I can get geeked out about history, especially about redemptive history. I don’t feel bad about it, but I realize that not everyone gets a kick out of the same things I do. However, I think this documented historical event is quite fascinating and, when considered, is quite challenging.
In Acts, we read, “When Barnabas had found Paul, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26). Barnabas had been sent to Antioch to instruct the new Gentile believers. The church grew rapidly, so he went to Tarsus to invite Paul to come serve with him in this growing and vibrant ministry.
We are told that they invested a year teaching a large number of people. Then, we read, “In Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians.” This was around AD 45. We know when and where the term Christian was first adopted by followers of Christ. I say adopted because, more than likely, this label was applied by the unbelieving public in Antioch. It quite possibly could have been a derogatory name. Christian means “belonging to Christ” or “follower of Christ.’ The Greek word can also mean “little Christs.” In this sense, the unbelievers of Antioch could have been mocking the believers as “little Christs” going about their city. The believers in Antioch considered the term and its meaning and decided it was a great way to describe them. Over time, the term “Christian” became widely used to identify individuals and communities who professed faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Here is what I find challenging. The term’s first use, although possibly meant to degrade, also showed that the believers were actually reflecting Christ. The idea behind “little Christs” is like a man named Brian walking around with his son, who shares many of his characteristics, and calling the son “little Brian,” when Brian is not actually his name. The son is so much like his father that the term is affectionately given to him. Although the intent of calling the believers in Antioch “little Christs” was not positive toward the followers of Christ, being identified with their Savior was received as a badge of honor. The challenge for me then is to live in such a way that others see Christ in me, and now, about two thousand years later, I present an accurate picture as one “belonging to Christ” or as a “follower of Christ.”
Unfortunately, over the past two millennia, the term “Christian” in certain places has been corrupted or commandeered. It has been corrupted by groups who have professed to be Christian, yet rather than reflecting Christ, have done great atrocities. Those who have commandeered the term profess to be followers of Christ but do not see the Scriptures as absolute truth and, therefore, live and teach contrary to the Word. This has marred the term “Christian” in the minds of many in our time.
Let me be clear. I am not perfect, but I am being perfected. I am still growing, and I want to be found guilty of actively desiring, with the Spirit’s help, to genuinely follow Christ and reflect Him to the world around me – to know Him and make Him known. This is the mission of Crosswinds, and as a church family, we are committed to helping each other be Christian for God’s glory and our blessing so that we can bless others in the name of Christ. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!