What is a 'Christian'?

Question

at its core, what is the base to the term 'Christian'?

It's good to read the honest thoughts you folks have. Although I'm probably not going to agree with Psychic Cat's views on other subjects, I certainly agree with his/her views on the thumbs up/down. I always give a thumbs up to honest answers - doesn't matter if I agree with the answer or not.

Answer 1

Christ-like. A christian is someone who belives in the Father God, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit of God, one who lives for God, one who loves God, and one who does the work of God. One who has God living inside of them. One who has shut the door to the world and what the world says and has opened their heart to hear to see and to except all that God is..One who does not judge others for who they are or what they have done, one who forgives others from the heart, one who will open their heart to anyone and everyone who is in the need..One who will go out and teach the Word of God and share the Love of God, and even if needed to die for God..

Answer 2

Christian are just the followers of Christ. Biblically, the word Christian occurs only three times in the New Testament (Act11:26; Act_26:28; and 1Pe4:16). The first passage, Act11:26, gives the origin of the term, “The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” The older generation of critical scholars disputed the historicity of this statement. It was argued that, had the term originated so early, it must have been found far more frequently in the records of early Christianity; sometimes also that the termination -ianus points to a Latin origin. But there is general agreement now that these objections are groundless. The historicity of the Lukan account is upheld not only by Harnack, but by the more radical Knopf in Die Schriften des New Testament, edited by Johannes Weiss. In early imperial times, the adjectival termination -ianos was widely diffused throughout the whole empire. Originally applied to the slaves belonging to the great households, it had passed into regular use to denote the adherents of an individual or a party. A Christian is Thus simply an adherent of Christ. The name belongs, as Ramsay says, to the popular slang, as indeed sect and party names generally do. It is only after a considerable interval, and very often under protest, that such names are accepted as self-designations.

Answer 3

How unfortunate that many answers. attempting to sincerely answer you question were given thumbs down. I'm not a Christian, & it's really rather sad to see "hostility" expressed in thumbs down, (thumbs down being something I think should be deleted.) In any case, Christian comes from "Christ" & the belief that only Christ can forgive, or "redeem" us. (Among other things.) That Jesus died to save "us" from our inherent sins. Whatever I think of this is irrelevant. Many of the answers were clear & without proselytising. If one disagrees, as I do, that is no reason to vent with thumbs down! At least, I don't think so. The lack of respect for views of others causes so much conflict!

Answer 4

At core, one who tries to follow the teachings of Jesus, as reported in the various testaments (however contradictory and including those not included in the official "Bible" if one is serious about it, which few are). Secondarily I suppose, those who attend any of the various sectarian Churches or organised groups formed for mutual support and curiously differentiation from others. However, I object very strongly to the proprietorial piracy by Christians claiming ownership of human values and ethics which developed fairly universally amongst human beings out of practical experience, and thought, long before Jesus (whose ideas were informed by those ideas which were well abroad in his time). These require no religious or supernatural support for conviction, only rational thought - though people who do not arrive at them through their own intelligence may require external props to drive them to observation. So, whatever benefits of Christianity, and they are many along with its harm, I deplore it and all religions as walking aids which allow people to avoid developing autonomous insight to drive their lives without prescription and a slavish subservience to "priests", religious, political, or economic.

Answer 5

A messianic Jew is a Jew that believes that Jesus is the Messiah. Christians and Messianic Jews suppose that Jesus is the Messiah. They are Jews. The factor of view of the anti Messianice Jews is satisfactory summed up by means of Mark JPAS whilst he mentioned "it's appropriate to combo a few measure of overseas non secular factors with Judaism. The one exception is Christianity, that is appeared to be incompatible with any style of Jewishness. This is the double common that's carried out to Christianity despite the fact that Jesus is viewed the Jewish Messiah in Christianity. Messianic Jews are checked out with even higher disdain. Why? its a canopy for there possess deviations from Judaism. Some Jews have to hold a connection to Jewish loved ones in view that they've deviated such a lot from conventional Judaism that many Orthodox query their Jewishness. They want discover a few technique to distract concentration in view that of there deviation from the Torah. This is finished by means of pointing their finger at others to direct concentration clear of their possess movements. You are not able to deliver your self a name and anticipate that it makes you anything. This is the argument that has been used in opposition to Jews that come to a decision that Jesus is the Messiah. We are advised that the mere perception of a further nature of God instantly invalidated a Jews Jewishness. At the identical time Jews that end up atheists, pantheists or quit practising any detail in their faith we're advised are nonetheless Jews. They say that you'll be able to suppose in some thing however Jesus. Jews name conversion "becoming a member of the tribe". Things that might not ever fly in Orthodox or for that subject Messianic Judaism will also be observed within the Reform and Reconstructionist routine. A well illustration of it is a earlier query requested right here. The man or woman asking worshiped the God Ferris however didn't suppose in him or the Jewish God. The consciousness of the query used to be" ...might you PERSONALLY think at ease welcoming me no longer simply as a fellow congregant at your Synagogue, however as a member of the Tribe?" (so he used to be obviously asking approximately changing to Judaism). The reaction used to be "Reform Judaism covers a extensive swath of ideals and practices and I am certain you are going to be utterly authorised. ... I in my view might take delivery of you entire heartily as a fellow Jew." So a few Jews will take delivery of a wide variety of deviations from the Torah however no longer perception in "Jesus". Let's no longer overlook the Reform motion desired to difference the sabbath to Sunday to be extra like Christianity. Most Messianic Jews are Torah observant but you'll be able to end up an atheist, quit practising their religion, end up a Buddhist, become a member of a Unitarian Church and nonetheless be a Jew within the eyes of Reform/Reconstructionist Jews. Most Orthodox whilst requested approximately different Jews will say they do not know what non Orthodox Jews are. The identical applies to the opposite sects. Speaking of sects Jews will inform you there are not any sects however its no longer precise. Rabbinical Jews comply with an expertise in their religion that used to be based one million,900 years in the past. They have their possess canon of Scripture. There also are non Rabbinical Jews such because the Ethiopian Jews that follows the sample of the Christian Old Testament and they've many further books that they don't forget to be scripture. A institution known as the Karaites is the reverse of the Ethiopian and handiest suppose within the five Books of Moses. Rabbinical Jews name Karaites "a sect of Judaism". You can goggle it and spot for your self. Don't permit any individual inform you that there are not any sects in Judaism. They say the the lessons of Jesus are very one-of-a-kind from Judaism. They additionally declare that Jesus taught not anything new from the rabbis earlier than him. Then they we inform you that there have been no rabbis till 100 years after the time of Jesus. Its all approximately successful the argument to them no longer approximately what is precise. The quandary isn't variations however similarities. You must understand ALL the writers of the Christian Bible had been Jews however one. Much of our Scriptures are shared. The sizeable majority of early believers in Jesus had been Jews. So while you listen the precise reverse you have to maintain that during brain. A Jew can suppose in Jesus and nonetheless be a Jew. Edit: those who make private accusations must comprise hyperlinks or close up.

Answer 6

Someone who believes that Jesus was the begotten son of the living God. The rest is window dressing.

Answer 7

A Christian is someone who doesn't just believe in God, but is also putting their faith into God. In other words, loving Him, trusting Him, obeying Him, and listening to the word of God.

Answer 8

Christian is a follower of Jesus- who was saved by His blood- pure and simply- a Christian is one saved by grace to become a person who passionately loves and obeys God.

Answer 9

The basis of the word is Christ, and the word Christian may be interpreted "little Christ." It is because Christians attempt to imitate Christ that we are called this.

Tom

Answer 10

People who make up fantastical stories and force others to listen to them. They even go so far as to send missionaries to people who are sane and believe in real things to try and get them to believe. Sometimes they succeed and create a mass hysteria and then believe it themselves. They also call people who don't believe that crud very ugly names. It is rumoured that they form organisations called churches who act as their god's middle man to whom you give lots of money to perpetuate the myth to make them feel better with their own delusion.