Christian or Christ Follower?

Question

It seems that the new fad is to no longer use the label of "Christian" and instead go for the more seeker sensitive "Christ follower" .
Being that we claim the attributes of our names, it seems to me that this simple difference could be very important.
The word Christian means "like Christ". We try to live our lives to His standards.
Now let's look at Christ follower. Even the Pharisees and Sadducees that persecuted Christ FOLLOWED Him.
You don't have to love or worship someone to follow them. We read in the bible that multitudes followed Jesus, but it was the leper that had faith and approached Him directly that was cleansed.
What do you think?

Answer 1

As a mormon I have to defend my right to use the label christian, so I dont think I want to take on the challenge of yet another label other socalled christians want to accuse me of not being.

Answer 2

I'm both, I guess. I don't care what people call me. If using the term "Christ follower," is more inviting to non-believers and gets them on the path of faith, I'm ok with it.

I think the pharisees were more stalkers than followers. A follower, to me, implies believing what the leader is teaching, saying, doing, etc. so I'm ok with it. As long as Christ is being glorified.

There is a lot of animosity toward Christians -- I'm sure you've noticed! The word Christian has negative connotations for lots of people who have only experienced the legalistic side of some denominations, and haven't experienced God's grace and the love that Christ has for them.

We Christians and/or Christ-followers need to look at ourselves honestly and admit our failures, then move forward and work anew at building God's church and sharing the good news.

Answer 3

I follow Christ in the figurative sense: that is, I walk with Him, trying my best to abide by His law day to day, without ceasing. Christian, in my opinion is just too broad a term; it encompasses those who attend church and read the Bible but never really know God, at least in terms of connotation.

I prefer to call myself, in the words of DC TALK, a Jesus Freak; though I look crazy to the rest of the world, I live by a higher authority than the world, making me a Freak for Jesus.

Amen?

Answer 4

The word or title "Christian" was given to those disciples called that "sect", in the after days of Christ's death. Disciple means "follower of the Christ". Modernism refers to God as a "she" (if you are a disciple of modernism). Similarly; one can say that he or she believes "in" Christ or believes "on" Him - both have differing connotations.

Answer 5

I agree with the definition of Christ follower and Christian.But as far as fads, they don't bother me. I never was one to go for fads. I am a Christian.

Answer 6

Jesusonian. Truth lover. Truth Seeker.

Answer 7

hold on there deep thinker save yourself the pain of over thinking all this crap and enjoy a nice bowl of ice cream, take a walk and say hi to a passing stranger.

Answer 8

I know that I am a Christian. I not only follow His teachings but He is my Lord and my Savior. I love Him.

Answer 9

Many of the tenents within Christianity that did make a christian, christian--are not the teachings of 'Jesus', but rather the teachings of "Paul' and the precepts of man. Pretty much every tenent withing Christianity is listed in the scriptures as an abomination to God and in contradiction to the teachings of 'Jesus'.

'Paul' preached that a person was 'saved' through the sin offering of 'Jesus'. In Hosea 13:2 , human sacrifice for a sin offering was said to be an abomination to god. Offering up such a sacrifice upon a HIGH PLACE like 'Mt. Calvary' is also an abomination--Jeremiah 32:35.

As per the teachings of 'Jesus'...
Mat 19:17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”

Mat 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you sinners!’

Christians try to convert everyone. Which is in violation to the Laws of God, see Deuteronomy 13. Basically, converters would be giving a person an OTHER god. An OTHER god is one defined as a god that that person personally has not known or one that was unknown to their fore fathers. Essentially a converter is saying that their god is not EVERYWHERE when they have to go SHOW someone their god.

Even 'Jesus' rebuked converters...Mat 23:15 "Woe to you, scribes, Pharisees, and HYPOCRITES! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte. and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourself." The translational term 'hypocrite' used in this verse is also interchangeable with the term 'sinner'. Christians are SELF proclaimed sinners, so are included in the chastisment.

Mat 15:24 Jesus answered, "I was sent ONLY for the lost sheep of Israel"

Mat 10:5-6 the Christ charges his disciples to NOT go and preach to the cities of the gentiles, but ONLY to the LOST SHEEP of Israel

Some of the Christian precepts...
325CE Council of Nice Promotion of the Goodman: Christ is Divine. Which would be in violation to the OT idoltry Law...Deut 4:15-16 Since you saw no form on the day the the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire. beware lest you act corruptly by making a graven image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of man or female...

363CE Council of Laodicea names 26 New Testament books as "inspired word of God"; Book of Revelation is excluded. It took another 25yrs for Revelations to OFFICIALLY be added. Which would be in conflict with the Tower of Babel story in Genesis 11. God came down and CONFUSED the WORD, when did god UN-CONFUSE the WORD to make something like the bible 'truth'. Note that this story takes places AFTER the FLOOD, so the ONLY people on earth according to bible were the descendents of noah.

364CE Council of Laodicea ordered that religious
observances were to be conducted on Sunday, not Saturday. Which would be in violation to the sabbath law...work 6 days, rest on the seventh. What is the FIRST day of the week on YOUR calendar?!?

381CE First Council of Constantinople drew up a dogmatic statement on the Trinity and defined Holy Spirit as having the same divinity expressed for the Son by the Council of Nicea 56 years earlier. Again a violation to the OT idoltry law.

Which I guess would apply to another teaching of 'Jesus'...
Mat 15:8 This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain they do worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of Men.

I guess some people are trying to separate themselves from the abominations being practiced by Christianity by not calling themselves Christians but rather 'Christ Followers'. Though I would say that this is also in conflict with the teaching of 'Jesus'. Mat 7:16-20 "A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, a tree that bears evil fruit is to be cut down and burnt." The teaching doesn't say PRUNE the tree.

Answer 10

That which we call a Christian
By any other name would smell as fishy.