First Called Christians

Christ’s People

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In Antioch something new happened. “And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). Before this, believers were called disciples or brethren. Now they had a name that pointed straight to Jesus.

Disciples first. A disciple is a learner who follows a teacher. The believers in Antioch had spent a whole year learning from Barnabas and Saul (11:26). They were disciples before anyone called them Christians.

What the name means. Christian means a person who belongs to Christ. It is a little like a family name. It tells whose you are.

Who is Christ? Christ is a title, not a last name. It means the Anointed One. Long ago, kings were anointed with oil when they were chosen. Jesus is the King God promised to send.

Who chose the name? Most likely people in Antioch who were not believers gave them this name. These disciples talked about Christ so much that people named them after Him.

Jews and Greeks. In Antioch, Jewish believers and Greek believers met together as one church. They were not named after a country or a family. They were named after Jesus.

Jesus’ own words. Long before Antioch, Jesus said, “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (Mark 9:41).

Whose you are. Jesus did not point to how good His followers were. He said “because you belong to Christ.” Belonging to Him is what matters most.

In every place. Paul later wrote to believers and to all “who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2). Believers in every land share one Lord.

How do we belong? We do not become Christ’s people by being good. We have all sinned. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, and He rose again. When we trust Him, He makes us His own.

Bought by love. Paul wrote about Jesus, “who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). We belong to Jesus because He gave Himself for us.

The name again. Later in the Bible, King Agrippa used the name (Acts 26:28), and Peter used it in a letter (1 Peter 4:16).

What we learn. If you trust Jesus, you are not only someone who likes Him. You belong to Him.

What to do. Thank Jesus today that you can belong to Him. If you have never trusted Him, you can ask Him to forgive your sins and make you His own.

“And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). For the first time, followers of Jesus carried a name built on His title.

Christianos. The Greek christianos (say: khris-tee-ah-NOS) joins the title Christ to an ending that means belonging to someone’s side or household. In the Gospels, people loyal to Herod were called Herodians (Mark 12:13). Christians are Christ’s people.

The Anointed One. Christ is a title meaning the Anointed One, the promised King. To call someone a Christian was to say that this person belonged to the One these disciples called the Messiah.

Disciples first. Verse 26 calls them disciples, learners who follow their teacher. A whole year of teaching had shaped them. The name came after the life.

Learners for life. A disciple never stops learning. The believers in Antioch learned for a whole year, and every Christian keeps learning from Jesus for a lifetime.

Named by others. Most likely the name first came from outsiders in Antioch. They needed a word for a new group of Jews and Gentiles together, who were always talking about Christ.

Belonging (Mark 9:41). Jesus Himself described His disciples this way: “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” The mark of His disciples is that they belong to Christ.

One name in every place. Paul wrote to “all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2). Believers across the world share one Lord, and so they share one name.

Two more times. Later the name is heard from King Agrippa (Acts 26:28) and in Peter’s letter about suffering (1 Peter 4:16). In each place it means people who belong to Christ.

How we come to belong. No one is born a Christian, and no one earns the name. All have sinned. Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), and everyone who trusts Him is joined to Him.

Bought, not hired. Paul wrote of “the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). We belong to Christ because He gave Himself for us, not because we work for Him.

Application. The name is not a sticker you put on. It is a fact about whose you are. If you trust Christ, thank Him that you belong to Him, and let that settle who you are.

Worthy of the Name

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If you belong to Christ, you carry His name. The Bible tells Christians how to live in a way that fits that name.

Called first. Paul wrote, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Ephesians 4:1). Beseech means to beg or urge.

God moves first. God called us before we ever lived for Him. First He makes us His. Then we live like His people.

Walk worthy. To walk worthy means to live in a way that matches whose you are. A prince acts like a prince because he already is one.

Not to earn it. We do not live this way to become Christians. We live this way because Jesus has already made us His.

Lowly and gentle. Paul said to live “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). Lowliness means being humble. Longsuffering means being patient for a long time.

Keeping peace. Paul also told them to keep “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (4:3). In Antioch, Jewish and Greek believers had to learn to do this together.

Chosen and loved. Paul wrote to another church, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering” (Colossians 3:12). Elect means chosen. God chose them and loved them first.

Put on. Put on is a picture of getting dressed. Every day a Christian can put on kindness the way you put on a coat.

Forgiving. Paul said to forgive one another, “even as Christ forgave you” (3:13).

Above all. “But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection” (3:14). A bond holds things together. Love holds God’s family together.

In Antioch. The first Christians showed love for their brothers. When they heard about the famine, they sent help to the believers in Judea (Acts 11:29).

When we fail. Sometimes Christians do not act like Jesus. We sin. But Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. When we tell Him we are sorry, He forgives us (1 John 1:9).

His power. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer. He helps us become more like Jesus.

What we learn. Christians are chosen and loved first. Then we live in a way that fits the name of Jesus.

What to do. Pick one thing from Colossians 3:12 this week, like kindness or patience. Ask Jesus to help you put it on every day.

A name carries a reputation. The New Testament calls those who belong to Christ to live in a way that fits His name.

Ephesians 4:1. “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” Worthy means matching in weight or value, like two sides of a balanced scale. The life should match the calling.

Calling before walking. Paul says “therefore”: the calling comes first, and the walk follows. We do not walk worthy in order to be called. We walk worthy because we have been called.

What worthy looks like (4:2-3). Paul names “all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,” and keeping “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” In Antioch, Jews and Greeks had to learn this together.

Colossians 3:12. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering.” Elect, holy and beloved describe who believers already are. Put on describes what they do next.

Clothed like Christ. Each quality on the list describes Jesus Himself. He is gentle, kind and patient. To put these on is to look like the One whose name we carry.

Forgiving (3:13). Paul adds forgiveness, “even as Christ forgave you.” The way Christ forgave us becomes the measure of how we forgive others.

Love (3:14). “But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” Love is like the belt that holds the rest together and makes a church complete.

The Antioch pattern. The disciples who received the name also lived it. They learned for a year, welcomed one another across a great divide and sent relief to Judea (11:26-30).

Grace underneath. None of this earns the name. All have sinned, and Christ died on the cross for sinners and rose again. Living worthy is the fruit of grace, not the price of it. When we fail, we confess our sin, and He forgives.

Application. Ask what the people who watch your life are learning about Jesus. Choose one quality from Colossians 3:12 and ask the Holy Spirit to help you put it on this week.

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Complete all sections to finish!

Read each section and answer the questions correctly.