The Great Sending, Chapter 33
STUDY 33: Owning the Name Christian
pp. 172-174
Reference: Acts 11:19-30; 13:38-39
Acts 13:38-39
Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
Acts 11:25-26
So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
Reverand Keith Kohlmeier
There are at least three salient points in these chapters of the early church that are important to identifying those who first owned the name “Christian.” The first and foundational point is based on the message these early Christians brought, which Paul lays before the crowd at Antioch (see Acts 13:16-41). Paul says: “Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (vs. 38-39). The central truth was the message of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of all the promises of God, the full and complete payment for sin, and freedom to live in response to God’s grace.
The second point is that those who own the name “Christian” are a group in motion. It is important to note the passive voice of verse 19: “they were scattered” (διασπαρέντες). The verses that follow record the response of those Christians. Note how many times the words “went,” “sent,” “sending,” “sent them off,” etc. appear. Not only were these Christians commissioned by the church; they were “sent out by the Holy Spirit” (Αὐτοὶ μὲν οὖν ἐκπεμφθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος) in 13:4. It was the missionary God who propelled them, and those who owned the name responded by going! The church’s core should always be in motion. From the Jews to the Gentiles. From Jerusalem to the outlying territories including Antioch. From the record of Barnabas and Saul to Saul and Barnabas.
The third and final point to clearly identifying the early Christians is that they were known for living lives of response to the saving message. According to Acts 11:21, they responded to the message by believing it (ὁ πιστεύσας ἐπέστρεψεν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον). The response of the Antioch Christians was visibly evident to Barnabas. He literally “saw the grace of God” (v. 23). Paul refers to the Antioch Christians’ calling by quoting Isiah 49:6: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth” (v.47).
In our next study, we will see that that response included the physical support of the Jerusalem believers. Owning the name Christian is not a birthright, but a commission to those of us scattered today.
Questions to ponder with yourself and others
- We know that “being Christian” is passive. God has acted on our behalf in Jesus. But “being a Christian” is active. Can you describe the difference?
- Do you feel “sent” as God’s child today? Why or why not?
- What would our confirmation rite look like if we used that milestone as a sending or commissioning service for our youth?
Prayer
Missionary God, we pray that You would continue to inspire and direct us as a people to own the name Christian. Let our lives reflect the light of Your saving Word to our neighbors and neighborhoods in such a fashion that we too may be called “Christian.” Open our hearts and eyes to those opportunities before us today, that whether through persecution or invitation, we may “continue to bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this He has fulfilled.” Amen.