...just so I can link stuff to here to get the widest range of answers to someone I've been arguing with for about the last 11 hours·ish
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If you don't believe Jesus was God do you think this automatically means you're not Christian?
Depends how you define "Christian". In the early church a Christian (that term was only used three times in the Bible, instead they were called disciples or "followers of the Way" - Jesus said "I am the way") was someone who was a follower of Christ. I suppose you could follow a human if you wanted, I wouldn't. But the Apostles taught that Christ was God, and anyone who joined the church at that time joined through faith in Christ and his saving work on the cross. A human could not have done that saving work as it was necessary to be sinless in order to bear the sins of others. Anyway.. I suppose you could call yourself a Christian and not actually be a follower of Christ, in which case I'd say, no, according to the Apostles and Christ himself, you wouldn't be a follower of Christ. Union with Christ only occurs through faith in him and his work on the cross, and his deity is central to his work on the cross. Also, you'd have to disregard things he said about himself in order to deny his deity, which wouldn't really be following.. just picking and choosing. Following is a whole hearted thing. Also, if Jesus isn't God, then following him would be idolatry anyhow =P
And yeah, I know it can be confusing.. I went through a stage of not knowing if Jesus was really God or not.. trying to reconcile my understanding, asking if it really mattered and such..
Why is it you feel you are Christian even though you don't believe this supposedly undeniable fact?
It's easy to feel like you're something. You might not understand what a Christian is, or you might just "feel" like whatever you think a Christian feels like. Feelings are quite circumstantial and aren't the evidence of truth. I've felt like lots of things! I think being a Christian isn't about "feeling" but "knowing" God.. it's a relationship. You don't "feel like a relationship"... you participate in it! Hope any of this makes sense..
I believe he is God.
If you don't believe Jesus was God do you think this automatically means you're not Christian?
Depends how you define "Christian". In the early church a Christian (that term was only used three times in the Bible, instead they were called disciples or "followers of the Way" - Jesus said "I am the way") was someone who was a follower of Christ. I suppose you could follow a human if you wanted, I wouldn't. But the Apostles taught that Christ was God, and anyone who joined the church at that time joined through faith in Christ and his saving work on the cross. A human could not have done that saving work as it was necessary to be sinless in order to bear the sins of others. Anyway.. I suppose you could call yourself a Christian and not actually be a follower of Christ, in which case I'd say, no, according to the Apostles and Christ himself, you wouldn't be a follower of Christ. Union with Christ only occurs through faith in him and his work on the cross, and his deity is central to his work on the cross. Also, you'd have to disregard things he said about himself in order to deny his deity, which wouldn't really be following.. just picking and choosing. Following is a whole hearted thing. Also, if Jesus isn't God, then following him would be idolatry anyhow =P
And yeah, I know it can be confusing.. I went through a stage of not knowing if Jesus was really God or not.. trying to reconcile my understanding, asking if it really mattered and such..
Why is it you feel you are Christian even though you don't believe this supposedly undeniable fact?
It's easy to feel like you're something. You might not understand what a Christian is, or you might just "feel" like whatever you think a Christian feels like. Feelings are quite circumstantial and aren't the evidence of truth. I've felt like lots of things! I think being a Christian isn't about "feeling" but "knowing" God.. it's a relationship. You don't "feel like a relationship"... you participate in it! Hope any of this makes sense..
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