To be a Christian....

What would qualify one to be a Christian? Knowledge, Kindness, Love, Devotion, Willingness, Servtitude or Slavery, Courage, Etc?

Jesus said that many would call themselves Christians, but he will tell them "to get away from me".

So scripturally, what is a Christian and what does a person do to be called a CHRISTIAN?

Originally posted by galveston75
What would qualify one to be a Christian? Knowledge, Kindness, Love, Devotion, Willingness, Servtitude or Slavery, Courage, Etc?

Jesus said that many would call themselves Christians, but he will tell them "to get away from me".

So scripturally, what is a Christian and what does a person do to be called a CHRISTIAN?

Speaking of being qualified, who is qualified to answer authoritatively?

Originally posted by JS357
Speaking of being qualified, who is qualified to answer authoritatively?

Christ, and he did answer.

Those who follow his commandments are his disciples.

Originally posted by Rajk999
Christ, and he did answer.

Those who follow his commandments are his disciples.

Now if only people could ever agree on what his commandments were....

Originally posted by googlefudge
Now if only people could ever agree on what his commandments were....

Every Christian knows what Christ's important commandments were. Christ said it clearly and gave numerous parables to illustrate.

The reason for the lack of agreement is two fold. First, the important commandment of Christ [love thy neighbour as thyself] takes you on a whole different lifestyle. Many people cannot do it. Secondly, like normal crafty people, some Christians have found loopholes which they think will allow them not to follow Christ and still get eternal life.

They talk about Christ, say Praise the Lord all day, they say "thank you Jesus', they do all the outward things and to the public can appear to be very virtuous.

Only Christ knows who is actually following his commandments.

Im pretty sure that people from all walks of life and religions will be acceptable to Christ.

Originally posted by Rajk999
Every Christian knows what Christ's important commandments were. Christ said it clearly and gave numerous parables to illustrate.

The reason for the lack of agreement is two fold. First, the important commandment of Christ [love thy neighbour as thyself] takes you on a whole different lifestyle. Many people cannot do it. Secondly, like normal crafty peop ...[text shortened]... Im pretty sure that people from all walks of life and religions will be acceptable to Christ.

Fine but if you want a definition that we can actually use to work out who is or who is not a
Christian then WE would have to be able to all collectively agree on what qualifies someone
as being a Christian.


If you claim that we can't know and only JC can decide then you have just admitted that it's
impossible for us to define or decide who is or is not a Christian.

The question here is not who gets into heaven, but how can we on earth tell who is or is not
really a Christian.

Particularly given JW's tendency to do 'no true Scotsman' arguments about who is or is not a
Christian.


Unless we can come up with a truly objective standard that everyone can agree on here on earth
then we can't really tell who is or is not a 'true' Christian.


Basically we land up where we are where we classify people as Christian simply because that is
how they identify themselves.


Now there may be some extreme fringe cases where someone's beliefs as stated are so diametrically
opposed to what is either written in the bible or practised by the major Christian groups that we might
disqualify them but for the most part we simply have to take people at their word that if they say they are
Christian then they are. Who are we to argue?


In another thread here Jaywill was extolling the virtues of praying while reading the bible so that the
holy spirit would guide and direct you to the correct meaning and interpretation of the words.
This was followed by other Christians disagreeing that that was best or needed or even possible.

If you guys can't agree, and we can't do objective external tests (is JC or god available for interview so we
can find out what they really think?) then Christian must inevitably remain a fuzzily defined catch all term for
all the various and varied cults sects and denominations that make up the hundreds of Christian religions.

Originally posted by googlefudge
Fine but if you want a definition that we can actually use to work out who is or who is not a
Christian then WE would have to be able to all collectively agree on what qualifies someone
as being a Christian.


If you claim that we can't know and only JC can decide then you have just admitted that it's
impossible for us to define or decide who is ...[text shortened]... aried cults sects and denominations that make up the hundreds of Christian religions.

I understand that dilema and I wont disqualify anybody.

Personally, I accept a mans statement that he is a Christian. I take that to mean that he is baptised. However I know that does not mean he necessarily follows the commandments of Christ.

If I see him subsequently doing things or preaching things, which are contrary to Christ and I am so inclined, I will tell him that he is not following Christ.

I will never tell anyone that they are not true Christians because then I am claiming to know their heart and mind and I dont.

There is no objective way to test and there is no need to tell anyone they are not true Christians either.

Originally posted by galveston75
What would qualify one to be a Christian? Knowledge, Kindness, Love, Devotion, Willingness, Servtitude or Slavery, Courage, Etc?

Jesus said that many would call themselves Christians, but he will tell them "to get away from me".

So scripturally, what is a Christian and what does a person do to be called a CHRISTIAN?

This is an interesting question to which I doubt we will find any absolutes in this thread. It is easier to identify what things are not required in order to be a Christian; the obvious one to start with being: not having the requirement to belong to, be a member of, or have a assossiation with, any temporal religious organisation, body or group.

Originally posted by divegeester
This is an interesting question to which I doubt we will not find any absolutes in this thread. It is easier to identify what things are not required in order to be a Christian; the obvious one to start with being: not having the requirement to belong to, be a member of, or have a required assossiation with, any temporal religious organisation, body or group.

Good point .. I was expecting this one from you 🙂

Originally posted by galveston75
What would qualify one to be a Christian? Knowledge, Kindness, Love, Devotion, Willingness, Servtitude or Slavery, Courage, Etc?

Jesus said that many would call themselves Christians, but he will tell them "to get away from me".

So scripturally, what is a Christian and what does a person do to be called a CHRISTIAN?

A Christian is someone who demonstrably adopts and applies the teachings of the
Christ. Clearly from the verse there are many things apparent, firstly that a claim to
be a Christian has absolutely no validity, secondly that powerful 'works', in themselves
do not define a Christian and thirdly that what the Christ terms 'lawlessness', is of the
utmost importance in defining what a Christian is or is not. To what law is the Christ
referring? and what is the Will of the father?

(Matthew 7:21-23) 21 “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the
kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the
heavens will.  Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in
your name?’  And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from
me, you workers of lawlessness.

Originally posted by divegeester
This is an interesting question to which I doubt we will find any absolutes in this thread. It is easier to identify what things are not required in order to be a Christian; the obvious one to start with being: not having the requirement to belong to, be a member of, or have a assossiation with, any temporal religious organisation, body or group.

This assertion is quite false, God has always dealt with organisations, firstly the nation
of Israel which was organised and secondly Spiritual Israel made up of people from all
nations, which was also organised with congregations and a governing body in
Jerusalem, how anyone can read the scriptures and this point evade them I have no
idea.

(1 Corinthians 14:33)  For God is [a God], not of disorder, but of peace.. . .

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
This assertion is quite false, God has always dealt with organisations, firstly the nation
of Israel which was organised and secondly Spiritual Israel made up of people from all
nations, which was also organised with congregations and a governing body in
Jerusalem, how anyone can read the scriptures and this point evade them I have no
idea.

(1 Corinthians 14:33)  For God is [a God], not of disorder, but of peace.. . .

The nation of Israel is a "nation" not a man-made organisation/demonination/cult. I agree with 'spiritual' Israel being the true body of Christ, the bride. Your inability to see beyond the dogma of your particular branded organisation will be of little surprise to anyone who reads this forum.

Originally posted by divegeester
The nation of Israel is a "nation" not a man-made organisation/demonination/cult. I agree with 'spiritual' Israel being the true body of Christ, the bride. Your inability to see beyond the dogma of your particular branded organisation will be of little surprise to anyone who reads this forum.

they were organised for worship, this is the point, try treading the scriptures, who
knows what you might learn!

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
they were organised for worship, this is the point, try treading the scriptures, who
knows what you might learn!

That Israel was "organised" as is any nation, company, army and well kept kitchen, is not a parallel for justifying the claim which your organisation/cult makes. My nephew has a very "organised" bedroom, this does not make him the next Charles Taze Russel.

Edit: thank god!

Originally posted by divegeester
That Israel was "organised" as is any nation, company, army and well kept kitchen, is not a parallel for justifying the claim which your organisation/cult makes. My nephew has a very "organised" bedroom, this does not make him the next Charles Taze Russel.

Edit: thank god!

they were organised for worship, priestly divisions, divisions of the temple. etc etc, you
cannot cry about it, its a scriptural fact.