Reference: Christian
Easton
the name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers of Jesus. It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were known among themselves were "brethren," "the faithful," "elect," "saints," "believers." But as distinguishing them from the multitude without, the name "Christian" came into use, and was universally accepted. This name occurs but three times in the New Testament (Ac 11:26; 26:28; 1Pe 4:16).
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and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
And Agrippa'said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
Fausets
The name first given at Antioch to Christ's followers. In the New Testament it only occurs in 1Pe 4:16; Ac 11:26; 26:27-28. Their name among themselves was "brethren," "disciples," "those of the way" (Ac 6:1,3; 9:2), "saints" (Ro 1:7). The Jews, since they denied that Jesus is the Christ, would never originate the name "Christians," but called them "Nazarenes" (Ac 24:5). The Gentiles confounded them with the Jews, and thought them to be a Jewish sect. But a new epoch arose in the church's development when, at Antioch, idolatrous Gentiles (not merely Jewish proselytes from the Gentiles, as the eunuch, a circumcised proselyte, and Cornelius, an uncircumcised proselyte of the gate) were converted.
Then the Gentiles needed a new name to designate people who were Jews, neither by birth nor religion. And the people of Antioch were famous for their readiness in giving names: Partisans of Christ, Christiani, as Caesariani, partisans of Caesar; a Latin name, as Antioch had become a Latin city. But the name was divinely ordered (as chreematizoo always expresses, Ac 11:26), as the new name to mark the new era, namely, that of the church's gospel missions to the Gentiles. The rarity of its use in the New Testament marks its early date, when as yet it was a name of reproach and hardly much recognized among the disciples. So in our age "Methodist," a term originally given in reproach, has gradually come to be adopted by Wesley's disciples themselves. Blunt well says: "if the Acts were a fiction, is it possible that this unobtrusive evidence of the progress of a name would have been found in it?"
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Now in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
Now in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. And Agrippa'said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
And Agrippa'said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be'saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be'saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.
but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.
Hastings
This name, from very early times the distinctive title of the followers of Jesus Christ, occurs only thrice in NT (Ac 11:26; 26:28; 1Pe 4:16).
1. Time and place of origin.
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And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of them and women;
and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he did to thy saints at Jerusalem:
And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there , prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
and thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.
And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren,'saying , Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely , Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked villany, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; I am not minded to be a judge of these matters.
And when he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and saluted the church, and went down to Antioch.
But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;
And Agrippa'said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
And Agrippa'said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
And Agrippa'said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
And Agrippa'said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth;
communicating to the necessities of the saints; given to hospitality.
Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren that are with them.
Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious:
If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye ; because the'spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you. For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters: read more. but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.
but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.
Morish
A title first applied to professed believers at Antioch. Ac 11:26. Agrippa used it when addressing Paul. Ac 26:28. Peter accepts it, saying that to suffer as a 'Christian ' is a cause of thanksgiving. 1Pe 4:16.
It was not long, alas! before the outward profession of Christ became separated from true faith in Him in the great mass who were recognised as Christians in the world, and in practice they became anything but followers of Christ, as both scripture and history show. To learn what Christianity is according to God, we must turn, not to the great professing body, but to the scriptures, which testify clearly of the declension which was even then begun.
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and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
And Agrippa'said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.
Smith
Christian.
The disciples, we are told,
were first called Christians at Antioch on the Orontes, somewhere about A.D. 43. They were known to each other as, and were among themselves called, brethren,
disciples,
believers,
saints,
The name "Christian," which, in the only other cases where it appears in the New Testament,
is used contemptuously, could not have been applied by the early disciples to themselves, but was imposed upon them by the Gentile world. There is no reason to suppose that the name "Christian" of itself was intended as a term of scurrility or abuse, though it would naturally be used with contempt.
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and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of them and women;
And when he was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
And the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren that dwelt in Judea:
And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren,'saying , Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
and they wrote thus by them, The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
And Agrippa'said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
but now, I'say , I go unto Jerusalem, ministering unto the saints.
Watsons
CHRISTIAN, a follower of the religion of Christ. It is probable that the name Christian, like that of Nazarenes and Galileans, was given to the disciples of our Lord in reproach or contempt. What confirms this opinion is, that the people of Antioch in Syria, Ac 11:26, where they were first called Christians, are observed by Zosimus, Procopius, and Zonaras, to have been remarkable for their scurrilous jesting. Some have indeed thought that this name was given by the disciples to themselves; others, that it was imposed on them by divine authority; in either of which cases surely we should have met with it in the subsequent history of the Acts, and in the Apostolic Epistles, all of which were written some years after; whereas it is found in but two more places in the New Testament, Ac 26:28, where a Jew is the speaker, and in 1Pe 4:16, where reference appears to be made to the name as imposed upon them by their enemies. The word used, Ac 11:26, signifies simply to be called or named, and when Doddridge and a few others take it to imply a divine appointment, they disregard the usus loquendi [established acceptation of the term] which gives no support to that opinion. The words of Tacitus, when speaking of the Christians persecuted by Nero, are remarkable, "vulgus Christianos appellabat," "the vulgar called them Christians." Epiphanius says, that they were called Jesseans, either from Jesse, the father of David, or, which is much more probable, from the name of Jesus, whose disciples they were. They were denominated Christians, A.D. 42 or 43; and though the name was first given reproachfully, they gloried in it, as expressing their adherence to Christ, and they soon generally assumed it.
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and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
And Agrippa'said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.