Followers of Christ United

CoreyD said:

AD 29 - AD 50
Jesus' followers are with him. They follow him where he goes, and preach the gospel of the kingdom with him, as they are instructed.
Luke 8:1-3
1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, 2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

Luke 10:1, 2
1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Many disciple leave Jesus.
John 6:66 ...many of His disciples left, and would no longer walk with Him.
The twelve (12) remain.
John 6:67, 68 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,

Jesus celebrates the last Passover before his execution, with the twelve.
Matthew 26:20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.
Judas Iscariot abandons Jesus, betraying him.
Mark 14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them.

At Jesus arrest, all his followers abandon him and flee for fear of their lives.
Matthew 26:56 ...At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Jesus is alone, but he is not alone, as his father is with him.

On Jesus' resurrection, he seeks company with his friends - his followers, and they are united again.
Matthew 28:16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
Jesus gives them instruction to continue the work they were doing before his death.
Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus' followers have been doing that work, since. On their own? No.
Acts 1:8 ...you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be [c]witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Jesus is directing them from heaven, and blessing the increase. The workers are increasing, and more people are being reached, in all the earth.
Acts 2:4 And everyone present (120 followers - Acts 1:15) was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Acts 4:4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
Acts 5:14 And more believing in the Lord were added, multitudes both of men and women,

Nothing could stop the work Jesus assigned, because he was backing his followers, who were on fire with zeal. Acts 5:27-29; Acts 8:4; Acts 17:17
Jesus is with his followers, as promised. Matthew 28:20. The gospel has to be preached to all nations. Matthew 24:14

AD 2024
Who are Jesus' followers, and what identifies them as Jesus' followers, according to scripture?

Hi @Christsfreeservant

Spoiler: This is for you

In one of your threads in Poetry & Prose... forgot to mention, good job on your poetry.
You said...
When Jesus spoke of his sheep, he was speaking of his true followers. They hear the voice of the Lord, they listen attentively to his words, they obey what he says, and they follow him wherever he leads them. They find forgiveness and salvation. This is the mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

I like the post in the thread Are you unapproachable?
It indicates that you are a very open-minded person, and I like about you that you, share openly from the scriptures.
It suggests that you are opened to having your words tested, and being corrected.

You said that "if we are truly followers of Jesus Christ then we should be able to be united together with other followers of Christ, and we should not be divided by church doctrines and theologies and denominations and affiliations, etc. And we should all be those who are paying close attention to what we are being taught and who are testing whatever we hear and read against the teachings of the Scriptures, in their full context.

But the bottom line here, in reality, is that we are not to be followers of men (or women), nor should we be followers of church denominations and their particular theologies, some of which, or many of which are now succumbing to the flesh of man and to marketing schemes for how to attract the people of the world to their “Christian” gatherings. But we are to be followers of Jesus Christ and those who study the Scriptures for ourselves (IN CONTEXT) under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, and who are willing to change our belief systems if we find them to not agree with the Scriptures."

I'll like to ask a few questions on what you said, and relating to this thread.
Are there any particular scriptures you can think of, which gives the mark of true disciples of Christ? Are there any in the OP?
How do we identify followers of Christ?
Can you think of any scripture(s) which show we can study the scriptures for ourselves under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit?

I really would greatly appreciate your participation. Thank you.

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CoreyD said:

That's an excellent scripture Alex.
Why didn't I think of that one.
Yes. Jesus' followers were united wherever they went, both in the methods with which they preached, and the message they preached. Acts 11:19-21; Acts 16:11-14

You actually reminded me of another scripture.
Jesus' followers were united in love wherever they went.
John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”


When you say "we", whom do you mean?
"We", is present tense, which refers to today, so would you like to answer the question... In AD 2024 Who are Jesus' followers, and what identifies them as Jesus' followers, according to scripture?

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AlexB23 said:

Another verse to add. So yes, Christians are supposed to be united, and not divided as Christians.

1 Corinthians 1:10,12-13 (NIV): "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?"

However, Christians (whether now, or thousands of years ago) must rebuke fellow Christians who do not follow the Bible.

1 Timothy 5:20 (ESV): "As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear."

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JesusFollowerForever said:

what is the cause of this division?

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CoreyD said:

Thanks Alex, but that's the purpose of the OP - trying to find out who are Christians, today and what identifies them as such. Please see this post.

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus followers were with him. They follow him where he went, and preached the gospel of the kingdom with him, as they were instructed. They have continued to do that work since then, guided by Jesus from heaven.

Whom do you see doing that today, and whom do you see united wherever they are, in the methods with which they preach, and the message they preach, and united in love?

Please don't answer that with "Christians". There are said to be more than 45,000 denominations globally identifying as Christian that are divided by teachings and methods, and they certainly are not united in love. Please see this post.

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CoreyD said:

AD 29 - AD 50
Jesus' followers are with him. They follow him where he goes, and preach the gospel of the kingdom with him, as they are instructed.
Luke 8:1-3
1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, 2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

Luke 10:1, 2
1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Many disciple leave Jesus.
John 6:66 ...many of His disciples left, and would no longer walk with Him.
The twelve (12) remain.
John 6:67, 68 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,

Jesus celebrates the last Passover before his execution, with the twelve.
Matthew 26:20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.
Judas Iscariot abandons Jesus, betraying him.
Mark 14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them.

At Jesus arrest, all his followers abandon him and flee for fear of their lives.
Matthew 26:56 ...At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Jesus is alone, but he is not alone, as his father is with him.

On Jesus' resurrection, he seeks company with his friends - his followers, and they are united again.
Matthew 28:16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
Jesus gives them instruction to continue the work they were doing before his death.
Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus' followers have been doing that work, since. On their own? No.
Acts 1:8 ...you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be [c]witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Jesus is directing them from heaven, and blessing the increase. The workers are increasing, and more people are being reached, in all the earth.
Acts 2:4 And everyone present (120 followers - Acts 1:15) was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Acts 4:4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
Acts 5:14 And more believing in the Lord were added, multitudes both of men and women,

Nothing could stop the work Jesus assigned, because he was backing his followers, who were on fire with zeal. Acts 5:27-29; Acts 8:4; Acts 17:17
Jesus is with his followers, as promised. Matthew 28:20. The gospel has to be preached to all nations. Matthew 24:14

AD 2024
Who are Jesus' followers, and what identifies them as Jesus' followers, according to scripture?

Hi @Christsfreeservant

Spoiler: This is for you

In one of your threads in Poetry & Prose... forgot to mention, good job on your poetry.
You said...
When Jesus spoke of his sheep, he was speaking of his true followers. They hear the voice of the Lord, they listen attentively to his words, they obey what he says, and they follow him wherever he leads them. They find forgiveness and salvation. This is the mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

I like the post in the thread Are you unapproachable?
It indicates that you are a very open-minded person, and I like about you that you, share openly from the scriptures.
It suggests that you are opened to having your words tested, and being corrected.

You said that "if we are truly followers of Jesus Christ then we should be able to be united together with other followers of Christ, and we should not be divided by church doctrines and theologies and denominations and affiliations, etc. And we should all be those who are paying close attention to what we are being taught and who are testing whatever we hear and read against the teachings of the Scriptures, in their full context.

But the bottom line here, in reality, is that we are not to be followers of men (or women), nor should we be followers of church denominations and their particular theologies, some of which, or many of which are now succumbing to the flesh of man and to marketing schemes for how to attract the people of the world to their “Christian” gatherings. But we are to be followers of Jesus Christ and those who study the Scriptures for ourselves (IN CONTEXT) under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, and who are willing to change our belief systems if we find them to not agree with the Scriptures."

I'll like to ask a few questions on what you said, and relating to this thread.
Are there any particular scriptures you can think of, which gives the mark of true disciples of Christ? Are there any in the OP?
How do we identify followers of Christ?
Can you think of any scripture(s) which show we can study the scriptures for ourselves under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit?

I really would greatly appreciate your participation. Thank you.

Click to expand...

CoreyD said:

Hi JFF.
That is a good question.
Are you asking in order to find out how the Bible answers, or do you know how the Bible answers, but is seeking to hear what others say?

I was just reading this article. Quite interesting. I rad it through.
There's just about one thing I do not agree with, and that's the comment:
But on some level, differentiation and variety have been markers of Christianity since the very beginning, according to Diarmaid MacCulloch, professor emeritus of church history at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. "There's never been a united Christianity," he told Live Science.

That's not true. During the first century Christianity was one unified order. It was being held together by the apostles.
2 Thessalonians 2:7
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way.
Revelation 1:20

Once the last apostle died. that was it.
Christ allowed the lawlessness to take over, in order to accomplish his purpose - exposing and keeping in spiritual darkness, those who do not love the truth of God's word. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
This is the reason for the division - Satan's authority to use his own Church, which from one root branched into thousands of splinters, all teaching what Satan promotes.

By the 17th century, the contemporary word "denomination" began to be used to describe religious offshoots, Michelle Sanchez, an associate professor of theology at Harvard Divinity School, told Live Science via email. Protestants had used scripture to critique the Roman Catholic Church, claiming that any believer could read scripture and have a personal relationship with God. But then, "the obvious problem emerged: Whose interpretation of scripture was the right one?" Sanchez said in an interview. As believers debated the scriptures and sacraments, churches formed and split based on myriad biblical interpretations, ways of worship and organizational structures. From these debates, denominations such as the Presbyterians, Mennonites, Baptists and Quakers, among others, took root.

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CoreyD said:

Sorry if I am butting in. I don't mean to.
Just want to share if that's okay.

Why start there?
There was a break even before then.

Early splits​

But there were also major breaks, or schisms, over Christian theology during this time. One of the most notable early schisms, the Arian controversy in the early fourth century, divided the church on Jesus' relationship with God. Arius, a priest from Alexandria, Egypt, claimed that because Jesus was "begotten," or brought about by God, he was a lesser divinity than God. But Athanasius, an Alexandrian theologian, claimed that Jesus was God incarnate.

"This caused major upheaval in the Roman Empire," said Christopher West, a doctoral student of ancient Christianity and medieval studies at Yale University. "It split Christians in the Roman Empire in half." The Council of Nicea — a group of theologians and scholars gathered by Emperor Constantine I in A.D. 325 — ultimately sided against Arius. But despite the church's official view, Christians continued to be divided on the subject for more than a century.

Why did that split occur?
We can even go further back.
Why did the Roman Church exist in the first place?

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CoreyD said:

Sorry if I am butting in. I don't mean to.
Just want to share if that's okay.

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CoreyD said:

Edit: @AlexB23 Perhaps I should have rendered the question Who are Jesus' followers, and what are their identifying marks identifies them as Jesus' followers, according to scripture? considering the answers I am getting.

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