What is a real Christian

The Believer’s Measure of Authenticity

Introduction

What is a real Christian? That depends on who you ask. If we look to the Bible for a definitive answer, we see it’s occurance only 3 times in its entirety, and that it was the phrase used by the non-believing world to identify, the then, followers of Jesus Christ. It was not a term that the early followers of Christ employed to themselves. It was not until later it became employed as the term of “self-identity” of a follower of Christ. The term Christian was later to include a politicized version of the sect that were not of the same opinion of the first century followers. Hence, calarification is imperitive. So then, if we use the intended meaning at its inception, as our basis, of defining what “Christianity” or a “Christian” is, in its purest and simplest form we could employ the following definition:

Christian was a “title” used to identify those who were disciples of Jesus Christ, and his teaching (Acts 11:26, 26:28; 1 Ptr. 4:16) used by those who did not prescribe to that faith in the first century, however, we see it employed as a term of self-identity in centuries that follow.

Strictly speaking in the first occurance of the term “Christian,” we see that it was explicitly the Disciples of Christ:

“… the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Acts 11:26

This early reference to the term Christian as disciples of Christ, was not referring to the 11 remaining disciples tha followed Jesus during his earthly life. It is referring to followers of Jesus Christ that subsequently entered into the faith. This is a momunental point of clarity of the original intent of a “Christian.” Emphatically, a “Christian” is then a disciple of Jesus Christ, and in turn a disciple is an adherent to their teachers doctrines (Mat. 7:8; 22:33, Mk. 1:22,27; 4:2, Jn. 7:16).

Hence, an inference of what defines a “Christian” would be observed by how closely they were adherent to Jesus Christ teachings.

Today the term “Christian” becomes clouded with factions and political associations, and has then lost its essential meaning. To further add confusion the term has been adopted by groups who neither embrace the first century creeds, nor believe in Christ diety, or even denying some or all of his claims.

If we employ the above definition of Christian today, we will find that it would be incongruent with man made groups which carry the title “Christian” or “Christianity,” but do not accept all the teachings of Christ in totality. The waters become muddied with these political groups who bears the same name, and thus creates confusion. We have therefore, inherited a title of which has no more bearing to the biblical teaching of Jesus Christ as Soap Opera’s have to do with cleansing agents or soap. For this reason, I use the term only for introduction to identify the subject matter in general, but for definitive reasons, abandon it from the remainder of this text, as we define what its essential meaning was in its inception, and will simply refer to the early Christians as “Believers,” Capital “B.” We will endeavor to define that essence of a “Believer,” from the perspective of the New Testament as the credal text.

So then in summary, in order to further define a “Christian,” it is necessary to understand the esentail teaching of Jesus Christ, which defines the real “Christian,” based on the biblical text alone (Acts 11:26). Summarize the core of Jesus teaching and you have the canon for what defines a true “Christian.”

The term Christain was in its inception the attempt in embodying the who and what the first century Believer was (the discple of Christ). This is going to be our journey here to attempt to capture what was the essence of Jesus Christ teaching that identified a Believer. We shall examine the teachings of Christ that empowered them above all successive generations (until the last century), in supremacy in the manifistaton of the miraculous, and boldness to look death in the face and stand firm, against beast and burnings.

In attempting to grasp the essemce of a true Believer in Jesus Christ, we will use the New Testament Biblical text as our sole text for defining this scope. The apostles were the defacto authors of the canon of scripture, and set the foundation as first hand testimony witnesses of all that Jesus began to do and teach (Ac. 1:1). The apostles of this first century had both spent time with Jesus during his earthly ministry and were well accustomed to his teaching, having spent years with him. Perhaps, too much said in this introduction now let’s move on to the core of our goal, by identifying the core of the New Testament Teachings, which capture the teachings of Jesus Christ.

This compilitaion of Jesus Christ teaching is both astonishing and revealing of where the modern “Christian” has ran off the rails from their alleged profession, and assurance for the faithful, that their work is not in vain. Be that what it may, it will provide a canon of authenticy of what defines the genuine Believer.

The Core Beliefs About Christ – Historical & Prophetic

Who He declared He Was

Who Scriptures Declared Him to Be

What Was His Mission

What Is Our Place In This Scheme