At Isaiah 43:12, Jehovah said to His fleshly nation of Israel, "You are my witnesses." After Christ's death, the literal Jewish nation was cast off as God's chosen people, (Matt. 21:43) and Jehovah now allowed Gentiles to join those Jews who accepted Christ as the Messiah, to become part of the 'Israel of God'. (Galatians 6:16) At Acts 1:8, Jesus told members of the 'Israel of God' that they would witnesses of him, to the most distant parts of the earth! Following this, Acts 11:26 tells us that God Almighty chose the name for this 'new nation' who would be followers of His son Christ Jesus - Christians! However, in the early 20th Century, a man decided to change this God-given name, to one of his own choosing and interpretation. Reasoning on the Scriptures above, which name is more appropriate?
By what name should Christ's followers be known?
by The Searcher 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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PSacramento
Originally they were simply followers of the "way", then they became the followers of Christ and the name Christians followed.
If one follows the teachings of CHrist then one is a Christian, although some will argue that one must profess that Christ is Lord and Saviour and follow HIM. It is a statment of faith that some would argue, leads to being sealed by the HS IF one truly believes it.
How good or bad is up to God to decide of course.
If one follows Christ then one is to be witness to HIM, of that ACTS is quite explicit.
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Satanus
Christian was a term first applied by others to them. It was mildly dinegratory. What would christians be, if they had no name by which to recognize themselves? My guess, they NEED the name as a prop for their self identity. Trying to be an exact copy of somebody else, jesus, in this case, does wierd things to the psyche.
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Witness My Fury
The Gullible.
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designs
When you invent a new religion you pretty much can call yourselves anything you want.
By the way your quotes from Matt.21 and Gal.6 show why those two characters were not who they claim to be and the delusion of this new religion.
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Blablaman
"Sheep" is a pretty good, accurate name that the WT seem to have adopted. So, I'll stick with that!
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Kojack57
Yes "Sheep" who are all being led to be slaughtered by WB&TS.
Kojack
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Kosonen
Christian is a good name, the
From /www.biblegateway.com:
- Acts 11:26
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Acts 11:25-27 (in Context) Acts 11 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations - Acts 26:28
And Agrippa said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
Acts 26:27-29 (in Context) Acts 26 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations - 1 Peter 4:16
but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.
1 Peter 4:15-17 (in Context) 1 Peter 4 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
I don't think it was non christans who labeled Jesus' disciples as christians. It seems to me unlikely.
- Acts 11:26
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Kosonen
I think all christians who add something to it are misstaking in a similar way as the Corinthians where some said they belonged to Paul and others to Apollos.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.
3 for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?
4 For when one saith, I am of Paul (catholic); and another, I am of Apollos(Lutheran or what ever or I belong to the organization); are ye not men?
7 So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
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Band on the Run
Christian was a term of mockery and derision. Yet Paul writes that Christians are fools for Christ. Just as we are proud of being apostates, Christians reveled in being term Christian. It is interesting that we are NOT termed Jesusites or YHWHites. Personally, I feel use of the OT to what developed as a Greek takeover of Jewish Christianity is tortured. ERhman stated that the OT was used as a marketing device for a brand new religion. It is wrong to assume that the OT happened and the NT is linked to it. NT is not OT God. This is obvious with casual reading.
Jesus did not speak of a God who dictated rape, pillage, and plunder of others. His God seems very different than that of the Torah. We must never forget tthat that Jesus and the apostles were Jewish and engaged in Jewish worship. I don't think it is any accident that Christology is not well developed in the gospels. They seem to skip the whole debate.
The Risen Christ is important to me. Christian seems a great name. Why would anyone who believes in the god of Jesus want to be called a YHWHist or Jehovah? Also, it is abundantly clear that Jehovah is incorrect.
It is only recently that I found that Rutherford coined this term. Russell did not use it. What profound insight can a a lawyer who mistakenly calls himself "judge" (lawyers do realize the difference. It is huge) have about the name of God. Jews refuse to utter or even write God. I frequenlty see G-d.