In short, a Christian is a follower or disciple of Jesus Christ because he or she believes Jesus to be the only-begotten Son of God. Christians are adherents of the religion known as Christianity, founded by Jesus Christ. Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Christ as found in the New Testament which is the distinctive sacred writings of Christianity. With a few exceptions, Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the savior of humanity. They hold that faith in him as Savior leads to eternal life. The exceptions are outside of historic Orthodoxy and are considered adjacent Christian cults.

Etymology of the word “Christian”

‘Christian’ literally means a “follower of Christ”. The name “Christ” is originally a title that comes from the Greek word, kristos. It translates literally as “anointed one.” Anointing was a part of the rite of crowning a king or commissioning holy persons for service in several ancient cultures including the Hebrew culture. The Hebrew, equivalent of kristos is messiah. “Christ” was originally a title, much like how we might say, “King Charles” or “President Lincoln.” So it is just as proper to say, “Christ Jesus” as one might say, “Jesus Christ.” The Christian belief surrounding the person of Jesus, namely that He is the Divine Son of God, means that Jesus is not considered merely a christ among other christs as might have been said in antiquity before Jesus Rather, He is the Christ, the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). Thus, the title of Christ has become a proper name to refer to Jesus of Nazareth, such that one can simply say “Christ” in order to refer to Jesus.

The suffix, –ian, is a common English suffix indicating that the subject is in some way derived from the subject of the stem. This is much like how a philosopher who follows closely and mainly agrees with Aristotle is called Aristotelian. A Christian, then, has this in mind when they refer to themselves as a Christian that they are followers of Jesus Christ. This carries with it the implication that the Christian believes Jesus was not merely a good and holy man, teacher, philosopher, sage, or religious and political reformer. The Christian recognizes Jesus as the incarnate Word and Son of God, which is at the root of His authority and worthiness to be followed.

The History of ‘Christian’

Today’s use of the term, “Christian,” carries with it a somewhat complex meaning. Different conventions vie to claim the authentic meaning of the word, imposing the term to extend to slightly different groups of people. There is of course the dictionary definition of ‘Christian.’ It is defined as, “One who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.” But many Christians find this to be insufficient There are even ongoing debates among Christians themselves as to whom the term applies most authentically. As we will see in this section, the notion of ‘Christian’ develops over time as Christianity undergoes expansion and division.

The Proto-Christians

Although the term, ‘Christian,’ was not yet around, there is good reason to argue that Christianity began in the year leading up to Christ’s birth (which, due to a counting error in the historical timeline that aimed to be based on the life of Christ, would have been around the year 4 B.C.). Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Zechariah can be reasonably argued to have been the first Christians. They were given the messages of the Archangel Gabriel announcing that the Son of Mary was to be the Messiah and Son of God according to the prophecies of the Jewish scriptures. These beliefs would have been affirmed by the unusual circumstances of Mary’s conception by the Holy Spirit of the child Jesus. The numbers slowly rose through the witness of the shepherds, the three wise magi, Simeon the priest, Anna the prophetess, and the like.

The First Christians

Jesus and all his earliest followers were Jews. Jesus taught that He did not come to abolish the law and the prophets, which were at the heart of the Jewish faith, but to fulfill them (cf. Matthew 5:17). This being the case, Christianity has its lineage in the Jewish faith, and shares several commonalities. The Jewish scriptures constitute the first part of the Christian scriptures which Christians now call the Old Testament. This common heritage means that Christians largely share the same understanding of God, God’s providence, prayer, and the inspired teachings of God as handed on, particularly through the Mosaic law of the Ten Commandments.

Jesus: A Different Kind of Rabbi

A ‘rabbi’ is a Jewish word for a religious master and teacher. In Jesus’ time, it was common for there to be teachers of the Law. Commoners might ask to live with and learn from rabbis to develop into good followers of the Law of God. The rabbi’s house would double as a “boarding school” whereby closeness between the rabbi and disciples would facilitate learning the lifestyle. Jesus, however, differed in several key ways.

Through scripture, we know that Jesus was an itinerant rabbi. In reverse of the norm, He often stayed in disciples’ houses in the cities and towns He visited. Relatedly, Jesus did not personally own a house or property. He only carried money together in common with the core group of the Twelve disciples. Despite not owning anything himself it was still necessary to pay taxes or satisfy whatever other legal requirements laid upon them by the laws of the land at the time. The last notable difference was Jesus’ acceptance of women as disciples. While the Twelve, the closest disciples of Jesus who became leaders of the community after Jesus ascended into heaven, were men; it was clear that among the disciples were women. This was unusual or maybe even unheard of at the time. Rabbis typically only took on male disciples. Women were usually brought to the temple to learn the ways of Jewish women. Some women disciples included Mary of Magdala, Martha, and Mary the wife of Clopas, among others.

The Twelve and the Disciples

Jesus, for Christians, was the fulfillment of God’s promises made to his people throughout the Hebrew scriptures and its authoritative interpreter. After Jesus died, rose, and ascended into heaven, the disciples of Jesus distinguished themselves from other sects of Judaism by first referring to themselves as followers of “the way” (cf. Acts 9:2). In doing so Paul recognized one of Jesus’ self-given titles who called Himself “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6), and indicates that their way of life was in fact distinct from those of temple Jews of which Paul was formerly a part. It was only later, after conflict with other Jews, who did not believe that Jesus was the Christ, and after Gentiles (non-Jews) were accepted as followers of Jesus that Christianity began to define itself separately from Judaism. Scripture records the beginning of the use of the term “Christian” at the ancient Church of Antioch shortly following its establishment by St. Paul in Acts 11:26. It would not be until the 200s A.D. when the term ‘Christian’ was conventionally accepted and recognized outside of Christianity to refer to members of this particular religion.

Christianity as the New Israel

For Christians, Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promises and their authoritative interpreter. After Jesus died, rose, and ascended into heaven, the disciples of Jesus distinguished themselves from other sects of Judaism by referring to themselves as followers of “the way” (cf. Acts 9:2). In doing so, Paul affirms one of Jesus’ self-given titles, “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). He also indicates that their way of life was distinct from those of temple Jews of which Paul was formerly a part. It was after conflict with other Jews who did not believe that Jesus was the Christ, and the acceptance of Gentiles (non-Jews) as followers of Jesus that Christianity began to define itself separately from Judaism. Scripture records the first use of the term, “Christian,” at the ancient Church of Antioch shortly following its establishment (Acts 11:26). It would not be until the 200s A.D. when the term ‘Christian’ was conventionally and commonly used.

Early Christians

Between the time of Christ and the 200s, Christianity and the early church spread throughout the Mediterranean, through the apostolic activity of the Twelve and their successors. Though their members included people of many nations and languages they understood themselves to be a single Church. To help avoid confusion among all of its members concerning what they are to believe with respect to God, their practices, and about themselves as a Church, they developed a creed or symbol (symbolon) of the Christian faith. The creed served as a kind of identification and defining summary of faith among Christians. While the rituals of initiation, principally baptism, formally made a person a member of the Christian church, maintaining such an identity carried with it an obligation. To be truly Christian meant to believe certain doctrines and live a certain way. In other words, unless a Christian generally accepted the doctrines enumerated in the creed, they were in danger of being a Christian “in name only,” as we might say today, which is not a true Christian. Part of the earlier Apostle’s Creed includes the line to believe “in the Holy Catholic Church.”

The need for the careful identification of Christians was quite important in those first three centuries of the Church. As Christianity spread within and beyond the Roman Empire, there was also widespread hostility against Christians. Until the Edict of Milan in 313, it was illegal to be a Christian. Until that time there is a record of Christians having to operate and evangelize “underground,” both literally and figuratively. They did so in order to try to avoid detection and spies.

The Patristic Era Christians

Following the Edict of Milan, Christianity continued to spread well throughout the Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Russia. The Church was visibly governed under the leadership of the successors to the apostles called bishops, and particularly under the eminent role of the Bishop of Rome, now called the pope today. The Christian Church, though strained by being composed of people of many different languages and cultural-linguistic paradigms, considered itself to be a single Church for the next seven hundred years. However, the strain would prove too great resulting in the Great Schism in the year 1054.

Eastern and Western Christians

Prior to 1054, there were no denominations of Christians since they were all considered to be members of what the Nicene-Creed calls, “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.” The two major cultures composing the Church were the Latin-speaking Western part and the Greek-speaking Eastern part. Because of certain semantic differences in their use of language and the concepts to which they referred, there came about some deep theological conflicts between the Christians of the East and Christians of the West, particularly concerning understanding the nature of God as a Trinity. This became known as the filioque dispute.

The Filioque Dispute

Filioque in Latin means, “and from the Son.” In the creed, as the Church was working out what it means to “believe in the Holy Spirit”, the Eastern and Western churches came to a seeming impasse. The Western church wanted the creed to say the Holy Spirit, “proceeds from the Father and the Son.” The Eastern church, however, wanted to exclude the filioque and say the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the Father. The exact details of the dispute are beyond the scope of this article. But, in short, since they were unable to reconcile their understandings of the relationship between the persons of the Trinity and the Divine essence, the Church split more or less along the cultural-linguistic lines. The split consisted of the Eastern, Greek-speaking Christians, and Western, Latin-speaking Christians. The Western Christians came to call themselves the Roman Catholic Church, and the Eastern Christians called themselves the Eastern Orthodox Church. To modern ears, this may sound like theological “hair-splitting.” However, a dispute about something so crucial—the nature of God—was bound to end in divorce if they could not come to some accord. Unfortunately, they could not.

Church or Churches?

It was called the Great Schism because the split included bishops who were considered the successors of the apostles and the highest authorities in the Church. Neither side had the authority to deny the authenticity of the other’s Christianity. Further, they largely believed many of the same things. Christians in the West claimed Peter to be the leader of all the disciples of Christ after Jesus and, thus, Peter’s successor to be the leader of the entire Church. The Orthodox Church, however, did not see authority over the church proceeding in the same way.

While the filioque dispute is often pointed to as the reason for the schism, it is emblematic of the several major issues that the Medieval Church had as it continued to grow leading to its rupture. These issues included the failure to communicate well among its members, especially among bishops, the questions of authority and structure within the Church, and the relationship between the formulae of faith and the understanding of them proper to Christianity from within different cultures, languages, and philosophical outlooks. Despite resulting in two distinct religious communities, they are both considered Christian and largely continue in this way today.

Protestant/Reformation Christians

The Minor Schism

The Roman Catholic Church carried on the Christian tradition in the West until the next major rupture, the catalyst of which is crystallized in Martin Luther’s act of nailing his 95 theses to the doors of his Church on October 31, 1517. Europe as a whole was facing much strife at the time, having difficulties navigating the relationship between Church and state, fighting the crusades, managing the implications of discovering the Americas, and answering new questions brought about by revolutionary philosophical and scientific paradigm shifts. The Roman Catholic Church had, yet again, to face questions of authority although under a different set of parameters.

The Question of Authority: Faith and Morals

The Church would go on to declare that it had the teaching authority and competence over questions related to faith and morals. This was in response to the Enlightenment era developments in which many sciences and disciplines were beginning to separate themselves, operating apart from the faith. The Church conceded that it did not have the authority to declare certain scientific, philosophical, or mathematical doctrines as true or false except insofar as they have implications for the truths of Christianity. For example, it was not for the Church to say whether the Sun or the Earth is the center of the universe. However, the Church could deny that the universe is eternal or without a creator as many scientists are wont to claim.

Fractalized Christianity

This concession, however, did not appease the spirit of reformation and independence that swept across Europe leading to what was called the protestant reformation. It resulted in the Church of England separating from the Catholic Church with its reigning monarch doubling as its head beginning with King Henry VIII, and the protestant Christians across the rest of Western Europe led by figures like Luther in Germany, Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland, and Jean (John) Calvin of France.

The Roman Church considered this to be a lesser schism because bishops of the Church generally were not involved. These movements, moreover, were considered heretical by the Roman Church as they denied several central teachings such as that of the sacraments in general and the Eucharist in particular, the papacy and Church hierarchy, certain aspects of the canon of scripture, the communion of saints, predestination, icons, and sacramentals, and various doctrines of grace and the forgiveness of sins. Despite these separations all of these communities are still considered Christian today due to the common belief in Christ as the Son of God and adherence to the words taught by Him, however different the understanding of those words might be.

Christians Today

The Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestant or Reformed Christianity more or less make up the major categories of Christianity. Within these are a number of subdivisions and separations that are too numerous to go into any major detail here. The Catholic Church is what is called the Roman Catholic Church which is the largest single Christian denomination in the world. It is considered to be in communion with 22 other denominations or what it officially calls liturgical rites. They are considered to be a single Church united under the pope and adherence to canon law.

Following the Great Schism, Eastern Orthodoxy went on to undergo a number of schisms itself, some of which rejoined the communion of the Western Church. Orthodoxy is split into denominations such as the Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and various Slavik and Armenian communities.

The protestant and reformed Christians would further split into thousands of various communities and denominations. Some of the larger and noteworthy ones are Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Evangelicals, Methodists, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, and Adventists. These groups have various interpretations of Jesus’ teachings and the role and structure of the Church, but they all generally hold the belief in Jesus’ divinity and His offer of salvation.

Questionable Christians

There are two particular religions whose Christianity is debated on the basis of their beliefs about Christ and the source of their scriptures. They are the Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) and the Mormon church.

Jehovah’s Witnesses

The Jehovah’s Witness, following the interpretations of scripture of Charles Taze Russell, do not believe Jesus or the Holy Spirit to be divine. In other words, they deny what are widely considered to be the central Christian doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation (the belief that God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ). Sticking strictly to the words of scripture for them results in the denial of various traditional Christian celebrations such as Christmas and Easter. The only ritual observance that JWs recognize would be Jesus’ memorial of the Last Supper. In sum, they see Jesus as being the greatest of God’s creatures who came to share God’s message with us. Insofar as Jesus is from God are Jesus’ teachings to be obeyed and handed on, but Jesus himself is not the object of worship. That is reserved for God, the Father alone in their view. More can be read about JWs in the article on this site, “What is a Jehovah’s Witness?”

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Mormonism, the religion of the Church of the Latter-day Saints, among most Christians, is considered more of a cult whose Christianity is also in question given its dubious sources and origins. Its founder, Joseph Smith, claimed to have found golden tablets upon which were written a whole additional set of scriptures to be read and believed which recount stories of prophets that parallel that of the Old and New Testaments (otherwise known as the Bible). Among them are stories such as that while Jesus was performing his public ministry in ancient Israel two thousand years ago, He was bilocating to the Americas and performing a public ministry there as well.

Although these alleged scriptures have been transcribed and published as the Book of Mormon, the original script was in “Reformed Egyptian” which he alone could translate under the inspiration of the angel, Moroni. Further, Moroni allegedly guards the tablets by supernatural means such that they remain inaccessible to anyone else. In addition to secretive additional scriptures, Mormon Christianity is called into question because they likewise reject the doctrine of the Trinity and much of the Early Church creeds and doctrines.

Historical Overview

The history of Christianity dates back to the first century AD when Jesus preached in the region of Palestine. After his death, his closest followers known as the apostles continued to spread His teachings and the religion began to spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. Over time, Christianity became the dominant religion in Europe and has since spread to every corner of the globe. Currently, there are around 2 Billion Christians in the world spread out over thousands of distinct communities each claiming for itself not only that they are Christian, but that they are the true Christian Church. Debates are ongoing.

Central Christian Beliefs

The Christian Creed

The essential and central Christian doctrines are widely agreed to be those as indicated in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, formulated in 381 A.D. It reads as follows:

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

In sum, the essential and central Christian doctrines are those of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Paschal Mystery of salvation, the inspired nature of scripture, the unity of the Church, the efficacy and necessity of Baptism, and general resurrection.

God as Trinity

Christianity is founded on the belief in one true God, who is the creator of the universe and all living things. Christians believe that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good and that he is present in all things. This God is numerically identical to the God spoken of in the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures—the God of Jesus Christ is the same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the “Most High God”; the God of Moses, Aaron, and the prophets.

Christians also believe that Jesus Christ revealed God as a Trinity (cf. Matthew 3:13-17 and Matthew 28:19) which includes the Holy Spirit or Spirit of God, who is the third person of the Holy Trinity, together with the Father and Jesus, the Son. These three within the Godhead are of one essence but are distinct persons. The traditional catechetical formula (known as the scutum fidei or “shield of faith”) is that there is only one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each person coeternal, and coequal with the others. The Father is God as the Son is God as the Holy Spirit is God; but the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. This was codified at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD in what is called the Nicene Creed. This council along with others served to define the parameters of Christian doctrines, including what is accepted as canon (the official list of texts that were discerned to have been inspired by God and, thus, constituting God’s word) in the Christian Bible.

Who/What is Jesus? Incarnation and Hypostatic Union

Another central teaching of Christianity is the incarnation and what is called the hypostatic union in theological circles. It is the belief that the divine Second Person of the Trinity, the Son, became a human being in Jesus Christ. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and so is fully human, but He is also the Son of God and so fully divine. The formula of faith in the hypostatic union is that in Jesus, there are two full natures, human and divine, united in the one divine person of the Son. The result is whatever you can properly say of human beings can be truly said of Jesus, and what can be properly said of God can also be said of Jesus. Hence Jesus is God, but He is also a man.

The Gospel of the Paschal Mystery

The Paschal Mystery articulates one of the earliest of Christian proclamations. The word “Paschal” comes from “pesch” which means ‘Passover’ (further evidence of the Jewish influence and source of Christianity). It refers to the fundamental Christian belief that through Jesus Christ’s passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, God saves humanity from sin and eternal death. The prophet Isaiah foreshadows this in doctrine in the songs of the suffering servant “by [whose] stripes we are healed” (see Isaiah 53:5, for example). John’s gospel famously spells out the plan of salvation in 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” This brings about the traditional title of Christ as Savior.

The doctrine of the incarnation and hypostatic union is rooted in this plan of salvation because, as St. Athanasius taught, man’s sin posed something of a “Divine Dilemma.” Only God had the power to save humanity but God’s justice required man to satisfy the broken covenant, make reparation, and reconcile with God. Thus, the incarnation solves this dilemma. Jesus, in His divinity, has the power to save, AND, as the “son of man” (that is, as fully human) he properly satisfies God’s justice by suffering death on the cross as a human being. Christians will differ as to the exact role Jesus’ death assumes in giving satisfaction to God’s justice. Is it a sacrifice of atonement, a substitution, a punishment, or all of the above? Up to this point, all Christians more or less agree that Jesus’ death is the solution to the problem posed by human sin.

The Assembly of Christ’s Disciples Through Baptism

Lastly, Christian denominations largely disagree as to the nature of the Church, its hierarchy, the “dynamics” of grace, and the true nature of worship, but all Christians will agree that Baptism is an important moment and rite in the life of a Christian. It consists of the “washing of rebirth” of a sinner to become “a new creation.” In baptism, the baptized formally becomes an actual Christian making them identifiable as such. Christ Himself underwent a baptism at the hands of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17, among others) and then before ascending into heaven instructed His disciples to “[baptize all nations] in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

For Christians, their baptism has some implications that do not apply to Christ. Christ received baptism as a sign of divine affirmation of His Sonship. For everyone else, Baptism carries with it the added effect of being an act of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. By accepting and receiving baptism, one is implicitly professing faith in Christ and enters into the covenantal promise to live the Christian way of life, turning away from the former life of sin which would end in death. Followers of Christ, therefore, take seriously following Christ into His Baptism, spreading His teachings, and aiding the Church in its mission to baptize others. Again, the denominations differ in understanding the meaning of Baptism and the manner it is to be carried out. It is widely agreed, however, that Baptism is an important marker for the identification of a Christian.

Scripture

Another important aspect of Christianity and a mark of a true Christian is the belief in the Bible as the inspired word of God. The Bible is composed of two distinct parts: The Old and New Testaments. Christians differ as to what texts form the canon of scripture, that is, the official list of texts considered to be authentically inspired by God and, thus, divinely revelatory. This is important since sacred scripture is at the root of Christian belief. A different canon will ultimately result in differences in doctrines.

The Old Testament

What religiously Jewish people call the Hebrew Scriptures, Christians call the Old Testament or Old Covenant. It recounts the experiences of God through the lens of His chosen people from creation to the third Babylonian exile of the Hebrew people. The canon of the Old Testament is disputed. Certain Orthodox Christians hold that there are 51 books, Catholics hold there to be 46, and reformed/protestant Christians say that there are 39. In addition to all texts of the protestant canon, the Roman canon includes the Maccabean texts 1 and 2, Tobit, Baruch, Esther, Sirach, and Judith. The Orthodox includes all of these, plus 3 and 4 Maccabees, Esdras 1 and 2, Prayer of Manasseh, and a few additional texts and chapters to shared books like Daniel and Psalms.

The New Testament

The New Testament is a continuation of the story of God’s plan of salvation reaching its climax and fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. It contains the origins, life, and teachings of Jesus and the writings of apostles that illuminate the significance of Jesus and how to live, individually and corporately, as followers of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that the entire Bible is authoritative on matters of faith and practice. They also believe it contains revelation of God’s will and plan for humanity.

Christian Answers To “Who is Jesus?”

Christians are largely determined by what they believe about Jesus. These beliefs, in turn, are formed by the titles used to refer to Jesus in scripture. The gospel of John makes clear from the beginning that Jesus is God’s Word who is also God (cf. John 1). Then, Throughout the Gospel, Jesus describes himself through a series of “I AM” statements. These indicate that Jesus is applying the same name to Himself as the God who spoke to Moses in the Burning bush (Exodus 3:13-14).

Jesus, throughout the other gospels, similarly says and does things to indicate His divine identity. For example, He says to people that their sins are forgiven. This is scandalous to the Jewish leaders of the temple because it was clear to them that only God can forgive sins. So, readers of the gospels are left with a critical judgment. Either Jesus is God or a blasphemer. In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis famously wrote, “You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to” (end of Chapter 3). A Christian is one who chooses to believe that He is indeed Lord and God (John 20:28).

Jesus also goes at length to reveal his authentic humanity by being born of the woman, Mary, referring to Himself as the “son of man,” and, even in His resurrected state, eating fish to demonstrate that he was not a mere ghost or fleshless apparition (Luke 24:42-43). It is evident in the scriptures that, at least in simple appearance, He was completely human. And so authentic Christian speech about Jesus in its myriad forms will ultimately reflect the core belief that Jesus is at once the Most High God of Israel, but also the fully human Son of David whose coming was foretold, the Messiah and Son of God (see Matthew 16:16).

The Christian Practice of Love

In addition to orthodoxy defined by church tradition and councils, Christianity also emphasizes orthopraxy. Orthopraxy places a strong emphasis on the importance of love, compassion, and service to others. Christians are called to follow Jesus’ example and obey his command to love each other as he has loved them. A somewhat startling break of pattern for Jesus in His Last Supper discourses, which should make Christians in particular pay attention, is the fact that He says, “I give you a new commandment” wherein he goes on to say, “Love one another. As I have loved you so you should love one another” (John 13:34). This seems to be an elaboration or even a “pushing” of the greatest commandment to love God and love their neighbors as themselves as expressed through acts of charity and service, such as helping the impoverished, the sick, and the marginalized. The Christian understanding of love is distinct from, say, its Jewish root understanding in that Christians are called to a self-sacrificial love emulating their Lord. Such practice is meant to foster an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus, seeking identity with Him, which spills over into life-giving love for fellow Christians and non-believers alike.

Community Aspect of Christianity

In addition to personal faith and practice, Christianity also has a communal aspect. Believers gather together in churches for worship, fellowship, and to share teachings and guidance. The Church is a source of support and encouragement for believers and plays a vital role in the spread of the gospel. Christians dispute the meaning of good works in relation to faith and the salvation of their souls but it is clear that the fruit of authentic faith in Jesus are such good works, naturally flowing from it as light and heat flow from fire. With Christ having broken ground through the Paschal Mystery, the ultimate goal of Christians is to bring about the kingdom of God over the whole world.

There are many practices and rituals associated with Christianity. These include individual and communal prayer, worship, and the celebration of sacraments such as communion, baptism, and Christian marriage. Christians are also known to observe various holy days and festivals. The two principal feast that the majority of Christians celebrate are Christmas and Easter.

In Summary

A Christian is someone who seeks to follow the teachings and principles of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible. In doing so, Christians believe they have been given the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and eternal life with Jesus. A Christian embraces truths about God and Jesus as defined by their particular tradition. Beliefs generally include the deity of Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection, and the triune nature of God. Additionally, Christians believe in the attributes of God’s benevolence, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. Christians gather with other like-minded believers in a myriad of cultural contexts and trusts in the Bible as a guide for eternal as interpreted by their tradition and spiritual leaders.

 

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