What constitutes a Christian?

[ReginaForbes]

Even though I'm very fundamentalist in my thinking, I know that my way isn't the only way of believing. There are many Christians out there that I probably disagree with, but the bottom line is that we're all Christians. But what constitutes a Christian exactly? I know it's our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior....but what about those Christians who don't read the Bible or some who don't even believe it? Are they still Christian? What of those who refute basic doctrine like the Virgin birth or the trinity or the deity of Christ...can they still call themselves Christians or are they something else?
What does everyone think? What are fundamentals we should all believe in in order to be able to claim the title of Christian?

 

[Free]

Necessary beliefs would include belief in the Bible as the word of God, the Virgin birth, Incarnation, deity of Jesus and by extension the Trinity, and the literal, physical death and resurrection of Jesus.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Even though I'm very fundamentalist in my thinking, I know that my way isn't the only way of believing. There are many Christians out there that I probably disagree with, but the bottom line is that we're all Christians. But what constitutes a Christian exactly? I know it's our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior....but what about those Christians who don't read the Bible or some who don't even believe it? Are they still Christian? What of those who refute basic doctrine like the Virgin birth or the trinity or the deity of Christ...can they still call themselves Christians or are they something else?
What does everyone think? What are fundamentals we should all believe in in order to be able to claim the title of Christian?

My answer is simply what the bible teaches, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved." Now... what goes into believing is another thing, and one of knowing God's Word. Frankly, I'm far, far more concerned about the so-called Christian who agrees with "basic doctrine" and is ignorant or skeptical of the bible, than one who studies and knows the bible yet denies some of those doctrines, such as the "Trinity" because of interpretation. IMO the latter is a true Christian learning while the former is just part of the establishment. In the end, the true Christian is the one who obeys along with their faith.

 

[Adstar]

Even though I'm very fundamentalist in my thinking, I know that my way isn't the only way of believing. There are many Christians out there that I probably disagree with, but the bottom line is that we're all Christians. But what constitutes a Christian exactly? I know it's our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior....but what about those Christians who don't read the Bible or some who don't even believe it? Are they still Christian? What of those who refute basic doctrine like the Virgin birth or the trinity or the deity of Christ...can they still call themselves Christians or are they something else?
What does everyone think? What are fundamentals we should all believe in in order to be able to claim the title of Christian?

A Christian is a person who believes Jesus and trusts in His Atonement to secure the forgivness of all their sins. To gain them access to eternal life in a perfect existence.

 

[Willie T]

I know one interesting point is that Jesus never told anyone to go find answers in the Scriptures, (as they related to becoming a Christian), but rather to understand what Scripture they did know as those writings related to the message and principles He taught.

Yet we make reading the Bible some sort of requisite to being a Christian. Not saying we should not read the Bible, but just that it is interesting that this was not Jesus' way of teaching.

 

[veryberry]

I know one interesting point is that Jesus never told anyone to go find answers in the Scriptures, (as they related to becoming a Christian), but rather to understand what Scripture they did know as those writings related to the message and principles He taught.

Yet we make reading the Bible some sort of requisite to being a Christian. Not saying we should not read the Bible, but just that it is interesting that this was not Jesus' way of teaching.

2 Tim :15 - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

[iLOVE]

 

[Willie T]

2 Tim :15 - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Did you notice that in the days 2 Timothy 15 (and most of the New Testament that we like to quote as a guide to how to act) was written, that particular piece of writing really would probably only be seen by just a few hundred people for many, many years to come. There WAS no Bible for them to study in those days. They would all die without ever seeing a Bible.

The only thing they could have been studying were the stories about Jesus that they all talked about among themselves........... not memorizing from a rule book.

 

[Eugene]

Act 16:31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

 

[veryberry]

Did you notice that in the days 2 Timothy 15 (and most of the New Testament that we like to quote as a guide to how to act) was written, it really was probably only seen by just a few hundred people for many, many years. There WAS no Bible for them to study in those days. They would all die without ever seeing a Bible.

The only thing they could have been studying were the stories about Jesus that they all talked about among themselves........... not memorizing from a rule book.

Its my understanding the the epistles were copied and passed from house church to house church. Bible even records this happening. Paul says to have laocidean read the epistle to the corinthians, and vice versa.

 

[Willie T]

Yeah, I forgot. They probably just typed out a copy, and emailed it around the county.

 

[Free]

Yeah, I forgot. They probably just typed out a copy, and emailed it around the county.

It is known that the letters were passed around. Not to mention the Apostles were around. And the NT makes it clear that there are certain things that are to be believed if one is to be considered in the faith, a follower of Christ.

 

[Willie T]

It is known that the letters were passed around. And the NT makes it clear that there are certain things that are to be believed if one is to be considered in the faith, a follower of Christ.

Again, you are looking at from today. You just said that "the NT makes it clear that there are certain things that are to be believed if one is to be considered in the faith, a follower of Christ." But how many people do you think ever read the words you just quoted? There was no such compilation of writings back then. Wouldn't be for hundreds of years.

They sat around campfires, telling each other stories, and reading one or two of the few letters SOME of them knew even existed.

Have you ever checked the dates it is believed each of the NT books were written? Have you? It will blow your mind.

 

[Free]

Again, you are looking at from today. You just said that "the NT makes it clear that there are certain things that are to be believed if one is to be considered in the faith, a follower of Christ." But how many people do you think ever read the words you just quoted? There was no such compilation of writings back then. Wouldn't be for hundreds of years.

They sat around campfires, telling each other stories, and reading one or two of the few letters SOME of them knew even existed.

Have you ever checked the dates it is believed each of the NT books were written? Have you? It will blow your mind.

They were all written by 100 A.D. but that doesn't matter. You are ignoring the fact that the Apostles were around, as well as the many disciples they had. If the books of the NT make it clear that there are certain things Christians must believe, and all of the books were written by Apostles or their close associates, then they most certainly taught the churches these very things.

 

[ReginaForbes]

Here's the reason I posted this question....my gut is telling me not to believe a certain person. That they may be a wolf in sheep's clothing. But I also don't want to go pointing the finger and saying "you're not a Christian!" Like I'm some sort of big-shot judge. So what is the right thing to do? I have spoken out and reminded that person of the fundamentals of Christianity. As we are to use the Bible to reprove one another and we are to be iron sharpening iron. But they still bear bad fruit. It makes me sick thinking about it. I don't wanna hunt out heracy like the inquisition but I cannot bear the thought of wickedness leading fellow believers astray!

 

[th1b.taylor]

Did you notice that in the days 2 Timothy 15 (and most of the New Testament that we like to quote as a guide to how to act) was written, that particular piece of writing really would probably only be seen by just a few hundred people for many, many years to come. There WAS no Bible for them to study in those days. They would all die without ever seeing a Bible.

The only thing they could have been studying were the stories about Jesus that they all talked about among themselves........... not memorizing from a rule book.

Willie,
that ain't true! With any good chain reference Bible (I recommemd any version of the Thompson) dem0onstrate that Jesus was teaching from the Bible. In a good chin Reference version every passage of the New Testament is built on the Bible Jesus taught from.

You have likely have seen me publish this before but my view of the scriptures is; The first thirty nine boos of the Christian Bible are the Jewish Bible, the bible Jesus and the disciples taught from, The New Testament was not written until later. My view of the New Testament is that it is the best and the only God ordained Life application Commentary on the Bible Jesus and the church fathers taught from.

 

[Free]

Here's the reason I posted this question....my gut is telling me not to believe a certain person. That they may be a wolf in sheep's clothing. But I also don't want to go pointing the finger and saying "you're not a Christian!" Like I'm some sort of big-shot judge. So what is the right thing to do? I have spoken out and reminded that person of the fundamentals of Christianity. As we are to use the Bible to reprove one another and we are to be iron sharpening iron. But they still bear bad fruit. It makes me sick thinking about it. I don't wanna hunt out heracy like the inquisition but I cannot bear the thought of wickedness leading fellow believers astray!

It depends on what the issue is and one had better be sure before bringing forward such a serious accusation. There are things about which Christians can have differences of opinion. The best might be to just not have anything to do with them rather than risk a false accusation.

 

[th1b.taylor]

Here's the reason I posted this question....my gut is telling me not to believe a certain person. That they may be a wolf in sheep's clothing. But I also don't want to go pointing the finger and saying "you're not a Christian!" Like I'm some sort of big-shot judge. So what is the right thing to do? I have spoken out and reminded that person of the fundamentals of Christianity. As we are to use the Bible to reprove one another and we are to be iron sharpening iron. But they still bear bad fruit. It makes me sick thinking about it. I don't wanna hunt out heracy like the inquisition but I cannot bear the thought of wickedness leading fellow believers astray!

Youngster, if you do not do all you can to end his ministry, you are also guilty of his sin and you don't want any of that.

 

[LovethroughDove]

1 John 4:1-3 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that (Jesus Christ has come in the flesh) is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

My born again Spirit gets uneasy when people say, " I asked Jesus into my heart". That is not biblical, and it bypasses the physical work of Christ on the cross. If Jesus was not crucified, and raised bodily.......what is the point

 

[Karl]

Here's the reason I posted this question....my gut is telling me not to believe a certain person. That they may be a wolf in sheep's clothing. But I also don't want to go pointing the finger and saying "you're not a Christian!" Like I'm some sort of big-shot judge. So what is the right thing to do? I have spoken out and reminded that person of the fundamentals of Christianity. As we are to use the Bible to reprove one another and we are to be iron sharpening iron. But they still bear bad fruit. It makes me sick thinking about it. I don't wanna hunt out heracy like the inquisition but I cannot bear the thought of wickedness leading fellow believers astray!

If it's a gut feeling, that is one way the Holy Spirit talks to me, I refer to that as a check in my spirit, which cause me to search the Word to see if what I'm hearing is found in the Word Acts 17:11

We know and identify wolves simply by the fact they eat sheep, are they asking for money, selling something, or..., are they killing the sheep with poison (false) doctrine?

Jesus taught a bad tree cannot bear good fruit and a little leaven leavens the whole loaf, 90% correct doctrine will be leavened by 10% false, ...it's the principle of leaven.

Blessings