 2 Jonn. 7-11.

So correct doctrine is vitally important.

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

No post. Nevermind.

God bless

 

[simspt]

Well, I think you’re trying to get way too much mileage out that single passage! Consider what St. John explicitly says:

“Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.” 2 Jonn. 7-11.

So correct doctrine is vitally important.

Yes Christianity is a doctrinal religion, one of Creeds and confessions that prevent others from perverting scriptures like the Gnostics did with their cosmological presuppositions and lacking the historical tradition or rule of faith of the church.

 

[CMatt25]

Well, I think you’re trying to get way too much mileage out that single passage! Consider what St. John explicitly says:

“Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.” 2 Jonn. 7-11.

So correct doctrine is vitally important.

What did Jesus teach? Love. Above all else… Love. Love our neighbor. The Golden Rule. Not to judge. And peace. Blessed are the peacemakers. He emphasized concern for the poor. For righteousness He taught in Matt 25: 35-46, to serve the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the sick and the prisoner.

These are the things which make up His doctrine. I do not believe one can follow Christ without emphasizing these things.

To be a Christian is simply to profess Christ Lord and Savior and to strive to follow Him in these things.

 

[Wesley7]

Pretty simple, a Christian is someone who has received Christ at baptism and is united into the church as a fellow believer.

 

[Marc_Anthony]

My definition of Christian

All Christians, by my definition:

Believe in one God, the Father, the almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth
of all that is seen and unseen
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one being with the Father,
Through Him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from Heaven
and became man through Mary, his virgin Mother.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy, universal Church.
We acknowledge that baptism brings you into the Faith.
We look for the life of the world to come.

So, a revised version of the Nicene Creed that changes the Baptism bit slightly and doesn’t mention the resurrection of the dead. I also don’t call the Church apostolic since many Protestant denominations are certainly not apostolic, and though I know the distinction of lowercase vs. uppercase c Catholic I removed the word entirely and just wrote universal.

 

[Tocra]

The classification of ‘Christian’ is firstly man-made. And yes, broadly it means ‘of Christ’.

BUT…this ‘title’ of christian given by MAN does NOT entitle you to eternal life!

A true “Christ”-ian is known by God. Not by worldly terminologies. So, a broad terminology like this is not likely to lend any benefit to someone who wants to be saved because these titles do not save him/her. Instead it can frequently become a veil of delusion to the person.

Can you swim from Mexico to America and call yourself American? YES!..you can. But what will you be doing then? You’re an illegal immigrant!

Can you say you’re an american when you use chopsticks, speaks mandarin and no english, doesn’t know who is abraham lincoln, cannot sing the american anthem, and thinks Chicago is in Shanghai.???

Who is a disciple? Well, Jesus said this:

Luke 14 - 25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’

31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

34"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

.

 

[Bran_Stark]

My definition of Christian

All Christians, by my definition:

Believe in one God, the Father, the almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth
of all that is seen and unseen
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one being with the Father,
Through Him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from Heaven
and became man through Mary, his virgin Mother.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy, universal Church.
We acknowledge that baptism brings you into the Faith.
We look for the life of the world to come.

So, a revised version of the Nicene Creed that changes the Baptism bit slightly and doesn’t mention the resurrection of the dead. I also don’t call the Church apostolic since many Protestant denominations are certainly not apostolic, and though I know the distinction of lowercase vs. uppercase c Catholic I removed the word entirely and just wrote universal.

You might want to drop the Filioque…

 

[Richard_Kastner]

And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. - Acts 11:26

Simple question - who falls within the bounds of this word? My definition is pretty broad. Trying to be as objective as possible, as if I were an alien visitor reporting back to Saturn on the religious practices of humans, I propose this:

*A Christian is one whose religion is centered on an attempt to follow the teachings of the historical personage, described in the New Testament, of “Jesus of Nazareth”. *

I must emphasize this says nothing about the state of the person’s soul; nothing about the orthodoxy of his beliefs. It just acknowledges that he is, or at least is trying to be, a follower of “Christ” and hence deserves the title “Christian”. So Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants, as well as the more contentiously accepted groups like Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Messianic Jews, classical Unitarians, Christian Deists like Thomas Jefferson, and the ancient heretics like Arians and Gnostics, all are in. Those like the Muslims, however, who while believing in Jesus do not make Him the center of their beliefs, don’t count.

Revelation 14:12 (King James Version)

12Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Here in Rev.14 a saint is one who keeps the commandments and has faith in Jesus.

 

[1ke]

It doesn’t really matter what individual definitions of Christian are. It matters what the Church says on the topic, since the Church has the teaching authority from Christ. I can understand non-Catholics contributing to this thread with their ‘opinion’ on the matter, but I am surprised at Catholics giving their ‘opinion’ and one that does not even match the Church’s teaching.

A Christian is one who has received Trinitarian baptism. It is Baptism that incorporates us into the Body of Christ.

 

[Bran_Stark]

It doesn’t really matter what individual definitions of Christian are. It matters what the Church says on the topic, since the Church has the teaching authority from Christ. I can understand non-Catholics contributing to this thread with their ‘opinion’ on the matter, but I am surprised at Catholics giving their ‘opinion’ and one that does not even match the Church’s teaching.

A Christian is one who has received Trinitarian baptism. It is Baptism that incorporates us into the Body of Christ.

That may be so. But words can have more than one meaning - the baptism of John the Baptist was baptism, but not Christian baptism. I think there is such a thing as someone who is a Christian, though not a baptized one.

Consider this scenario: One day twin boys are born and are given up for adoption. Charles is adopted by a Catholic family, and Alex by an atheist family. Naturally, the Catholic family wants Charles to be baptized, so it calls for a priest. He is an absentminded one, however, and he mistakenly baptizes the baby in the adjoining cradle - Alex. Charles grows up as a Catholic, devoutly prays seven times a day, receives the Sacraments, and always believes he was baptized. Alex never sets foot in a church in his life, never believes in God, and has no idea he was baptized. Is it really accurate to say that Alex is a Christian but Charles is not?

 

[Marc_Anthony]

You might want to drop the Filioque…

Yeah, good catch.

Can’t believe I missed that.

So, my new definition of a Christian:

All Christians, by my definition:

Believe in one God, the Father, the almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth
of all that is seen and unseen
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one being with the Father,
Through Him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from Heaven
and became man through Mary, his virgin Mother.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who certainly proceeds through the Father.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy, universal Church.
We acknowledge that baptism brings you into the Faith.
We look for the life of the world to come.

So, a revised version of the Nicene Creed that changes the Baptism bit slightly and doesn’t mention the resurrection of the dead. I also don’t call the Church apostolic since many Protestant denominations are certainly not apostolic, and though I know the distinction of lowercase vs. uppercase c Catholic I removed the word entirely and just wrote universal. I also got rid of the Filioque and merely made it clear that the Holy Spirit proceeds at least through the Father.

So yeah. There you go.

 

[Flame4]

I have been actually wondering this too. Some people say Mormons aren’t Christians (well Mormons consider themselves Christians though), so I started wondering “what is Christian?”

To be Christian I think you must acknowledge Jesus as God…"Christ"ian. Or maybe it is that Jesus rose from the dead. After all that is the centre of our religion. If Christ didn’t rise from the dead, we are the most pitiable people as St. Paul says. Anyway, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead he isn’t God, so those tie in together. Obviously there is more to Christianity than that, but that is the “root” of the faith for lack of a better word, I suppose.

Of course this is a view that would support other dominions, while I , for myself, would take the Chuch’s defenition of Christian. So depends who you want to hear from.

God Bless.

 

[1ke]

That may be so. But words can have more than one meaning - the baptism of John the Baptist was baptism, but not Christian baptism.

That is why I specifically stated Trinitarian baptism. Mormons are not Christians, although they practice a baptism.

Consider this scenario: One day twin boys are born and are given up for adoption. Charles is adopted by a Catholic family, and Alex by an atheist family. Naturally, the Catholic family wants Charles to be baptized, so it calls for a priest. He is an absentminded one, however, and he mistakenly baptizes the baby in the adjoining cradle - Alex. Charles grows up as a Catholic, devoutly prays seven times a day, receives the Sacraments, and always believes he was baptized. Alex never sets foot in a church in his life, never believes in God, and has no idea he was baptized. Is it really accurate to say that Alex is a Christian but Charles is not?

I would categorize Charles as the Church categorizes catechumens who die before baptism.

 

[Bran_Stark]

I would categorize Charles as the Church categorizes catechumens who die before baptism.

Are such people Christians? If not, what is their religion?