Types of Christians
Christians come in all spiritual shapes and sizes. We have different likes and dislikes, areas of interest, and opinions about various parts of the Bible. Some may fall into clearly-defined categories or types, by which we mean “a version of Christian that looks pretty close to the genuine article, but needs a few adjustments to be a better representation of Christ.” A few of these deviations fit more closely to the pattern of Scripture; others less. Here are some of the more common types that exist in churches everywhere.
Jesus’ BFFs. Some believers practice a trendy faith with an overly-familiar approach to God. They wear necklaces and bracelets with religious significance and apparel emblazoned with slogans like, “Jesus is My Homeboy.” Their favorite hymns stress the relational side of faith. They often downplay God’s holiness and emphasize personal experiences. They are among the least biblically-informed members of a congregation.
Doctrinal Zealots. These firebrands often have a self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude and believe their adherence to sound doctrine makes them morally superior to other Christians. They vigorously oppose anything that smacks of liberalism. Unfortunately, they love to argue with others and routinely use insulting and condescending language. When others disagree with their high-handed approach, zealots take pride in their “persecution” (misapplying 2 Timothy 3:12) and interpret it as clear evidence of their faithfulness to God’s Word.
Intellectual Elitists. These believers study Scripture seriously. Many of them either have degrees in Bible or biblical studies or have spent what they consider to be a substantial amount of time studying Scripture. They take great pride in their intelligence and knowledge and believe intellectual achievement is a spiritual matter. Since they know the Bible better than others, they are not only intellectually superior but spiritually superior, too.
Checklist Conservatives. These Christians’ adherence to the authority of Scripture is similar to that of doctrinal zealots, only without the same depth of understanding. They have a list of mandatory theological positions that identifies a person as conservative (a person’s degree of liberalism can be gauged by how many boxes they fail to check off). Members of this group know exactly what they believe but often cannot explain why because their positions have been instilled in them through tradition or preachers they respected rather than careful Bible study.
Common-Sense Liberals. These members rarely read from or reference Scripture, using good sense or pragmatism instead and passing it off as spiritual enlightenment. Their moral compass has little to do with the Bible and is often shaped by a mix of the prevailing culture and whatever they want to be true. Ironically, they pride themselves on their spiritual maturity even though they are often among the least mature members of the congregation.
Doctrinal Apatheists. This group is characterized by biblical ignorance. When they do happen to open the Bible, they typically focus on the question, “How does this make you feel?” If they read religious books, they choose ones that emphasize emotion and lack substantive theological content. “Faith is about how you feel” is their mantra. They rarely appear in the church building outside of Sunday morning worship.
Nostalgics. This group reminisces about the golden age of the church in America (i.e., the middle of the 20th century). They may still insist upon antiquated cultural norms, such as forbidding women to wear pants, requiring suits and ties for men serving in any capacity, or approving only certain hairstyles. They oppose the adoption of technology and argue that the church would be better off doing things like in the good old days. Congregations with enough of these individuals (or with them in positions of influence or power) tend to look less and less like the surrounding community over time.
Super Servants. These believers think service is the most important thing for the Christian faith. The good Christian is a busy Christian, and service indicates spiritual maturity. Unfortunately, they typically draw attention to themselves through public displays of faith, such as splashing photos of their activities across social media or in the church bulletin. They downplay doctrine as largely irrelevant, citing the need to “follow the way of Jesus.”
Justice Warriors. This newer group focuses on solving society’s ills through human efforts. They rightly oppose injustice and prejudice but do so from a firmly committed political—rather than biblical—viewpoint. They tend to be very idealistic and think that Marxism will help humanity (despite being a disaster everywhere it’s been implemented). If they cite the Bible, they do so to provide proof texts for their social/political beliefs.
If we identify too closely with one of these groups, we might want to reevaluate our spiritual commitments. They typically form when a person over- or under-emphasizes one or more essential aspects of the biblical worldview. These include service, genuineness, love, compassion, sound doctrine, and biblical authority, among other things. The Christian life is one of consistency and balance with a high view of Scripture. Anything less, and we risk becoming a type of Christian rather than a man or woman of God.
