This is nothing more than a schoolboy’s quibble on my part but could John the Baptist technically have been a Christian? He died before the sacrifice of Jesus was complete.
“This is nothing more than a schoolboy’s quibble “
That thought popped into my head too.
That school boy quibble is quite a question...
The greco roman Latin name Jesus is as much a tradition of men as december 25.
Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 in later bible translations have changed those ‘Jesus’ verses to the proper English name Joshua, because they refer to the Yahshua of the Old Testament that led Israel to the Promised Land.
The name is the same but tradition has allowed the greco roman latin name to have precedence over Hebrew or Aramaic or even the English..
They could have changed the other 900 ‘Jesus’ verses to Joshua to for English speakers.. but that would really mess up Christendom..
You have stumbled into something not school boyish at all....
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” I would say John fits the description of a believer. As far as Christian: Thought I would add this to the mix. . .http://www.crossroad.to/HisWord/notes/christian.htm
Matthew 11 (NKJV)
John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus
11 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of[a] his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written:
‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’[b]
11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!