Musing – When, Where & How did we become known as Christians?

Hebraic Musing – When, Where & How did we become known as Christians? 
(A weekly “Greek Insight” from Kurt Johnson, available on request from  johnsonks@cox.net )

Acts 11:25-28 – “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.  One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.” NIV  This was early in Paul’s ministry, when he was still called ‘Saul.’

‘…were called Christians’ is from χρηματίσαι Χριστιανούς (chraymatisai Christianous). This is the name “under which one passes” or the name that reflects who the person is…temperament, occupation, affiliation, etc. [1]  Who would have first pronounced the name ‘Christian?’ According to Vincent, not the disciples; they referred to themselves as “believers, disciples, saints, brothers, or ‘those of the Way.’” Not the Antiochian Jews, who by and large considered those who followed Christ to be apostate. Rather, they referred to Christians with the derisive term ‘Nazarenes.’ Most likely the name ‘Christian’ was coined by the Gentiles of Antioch, Greek speakers who would have known the title ‘Christ’ but not the title ‘Messiah.’ Nevertheless, ‘Messiah’ means ‘Anointed One’ and therefore ‘Christ’ conveys the same meaning. Thus those who were called Christians were being called Anointed Ones, though no doubt unintentionally.

Antioch was thought of by some as a city whose people were witty and sarcastic, creating the possibility that the designation ‘Christian’ was intended as a term of ridicule. More probable is the notion that the name simply developed as a way to refer to people who professed faith in Jesus Christ.

The common modern understanding is that a prophet is someone who foretells future events. A prophet is either a Mosaic prophet, meaning one who is opened to God’s Word operating through him/her just as Moses was in his time, or someone who claims the title of ‘prophet’ as occurs in some denominations and in some cults.[2]  Such people could also be known as seers. The difference between a Mosaic prophet and a seer is that the seer concocts whatever futuristic visions happen to form in the chemistry of his/her brain, while the Mosaic prophet is the conduit of God’s pronouncements given to men. In fact, according to Vincent the word ‘prophet’ is a technical term meaning “interpreter of a divine message.”

The role of a Mosaic prophet was more than foretelling what was to come. They would also provide clarity to the will of God, function as instruments of God’s communication to his creation, and be submitted carriers of God’s judgment against whatever was going on at the time. The gift of prophesy refers more to the foretelling of events than to the broader role of the O.T. Mosaic prophet.

Agabus would have prophesied in mid-first century AD. Some say his prophesy was fulfilled immediately during the reign of Claudius Caesar. That famine was narrower than “the entire Roman world.” Nevertheless, it prompted Christians in Antioch to send financial relief to Judean believers via Barnabas and Paul. Others say it was the great famine of Western Europe (the Roman Empire) when it fell and was sacked by the Visigoths. In this case Agabus’ prophesy was fulfilled beginning in 400 AD. During the following 400 years Rome’s population fell by 90% due to famine and plague.

Blessings, Kurt

Points to ponder

What does the world think “Christian” means?

Why do Christians on the mission field prefer to go by “Believer in Jesus Christ”?

♫ And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love…  ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                               April 9, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com

 [1]   Examples: Bruce Johnson = Bruce, son of John; William Carpenter = William who worked as a carpenter; Arthur (of) Beckham = Arthur who lives in Beckham.

[2]  There is also the false prophet which, in the Biblical context, is anyone who is not a prophet of God in the Mosaic tradition.  The key indicator is the source of the prophesy, not the accuracy.