CHRISTIANITY DEFINED - (LDS Site Defining Christianity) OPEN

LDS site Foundation for Christian Studies ^

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CHRISTIAN DEFINED One might think that defining a Christian would be simple. Webster’s Dictionary defines the word Christian to mean “adherent of Christianity”, or “relating to or professing a belief in Christianity or Jesus Christ.” Simply put, a Christian is defined as one who believes in Jesus Christ. The Encyclopedia Britannica states: “…writers of Christian history normally begin phenomenologically when discussing Christian identity; that is, they do not bring norms or standards by which they have determined the truth of this or that branch of Christianity or even of the faith tradition as a whole but identify everyone as Christian who call themselves Christian.” According to Britannica, a revered source in continuous publication since 1768, a Christian is plainly defined as someone who calls themselves a Christian. Some Refute the Defining of a Christian Despite the simplicity of the aforementioned definitions, there are some individuals and institutions who sternly contend that there are self-described Christians, and in fact entire sects of self-proclaimed Christian religions, who should not be considered Christians at all. As odd as this may seem, such allegations are common and emotionally charged. The website religioustolerance.org attempted to define a Christian and described the exercise as a “lightning rod,” and that the conclusions they came up with generated “many emails from angry Christians who denounce it,” especially among “Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Protestants.” The FCS encourages visitors to examine the content generated by religioustolderance.org on the subject of defining a Christian . Reminiscent of the Pharisees of old, the contentious individuals and institutions who deny the Christianity of others often utilize their personal interpretation of scripture and synthetic dogma to support their assertions. They contend the privilege of earning the Christian label is dependent on such things as being born again, believing in the Triune God, accepting certain creeds, and/or belonging to a particular faith community. The absurdity of the dynamic reaches its pinnacle when those who bear testimony of their devotion to Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Redeemer are rebuked and denied the Christian marker by those who disagree with their religion and/or theological beliefs. It causes one to ponder—what would Jesus do? Historical Perspective The word “Christian” appears three times in the scriptures, all three in the New Testament. Acts 11:26 reveals that the Disciples of Christ were first referred to as Christians in Antioch, indicating those who followed Christ were starting to be referred to as Christians. Before that time it was common for those who followed Christ to refer to one another as brothers (or brethren), disciples, or believers. In Acts 26:20 King Agrippa tells Paul “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian,” likely indicating the term “Christian” was beginning to be used (perhaps even regularly) to refer to a believer in Christ. In 1 Peter 4:16, Peter refers to those who would “suffer as a Christian,” signifying that those who consider themselves Christian should be happy in their persecutions and trials. In all three scriptural references that use the term Christian, not one denotes any further requirement to be a Christian other than believing in and following Jesus Christ. In the Greek language (ancient and modern) it’s common to refer to a group of people by taking the root geographic location or ethnicity of that people and to add the suffix “anos.” For instance, those from the Cretan village of Spili are referred to as Spilianos, and a follower of Mohammed (Moameth in Greek) is referred to as Moamethanos. The reference to Christians in the original Greek translation of the New Testament is Christianos, meaning a follower of Christ. Although the term Christianos is historically believed to have been used in a derogatory sense by unbelievers, the meaning of the word remains. When one combines the three New Testament references to Christian, the historical context of the time, and the linguistics of the original Greek, one must conclude that a Christian is simply one who follows and/or believes in Christ. Should one desire to create a deeper definition of a Christian using 1 Peter 4:16, then the most far reaching conclusion that can be drawn is that a Christian is one who not only follows Christ, but more deeply puts their trust in him, is reliant upon him, and seeks to live a life that exemplifies him—all difficult traits to quantify and thus of little value in defining a Christian. The Testimony of an Apostle as a Litmus Test One would never doubt the testimony of the apostle Peter, despite the fact he had his own moments of weakness during the trial and Atonement of Christ. When asked by the Savior “But whom say ye that I am?” Peter boldly replied, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, ” to which Jesus Christ confirmed “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 16;15-17). Perhaps we can use Peter’s testimony as a litmus test for all prospective Christians: do they believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God? If the answer is affirmative, then they are indeed a Christian. Jesus Christ in Humility was Inclusionary Jesus Christ never administered any theological exams to his disciplines, nor established any notable prerequisites to being a Christian other than to believe on him as the Son of God. Many were healed of the vilest of infirmities by simply believing in Jesus Christ as one who had the authority to perform such healings. There is no mention in the scriptures that the healed were made whole because they embraced the doctrine of the trinity, nor because they were classified as born again, nor because they belonged to a particular sect of believers. They were healed because they believed, or were blessed to have a believer intercede on their behalf, that Jesus was the Christ. Jesus was never one to be exclusionary in his ministry, but rather inclusionary across a broad spectrum. This is beautifully illustrated in Luke 9:49-50 which reads: “And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.” Jesus did not ask about their specific belief system, nor what group of disciples they congregated with. Rather, Jesus proclaimed that those who act in His name are to be considered His disciples. Many Christians today would do well to understand this passage of scripture and apply it to their own actions towards others. The World in Pride is Exclusionary If Jesus was so inclusionary, why then do we have modern day Pharisees fighting so hard to narrow the definition of a Christian—even to the persecution of fellow Christians? Do these individuals, like the apostle John in the passage from Luke 9, seek for a more exclusive club and complain when others call themselves Christian but don’t practice the same rituals or beliefs as they do? The likely root of the reason for such passionate denials of Christianity upon others is pride and arrogance. Such pride can manifest itself into a fear of not clearly understanding the theological beliefs of others, nor taking the time to earnestly do so, thus resulting in the easier resolution of flatly denying to acknowledge another’s Christianity. There may be fear that such acknowledgement will lead to acceptance of another’s beliefs leading to a loss of membership or validity in their own religion. Greed may play a role in the denial of the Christian label by ecclesiastical leaders resisting the loss of tithe paying members by employing a strategy of quiet slander towards other denominations. Additionally, one cannot rule out the possibility of Saul’s Syndrome, where like Saul who persecuted the Christians of old out of his zeal for the law, well intentioned individuals seek to protect the faith—when in essence they are fighting against the true will of God. Excerpt from the article on Saul's Syndrome: in keeping others from the truth. Consider the Pharisee Saul before his radical conversion to the Lord when he afterwards became Paul. Through his disciplined spiritual education among the finest teachers in Jerusalem, and an unrivaled passion to protect the ways of the Lord as he knew it, Saul persecuted and fought against the spread of Christianity—even unto death among those he victimized. Paul was so blinded by his passion for what he believed to be right that he never considered that his interpretation of the scriptures and his spiritual belief system may be wrong. It wasn’t until the Lord himself appeared to Saul that he relinquished his incorrect interpretation of God’s doctrine and embraced the true gospel. How many millions today suffer from the same syndrome as Saul where religious passion overcomes the promptings of the Holy Ghost? No matter what the specific reasons are, the resulting fruits of such denials of Christianity are disunity in the body of Christ, the spread of misinformation, and the sowing of seeds of ”discord among brethren” (Prov. 6:19). Differences in Gospel Living, but all are Christians Beyond being identified as a Christian, there is an abundance of doctrine in the scriptures that helps explain true Christian beliefs and practices—even “the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2: 9-10). Some Christian theology is simple to understand, while other theological concepts are more difficult. Paul to the Corinthians and Hebrews used the metaphors of milk and meat to indicate there were simple doctrines (milk) and more complex doctrines (meat) (1 Cor. 3:2 and Heb. 5:12), and that one must be able to digest the milk before moving on to the more difficult to digest meat. Paul points out that there may be various stages of understanding of the doctrines of Christianity among Christians. This difference in doctrinal understanding, combined with the moral agency of mankind that can lead to good and bad choices, results in their being stronger Christians who live their lives according to the precepts espoused by Jesus Christ (Matt. 25:34-36), and weaker Christians who find it difficult to live their lives in accordance with the gospel (Matt. 7:21-23). Regardless of what stage there are in, both are Christians and both must individually exercise their moral agency to accept or reject the ordinances and principles of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Likewise, both must accept the consequences of their actions in the Day of Judgment. There will be Christians (valiant and less valiant) in all three kingdoms in the eternities—perhaps even some who will end up relegated into outer darkness. Conclusion It is the hope and prayer of the FCS that the Christian world can unite on the simple principle of allowing everyone who claims Jesus Christ as their Savior to be respectfully referred to as a Christian without caveats. We can peacefully and considerately coexist as brothers and sisters in Christ, while ascribing to different Christian beliefs and church affiliations. Imagine what we can accomplish as a diverse Christian family working together to fulfill God’s purposes on earth.

[delacoert]

You are reading that wrong they are two different beings!

I've heard that if you stick your fingers in your ears and hum really loud, you can drown out things that you really don't want to hear.

[svcw]

Oh, snap!

[Tennessee Nana]

The mormons are deparate...

The internet is not their friend...

members are escaping in droves...

1. Because they finally read the history of mormonism..

2. Thjey find out aboujt Joey Smith stealing other men’s wives...

3. They find out about joey Smith many criminal convictions..

4. They find out about Joey Smith’s bank scam and his other Nigeria type money making...

5. They find out about the people Smith murdered...

6. They find out about Brigham Young murdering 140 innocent men, women and children and tiny babies in the Mountain Meadows Massacre...

7. They find out about Smiyth’s secret sex club for men...

8. They find out that mormonism has nothing to do with Christianity

9. They find out that Smith lied about the so called “visions”

10. They find out that Smith never met God the father, Jesus or angels, or salamaders..

11. They find out that Smith just started a scam to swindle money, get some easy one night stands, and have power over the people he abused..

etc..

[Tennessee Nana]

I’ve heard that if you stick your fingers in your ears and hum really loud, you can drown out things that you really don’t want to hear
____________________________________________

Some more of those secret sacred temple r4ituals ?????

Pay Lay Ale....

OM OM OM OM OM OM OM

[Tennessee Nana]

I was speaking to them we do have minds of our own if you don’t mind!
_______________________________________________

I dont mind ...

I’ve got thick skin...

Go ahead... be nasty...

but they might mind that you didnt PING em...

And I will comment on any post I want to...

Mormon threats and demands dont apply to me...

I’m a free Christian, not an enslaved mormon...

[restornu]

Resty hasnt provided Bible scripture on restore, restoring, restoration of the Church ????

That’s cause there is none...

Oh, how embarassing for Resty...

****

Pondering what it says is good thing to do!

Acts 3

Acts 3 19

¶ Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

[Tennessee Nana]

Smith was reading me wrong when he wrote his fiction...

I dont believe it...

The internet and history are against him and his lies...

[Tennessee Nana]

Since you can cut and paste Bible scriptures that dont fit anything you have said...

Now paste the Bible scriptures that would back up what you said about Elijah...

[restornu]

Oh yes ZZ

[restornu]

Lady you were taking about restore.....

I really am not conversing with you am I, it is something else present in this conversation!

Goodnight!

[Tennessee Nana]

Let’s talk about racism in the mormon cult...

Where’s the Bible scriptures to back up the evil things that Joey Smith, Brighaqm Young and their cabal said about black folks, dark skinned folks ???

Note: This will be an on-going question...

[Tennessee Nana]

Lady you were taking about restore.....
_________________________________________

No, kid, you were talking about restore...

Where’s the Bible scriptures about that ???

[Tennessee Nana]

I really am not conversing with you am I, it is something else present in this conversation!
______________________________________________

Well, the fear of Joey Smith and mormonism seems to keep looming large on your side...

[Tennessee Nana]

Was that post to you ???

You made the rules...you adhere to them...

[Religion Moderator]

Discuss the issues all you want, but do NOT make it personal.

[Tennessee Nana]

Sorry...

I’ll be careful...

[delacoert]

I’m getting sleepy. Goodnight TN.

[Nosterrex]

When Jesus asked who do you say that I am, he wasn’t looking for just any description. Only Peter gave the correct answer, the other answers were wrong. It isn’t enough to believe in Jesus Christ, one must believe in the true or real Jesus Christ. The real question that must be asked is whether the Mormons believe in the real Christ or a false Christ. If one goes by traditional or classical Christianity’s confession of Christ, then the Mormons worship a false Christ.

The basic law of non-contradiction says that something cannot be true and false at the same time. If the Christ of the Mormons is correct, then the Christ of all traditional Christian denominations is a false Christ.

[Elsie]

He was changed in the twinkling of an eye

1 Cor 15:51
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

Calvinasaurus Theology!

A little bit here; a little bit there - pretty so you have a religion!

Resty; didn't the PRESBYTERIANs 'teach' you those verses are about the FINAL Days?

 

 

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The stellar and planetary alignment of the inscription
gives a date of 583 BC.
This date allows just the right amount of time
for our little band to go to Egypt,
and return to Palestine briefly
before making their way to Spain, then Ireland.

[Elsie]

Those scriptures have nothing to do with restoring the Church to the Earth...

Those prophecicies were fulfilled in the Old Testament days...

Silly Gentile...

Don't you KNOW that the Scriptures are a Living Document?

Made to be used by man to twist into any ol' thing needed to confirm any wild thing that comes to mind?

--ToadPipe