It depends on how you define “Christian”. Theologically speaking, under Christian Covenant Theology, Old Testament Judaism and Christianity are the same religion. So Abraham was a Christian, so was Moses, Elijah, etc. So Jesus would have always been a Christian - which is my answer as a Christian.
Academically - Considering the term Christian wasn’t used until St Barnabas and St Paul were in Antioch, after Jesus ascended (as documented in the 11th Chapter of Acts) Jesus was never a Christian.
The term “Christian” itself is also debated - academically, people would attach it to groups that claim it. So they’d give it to the likes of Mormons despite Mormonism being as different to Nicene Christianity as Islam is.
Even in Christianity - generally under tradition, someone isn’t a Christian until they are Baptised. But if an unbaptised person who believes in and follows Christianity (A Catechumen) was filling out a census, they would be a Christian in that regard. You could argue that Jesus wasn’t a Christian until Baptism using this logic, but that can stray into the heresy of adoptionism.
Ah, never mind. I assumed adoptionism was referring to that fringe practice some offshoots do where they “baptize” long-dead people they deem worthy and was comparing it to claiming pre-Christianity figures as Christian, but now I see it means something completely different.
It depends on how you define “Christian”. Theologically speaking, under Christian Covenant Theology, Old Testament Judaism and Christianity are the same religion. So Abraham was a Christian, so was Moses, Elijah, etc. So Jesus would have always been a Christian - which is my answer as a Christian.
Academically - Considering the term Christian wasn’t used until St Barnabas and St Paul were in Antioch, after Jesus ascended (as documented in the 11th Chapter of Acts) Jesus was never a Christian.
The term “Christian” itself is also debated - academically, people would attach it to groups that claim it. So they’d give it to the likes of Mormons despite Mormonism being as different to Nicene Christianity as Islam is.
Even in Christianity - generally under tradition, someone isn’t a Christian until they are Baptised. But if an unbaptised person who believes in and follows Christianity (A Catechumen) was filling out a census, they would be a Christian in that regard. You could argue that Jesus wasn’t a Christian until Baptism using this logic, but that can stray into the heresy of adoptionism.
There seems to be some slight double standards here.
Elaborate?
Ah, never mind. I assumed adoptionism was referring to that fringe practice some offshoots do where they “baptize” long-dead people they deem worthy and was comparing it to claiming pre-Christianity figures as Christian, but now I see it means something completely different.