Most names, especially product brand names, have the potential of stirring the thinking to the degree that what most needs to be communicated about the product - like Coke, Band-Aid, or Kleenex - is communicated. And the religious realm is essentially no different. When you hear the names: Amish, Baptist, Catholic, Deist, Episcopalian, Jehovah's Witness, Latter-day Saint, Lutheran, Methodist, Muslim, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Salvation Army, Unitarian Universalist, Worldwide Church of God, etc., a mental picture is generated.

To the point, the name "Christian" should be no different. A concept, idea, or picture of what this term means should come to mind. In fact, the name Christian says it all. I am proudly and simply a Christian; with no denominational name attached, like those mentioned above, which are neither warranted or needed.

The term "Christian" is from the Greek word Christianos and conveys the idea that one belongs to Christ. Philip Comfort has written this about the word: "Today the name Christian means one who professes Christianity as their religion. It is even used to mean one who is commendably decent or generous. But the English word Christian comes from the Greek word Christianos and really means one who belongs to Christ" ( Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words, p. 251).

As important, meaningful, and powerful as this word is, it is only found three times in the entire New Testament. Here are those passages:

  • Acts 11:26 - "And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."
  • Acts 26:28 - "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."
  • 1 Peter 4:16 - "But if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name." [ASV]

But it is not the frequency of occurrence that establishes the importance of this word. In 1794 James O'Kelly and his group of "Republican Methodists" agreed to drop that name - but what would they call themselves? "It was Rice Haggard who suggested the answer - the name Christian was given by divine authority and they would wear it to the exclusion of all others" (Humble, The Story of the Restoration, p. 5).

Later on, it was none other than Alexander Campbell (1788-1866) who strongly urged that the Lord's people call themselves "disciples." And one of several arguments he employed was that the word "disciple" occurs more frequently in the New Testament than does the word "Christian". On the other hand, it was Barton W. Stone (1772-1844) who insisted on the name Christian.

As an interesting side note to the above consider this from Bill Humble: "By a coincidence of history, Rice Haggard, who had proposed the name ‘Christian' to the O'Kelly movement in 1794, was a visitor at the Cane Ridge church exactly a decade later. And it was he who proposed the name ‘Christian' to the exPresbyterians" (p. 10).

Again I want to say that it is not the frequency of occurrence that establishes the importance of a word and then its use. Many just do not understand the significance of the name Christian, and being simply a Christian.

Over the years different "theories" have been advanced as to the origin of the word Christian. One view suggests that the name Christian was a self-designation. In other words, the disciples just decided to call themselves Christians and so that's what they did. As Allen has said, "This appears to be unlikely because the disciples were recipients of the action. Someone else did the calling" (Jimmy Allen, Survey of Acts, 1:130).

A second view is that the name Christian was given in derision by the enemies of the Lord's people. Comfort incorrectly says, "It was first used as a term of contempt against the believers at Antioch" (p. 251). This just doesn't seem right when Peter himself says that we are to glorify God in the name Christian (1 Peter 4:16). It seems preposterous that God would demand of us that we glorify Him using a name that originated with the enemies of His people.

The truth is, the name Christian came from God; it was Divinely given Isaiah 62:2 says:

"And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." That "new name" brethren is the name Christian. Do you remember what Acts 11:26 says? Luke wrote there that "the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." Of importance here is the expression "were called" from the Greek chrematizo. In all of its nine occurrences in the New Testament it always refers to a Divine calling (See Harold Littrell's "God Called Them Christians" in the April 1990 issue of Gospel Advocate for an in-depth discussion of the nine occurrences of "were called".)

The name Christian was Divinely given, it was given by God, it originated from God. Why wear some name originating from men when being simply a Christian says it all?