What is a "Christian"???
 

What is the definition of being a "Christian"???

• Is it defined as just acting "like Christ"??? (as the early church was originally called)
• Is it defined as obedience to Christ's Word??? (particularily in the context of New Birth message/Christian living)
• Is it both or neither???

~ If "acting like Christ" is the only criteria for being a "Christian" then there are many good "Christian" people who will still be lost for not obeying the New Birth message and/or living according to the Word....

~ If obeying "Christ and His Word" is the criteria for being a "Christian" then there are many people that should not be labeled with the "Christian" title due to their lack of obedience to God's Word.

It can't be both ways.... either a) there are many "Christians" who will die lost or b) there will be many good "moral" people who aren't truly Christians....

Could JF, or anyone else for that matter, be called a "Christian" if it was known that he did not obey the Acts 2.38 message and/or live according to the principles of Christian living as laid out in the scriptures???

Maybe today's culture casual usage of the term "Christian" is one of the many sources of confusion in the religious world....

just food for thought....

Depends on context of course.

In it's most narrow sense it is someone that agrees with me 100% (that excludes my wife)

Malvaro has a monopoly on the word.

care to clarify your statement?

In it's broader sense it recognizes that God fearing people, who all affirm the inerrency of scripture, can have various interpretations of the same.

so you believe that "various interpretations" of the scriptures, especially regarding the New Birth experience, will eventually lead a person to heaven?

I am saying it is the primary common denominator. It follows that you also must obey the scriptures as I interpret them...:nod

i understood the point you were trying to make and withdrew my previous post #7.... to correctly respond back to you....

To be safe everyone should ask me first - and get my interpretation.