MY NAME CHRISTIAN

The name Christian is so popular in use among christiandom or believers in Jesus Christ. Most believers are very comfortable and even passionate with the name so much so that it would be termed heresy to say anything negative about the name "Christian". Some without careful thought will bet that the name "Christian" is a widely used name even accepted and cherished by the apostles and the early believers.

How did this name come about?
In the ministry of Jesus, one can easily see that there were those who loved Him and were akin to His teachings and lifestyle, while others were hostile towards His person and gospel especially the religious folks of His time (Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees elders etc). There were others who were rather indifferent among whom were the Samaritans and gentiles.

However the Lord Jesus didn't find it easy spreading the gospel of the Kingdom. He faced stiff opposition among all ranks of people who in most part were undermining His lifestyle and gospel -

Based on this verse, Spurgeon wrote the following meditation.

It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
Matthew 10:25 KJV

It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master.

No one will dispute this statement, for it would be unseemly for the servant to be exalted above his Master.
When our Lord Jesus was on earth, what was the treatment He received? Were his claims acknowledged, were His instructions followed, were His doctrines followed by those whom he came to bless? No; “He was despised and rejected of men.” Outside the camp was His place: cross-bearing was His occupation. Did the world see to it that He had a place to rest? “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” This inhospitable country afforded Him no shelter: it cast Him out and crucified Him. Such—if you are a follower of Jesus, and maintain a consistent, Christ-like walk and conversation—you must expect to be the lot of that part of your spiritual life which, in its outward development, comes under the observation of men. They will treat you poorly as they treated the Saviour — they will despise you. Dream not that worldlings will admire you, or that the more holy and the more Christ-like you are, the more peaceably people will act towards you. The world prized not the polished gem in Jesus, how should they value the jewel in the rough who we are? “If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of His household?” If we were more like Christ, we should be more hated by His enemies. It were a sad dishonour to a child of God to be the world’s favourite.It is a very ill omen to hear a wicked world clap its hands and shout “Well done” to the Christian man. He may begin to look to his character, and wonder whether he has not been doing wrong, when the unrighteous give him their approbation. Let us be true to our Master, and have no friendship with a blind and base world which scorns and rejects Him. Far be it from us to seek a crown of honour where our Lord found a coronet of thorns. Courtesy of Spurgeon devotional

Unlookers at Antioch chose to call the believers of Jesus Christ Christians -

Acts 11:26
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. KJV

From this point of view, you will realize that for the believers or followers to be called Christians in Antioch to mean they are "christ-like" was a an abuse rather than a praise name. No doubt the derogatory name from the unkind unlookers at Antioch could not be accepted by the believers at the time. Proof is that instead of the believers using the name Christian, they were rather called the people of that way, which was also not a very friendly name as these two verses will reveal.

Acts 19:9
But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. KJV

Acts 19:23
And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. KJV

Going further, careful look at the Bible surprisingly mentions the word Christian just two more times all in a derogatory connotation -

Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian KJV.

This is king Agrippa an orthodox jew, kind of exclaiming in the negative how that the preaching of St. Paul almost persuaded him to become that group of people (Christian) not spoken of in good light. This was certainly the perspective of this rhetoric from king Aggripa.

The third verse in the Bible carrying the word Christian is in -

1 Peter 4:16
Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf KJV.

Here the apostle Peter was admonishing the believers not to feel ashamed because being a Christian among other things was a position of shame as we saw earlier on exposed in the devotional of Spurgeon.

What name should Christians actually be called?
God in time had a plan for His people starting from Israel and their name could be traced to God Himself, their Father - King and Lord.
After the exodus experience, the Lord God had this to say -

Exodus 19:3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel KJV.

Here it tells clearly how that God will in time make His people a kingdom of priests. Making His original intent for His people very clear from then on. Note the instance of these encouraging words to His cherished people - being after rescuing them from the house of bondage.

The processing to making Israel a kingdom of priests was going to be in a mystery in that it needed a down payment of a debt of sin and a new Era or generation of creation of beings in Jesus Christ. These are the "born agains" of the Kingdom of God.

In time the apostle Peter came to the realization that the creation of the Kingdom of priests had been fulfilled in Jesus and mentions this in -

1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: KJV.

The apostle John in His revelations at Patmos showed clearly the processing of this new position and name for believers -

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen KJV.

Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. KJV.

Today in this generation of Kingdom, our Lord Jesus has made us unto our God, kings and priests otherwise called king-priests. This is the name we as believers have earned from this great and precious down payment.

Why do you rather choose the name Christian?

From the name Christian, the world who engineered it's origin and spread has come up with a religion called Christianity. Jesus never brought Christianity not even a religion called Christianity.