What ( really ) is: " A Christian "... and, indeed, how would you ever know it, if you saw one?

Paradise Lost - by John Milton.

While recently reading The Current Introduction to: " Paradise Lost " - written by David Hawkes; a Professor of English at Arizona State University; I read the following quite interesting statement:

" It often comes as a surprise to new readers of Milton to discover that he was not, in any orthodox sense, a Christian. Among many other heresies, Milton denied the trinity, and he did not believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the only incarnation of Jehovah.

He took from Christianity, as from classical polytheism, only those elements that he found congenial to his own system of thought. That system was heavily influenced by the political and personal events of his life, and his historical view of truth suggested that the ideas expressed in ancient texts were inevitably subjected to a process of constant revision. 

For example, Milton often alludes to the war of the Titans against the Olympian gods, as it is described in Hesiod's Theogeny. He suggests that this pagan myth is primitive and inexact, but he also treats it as an alternative expression of the same conflict that monotheism represents as taking place between angels and demons. " - Introduction VI.

Which, of course, really started me thinking about exactly how often I have heard others explaining that: " So And So [ Fill In The Blank ] Isn't Really A Christian; Since He ( Or She ) Doesn't Believe Whatever It Is That We Do "....

The published author of: " Paradise Lost ".

Bear in mind, however, ' My Own Purpose Within This Article Is Not To Defend John Milton Or Any Of His Own Specific Theology '; nor, in fact, either to condemn it; but, rather, to further examine something that is ( in general ) far more important to ourselves.

You see, dear brothers and sisters, we are always very quick To Make Arbitrary Judgments based upon our own poor understandings at the time; and, indeed, we are often even quicker to speak upon them authoritatively - as if, we ( quite truthfully ) know what it is that we're honestly talking about.

And, in all true honesty... Do We Really?

Consequently, therefore, I must ( in all honesty ) now ask you: " What Is Your Own Definition Of A Christian "?


Seriously, Folks... What Is A Christian?

What is The Message of: " Far Cry 5 "?

In fact, ' How Can We ( Their Own Fellow And Infallible Humans ): Quite Truthfully, Unerringly, And Logically Define Them '... and, what Actual Criteria shall we inevitably use?

Certainly, for some very odd reason, It Never Turns Out To Be God's Own!

And, in fact, once you open the doors into judging all of those others for: " Propagating Heresy " - you had better, This Time Now Get It Right?

Since, whether you believe it or not, You Are Going To Be Judged By The Very Same Measures That You Use....

Because, Everything In The Bible Was Provided For A Reason; and indeed, whether you now comprehend it or not, Revelation 18 Verse 4 ( actually ) states all of the following:

" And, I heard Another Voice From Heaven, saying: ' Come Out Of Her [ That Fallen Church Of Spiritual Babylon ], My People [ Because, That Is Precisely Where You Now Are ], That Ye Be Not Partakers Of Her Sins [ Just Like Your Own Shamefaced Ancestors ], And That Ye Receive Not Of Her Plagues [ Since, This Time God Shall Destroy Her Completely And Utterly ]. ' - Revelation 18:4.

And, almost as if to drive home that point, 1st Peter Chapter 4 has ( very clearly ) warned us Where His Own Judgment Would Quite Honestly Begin:

" For, the time has come For Judgment To Begin At The House Of God; and if It Begins With Us First, what will be The End Of Those Who Do Not Obey The Gospel Of God? " - 1st Peter 4:17.

So, I ( Inevitably ) Must Ask You Again: " What Is A Christian "?

Well, according to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a Christian may be more properly defined as any of the following:

1a: One who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

1b: A Disciple Of Christ. 

2a: A member of one of the Churches of Christ separating from the Disciples of Christ in 1906.

2b: A member of the Christian denomination having part in the union of the United Church of Christ concluded in 1961. 

3: The Hero In Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.

Let's just face it, there is only one: " Clear Pill "!

And yet, ' The Actual Etymology Of The English Term Christian Is Indeed Far Clearer For Anyone To Truthfully Understand '... since, adding the suffix of: " ian " - to any English word, simply means that They Are Now Following In The Very Same Footsteps Of [ Fill In The Blank With Whatever Term That Actually Precedes It ].

Now, based upon this more proper understanding, We Can Now Correct The Above Mentioned Entry to more accurately read: 

1a: One who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

1b: A Disciple Of Christ. 

2a: A member of one of the Churches of Christ separating from the Disciples of Christ in 1906.

2b: A member of the Christian denomination having part in the union of the United Church of Christ concluded in 1961. 

3: The Hero In Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.

The Pilgrim's Progress....

Because, as all of us already ( quite honestly ) know that: Talking The Talk Isn't The Same As Walking The Walk, Neither Of Those Organizations Even Existed In Christ's Own Day, and ( indeed ) Pilgrim's Progress Is Merely An Illustrative Allegory Written About That Very Same Walk!

And yet, ' If The Only True Christian Is The One Who Follows In His Own Footsteps '... then, maybe we should ask ourselves, Who Are All Of Those Others That Seemingly Do Talk Such A Good Game? 

In fact, where indeed, Are They Even Mentioned In All Of Those Scriptures? 

Well, dear brothers and sisters, let's just now see - because, whether you know it or not, Everyone Is Actually Referenced In Those Scriptures.

" Many Will Say To Me, in that day: ‘ Lord, Lord, Have We Not Prophesied In Your Name, Cast Out Demons In Your Name, And Done Many Wonders In Your Name? ’ 

And then, I Will Declare To Them: ‘ I Never Knew You; Depart From Me, You Who Practice Lawlessness! ’.

Therefore, Whoever Hears These Sayings Of Mine [ Among All Of Those Who Are Then Listening ], and [ Indeed ] Does Them [ As I Have Told Them Repeatedly To Do ], I will liken him to A Wise Man Who Built His House On The Rock - and: the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it did not fall, For It Was Founded On The Rock.

But, Everyone Who Hears These Sayings Of Mine [ Among That Very Same Group Of People ], and Does Not Do Them [ For Whatever Reason They Choose To Ignorantly Ignore Me ], will be like A Foolish Man Who Built His House On The Sand - and: the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell. And, Indeed, Great Was Its Fall.” - Mathew 7:22-27.

The Devil can ( always ) be found: " In The Details ".

Hey, I'm Just ( Quite Honestly ) Saying....

You might want to examine Your Own Quickly Eroding Foundation!

{ ***NOTE: As for professor David Hawkes, I have merely cited his own introduction of this work for the sole purpose that I have much earlier stated. I feel no personal animosity toward the man; nor do I believe his own introduction to be anything other than: ' Yet Another Degree'd Intellectual Seeking To Embellish His Own Personal Standing, Through A Much Later Dissection Of Someone That Stands The Test Of Time As Being Historically Far Greater '. 

Which, as most of us are aware, is ( quite truthfully ) As Commonplace In Academic Circles as to be of No Real Consequence at all! } 

  Ahava and Shalom.

May Yahweh's Own: Love and Peace - be, continually, upon you!