Define the word, "Christian." Break it down to its essentials to includes all who call themselves by this word

Question

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Because someone may tell me that they're a Christian, the definition must be applicable to all who use the term to describe themselves or their denomination or congregation. Otherwise when someone uses the term, I won't know what they mean.

My guess is that this may not be possible, but I offer you now the opportunity, all for the prize of 10 points.

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Sorry, ZC, but I know too many New England Unitarians who call themselves Christians but neither believe in the divinity (son of god) or the resurrection of Jesus.

In 1982 Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie said he was an agnostic as to why Jesus suffered on the cross. That same year, Episcopal Bishop John Spong, writing in the Christian Century (Jan. 6-13, 1982), condemned traditional evangelistic and missionary endeavors and said that biblical absolutism is “a vice.” In 1984, David Jenkins, Anglican Bishop of Durham, described Christ’s resurrection as “a conjuring trick with bones”. Jenkins also said, “The Christian is not bound up with freak biology or corpses getting up and walking around” and “You don’t have to believe in the virgin birth.” In 1984, the Associated Press reported that only 20 of 31 Church of England bishops polled insisted that Christians must accept Jesus as both God and man. In 1986, Anglican Bishop David Jenkins got a standing ovation from the general synod of the Church of England when he defended his doubts about the virgin birth and bodily resurrection of Christ."

All of these call themselves Christians.

Answer 1

Christian, is a Greek word which means, " small messiah " it was used by the Romans in Antioch to make fun of a group that followed Jesus and referred to themselves as, " Believers " or sometimes as, " The Way. " This group for some reason thought it was a good name so they adopted it. Later as it had caught on, the group of believers that was a sect of the Jewish faith was told by Jesus to let Gentiles into the group, ( this came to Peter in a vision ). After Titus took over Rome and destroyed the Temple, he then ran all the Jews out of Rome, leaving the " Christians " to be all gentiles. By the time the Jews were allowed to come back to Rome, it was a Christian State, under the rule of Caesar, and Jews were not thought of as being Christians, as a matter of fact, they were not even liked by the so called Christians. This is where Christianity fell, it left its first love, Jesus, the Jewish carpenter that was the Lamb of God. Even today you will have a hard time finding a true follower of Jesus the Messiah.

To follow Jesus you must think of this world, and all it contains as something of little importance. The only thing that matters is the Kingdom of God, and His Son Jesus the Messiah. When you put everyone else first, when you give to those who are in need and have no way of paying you back, and when you do it even to the point of giving up things you want, just so you can help those who are in need, even if they are in some far away country and you will never see them or meet them in this life, and if you love God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit so much that you would give up your life on earth before you would turn away from Them, or denounce Them, and if you are in prayer day and night, for the sake of others, and not for you own gain, then you are a, " Christian " in the same sense that the first Believers were who thought it good to take that name.


God be with you,
Agape, William, a bond-servant of our Lord Jesus the Messiah

Answer 2

A person who believes that Jesus is the son of God (Yahweh, the Judeo-Christian, Biblical, Abrahamic deity), that Jesus was crucified and then three days later rose from the dead, and that Jesus is their personal savior.

I don't think much else is universal to "Christians".

[edit]

Hot damn! Forget about those pesky Unitarians. Hm... then I suppose there's no real universal "Christian" characteristic. I think MOST believe in the ideal of "being Christ-like". Perhaps all believe in doing so, even if they fall short of actually adhering to such a principle. Can't be sure, though.

Answer 3

The only definition of a Christian is someone who believes that Jesus of Nazareth was (is) the Christ and therefor the son of God. What makes someone a "real" or "true" Christian is endlessly debatable and therefor unanswerable. If there was one answer there would be no need to have thousands of Christian denominations.

Answer 4

A real Christian receives the the Holy Ghost and is born Again Just like JESUS told Nicodemus in John Chap :3 and Acts Chap: 2 Nothing you can see it like the wind it just moves and comes upon you when you repent of your sins and receive the JESUS CHRIST as your lord and Savior.And to act like a Christian is to draw close to Jesus and to understand what is pleasing to our God and work on it every day to try to draw closer to his grace and mercy.To be more Christ like and to not give into the flesh and trust in Jesus whole heatedly

Answer 5

A true Christian is a person who has put his or her faith and trust in the person of Jesus Christ and fact that He died on the cross as payment for sins and rose again on the third day to obtain victory over death and to give eternal life to all who believe in Him. John 1:12 tells us: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” A true Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God’s true family, and one who has been given new life in Christ. The mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God’s Word (1 John 2:4; 1 John 2:10).

Answer 6

Seeing as this was written to believers in Yahshua Ha Moshiach, I do not think it can apply to any religions as they do not have the Spirit/Ruach of YHWH. So which god are they going to be talking to & which spirits are they going to test, all they will get is deceiving spirits that tell them lies. 1John 4:3 Every spirit that does not confess that Yahshua Ha Moshiach has come in the flesh is not of YHWH & this is the spirit of anti-moshiach, which you have heard is coming & is now already in the world. While Jews may admit that Yahshua came in the flesh, they deny that He is Messiah. Religions also say He came in the flesh, but deny He is Messiah. This is the test, He came in the flesh & He is Messiah. Both go together like Torah & Messiah, one without the other is unbalanced. To use this verse out of context for some philosophical debate is totally OUT OF ORDER.

Answer 7

well the word Christian is supposed to mean follower of Christ as set down in the Bible.
What has happened is that many that go to churches consider themselves to be Christians but they don't know what Christ taught or do they try to follow him.. but they still say they are Christians and this causes confusion. as to what a Christian really is.

Answer 8

Strong's Number: 5546
Christianos

Definition
Christian, a follower of Christ
Noun Masculine
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=5546&version=kjv

Answer 9

That which canbe categorized as Muslim or Jew is a christian in the literal sense of the word... They are that pathetic....

Answer 10

those who are caught in the snares set out by the christs... who would blindly follow the devils so as to enslave the human race... They are those closing their minds and lives to the truth coming out everywhere around them... those promoting ignorance in face of the proof being exposed in the world..