Who Is a Christian? The term “Christian” is found three times in the New Testament. It is employed initially in conjunction with the ministry of Barnabas and Saul in Antioch of Syria. The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch (Acts 11:26). Later, when pressed with evidence for the validity of the Christian system, Herod Agrippa II said: Almost you persuade me to be a Christian (26:28). The King James Version suggests a man who is wrestling with his conscience. Others feel that the ruler’s remark is cynical: “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (NIV). Perhaps the truth is somewhere between the two. The king’s comment may reflect a respectful evasion. Finally, Peter writes: If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name (1 Peter 4:16). Some, especially those who are enamoured with humanly devised religious titles contend that the name Christian was initially given in derision. Another suggested that it was “coined by the pagan slang” of the citizens of Antioch, and countless others have echoed that sentiment, including some of the restoration heritage. We reject this assertion for the following reasons: The Old Testament spoke of a new and everlasting name to be bestowed upon the people of God in the gospel age (Isaiah 56:5, 6; 62:2; 65:14, 15). If this was not the name “Christian,” then what was the new name? Isaiah especially associated the reception of the new name with the call of the Gentiles (Is.62:2); the name Christian was not given until the Gentiles were admitted into the church (cf. Acts 10; 11:26). The term chrematizo (translated “were called” – Acts 11:26) is employed nine times in the New Testament. It is, without exception, used in contexts wherein the calling is of God. Some suggest that the grammatical construction of this passage indicates that the name was bestowed by Barnabas and Saul—by divine authority. Paul rebuked the Corinthian brothers for wearing human names, e.g., Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, because, he said, these men were not crucified for them, nor were they immersed into their names (1 Corinthians 1:12,13). Clearly, the implication is that since Christ was crucified for them, and as they had been baptized into his name, they had the right to wear His name. What would that have been if not “Christian?” There is another indication that the Christian name was divinely bestowed. James wrote concerning that “honourable name” which the Christians had “called upon” (passive voice form) them (2:7). “This expression clearly reveals its Old Testament background (Deut. 28:10; 2 Chron. 7:14; Amos 9:12). A man was dedicated to God by calling God’s name over him. The act indicated that he belonged to God, So Christians bear the worthy name of Christ as indication that they are his people”. Granted, then, the term was divinely imposed, and thus is to be worn with honour and dignity. The issue now is: precisely who is a Christian? How not to Identify a Christian Before addressing this theme positively, let us consider some false standards by which some are perceived as Christians. Place of birth/ residence: A few might reason thus: I am born into a Christian home or I live around church buildings. No nation (except that spiritual nation, the church – Matthew 21:43; 1 Peter 2:9) is Christian. One is not a Christian by virtue of residence. A Moralist: Others would suggest that if one lives by high moral principles, he or she is surely a Christian person. If one is a providing father, loving mother, or benevolent neighbour then the individual is perceived as a Christian. Or consider the case of a philosopher who was once asked this question: “Can an agnostic be a Christian?” He replied: If you mean by a “Christian” a man who loves his neighbour, who has wide sympathy with suffering, and who ardently, desires a world freed from the cruelties and abominations which at present disfigure it, then, certainly, you will be justified in calling me a Christian (he later wrote a lecture titled “Why I am not a Christian”. One is not a Christian merely because he endorses certain moral principles that are taught in the Scriptures. A religionist: Some would argue, perhaps, that one who merely believes in God is a Christian. Certainly all Christians believe in God, but not everyone who believes in God is a Christian. Jews believe in God, and so do Moslems, but neither are Christians—nor do they profess to be. We must remember that belief in God, without a corresponding faith in Christ, is worthless. Jesus declared: [He] that rejects me rejects him that sent me (Luke 10:16). The Lord was unyielding in His declaration: I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one comes unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). A “Faith Only” Believer in Christ: There is a vast body of people that endorses the concept that anyone who believes in Christ (i.e., he subscribes to the truth that Jesus is the Son of God) is a Christian person. That simply is not the case. Note this principle. During the personal ministry of Jesus, there were Jews who observed his miracles and who believed the message he proclaimed; yet, they were still identified as children of Satan. Consider the case detailed in John 8. The record indicates that as the Lord taught, “many believed on him” (8:30). Christ thus spoke to those who “had believed him” (8:31). As the dialogue became heated, Jesus charged: You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do (8:44). A Church Member: Some feel that so long as one is a member of some church he or she must be a Christian. What of those who are members of the Unitarian Universalist Church? These folks do not even believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Are they Christians simply because they are members in a “church”? Hundreds of churches populate our land of which God is not the author. All Christians are in the church of Jesus Christ, but not all “church members” are Christians. Title /position in the church: Being even a pastor or bishop without a personal relationship with Him cannot make you a Christian Let us mention other ways The name “Christian” was coined in the First Century A.D.-about five years after Pentecost. Church” means “called out ones” while “disciple” means “learner or pupil” and/or “adherent and follower of a teacher.” Therefore, “Christians” are defined as ones “called out” from the world to be followers and pupils of Jesus Christ.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:05:02 +0000
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