After having a brief discussion with someone earlier, I would like to ask a question to anyone who might be inclined to answer it:
What is a Christian?
The person I was talking to is of the opinion that one must believe in the essential divinity and pre-existence of Jesus in order to rightly be called a Christian.
This was kinda puzzling to me, because I think that, using this criteria, the author of the Gospel of Mark would be disqualified, as would many of the earliest Christians.
I would greatly appreciate any answers that may come.
Thanks in advance.
Peace
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hey!
ReplyDeleteit seems to get kind of hairy as soon as you try to pin it down to something. my definition is "someone who calls themselves a christian." which implies there isn't a particular "true" answer. a question I've considered a bit.
In that case . . . from this moment on, I am the president of the United States of América. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's weird. People are reading the post but nobody is answering the question. It's either that difficult to answer, or else they think it's a trap of some kind.
I am just genuinely curious to know how people define it.
Buddy, very interesting posts...
ReplyDeleteIn short:
A Christian does believe in the (not essential if you mean God Himself) divinity and pre-existence of Jesus. No Christian believes Jesus is the Almighty.
There are many pagans who believe in what you are posing, but are not Christian, yet some apply "Christian"to themselves. A Christian practices Christianity.
Jesus was of divine origin, but is not Almighty God. Isaiah 9:6, Philippians 2:56, 1 Corinthians 15:28, Colossians 1:15-18
Jesus had a pre-existence. John 3:10-14, J 6:37-39, J 6:60-62, J 8:23, J 8:57-58, Ephesians 4:9-10, Proverbs 8:22-23,29, 30
Satan is of divine origin, but is not Almighty God. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Ezekiel 28:12-15
"........G[ree]k conception of demons, for it denotes that which lies outwith human capacity and is thus to be attributed to the
intervention of higher powers, whether for good or evil. [To dai·mo′ni·on] in pre-Christian writers can be used in the sense
of the ‘divine.’”
There are many who say you " must " believe, yet by their own additional practices and beliefs do not qualify themselves.
There are those who are of the "opinion", but themselves do not qualify by their practices.
To suggest that Mark would not qualify based on the Gospel of Mark is too narrow and convenient a claim.
It is to assume that Mark would rest his whole belief in the contents that he wrote in the Gospel that bears his name.
And to suggest that the whole of Christianity and all Christian belief rest solely on what is written in his Gospel is too narrow.
There is nothing in Mark that says he does not believe that Jesus is not of a divine origin or that he did not have a pre-existence in heaven.
If you feel there is, then you can point this out and we can have a look.
Mark was in company of Christians for up to 30 years prior to his writing the Gospel, ample time to have a thorough understanding and be a fellow minister of the Good News (Gospel)
Lets see, Mark: was the nephew of Barnabas, a Levite, who also became a Christian.
Also, Mark, a companion of Paul, having been quite useful to Paul.
Mark was also acquainted with the 12, as well as many other Christians throughout the Roman, Asia Minor,Jerusalem, and Middle Eastern ( Babylon) Congregations with Peter.
Mark received first hand accounts of Jesus from Peter, as well as himself being witness to Jesus in the latter part of Jesus ministry right up to his death.
So, what Mark did not write does not disqualify him at all. There is nothing to suggest that he believed otherwise.
Also, if he had no clear understanding at any point, we know with a certainty, the other Christians would expound the truth to him more thoroughly as did Pricilla and Aquilla to Appollos.
So, being in good company and familiar with Paul, Luke, Timothy, Peter, Barnabas, and the many thousands over the years, Mark was Christian and qualified to teach. Philemon verse 24, 2 Timothy 4:11, 2 Timothy 2:24, Acts 2:40-42
What Mark does mention in his Gospel is his knowing John ( son of Zebedee ).
The scriptures that John wrote and believed,noted above, clearly show that Mark was in company and believed, along with those who believed in the words that Jesus spoke to them.
Call me and we can discuss further....Patrick
Hi Patrick;
ReplyDeleteYour long desultory comment is not easy to decipher, but I think that you are answering a 'yes' to both divinity and pre-existence as characteristics that must be accepted as belonging to Jesus to rightly be called a Christian. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
Thanks for commenting. I'll only add that you made me giggle a couple of times.
You know . . . Mark nowhere suggests that Jesus wasn't a transvestite either.
Hmmmm . . ..
peace be with you
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