Give us your absolute bottom-line Christian essentials

[brother Paul]

A couple of recent threads got me to thinking: Putting aside all of the various creeds, confessions and statements of faith for the moment, what are the absolute bottom-line Christian essentials? How simple could someone’s theology be and still qualify as Christian?

When I was with Campus Crusade for Christ almost 50 years ago, we won souls (or at least thought we did) with the Four Spiritual Laws:

1. God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
2. Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for his life.
3. Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Through Him you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life.
4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.

A mere 77 words, but you will find even these criticized on the Internet as “terribly flawed,” “unbiblical” and “human trickery.”

Perhaps my own 110 words:

1. You are a created being in a created universe, wholly dependent on the creator God.
2. God is perfectly holy, just and loving.
3. You and other humans have breached your relationship with God through disobedience and unrighteousness.
4. You cannot repair the breach through your own efforts.
5. God offers forgiveness and reconciliation through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
6. You can receive forgiveness and participate in the reconciliation by acknowledging and repenting of your disobedience and unrighteousness, prayerfully accepting God’s offer of forgiveness, asking the Holy Spirit to transform your life, being baptized, and prayerfully doing your best to follow the teachings of Jesus as set forth in the four gospels.

What if the above was someone’s entire theology? His entire Christian life was those 110 words and doing or at least sincerely attempting to do what they describe. Would he (or she) be a Christian?

The above says nothing about the inerrancy of the Bible, Adam and Eve, predestination, the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the Virgin Birth, the doctrine of Hell, or other doctrines that Christians love to wrangle over. Depending on one’s view of the Bible and how one interprets the biblical passages, perhaps there is a “probably correct” or even “clearly correct” position on most of those doctrines. Perhaps it is even important to be able to articulate a personal creed. But are any of them absolute bottom-line Christian essentials?

To me, I believe the first essential is that you must love God (which means we believe God, not just in Him, which equals accepting His redeemer, Jesus Christ and all that His death, burial, and resurrection obtained for us). The second is we must love our neighbor as we ourselves would want to be loved (Isaiah 58:6-12 and Matthew 25:31-46 and those that do not become this over time (you shall know them by their fruits) are none of His (Romans 8:9) because they do not have HIS SPIRIT even IF they said the magic prayer words or were given a bath (Matthew 25:1-13).

Christ IN US is the hope of Glory and He went about doing good, caring for the poor, the widows, and the fatherless, feeding the poor, offering healing to all who came for it, set the oppressed free, and so on. Therefore His children emulate His Son.

 

[TMal3]

Certainly important. No argument there. But I would say that's a summary encapsulation of the Torah in Judaism and the central tenet of Judaism (see below). Foundational to Christianity, for sure, but shared in common with Judaism, and not a Christian distinctive.

But if we approach the question historically, we see the centrality of the crucifixion-resurrection event; and further see the apostolic gospel proclamation of this event is what launched the birth of Christianity on the Day of Pentecost. It is the testimony and explanation given by the earliest Christians themselves for the origin of the church.

And it led to novel, unprecedented 'mutations' in Judaism that are difficult to explain if the bodily resurrection didn't actually happen as real event in history. Unprecedented 'mutations' in Judaism like the binitarian expansion of the Jewish Shema (which you refer to above) to include Jesus alongside of Yawheh.

So, like you said, the greatest commandment (and central monotheistic affirmation of Judaism) is the Shema in Deuteronomy: "Hear O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is One. And thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength."

The inviolable, central, non-negotiable, essential affirmation of Jewish monotheism. You don't mess with it. And yet inexplicably (unless one accepts the resurrection) modified and expanded by the earliest Christians to include Jesus of Nazareth alongside of Yawheh while still affirming monotheism and rejecting all other gods. Utter blasphemy! (from the perspective of Judaism); and inexplicable (to the secular historian who rejects the resurrection event explanation for this modification to the Judaism's holiest statement and affirmation of monotheism).

An example of this early Christian modification and expansion of the sacred Shema of Judaism is found in 1 Corinthians 8.6 when Paul rejects the "so--called gods' of paganism and starts to launch into a Shema-based affirmation of Jewish monotheism, but adds Jesus of Nazareth to it:

"yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live."

This major 'innovation' in Judaism by the earliest Christians is instructive for another reason. We are trained to approach the "essentials of Christianity" question from the angle of systematic theology and doctrinal statements of faith, but in doing so miss an important essential, because things like systematic theology are more academic 'head-knowledge' developments that came later in church history; motivated by the writings of Paul, the first great Christian theologian. Before Paul, such theology (as a more intellectual, scholarly pursuit) didn't really exist. Religious practice (in paganism and Judaism) was more temple-sacrifice-to-your-god/God focused.

Ancient religion was less about "essential" doctrinal statements and theologies, and more about the particular temple 'cultus' you identified with. But with Christianity, to this was added the unthinkable (to pagans) Christian insistence of exclusive, absolute loyalty, allegiance, and devotion to the "one true God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ" to the exclusion of all other competing gods.

This is an important essential of Christianity that's easy to miss because in early Christianity it wasn't framed in the familiar context of an elaborate doctrinal statement that we're so used to thinking in terms of, but in terms of a far less academic, far less intellectualized statement of personal identification: a personal and corporate statement of identity with Christ, and exclusive absolute devotion, loyalty, and allegiance (professing "faith") in "JESUS IS LORD."

I think it can be difficult for us to capture the sense of this Christian essential of exclusive allegiance and absolute devotion to "Jesus is Lord" in modern times when conversion or church membership sometimes becomes more of an academic exercise, and intellectual assent to a doctrinal statement. When by contrast early Christian confessions of exclusive allegiance and devotion to the one true "God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ" were effectually less theological and more *treasonous* in their rejection of the Imperial Roman Emperor and sole allegiance to Christ.

(*today we have membership cards, and IDs and such. But in ancient times, baptism was the "badge of membership"; the rite of initiation when joining a particular sect or pagan trade guild devoted to a patron god; a baptism initiation rite that was rebranded by Christians to include a statement that you were exclusively allying and *identifying* with Jesus as Lord, hence, baptism *in Christ*).

So, if we were required to boil it down even further to the essential of essentials, and the most succinct encapsulation of essentials I think it would be that: JESUS IS LORD (*which was much more than an intellectual profession of faith; it was a treasonous proclamation of exclusive loyalty ("faith") and devotion to "the one true God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ." (Essential Christianity in the early first century church seemed to be less focused on a checklist of doctrinal "what" you believed, and more focused on Who you believed and exclusively identified with in absolute allegiance, loyalty, and exclusive devotion).

(Sorry, got long winded there)

 

[Christ_empowered]

Yes please

Early Christian groups were sometimes seen as I suppose potentially subversive because of their unwavering devotion to the one true living God and His son Christ Jesus…

That mixed with Christianity’s popularity among women and lower status groups seems to have made them a target at times. The reign of Nero comes to mind.

 

[TMal3]

Yes please

Early Christian groups were sometimes seen as I suppose potentially subversive because of their unwavering devotion to the one true living God and His son Christ Jesus…

That mixed with Christianity’s popularity among women and lower status groups seems to have made them a target at times. The reign of Nero comes to mind.

Absolutely! You nailed it! (I so envy people like you who can articulate things so succinctly while I struggle for words! )

 

[Christ_empowered]

Sorry if I simply reworded your post lol

I find early Christian history interesting , especially when one looks at the various pagan mystery cults then enjoying popularity. Cs Lewis refers to the pre Christian pagan overlap with Christian fundamentals good dreams or something similar.

 

[Randy]

"Give us your absolute bottom-line Christian essentials"​

•Jesus is Lord
•The gospel message/apostolic kerygma that was proclaimed
•Historically speaking, the origin of Christianity was founded on the essential, non-negotiable 'good news' proclamation of Christ's atoning death & bodily resurrection, which to the earliest Christians evidenced Christ's vindication and exaltation as Lord by God the Father

E.g., Pre-Pauline Creed of 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 ("For I delivered to you of first importance...)

•Importantly, the most essential Christian tenet is not so much a tenet or doctrinal statement, as it is an event (i.e., the bodily resurrection). Theologically, everything else (e.g., the Torah, salvation, kingdom of God, eschatology, final judgment, corporate membership in the Body of Christ, ethics/morality, Jewish monotheism/the Shema expansion to include Christ alongside Yawheh, while denying all other gods, etc., etc.) is reframed in light of this one, single history-altering event of the resurrection.

*In different periods of history, the church has overemphasized certain theological aspects at the expense of others as well as added doctrines that have detracted from the centrality of the gospel message/apostolic kerygma. Any discussion of essentials, would necessitate having to weed through those traditions and imbalances that have developed in Catholicism, Protestantism, and East Orthodox traditions.

*The classic academic work on the subject that is credited with first bringing scholarly attention to the historical centrality of the crucifixion-resurrection event in origins of Christianity studies was:

CH Dodd's The Apostolic Preaching And Its Developments

I think the original apostles creed covered the bases but clearly its what God gives to those who believe and obey Him in His eyes that has the true meaning. "Christ in Us" -the praise from God as in those He calls Children of God

The test to see if your in the faith.
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

 

[WIP]

How simple could someone’s theology be and still qualify as Christian?

I think Scripture, actually Jesus Himself, answered this question. The title Christian means "follower of Christ." A disciple, by definition, is a follower of Christ. Ergo, a disciple is a Christian.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35 NKJV

 

[grace2]

This is what Jesus says:

The Greatest Commandment

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Mark 12:28-30

So believing in the Lord our God is essential for salvation, not triune god.

 

[Free]

This is what Jesus says:

The Greatest Commandment

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Mark 12:28-30

So believing in the Lord our God is essential for salvation, not triune god.

That is to believe that there is only one God (monotheism), which is essential, but is in full agreement with the Trinity. What else does Jesus say?

Joh 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Joh 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Joh 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Joh 8:23 And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.
Joh 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins." (NASB)

Rom 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Rom 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Rom 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
Rom 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (ESV)

Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls. (ESV)

First, Jesus says that one must believe in his name in order to be saved. Then he says that a person must believe he is the I Am (Ex. 3:14) or they will die in their sins. That is why in Romans 10:9-13, Paul is saying that one must confess Jesus is Yahweh, by equating confessing "Jesus is Lord" with calling "on the name of the LORD."

Jesus is the central figure of the entirety of scripture, through whom and in whose name alone we have salvation. If a person worships a different Jesus than the one of the Bible, who is the unique Son of God, being in nature God himself, then they will not be saved.

 

[grace2]

That is to believe that there is only one God (monotheism), which is essential, but is in full agreement with the Trinity. What else does Jesus say?

Joh 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Joh 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Joh 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Joh 8:23 And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.
Joh 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins." (NASB)

Rom 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Rom 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Rom 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
Rom 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (ESV)

Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls. (ESV)

First, Jesus says that one must believe in his name in order to be saved. Then he says that a person must believe he is the I Am (Ex. 3:14) or they will die in their sins. That is why in Romans 10:9-13, Paul is saying that one must confess Jesus is Yahweh, by equating confessing "Jesus is Lord" with calling "on the name of the LORD."

Jesus is the central figure of the entirety of scripture, through whom and in whose name alone we have salvation. If a person worships a different Jesus than the one of the Bible, who is the unique Son of God, being in nature God himself, then they will not be saved.

Those verses saying nothing about the trinity, or triune god or Jesus is God.

You just patch them all up or conveniently your own assumptions, meaning made-up doctrine.

You cannot find any direct word from Jesus claiming He is God or God is triune.

No matter how many verses you bring up, there is no word from Jesus.

 

[Free]

Those verses saying nothing about the trinity, or triune god or Jesus is God.

You just patch them all up or conveniently your own assumptions, meaning made-up doctrine.

You cannot find any direct word from Jesus claiming He is God or God is triune.

No matter how many verses you bring up, there is no word from Jesus.

I just gave one. I can give another: John 8:58. Every time Jesus claims to be the Son of God he is claiming to be deity, to be equal with the Father. It’s all very consistent and cohesive throughout the NT, just as the Trinity is from the first chapter of the Bible to the last.

 

[Randy]

Those verses saying nothing about the trinity, or triune god or Jesus is God.

You just patch them all up or conveniently your own assumptions, meaning made-up doctrine.

You cannot find any direct word from Jesus claiming He is God or God is triune.

No matter how many verses you bring up, there is no word from Jesus.

Such belief doesn't make one a "Christian". Jews are not "Christians" It's what stated about the Son not the Father. Belief in the Son who the Father has placed all things in the Son's hands.

You state you believe the Father is God yet you don't believe what He states about His Son. So, your problem is not with the doctrine of man but with the Father, the one who glorifies His Son.


But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy


Life is given through the Son to those who believe in Him.
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God
The Father and Son are one.
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

Does this offend you?
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Bow your knee to the Son who is the very image of the invisible God.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

 

[grace2]

I just gave one. I can give another: John 8:58. Every time Jesus claims to be the Son of God he is claiming to be deity, to be equal with the Father. It’s all very consistent and cohesive throughout the NT, just as the Trinity is from the first chapter of the Bible to the last.

All out of context reading and patching up here and there.

IOW your own speculation, not of Jesus.

 

[grace2]

Such belief doesn't make one a "Christian". Jews are not "Christians" It's what stated about the Son not the Father. Belief in the Son who the Father has placed all things in the Son's hands.

Christians are Jesus' followers whether Jew or Gentile.

and they honor all His word first.

Jesus is the Lord.

Your verses are all void of Jesus' own word of His Father is the true God.

 

[Free]

All out of context reading and patching up here and there.

IOW your own speculation, not of Jesus.

Show how, exactly, what I said was out of context "and patching up from there."

 

[Randy]

Christians are Jesus' followers whether Jew or Gentile.

and they honor all His word first.

Jesus is the Lord.

Your verses are all void of Jesus' own word of His Father is the true God.

The Fathers words can not be broken as well.
The Father's testimony about His Son as stated below. So in some context Jesus the Lord must be God and there is only 1. If you seen the Son you have seen the Father as in Jesus is the image of the invisible God and in Him dwells the fullness of God. Col 1:19 That fullness has to be the Father living in Him therefore Jesus and the Father are the one and same God. In the Son the Father is glorified. Those who love the Son are loved by the Father.

But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy

 

[grace2]

Show how, exactly, what I said was out of context "and patching up from there."

Everything about your man-made doctrines is out of context.

You pervert, twist, changing the word such as "I am" to "I am God".

That's the only way you can justify your man-made doctrines.

This is for you too Randy and the rest of triune god worshippers.

That's what happens when you worship a false god, a triune god.

That is your fruit of faith.

God cannot be mocked.

 

[Randy]

Everything about your man-made doctrines is out of context.

You pervert, twist, changing the word such as "I am" to "I am God".

That's the only way you can justify your man-made doctrines.

This is for you too Randy and the rest of triune god worshippers.

That's what happens when you worship a false god, a triune god.

That is your fruit of faith.

God cannot be mocked.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

I feel like I'm in good company as I worship Father and Son.

 

[Free]

Everything about your man-made doctrines is out of context.

You pervert, twist, changing the word such as "I am" to "I am God".

That's the only way you can justify your man-made doctrines.

This is for you too Randy and the rest of triune god worshippers.

That's what happens when you worship a false god, a triune god.

That is your fruit of faith.

God cannot be mocked.

Again, show exactly how I have taken things out of context "and patching up from there."

If not, I will consider these sorts of comments as trolling and questioning the veracity of members' faith, both violations of the ToS, and you will be banned from this thread.

 

[GodsGrace]

Everything about your man-made doctrines is out of context.

You pervert, twist, changing the word such as "I am" to "I am God".

That's the only way you can justify your man-made doctrines.

This is for you too Randy and the rest of triune god worshippers.

That's what happens when you worship a false god, a triune god.

That is your fruit of faith.

God cannot be mocked.

Hi Grace2,
I haven't posted to you I think, so I'm not sure what you believe about the Trinity.

God told Moses to advise the Israelites that I AM spoke to Moses.
I believe it was God that was in the burning bush.
Do you agree?

And then did Jesus not say He was I AM?
He said Before Abraham Was, I AM.
John 8:58

Do you see any connection?

The other question I have for you is this:

What makes you believe you're a Christian, since that is what you responded to under your avatar?
IOW, what exactly makes a person a Christian?
Thanks.