Name for God’s People
by Dave Brown
CHRISTIAN
Our society uses the word “Christian” in a wide variety of ways. Before commenting on this, let us look at how the bible defines this word. This is simple, since it only appears three times in the bible (all in the New Testament).
Its first usage is in Acts 11:25-26: “Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
The writer (Luke) was making a major point about the church in this predominantly gentile city of Antioch. The church at Antioch would soon send out Paul and Barnabas on what is generally called Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13). There was something special about the work that was going on there, and this church was honored to be where disciples were first called Christians. However, Luke does not say who called them this, nor who coined the name. Most scholars believe that it was a name of derision assigned by the gentile populace of Antioch in that the Jews would never recognize that the disciples of Jesus were followers of the true Christ. The text supports this, since it just says that they “were called Christians,” and not that any follower of Christ invented the name.
We do not gain too much more insight on this from the second reference. This one is found in Acts 26, many years later when Paul was giving his defense after returning for the final time to Jerusalem. He presented the truth of the gospel to Festus the Roman governor of the region and to King Agrippa. In the process, the following exchange occurred (Acts 26:27-28: “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
This usage does not help us to understand if it had its origins in derision or not. However it does establish the fact that it was a well-established name by this time. Agrippa could use the word knowing that Paul would understand his meaning. And further, it is clear that Agrippa himself was not using it in derision since he was definitely entertaining the prospect of becoming one himself. (We have no evidence that he ever did become a Christian.)
The final use of the word is probably the most enlightening. Again, well after the word had become established in identifying disciples of Christ, Peter made the following statement (1 Pet 4:14-16): “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if {anyone suffers} as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.”
THE ONLY NAME GIVEN
The word “name” in the New American Standard version comes from the Greek onoma, which Strong defines as follows: “3686 onoma (on'-om-ah); a "name" (literally or figuratively) [authority, character]. The passage starts “if you are reviled for the name of Christ …” and ends “but in that name [referring to the word Christian] let him glorify God. The implication is that “suffering as a Christian” is synonymous with being “reviled for the name of Christ.”
Here Peter clearly establishes that “Christian” is an honorable name and one that we should wear to glorify God. It is thus a God-given name, as Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, has not only authorized it but commanded us to wear it. Peter’s admonition to “let him not feel ashamed” adds weight to the argument that this name originated in persecution.
Those who understand the biblical meaning of the word Christian and who want to please God will not misuse or abuse the name. Turning the word into an adjective in order to imply some scriptural basis for a work of man would be an example of an abuse of this word. We fear that it has been so misused and abused by our society that it would be better if it were still a name called in derision. At least then it would preserve it original meaning.
OTHER DESCRIPTORS
We see from the bible that this was the approved name by which disciples of Christ were called. There were other descriptions given to Christians, e.g., "believers" (Acts 5:14; 1 Tim 4:12), "saints" (Acts 9:13,32,41; Rom 1:7), "brethren" (Acts 6:3; 10:23, etc.), "The elect" (Col 3:12; 2 Tim 2:10), "the church of God" (Acts 20:28), "servants (slaves) to God" (Rom 6:22; 1 Pet 2:16); "servants (slaves) of Christ Jesus" (Phil 1:1), and several others. The distinction between these and the word “Christian” is that these other terms all have descriptive meanings in and of themselves, and none of them is ever called a name.
The word translated to our bibles as “church” is from the Greek word ekklesia. The following is from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers:
ekklesia NT:1577, from ek, "out of," and klesis, "a calling" (kaleo, "to call"), was used among the Greeks of a body of citizens "gathered" to discuss the affairs of state, Acts 19:39. In the Sept. it is used to designate the "gathering" of Israel, summoned for any definite purpose, or a "gathering" regarded as representative of the whole nation. In Acts 7:38 it is used of Israel; in 19:32,41, of a riotous mob. It has two applications to companies of Christians, (a) to the whole company of the redeemed throughout the present era, the company of which Christ said, "I will build My Church," Matt 16:18, and which is further described as "the Church which is His Body," Eph 1:22; 5:23, (b) in the singular number (e. g., Matt 18:17, RV marg., "congregation"), to a company consisting of professed believers, e. g., Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:13; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1; 1 Tim 3:5, and in the plural, with reference to churches in a district.
This word has become part of the names of many churches, and, as such, has acquired a special sacred and religious meaning in our day and age. This should not be so. The word should have merely been translated directly to us as “called out” or possibly as “assembly” or “congregation.” When you read the word church, just think “called out” and your thinking will be scriptural.
With regard to the use of the word church in conjunction with the descriptions of God’s people in the New Testament, Bryan Gibson has assembled the following list of how local churches were described …
From this list we can see that there is no unique scriptural “name” for our Lord’s church – the one that He promised to build in Matthew 16:18. It is correct and proper to describe a local congregation consistently with any of the applicable examples given above. It is wrong to invent a name that is foreign to the New Testament.