What Does It Mean To Be "A Christian?"

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

A few thoughts on this:

1.) This section from the Sermon on the Mount appears to have Jesus expressing belief in Salvation through Works, something with which many modern Christian speakers argue Jesus was unconcerned. It also appears to set up a competetive Salvation through Works, so that Jesus is no longer the man who said that the poor widow gave as much as she could, etc. etc., but is setting specific guidelines for "how good" everyone has to be, and it's essentially competetive.

2.) I've been looking for the reference, and I will try to find it soon, but for now let me summarise what I remember reading here. Jesus had great antipathy to the Pharisees and the "teachers of the law," and because of his condemnation of them, people have come to see "Pharisee" as meaning something evil and wrong. But in fact the Pharisees were a liberal sect of Judaism who revived the faith. However, in the revival, they were strict traditionalists, and adhered rigidly to ritual. Jesus was also trying to revitalize Judaism (he was not preaching a new faith, as Milton Steinberg demonstrates in "Basic Judaism"), but he was focusing on aspects that were less ritualistic, and thus he and the Pharisees strongly disagreed about what was most important. This disagreement led to Jesus' condemnation of the Pharisees; today, we only hear Jesus' side, but the historical record shows that the Pharisees were no more evil than modern day Orthodox Jews or Roman Catholics (both of whom believe strongly in the importance of ritual as part of spiritual life).

Thanks for taking the time to present all of that, Poppies! :)
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[quote=Elen0Sila] This section from the Sermon on the Mount appears to have Jesus expressing belief in Salvation through Works, something with which many modern Christian speakers argue Jesus was unconcerned

From this link: Pharisees I copied this:

The Pharisees and Jesus
The NT does not present a simple picture of the relationship between the Pharisees and Jesus. Pharisees warn Jesus of a plot against his life (Luke 13:31); in spite of their dietary scruples they invite him for meals (Luke 7:36-50; 14:1); some of them even believe in Jesus (John 3:1; 7:45-53; 9:13-38 ); later, Pharisees are instrumental in ensuring the survival of Jesus' followers (Acts 5:34; 23:6-9).

Nevertheless, Pharisaic opposition to Jesus is a persistent theme in all four Gospels. This opposition has been explained differently by those who hold differing views on the nature and influence of the Pharisees. Those who see the Pharisees as a class of political leaders posit that Jesus came to be understood as a political liability or threat. Those who understand the Pharisees as a society of legal and religious experts suggest that Jesus became viewed as a dangerous rival, a false teacher with antinomian tendencies. To the extent that there were Pharisaic leaders and scribes, both these factors probably played a part. Yet other scholars point out that according to the Gospels the disputes between Jesus and the Pharisees centered primarily on the validity and application of purity, tithing, and sabbath laws (e.g., Matt. 12:2, 12-14; 15:1-12; Mark 2:16; Luke 11:39-42). In the light of this evidence it would seem that at least part of the Pharisaic opposition to Jesus was occasioned by the obvious disparity between Jesus' claims about himself and his disregard for observances regarded by the Pharisees as necessary marks of piety. In the end, the Pharisees could not reconcile Jesus, his actions and his claims, with their own understanding of piety and godliness.

[quote=Space_Man]Any thoughts on how/why that subtle vilification of the Pharisees came to inform Christianity? Certainly, a mere condemnation doesn