What makes a Christian?

[PruePhillip]

Excuses, excuses, you still said slavery was non existent in Christian Rome

Guess slavery exists to this day then - military conscription, marriage, employment, school...

 

[ChristineM]

Guess slavery exists to this day then - military conscription, marriage, employment, school...

Military conscription is a paid job
Why do you think marriage is slavery?
Employment is paid.
School... Arguments for and against

Even real black market slavery exists


And you still said there was no slavery in Christian Rome.

 

[PruePhillip]

Military conscription is a paid job
Why do you think marriage is slavery?
Employment is paid.
School... Arguments for and against

Even real black market slavery exists


And you still said there was no slavery in Christian Rome.

Well lots feel marriage is slavery.
How did surfs live if they didn't get some sort of compensation for working someone elses land?
Maybe share farming is slavery?

Slavery is one person owning another.
It started being a real thing in Western societies after Europeans began living in non-European nations where slavery was normalized.
Fortunately the ruling nation of that time, Britain, sought fit to not only stop slavery but to aggressively fight it around the world. Hats off to them.

 

[ChristineM]

Well lots feel marriage is slavery.
How did surfs live if they didn't get some sort of compensation for working someone elses land?
Maybe share farming is slavery?

Slavery is one person owning another.
It started being a real thing in Western societies after Europeans began living in non-European nations where slavery was normalized.
Fortunately the ruling nation of that time, Britain, sought fit to not only stop slavery but to aggressively fight it around the world. Hats off to them.

And still you made a claim that patently isn't factual.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

The strict definition of a slave is someone you owns another person.

Right, and serfs were owned.

 

[PruePhillip]

And still you made a claim that patently isn't factual.

Right, and serfs were owned.

This just now on Facebook.
Seems slavery is still with us and Christianity must be condemned.

 

[ChristineM]

This just now on Facebook.
Seems slavery is still with us and Christianity must be condemned.

View attachment 69163

You appear oblivious to your false claim so i see no point in continuing.

 

[Dogknox20]

What are, in your opinion, the defining characteristics of a Christian?

There are 41,000+ denominations in Christianity. That fact alone shows that there have to be a lot of differences between them. But are there still communalities left? Has the claim to be a Christian any value any more?
Being an atheist answers exactly one question and nothing more. Does being a Christian tell me more?

Hello Heyo... Good to meet you!

A Christian is a "Follower of Christ"!

They Believe in One God!
They Believe a triune God.... (One God three Persons!)
They believe "Jesus is God"!
They believe "God became Man in Jesus" (Incarnate)!
They believe Jesus rose (Resurrected) from the dead!
They believe Jesus established a Church (His Body)!
They believe Jesus will come again at the end of the world; as a Judge!
They believe Baptism ADDS people to the Body of Jesus!
They believe all "In Jesus" are God' Children!
They believe The Anti-Christ will attack Christian beliefs!
They believe many Anti-Christs will come along!
They use the "symbol of the Cross" because it was by the Cross man was saved from death!
They believe today God has taken the form of Bread and Wine!
etc

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Man WAS created to RULE… it says so in the Scriptures.
Man was created to RULE OVER CREATION… but not Heaven.
Man is human, physical, mortal…. The human was made to rule over the physical and mortal world.
God is SPIRIT and rules over the SPIRIT world.
Man is the physical image of God - a restricted miniature version - a Spirit encased in ability-limiting FLESH. A man is restricted to the LAWS of physics within which the world was made. There are laws we can break but like a child with a toy, we are not yet able to understand the bounds of those laws and so at this time we are rightly limited to SAFE ABILITIES. If us obvious that there are greater things man can do BUT THEY ARE VERY DANGEROUS things and are not SAFE for man to uncover without destroying himself and the created world - and God will not permit that to occur
But, yes, RULE OVER CREATION but NOT independent from God - God who set the bounds of what man can do in the created world.

Jeremiah 10:23.....it is NOT in MAN .... to direct his step.
Psalms 17:5 Hold up my goings......that my footsteps slip not.
Psalms 23:3 ....He leads me in the paths of righteousness......
Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD (YHWH)......
Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the LORD (YHWH) and your plans will be establlished/succeed.
Proverbs 20:24 Man's goings (footsteps) are of the LORD (YHWH) how can a man understand his own way?

So, yes it is God who sets the bounds of what man can do in the 'created world' ( Heaven and Earth )
Those who will rule (govern) from Heaven have two (2) jobs to do as per Revelation 5:9-10
They will govern from Heaven over Earth with Jesus for a thousand years. Revelation 20:6
* They will serve mankind living on Earth as kings taking care of governmental responsibilities.
* They will serve mankind living on Earth as priests taking care of spiritual duties towards people on Earth.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Well lots feel marriage is slavery...............

I don't recall marriage being described as slavery, however, sometimes described as a life sentence with no parole.

 

[Muffled]

What are, in your opinion, the defining characteristics of a Christian?

There are 41,000+ denominations in Christianity. That fact alone shows that there have to be a lot of differences between them. But are there still communalities left? Has the claim to be a Christian any value any more?
Being an atheist answers exactly one question and nothing more. Does being a Christian tell me more?

Technically I believe it is believing that Jesus is the Messiah. Actual Christians don't call themselves that, the call themselves Followers of the Way and only those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior fall into that category. There are imitators of the Way but that is what they are imitators.

 

[Muffled]

It's a good question. One thing to keep in mind is that Catholics are also considered Christians, and some of their beliefs are quite a bit different than Protestants, in my opinion.

I believe I would classify them in general Christians and imitators of the Way but not Followers of the Way.

 

[Muffled]

The Bible defines who is a Christian. Matt 7:16-27 which includes this

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

I believe the word Christian is not in that text so that is someone's attribution.

Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

 

[paarsurrey]

I believe the word Christian is not in that text so that is someone's attribution.

Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

" Acts 11:26 "

So, " Acts 11:26" confirms that (Jesus) Yeshua*- the Israelite Messiah did not name his followers as " Christians", were Hellenist-Paul's followers named as " Christians" first time in Antioch not before, as is evident , please? Right?

Regards
_____________
*Yeshua- the Israelite Messiah neither believed in the Hellenist deity (of dying, rising, atoning and ascending) nor gave teachings to this effect to his followers, please, right?

 

[IndigoChild5559]

" Acts 11:26 "

So, " Acts 11:26" confirms that (Jesus) Yeshua*- the Israelite Messiah did not name his followers as " Christians", were Hellenist-Paul's followers named as " Christians" first time in Antioch not before, as is evident , please? Right?

Regards
_____________
*Yeshua- the Israelite Messiah neither believed in the Hellenist deity (of dying, rising, atoning and ascending) nor gave teachings to this effect to his followers, please, right?

What does the name matter? A rose by any other name...

 

[1213]

What are, in your opinion, the defining characteristics of a Christian?

Originally a Christian meant a disciple of Jesus.

And finding him, he brought him to Antioch. And it happened that many of them were gathered to them in the church a whole year. And they taught a considerable crowd. And the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
Acts 11:26

And a disciple of Jesus is a person who remains in word of Jesus, which I understand means, is loyal to the teachings of Jesus and don't replace them with own doctrines.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:31-32

With that definition, there can be only one group of Christians and those who don't remain in word of Jesus are something else.

 

[Muffled]

Hello Heyo... Good to meet you!

A Christian is a "Follower of Christ"!

They Believe in One God!
They Believe a triune God.... (One God three Persons!)
They believe "Jesus is God"!
They believe "God became Man in Jesus" (Incarnate)!
They believe Jesus rose (Resurrected) from the dead!
They believe Jesus established a Church (His Body)!
They believe Jesus will come again at the end of the world; as a Judge!
They believe Baptism ADDS people to the Body of Jesus!
They believe all "In Jesus" are God' Children!
They believe The Anti-Christ will attack Christian beliefs!
They believe many Anti-Christs will come along!
They use the "symbol of the Cross" because it was by the Cross man was saved from death!
They believe today God has taken the form of Bread and Wine!
etc

A litany of things to believe was the reason I didn't become baptized after baptismal classes. I was baptized later when I found out all I needed to do was make a statement of faith. I don't believe in putting stumbling blocks for people to trip over. If a person has repented sin and received Jesus, that should be enough and then encourage the person to learn more.

 

[Muffled]

" Acts 11:26 "

So, " Acts 11:26" confirms that (Jesus) Yeshua*- the Israelite Messiah did not name his followers as " Christians", were Hellenist-Paul's followers named as " Christians" first time in Antioch not before, as is evident , please? Right?

Regards
_____________
*Yeshua- the Israelite Messiah neither believed in the Hellenist deity (of dying, rising, atoning and ascending) nor gave teachings to this effect to his followers, please, right?

I believe it makes no difference what a person is called. God looks at the heart.

 

[Muffled]

Originally a Christian meant a disciple of Jesus.

And finding him, he brought him to Antioch. And it happened that many of them were gathered to them in the church a whole year. And they taught a considerable crowd. And the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
Acts 11:26

And a disciple of Jesus is a person who remains in word of Jesus, which I understand means, is loyal to the teachings of Jesus and don't replace them with own doctrines.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:31-32

With that definition, there can be only one group of Christians and those who don't remain in word of Jesus are something else.

I believe Jesus is the living word and not just a word in a book.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

And a disciple of Jesus is a person who remains in word of Jesus, which I understand means, is loyal to the teachings of Jesus and don't replace them with own doctrines.

Who determines what those teachings are? You?

And what about the teachings of Paul? Do you throw those out?