Who is a Christian? Bible vs Human Teaching

Lately, as I watch debates among Christians, I've realized that we are continuing the human pattern of adding human teaching to God's word. Why are Christians telling other Christians that they are not Christian?

The Bible is sometimes hard to understand, so those in authority interpret it and tell us that their interpretation is the only right way to believe. We were warned not to do this:

Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you. Deuteronomy 4:2

In Jesus's day, devout Jews quoted from the law of Moses, but more than that, they memorized, taught, and quoted from the Oral law. The Oral Law is a legal commentary on the Torah, explaining how its commandments are to be carried out. We see this throughout the Gospels in the disputes between Jesus and the teachers of the law about how to observe the Sabbath rest. Jesus warned that the teachers of the law and Pharisees were wrong to give people extra legal burdens:

They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Matthew 23:4

In the early Christian church, there were simple creeds that outline what beliefs defined orthodox Christianity. A creed is a statement of beliefs agreed on by a group of people. Orthodox means 'traditionally accepted as true, normal, or usual.

This post will look at the evolution of creeds and confessions of faith that have united communities of Christian believers. These creeds were not used to judge or exclude others, but to affirm and include those who chose to be in the community of believers.

Biblical Definition of a Christian?

According to the Bible, whoever believes in God's son will have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life John 6:47 NIV

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God John 1:12 NIV

First Creed of Christians

As followers of the Way separated from orthodox Judaism, they needed to clarify their statement of beliefs. The earliest creed defining what Christians believe may be:

"Jesus is Lord"

Thomas says 'My Lord and my God!' immediately after realizing Jesus rose from the dead (John 20:28). Confessing that Jesus is the 'Lord' means believing that Jesus holds 'all authority in heaven and on earth' (Matthew 28:18). It means you have decided to let God rule in your heart, and you show your faith by your word and actions (Luke 11:28, James 2:18, Galatians 5:6-13). Peter says, 'Jesus is 'both Lord and Messiah' (Acts 2:36). Declaring that Jesus is the Messiah, or Christ, means believing he is the anointed deliverer promised by the Hebrew prophets, the Son of God sent.

This statement of faith is all that was needed to label yourself as a Christian. Early followers of the Way seemed to repeat this creed or declaration of belief as part of their ritual as they joined the body of faith. When the Ethiopian eunuch asked if he could be baptized, Philip replied 'If you believe with your heart, you may', and the Ethiopian declared, 'I believe Jesus is the Son of God. (Acts 8:36-37).

Paul quotes from the prophecy in Isaiah 45:23 looking forward to the time when 'every knee shall bow and every tongue confess' that 'Jesus the Christ is Lord' (Philippians 2:9-11).

Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "Messiah", which means "anointed one" and is commonly associated with being the deliverer promised by the prophets. Lord is a word the Bible often uses to refer to God as our master, creator, and guide. That is the meaning of the declaration or creed that "Jesus, the Christ, is Lord"

Jesus is Lord: first creed

The earliest agreement on the definition of a Christian is simple and clear. Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox agree on this early creed: Jesus is Lord.

A person who does not believe 'Jesus is Lord' does not likely fall under the definition of a person with Christian beliefs, though their beliefs may change or evolve at any time. Those who see Jesus as a teacher or historical figure and not their Lord or Deliverer may not consider themselves followers of Christ or Christians.

Second Creed of Christians

If you want something a little longer, many theologians believe Paul is quoting an early Christian creed in his letter to the Corinthians. His list proves that Jesus, the Lord and Messiah, rose from the dead. Paul adds his name to the end of the list:

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas [Peter], and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 NIV

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 1 Corinthians 15:14 NIV

Romans 10:9

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

As above, the Bible promises salvation to whoever believes:

• Jesus is Lord

• Jesus is the Messiah (Christ, the anointed one sent by God, Son of God)

• Jesus died to make amends for our wrongdoing, fulfilling the Scriptures

• Jesus rose from the dead

Creeds of the Early Church

In the 4th century, Constantine was the Roman Emperor (AD 306-337) and transferred the capital of the empire from Rome to Constantinople (today's Istanbul, Turkey). He decriminalized Christian worship in AD 313 and stopped the persecution of Christians and made Christianity the State church of the Roman Empire. In AD 325 Emperor Constantine convened an ecumenical council in Nicaea to define orthodoxy for the whole church.

The Nicene Creed is an ecumenical creed because it is accepted as authoritative by Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and major Protestant churches. It was updated at an ecumenical council in AD 451 and is the most widely accepted statement of what Christians believe. At the time, the worldwide church was governed by a Pentarchy with Bishops (Patriarchs) in Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, each having authority over their own area.

The Nicene Creed outlines the belief of the Trinity, that there is One God in three co-eternal, co-equal, divine persons: Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. It states that Jesus became human, was killed, buried, and rose again for our salvation. The creed specifically wanted to affirm Jesus as equal to the Father and of the same substance. The original version of the Nicene Creed, still used by the Eastern Orthodox churches, states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father while the Nicene Creed used by Roman Catholics and most Protestants states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.

What Should a Christian Do?

People like the feeling of community that comes with affirming shared beliefs, but too often creeds have been used to divide us. The World Council of Churches is the largest organized group in the ecumenical movement, promoting unity among the world's Christian churches. The World Council of Churches simply affirms it is "a fellowship of churches which accept our Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour" (1961). That sound a lot like the first creed of early believers.

There is no biblical law for Christians to judge others. Jesus said he did not come to judge but to save (John 12:47). There is a biblical law for Christians to Love God and others. It is modelled in the way Jesus reached out to the marginalized and underprivileged and it is repeated many times:

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. James 2:8-9 NIV 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”John 13:34-35 NIV

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[Lev. 19:18] Galatians 5:14 NIV

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 NIV

Is Jesus your Lord? Does God reign in your heart? What is the most loving thing to do?

What would Jesus do? In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains that the law regulated our outward behaviours, while the fulfillment of the law regulates our hearts.

With thousands of Christian denominations, we will not all agree on all points of doctrine. Paul declares that we may disagree on some point, and God will reveal it to us (Phil. 3:15).

If others follow other beliefs or religions and do not welcome our words, Jesus tells us to leave them be: shake the dust off our feet (Matthew 10:14). We can respect and love them as Jesus did.

And we can recognize as a brother or sister in Christ anyone who makes the biblical declaration of a Christian: Jesus, the Christ, is Lord.

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Elaine Ricker Kelly Author is empowering women with historical fiction about women in the Bible and early church and Christian blogs about women in leadership, church history and doctrine. Her books include:

• Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, Book 1 (2022)

• The Sword A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible Says About a Woman's Role (2023)

• Because She Was Called: from Broken to Bold, Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church, imagines Mary Magdalene's trip to testify before the emperor (2024)

• Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience (2024)