What are the Characteristics of a NT Christian?

[SteveII]

What current level of understanding do you think we have that would have made the people interpret things differently?

Cripples do not walk on command, leprosy is not cured on command, 5000 people do not get fed from a basket, people never have walked on water, and dead people certainly never came back to life.

Thanks for your question, SteveII.  Specifically, I’m referring to humanity’s latest, most up to date knowledge and understanding about the various sciences (physics, medicine, biology, chemistry etc.), social/behavioral sciences (psychology, anthropology, sociology, etc.), mathematics, philosophy, literature/story-telling, etc.  If humanity possessed this knowledge during the time of Christ, especially the people who accepted the truthfulness of the occurrences quoted above in your post via the accounts of others, then would they have been more skeptical?

Also, is it possible that people accepted the truthfulness of these claims because they needed something new and hopeful to believe in at that time?
 

I don't think Christian understanding has changed in 2000 years. Do you have something specifically that might have changed (some important feature)?

I am simply curious about your thoughts on this matter and was asking a question.

With 9 out of 10 people in the world today believing in some variation of the supernatural, I don't think that the time in history (first century) has any bearing on the truthfulness of the claims. Like I said, cripples do not walk on command, leprosy is not cured on command, 5000 people do not get fed from a basket, people never have walked on water, and dead people certainly never came back to life. When these events happened, they had an effect. I cannot think of one advancement in any of the things you mentioned above that would change the perception of the events.

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1. Most people do not start with "there is no God". We are wired to believe in the supernatural--and most humans do. That is why a reading of the NT and the genuine changing power of a conversion in a persons life (other people's testimony) is compelling to many people every day  (there are millions of adult conversions every year). 
2. Whether or not you are aware of the formal natural theology arguments, most people can understand deep down that the universe calls out for an explanation. Conscienceless calls out for an explanation. Morality calls out for an explanation. You have to develop alternate explanations to support atheism--I don't think they are intuitive.  
3. Regarding what God could have done a better job convincing, a few points:
  a. It is not clear that ongoing flashing, crowd-convincing miracles would not be coercive to free will. I believe that minor miracles happen every day and many Christians are convinced of the same. 
  b. God is not concerned if you believe he exists. He is only interested in having a relationship with you. If your heart is searching, there is more than enough evidence that he exists.

1. Wired, maybe. But then quite a few grow up mentally and recognize fantasy for what it is, fantasy. Millions of conversions, maybe. Is that because a fantasy savior/protector/golden ticket holder allows then to deal with life/death easier, probably. Fantasy escapism can be very powerful for some people. How many adults per year raised christian reject christianity? Check our Pew research. Is it because society as a whole is out growing the need for a fantasy?
2. The people that require a made up explanation for every little thing are simply insecure. Most want to search for explanations, that's part of the human condition. However, when an explanation is not immediately forthcoming there is no need to make up and believe in a fantasy, unless you're insecure with "we don't know yet". 
3. I didn't ask for a miracle, I asked for god to show up. And it would not be coercive, it would allow me to make a decision on the reality vs fantasy of god. I think your "minor miracles" are yet another example of fantasy, attaching god to whatever suits the fantasy. And I think that if your version of a god is real based on it's book, then it is very concerned that I believe. Otherwise it would have not made it's first 4 commandments addressing that very issue. And my mind searches (not heart) but finds very little satisfaction in a fantasy god.

1. Less than 1 in 10 believe there is no God. Your message is not getting out and you certainly are not anywhere near the mark in your comment about 'outgrowing the need'. Since you mentioned Pew, your message is so uncompelling, it can't even keep up with your projected lower birth rate (a net move of people from any other column to your own):  http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/201...opulation/
2. "we don't know yet"? How do you imaging that more time will give us more insight into these metaphysical questions? Science certainly will not. 
3. Perhaps God will bring about circumstances in your life that will meet your criteria.