The Disciples Were First Called Christians

“And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.  Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.  And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).  So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.  And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.”  Acts 11:26b-30

Why is anyone called a Christian?  Why do you call yourself a Christian if you do?  The disciples were given the name ‘Christian’ by the Greeks as a derogatory name, but it stuck and has lasted millennia.  After the work of Barnabas and Paul to teach and equip the believers in Antioch, the believer’s lives became distinctively set apart unto Christ in doctrine and in lifestyle … this is fruit.  The seeds planted and watered are bearing fruit now.  ‘Christian’ has the sense of ‘little Christ’.  What a humbling compliment, huh?!  Would someone call you a “Little Christ”? 

These days, plenty of non-Christians refer to themselves as “Christian” because of their mental knowledge of Christ.  J.C. Ryle, in his book Practical Religion, wrote about the masses of people going to Hell with mental knowledge of Christ as THE Savior or THE Lord or THE King because they are unable to use personal pronouns authentically proclaiming Christ as: MY Savior, MY Lord, and MY King because they have never personally trusted Him.  Have you personally trusted Christ as your Savior from God the Father’s wrath because of your sin? 

When knowledge came that a famine was coming, the Christians gathered their resources (likely money and food) and helped other Christians in Judea.  Though the famine was to be worldwide, the Christians in Antioch did not hoard these resources for themselves.  They were Kingdom-minded, recognizing that what they had was given by God and was best used for His purposes.  This is the fruit of Christ’s redeeming work in their lives, demonstrated in their generosity to other Saints. 

Fruits of the gospel include lives set apart unto God and His purposes and a generosity of life and message which includes capital resources.  Do these distinctives characterize you?  If you are a Christian, they should.