Who Is A "Christian"?

[Deleted User]

@C Mc wrote:

@Wolfgang said:

"To keep it really short, I think if Christian is meant Biblically, one could summarize it perhaps as "A Christian is one who believes in Messiah Jesus and follows his commandments" Some folks speak of "Christian" as a person who is a member of a "Christian" denomination/church/religious group/etc. Others speak of "nominal Christians" to distinguish those who do not practice any type of denominational/church/beliefs or activity and only by name declare themselves as "Christian" from those who participate actively in a denomination/church/etc.

@C Mc Thanks for the definition. Whose thoughts are these?

@Wolfgang "A Christian is one who believes in Messiah Jesus and follows his commandments"

@C Mc May I assume you adopted the definition above as your own?

I did not adopt ... this IS my understanding, my definition, my definition of the term based on my study and knowledge of Biblical Scriptures and for which I take responsibility.

in addition, to be clear, a Christian is one who believes:

"The

When you speak of the "Commandments", are they:

?

Only the teachings of Jesus revealed in the revelation ()?

The Ten Commandments and all the teachings of Jesus revealed in the Bible, as "holy men" wrote under "inspiration"?

Ten Commandments, you don't find them to be outdated for today's Christians or the twenty-first century? CM

I would like to answer, but the "quote" function of the rather poor forum software "ate" the questions in your numbered lists ...😯

Keep_Smiling_4_Jesus

@C_M_ October 2019 Keep Smiling,

Even with your smile for Jesus, your last post is not the clearest for understanding. Some unpacking may be necessary, if you're inclined to do so. CM 🤔

@Keep_Smiling_4_Jesus October 2019 Apologies for not being a human mind reader so curious about unpacking desire(s) ?

Hoping for question(s)/comment(s) from @C Mc about what to unpack from my October 2019 post.

Unpacking first "Christian" calling: And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. (Acts 11:26 LEB) Actions by disciples showed God's Holy Love ❤️ so the disciples of Lord Jesus Christ were called "Christian" by others in Antioch who believed/worshipped Roman gods (idols). Roman Empire kept Greek (Hellenistic) gods from Alexander the Great's conquests, but gave each god a Roman name: e.g. Roman goddess Minerva = Greek goddess Athena. In contrast, the Holy reputation of Lord Jesus Christ disciples was noticeably different than worldly culture.

While 🙏 praying the way Jesus taught in Matthew 6:9-13, am Thankful for "Hallowing the Name" section in Chapter 6: The Mystery of the Name in Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life

What then, does it mean, to “hallow” or sanctify God’s name? Obviously it literally means to make God’s name holy. But here, the word name really refers to God’s reputation. The phrases “hallowed be your name,” “your kingdom come,” and “your will be done on earth” are related to each other in meaning. All of them express the desire that God’s reputation will grow on earth, that people will accept God’s reign over their lives and desire to do his will.

You might not think that God’s reputation would be important to him, but the idea of his reputation expanding throughout the world is a central theme of the biblical story. At first, God taught only Israel how to live, but he intended that they’d be a “light to the nations.” In a world where other nations prostituted themselves to idols and slit their babies’ throats on the altars of demons, the Israelites were to worship the true God and show how he wanted them to live.

To avoid a sin or to obey a command, not from fear or ambition but purely out of love of God, is to sanctify His name in public.

— Maimonides

In the coming of Christ, God made his identity more clear. He revealed his heart for sinners and his sacrificial love. Then he sent out his disciples to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The overall idea is that God’s reputation would expand throughout the earth as people came to know who God is. Salvation now ripples throughout the world as people hear good things about God and accept Christ as their Savior. His ultimate plan is that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the water covers the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). God’s kingdom will fully come when God’s “name” is echad — that is, when he alone is worshiped by all the nations (Zechariah 14:9).

God’s reputation, his “name,” is therefore of critical importance for his plan of salvation. In the light of this, we can gain much insight from hearing rabbinic wisdom about what it means to “hallow the name”—kiddush hashem (ki-DOOSH ha-SHEM). Its opposite is hillul hashem (hi-LOOL ha-SHEM), to “profane the name.” These two phrases are rich with significance in Jewish tradition, having been used from the first century until today.

A story was told about Simeon ben Shetach, a Jewish sage who lived about a hundred years before Jesus. His disciples bought their impoverished teacher a donkey from a wealthy Arab trader, to ease their mentor’s daily burdens. When they combed through its mane, they found a jewel that had fallen from one of its expensive loads. The disciples rejoiced at their teacher’s newfound wealth. But Shetach refused it, ordering his disciples to find the Arab and return the jewel. When the disciples located the trader, he was breathless at regaining his prize, declaring, “Blessed be the God of Simeon ben Shetach!”

Because of the rabbi’s great honesty, the foreigner gave praise to God. This is what it means, in rabbinic parlance, to “sanctify God’s name,” kiddush hashem. It means to live in such a way as to bring God glory among those who do not know him. The rabbis described it as one of three things: to live a life of integrity; to do some heroic deed, like risking one’s life to save another; or even to be martyred to honor God.

The idea of kiddush hashem suggests an insight into an age-old debate among Christians. Some of us emphasize Christian witness as sharing the gospel, using words to evangelize the world. Others feel that the best Christian witness comes through social action, by building houses for the homeless and meeting physical needs. Often we split into two camps, choosing one way or the other. But the idea of kiddush hashem is to associate loving deeds with God’s reputation. Sharing the gospel without caring for people’s needs comes across as hollow. But doing charitable acts without revealing that you’re serving Christ doesn’t sanctify God’s name either. When Jesus sent his disciples out, he told them to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom, as he did himself (Matthew 10:7–8). Not one or the other, but both. We need both words and deeds to bring God glory.

 Lois Tverberg and Ray Vander Laan, Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012).

Keep Smiling 😊

C Mc

https://www.christiandiscourse.net/discussion/938/just-who-is-christ

To be a good Christian without accepting Christ as Savior and Lord are "as futile and absurd an undertaking as eating ham with Jewish presuppositions."

SOURCE:

Kurt E. Marquart, Anatomy of an Exploration: Missouri in Lutheran Perspective (Fort Wayne, Ind.: Concordia Theological Seminary Press, 1977), p. 114.