Should We Be Called Christians?

“Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.” - Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭28‬ ‭‬‬

In recent years, there has been a growing fad of insisting that the term “Christian” is a derogatory name cast upon followers of Christ. Some even claim that followers of Christ ought not use the name to self-identify due to its supposed origins. In this blog post, I will demonstrate how this trend is wrongheaded, gravely oversimplified, and simply unbiblical.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

God’s word is, will, and must always be the final authority on matters of doctrine, Kingdom identity, and healthy spirituality. Yet these days, with the prevalence of social media, it is far too easy to veer into the error of adopting as truth edgy statements that go viral for their shock value rather than for their agreement with the whole witness and spirit of scripture. But hey, I get. We live in a crazy world where we have begun to rethink almost everything in light of all the previously hidden garbage hitting the fan. So why not reconsider rebranding the name of a 2000 year old movement whose history contains some blatant shortcomings: I’m thinking crusades, slavery, suppressed abuses of women and children, and the modern “Do whatever-God knows my heart-Jesus is my ATM” mentality. It is this desperate grasping for authenticity that I believe to be at the core of this issue. In fact, based on their disgust toward hypocritical church-goers or the unethical lifestyles of some who profess to know Jesus, many believers attack the term “Christian” as if it is part of the problem which leads to a secularized, corrupt, and unrepentant living. Nevertheless, it is simply unwise to throw the baby out with the bath water. Despite our understandable cynicism, a sincere exploration of this topic in scripture yields some pretty direct answers, leaving no confusion as to God’s opinion on the matter.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THIS?

When we review the scriptures of the Holy Bible, we find no condemnation or dismissal of the name Christian. Instead, it is held in honor. Indeed the very name means “little christs” or “little anointed ones” because Christ is the equivalent of the Hebrew term messiah, which means anointed one. Even Webster’s dictionary describes it as “someone who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.” Yes, you will always have some who wrongly claim the name, but none of these definitions indicate that the name Christian should be frowned upon. There are plenty of examples in which the Bible rebukes false believers (ie. Gal. 2:4; Acts 8:18-23), immoral believers (ie. 1 Cor. 3:3-9), and even immature believers (ie. Heb. 6:1-3). None of these involve early Church leaders denouncing or exposing the name Christian as a term that obedient believers ought to distance themselves from. Just because Dr. Dre isn’t a board certified physician, we don’t see real doctors saying, “Don’t call me that! I’m not a doctor, I’m a practitioner of medicine.” In other words, the misuse or irreverent use of the term “doctor” does not compel true doctors to abandon the name. Instead, they do their job skillfully and proudly, proving the power and legitimacy of the name while drawing a clear distinction by their deeds from those who would don’t actually manifest the meaning of the title.

Now, let’s look at what the Apostle Peter says on the matter:

“Yet if anyone suffers as a CHRISTIAN, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” - I Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Notice that Peter did not say, “suffer as what people call a Christian” as if to distance himself from the He said, “suffer AS A CHRISTIAN.” Instead, he essentially says not to be ashamed of the name Christian even if it brings about the kind of suffering or persecution. He therefore stamps it as an acceptable term by which to be identified.

Let’s look at what the Apostle Paul says on the matter:

“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a CHRISTIAN.” And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether SUCH AS I AM, except for these chains.”” - Acts‬ ‭26‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Notice how our brother Paul uses the word “almost” just as Agrippa did to indicate that he was referring to his use of the term “Christian.” Paul even took it further by saying “altogether” to show that yes, he was indeed a Christian and desired everyone under the sound of his voice to be as much of a Christian as him.

Lastly, let’s look at the one scripture which advocates of this derogatory term idea like to point to as biblical evidence for the notion that the term “Christian” shouldn’t be embraced:

“And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were FIRST CALLED Christians in Antioch.” - Acts‬ ‭11‬:‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This scripture was preceded by an account of persecution over Stephen the Deacon’s witness and the resulting dispersion of believers. When looked at in context, it clearly indicates that this term arose at a time of successful Kingdom expansion as believers spread throughout places like Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Cyrene through the preached word of faithful disciples of Christ. And whether or not it was used as an insult or not by unbelievers, it was clearly a term which identified true followers of Christ who were preaching mightily, exhibiting Christlike behavior, and even performing great exploits by the power of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, why would anyone care to insult them? No wonder the Church (Body of Christ) has embraced the term for almost two thousand years since. Furthermore, reading onward from that scripture, we see absolutely zero rejection of the term or discussion of it as undesirable.

It is also worth noting that “The Way” was also an early name for the movement or Christ followers. We see its use repeatedly in Luke’s storied adventures with Paul in places like Acts 9:1-2, 22:4, and 24:14. And yet, even though it is mentioned within the same book as the term “Christian,” there was no effort on the part of the author to distinguish “The Way” as a proper label and “Christian” as derogatory and worthy of rejection. All things considered, it is apparent that the name Christian simply became the dominant name for followers of Christ as the movement evolved and spread throughout the world.

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

So if the Bible itself holds the word “Christian” in high esteem, why are we in the modern church trippin? As I mentioned in the introduction, part of the answer has to do with believers being jaded by the vast misrepresentations of Christianity by modern believers. Deeper reasons include spiritual boredom due to a lack of Holy Ghost inspiration. Stale religion can only take you so far. The Apostle Paul warned us about this in 2 Tim. 2:14: “Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.” And yet, when people are unsatisfied with their relationship with God because we lack the Holy Ghost infilling, leading, and empowerment to take us deeper into God’s presence and farther out in Kingdom conquest, they will always wander into petty battles within the family of God as they attempt to wield their spiritual weapons in the wrong direction. Paul also warned us about this, saying this in Galatians 5:14-16:

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

We see then that walking in the Spirit, which is the result of a life led by the Holy Spirit, is the key to avoiding the self-destructive tendencies of the flesh. Adding to the madness is the fact that many of the people who are promoting this idea are sitting in the comforts of their western developed nations without fear of any real physical persecution. Meanwhile, believers in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa are being martyred for carrying the very name we are trying to distance ourselves from—Christian.

DRAW A LINE & FULFILL THE STANDARD

So yes, we must maintain a focus on bearing fruit worthy of our profession, but let us not allow our holy indignation to become reckless anger. The problem isn’t the name, it’s the ones who bear it and the deception Satan, who blinds people to the true life-changing power of the One who Christians profess. We ought neither reject nor cast the word “Christian” in a negative light. Neither should we cheer on those who do as though they are bringing forth Kingdom revelation with that assertion. There is no Holy Spirit involved in that line of thinking or condemning speech. The Kingdom aim is not to reject misappropriated principles of scripture, but rather to fulfill the original intent their establishment by God’s design.

This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:17 when He said to the religious leaders who had shamefully misappropriated the commands of God, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” In other words, even as the Holy Spirit works among us to restore Kingdom order, power, and authority to the Church in a manner which supersedes the outpouring of Acts 2 in these times, let us not denigrate the term “Christian” which God has blessed. Let’s FULFILL IT instead. Let’s focus on properly defining the name “Christian” in the hearts and minds of those in our sphere of influence by letting our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). Let’s help the world to see that a Christian is one who has not only received Christ as their Lord and Savior through repentance and confession of His Lordship, but also one who has been empowered by the indwelling Spirit of God to live a life of love in fruitful obedience to the Father just as Christ did during His life and ministry on earth. The term “Christian” refers to people belonging to a faith community of that glorious nature. For this reason, I and so many others around the world are proud to be associated with the name Christian. How about you? Peace to you and all who consider these words.

Jason Weathers

Prophet & Mentor

Kingdom Heritage Ministries USA