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Sorry, but the Bible doesn't define the word "Christian." Jesus Christ, however, did say how people would be able to know His followers, and it was by the love they showed for one another, not by how the tried to excluding one another from the Christian family. The Bible is full of sermons and letters pertaining to the teachings of Jesus Christ, but many of these teachings can be and are interpreted differently by different Christian denominations. No self-professed Christian deserves to be told by anyone but God himself that he is "not a Christian."
Love I think, will define everyone in the end, but to love the brethren who love the ways of God is not the same as everyone claims it to be. Paul and others talked about people coming among the flock teaching Jesus but a perverted view of Jesus, a truth that is not a truth and they are given over to Satan and kicked out of the church.
Today, everyone claims to be a part of the original Christianity when the original Christianity was Gentiles converting to Judaism, and I would say that if you are not in Judaism, then the New Testament is not even written to you, and the brethren being discussed are those who love the ways of God, not people who fight against the ways of God. God would have Gentiles and Jews become one, but this is impossible unless the Gentiles return to the ways of God in order to be called brethren.
You don't get to decide what is the biblical definition of Christian because there is no such definition in the Bible. Your indoctrination into whatever dogma you currently endorse does NOT privilege you to decide who is Christian, period.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeaniee
Just a gentle nudge but I don't decide the definition of Christianity. Neither do you
We have an authority called the Bible. That is where the word CHRISTIAN is derived from.
THat is where you find the definition of CHRIST
There is no definition of a Christian in the Bible, period.
Sorry, but the Bible doesn't define the word "Christian." Jesus Christ, however, did say how people would be able to know His followers, and it was by the love they showed for one another, not by how the tried to excluding one another from the Christian family. The Bible is full of sermons and letters pertaining to the teachings of Jesus Christ, but many of these teachings can be and are interpreted differently by different Christian denominations. No self-professed Christian deserves to be told by anyone but God himself that he is "not a Christian."
Indeed, and that is the definative answer to the OP, but we are still waiting on confirmation that what the original poster changed the meaning to has any merit whatsoever: IS there a group that self-identified as "not Christian" but some of whose members claim to BE Christian?
In a prior post, you said that JWs "consider themselves the True Christians and anyone outside of the organization who claims to be a Christian is actually tricked by Satan and is a part of Christendom." That is not something we believe.
<SNIP>>
Has the Mormon church ever taught that Protestant ministers were paid by Satan to deceive people by preaching false doctrine? Yes. That causes your claim above to ring hollow.
The bible gives the definition of Christian. [...]
I think you are talking about the Nicene Creed or something. That is not in the Bible.
In the various Bible canons, Jesus says to worship God the Father (assumingly single and only God, if we read the O.T.) whom is "better than me". Even Moses was called "lord." But then Paul and John say that Jesus IS God, so that the son IS the father (hmmmm). This would mean that if you worship the Father singularly, you are also worshiping the Son without knowing it. Jesus also speaks in metaphor, and says "I am the way, the truth, and the light, no one can get to the father except through me. Some people don't want to see Jesus as a stumbling block in the way of the path towards Father, so equating them (not necessarily needing to separate them) is deemed appropriate by them. Then it is said that the Father sends the Holy Spirit as a dove to "Christen" Jesus as Messiah. Then it is said that Baptism is through all three. So that is why they made the Trinity (a concept that also happened to be extremely popular among the pagans at the time, Athena had a trinity of personality for example with Athena Nike and Athena Parthenon being two of the three).
Ultimately, I think those that attended the Nicene meeting democratically (majority there) found that the Holy Spirit couldn't just be "some angel" because why not then baptize in the name of all the angels. If the Holy Spirit was also Jesus, then it couldn't be said that Jesus abandoned his followers for the thrown of heaven and left them with a LESSER Spirit. A trinity solves all these problems although it creates the new one of contention with the strict monotheism of Judaism previously (Yahweh was invariable and without even hint/shadow of chaining/turning). "Yahweh is El, there is no other beside him [no son beside him?]."
1 Corinthians "for us there is only one God, the Father, and only one lord Messiah Jesus [the creator or conduit of creation]."
Deuteronomy: "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one [not three]!"
Ofcourse, if you say that 1 can be 3, then that fixes that problem as well. Although you'd have to ignore that you are thus also leaving the possibility open that 1 can be 2 or that 1 can be 4 or 5 and so on (as the Hindus might have it).
The bible gives the definition of Christian. Where is it you find something contrary to what I posted? Remember this isn;t about me. I knwo the urge is great to get personal, but let's try to keep it ontrack if possible
I am not familiar with the word trinity, but I think it might be used by the world as synonymous to Godhead or Tri-une Godhead?
I apologize I don't have the words the world uses about the bible down.
Most of my studying of the Bible is done at home. I'm a late bloomer if you will
People on these forums don't actually believe the Bible. I know...kinda strange, isn't it? But they'll believe all sorts of nonsense other than it.
I'd like to learn the various religions so if anyone knows the names of books other religions are based off of, feel free to green me.
That is where I want to learn the truth, from the source. Where the definition is derived. Otherwise I am deceiving you all or just not informed enough to be participating concerning said topic.
Not all religions are built around revealed writings. Mine isn't
That said, I'll send you a message and see if I can help.
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