What is a Christian?

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 Lets jump right into the history of the name “Christian”. The term comes from Acts 11:26 which says “and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers of people; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” So yes, you are reading that right, the disciples didn’t call themselves Christians, they were called by others in Antioch. This name was given to them by the world, originally to identify, categorize, and persecute them. The name Christian comes from the Greek, Χριστιανός pronounced Christianos which literally means “follower of Christ”. 

 

Up until this point and even after, the disciples were called followers of The Way. In Acts 24:14 Paul states "But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;” So at this time, it seems as though it was viewed as a sect of Judaism vice a separate belief. There are 6 references of believers referencing themselves by The Way in Acts while as there is only 1 reference in Which followers of Christ referenced themselves as Christian in 1 Peter 4:16 “but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.” An interesting thought that the only time a follower of Christ identifies as a “Christian” it is associated with suffering.

 

Anyways, I guess the bottom line of this short writing is for you to ask yourself, “Am I calling myself a Christian or is the world? Am I embodying how a follower of Christ would live their life, or am I only one in name?”

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