Who is a Christian?? !!

[oldbadger]

Before Covid I used to cycle around my local area and would visit chapels and churches which held tea'n'chat meetings. On one occasion I passed a Christian hall and saw a poster which read something like 'soup and chat', and I walked inside just as the event was commencing. A long table was set and many mid-aged and elderly folks sat around; I was guided to a place.

A very stern lady across the table fixed me in her gaze and an interrogation began:-
Who are you?
Hello I'm oldbadger.
Why have you come here?
I wanted to meet you, and the soup is interesting.
How did you know about this meeting?
I saw a big poster outside.
Do you walk in to any place because of posters?
Yes..... I often do.
Where else have you just walked in to?
Oh, lots of places. The Methodist church holds tea/biscuit meets on Saturday mornings.
She grunted what sounded like disapproval. I mentioned a few other meetings and then the room erupted.
I said....
Oh, and the Christian Spiritualists in T--------- offering healing and tea on Mondays at 1.30pm.

This stern lady exploded.
They are not Christians! They worship the Devil! All these evil people who pretend to be Christians...... Jesus warned us about you all! And that disgusting Halloween...... ............ well this carried on for minutes until she could be calmed down.

This has happened many times....... I once mentioned that we have JW Christian friends and we are pleased to let them park on our driveway when visiting homes in the area, and several Christians immediately pointed out that JWs are different, or not proper Christians......

There are many many differing churches and creeds, and so I wonder....... who is a proper Christian?

[oldbadger]

Good line of thought you're going down here I hope enjoy this post.

Indeed there are different meanings. What though should define these concepts? Well, since the Bible is supposed to be the core of Christianity then shouldn't we use the Bible to define these concepts?

Lets start with faith.

OK.....

Faith is defined in the Bible as, "Faith is the assured expectation of what is hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities that are not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

That was Paul's idea. Faith is assurance? Realities not seen?
I rather think that faith is trust, trust about 'things' you cannot know about. Simply 'trust'.
I can acknowledge anybody's faith no matter what they have faith (or trust) in...... that's their option.

We have faith that tomorrow the Sun will rise and gravity will still work though we can't see tomorrow. Why? Because we have an 'evident demonstration of realities'. We have have seen the pattern of the Earth rotating around the Sun all of our lives and have a record that even before we were alive, the Earth did the same thing.

That's an assumption for me.

Faith is not based on belief that something does exist or something will happen. Faith is based on evidence of past and/or current evidence that something exists or will happen.

Now let think of what a religion is and consider the Bible. Let's assume that Adam and Eve never rebelled in the Garden of Eden and followed God's instructions. Their children did the same and lets say everyone did what God told them to do all the way down to us today. Would the concept of religion even be needed? There would never be a plural form of the word at least if such a concept was needed. The first religion came into being when A&E decided to do their own thing.

Ah...... I'm not religious, I just have beliefs.
I always think of religion as a congregation, church or meeting of people in connection with their beliefs. It doesn't make a lot of difference to me what that belief is.

[oldbadger]

There is no record of Jesus Christ denying the Bible because the Christian Bible did not exist and would not exist for many decades after his departure.

Jesus was not a Christian, he was a Jew and he often quoted from his bible. He never ever used the word 'Christian', in any language.

[oldbadger]

If a Christian is supposed to be a follower of Christ and there is no Record of Christ denying the Bible but actually living by it's principles and even quoting from it to teach, then yes.

But Jesus often quoted from the Jewish bible and lived by its principles...yes? Surely that made him a Jew?

[oldbadger]

I'm not sure I know what I could say other than what I said in the first post:

A Christian is a disciple of Christ who is also anointed with holy spirit.

viewtopic.php?p=1080756#p1080756

As for the disciple part: a disciple (of Christ) is someone who listens to, learns from, follows, and obeys Christ. Christ comes first. He Himself, His words, His commands, His example.

As for being anointed (which makes a person an anointed one; a christian): that anointing is not up to us. Christ is the One who chooses. As an example of receiving holy spirit, this is what Christ gave when He breathed holy spirit (not a person, but rather the breath/blood/seed of JAH) upon the apostles. But anointed or not, if we love Him - as He has said - we will obey HIS commands and remain in HIS word.

Peace again to you!
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

Thank you Tammy....... Fair enough.
Question:- If a person is an anointed disciple of Christ, do they evangelise, carry the message out in to the World, go calling at homes or in the streets? Is that what a disciple does?

[2timothy316]

[Replying to 2timothy316 in post #56]

So yes, for a Christian, following all of the holy scriptures is important for life.

So in that, are you suggesting that "who is a Christian" is "Who is following all of the holy scriptures"?

No Christ is. Matthew 4:4. “It is written: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from Jehovah’s mouth.’”

Is every word which comes from YHWH's 'mouth' contained in scripture?

Yes, the Bible completely equips a man of God AKA a Christian.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17
"All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work."

[2timothy316]

If a Christian is supposed to be a follower of Christ and there is no Record of Christ denying the Bible but actually living by it's principles and even quoting from it to teach, then yes.

But Jesus often quoted from the Jewish bible and lived by its principles...yes? Surely that made him a Jew?

Yup. And those Jews that live on every word for Jehovah God's mouth became to be known as Christians.
"After he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year they assembled with them in the congregation and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians." - Acts 11:26

Jesus Christ made that possible. Jesus fulfilled the Law and a new law was put in after it. The Law of the Christ. Which doesn't replace the Mosaic Law code but picks up where it leaves off.

[William]

Is every word which comes from YHWH's 'mouth' contained in scripture?

[Replying to 2timothy316 in post #65]

Yes, the Bible completely equips a man of God AKA a Christian.

This does not answer the question asked. The question was not "Does every word that comes from scripture equip a Christian?" Rather the question was "Is every word which comes from YHWH's 'mouth' contained in scripture?"

[oldbadger]

Yup. And those Jews that live on every word for Jehovah God's mouth became to be known as Christians.
"After he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year they assembled with them in the congregation and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians." - Acts 11:26

Jesus Christ made that possible. Jesus fulfilled the Law and a new law was put in after it. The Law of the Christ. Which doesn't replace the Mosaic Law code but picks up where it leaves off.

Please can I ask.... 'Are you a Jehovah's Witness?'
I ask because of the way that you write, and if you are then that suggests that you probably agree with the member JehovahWitness and their list of 'must do's'.

I acknowledge anybody's faith, belief or religion....... it's theirs, their way. So please don't think me deceitful if/when you see my posts which acknowledge other folk's ways; if there is a 'way of the tatty hound dog' that somebody follows then I will ask questions and acknowledge them.... it's a kind of freedom for me.

[oldbadger]

Rather the question was "Is every word which comes from YHWH's 'mouth' contained in scripture?"

You didn't ask me, but could I ask you, 'Do you think anything got left out....if so, what?'

[William]

Rather the question was "Is every word which comes from YHWH's 'mouth' contained in scripture?"

You didn't ask me, but could I ask you, 'Do you think anything got left out....if so, what?'

I will answer your questions when I am sure that my own is not going to be answered by the one I asked.